Wab Kinew, Manitoba NDP win majority government

Wab Kinew is set to become the first First Nations premier to lead a province in Canada’s history after the Manitoba New Democrats won a majority government in the provincial election Tuesday.

“To the people of Manitoba on behalf of our team, I want to express our tremendous gratitude for this awesome responsibility that you have bestowed upon us,” Kinew, who easily won his seat in Fort Rouge, said in his victory speech.

“I want to say thank you because at the start of this campaign, our team made a decision. We chose to believe in you. We chose to believe that, given the choice, you the people of Manitoba would embrace a positive campaign focused on the future, focused on fixing health care and making the economy more affordable. And that you would reject the divisive message sent by our opponents.

“I want to thank you for investing your trust in us.”

The NDP, which will govern Manitoba for the first time since 2016, ended Heather Stefanson and the incumbent Progressive Conservatives’ bid for a third straight majority.

While it was unclear if she would win her seat, Stefanson said she would step down as party leader.

“I want to thank the outgoing premier Heather Stefanson,” said Kinew. “I want to thank you for your service to our province. I want to thank you for your service to our province and country — the first woman premier of Manitoba. And I look forward to working with you on an orderly transition.”

Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont stepped down earlier in the night after losing his seat in St. Boniface to the NDP.

The New Democrats earned the historic victory by flipping seats previously held by the PCs in the key battleground of Winnipeg.

Kinew’s popularity grew steadily in the polls in the months leading up to the election, and the Manitoba NDP led in opinion polls throughout the four-week election campaign.

Before the campaign began, the NDP held 18 seats in the Manitoba legislature – half of the 36 seats held by the PCs.

Kinew ran heavily on health care, promising to reopen three emergency rooms in Winnipeg and hire hundreds of more doctors, nurses and paramedics.

Manitoba’s premier-elect made health care a focal point of his victory speech.

“To the people thinking of pursuing a career, to health care workers across the country and other provinces around the world, I have a simple message to you: we need you,” he said. “We are doing exciting things with health care here in Manitoba. We’re going to build new emergency rooms. We’re going to build a new cancer care headquarters where clinician researchers bring the best quality care to you, the people of Manitoba.

“And so, for all the people out there who work in health care, we need you. The nurses, the doctors, the health care professionals, the health care aides, we need you to work with us to build something special here in the health care system in Manitoba.”

During the campaign, the Manitoba NDP also promised to temporarily cut the gas tax and freeze hydro rates for Manitobans for a year.

MANITOBA NDP HEALTH PROMISES:

• More hospital beds will ease strain on emergency rooms, Manitoba NDP leader says
• Health care funding and COVID-19 inquiry among NDP election platform items
• Allied health workers union endorses Manitoba New Democrats’ campaign plan

What turned into a major talking point in the final days of the campaign – though it’s unclear what impact it had on Kinew’s victory – was the debate surrounding a landfill search for the remains of Indigenous women.

The search of Prairie Green for Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris is estimated to cost $184 million over three years. Kinew, who believes it could cost a fraction of that, vowed to search the landfill if elected.

Stefanson’s Tories took a different approach, buying newspaper advertisements and large billboards opposing the landfill dig due to safety concerns over asbestos and other toxic materials that pose a cancer risk. Stefanson defended the ads, which were met with criticism.

Kinew made no mention of the landfill search in his victory speech.

MORE ON LANDFILL SEARCH:

• Manitoba PC ads oppose landfill search
• Families of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran outraged by Manitoba PC landfill search ad
• Cross-Canada protests call for Winnipeg landfill search

Whatever the reasons, it was clear Manitobans were looking for change. And they found that in Kinew.

The 41-year-old was born in Ontario and lived on the Onigaming First Nation as a young boy. His late father, who was not allowed to vote as a young man under Canadian law at the time, was a residential school survivor.

Kinew, a former CBC host, was elected in the Winnipeg riding of Fort Rouge in 2016. The following year, he launched a successful bid for NDP leader.

Six years later, he becomes the first First Nations provincial leader in Canada.

“My goal in politics has never been to be a First Nations premier,” Kinew told CityNews during the campaign. “My goal is to be the best premier of Manitoba because that’s what the people of this province deserve. They deserve the highest quality of leadership.”

John Norquay was the first Indigenous person to serve as Manitoba’s premier. Norquay, who was Metis, was the province’s fifth premier until 1887.

—With files from The Canadian Press