Attacks ramp up as parties continue campaigning for Oct. 3 Manitoba election

Manitoba's party leaders stepped up their attacks over the weekend in a bid to gain momentum heading into the final full week of the provincial election campaign.

Manitoba's party leaders stepped up their attacks over the weekend in a bid to gain momentum heading into the final full week of the provincial election campaign.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew pledged to improve highway safety in the province's north, as well as fund more staff and equipment at health facilities in the region, during a campaign stop in Thompson over the weekend.

Kinew on Sunday accused Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson of turning her back on northern Manitobans through cuts and closures, which he said force people to wait longer and drive further to get the healthcare they need.

His promises included restoring birthing services to northern Manitoba, including in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Norway House, as well as adding an MRI machine to the Thompson Hospital and improving safety on Highway 6 with more rest stops.

The Tories, meanwhile, stepped up attacks on Kinew, while at the same time promising to re-introduce legislation to expand liquor sales in the province.

In a newspaper ad Saturday, the PCs said Stefanson would "stand firm" on its refusal to search a landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women for health and safety reasons.

The ad also promised "stronger parental rights" and "bigger pay cheques" while claiming "Kinew and the NDP have zero experience running government."