Manitoba’s premier, Wab Kinew, has reached out to Mark Carney, urging the Canadian government to take action to halt the ongoing conflict in Iran. Kinew emphasized the devastating impact of the war, leading to numerous casualties in the Middle East and causing immense suffering and economic distress globally.
During his address at the NDP’s national convention in Winnipeg, Kinew expressed concerns about the war’s toll on both international populations and working individuals in Canada and North America. The conflict escalated when Iran seized control of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israel war, disrupting energy shipments and triggering a surge in energy prices since its commencement on Feb. 28.
Kinew highlighted in his letter the unprecedented rise in energy prices affecting Manitobans directly. He emphasized the need to end the conflict, stating that while some wars may be just, this particular one is deemed unnecessary and unwise.
The premier’s statements came shortly after Defence Minister David McGuinty indicated Canada’s contemplation of deploying vessels and cyber expertise to secure the strait if a ceasefire is achieved. Kinew underscored Canada’s commitment to upholding human rights globally and stressed the importance of aligning actions with these values by taking steps to end the war.
Kinew firmly stated that no Canadian or American should be endangered in defense of what he termed as Donald Trump’s ill-conceived Iranian war. He advocated for keeping working-class individuals out of harm’s way and suggested that those advocating for the war should be the ones directly involved in the conflict.
