Wab Kinew and the New Democratic Party take charge in Manitoba
A former rapper, on-air personality and bestselling author has been elected as Canada’s first-ever First Nations provincial premier in what was dubbed an Orange Wave with a sizeable turnout of young voters.
The historic election Tuesday, Oct. 3, made Wab Kinew the first First Nations leader of a province, similar to a state governorship in the U.S., and gave the New Democratic Party a resounding victory and majority government.
With his family by his side, the 41-year-old Kinew, Onigaming First Nation, spoke directly to Indigenous youth in the province after his victory became clear Tuesday night. Kinew had trouble with the law as a young man and had included misogynistic and anti-gay lyrics in his raps.
“I want to speak to young Neechis in particular,” Kinew began, using the Ojibway word for “friend.”
“I was given a second chance in life, and I would like to think that I’ve made good on that opportunity,” he said. “You can do the same. … My life became immeasurably better when I stopped making excuses and I started looking for a reason. And I found that reason in our family. I found that reason in our community. And I found that reason in our province and country.”
The historic election day in Manitoba started with a spectacular storm with thunder and lightning that left thousands of residents without power across the province by 8:20 a.m.
“Wow,” was a common refrain on social media as the election got underway.
It may have been a sign of change, because the weather did not dampen voter turnout. The New Democratic Party won 34 seats and the incumbent Progressive Conservatives were reduced to 22 seats and the Liberals to just one.
Kinew vowed to voters that he would deliver on the party’s main message to voters – to improve health care.
“We’re going to build new emergency rooms. We’re going to build a new cancer care headquarters, where clinician researchers bring the best quality care to you, the people of Manitoba,” Kinew told his supporters. “And so for all the people out there who work in health care we need you — the nurses, the doctors, the health care professionals, the health care aides — to work with us to build something special here in the health care system in Manitoba.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged Kinew’s victory in a statement early Wednesday.
“Last night, Manitobans elected their first First Nations premier – a historic win for Indigenous Peoples and for Canadians,” Trudeau said in the statement. “I look forward to working with Premier-designate Kinew and the provincial government to deliver results on the things that matter most to Manitobans. This includes making life more affordable for families, driving economic growth, advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, building more homes, faster, strengthening our universal health care system, and accelerating climate action while putting more money back in people’s pockets.”
read more: https://ictnews.org/news/orange-wave-elects-canadas-first-ever-first-nations-provincial-premier
As a Manitoban, I think Wab will probably do a pretty good job. The NDP were likely on track for a win after 2 terms of the Progressive Conservatives, but it can’t be understated how much the piss-poor handling of the pandemic and health care over the last 4 years was driving people to kick the PC’s to the curb. Two generally well-liked Liberal party candidates (very small party here in Mantioba) lost their seats, very likely due to strategic voting just to ensure the PCs got out.
I look forward to the different perspective Wab will bring to the table, and when I looked through the elected MLAs of the NDP this year, I see a very diverse group of people, which will be very refreshing after looking at – 95% of the time – rich middle-aged white people.
I have a dream that we will one day live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I’m curious to know more about why you chose this quote as a comment here.
I don’t get how a quote against racism can be controversial in this day and age 🤷
MLK’s whole “I have a dream” speech seems very apropos, doesn’t it?
The wording is problematic, isn’t it. Either they are dreaming of a united utopia of humanity where racism is forgotten, or they are an enlightened centrist just looking for any crack they can open to insert scathing criticism, “but I’m not a racist.”
Its just that I fail to see how mentioning that the new Premiere’s First Nations heritage is problematic. Its incredibly relevant from a newsworthiness perspective. The #SearchTheLandfill movement has been absolutely villainized by the PC party, and now they’ve been replaced by a party led by someone from a First Nations community.
Also, Manitoba has a significant history with First Nations communities, the province literally owes its origin to Louis Riel, who was Metis, and the fact that the first indigenous Premiere didn’t arrive until 2023 is highly newsworthy and historic
Its just that I fail to see how mentioning that the new Premiere’s First Nations heritage is problematic
Did I say it was problematic, or is that something you assumed?
I am both surprised and disappointed that quoting MLK can be misconstrued as racism, but I guess that’s the Internet these days.
The most recent vote I cast was to Olivia Chow, FWIW. Make of that what you want.
I misunderstood your original comment and it was my bad. I apologize. Sorry! I’ve been spending too much time on the Bad Site and its killed my ability to see comments on the internet without immediately thinking judgy things about people. I hope my apology can revive a bit of hope and trust into this community. Sorry for being a shithead!
The wording is problematic, isn’t it.
It’s nearly word-for-word taken from MLK’s iconic anti-racism speech. Do you have a problem against his words or the spirit of what he was saying? Please elaborate.
Sorry maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sure you meant well, and I didn’t mean that the speech itself is problematic, but contextually a closeted racist could have already decided that they hate Kinew and are using the speech as a loaded gun for the first moment he makes a mistake.
“Kinew has some kind of minor scandal? Well then I hate him because he has poor character, not because of the colour of his skin. You see, I am not a racist.”
“Kinew has some kind of minor scandal? Well then I hate him because he has poor character, not because of the colour of his skin. You see, I am not a racist.”
I have happily worked with and voted for people of various skin colors over the years. My wife and children are non-white. I am queer.
While I don’t know how serious his homophobic and misogynistic behaviors have been, prima facie it is not something I would have overlooked if he was a white dude, and for that same reason it is not something I would overlook if I was a voter in Manitoba either. Treating him differently because of his heritage would have been racist in my eyes.
So I have mixed feelings about him becoming premier. On the one hand I’m happy that racist prejudices didn’t prevent him from winning, but at the same time I do have lingering doubts about whether the opposite sort of racism is enabling yet another homophobic misogynist to reach public office. We already have enough of those.
And that is why I am quoting MLK: because I can celebrate that a POC is holding office, while at the same time I don’t want people to be voted for or against based on their skin color, sexual orientation, etc. Just based on their character.
If that means that I am secretly racist, then perhaps it means somebody voting for him is secretly homophobic or misogynistic. I think it is a rather nuanced subject.
Edit: Honest question: would have a problem with somebody for voicing doubts about a white politician who “had trouble with the law as a young man and had included racist lyrics in his raps”? Why or why not?
