Manitoba politician drawing criticism for tweet showing his wife shovelling snow after working a 12-hour hospital shift

Minister criticized for tweet of wife shovelling The wife of Manitoba politician Jon Reyes has spoken out after a photo of her shovelling snow after a 12-hour shift gained attention online.

A Manitoban politician is getting widespread criticism for a tweet depicting his wife shovelling the driveway after working a 12-hour shift as a healthcare worker.

Minister of Economic Development and Jobs Jon Reyes posted a photo of his wife Cynthia shovelling from his window with the caption, "Even after a 12 hour night shift at the hospital last night, my wife still has the energy to shovel the driveway."

The tweet has gained thousands of retweets and replies since it was posted on Saturday, with many calling the tweet inconsiderate.

Several commenters pointed out Reyes had been tweeting about watching tennis the night prior instead of potentially shovelling.

The incident even made international headlines, with the Los Angeles-based tabloid TMZ picking up the story.

In a statement to CTV News, Reyes said, "My wife is amazing, both at home and at work. I'm eternally grateful for her and everything she does. I love her very much."

He went on to say, "I'm happy that she is getting the worldwide recognition she deserves, and it serves as a reminder to everyone — especially me today — that we can never do enough to show our gratitude to healthcare workers."

Reyes’ response comes as memes of the ordeal are now gaining thousands of likes.