PC Candidate Audrey Gordon says that based on her education, extensive 28 years of work experience in the public sector, and overall life experience, she is the best qualified candidate to become the MLA for Fort Rouge. 

Gordon, who has a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the Asper School of Business (Dean’s List), says that one of the reasons she is running in this election is "because I care about healthcare" and want "to improve the province's healthcare system." 

Audrey currently works as a Project Manager and Business Analyst for the Manitoba Renal Program which manages kidney health services across the province. She has overseen several major healthcare projects which improved service delivery for Manitobans in areas such as child health, long-term care and kidney health. "These projects have reduced wait times and lengths of stay in Emergency Departments (EDs); reduced wait times for patients to see a specialist; improved health resource utilization; improved access to care; improved value-for-money; and resulted in better quality of life for patients."

Having worked with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority on a number of significant projects, Gordon believes that "We can improve the system by reducing the waste [in it]. Our front line care workers know where the waste exists and they have a lot of innovative ideas to reduce the waste. But their ideas of innovation do not filter up to the top, or when they do, they are not implemented."

“If we don't make prevention and innovation a bigger part of health care, we are going to bankrupt the system," states Gordon, who also has a Bachelor of Arts (with an inter-faculty option in aging) and a Certificate in Applied Counselling from the University of Manitoba, as well as a PROSCI Certificate in Change Management.  Highlights of Gordon's work with the WRHA include opening a new unit for respiratory dependent children at St. Amant, managing the launch of Hospital at Home teams that provide multi-disciplinary healthcare supports for seniors in the community and managing the FINISHED kidney disease screening project across 11 First Nations in Manitoba. 

Another reason that Gordon says she is running is to prevent "the out-migration of our province’s young people." Gordon and her husband Winston have raised two boys and want Manitoba to be a place where young people want to stay and raise a family, or "start a business."

"We don't want our young people looking at CTV – Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver," she states. "We want Manitoba to be a magnet for young people." Audrey wants to ensure that small businesses continue to be a part of the fabric of our community.  "As a small business owner myself, I know first-hand the challenges and concerns of small business owners in the community and will bring these concerns to the table."

Aside from her experience in the healthcare field, Audrey has served the provincial government in management and leadership positions with the Civil Service Commission, Manitoba Labour and Immigration and as the Assistant to the Deputy Minister of the Department at the Legislative Building.  She served as the Director of the Multiculturalism Secretariat with over 250 ethno-cultural groups in Manitoba and participated in Federal/Provincial and Territorial Committees and Working Groups.  Under Audrey’s leadership, the Secretariat launched the celebration of Canadian Multiculturalism Day in Manitoba.  The Secretariat also spearheaded social enterprises in local communities by providing seed money to community based groups to start small businesses.  Audrey says she is "also very proud of her involvement in the launch of Diversity Food Services at the University of Winnipeg."

Gordon told the Winnipeg Jewish Review that she believes "in giving back to the community" and she has served on the Board of Directors for Youville Clinic, Immigrant and Refugee Communities of Manitoba and has volunteered at Vista Park Lodge."

Gordon, who immigrated to Manitoba from Jamaica over 40 years ago with her parents and siblings, told the Winnipeg Jewish Review that she believes that voters are "desperate" for a change. She pointed out that Manitoba lags compared to other provinces in the areas of health care, education and deficit control. The spending by the NDP "is out of control and the deficit that has accrued will rob the next generation," she notes.

Gordon maintains "The winds of change are coming and after 17 years of an NDP government that cannot run on its record, I am confident that voters will elect a Progressive Conservative government. I am hearing very positive things as I go door knocking. When I opened my campaign office, I had Liberals coming to say they wanted to support me." According to Gordon, the PC's have a "solid platform” and leader Brian Pallister has amassed "an amazing roster of qualified candidates," whereas when the writ was dropped the Liberals still needed to find candidates in several ridings to fill out the roster. Gordon says Fort Rouge voters who want change "should carefully consider who will ultimately serve as the agent of change and form the next government."