Manitoba's new premier hopes throne speech marks departure for government after Pallister

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson is trying to chart a new course for her provincial government by going back to the drawing board on reforms to education and health care.

Stefanson's first throne speech, read Tuesday afternoon at the Manitoba Legislature by Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, attempted to mark a departure from the governance style of former premier Brian Pallister, whose popularity waned in his final months in office. 

After scrapping the unpopular Bill 64, which would have dramatically reformed education in the province, Stefanson said her government will return to the original K-12 review commissioned by the province to guide future education changes.

Her Progressive Conservative government will also re-examine the planned reforms to rural health care that Stefanson said caused "angst" among municipalities, and will "re-engage" with post-secondary institutions in the development of a new funding formula tailoring graduates to the needs of the labour market.

Despite revisiting these policy areas, Stefanson suggested not every Pallister policy was bad for Manitoba.

"I think there have been many good things .... that have been done that we can build on, and that's an important thing," said Stefanson, who was sworn in as premier earlier this month after winning an October leadership vote, prompted by Pallister's resignation.

"We don't have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but I think that there's a better way to do things and a more collaborative way with Manitobans," she told reporters in an embargoed briefing before the reading of the throne speech, a copy of which was obtained by CBC News Monday evening.

WATCH | Premier Heather Stefanson speaks to reporters before Tuesday's throne speech:

Tuesday's throne speech — the first from a female premier in Manitoba's history — laid out Stefanson's plan for her government and started a brief legislative session, which will rise on Dec. 2.

The speech also pledged to provide every graduating nurse with a job offer in the province.

The Progressive Conservatives had previously committed to hiring 400 more nurses. The throne speech revealed that 20 nurses will be trained through a two-year diploma program at the University College of the North in Thompson, all of whom will be hired by the Northern Health Region, according to the speech.

The government is also planning to introduce a homelessness strategy this winter, utilizing what the speech referred to as a "whole of government approach."

Stefanson plans to come up with "a renewed seniors strategy," provide more money for domestic violence shelters, and prioritize single parents, Indigenous youth and people with disabilities in its economic recovery plan.

The speech said she will also follow through on a pledge she made to firefighters in the Tory leadership race to expand the list of presumptive cancers considered to be workplace illnesses.