Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew recently expanded his cabinet with two MLAs, but unlike other ministers, they have no department to run, only one law each to oversee and staff shared with other departments.
Carla Compton, in charge of accessibility, and David Pankratz, in charge of first responders, have “very few tools” to advance their ministerial goals “beyond coming up with some good ideas and being persuasive,” said Paul Thomas, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Manitoba.
The new additions to the NDP government’s cabinet table were appointed in late September as “ministers responsible for,” rather than “ministers of.”
It means Compton and Pankratz each oversee a specific area of concern, rather than directly leading a specific government department.
Compton’s ministry is housed within the Department of Families, while Pankratz’s ministry is within the Department of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness.
The government said the new ministers are sharing staff with the departments they’re part of and each receive a director of ministerial administration, but it wouldn’t say how many staff will be dedicated to their offices.
1st time in 22 years
They’re the first Manitoba cabinet ministers to be folded into existing departments since Jim Rondeau, a former NDP MLA, in 2003-04.
“It’s not your typical minister who sits atop an organized department which has a number of statutes to administer, has budgets that they are responsible for and is the target of questions regularly when the legislature is meeting,” Thomas said.
The province has other ministers “responsible for” specific files, like overseeing Crown corporations, but those roles are in addition to them running a government department.
Thomas said the new positions may be a sign current government issues don’t fit neatly into the boundaries of individual departments.
For example, Pankratz’s mandate letter asks that he work with the labour, health and housing ministers to ensure first responders have necessary mental health supports.
WATCH | New cabinet ministers don’t have their own departments:
Manitoba’s 2 new cabinet ministers don’t have departments to run
The Manitoba government’s two new cabinet appointees, Carla Compton and David Pankratz, have been folded into existing departments, rather than running their own departments. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives are questioning if these new ministers have the influence to enact change, but community advocates say they’re willing to give the new ministers the benefit of the doubt.
The new ministers also have less legislative authority than their counterparts.
They’re each in charge of one government act: Compton oversees the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, while Pankratz is in charge of the Firefighters and Paramedics Arbitration Act.
Most other ministers are responsible for at least 10 pieces of legislation.
Despite having limited authority, Compton and Pankratz are each getting the same pay bump as other cabinet ministers — a $61,468 increase on top of the base salary of $112,273. Cabinet ministers without a portfolio are eligible for a smaller pay increase of $52,189.
Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Konrad Narth said the appointments risk being more symbolic than substantive, with the ministers given little to do.
If the ministers don’t “have a full department, what are they doing other than being an advocate?” Narth said. The government as a whole should be the advocate, he said.
David Pankratz speaks during question period at the Manitoba Legislature on Sept. 29, one day after being named minister responsible for first responder initiatives. (Bryce Hoye/CBC)
Narth said Kinew may be trying to lift the profile of MLAs in swing ridings the PCs will be targeting in the next election. Compton represents Tuxedo, while Pankratz is the representative for Waverley.
Some advocates from the communities impacted by the new cabinet ministers say they’re more interested in results than bureaucratic structures.
“I could care less what the title of a portfolio is, which minister is responsible,” United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president Nick Kasper said of Pankratz’s appointment.
“I’m encouraged by the direction this government is moving, by the level of support we’ve seen and by the intention signalled by this ministerial appointment.”
Pankratz has been tasked with ensuring more illnesses among first responders are recognized by the Workers Compensation Board as stemming from work duties. His mandate letter asks him to make Manitoba’s presumptive coverage for first responders the best in the country.
The new minister is also directed to help first responders put together plans to address the toxic drug crisis.
Carla Compton at the legislature a day after being named minister responsible for accessibility. (Bryce Hoye/CBC)
Meanwhile, Compton has been asked to respond to recommendations from the Integrated Adult Services pilot, which followed people living with disabilities to find what kind of challenges they face.
The report said young people can lose essential supports as soon as they become adults.
David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba and chair of the pilot’s steering committee, has previously said the findings show the disability services program is “fundamentally broken.”
Kron told CBC News it’s great if acting on the report’s recommendations is Compton’s main job.
“I don’t think she needs a great big staff,” he said. “I think she needs some political will at the cabinet table.”
Kron said he found Compton to be forthright during their introductory meeting last week.
“She said we haven’t figured it all out yet, but she did say that she is her own minister. She said that she is getting some staff that report directly to her.”
Compton is also chairing the new accessibility committee of cabinet.
The government declined an interview request, but said in a statement it is putting in the resources to ensure “our government can make Manitoba the best in Canada for first responders and ensure every Manitoban can live in dignity.”
The government didn’t say why the new cabinet ministers aren’t leading departments of their own.
Thomas, the political scientist, said the new ministers can look to Mike Moroz as a counterpart who’s found windows of opportunity to expand his influence.
Moroz was put in charge of the new Department of Innovation and New Technology in 2024. Since then, he’s made announcements around new committees and task forces and called out telecommunication companies for 911 failures.