Governing PCs 'put party ahead of province this year,' Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew says

Buoyed by opinion polls suggesting his party ismore popular now than it hasbeen in years, Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew saysit doesn't matter who he faces from the governing Progressive Conservatives in the next election.

Premier Brian Pallisterrecently fuelled speculationhe may resign ahead of the next election, when in a year-endinterview with The Canadian Presshevowed toseethe province through the COVID-19 pandemic,but wouldn't commit to finishing his term in office.

Kinewsaid a new leader alone would notabsolve the Torygovernmentfrom prioritizing"money ahead of people" in a global health crisis.

"Though Mr. Pallister probably rubs people the wrong way when he speaks out of turn, you got to remember that the municipal affairs minister sent a letter to cities across the province telling them to lay people off, the minister of health attacked doctors, the minister of education cozied up to anti-vaxxers," Kinew said in a Dec. 21 year-endinterviewwith CBC News.

"Even if Mr Pallister gets replaced, whoever his replacement is put party ahead of province this year. They didn't speak up for what Manitobans needed."

Kinew's fortunes appear to be rising whilethe premier'splummet.

WATCH | Tory MLAs didn't speak up for Manitobans, Kinewsays:

NDP's Wab Kinew on whether he'll face Brian Pallister in the next election

4 years ago

Duration 1:07

Official Opposition Leader Wab Kinew says no matter who leads the Progressive Conservatives in Manitoba's next election, they'll have to answer for the province's pandemic response.

Popular support for Kinew's party provincewide 41 per cent of leaning and decided voters exceeded the Tories'37 per centfor the first time since the NDP was booted from power in 2016, according to a Probe Research poll conducted from Nov. 24 to Dec. 4.

Those resultscomeas Pallister's government has been hammered over its handling of thepandemic's second wave. At one point,Manitoba hadthe worst per capita COVID-19 infectionrates in the country, and delays fortesting resultsand contact tracingstretched for days.

An Angus Reid Institute poll conducted in late November suggested Pallisterhadthe lowest approval rating among premiers in Canada.

"It didn't really matter who is in the premier's chair this year on their side," Kinewsaid. "The real problem was their approach."

Balance budget in 'good times'

The government was wrongly fixated on saving money when it should have been focused on helping businesses and people without work, theOfficial Opposition leader says.

"We want the budget to be balanced in good times and good years. But in a crisis like this, the priority has to be saving lives. The priority has to be protecting health care, protecting schools, protecting small businesses."

On his regrets as a political leader, Kinew wonders if he could have pushed the government more aggressively to prepare for the surge of COVID-19 cases this fall,but "I don't know exactly how we would have done so," he said, since the government is usually reluctant to entertain outside ideas.

Improving testing and contact tracingcapacity, mandating masks earlier and providing more financial aid for schools "would have made a huge world of difference," he said.

When asked how he'drein in spending after a record-breaking deficit estimated at $2 billion, Kinewsaidhe'd focus ongrowing the economy by helpingbusinesses survive and investing in health care, infrastructure, education and child care, among other priorities. He said his plan would have been affordable, aided by federal funding.

Recessions are the time for economic stimulus, he said.

"The No. 1 concern Manitobans should have about their government next year is, is this government going to continue to put money ahead of people and in the process make the recession worse?"

Asked if Manitoba should raise taxes once the economy recovers, Kinew said, "I don't think that that's on the agenda right now."

The NDP were criticized for raising the provincial sales taxand high spending that inflatedthe deficit before they were defeated in the 2016 election.

By 2019, the partymainly fought theelectionon health care, denouncing the overhaul that closedthree emergency rooms in Winnipeg. The Opposition partygained more seats, though the Tories were handily re-elected to a majority government.

"Look at our platform announcements from 2019and ask yourself how they would have done in 2020 if we ran on a campaign of increasing the number of ICU beds, of investing in Cadhamlab, of hiring and training more nurses, of having smaller class sizes in education," he said.

ButKinewsaid he couldn't reverse all of the PC government's changes.It wouldcost too much to converturgent-care centres back into emergency departments, he said.

Focused on the grassroots

Kinew said his party is in tune with what Manitobans want an assertionlong disputed by the Progressive Conservatives, who have portrayedthe NDPas reckless spenders.

"We haven't lost touch," Kinewsaid. "We're still talking to the average people out there and bringing their concerns forward."

But before the next election,slated for 2023, Kinewwill face a leadershipvote on whether he should keep his job. Party members will cast their ballots in January.

He didn'tsay what percentage of support he'd consider a success, but he appears to have high hopes.

"Obviously,you want an A+every time you get evaluated," he said.