As the elected MLA and with the holidays approaching I want to take the time to recognize all the volunteers within the Lac du Bonnet constituency. Your dedication to the betterment of our communities is inspiring. Thank you for your time and your commitment, but mostly thank you for helping those less fortunate, not only during the holiday season but throughout the entire year. Your efforts truly make a difference.

Following the ‘nothing new’ throne speech delivered by the Wab Kinew NDP government in November, the Manitoba legislature rose on Dec. 4. What we heard from the NDP both in the throne speech and throughout the legislative session was a lot of rehashing of old announcements that offered no new changes or improvements. With Manitobans currently facing serious increases to health-care wait times, property crimes and cost of living, the throne speech basically repeated the same NDP campaign promises made over two years ago.

Affordability has become a priority issue for Manitobans. With food costs soaring and unemployment on the rise, Manitoba food bank usage is 17 percent higher year-over-year and three times higher than the national average. According to the latest MNP Consumer Index, two in five Manitoba families are within $200 of insolvency. Yet the throne speech offered nothing new towards tax relief or affordability measures for Manitobans. Instead, it said the NDP would conduct a study on grocery prices. Again, recycling an earlier promise made by the premier to crack down on rising grocery prices shortly after being elected. This proves the NDP had no plan to keep prices in check, then or now.

As the official opposition under the leadership of Obby Khan, our PC caucus have been working hard to hold the NDP accountable during the legislative session. Admittedly it has been a difficult process as this NDP government believes it owes no answers to the citizens of Manitoba. Instead, after failing to call their budget bills for seven months, the Kinew government waited until the last day of the fall session to hurry through hidden tax hikes on Manitobans without allowing any debate or input from the public.

I used to be a certified Lebron James hater. I thought his move to the Miami Heat in 2010 was as weak as a move you could make as a basketball player, and revelled when that team didn’t meet expectations.

But over the years, I’ve been completely won over. Watching him lead those awful Cleveland teams to the finals, despite less than stellar rosters had me in awe.

What Lebron has that the other all-time greats don’t (aside from longevity) is an unselfishness on the basketball court. He doesn’t play hero ball, he makes the right play.

There was no more a fitting way for his historic streak of games with more than 10 points to end than making yet another perfect play.

This week I announced that, after more than 22 years serving as the MLA for the Steinbach constituency, I will not seek re-election in the next provincial election. This was an extremely difficult decision for my family and I to make because we have loved serving the constituency and the amazing people that call it home. But I also am aware that it is time for someone new to bring their own energy and ideas to the Manitoba legislature representing the region.

Time is an interesting thing. When I think of the many people I have been fortunate to serve with since being elected it definitely feels like 22 years. And yet, it also feels like just yesterday that my wife Kim and I walked into the Steinbach Arts Council building on the night of June 3, 2003 to celebrate our first election win. On that night, we could hardly believe the honour that we had been given by the residents of Hanover, Niverville and Steinbach and we have felt that way everyday since.

Since that summer day in June 2003, I have been able to serve in almost all the roles the legislature has to offer. I started before elected life as an intern at the Manitoba legislature in 1995 and worked in the government of Gary Filmon for a few years after. I feel incredibly humbled to have worked with Premier Filmon and his wife Janice and am privileged to call them friends today.

After 2003 when in the official opposition, PC leader Stuart Murray and then Hugh McFadyen appointed me house leader and deputy leader of the PC Party. After 2016, Brian Pallister and then Heather Stefanson asked me to serve in the roles of government house leader, minister of health and seniors; minister of education, training and immigration; minister of legislative and public sffairs; minister of justice and attorney general and deputy premier. And in what will always be a special honour, my colleagues asked me in the fall of 2021, in a very difficult time in Manitoba, to serve as the 23rd premier of Manitoba.

During the 2023 provincial election campaign, Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew promised that an NDP government would balance the budget in its first term.

Is Kinew going to keep this promise? Not a chance.

It’s now been more than two years since the NDP took office. Instead of heading towards a balanced budget, we are further away from one than ever.

During the 2024-25 fiscal year, the government recorded a deficit of $1.165 billion. That’s billion, not million. While the deficit for that fiscal year was initially projected to be $796 million, NDP spending inflated that number to more than $1 billion.