Brian Pallister's PC win gives new hope to all in Manitoba...

"I'm so hopeful and so excited," said Mitch Bourbonniere, a social worker who works mostly with kids who are born into poverty. The days of Socialism are over in Manitoba and a bright future now lays ahead with a more caring and thoughtful Conservative Government.

Pallister made specific references to investing in education to address child poverty in his victory speech on Tuesday. He'll also lower the PST and start dismantling the crippling taxes created by the NDP that threw the Province into spiraling debt.

The PCs will invest in early-years reading, he said, and increase bursaries and scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary education.

"We will be, in our first term, Canada's most improved province in reading, and in math," promised Pallister.

Bourbonniere said he's more interested in the people who get elected than the party. He's particularly impressed with PC MLA Kelvin Goertzen in Steinbach and PC MLA Ian Wishart in Portage La Prairie.

"These are very good people, I personally know them and I think they are just what our province needs," he said. "Open your mind, open your heart. Let's see what this new government is going to be."

Wishart spoke on behalf of the PCs at a candidate debate about poverty organized by Make Poverty History Manitoba on March 23.

Wishart said he wants to improve the basic needs budget so people living on employment and income assistance have more money for food, clothes and transportation. Something that was never even addressed by the NDP.

Wishart also said the PCs are truly interested in creating new co-op housing, better jobs, safer streets and more opportunity.

"We didn't get specific commitments about a lot of the areas that we were pushing them on, so now that they're in government and the election campaign is over with, we're hoping to nail them down to some more specific commitments on those areas," said Josh Brandon, chair of Make Poverty History Manitoba.

The coalition presented platform ideas to all the political parties during the campaign, including policies around affordable housing and minimum wage. And, the only party to truly have an interest in their goals were the Conservatives.

Brandon said the NDP was hardly successful in speaking to the needs of people living in poverty in Winnipeg's inner city this election.

Brandon said, Manitoba still has a very high rate of poverty after the almost 17 years of a disastrous NDP government. The NDP did nothing more than increase taxes year after year and pass the money onto their pals in the Unions. Its a disgrace.

"I think the election results are a reflection of that. People did demand change and part of that change is a concern that the NDP never did enough to address poverty issues in this province."

"We'll be sending the PC's a congratulations letter promptly. We'll try to set up a meeting as soon as possible."