Inside Politics returns with a blunt assessment of the latest national polling that places Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew at the top of Canada's provincial popularity rankings—despite deepening crises at home. Host Kevin Klein, joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Royce Koop and Lawrence Pinsky, K.C., dug into the contradictions behind the numbers and the growing speculation that Kinew may have federal ambitions. Koop noted that Kinew's 58% approval rating is undeniably strong, though down a full ten points from just months ago. "People like him—he's charismatic, positive, and carries national appeal," Koop said. "But eventually Manitobans will judge him on results, not vibes." And results are exactly where the panel sees the wheels falling off. Pinsky didn't mince words. "Watch question period and you'll see a different side of him—bullying, shouting, refusing to answer questions," he argued. "Look at what he has actually accomplished: a ballooning deficit, capital fleeing the province, health care collapsing. So why is he still this popular? Image. Media. Nothing substantive." Klein agreed, pointing to the recent tragedy of an elderly woman dying after waiting more than 30 hours for care in a Winnipeg ER. "This should consume the entire legislature," he said. "Instead, we get theatrics, snark, and one-liners. The opposition isn't holding the government accountable, and Manitobans are paying the price." The panel also flagged the Minnesota-level dysfunction inside Manitoba's Progressive Conservative Party, including the abrupt resignation of their new caucus director after only five months. "There isn't a serious opposition right now," Klein said. "And Kinew is benefitting from that vacuum." From there, discussion widened to the national stage. With two potential separation referendums looming—in Quebec and Alberta—and Canada's economic stability tied to an uncertain U.S. trade renegotiation, Koop warned that "these are dangerous times to have a leader who governs by performance instead of policy." Pinsky added, "Manitoba needs a real conservative alternative. Canada needs adult leadership. Right now, voters are getting neither." Klein closed the episode with a challenge to viewers: "Manitoba deserves solutions, not slogans. And Canada deserves leadership, not illusions."

Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech police, Ottawa's new hate-law gamble, and Manitoba's quiet pushback on faith and free expression were front and centre on the latest episode of Inside Politics with Kevin Klein. Klein was joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Royce Koop and Lawrence Pinsky, KC to unpack two explosive files: a Manitoba bill to recognize December as Christian Heritage Month, and federal Bill C-9, which could see parts of the Bible treated as hate speech under Liberal amendments. Koop opened with Manitoba PC MLA Carrie Hiebert's private member's bill to designate December as Christian Heritage Month. The bill died when the Legislature adjourned, but Koop called it "a great idea," arguing that in a truly pluralistic Canada, Christianity should be recognized the same way other faiths and identities already are. Pinsky backed him up, noting Manitoba and Ottawa have no problem proclaiming Islamic and Jewish heritage months, Pride events, and endless "days of recognition." "Why are Christians treated as second class?" he asked. "You don't have to blow out someone else's candle for yours to shine brighter." The tone darkened when the panel shifted to Bill C-9 and new Liberal–Bloc amendments. Pinsky explained that Minister Mark Miller has openly suggested that teaching or reading certain Old Testament passages could be prosecuted as hate—despite existing protections for religious belief in Canada's Criminal Code. Koop warned that this is exactly the kind of overreach Canadians thought the Charter would prevent, but courts have repeatedly allowed "reasonable limits" on expression. Pinsky tied it to a wider Western trend, citing UK cases where Christians have lost jobs or faced police attention over social media posts and faith-based views, and argued that Canada is marching down the same path. "Government should be getting out of people's lives," he said. "Instead, Carney's Liberals are trying to police what Canadians think and say." Klein blasted Ottawa for "playing thought police" while food prices soar and families struggle to pay the bills, calling it pure social engineering and a distraction from economic failure. The episode closed with fresh outrage over a new federal media subsidy that funds reporters only if they are from specific "approved" identity groups and cover designated topics. Klein called it "narrative control in plain sight," while Pinsky labelled it one more sign of a state that wants to pick who tells the stories—and which stories get told.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's much-hyped pipeline breakthrough and the embarrassing behaviour of Manitoba MLAs shared the spotlight on the latest episode of Inside Politics with Kevin Klein—and neither came out looking good. Klein, joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Lawrence Pinsky, KC and Royce Koop, opened by giving Carney rare credit for his recent moves on the steel sector and a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on a proposed pipeline to the West Coast. But the panel quickly stripped away the spin. Koop called the deal a clear political shift from the Trudeau era and acknowledged that regulatory carve-outs for Alberta could help spur development. Still, he warned viewers not to confuse an MOU with an actual project: no binding commitments, no shovels, no tankers—just a political framework that still faces resistance from First Nations, British Columbia Premier David Eby, Quebec politicians and investors who've been burned before. Pinsky went further, branding the MOU "political, not economic," and likening it to Schrödinger's cat without the possibility it exists at all. The only firm change, he noted, is a higher industrial carbon price in Alberta by 2026, while the supposed path to a pipeline remains vague and revocable. "Don't mistake this for economic development," he warned. "It's a talking point, not a turning point." The panel then turned their fire closer to home: the Manitoba Legislature, where Klein said he'd "never been more disappointed" in elected officials. They condemned a recent question period meltdown in which: NDP minister Nahanni Fontaine allegedly shared a post celebrating the death of U.S. commentator Charlie Kirk and branded all male PC MLAs "misogynists"; Progressive Conservatives responded by dredging up Premier Wab Kinew's decades-old criminal record, for which he has a pardon; The Speaker himself got drawn into the mud, reportedly telling a Tory MLA he was "not clever" before later apologizing. Koop defended the idea of question period but said Manitoba now has "probably the worst atmosphere in Canada," arguing that the Premier sets the tone and that Kinew has chosen confrontation over seriousness. Pinsky called the exchanges "schoolyard stupidity" at a time when Manitobans are dying in ER waiting rooms and the economy is faltering. Klein's closing verdict on Canada's political class—federal and provincial—was blunt: too much performance, not enough governing.