Kinew promises collaboration at AMM

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This article was published 29/11/2023 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s new NDP government will treat municipal governments as serious partners in improving files like economic development and health care, Premier Wab Kinew told delegates at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities’ fall convention in Brandon on Tuesday afternoon.

While forming his government after last month’s election, Kinew told the crowd at the Keystone Centre’s Manitoba Room, he’d received advice from someone on how to work with municipalities.

“This person said, if you want to get things done — economic development, health care — you need to change the way the province deals with municipalities,” Kinew said. “And you need to start treating municipalities like a serious order of government, and show them respect, on the same level that you treat your own government and other levels of government. That’s what our team fully intends to do.”

The annual conference alternates between Brandon and Winnipeg every year.

After introducing legislation to pause Manitoba’s 14-cent-a-litre tax on gasoline as an affordability measure last week, Kinew said it would not just benefit individuals but municipalities that operate fleets of vehicles.

The premier introduced Jason Gobeil, the leader of the government’s Westman regional cabinet office in Brandon, as a contact for municipalities to bring concerns to.

He provided few specifics, but Kinew hinted to the crowd as well as to the Sun in an interview after his remarks that he might announce cabinet representatives for other regions later on during the conference.

After previous premier Heather Stefanson ended the municipal funding freeze earlier this year and Kinew promised to continue that during the election campaign, the premier confirmed that his government intends to keep that pledge.

Kinew also warned that Manitoba is heading into fiscal challenges, referencing Manitoba Hydro reports from last week stating the Crown corporation is anticipating financial difficulties relating to low water levels in provincial rivers.

“At this point we are very cognizant of the fact that the previous government left us a mess that needs to be cleaned up, but I do believe it is possible for us to address those situation and deliver on our promises, and continue to do good things like partner with municipalities,” Kinew told the Sun after his remarks.

He said his government would have to tighten its belt in the same way the average family is having to do right now in the current economic environment, but that it would work hard to spend funds smartly so that it can deliver on its campaign promises.

On health-care recruitment, Kinew said several communities have raised money to put toward bringing doctors in to serve their residents. One of those communities is the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain, which was looking to hire a recruitment firm earlier this year.

“Basically, let’s match those funds that municipal leaders are raising so that we can bring more physicians to rural Manitoba,” Kinew said. “That’s one kind of specific step, but I think it’s part and parcel with a larger approach … Let’s agree on one plan and put the resources together so that we can do good things, whether that’s on health care, infrastructure (or) economic development.”

He said he did not want to stand in the way of recruitment efforts that municipalities have already launched.

Heading into the remaining two days of the conference, Kinew said he and fellow representatives of the provincial government want to send the message to municipal leaders that they are serious about collaboration and will listen to them.

Kinew’s predecessor, Stefanson, said often that she was listening to Manitobans. So then, how will Kinew’s approach differ?

“I think when the outcome is predetermined, it’s not meaningful to have a listening exercise,” the premier said. “And so for us, I think you’ll see the flexibility and then the followup to ensure that what we hear turns into a plan for action.”

Another representative of the provincial government was Municipal Affairs Minister Ian Bushie.

Bushie said his government’s approach is not to have each department siloed off. While he will be dealing with municipalities as part of the municipal relations portfolio, Bushie said that will not prevent his colleagues assigned to other files from working with municipalities where their interests converge.

The minister capped off his remarks by declaring this Municipal Government Awareness Week in Manitoba.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett welcomed delegates to the Wheat City, saying he enjoys the opportunity to speak with and collaborate with his colleagues from different levels of government.

Representing the federal government was St. Catherines Liberal MP Chris Bittle, who serves as parliamentary secretary to the housing and infrastructure minister.

He spoke of the need for levels of government and public and private stakeholders to improve infrastructure and the country’s housing stock, highlighting his government’s housing strategy and its $5-million investment in Brandon’s transitional housing project destined for 16th Street North.

AMM president Kam Blight said it was fitting that the organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the same city that one of its forebears, the Union of Manitoba Municipalities, was created in back in 1905. The AMM came into existence on Jan. 1, 1999.

He said due to good performance, the AMM’s procurement group would be returning $2 million in total rebates to its member municipalities.

Blight said getting the previous government to unfreeze municipal funding for the first time in seven years earlier this year was a major lobbying victory for the AMM, saying it’s essential for funding to keep pace with inflationary pressures.

Going forward, he said municipalities need to protect their autonomy when it comes to infrastructure, push for further improvements to health care and fight the downloading of increasing police costs to municipalities.

He concluded his remarks with an appeal to Kinew to work together with municipalities to grow a better future for Manitoba.

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