Critics give premier’s custom grad-video offer a failing grade Stefanson’s pitch to participate in school colours derided as election-year ‘performative politics’ Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By: Maggie Macintosh Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, May. 17, 2023

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This article was published 17/05/2023 (892 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s premier is offering to record custom videos for Grade 12 convocations and don school colours while doing so — a first-of-its-kind proposal from her office that critics claim is as much about campaigning as it is about celebrating graduates.

Last week, Premier Heather Stefanson sent a letter to school leaders to let them know she was interested in sharing “my own well wishes and words of wisdom” with the Class of 2023.

“High school graduation ceremonies are one of the proudest milestones of life. It is always great to see students in their cap and gown, parents beaming, and teachers bursting with pride,” Stefanson wrote.

“As premier, I would like the opportunity to take part in that milestone.”

There are roughly 16,000 students expected to graduate from upwards of 250 public schools this spring. About 1,000 additional teens will obtain diplomas from dozens of funded and non-funded independent schools in the province.

Citing the logistics of attending in-person ceremonies, the leader of the Progressive Conservatives offered to produce personalized videos in which she could wear interested schools’ team colours, branding or showcase memorabilia.

“Would this happen the year after an election, versus the year of an election?” said Alex Marland, a professor who studies political marketing and communications at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

“Would this happen the year after an election, versus the year of an election?”–Alex Marland

While noting democracy relies upon politicians making themselves accessible to the people they represent, Marland said officials in power are increasingly using their power for “quasi-campaigning activities” — a phenomenon known as “permanent campaigning.”

Multiple education stakeholders suggested Stefanson’s notice is an unusual one, especially given the fact that a growing number of schools have been moving away from giving partisan officials platforms at ceremonies.

Former trustee Peter Kotyk recalled he and his colleagues voted to stop allowing politicians to give speeches at graduation events in the River East Transcona School Division more than a decade ago.

“This should not be political,” said Kotyk, who attended dozens of convocations during his 27 years as an elected board member. “It should be a celebration… and a recognition of the participants and of the people that you got you there.”

The premier was not made available for a phone interview Wednesday. In a statement, a spokesperson for her office said the video greetings are “well intentioned and congratulatory, and not at all political.”

Political opponents were quick to challenge that narrative and criticize Stefanson for using government capacity to undertake the initiative.

The NDP’s education critic called the offer “performative politics.”

“It rings quite hollow, especially when we know these past seven years, a lot of these kids have experienced an underfunded school system,” said Nello Altomare, MLA for Transcona.

“It rings quite hollow, especially when we know these past seven years, a lot of these kids have experienced an underfunded school system.”–Nello Altomare, MLA for Transcona

Dougald Lamont, leader of the Manitoba Liberals, echoed those comments.

“If a school makes a custom request, is the premier going to explain why their teachers are being laid off because she won’t fund their schools properly or whether they’re going to have to use a food bank at university or what she thinks about book bans?” said Lamont, MLA for St. Boniface.

Marland, the co-editor of Permanent Campaigning Canada said elected officials unfairly use taxpayer resources ahead of elections to promote their projects under government banners, whether it’s a “good news budget,” cheques or promotional flyers.

“Politicians have always tried to exploit opportunities in election years…. It’s just far more intense (now) and there’s definitely more of a 24-7 ‘we’ve got to win every communications battle’ mentality,” he said when reached in St. John’s, N.L.

Pallister's latest letter: congratulations to Grade 12 grads

The researcher attributed the shift, which he indicated has taken place since the turn of the century, to the rise of frequent public opinion polling, social media and a faster news media cycle.

As far as Marland is concerned, there need to be more rules in both Manitoba and across the country to reduce the advantages that governing parties have ahead of voting day.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

Maggie Macintosh
Education reporter

Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.

Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.

Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.