Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he spoke to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, to offer support following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis last week. At a press conference Monday, Kinew said when he heard about Renee Nicole Mackin Good’s death, he texted Walz and Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan “pretty much immediately following the terrible tragedy that took place there,” he said. But on Monday, he said he had the opportunity to speak with Walz over the phone. “I let him know that we here in Manitoba support our neighbours,” Kinew said. ”We want to be good neighbours here in the North. And of course, we just want to see what’s happening down there stop. There’s so much confusion and so much violence. We just want to see things for our southern neighbours get back to normal. And I offered whatever assistance we can provide." The premier said that seeing “a mother killed in this fashion is just terrible” and that supporting the province’s American neighbours is important at this juncture. “We don’t want to see these things like this happen. We want all this to end. And regardless of where you stand on immigration, regardless of where you stand on Trump, I think everyone agrees that seeing a mother have her life taken in such a way is just wrong, and so let’s just find a way to help our American neighbours make it through this difficult period in that country so that we can get back to a more positive way of life,” Kinew said. He also had some harsh words for the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives. “Right now when you have a political party in Manitoba, called the PCs, who are treating the loss of a mother in a neighbouring jurisdiction as something to get a couple likes on Facebook for, well, you have a pretty clear illustration that they are not ready for government.” Kinew also alluded to PC board member Patrick Allard’s social media message where he asked whether ICE is in Manitoba and if they are hiring, saying he was asking for a friend. “I will be very clear for Manitobans; this is not something to be flippant about,” he said. The Tories announced on Monday that Allard’s party membership and board position have been suspended. In a statement, PC Leader Obby Khan said Allard will not be a candidate in the province’s next election. “Mr. Allard’s post was offensive and inappropriate, and does not reflect the values and priorities of Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives,” Khan wrote.
