Skeptical opposition not sold on new approach portrayed by Manitoba's new premier

Heather Stefanson followed up her first question period as Manitoba's premier by visiting a prominent politician who was continuously at odds with her former boss.

She alluded to the unusual sight while speaking at City Hall alongside Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman.

"I think it goes without saying that it has been a long time since a premier has joined you on your home turf, Mr. Mayor," the premier said.

On Wednesday, Stefanson tried to live up to her repeated assertion she will be a different, more collaborative premier than Brian Pallister — although her opponents used question period to dispute that claim.

But they couldn't deny Stefanson became the first sitting premier to visit City Hall on business since 2017, when she and Bowman got together to say they're sending Winnipeg's application for federal funding on two key projects to Ottawa. 

Speaking at the legislature beforehand, Stefanson said she doesn't mind making the trip to Winnipeg's seat of power.

"I don't have a big ego, where someone else has to come here and we've got to do it here on our turf," she said.

"These turf wars, I hope, are over and it's time to go in a new direction."

Earlier in the day, Stefanson undid another Pallister policy by promising to repeal the wage freeze bill that prompted labour groups to take the province to court.

Even though Manitoba won a recent appeal court decision to freeze the pay of public-sector workers, Stefanson said she'd rather wages be negotiated at the bargaining table than decided by the courts.

It was another sign of change for Stefanson's government, but her political opponents weren't as easily swayed.

The NDP and Liberals both cited the University of Manitoba strike as evidence of a government that hasn't changed. They've accused the provincial government of restricting how much administration can pay faculty, which they say has led to labour dispute. 

In addition, the NDP called out Stefanson for offering no condemnation of Pallister's health-care reforms, no progress on reducing the surgical backlog and no apology for the divisive comments her predecessor made about Indigenous people. 

That's not a government doing something differently, NDP Leader Wab Kinew said.