COLUMN: View from the Legislature – More questions than answers

It is the sort of behind the scenes work that most people never see. When a government makes a major policy announcement, for the public, it is often the first time they become aware of it. While it may feel like the beginning of a process, for those working in government on the announcement, it is often the culmination of weeks or months of preparation and work. Everything from where the announcement is made to the communications material behind it are usually carefully scrutinized.

Most of this preparation work is to ensure that when the announcement is made and the questions come from the media and public (the how, what, where and when questions), there are answers. Of course, sometimes not every answer is readily available at the time of the announcement, but the goal is always to be able to fill in the blanks as much as possible to provide credibility for the announcement and the government.

None of this seemed to be the case this past weekend when Premier Wab Kinew announced that his government would be implementing a ban on social media and some artificial intelligence apps for youth in Manitoba. This is a major announcement that immediately garnered attention and, naturally, raised many questions. What age would it apply to? How could a province enforce it? When would it start? Which social media would it apply to? These, and others, are the types of questions that a government would know would come with such an announcement and should be prepared to answer. But no answers, or details, followed the announcement.

That was partially because the announcement wasn’t made at a press conference, as you would expect. It was made at an NDP fundraiser where you had to pay hundreds of dollars to attend. Mr. Kinew made the announcement from the stage and then left. He took no questions after the announcement or in the days immediately following. It left many wondering after, if the announcement was made in haste or with little planning.

If that was the case, it is unfortunate. Not only because it’s not the way the public should be informed of major initiatives, but also because it’s too serious an issue to be treated haphazardly. There is no question that there is a serious problem, some would say crisis, when it comes to the mental health of young people. It is also without question that at least a part of this is due to the proliferation of social media and artificial intelligence. To what extent restricting access for young people to these platforms would provide benefits to the mental health of young people deserves to be discussed. As does the method that a province could enact such a policy. But the way in which this announcement was made left more questions than it gave answers.

It also left unanswered the question of what the government is doing today to help young people get the mental health support they need. Any future social media restriction will take time to implement and even longer to have a tangible impact. Yet, there is need for support today for young people and their families.

Manitobans are left to hope that the NDP announcement wasn’t as unprepared as it seemed to be and that more details are coming soon. The issue that it hopes to address is too serious to be responded to by a government that is not acting in a serious manner.