ManitobaCandidates for the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats struggled to explain their respective positions on gender education in schools and the responsibility for the poor quality of Manitoba’s health-care system on Wednesday, during the second and final debate leading up to the Spruce Woods provincial byelection.Contenders struggle with some questions at community hall in southwestern ManitobaBartley Kives · CBC News · Posted: Aug 20, 2025 10:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 21Spruce Woods byelection candidates, from left to right, Ray Berthelette, Stephen Reid and Colleen Robbins spent 90 minutes debating Wednesday evening at Sprucewoods Community Hall. (Warren Kay/CBC)Candidates for the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats struggled to explain their respective positions on gender education in schools and the responsibility for the poor quality of Manitoba’s health-care system on Wednesday evening, during the second and final debate leading up to the Spruce Woods provincial byelection.Six days before voters in the southwestern Manitoba constituency choose a new MLA, PC candidate Colleen Robbins, the NDP’s Ray Berthelette and Liberal Stephen Reid spent 85 minutes fielding policy questions in front of about 90 people gathered at the community hall in Sprucewoods, a residential area in the RM of Cornwallis, immediately north of Canadian Forces Base Shilo.Robbins, a former nurse and longtime PC party volunteer and official, said she supported more of a role for parents versus teachers when it comes to gender education because she said she was concerned gender-affirming surgery is being performed on minors in Manitoba.”I believe a parent should be involved until a child is of adult age,” Robbins said.When debate panellist Kelly Saunders, a Brandon University political science professor, informed Robbins this form of surgery is not performed on minors in Manitoba, Robbins said she has nothing against gays or lesbians and has friends within the LGBT community.WATCH | PC, NDP candidates stumble during Spruce Woods byelection debate:Spruce Woods byelection candidates square off in final debateThree candidates fielded policy questions in front of about 90 people in Sprucewoods, Man., on Wednesday evening, as part of the second and final debate leading up to the Spruce Woods provincial byelection.The PC candidate later walked back her statements — the second time Robbins has issued an apology this week.”My commitment I’d like to make today is to educate myself before I speak to something I don’t totally understand and I apologize for that,” she said.The debate about “parental rights” prompted Liberal candidate Reid, a teacher, to mock the idea that educators are capable of indoctrinating students to become gay or lesbian or convince them to change genders.”If we can indoctrinate your kids, they would be wearing deodorant and showering, right?” Reid quipped.”There is no way a student is going to get any sort of push toward being trans, gay, lesbian, et cetera, or change the chemistry of their body or whatever else is being suggested here.”Realtor-turned-NDP candidate Berthelette, meanwhile, was unable to state how the governing New Democrats could mitigate chronic understaffing at the Brandon Regional Health Centre and other deficiencies in health care, aside from repeatedly stating that his party cannot make significant progress after only 22 months in power.Colleen Robbins, a former nurse and longtime PC party volunteer and official, says she supports more of a role for parents versus teachers when it comes to gender education, but didn’t know gender-affirming surgery is not performed on minors in Manitoba. (Warren Kay/CBC)”We struggled at the beginning, but now we have a bit more of a game plan going,” Berthelette said.The NDP candidate’s response gave Reid and Robbins the opportunity to share stories about lengthy waits for ambulances and a shortage of emergency rooms in Spruce Woods, a mostly rural constituency that encompasses the north side of Brandon, nine municipalities surrounding the city and the urban communities of Souris, Glenboro, Rivers, Wawanesa and Oak Lake. “In 2023, 90 per cent of that election was about health care and how the NDP had a plan to fix it, and I haven’t seen that plan,” Robbins said.Early in Wednesday’s debate, Robbins faced a series of questions from the event’s panellists — Saunders, Brandon Sun reporter Alex Lambert and Winnipeg Free Press columnist Deveryn Ross — over a series of now-deleted Twitter comments that prompted apologies early this week from the PC candidate.Robbins repeated her disavowal of a 2020 tweet professing hatred for unions and a 2021 tweet that displayed what she now describes as an ignorance of intended purpose of residential schools system.Meanwhile, Berthelette was asked who would represent Spruce Woods if the NDP wins the byelection — him or Wab Kinew — given there are more signs on lawns and public places featuring the premier’s face than there are signs bearing the candidate’s visage.Ray Berthelette, a Realtor who’s the NDP candidate in Spruce Woods, struggled to answer a question about how the governing New Democrats can mitigate chronic understaffing at the Brandon Regional Health Centre and other deficiencies in health care. (Warren Kay/CBC)”It’s obvious, it’s Team Wab,” Berthelette said. “Wab is one of the best promoters of rural Manitoba that we have.”Spruce Woods has only elected Progressive Conservative MLAs since the constituency was created in 2011. But the governing New Democrats have made an effort to be more competitive this year.The byelection was sparked by the resignation in March of former PC MLA Grant Jackson, who is now the Conservative member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris.In the four months between April’s federal election and the provincial byelection call in July, Kinew or members of his cabinet made made no fewer than seven appearances in southwestern Manitoba, where they announced or re-announced at least $334 million worth of operating or capital funds.Advance voting in the Spruce Woods byelection is open until Aug. 25. The byelection itself takes place Aug. 26.ABOUT THE AUTHORBartley Kives joined CBC Manitoba in 2016. Prior to that, he spent three years at the Winnipeg Sun and then 18 at the Winnipeg Free Press, writing about politics, music, food and outdoor recreation. He’s the author of three books – two of them Canadian bestsellers – and the winner of a Canadian Screen Award for reporting.
PC candidate apologizes for error, New Democrat struggles on health care at Spruce Woods byelection debate
