COLUMN: Report from the Legislature – Welcoming new PC leader

First off, I would like to congratulate MLA for Fort Whyte Obby Khan on being elected by our party membership as the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba on April 26. It is a challenging role and I look forward to working with the new leader on a positive path forward to build our PC Party and gain the confidence of Manitobans as the next government in waiting. I have enjoyed my experience during the past 15 months serving as the interim leader of the PC Party of Manitoba and will always be grateful for that opportunity.

It has been a year and a half since the NDP took over government. Yet as Manitobans continue to face significant challenges in health care, education and affordability, the NDP have ushered in a $1.9 billion deficit, and tax hikes. Instead of focusing on governing and improving life for all Manitobans, the NDP government under Wab Kinew has spent the past 18 months focused on partisan games and wedge issues. While Manitoba businesses and families struggle to stay afloat, the Kinew government is raising income taxes, education taxes on property, and your Hydro bills while giving themselves raises at the cabinet table.

Here in the Lac du Bonnet constituency, Victoria Beach cottage owners are facing an unprecedented increase in school taxes. As a direct result of the NDP’s decision to eliminate the universal 50 percent school tax rebate and replace it with a limited tax credit exclusive to primary residences, cottagers and small businesses are forced to pay substantially more while getting no benefit at all from this NDP government.

In his pledge to be tough on crime Wab Kinew made an election promise to tackle bail reform on his own at the provincial level within his first 100 days of government. Eighteen months later under the NDP’s watch, crime is spiraling out of control in the City of Winnipeg and continues to escalate in rural Manitoba.

As the official opposition our job is to hold the NDP government accountable by questioning government legislation, actions and in-actions, while also providing alternative policies and proposals. Since March, the PC’s introduced a resolution to further enhance bail enforcement by establishing a new bail condition enforcement branch within law enforcement agencies to ensure that repeat offenders are not victimizing Manitobans. The motion passed unanimously and we should expect the NDP to follow through and set up the enforcement branch to protect Manitobans.

Our PC Caucus has also been urging the Kinew government to immediately introduce legislation to eliminate internal trade barriers and support Manitoba businesses and consumers. Where the NDP have failed to act, our PC team introduced an interprovincial free trade bill in the legislature. Bill 227 would remove trade and labour mobility barriers between Manitoba and any other willing province. The federal government estimates that cutting trade barriers between provinces could grow Canada’s economy by up to $200 billion and lower prices by as much as 15 percent. The NDP however delayed Bill 227 from moving forward and have yet to outline any plan to deal with tariffs, rising costs, or support for businesses and Manitobans worried about their jobs.

In response to a growing demand for expressions of Canadian patriotism following recent threats by U.S. President Trump to Canada’s economic security and sovereignty, our PC team brought forward a resolution to add the singing of O Canada to the daily ceremonies of the Manitoba legislature. Singing our national anthem celebrates the diversity of people we represent every day in the legislature, commits to the full inclusion of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s prosperity, and reinforces our responsibility to make this country the best it can be. The resolution was passed – Premier Wab Kinew and many of his NDP colleagues chose to be absent for the vote.

Manitoba Day is on May 12 and Victoria Day is on May 19, kicking off a summer filled with community events and activities to enjoy in the Lac du Bonnet constituency and throughout our great province. Happy Birthday Manitoba!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at wayne@wayneewasko.com, or call me at 204-268-3282. Also, you can follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @wayneewaskomla and friend me on Facebook.