Kinew denies claims of toxic, dysfunctional government made by ousted MLA

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said an MLA ousted from his caucus this week was given a choice before he was shown the door.

“You can be affiliated with the NDP or you can be affiliated with Peter Nygard, but you can’t do both,” Kinew told reporters Tuesday.

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His remarks come after Monday’s announcement that Fort Garry MLA Mark Wasyliw was removed from caucus after the party learned a partner at the law firm Wasyliw works at represented Peter Nygard.

Nygard, who founded a fashion empire in Winnipeg, was sentenced earlier this month to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women at his company's headquarters in Toronto.

He still faces charges in Manitoba, Quebec, and the United States.

Kinew said caucus members raised concerns about Wasyliw’s affiliation with Nygard’s defence lawyer. He was given the choice to quit his job at the law firm representing Nygard or leave caucus, and the MLA picked the latter, Kinew said.

“So the caucus leadership made the decision to ask him to leave, and I support that decision 100 per cent.”

Peter Nygard arrives at the 24th Night of 100 Stars Oscars Viewing Gala at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 2, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Annie I. Bang)

Kinew declined to say whether there was a caucus vote on the matter.

“We don’t talk about family business in public,” he told reporters.

Wasyliw said Monday he was relieved by the move, calling Kinew a toxic and dysfunctional leader who created a toxic and dysfunctional government.

The MLA also claimed the reason for his dismissal was a pretext, saying he has consistently stood up to the premier over the past few years.

“I would tell him when he's making mistakes, and Wab is fragile. He's not somebody who can take criticism, and he wanted me gone, and that's what this is really about,” Wasyliw said Monday.

Mark Wasyliw is pictured during an interview on Sept. 16, 2024. (Daniel Halmarson/CTV News Winnipeg)

Kinew rebutted those claims, saying he has always invited dissenting opinions, citing the number of PC appointees still sitting on boards of the province’s major crown corporations.

“It's disappointing that he’s chosen to push a lamp off the table on his way out the door,” Kinew said.

Wasyliw has said he will continue to sit in the legislature as an Independent and speak for constituents who feel the NDP has strayed from its traditional values.

Meantime, the Opposition Progressive Conservatives have called for a third-party investigation into Wasyliw's allegations.

This is not the first sign of tension between the premier and the Fort Garry MLA. Wasyliw, who has represented his riding since 2019 and previously served as finance critic, was not tapped for cabinet.

He told the Winnipeg Free Press in October he was disappointed by the move, and opted not to shake hands with the new premier after being sworn into office. Other caucus members shook Kinew's hand, hugged or offered a fist bump.

“We've known for a long time that the relationship between the premier and Mark Wasyliw wasn't great,” said Félix Mathieu, a political science professor at the University of Winnipeg.

‘Something we hold very, very dear’

Wasyliw’s ousting prompted blowback from members of Manitoba’s legal community. Gerri Wiebe, the defence lawyer who represented Nygard, called the decision offensive, while the president of the Manitoba Bar Association (MBA) echoed Wiebe’s concerns.

“What the system needs to work is for people to do their jobs. You can't be punishing people for doing their jobs," said MBA President Jessica Schofield.

Kinew said Tuesday he respects the judicial system.

“This is something that we hold very, very dear. You have a right to a defence attorney. You do not have the right to be defended by an MLA, and so our team has asked this person to make a choice.”

Wasyliw: 'They have no voice in their own government’

In a statement posted on X Wednesday morning, Wasyliw alleged Kinew is still trying to deflect from the decision to oust him.

"During the interview, Wab tried to distance himself from this decision, calling it a 'caucus decision' that he supported. It was not. It was his and his alone," Wasyliw wrote. "His statements were false and intended to mislead Manitobans and to avoid accountability and responsibility."

Wasyliw said he wanted the subject of his dismissal brought before caucus and left to a vote, but leadership would "decide the matter unilaterally." He alleges caucus members were not informed he was going to be removed, and suspects many of his former colleagues do not agree with the decision,

"Like all decisions under Wab's premiership, the MBNDP Caucus does not have a say. They have no voice in their own government or party."

CTV News Winnipeg has reached out to the NDP caucus for comment, and is waiting to hear back. 

- With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele and the Canadian Press

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks with reporters at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Sept. 17, 2024. (Jeff Keele/CTV News Winnipeg)