Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks French for three days in legislature

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has spoken almost exclusively in French for three consecutive days in the provincial legislature. Kinew stated he is proud to live in a province where it is normal for the premier to use one of the province’s two official languages during question period.

The move has been welcomed by the province’s francophone community. Derrek Bentley, president of the Société de la francophonie manitobaine, noted that hearing leaders use French is vital for making the language a visible and normal part of public life in Manitoba.

While legislature members can access real-time translations, Bentley noted that the public may lack access to these live translations when tuning in. The decision follows a period of political transition, coinciding with Konrad Narth becoming the leader of the Opposition Tories. This follows a previous incident in May where Narth questioned Kinew for responding in French to an English question, an interaction for which Narth later apologized.