Stop the Distractions, Start Delivering

Would you agree that politicians need to spend less time on distractions and start delivering results?

I learned a principle early in my career that has served me well in business, politics, and life: if you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing well. Focus is not just a strategy—it’s a necessity. Manitoba’s current government seems to have lost sight of that principle.

Premier Wab Kinew and his NDP are trying to be everything to everyone. But in the process, they’re failing at the basics. Health care is not improving, crime is not going down, and core infrastructure is still crumbling. These are the areas where a provincial government must deliver—without excuses and without distractions.

Instead, we’re watching millions flow to activist groups and pet projects while essential services lag behind. The government is busy hosting listening tours and making announcements designed to appease its political base. However, listening without action amounts to stalling, not leadership. Furthermore, the action we are witnessing is scattered, unfocused, and often driven by ideological agendas.

Let’s talk about the basics.

The core responsibilities of any provincial government are not up for debate. They include healthcare, education, public safety, infrastructure, and economic development. That is the foundation. When governments forget this or drift into social engineering and political theatre, things go off the rails.

Take health care. The NDP promised “healing” and a new direction with Heather Stefanson’s exit. So far, we’re seeing more press releases than actual improvements. Wait times are still long. Staffing shortages are not fixed. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Manitoba’s ER wait times are among the longest in the country. Meanwhile, the government found millions to fund special interest programs that do nothing to relieve pressure on nurses or doctors.

This isn’t just poor management—it’s misplaced priorities.

Or look at public safety. Violent crime remains a serious issue across Winnipeg and other communities. Police budgets are strained, courts are backlogged, and the catch-and-release bail system continues to fail victims. Yet the provincial government’s focus has drifted toward long-term studies, community dialogues, and more bureaucracy. All while front-line officers are under-resourced and morale continues to drop.

There’s also been a failure to seize economic opportunities that could generate real revenue and support the province’s growth. Mining, for example, is a sector crying out for leadership. Manitoba is now sitting on valuable resources—nickel, lithium, copper—that global markets want. The world is hungry for the critical minerals that go into everything from batteries to electronics. If Premier Kinew’s government fast-tracked mining approvals, Manitoba could unlock billions in investment. According to the Mining Association of Canada, every $1 million of mineral output in Canada creates six jobs and $360,000 in wages. That’s real economic impact. But the province is bogged down in red tape and slow reviews.

Kinew also missed the opportunity to lead the charge on tariff issues. Instead of blaming Donald Trump for economic headwinds, he should be pressing the federal government to eliminate Canada’s new 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. That policy only benefits one company, Stellantis, which manufactures in Ontario. Meanwhile, it punishes farmers in Western Canada, and they are being ignored. Worse, it leaves Manitoba-based dealers with fewer choices and puts them at a disadvantage.

And then there’s agriculture. Prairie farmers are still waiting for meaningful support from Ottawa on retaliatory tariffs and trade disruptions. They’ve been hit hard by Chinese restrictions on canola and other crops, issues dating back years. Yet Premier Kinew has been silent. If he truly wanted to help rural Manitoba, he’d be pushing federal finance minister Mark Carney to deliver targeted relief and open new markets. But that takes focus, not grandstanding.

The problem here is not just the NDP—it’s a bigger issue across Canada. Governments, even City Councillors, have wandered out of their lanes. They’re trying to be lifestyle brands, cultural referees, and social media influencers. That’s not the job. The job is to build roads, hire doctors, fund police, and balance the books. Period.

This is the same principle that successful companies follow. Quaker Oats doesn’t make smartphones, and Ford doesn’t sell yoga mats. You pick your lane, deliver your core product, and get better at it every year. Governments should take the same approach: focus on delivering the essentials and doing them well.

Throwing money in every direction doesn’t build focus—it builds confusion. Every dollar that goes to a feel-good announcement is a dollar not going to an ICU bed, a rural school, or a local road. And voters feel that. They see the gaps, they live with the consequences, and they are rightly losing patience.

It’s time for Manitoba’s government to stop trying to be all things to all people. Focus on the basics. Get health care back on track. Get serious about crime. Push investment, not ideology. Cut red tape, not ribbons.

Because if you can’t deliver the basics, you’ve already failed at the job. And that’s something no amount of PR or TikTok videos can fix.