Manitoba has earmarked $1 million annually for its U.S. trade office, which is $200,000 higher than previously acknowledged by the NDP government, as per documents acquired by CBC News.
An advisory note presented to Premier Wab Kinew in August 2025 and government email exchanges in January 2026 reveal that the province has set aside $1 million Canadian dollars to cover the yearly expenses of salaries, office space, and other costs for Washington, D.C., trade envoy Richard Madan and his administrative assistant.
Contrary to earlier claims by the NDP government, which had consistently cited $800,000 as the total annual budget for the Washington trade office, recent communications from Kinew’s communications director, Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey, suggest that the estimated cost for the 2026-27 fiscal year ranges between “$800,000 to $900,000.”
Tuckett-McGimpsey explained in a statement to CBC News on June 26 that the $1 million allocation for Madan’s office serves as a contingency fund to address any unforeseen expenses.
Despite repeated requests from CBC News, the NDP government has declined to make Kinew, Finance Minister Adrien Sala, or Trade Minister Jamie Moses available for comments on the provincial spending related to the U.S. trade office.
The initial figures provided by the Kinew government have proven to be incomplete or inaccurate.
Former NDP government spokesperson Ryan Stelter had announced in October 2025 that Madan would receive a $387,000 salary for his role as Manitoba’s trade representative in Washington. However, a contract obtained by CBC News in February revealed that Madan is actually receiving $482,000 annually in consulting fees and is eligible for up to an additional $51,000 per year for hospitality, diplomacy, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Email correspondences from January 2026, obtained by CBC News, reveal that the province is also allocating $143,000 for an administrative assistant for Madan in Washington, D.C. Additionally, $221,000 is being spent on rent for the trade envoy and his assistant at the Canadian embassy in the U.S., as per the email exchanges.
Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan emphasized that Manitobans should be troubled by the fragmented nature of the financial disclosures provided.
In an interview in his office on Thursday, Khan questioned, “What are they concealing? Why isn’t there a straightforward budget line item stating the cost of the trade office?”
No Transparent Budget Allocation
Manitoba’s budget documents do not explicitly detail the budget for the U.S. trade office as a single line item.
Rebecca Widdicombe, Kinew’s deputy chief of staff, stated on Thursday that the office’s spending is encompassed within a $27.6-million allocation for “grant assistance” under the “economic programs” budget for Manitoba’s investment and trade expenditures.
Widdicombe did not clarify why the budget for the U.S. trade office falls under a grant assistance category.
Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, an Ottawa-based non-profit organization advocating for government accountability, called for more transparency from Manitoba