Environmental backflips don’t help Manitobans

Fort Garry

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/06/2025 (252 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans don’t need to be convinced that the climate is changing. They see it on their farms, in their backyards and on their streets. Floods are more frequent and more severe. Droughts are hitting crops and driving up food costs. Right now, communities in northern Manitoba are facing devastating wildfires. Extreme weather is becoming the new normal.

In this moment, we need serious leadership. Instead, the Kinew government is delivering environmental backflips, broken promises and bad choices that leave families paying more while the climate crisis worsens.

Take one of Wab Kinew’s signature election promises, converting 5,000 homes to geothermal energy. He promised to create 1,000 good jobs and invest $130 million a year over four years, converting 1,258 homes per year. This was a commitment that could have delivered real savings for families, reduced emissions and supported good jobs, if the government had followed through.

But now we are two years and two provincial budgets into Kinew’s mandate and not one dollar has been spent nor one home converted. If this government was serious about catching up, it would have to convert 3,750 homes next year and spend over $100 million, a goal that is clearly out of reach.

Instead of delivering on that promise, the government has chosen to cut the gas tax by 1.5 cents, a move that costs Manitobans $32 million a year. For families, the savings at the pump are barely noticeable, but that $32 million could have been used to convert 1,250 homes to geothermal right now. The choice is clear, this government is making it cheaper to pollute, while leaving families without the energy upgrades they were promised.

The environmental backflips don’t stop there. Wab Kinew once supported the federal carbon tax, even saying he would bring it in provincially if it ended federally. He then reversed course, claiming Manitoba should be exempt because our electricity is mainly generated through hydroelectricity. Now, he says there should be no carbon tax at all, with no plan to replace it, no plan to meet Manitoba’s climate targets and no plan to help families lower their energy bills.

Two budgets in, there is still no serious climate strategy from this government. No real investments in flood mitigation, no support for farmers facing worsening droughts and no comprehensive plan to build a low-carbon economy. As wild-fires force evacuations in northern communities, Manitobans are seeing the urgent need for action.

Manitobans didn’t vote for cheaper pollution and broken promises. They voted for leadership that protects our communities, strengthens our economy and leaves a better province for future generations. It’s time for this government to stop the backflips and start delivering the climate action Manitobans were promised.