NDP creates new cabinet committees, names Treasury Board

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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has created three new cabinet committees to tackle issues of child health, gender-based violence and economic development.

Kinew also appointed the members of the province’s Treasury Board late Thursday.

“Manitobans have told us what their priorities are — they want to see a safer, healthier province and one of the ways we can achieve these goals will be through new committees of cabinet,” Kinew said in a news release.

Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine will chair the new missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-based violence committee.

Its members also include Housing Minister Bernadette Smith, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie, Seine River MLA-elect Billie-Jo Cross, The Pas-Kameesak MLA-elect Amanda Lathlin, and Kirkfield Park MLA-elect Logan Oxenham.

On the campaign trail, the New Democrats pledged to rename the gender-based violence committee to include a focus on MMIWG2S and prioritize implementation of the national inquiry’s calls to justice.

The NDP also promised to hire a special adviser on Indigenous women’s issues to work with families and report to the minister.

Kinew also appointed Fontaine and Smith to co-chair the poverty reduction committee. Its members include Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, Education Minister Nello Altomare, Labour Minister Malaya Marcelino, and Bushie. The committee will also have representation from the community.

Winnipeg Police Service superintendent of community engagement Bonnie Emerson, Andrews Street Family Centre executive director Dilly Knol, Jeremy Smith of Dauphin, and Thompson firefighter and paramedic Ashling Sweeny were all appointed to the committee.

The new community economic development committee will be chaired by the premier and includes Asagwara, Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn, Bushie, Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor, Finance Minister Adrien Sala, Environment Minister Tracy Schmidt, and MLA-elect Mintu Sandhu (The Maples).

Fort Garry MLA-elect Mark Wasyliw, a lawyer and former school trustee who was passed over for cabinet, was appointed to the new healthy child committee, which includes Asagwara, Altomare, Schmidt, Smith, Sport Minister Glen Simard, Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable, and MLA-elect Diljeet Brar (Burrows).

During the campaign, the NDP also pledged to create a healthy child committee and introduce a baby and maternal health strategy.

Treasury Board members include Sala (chair), Asagwara, Economic Development Minister Jamie Moses, Sandhu, and MLA-elect Jennifer Chen (Fort Richmond).

Waverley MLA-elect David Pankratz was made military liaison.

Wasyliw was also among six MLA-elects appointed to as legislative assistants to ministers. He will work with Altomare on education and early childhood learning.

Thompson MLA-elect Eric Redhead is legislative assistant for Indigenous reconciliation; Nellie Kennedy (Assiniboia) is legislative assistant for families; Jasdeep Devgan (McPhillips) was appointed to finance; Jelynn Dela Cruz (Radisson) was appointed to health; and Robert Loiselle (St. Boniface) will work in the municipal and northern relations office.

Legislative assistants receive a nearly $5,000 pay bump in addition to their regular salary.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca