Wab Kinew facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Wab Kinew MLA
Kinew in 2024
25th Premier of Manitoba
Incumbent
Assumed office October 18, 2023
Monarch	Charles III
Lieutenant Governor	Anita Neville
Deputy	Uzoma Asagwara
Preceded by	Heather Stefanson
Leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office September 16, 2017
Preceded by	Flor Marcelino (interim)
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Fort Rouge
Incumbent
Assumed office April 19, 2016
Preceded by	Jennifer Howard
Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba
In office September 16, 2017 – October 18, 2023
Preceded by	Flor Marcelino
Succeeded by	Heather Stefanson
Personal details
Born	Wabanakwut Kinew (1981-12-31) December 31, 1981 (age 43) Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Political party	New Democratic
Spouse	Lisa Monkman ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	3
Residence	Crescentwood, Winnipeg
Alma mater	University of Manitoba (BA) (MA)
Occupation	Broadcaster, university administrator, musician, author
Cabinet	Kinew ministry

Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew (born December 31, 1981) is a Canadian politician. He has been the 25th premier of Manitoba since October 18, 2023. He is also the leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) since September 16, 2017.

Kinew represents Fort Rouge in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He was the leader of the Opposition from 2017 until his party won the 2023 provincial election. Before becoming a politician, Kinew was an author, musician, and broadcaster. He is known for hosting shows on CBC Radio and CBC Television.

Wab Kinew is Canada's first provincial premier from a First Nations background. He is also Manitoba's first Indigenous premier since Métis Premier John Norquay in 1887.

Early Life and Education

Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew was born on December 31, 1981, in Kenora, Ontario. His family is from the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation in Northwestern Ontario. His father, Tobasonakwut Kinew, was a chief and a professor. His mother, Dr. Kathi Avery Kinew, was a policy analyst.

Kinew moved to Winnipeg with his parents when he was a child. He went to Collège Béliveau, a French immersion school. In the summers, he visited Onigaming. He later graduated from the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, a private high school. Kinew earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Manitoba. He also studied for a master’s degree in Indigenous governance.

Career Highlights

Broadcasting and Media

Kinew started working in broadcasting after the Winnipeg Free Press published a letter he wrote. A producer from CBC Radio then asked him to create a documentary.

In 2010, Kinew was a finalist for the Future Leaders of Manitoba award. He has been a reporter and host for CBC's radio and television. This includes the show The 204 in Winnipeg and the national series 8th Fire in 2012. He also hosted Fault Lines on Al Jazeera America.

In 2014, he was a panelist on CBC Radio's Canada Reads. He defended Joseph Boyden's novel The Orenda, which won the competition. Kinew was also a guest host for Q and moderated Canada Reads in 2015.

Music

Kinew was part of hip-hop groups in the mid-2000s. He then released his first solo CD as a rapper, Live by the Drum, in 2009. This CD won an Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop CD. His second CD, Mide-Sun, came out in 2010.

Albums

University Administration

In 2011, the University of Winnipeg made Kinew its first director of Indigenous Inclusion. In 2014, he became the associate vice-president of Indigenous Relations. He is also an honorary witness for the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

On October 25, 2014, Kinew received an honorary doctorate degree from Cape Breton University.

Books

Kinew has written four books, all published by Penguin Canada. These include The Reason You Walk, Go Show the World, Walking in Two Worlds, and The Everlasting Road.

The Reason You Walk is a memoir about Kinew's journey to reconnect with his Indigenous heritage. The book won the 2016 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for non-fiction.

In 2018, Kinew published a children's book called Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes. It tells stories of important figures in First Nations history, like John Herrington and Sacagawea. The book was inspired by Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing. It was shortlisted for the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award for young people’s literature.

In 2021, Kinew released Walking in Two Worlds. This is a young adult fantasy novel about an Indigenous teen girl. She finds herself balancing the real world with a virtual video game universe. The book won an Aurora Award for science fiction and fantasy in 2022.

Political Career

In 2016, Kinew became a candidate for the Manitoba New Democratic Party in Fort Rouge. This was for the 2016 provincial election. During the campaign, Kinew faced criticism for some past comments he had made on social media. He apologized for these comments. On April 19, 2016, Kinew won the election in Fort Rouge. He defeated Manitoba Liberal Party leader Rana Bokhari. After the election, he became the NDP's spokesperson for reconciliation and critic for Education and Housing.

Kinew ran for the leadership of the Manitoba NDP in 2017. On September 16, he won against Steve Ashton. This made Kinew the first elected First Nations leader of a major political party in Manitoba.

In 2017, Kinew introduced Bill 223 to make September 30 Orange Shirt Day. This day honors residential school survivors. In 2019, he introduced Bill 228, the Sikh Heritage Month Act. He also proposed a bill to recognize Métis leader Louis Riel as an honorary first premier. This bill would also require Riel's contributions to be taught in schools.

Kinew led the Manitoba NDP into the 2019 provincial election. The party gained six seats, but the Progressive Conservative Party won the election again.

Kinew continued as leader after the 2019 election. The NDP gained popularity in polls. Before the 2023 provincial election, the race became very close. The NDP campaign focused on improving healthcare. The NDP won the election, making Kinew the first First Nations person to be elected a provincial premier in Canada.

Premier of Manitoba

Kinew at his swearing-in ceremony on October 18, 2023

Kinew became the Premier of Manitoba on October 18, 2023.

During his first year as premier, Kinew kept his promise of a provincial fuel tax holiday. This holiday will last until the end of 2024. His government also announced a plan to improve public safety and address crime. This includes creating a program to monitor people who often commit offenses. Kinew also promised to make Manitoba's healthcare system stronger. As of December 2024, efforts include provincial coverage for certain medications under pharmacare. They are also expanding health clinics and opening new neighborhood health clinics. The province is also changing from paper health cards to plastic ones starting in 2025. In the NDP's 2024 budget, spending on services increased by 6%.

In December 2024, Kinew promised to help people experiencing homelessness. He plans to move people from homeless camps into proper housing in 2025.

Personal Life

Kinew has shared that he experienced racially motivated attacks when he was growing up in Winnipeg.

In September 2016, Kinew married Dr. Lisa Monkman. She is an Ojibwe family physician. They welcomed a son in May 2017. Kinew also has two sons from a previous relationship.

Kinew is trilingual. He speaks Ojibwe, English, and French.

Electoral Record