Governments love to spend money. They especially love to spend money when they think no one is paying attention. However, when it comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, both Premier Wab Kinew and Mayor Scott Gillingham seem to prefer keeping the numbers buried under layers of bureaucracy. Why? If taxpayers knew how much they were actually paying for these politically motivated social experiments, they might start asking uncomfortable questions.
Let's be clear—these programs are not essential services. They don’t pave roads, they don’t reduce crime, they don’t improve healthcare, and they don’t create jobs in the private sector. Yet, we are expected to fund them without question. And if we dare ask how much we’re on the hook for, we’re met with silence or vague statements about "building an inclusive community." Nice words, but where’s the receipt?
The problem isn't just the spending—it’s the secrecy. There is no readily available itemized budget for DEI spending in Manitoba or Winnipeg. The provincial government buries these costs within other departments like Civil Service and Human Resources. The City of Winnipeg does the same, hiding DEI expenses under workforce programs and outreach initiatives. What we do know is that both governments have full-time DEI personnel, conduct training programs, offer grants, and spend on software like the "Diversity Dashboard." How much does all of this cost? Good luck finding out.
Even a rough estimate suggests that we’re talking about millions annually. Look at the federal level, where agencies like the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) pour billions into EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) initiatives. Provinces and municipalities follow suit, scaling their programs accordingly. If the federal government is willing to dedicate a portion of a billion-dollar budget to these efforts, it's naive to think Manitoba and Winnipeg are only throwing pocket change at it. The spending is happening—it’s just not labeled as "DEI Budget: $X Million" for public scrutiny.
We can infer the spending in other ways. Take Winnipeg’s Diversity and Equity Fire Training (DEFT) program, launched in 2021. This program provides training specifically targeted at equity-deserving groups, yet the city has never released a full cost breakdown. The software for the Diversity Dashboard? That wasn’t free. The City of Winnipeg’s Human Resources Department has DEI personnel working full-time—are we paying their salaries just to track racial and gender quotas in hiring? If you’re going to spend our tax dollars on this, the least you can do is tell us how much.
It’s not just DEI. We’re also spending significant sums on so-called "reconciliation programs." Again, there is no single, transparent report that tells taxpayers how much we are shelling out for these efforts. If we’re paying for land acknowledgments, sensitivity training, Indigenous hiring quotas, and outreach programs, let’s see the numbers. Let’s see every grant, every consultant fee, every marketing campaign. Not because these issues aren’t worth discussing, but because taxpayers should have a say in where their hard-earned money goes.
Meanwhile, the essentials—public safety, healthcare, infrastructure—continue to suffer. Winnipeg’s crime problem is out of control, but we’re spending time and money ensuring the civil service meets some arbitrary diversity targets. Emergency rooms are packed, but there’s always room in the budget for another consultant to draft an inclusivity report. Our roads resemble a war zone of potholes, yet we have taxpayer-funded workshops on gender pronouns.
It’s infuriating.
Let’s talk about what this really is: political pandering and social engineering. DEI is not about ensuring fairness—it’s about optics. Governments, especially those aligned with progressive politics, feel obligated to prove they are on the "right side of history," even if it means throwing taxpayer money at initiatives with no measurable benefit to the public. They push quotas instead of merit. They prioritize "equity" over efficiency. And the worst part? They refuse to be upfront about the cost.
That should bother every taxpayer, regardless of political affiliation. Transparency is not divisive. Knowing where our money goes is not controversial. If you expect me to keep paying taxes, you’d better tell me what I’m paying for. And if you can’t justify the spending, maybe it’s time to stop.
Gillingham and Kinew need to step up and provide full transparency. A line-item breakdown of all DEI and reconciliation spending should be made public, updated annually, and easily accessible. Every dollar spent on these initiatives should be scrutinized the same way we scrutinize police budgets, infrastructure projects, or healthcare funding.
Manitobans are already overtaxed, and we are tired of funding programs that do not improve our daily lives. Essential services should come first. DEI programs and reconciliation programs are not essential. Governments should stop funding until they can justify the spending. Period.
If Kinew and Gillingham believe these programs are so necessary, then let them prove it—with numbers, not rhetoric. Until then, the silence is all the proof we need that our money is being wasted.