What the throne speech means for Riel

Riel

The 2025 speech from the throne, delivered in the legislature on Nov. 18, set out our government’s priorities for the year ahead, and it reflects what I hear from families across Riel every day. As both your MLA and Manitoba’s minister of environment and climate change, I was encouraged to see a clear focus on strengthening health care, protecting renters, and lowering costs for all Manitobans.

Over the past two years, our government has worked hard to rebuild and stabilize our health-care system. We’ve added more than 3,400 net-new health-care workers since taking office and will continue to keep addressing staffing needs throughout health care. With more staff now in place across hospitals, personal care homes, and primary care, we have now begun to address our next big step – reopening the Victoria Hospital emergency room and improving the patient experience across the system.

A major part of that work is our commitment to passing the patient safety charter into law, reaffirming Manitobans’ right to safe, timely, and respectful care. Legislated staffing ratios, beginning with priority areas, and an end to mandatory overtime for nurses will reflect what front-line workers have told us for years — better care starts with better working conditions. Investments in a new Victoria ER, expanded training opportunities, additional personal care home beds, and digital tools such as health cards and a unified patient portal will help create a system that truly works for everyone.

Housing stability and affordability were also key themes in the throne speech. Many renters are feeling squeezed, and the plan to prevent unfair rent hikes, strengthen tenant protections, and expand renter tax relief is an important step forward. Paired with new investments in truly affordable housing, this approach will help ensure Manitobans can find, and afford to stay in, homes they love.

As minister of environment and climate change, I was particularly proud to see strong commitments to improving Manitoba’s wildfire response. With longer and more intense wildfire seasons becoming a reality, enhancing rapid-response capacity, modernizing preparedness, and boosting prevention efforts are essential. This work protects families, communities, our natural landscapes, and it reflects our government’s broader commitment to climate resilience.

Together, these commitments are focused on what matters most to Manitobans: rebuilding healthcare, lowering costs, and keeping our communities safe. As your MLA for Riel, I will continue working to ensure these commitments translate into real results that make life better for our community.

From my family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season.

If you have questions about the work our government is doing, or if you need help accessing provincial services, my constituency office is here to help. Please call our constituency office at 204-421-4666 or email mike.moyes@yourmanitoba.ca