Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Wood

By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: New leaders take the stage in troublesome times

Aug 3, 2025 | 9:05 AM

SOMETIMES A FEW INSPIRATIONAL WORDS can cause people to show up and provide leadership that we didn’t think was possible. In normal times, these people would simply go about their work without much fanfare, but when circumstances present themselves, they move to a higher level of performance.

As the old proverb says “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Last week, we saw some examples of that.

At the meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and provincial premiers, three people stood out in my mind. Number three – the Prime Minister. Mark Carney worked tirelessly to keep the group focused on the goal to come up with a strategy to show Donald Trump that Canada is not prepared to back down.

Number two – Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Ford was clearly the voice of the Premiers. He was forthright and direct. He compromised some of his province’s goals so a united front could be found. I gained a whole lot more respect for him than I had before.

But number one was someone I had never paid much attention to before the summit.

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He spoke several times and I was more inspired each time. His words were supportive and hopeful, he stood tall for his country but also knew that any accord was going to involve compromise on both sides. He was not confrontational, but I sensed he could be, if necessary.

In my career, I’ve always been a good judge of character. If he were ever interested in running on a national level, I would have no hesitation in supporting Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.