US elections: Wab Kinew strikes an optimistic tone about relations with the new Trump administration

WINNIPEG

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he will continue to emphasize the benefits of trade with the United States now that the election is over south of the border.

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed across-the-board tariffs of 10 percent, worrying Canadian business leaders.

Kinew says he will argue that the U.S. benefits from Manitoba goods, and that crucial minerals from Manitoba have a lot to offer the U.S. defense sector, for example.

Kinew also says Manitoba has a major asset: Gary Doer, a former prime minister and ambassador to the U.S., whom Kinew has appointed as a trade adviser.

Kinew was asked if he shares the concerns of Quebec Premier François Legault, who said Canada must act quickly to secure its borders against a possible wave of migrants seeking to escape Trump’s threat of mass deportations.

Kinew says he supports strong borders, but Manitoba is also a welcoming province that has benefited from absorbing people from Ukraine and other parts of the world.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024