Selinger talks green research, defends fiscal plan on Manitoba campaign trail

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba NDP Leader Greg Selinger promised more money for the environment Tuesday and rejected accusations from opponents that his campaign promises would add to an already large deficit.

Selinger said if he is re-elected premier on April 19, he will increase funding for research into Lake Winnipeg by $500,000. The money would go to groups such as the International Institute for Sustainable Development, which examines ways to protect water quality.

"It's important for the community out there -- the people that live out there. It's important for the fishery and it's important for all those people that use it as a place for recreation," Selinger said.

The Progressive Conservatives have criticized Selinger in recent days for more than $140 million in promises for post-secondary student grants, recreational facilities and more. They point out the province has been running deficits since 2009 and the most recent fiscal update showed the current deficit has jumped to $646 million from $421 million.

Selinger said his water-research promise will be funded with money already set aside in a larger program for climate-change research. He said most of his promises are, similarly, specific spending commitments that can be funded through existing programs.

"Most of the announcements are within our (budget) forecast."

Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister made a promise to improve health care for a second straight day.

Pallister said a Tory government would find ways to keep more doctors from leaving the province. Like Pallister's promise Monday to cut health-care wait times, the plan to increase doctor retainment contained few specifics and dealt mostly with reviewing the current system with an eye to improvements.

Pallister said, as premier, he would establish a new doctor recruitment program that would include experts in hiring foreign physicians.

Pallister also said he would also promote hometown doctors through education in local communities and do exit interviews with departing physicians to understand their reasons for leaving.

Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari had no campaign announcements Tuesday.