As we welcome in the new year, I want to extend my heartfelt wishes to each and every one of you. I sincerely hope you had a fulfilling and restful holiday season, and may 2026 bring you happiness, good health, and new opportunities. Happy New Year!

As the official opposition our Manitoba PC caucus, under the leadership of Obby Khan, continued working hard through to the end of 2025, introducing new legislation and holding the NDP government accountable.

On Dec. 1, the PCs called for a public inquiry into Manitoba’s failing healthcare system following the deaths of three patients awaiting care, and the unprecedented “grey-listing” of two Manitoba hospitals at the same time. Grey-listing is a term used by the Manitoba Nurses Union to indicate that a workplace is unsafe for nurses, as well as for support staff and patients. Hospital nurses voted to grey-list the Health Sciences Centre last August, and voted to grey-list the Thompson General Hospital the following November. St. Boniface Hospital is set to be voted on by nurses, possibly this February, which could result in the concurrent grey-listing of three Manitoba hospitals. The last time a Manitoba hospital was grey-listed was in 2007, under the previous NDP government.

Also in December, as MLA for Lac du Bonnet and in my role as PC education critic, I introduced two pieces of PC legislation aimed at enhancing student safety while riding on school buses in Manitoba. Bill 220, the School Bus Seat Belt Safety Act, brings in new safety requirements to ensure that all newly-manufactured school buses are equipped with modern, three-point seat belts, and that schools adopt clear policies for their use. These new safety measures will help to protect students by reducing the risk of injury in the event of crashes or sudden stops. Many are aware of the recent school bus accident on Jan. 13 in Swan River that saw 14 students and the driver of the bus treated at the local hospital, and four of the students were then air-lifted to Winnipeg hospitals for further care. I’m not a fortune teller but I strongly believe that had they been wearing seatbelts, certain injuries could’ve been prevented. My thoughts and prayers go out to the students and all those involved.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre secured a strong mandate with an impressive 87.4 percent support at this weekend’s Conservative convention in Calgary, Alberta. A poignant reference was made by Mr. Poilievre when choked with emotion he talked about the meaning of hope and when his autistic daughter (Valentina) spoke for the first time. The comment aligned with the convention’s theme of hope, which he compared to Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, quoting its premise that “meaning is the thing that keeps people fighting on through hardship.” Poilievre added that “meaning” could differ from person to person—a career, a home, a family, a business.

For the leader of the Conservatives, highlighting Valentina’s milestone, along with his son’s cut-out Spider-Man, which he brings along on the road, are illustrations of what gives him meaning. Answering his own question about why he does what he does, Pierre simply said, “Because we want our kids to have the same Canadian promise that we had.” He explained that starting something means not giving up because when we care about something, we fight for it.

While cheering on a young man named Kirk, a successful business owner of Probiotic Sodas in recovery from addiction, Mr. Poilievre grieved how bad Liberal policies of the last ten years led to the loss of 50,000 lives. Addressing people struggling with addiction, Poilievre stated, “I’m not here because you need me. I’m here because, frankly, I need you. Canada has a job for you. You need to get better and go out and pull the next guy off the street. And he’s going to come in and get better, and he’ll go back out and pull the next guy off the street, and we’re going to keep doing that again and again until every last one of our brothers and sisters is back on their feet.”

Reflecting on his early years in Calgary, Pierre recalled the Canadian promise as an assumed social contract — that people could start from anywhere, work hard, and get anywhere. People lived a hopeful life in a safe home, at a full table, in a loving family dynamic, under a united flag. He contended that “working hard, spending less, following the rules” no longer has the same return. Canadians simply can’t afford life under this Liberal government, especially when the biggest item in family budgets—more than food, clothing and shelter combined- is taxes.

As the old-world order gets rearranged and the new order gets the focus, it is hard to keep up to date. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech in Davos was well accepted and appreciated by most world leaders.

It took a tremendous amount of courage to express what most leaders already were thinking. The world order is changing at a high speed. No more soft power is generated anymore from the American empire. The world order as it was practiced until recently, is fading away and the empire is imploding from within. Economic warfare and military threats are all that is left for them.

The pretend man of peace has bombed several nations so far and is preparing for more war. Tariff threats and military threats are not going to attract other nations to do business with the U.S. The opposite is already happening. Trump’s anger against Canada’s partial trade deal with China is clear proof that he is hoping to put this country as a sacrificial lamb on his table for the menu. As a middle power Canada has evolved enough to be sitting at the table. Every angle is tested by our neighbour to see how much we are willing to surrender. Cruelty seems to be the method that is applied. We do not need to surrender or roll over to avoid pain and suffering. Whether we like it or not, we cannot avoid some pain and suffering. The promise has been made to inflict pain on Canadians and there is no reason to believe otherwise.

As for the partial trade agreement with China, it seems to be a well thought out way to reconnect the relationship and establish an avenue that benefits our farmers and help the consumers to buy cheaper electric cars. The new world order is coming with electric vehicles until something better gets invented. It will solve part of the pollution problem.