‘We are setting a new tone’

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This article was published 05/05/2025 (394 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan apologized Monday to the families of four serial killer victims — and all Manitobans — for his party’s previous campaign ads that promoted the decision not to search a landfill for the remains of two women.

“Today it is fitting that my first opportunity to address the house is Red Dress Day honouring the memories of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,” Khan told the house Monday.

“As the new PC leader, this is now on me to carry and move forward in humility, in humbleness and in kindness in an unwavering love and belief that when we come together under one big tent, we are all better for it.”

The Fort Whyte MLA made his legislative debut as Opposition leader after narrowly defeating Churchill lodge owner Wally Daudrich for the Tory leadership last month.

After question period, Khan said he instructed his staff to reach out to the families of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and Ashlee Shingoose, as well as “many other organizations” about the apology and to request a meeting with them.

Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan’s apology.

“Why can’t they apologize to me or my family face-to-face? And if they were really sorry, why did they deny the complaint of discrimination that I currently have open to them?” she said Monday at a Red Dress Day event.

Harris filed a complaint against the party in January 2024, accusing PC officials of violating the Human Rights Code when they ran election ads proclaiming their decision not to search the Prairie Green Landfill for human remains.

“This is now on me to carry and move forward in humility, in humbleness and in kindness in an unwavering love and belief that when we come together under one big tent, we are all better for it.”–Obby Khan

The complaint is currently in mediation, Harris said.

“(Khan) can apologize to whomever, but the fact is that there is repercussions, and there is emotional turmoil and damage that their party has caused far beyond the Indigenous community, but within society now, too.”

Khan took over as leader after Heather Stefanson resigned following the PCs’ 2023 election loss. The Tories’ campaign ads promised to “stand firm” on the PC government’s refusal to search the landfill for murder victims’ remains.

Wayne Ewasko, who was interim PC leader at the time, apologized March 5 for refusing to search the landfill, a week after the province announced unidentified human remains had been discovered there. The remains were since identified as belonging to Myran and Harris.

Khan promised to improve “the tone of question period” as the legislative session resumed after being on break since April 24.

“A new day has begun,” Khan told the chamber.

He promised to hold the NDP government to account for what he described as its failed promises to fix health care, make life more affordable and keep Manitobans safe. Khan said the official Opposition also plans to prevent question period from descending into a ruckus, as witnessed of late.

On Apr. 22, for instance, there was an uproar in the house when PC MLA Greg Nesbitt suggested a $10,205 contract for counselling services paid for by Finance Minister Adrien Sala was for his own therapy. The government said after question period that the contract was to provide counselling service for searchers looking for the human remains at the Prairie Green Landfill.

“(Khan) can apologize to whomever, but the fact is that there is repercussions, and there is emotional turmoil and damage that their party has caused far beyond the Indigenous community, but within society now, too.”–Cambria Harris

The next day, Nesbitt, the member for Riding Mountain, requested and received a rare apology from the speaker. Nesbitt accused speaker Tom Lindsey — the NDP MLA for Flin Flon — of taking sides, not maintaining order and allowing government benches to drown out his right to ask questions about the contract. Lindsey said he shouldn’t have told Nesbitt he couldn’t ask a question in the house where free speech is upheld.

Nesbitt, however, was the one apologizing Monday for his “inappropriate” choice of words in asking Sala about the contract for counselling services. The PC MLA said he apologized in person to Sala that morning and was apologizing to all members publicly in the chamber for “any unintended consequences of the way my questions were worded.”

Khan said he didn’t ask Nesbitt to apologize.

“Greg (Nesbitt) came to me and said he wants to do this. He thought it was the right thing to do,” Khan told reporters.

“Of course, I support him as the leader and also, the greater picture is it is signifying a real change in the PC Party Manitoba. We are setting a new tone.”

Sala said he accepts Nesbitt’s apology, “but this isn’t about me,” the finance minister said outside the chamber.

“I think the proper thing to do here is to ensure that those landfill workers who are the recipients of those supports hear an apology from him and their team,” Sala said.

— with files from Nicole Buffie

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca