Premier Wab Kinew hints at shakeup on the board at strike-stricken Manitoba Public Insurance
CBC
Premier Wab Kinew is hinting changes to the governance of Manitoba Public Insurance will be among the first orders of business for his new government.
Kinew assembled his 14-member cabinet on Thursday morning for the first time, and made brief public remarks about appointments at the senior ranks of the provincial public service and on the boards of Crown corporations.
"I think the situation at Manitoba Public Insurance with the strike is the one that demands the most immediate attention," Kinew told reporters before the start of the closed-door meeting.
"We have a strong interest in Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, but I think MPI is going to be the area that we look at first."
About 1,700 MPI workers represented by the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union went on strike on Aug. 28 after they were unable to reach an agreement on a contract with the public insurer.
On Sept. 26 MPI board chair Ward Keith said the corporation had issued its final offer.
Under Manitoba's labour laws, parties involved in a labour dispute can apply for binding arbitration — in which a decision is legally binding and enforceable, similar to a court order — if a strike or lockout continues for 60 days, a deadline that is now approaching.
Kinew said he would make an announcement about MPI on Friday.
The public insurer has not been advised of any changes to its board, said Kristy Rydz, a spokesperson for MPI.
Kinew said he does not intend to make changes to the senior ranks of the public service, at least for now.
"We are probably keeping the majority of deputy ministers in the positions where they were because our team wants to hit the ground running," the premier said. "I think it's really important for the civil servants to be able to come and brief the new ministers."
Kinew also suggested the former Progressive Conservative government was unkind to public servants.
"One of the things that I want to say to our team is that it's time for us to give the civil service in Manitoba a hug. These are the people who are high performing professionals who want to do good things for the people in terms of keeping our highways clean, delivering our health-care services, delivering strong quality education [and] shepherding the provincial economy," Kinew said.
"I think many folks in the civil service are feeling discouraged or ignored after many years, and it's time for us to rebuild the professional civil service so that the people of Manitoba can get the services that they need."
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