Yes, point of order, Speaker: I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Premier-elect Wab Kinew on his historic win as the first First Nations Premier of a province in Canada and a new bright day in Manitoba.

Earlier this year, the government made some sudden and very specific changes to the official plans of six municipalities. They carved up 4,700 hectares of farmland and green space for more sprawl, leaving municipalities scrambling.

Now, the NDP official opposition has obtained an internal government memo that reveals stark warnings about “potential contentious issues” that could come from these changes. It warns that relations with First Nations would be hurt and that forcing this on municipalities would override all the work they’ve done on local planning.

To the Premier: Why did the government push ahead with these drastic changes despite these very serious warnings from their own staff?