The RM of Portage la Prairie's reeve says he's encouraged by what he's seeing from the new provincial government. Kam Blight's reacting to the Progressive Conservative's Throne Speech presented earlier this week. He says while the specifics won't be known until the provincial budget's released, what's been included in their plans for the legislative session seems positive.

"Quite encouraged and excited to see how it all plays out going forward. I really like the fact they spoke to specific issues they talked about in their election platform. It sounds like they're really standing by what they've said. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the municipal infrastructure funding is going to play out. I really like the fact they want to engage with us and have a partnership with the municipalities."

Flood mitigation was one of the focuses outlined in the government's Throne Speech, specifically highlighting the need to work with the federal government on the second outlet on Lake Manitoba. Blight says that's exciting, given the need to improve the lives of those living along the lake.

"We know that's a major priority for this province now going forward. We know this needs to take place, and hopefully sooner, rather than later. Once that's in place, we can look at beefing up the rest of the flood infrastructure in our area, but I think that needs to be a top priority for our province."

The province also pledged to help eliminate or reduce red tape at the government level, and Blight described that commitment as an item that was 'very interesting'.

"Red tape and a lot of bureaucratic issues seem to come into play and drag things out for us. It really slows down how fast we can get things done and impacts if we can get things done at all. I think any time you can eliminate red tape it's a benefit to a municipality or anyone trying to do business going forward."

He says the latest change in government is a good thing, and feels the party is committed to following through on its promises made during the election campaign.