Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he’s focused on strengthening the province’s economic ties with U.S. states to protect jobs and the economy and bolster Manitoba’s agricultural sector, even as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to step down,
On Jan. 6, Trudeau announced that he’d be resigning as prime minister, though he’ll remain in office until a new leader is chosen by the federal Liberal party.
Speaking from Grand Forks, North Dakota, later the same day, Kinew addressed the prime minister’s coming departure.
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“I wanted to thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his service to our country,” Kinew said. “The prime minister has made his announcement about his future, but there still is going to be work that we are looking to get done with him before he leaves office. And then, of course, we will be prepared to work with whoever is next.”
Why it matters: As Canada’s prime minister prepares to step down while President-elect Donald Trump comes into office in the United States, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has set his sights on continued collaboration with the federal government and the U.S.
Kinew said that Manitoba’s farmers should feel confident that their provincial government is working hard to ensure that the agriculture industry and the manufacturing sector will continue to grow and have more export opportunities.
“We are going to continue to work together as…the group of premiers of the provinces and territories. We’re going to continue to be the steady hand so that we’ll work with the federal government and put that ‘Team Canada’ approach to ensure that you have confidence that your best interests are being represented as there’s a new incoming administration in the U.S.,” he said, adding that “business carries on, and we have to continue putting food on the table each and every day.”
Manitoba has strong economic ties with the U.S., which Kinew is working to strengthen during his current trip, he said. He singled out Manitoba’s strong trade relationships with states like Wisconsin and North Dakota.
He also noted the relationship with states like Pennsylvania, where the province’s nickel exports power local industries.
Established trade with those states was also a main talking point for Kinew in late 2024, when the province announced a new Manitoba trade office to be opened in Washington, D.C., this year.
“We’re working hard on the relationship between our province of Manitoba and the U.S.A.,” Kinew said. “We’ve had a few conversations with the prime minister about the trade relationship with the U.S.A., and I think it would be important to continue that.”
Kinew also said that he hopes to keep strong provincial-federal relationships, regardless of who is prime minister.
Meanwhile, Jill Verwey, president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, believes that Canada’s current political climate is causing uncertainty for Manitoba producers.
With Trudeau’s resignation news came the prorogation of Parliament until March 24. At the time Parliament was interupted, several bills of agricultural interest were still on the floor. Those bills — including Bill C-234, which would exempt propane and natural gas used for grain dryers from carbon pricing and has been lingering for months in the House of Commons since the Senate sent an amended version back to the lower chamber —now face an uncertain future.
“While the prorogation of Parliament will likely lead to an election in the coming months, farmers are left wondering about the status and outcome of key pieces of legislation, initiatives, and trade situations that impact agriculture,” Verwey said via e-mail.
While there are a few mechanisms to revive business in the House of Commons, anything that was before the Senate will have to go back to square one in the upper house. That includes Bill C-282, which would shield supply managed sectors from trade concessions, and which was facing its own amendment battle late last year.
That bill has been contested even within agriculture, with export-heavy sectors arguing that it would hamstring negotiators, while industries like dairy want it in place as soon as possible, given an increasingly uncertain trade environment.
Other now stalled items of interest include capital gains tax changes, tresspassing legislation Bill C-275, Feeds Act changes and the status of trade relations with the incoming Trump administration.
“KAP will always work with the federal government to ensure a prosperous future for Manitoba farmers, regardless of which party is in power, and we look forward to continuing doing so regardless of the current political uncertainty,” Verwey said.
