Fontaine warns of ‘very late’ workday for MLAs on deadline day to vote on ethics breach fines for ex-premier, colleagues By: Carol Sanders Posted: 7:07 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 6, 2025 Last Modified: 9:18 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 6, 2025 Updates

MLAs can expect to sit “very late” on Tuesday, the deadline to debate and vote on an ethics commissioner’s report recommending fines for former premier Heather Stefanson and two members of her cabinet.

“It has to be done by tomorrow’s sitting,” government house leader Nahanni Fontaine said after question period Monday, adding that she expects it will be a “very late” night for MLAs.

In his May 21 report to the legislature, commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor recommended that Stefanson, former deputy premier Cliff Cullen and former minister of economic development, investment and trade Jeff Wharton be fined for their push to license a Sio Silica sand mine after the Progressive Conservatives lost the October 2023 election and before the NDP government was sworn in.

Schnoor recommended fines of $18,000 for Stefanson, $12,000 for Cullen and $10,000 for Wharton, who was re-elected in Red River North.

A vote must be held on the recommendations within 10 sitting days of the report being presented to the legislature. That works out to an Oct. 7 deadline.

“If we go until midnight or 1 or 2 (a.m.), it’s still considered (Oct. 7) sitting,” Fontaine said. “The ethics report will go until everybody has had an opportunity to debate it.”

She said she’s ensuring members of the NDP caucus get dinner and reminding them to secure child care, if required.

On Monday afternoon during ministerial statements in the legislature, the NDP asked for Stefanson, Cullen and Wharton to be called to the chamber to answer questions about violating the Conflict of Interest (Members and Ministers) Act.

Education Minister Tracy Schmidt asked for Stefanson to be called “to testify as a witness” and “give evidence regarding why her government tried to force through an illegal Sio Silica sand mine.”

Speaker Tom Lindsey ruled the request out of order. He also noted that the act states that the assembly and its committees must not inquire into a matter that has been referred to the ethics commissioner.

“It would be nice to for those individuals mentioned in the report to come before the house and answer questions about why they did what they did,” Fontaine told reporters after question period.

Schnoor’s 100-page report concluded Stefanson and Cullen were aware the incoming government was opposed to a Tory-issued licence for the company. They agreed to look for options to have the licence approved anyway, and involved Wharton.

“Their intention was clearly that he act on the option,” Schnoor wrote, saying the premier and her deputy broke the caretaker convention that requires outgoing governments to stick to routine matters and refrain from significant decisions.

Stefanson did not stand to benefit financially from the project, had it been approved, but her efforts to push for a licence “lacked ethical and constitutional legitimacy,” the report said.

During question period Monday, Kinew and members of his cabinet sidestepped Tory questions about various issues, including Manitoba’s finances, the environment and health care, to accuse the Progressive Conservatives of blocking debate on the ethics commissioner’s report.

PC Leader Obby Khan called that “revisionist history” and said that the Opposition has been calling for a vote on the ethics commissioner’s report since it was released in May.

“Members have stood up repeatedly on our side and called on the government to bring it forward since Day 1,” Khan told reporters Monday.

Fontaine argued that the government had planned to debate the ethics report in May but was unable to do so because the PCs prolonged debate on legislation and time ran out before the summer break.

Khan said the government could already have debated the report, voted on the recommended fines and proceeded with its legislative agenda.

“Members have stood up repeatedly on our side and called on the government to bring it forward since Day 1.”

“We accept the findings. The member from Red River North accepts the findings. Let’s move forward,” said Khan, who removed Wharton from his critic duties before the summer break.

“It’s clear as day that the premier’s playing games.”

In one of his responses during question period, Kinew asked if the PC caucus would cover the $10,000 fine recommended for Wharton.

Khan later told reporters that Wharton — who issued an apology after the report was was released — would pay his own fine.

“There is no conversation, commitment or talk at all about the caucus or the party or anybody else paying,” he said. “It is all just really bad theatre and division by the NDP.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca