Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he’s happy to play a role as part of a unified Team Canada approach in order to strengthen the relationship with a new American administration, but his focus is on leading Manitoba.
“We have to be able to speak plainly and to talk directly and in a mature way with Mr. [Donald] Trump, with Mr. [Justin] Trudeau, with our counterparts at the state level and in the other provinces,” the premier said Wednesday.
“This is not the time for tiptoeing around, this is a time for a serious approach to protecting our economy, to protecting our communities.”
Earlier in the day, Kinew joined his fellow first ministers from across the country on a virtual call that included the prime minister among others.
The emergency meeting was called after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump vowed to impose a 25-per-cent tax on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico — unless those countries make as-yet-undefined changes at their borders to slow the flow of drugs and illegal immigration.
“The fact that we have that diversity on the political spectrum represented around that premiers’ table, I think that’s just a net benefit for us to be able to engage with the incoming [U.S.] administration,” Kinew said.
The premier said he stressed four points during the meeting, including the need for developing a clear strategy for dealing with China and for agriculture — “the backbone of our economy here in Manitoba” — to have a strong voice at the table.
The premier said he stressed four points during the meeting, including the need for developing a clear strategy for dealing with China and for agriculture — “the backbone of our economy here in Manitoba” — to have a strong voice at the table.
Kinew also spoke about his call to the federal government for increased investment in the RCMP in Manitoba, and law enforcement as a whole.
“Manitobans have long been talking about drugs being an issue in our communities … and so what’s the downside if we invest in law enforcement and we crack down on drug trafficking here at a time when that message might be well received in the [United] States?” he said.
Kinew said the federal government indicated to the first ministers that the RCMP will get more money to support border protection with the assistance of aerial surveillance.
Such funding would be for new officers to be trained, and would not involve pulling existing RCMP away from their current posts, the premier added.
With military bases near Brandon (CFB Shilo) and in Winnipeg (17 Wing), Kinew said the province would benefit from Canada increasing defence spending two per cent of its GDP, in order to meet NATO targets.
He also said Manitoba’s growing aerospace industry would benefit. Â
“This is not just something that shows the Americans that we’re a good ally and a trusted partner when it comes to national security, Arctic security. This is also something that’s good for our province,” Kinew said.
Kinew said he expects to reconvene with the other first ministers for a trip to Washington, D.C., following Trump’s inauguration in January.
He also noted the need for Canada’s premiers to cultivate bilateral relationships with their governor counterparts on Capitol Hill.
“Trade is really important for the U.S. when it comes to trade with Manitoba, but also we are your closest ally, right? [We want] to just reaffirm the nature of that allyship,” Kinew said.
The premier intends to keep the ear of former Manitoba premier Gary Doer, who also served as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2009 to 2016.
“The priority right now is on Manitobans,” Kinew said. “It’s on your jobs and the safety of our communities here. And so to have Mr. Doer helping out with Team Manitoba, it’s just a huge asset that we have as a province.
Premier Wab Kinew joined Canada’s other premiers for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday, where they discussed how to respond to Donald Trump’s threats to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports. After the meeting, Kinew said he pushed for increased military spending and a crackdown on crime and drug trafficking, changes he said would be well-received by the incoming U.S. president — and by people living in Manitoba.