Indigenous Watchdog Comment:

The conclusion of the Speech from the Throne repeats all of the following priorities except “Advancing Reconciliation” which unfortunately does not inspire confidence that the Government of Manitoba is seriously committed to “significant efforts towards reconciliation” (as quoted from the Manitoba Speech from the Throne):

• Helping Make Our Communities Safer
• Helping Families Make Ends Meet
• Strengthening Health Care and Reducing Surgical and Diagnostic Backlogs Helping Make Manitoba More Competitive
• Helping Protect Our Environment, Climate and Parks
• Helping Build Stronger Communities
• Advancing Reconciliation

Each of the above sections warrants its own dedicated section in the Speech from the Throne except “Advancing Reconciliation” which is reduced to the following comments integrated within each of the other priorities:

Making Our Communities Safer:

• Homelessness: Our recent investment of $1.7 million in N’Dinawemak’s 24/7 shelter ensures that those in need have a safe, warm place to spend the night.
• Violence against women and girls, and incidence of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, continues to be a priority for our government. The first progress report and update to the gender-based violence framework will be released in the coming months.

Strengthening Health Care...

• Suicide crises are most acute within Indigenous communities.
  • Building on our existing five-year roadmap for mental health, we will complete and implement a provincially-coordinated strategy for suicide prevention focusing on youth and at-risk communities.
  • Our government is committed to collaborating with Indigenous communities and the federal government to bolster regional health care and mental health and addictions services.

Making Manitoba More competitive

• Economic reconciliation, key to building a stronger province for everyone, will continue with Indigenous Peoples by removing barriers to full participation in Manitoba’s economy, ensuring access to education and training, and revenue sharing.

NationTalk: The 2022 speech from the throne, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville at the opening of the fifth session of the 42nd legislature, is setting a course toward greater health, and prosperity for Manitobans with a series of commitments to make communities stronger, safer and more affordable, Premier Heather Stefanson said today.

“Our government is focused on making our neighbourhoods safe places to raise families, building a strong and sustainable health-care system and helping make life more affordable for all Manitobans,” said Stefanson. “We are listening to Manitobans, taking action on their priorities and getting things done for the benefit of all Manitobans. We are committed to finding even more measures that will help Manitobans cope with global inflation from rising prices and carbon taxes.”

The speech outlined a series of initiatives that will be implemented to strengthen the province’s health-care infrastructure and take aim at violent criminal behaviour while supporting efforts to tackle mental health, homelessness and addiction issues including:

• increasing supports for front-line law enforcement officers through investments in technology, specialized training, enhanced police presence and support for more officers;
• making an unprecedented investment in Winnipeg hospitals to ensure Manitobans get the best care possible in the most modern facilities with a multi-year, multi-billion dollar capital investment;
• providing financial support for up to 1,000 addictions treatment spaces;
• reopening the Communities Economic Development Fund’s business loan program to support key sectors of a growing northern economy;
• financially stabilizing Manitoba Hydro as a Crown corporation so it can continue to provide clean hydroelectric power for Manitoba residents and businesses at among the lowest rates in the country into the future;
• protecting students by establishing a teacher registry and an independent body to improve accountability and transparency related to educator misconduct in kindergarten to Grade 12 schools;
• modernizing the waste diversion and recycling framework to divert more materials from landfills and create new business and job opportunities within a circular economy;
• helping ranchers recover from climate-change driven droughts and floods by implementing a temporary rent reduction on agricultural Crown lands from 2023 to 2025;
• continuing efforts to reduce red tape through regulation reform and modernization; and
• revitalizing the Conservation Officer Service by hiring more officers and providing better equipment and technology to combat dangerous activities such as poaching, night hunting and road hunting.

“This throne speech is a roadmap to a more prosperous future, building a province where its government helps make communities safer, healthier and stronger and its citizens and communities more competitive,” said Stefanson. “It is a course that is guided by listening to Manitobans and advancing reconciliation, protecting our environment and helping families make ends meet.”

To read the speech from the throne, visit www.manitoba.ca/thronespeech.

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