Manitoba NDP's 1st throne speech pledges geothermal help, Orange Shirt Day stat, but warns of fiscal pain

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's first throne speech stressed his government will deliver on its election promises — including a new partnership to help convert thousands of homes to geothermal energy — but he warned his government may need to do some fiscal belt-tightening because of the spending practices of the former administration.

"Many commitments the previous government made did not fit within a sustainable approach to the province's finances," according to the speech, which was read Tuesday afternoon at the Manitoba Legislature by Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville.

"These decisions have left Manitoba in a financial challenge."

Still, Kinew told reporters before the address his government will ensure the budget is balanced by the end of its first term in office.

The rest of the throne speech — which outlines the government's priorities for the coming legislative session — repeated many of the promises that helped the NDP win election in October, including commitments to repair the health-care system and address the rising cost of living.

The address began with the statement that Manitoba has embarked on a "new day" following the election of an NDP government that received a "mandate to leave no one behind."

The province is committing to introduce legislation in the fall sitting that will cut the provincial gas tax, starting on Jan. 1, make Orange Shirt Day a statutory holiday and lead to the honorary recognition of Louis Riel as the first premier of Manitoba.

Kinew said he wants those bills to pass during the three-week sitting of the legislature that started Tuesday.

The geothermal commitment builds on the NDP's election promise to pay for the equipment and installation of new geothermal systems at 5,000 homes over the course of four years.

Kinew said the province has an agreement in principle, under Ottawa's oil to heat pump affordability program, to convert the 2,500 homes in Manitoba using home heating oil, most of which are outside Winnipeg. That would cover half the homes the NDP initially pledged.

Kinew accuses PCs of fiscal mismanagement

Meanwhile, Kinew warned "all levels" of his government — which defeated the Progressive Conservatives in October's provincial election —  will be asked to "start tightening their belts," accusing the PC government of making commitments in the last months of its mandate without budgeting for them.

As a result, some initiatives promised by the former government — such as a $1.5-billion rebuild of the Health Sciences Centre — are under review, he said.

Some of his party's own commitments will be "a challenge" to pay for, Kinew said, "but [are] realistic."

"There may be some more challenging conversations about things that were not previously announced," Kinew said.

"There may be some more challenging conversations about the 'nice to have' items on the previous government's agenda as opposed to the 'need to have' items."

Premier Wab Kinew speaks to media before the throne speech on Tuesday. The speech includes plans for a new statutory holiday for Manitoba. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)

The throne speech, delivered in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war, also commits to making Holocaust education mandatory for students in the kindergarten to Grade 12 system and to give educators anti-Islamophobia tool kits, prepared by Manitoba's Islamic community.

The government also plans to launch a "health-care listening tour" as it endeavours to fix a beleaguered system.

There's a promise as well to introduce a "significant new policy" in the coming days to lower costs for agricultural producers and ranchers. No further details were provided.

Ahead of the reading of the throne speech, Kinew warned that all levels of his government will be asked to 'start tightening their belts,' accusing the previous Progressive Conservative government of making commitments without budgeting for them. (Jaison Empson/CBC)

Speaking with reporters following the throne speech, Kinew said the universal school nutrition program promised during the election campaign will be available in every school beginning next fall. In the meantime, the province will provide supports to bolster existing nutrition programs in some schools.

The premier also said his government will encourage smaller class sizes going forward by providing incentives to school divisions, rather than going back to the cap instituted by the former NDP administration, which was defeated by the PCs in 2016.

The speech didn't make any new commitments surrounding the search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of missing First Nations women, nor the building of a supervised consumption site in the city. Kinew said his government remains committed to these initiatives and some measures will be expanded upon in the future.