Manitoba premier apologizes to defence lawyers as legislature session resumes

WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew apologized to defence lawyers Wednesday for comments he made when his NDP caucus expelled backbencher Mark Wasyliw.

Wasyliw, who is a criminal defence lawyer, was removed from the governing caucus last month because one of his colleagues, Gerri Wiebe, is representing disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard, who has already been convicted on sexual assault charges and faces more. At the time, Kinew said someone cannot be affiliated with both Nygard and the NDP.

The rationale met immediate backlash from legal groups across Canada who said the premier was attacking the important role defence lawyers play in ensuring everyone has the right to representation in court.

Kinew initially did not back down. But on Wednesday, he called Wiebe to apologize personally and later apologized publicly on the floor of the legislature.

“The reasons given for the expulsion of one of our former MLAs were accurate. However, upon reflection, my desire for transparency to the people of Manitoba should have been outweighed by my deep respect for the independence of the justice system,” Kinew said.

“All that I should have said publicly is that there are irreconcilable differences with that (legislature member) and we wish him well.”

Kinew also apologized to defence attorneys “as a profession.” He did not say what prompted his change of heart and did not talk to reporters waiting in the hall after question period.

Wiebe said she accepted the premier’s mea culpa and thanked him.

“He said that it was inappropriate for him to characterize the defence bar the way that he did and he apologized,” Wiebe said.

“All I ever wanted out of this situation was for it to be clear that what a defence lawyer does is an important and necessary part of the justice system.”

Wasyliw represents the Fort Garry constituency in Winnipeg and now sits as an Independent. He questioned why the premier took so long to change his position

“It would have meant more several weeks ago,” Wasyliw said.

The apology came on the first day of the fall legislature sitting, which further highlighted the split between the NDP caucus and Wasyliw.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives ceded some of their time in Question Period so that Wasyliw could have an opportunity to fire questions at his former colleagues. Wasyliw has accused Kinew of being a dysfunctional bully, which the premier has denied.

The Tories also called for the ethics commissioner to look into Wasyliw’s accusations against Kinew.

The fall sitting, which is scheduled to run until early November, will focus partly on getting the government’s omnibus budget bill passed into law.

The bill, which enacts many of the changes in the spring budget, has come under fire from the Progressive Conservatives for being too broad.

The government inserted non-budget items into the bill, including a measure that would forbid employers from using replacement workers during labour disputes.

The government is also promising new legislation in the coming weeks to control the sale of machetes as an anti-crime measure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2024

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press