The thick smoke that blanketed the City of Winnipeg last night and this morning and the motor vehicle accident that occurred as a result, could have been prevented, said Leader of the Official Opposition, Hugh McFadyen, placing blame squarely on the shoulders of the NDP government.

“After one farmer broke the rules and burned stubble without a permit, the NDP panicked with an across-the-board-ban,” said McFadyen. “When complaints came in from producers, they panicked again and lifted the ban, creating the rush to burn that led to the heavy smoke last night and this morning.”

McFadyen said the NDP has failed Manitobans – both rural and urban – with their incompetent mismanagement of a simple issue.

“It’s trademark NDP to impose heavy-handed regulations without consultations and then flip-flop days later,” said McFadyen. “The consequences of this incompetence for people with respiratory problems, producers and motorists are serious.”