Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew brings 3 new ministers into cabinet in minor shuffle
1st Muslim woman sworn into cabinet as province creates new departments, swaps responsibilities
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is shuffling his cabinet just over a year after his government was sworn in, splitting some responsibilities, creating new departments and swapping ministers among portfolios.
The province is expanding its cabinet, welcoming three MLAs to the premier's inner circle.
"We're responding to some of the areas that we've seen some good success … and we're just going to lean into growing," Kinew told reporters at a scrum Wednesday.
He's growing the size of cabinet "in response to where the talent around the table would lead us and to where your needs as the people of the province demand us to be."
The premier now has 17 MLAs around his cabinet table, and among the new faces is River Heights MLA Mike Moroz, who will be responsible for the newly created Department of Innovation and New Technology.
Kinew told reporters a big responsibility of the portfolio would be to ensure Manitobans who work in the tech industry stay in the province by creating opportunities with businesses and designing an intellectual property strategy that contributes to the economy.
The new department will also work at modernizing government services and improving customer experience, he added.
Moroz, who used to work as a teacher, said his portfolio will track AI developments to make sure "Manitobans are protected from some of the downsides and have the benefits of the upsides" from the emerging technology.
1st Muslim woman sworn into cabinet
Another fresh face in cabinet is Assiniboia MLA Nellie Kennedy who takes over from Glen Simard as minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism.
Kennedy is the first Muslim woman to be appointed to Manitoba's cabinet, and as she assumes her new post, the minister said she's reflecting on how the decision of her grandparents to move from the Middle East to Hodgson, Man., paved her way to serve in the premier's inner circle.
"It's pretty remarkable, two Muslim people from the Middle East who decided [to live] where no one was like them, no one followed the same religion," she said.
"I'm thankful that they made these choices … so that I could be here today."
Simard is assuming the Municipal and Northern Relations portfolio while staying on as minister of francophone affairs and the minister responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.
Maples MLA Mintu Sandhu is also joining cabinet as the minister of delivery of public services. That file was previously assumed by Lisa Naylor, who will remain as the minister of transportation and infrastructure.
The premier said the ministry overlooking procurement, contracts and other government services will also include the responsibility of delivering Manitoba's new plastic health card.
"To the new ministers and to everyone on the team, we are here to put the people first," Kinew said at the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.
"We have a countervailing responsibility to ensure that each of us is doing our utmost to deliver … to ensure that each young Manitoban is able to reach their full potential."
Divvying up portfolio's responsibilities
The government is also splitting up the responsibilities of the Ministry of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources into separate portfolios.
One of them, the Ministry of Business, Mining, Trades and Job Creation, will be led by MLA Jamie Moses, who served as minister for the previous portfolio.
Meanwhile, MLA Ian Bushie is swapping Municipal and Northern Relations for the new Ministry of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures.
MLA Nello Altomare, who temporarily stepped down from his role as education and early childhood learning minister in October for medical reasons, will remain in cabinet, but Kinew said he can't publicly discuss a timeline for his return.
In the meantime, Tracy Schmidt will continue as acting minister for that portfolio while continuing as environment and climate change minister.
Wayne Ewasko, the interim leader of Manitoba's Progressive Conservative party, said the cabinet shuffle is an attempt by the NDP government "to prop up targeted ridings as part of their plan to call an early election."
"Adding millions to the cost of running [the] government does nothing to make life more affordable for Manitobans struggling paycheque to paycheque," he said.
Kinew didn't clarify when asked if expanding the cabinet will lead to an increase in government spending, but the premier said his government is still committed to balancing the budget in its four-year term, an aspect included in the mandate letters shared with the incoming ministers.
Christopher Adams, a political scientist and adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba, said historically premiers start with a smaller cabinets and over time expand them, but he said it is unusual for a premier to add three new faces to his inner circle one year after being elected.
Adams said one of the reasons might be an electoral strategy to hold on to seats for future elections, and being a cabinet minister helps candidates in being re-elected.
But he said cabinet is also built and shuffled to represent different parts of society.
"You tend to look for regional representation and the NDP is very strong in the city and very weak ... outside of the city in southern Manitoba," he said.
"There are shuffles that occur sometimes just to make sure you have a balance of certain groups."
At Wednesday's ceremony, Kinew highlighted the diversity of the cabinet, including a non-binary deputy premier and the first Indigenous women named to a Manitoba cabinet. He hopes his cabinet will serve as an example to the next generation of Manitobans.
"A year ago, these things were groundbreaking. One year into our provincial government's administration, that's just how it is in Manitoba."
Kinew said the government will continue to work on fixing the woes in the health-care system and tackling affordability, while ensuring Manitoba lives up to its commitment to reconciliation.
"It's the best of the best, serving the people of Manitoba as we more equitably draw from each corner and each region and each segment," he said.
"To me, that is the power of our democracy."
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With files from Ian Froese