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

  • frostbiker
    21·
    1 year ago

    “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?