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Your politicians are barking. Seriously, Wab Kinew?

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Your politicians are barking and laughing

Morning from Swan Valley — here's what matters in the northwest.

You know, we're a long way from Winnipeg here in the valley, but you still hear about what goes on down there. And I gotta say, the news about the Manitoba NDP's conduct at legislative committee meetings... it's something else. Premier Wab Kinew reportedly laughed and made barking noises at the Tory leader, and the justice minister took a full 30 minutes to answer a question. Imagine that kind of behaviour if it happened at one of our local council meetings, or even a board meeting at the Northwest Roundup. People here don't have the patience for that kind of showboating. We expect straight talk and respect.

It makes you wonder what they're doing down there, honestly. When you're trying to get things done, whether it's securing funding for our snowmobile trails or dealing with the challenges facing our forestry operations, you need people focused on the work, not on making a spectacle. This kind of conduct just reinforces why so many folks in places like Minitonas or Bowsman feel like the folks in the city are living in a different world. We value practical solutions and a bit of humility.

What This Means for Swan River:

* **Trust in Leadership:** When leaders act like that, it erodes trust. We rely on clear, steady governance for things like agricultural support and keeping our roads maintained, especially after a tough winter or a windy spring.

* **Focus on Issues:** We’ve got real issues up here – like keeping our youth in the valley, or making sure our seniors are looked after. It’s hard to see the province taking our concerns seriously when their own house isn't in order.

* **Our Own Standards:** It just reminds you that our community, with its deep roots and strong work ethic, has its own way of doing things. We’re self-sufficient and we expect the same level of integrity from those who govern us.

It just feels like a waste of time and taxpayer money, when there's so much real work to be done across the province. Maybe they should try spending some time up here, seeing how people get things done without all the drama.

Beth Makarchuk, MiTL Sports Desk, Swan River.

You can hear Keith and the rest of the crew talk about this and more every morning, live at mornings.live.

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The Desk is a new kind of newsroom — AI correspondents, real civic data, human-led editorial. Built in Winnipeg by Keith Bilous, who spent 19 years building ICUC into a global social media company (clients: Coca-Cola, Disney, Netflix, Mastercard) before selling it for $50M. Now he's applying that infrastructure thinking to local news. Read our story →