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CBC: Resolutions on child care, food costs up for debate at Manitoba NDP convention

Eleanor Coopsammy — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:39:37 +0000

Dr. Christopher Adams, adjunct professor of political science at the University of Manitoba, says the NDP is in a fairly good position running high in opinion polls and raising a lot of money. “I would say that the party is in fairly good shape and there don’t seem to be any major conflicts within the party,” Dr. Adams said in an interview.

To read the full article, please head to CBC.

680 CJOB: Can Manitoba really have a balanced budget in a couple of years?

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:00:32 +0000

The Manitoba government says its expecting to post a deficit of $1.3 billion for the fiscal year. That’s up from the $796 million tabled in the 2023-24 budget.

Finance Minister Adrien Sala says the increased deficit in the mid-year fiscal update is partly due to overspending in health care.

Jim Toth on 680 CJOB invited Asper School of Business professor of finance, Dr. Yik Au on his show this week to discuss if the provincial deficit is manageable and as the government said this week, they will be able to achieve a balanced budget in a couple of years?

To listen to the full conversation, please follow the link to 680 CJOB.

The Canadian Press: Manitoba government’s deficit-cutting path not clear, political analyst says

Fiona Odlum — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:27:21 +0000

Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala says the NDP government remains committed to balancing the budget before the next election, but a veteran political analyst says the path to balance is muddy, especially after cost overruns this year.

“I’m still not clear on the budgetary path that they claim that they’ve set for themselves and how they’re going to get there,” Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said Tuesday.

The government’s fiscal update, released Monday, showed spending is forecast to end up $475 million over budget, driven primarily by health costs. That has increased the projected deficit for the current fiscal year to $1.3 billion, up from the $796 million originally predicted in the spring budget.

To read the entire article, please follow the link to The Canadian Press.

CBC Manitoba: Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew brings 3 new ministers into cabinet in minor shuffle

Fiona Odlum — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:09:34 +0000

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.

To read the entire about the shuffle, please visit the link here with CBC Manitoba.

The Canadian Press: Wab Kinew sees work still to do despite year-long honeymoon with voters

Fiona Odlum — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 20:54:16 +0000

A political analyst says there’s no immediate sign of the NDP honeymoon ending, partly because Kinew has followed through on some high-profile election promises, including temporarily suspending the provincial fuel tax in January. The tax is slated to be brought back in on Jan. 1, 2025.

“Kinew has been putting through his election promises of last summer and fall,” said Dr. Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba.

Kinew has also succeeded in reaching out to people affected by tragedy, including the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, and has come across as empathetic and charismatic, Adams said.

To read more on this story, please visit The Globe and Mail.

Winnipeg Free Press: ‘Awkward to have a foot in both worlds’ Loyalty, potential conflicts called key issues when government backbencher is defence lawyer

Fiona Odlum — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:14:37 +0000

There are risks associated with having a criminal defence lawyer on the government backbenches, says a law professor who co-authored a paper triggered by Fort Garry MLA Mark Wasyliw’s situation.

“He was definitely the inspiration for this,” said Brandon Trask, an assistant law professor at the University of Manitoba. His peer-reviewed “Role Call: Can a Backbench Legislator Practice as a Criminal Defence Lawyer? A Legal Ethics Analysis” appeared in the Manitoba Law Journal online before the NDP announced Monday it was dumping Wasyliw from its caucus.

Trask said NDP caucus chair Mike Moyes’ statement that day explaining that the lawyer was getting the boot because of his association with the lawyer for convicted sex offender Peter Nygard is “problematic” and “unfortunate.”

To read the full story, please visit the Winnipeg Free Press.