View From the Legislature

Manitoba’s NDP government released the 2025/2026 provincial budget last Thursday in what can only be considered an uncertain economic environment.

Even though it was decades ago, I vividly remember the excitement of being at the now demolished Centennial Arena in Steinbach watching the Steinbach Huskies compete in the Allan Cup playoffs.

The old saying “Use it or Lose it” suggests that if you want to keep something as your own, you are best to use it as intended. While this saying may have many applications, it has come up in recent discussions around the Canadian Arctic and our nations claim to it.

On Tuesday of this week Manitoba’s NDP placed a large flag on the front of the Manitoba Legislature to use as a backdrop for a news conference for the Premier who was responding to the imposition of tariffs from the United States on all Canadian goods entering their country.

Economic challenges are not new in Canada. Whether the high inflation rates of recent months or the financial crisis of 2008 (as only two examples), economic challenges occur not infrequently.

Members of the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party will be selecting their new leader on April 26th.

Likely many Manitobans were not aware that Saturday, February 1st in our province was Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Day.

Maybe it has happened before, but it is not something I remember seeing. Watching on television Saturday night as Canadian hockey fans booed the playing of the United States national anthem was both surreal and sad.

In the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, the Speaker of the House often refers to elected MLA’s as “Honourable Members”.

Years ago, before I was elected to the Manitoba Legislature, I recall speaking with a then Progressive Conservative MLA.