‘Today is a new day in our province’ Kinew becomes premier in historic Indigenous-influenced Manitoba cabinet swearing-in ceremony By: Carol Sanders and Danielle Da Silva Posted: 12:09 PM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 Last Modified: 12:47 PM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 Updates

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Wab Kinew officially became Manitoba’s 25th premier Wednesday, introducing the most diverse cabinet in the province’s history during a swearing-in ceremony steeped in Indigenous tradition and focused on reconciliation.

The NDP leader and Fort Rouge MLA became the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province after taking the oath of office from Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville in front of an invitation-only crowd at The Leaf horticultural exhibit in Assiniboine Park.

“My fellow Manitobans, today is a new day in our province. Today, a new era begins, and today we get to work for you, the people of Manitoba,” Kinew said.

He said fixing health care, making life more affordable and ensuring more Manitoba children live to see their 18th birthday are his government’s priorities.

“We will devote every single day of the next four years to serving you and the future generations that will someday walk these lands.”

Kinew’s 14-member, gender-balanced cabinet was also sworn in Wednesday. Manitoba now has an Anishinaabe premier, a black and queer deputy premier and health minister in Uzoma Asagwara, two First Nations women serving as ministers for the first time — Bernadette Smith (minister of housing, addictions and homelessness and minister responsible for mental health) and Nahanni Fontaine (minister of families, minister responsible for accessibility and minister responsible for gender equity) — and government MLAs representing many walks of life from across the province, Kinew said, adding Neville is the province’s first Jewish lieutenant-governor.

“I believe that this sends a message to every young person in Manitoba that — no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, and no matter which barriers you have to overcome on your life’s path — the road to success is open for you,” he said.

Former senator Murray Sinclair, who was Manitoba’s first Indigenous provincial court judge, presided over the signing of the oaths, calling it “Manitoba’s true act of reconciliation.” It signalled the province entering a new phase of “true respect” for all, said Sinclair, who served as a commissioner to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

“For too long now, the situation of oppression that has occurred in this province has resulted in our people being belittled, feeling belittled and feeling denied of their rights, but I believe that is all going to change now,” said Sinclair.

Kinew promised Manitobans in cities, towns, suburbs and rural areas who are seeing “challenges” where they’ve never seen them before — such as people living in bus shelters on Winnipeg’s Regent Avenue, in west Winnipeg and south Pembina Highway — “you are going to feel safe, happy and proud of Manitoba.”

“We are going to deliver results,” he said.

Seven of the new ministers are leading departments they previously shadowed as designated critics.

“These are mostly high-profile positions, so in addition to rewarding former critics for their hard work, political safety may have been a consideration,” veteran political observer Paul Thomas noted.

Asagwara and Adrien Sala, for example, have long served as the NDP critics for health and finance, respectively.

“These new ministers know more of their portfolio,” he said.

One noticeable absence from Kinew’s front bench is incumbent Fort Garry MLA and criminal defence lawyer Mark Wasyliw, who served as a critic in opposition.

“Some returning MLAs were bound to be excluded,” said Thomas. “Mark Wasyliw may have been seen to be too tempting a target for opposition attacks, especially if he was given justice.”

Wasyliw was attacked by the Tories for defending criminals and featured in one of their campaign ads. Justice critic Matt Wiebe (Concordia) was named justice minister.

Kinew’s cabinet consists of four newly elected MLAs, including Glen Simard (minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism and minister responsible for francophone affairs and minister responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries), who unseated the PC incumbent in Brandon East. Having that representation is “huge,” said Brandon University political science Prof. Kelly Saunders.

“I think many of us Brandonites were celebrating today, but also people throughout southwest Manitoba because we are the second-largest city in the province and we’re also a hub for all of western Manitoba,” Saunders said Wednesday.

Other new MLAs in cabinet include Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn (Dauphin), who previously served in that portfolio under a previous NDP government, Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt (Rossmere) and Advanced Education and Training Minister Renee Cable (Southdale). All three won seats in constituencies that had been occupied by the Progressive Conservatives.

Kinew’s 14-minister cabinet is smaller than the 18 ministers the Tories had at dissolution, with some new portfolios involving huge responsibilities, Thomas noted, pointing to the health, seniors and long-term care files all Asagwara’s responsibility now.

And combining housing, addictions and homelessness indicates how the leader and the party define those concerns as interrelated and require an integrated approach “that is not based primarily on crime prevention and punishment,” he said, referring to the PCs’ tough-on-crime approach to those concerns during the campaign.

Saunders said the cabinet may grow.

“I think that for the premier, like most premiers when they pick their first cabinet, it’s a little bit of a testing situation where you start off with a little bit smaller cabinet, see where their pressure points are and see what issues maybe need to be hived off and given their own portfolio with a new minister down the road,” she said.

In addition to premier, Kinew will serve as minister of intergovernmental affairs and international relations and minister for Indigenous reconciliation.

“I want First Nations and Métis governments to know that we’re going to treat them with respect and with the same level of seriousness we treat other orders of government in Manitoba,” he told reporters following the ceremony.

“I believe that this is a good path forward for Manitoba and Canada, and so I would encourage other heads of government to consider moving in the same direction.”

The ceremony included the lighting of a qulliq (traditional Inuit lamp), a performance of the Red River Jig and the Orange Blossom Special by the Norman Chief Memorial Dancers and a performance of Chief Song (written for the occasion) by Dakota Hotain Singers, following the playing of the Viceregal Salute.

Red Sucker Lake First Nation Chief Sam Knott delivered the opening prayer, Long Plain Chief Kyra Wilson provided the land acknowledgement, War Lake Chief Betsy Kennedy offered the greeting and Dion Halcrow of Pimicikamak Cree Nation provided a closing prayer.

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“Premier-designate Wab Kinew you carry with you… the blood and memory of all who came before you,” said Kennedy, who called the swearing-in a blessing witnessed by all in attendance.

“Today, we witness the power of change, as we see one of our own people rise to a position of real influence.”

Kinew wore a traditional war bonnet headdress during the ceremony. It was given to him by Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Chief Jennifer Bone and Canupawakpa Dakota Chief Lola Thunderchild.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.

Every piece of reporting Carol 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.