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Sunny. Wind from the northwest at 30 km/h. High -16. Wind chill near -29. Risk of frostbite.
What’s happening today
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will address hundreds of chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for a special meeting of the Assembly of First Nations.
She’s expected to discuss proposed changes to the Indian Act after Senators made sweeping amendments to a bill that would see an unknown number of new people eligible for status. The Canadian Press has the story.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press files)
Today’s must-read
Premier Wab Kinew is seeking a review of Manitoba’s criteria and guidelines for warning the public about high-risk sex offenders, after an intruder attacked a student at a Winnipeg school.
Kinew wrote to an advisory committee’s chair Tuesday to “strongly urge” a review amid questions and criticism over the fact Manitobans weren’t previously notified about the accused — a registered sex offender who twice breached a court order not to be near children prior to Thursday’s assault at Darwin School.
“Specifically, we are concerned about repeat offenders and the ongoing monitoring of those who have offended sexually and public notifications of their release,” Kinew wrote. Chris Kitching has the story.

Premier Wab Kinew speaks to the media about school safety on Monday. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)
On the bright side
A group of former Manitoba MLAs is hoping to restore civility and decrease partisanship in politics.
The Association of Former Manitoba MLAs’ Democracy Initiative plans to meet over the next few months with stakeholders across the province — including universities, non-profits, cultural organizations, labour groups and politicians — to hear ideas about how politics can be less polarizing.
“I think we just all need to work together to be better at what we do and how we behave,” said former Tory Brandon East MLA Len Isleifson, who is part of the initiative.
The democracy initiative currently has five members — two New Democrats, two Liberals and one PC. The Brandon Sun’s Alex Lambert has more here.

Decorum in the Manitoba legislative assembly has been a frequent casualty of late. A group of former MLAs is trying to change that. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files)
On this date
On Dec. 3, 1949: The Winnipeg Free Press reported British proposals to slash food purchases from Canada, on a scale greater than recent warnings from London indicated, were the subject of critical discussion in Ottawa. The U.S. secretary of state pledged the administration would use all its powers to stimulate a greater flow of imports from Great Britain and Europe to the United States. In Winnipeg, eight witnesses took the stand in police court in a preliminary hearing into a charge of murder against a 21-year-old printing house employee. Search our archives for more here.

Today’s front page
Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Free Press.

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