Manitoba’s new premier was sworn in Wednesday morning, along with the rest of his cabinet.
Wab Kinew, who made history Oct. 3 with the Manitoba NDP’s election victory, has become the first provincial premier of First Nations descent.
Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville conducted the swearing-in ceremony, which was held at The Leaf in Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park and included performances by the Norman Chief Memorial Dancers and Dakota Hotain Singers as part of a tribute to Manitoba’s Indigenous nations.
Retired senator Murray Sinclair spoke at the event and described Kinew’s election as an example of reconciliation in action.
“This event that we are participating in… really is Manitoba’s true act of reconciliation and I want you to think of it that way,” Sinclair said.
“I want you to think of the fact that we are now entering a new phase — and that phase ultimately is going to lead to a relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in which we are able to show true respect.”
Sinclair said Indigenous people have felt belittled and denied of their rights for too long in Manitoba — something he believes will start to change under Kinew’s leadership.
“Leadership is an important part of what drives a community. Leadership is about how we treat each other and how we show the way to each other. In order to be a good leader, you have to love the people, and we saw that in Wab’s remarks on election night.”
Kinew told 680 CJOB Friday that his cabinet will reflect Manitoba culturally and geographically. He has also indicated that a First Nations woman will be promoted to cabinet for the first time in the province’s history — promises that were borne out by Wednesday’s cabinet announcement.
The premier himself will take on the traditional role of minister of intergovernmental affairs and international relations, as well as the Indigenous reconciliation portfolio.
The rest of his cabinet includes:
Uzoma Asagwara (Union Station): deputy premier, as well as minister of health, seniors and long-term care.
Ron Kostyshyn (Dauphin): minister of agriculture.
Matt Wiebe (Concordia): minister of justice, attorney general, and keeper of the great seal of the province.
Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): minister of families, minister responsible for accessibility, minister responsible for gender equity.
Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): minister of housing, addictions and homelessness, and minister responsible for mental health.
Nello Altomare (Transcona): minister of education and early childhood learning.
Ian Bushie (Keewatinook): minister of municipal and northern relations, and minister of Indigenous economic development.
Malaya Marcelino (Notre Dame): minister of labour and immigration, and minister responsible for the Workers Compensation Board.
Jamie Moses (St. Vital): minister of economic development, investment, trade and natural resources.
Lisa Naylor (Wolseley): minister of transportation and infrastructure, minister of consumer protection and government services.
Adrien Sala (St. James): minister of finance, minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, minister responsible for the Manitoba public service.
Renée Cable (Southdale): minister of advanced education and training.
Tracy Schmidt (Rossmere): minister of environment and climate change, minister responsible for Efficiency Manitoba.
Glen Simard (Brandon East): minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism, minister responsible for francophone affairs, minister responsible for the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation.
In addition to Kinew’s history-making election as premier, Asagwara also represents an historic first, as the first Black and non-binary person to serve as deputy premier.
Fontaine and Smith are also the first First Nations women to serve as Manitoba cabinet ministers.
“I have every confidence in the team of skilled and passionate individuals who have answered the call to serve in cabinet,” Kinew said Wednesday.
“I am grateful for their commitment to working diligently and collaboratively on the issues that matter most to Manitobans. I look forward to the varied perspectives they will bring to the cabinet table, representing the diversity of our province as a whole.”
The new government getting ready to take the reins has many Manitobans feeling optimistic.
Michael Hutchinson of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre told Global Winnipeg that, in general, First Nations people have been excited by Kinew’s election, with the premier-designate treated with ‘rock star status’ at a recent cultural event.
“I think for a lot of people, they think Wab’s going to be able to do big things,” Hutchinson said.
“Of course Manitoba and Canada have their own systems already headed in a particular direction and he’s going to have to work within that system, he’s going to have to answer to Manitobans, and we’ll see what he can do.
“I’m very excited for the young people out there to see this happening in their lifetime.”
Hutchinson said there are also some concerns within First Nations communities about what all of this means from a treaty perspective.
“Some people — and this is a teaching from the Mohawk people — when it comes to treaty (feel that) Canadians would have their canoe and First Nations would have their canoe and we weren’t supposed to be jumping in between each other’s vessels, so to speak.
“There are some First Nations that feel that Wab has jumped into the Canadian canoe, and some look at that as assimilationist. So there are lots of people very excited, and a few people wondering if this is a good thing.”
Political analyst Shannon Sampert said the historic makeup of the NDP’s caucus — a multicultural group that also includes women as well as non-binary and transgender individuals — is something to be celebrated.
“It’s significant on a number of different junctures — first of all, first First Nations premier, but also, a huge number of women that will be taking the reins of power and also some non-binary and individuals that are transgender that will be taking the seats of power,” Sampert told Global Winnipeg.
“We’re also going to be seeing something like 10 indigenous individuals who are going to be sworn in either to cabinet or caucus today or on Monday, and this is incredibly impressive.
“We’re going to see the legislature actually represent the people of Manitoba, and this is important. It’s always great to have diverse faces around the table representing different voices when it comes to policy.”
Sampert said once the ceremonial and celebratory aspects of Wednesday’s events are over, and it’s time for Manitoba’s new cabinet to get down to the nitty-gritty of governing, it may be an uphill battle to live up to some of Kinew’s lofty campaign goals.
“He has to manage those expectations. Wab has a lot of support from young voters, and the very big thing that he has on his shoulders right now is searching the landfill …and health care is going to be a big issue.”
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