Liberal candidate dropped after report of repeated domestic abuse

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This article was published 04/04/2016 (3793 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One candidate has been punted and a second is under a cloud as the bad news keeps coming for the Manitoba Liberals.

It began Monday morning when Leader Rana Bokhari announced the party had dropped Elmwood candidate Kurt Berger after his former common-law wife stepped forward alleging a pattern of abuse.

A pall hung over the Liberal party on the weekend after it was reported Berger was charged with assaulting his former partner in 2002. He pleaded guilty at the time and was given two years of probation.

Bokhari said Monday she saw an email from the victim and asked Berger to step down.

“I am a principled leader and I have said that there are things I cannot accept and I cannot accept victim-blaming, I cannot accept sexism, I cannot accept racism,” Bokhari said.

“For a woman to come out, if there is any air of truth, even the slightest air of truth to anything that is being said by this individual, I can’t allow it.”

When the charges were publicly revealed on Friday, Berger downplayed the allegations as a single incident.

Concern for a child

On Monday, he told The Canadian Press the new accusations were not true, but agreed to drop out the race out of concern for the child the couple has together. He did not respond to an email request for comment from the Free Press.

“As much as I wanted to serve the province… I’m at a point where I want to protect those that I love,” Berger said. “I don’t want to be dragged through the news for the next two weeks and have my child… reading about it or hearing about it.”

Berger’s former partner sent an email to both the Manitoba Liberal Party and the Free Press detailing a different side of the story. Sandra, who did not want her last name published to protect her privacy, alleges he assaulted her several times. She said she felt his version of the events was victim-blaming and his actions were unfit for someone running for office.

Sandra applauded Bokhari’s swift actions in response to the allegations, calling it the “wise thing to do.”

“It is sending a message, saying we’re not going to accept this and at least there is that,” Sandra said. “I appreciate that she took a stand on it.”

Protection order against Dauphin candidate

Meanwhile, court documents show the daughter and wife of Garry Gurke, the Liberal candidate in Dauphin, have filed a protection order against Gurke. The Dauphin Court of Queen’s Bench records show the orders were filed on Nov. 16 and Nov. 18 of last year, stating Gurke can have no contact with his wife, daughter or grandchildren. Gurke has not been charged with a criminal offence.

Prevention orders are put in place by the Court of Queen’s Bench after the person has been convicted of an offence, whereas protection orders can be implemented without charges being laid.

Gurke did not go into detail about the allegations raised by his family, which led to a protection order being issued, but said it stems from anger over his decision to leave his wife five months ago. 

“We went through a separation that was tough,” Gurke said. “I have never touched my wife or grandkids. I am a pretty good guy.”

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Officials with the Liberal party said Gurke has been working through some challenges with mental illness and stand by their candidate. Spokesman Mike Brown said his party does not believe in stigmatizing candidates with mental health issues or preventing them from running. 

Gurke did not comment specifically on what mental health challenges he was facing, other than to say he has no mental health issues.

Berger’s departure leaves only 51 candidates running for the Liberals in 57 constituencies, bringing the total to six candidates lost in seven days. The Liberals lost candidates in Arthur-Virden, Lac du Bonnet and Agassiz ridings for using post office box numbers rather than residential addresses for some of the voters who had signed nomination papers. The Lakeside candidate did not turn in papers by last Tuesday’s 1 p.m. deadline.

The Liberal candidate in Gimli, Joanne Levy, had her nomination revoked by Elections Manitoba after the NDP complained Levy had worked as an enumerator in another constituency before filing her papers.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca