Manitobans are no strangers to the consequences of the climate crisis.
On June 5, 2026, MP Leah Gazan, NDP Critic for Persons with Disabilities made the following statement:
FreePress Community Review: The climate crisis is here, and action is long overdue
FreePress Community Review: The climate crisis is here, and action is long overdue
Manitobans are no strangers to the consequences of the climate crisis.
Last year, we faced the most severe wildfire season in decades, which displaced over 32,000 Manitobans, sending the province into two states of emergency. After an extreme series of wildfires, experts warn Manitobans will likely face surging insurance premiums and limited insurance options.
While those of us in Winnipeg suffered less directly, we faced a summer of high-risk smoke levels that blanketed cities across the country. This left parts of Canada with some of the worst air quality in the world, posing long-term risks to countless people’s cardiovascular and respiratory health. A colder spring has staved off risks of another early wildfire season, but the onset of an early June heatwave has sparked fears. Even more concerning, this year is projected to be among Canada’s hottest years on record. The sharp escalation of wildfires is a clear signal that the climate emergency is here in full force.
With these alarm bells ringing, why isn’t the Liberal government acting on this crisis before it worsens?
Prime Minister Mark Carney has spent the last year doing the exact opposite — dismantling Canada’s environmental policies at an unprecedented rate.
Even members of Carney’s Liberals are warning that recent changes to climate policy will “take us back decades.” The recent decline in climate protections led environmentalist and former Liberal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, to step down as a Liberal Member of Parliament. While this news rippled through newsrooms across Canada, Carney has signalled no shift in his reckless fossil fuel agenda.
The Prime Minister was elected on a supposedly strong record on climate action and finance, so you’d think he would know the importance of addressing the climate crisis. He has since made clear that this is only talk and no action. The only action he’s taking is mirroring Trump’s agenda of “flooding the zone,” and dismantling climate policy at record speeds. Carney even admitted to having learned from this Trumpian strategy, which relies on releasing an overwhelming swath of newsworthy information all at once to distract critics from the true problems at hand.
The Liberals have violated the government’s constitutional obligations to First Nations treaty rights by failing to obtain free, prior and informed consent on the Alberta pipeline agreement; cancelled the oil and gas sector emissions cap; repealed policy that would legislate against companies’ greenwashing; and backtracked regulations on environmental assessment. In short, Carney is leaving no climate policy unturned and — just like the climate crisis — he is showing no signs of slowing down.
We can’t afford to sit idly by watching flames engulf our forests, and our skies fill with smoke, while knowing it is today’s young people and all future generations who will suffer from the consequences of this government’s inability to meet the moment. We must tackle the climate crisis with moral fortitude and clarity to ensure the human rights of all peoples are upheld. We have no more time to waste.
Contact:
MP Leah Gazan
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