Wab Kinew’s popularity continues, challenges expected [Video]

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s popularity shows little sign of waning more than a year after he led the provincial New Democrats to power.

But there are some tough choices ahead as he tries to fulfil promises to improve health care, address poverty and get the government’s finances in order.

Kinew has carried through on election promises to hire more health-care workers, expand school nutrition programs and temporarily suspend the provincial fuel tax for a one-year period that is to end Jan. 1.

The NDP government has also announced extra funding for the arts, policing and other items. Opinion polls continue to rank highly the NDP as a party and Kinew as a premier.

What Kinew has yet to show is a plan to control spending in order to balance the budget by 2027 — another campaign promise — and end a long series of deficits in Manitoba, said political analyst …