Accusations, insults fly inside legislature over former teacher discipline commissioner’s exit

The political fallout over the departure of Manitoba’s independent commissioner of teacher professional conduct morphed into a bitter shouting match in the legislature Wednesday, as Education Minister Tracy Schmidt continues to defend a government narrative that began to unravel late last week.

Schmidt faced a third consecutive day of intense grilling during question period over the sudden exit of former commissioner Bobbi Taillefer. The opposition once again took full advantage on the inconsistencies between the government’s official timeline and Taillefer’s contradictory statement released Tuesday.

Progressive Conservative education critic Wayne Ewasko led the charge, demanding Schmidt apologize for misleading Manitobans. Ewasko highlighted the stark contrast between Schmidt calling the departure a resignation last Thursday, Premier Wab Kinew declaring it was a firing on Friday and Taillefer revealing she resigned and was subsequently given a new transition contract.

Instead of addressing the issues raised, Schmidt launched into a series of personal and partisan attacks against Ewasko’s record.

The education minister accused Ewasko of not being a “real leader,” attacking his tenure as the former education minister for chronic underfunding and alleging he “lied about it during the election” — a comment the Speaker immediately forced Schmidt to withdraw.

Schmidt didn’t stop there, bringing up past PC controversies and accusing Ewasko of making offensive jokes about Indigenous Manitobans and displaying “racist behaviour in the chamber today.”

She also attacked his brief stint as interim PC leader, claiming he failed to discipline his own caucus members for ethics violations and Islamophobic remarks.

The heated exchange escalated when PC MLA Jodie Byram took the floor, demanding to know if the minister believed protecting children was only a part-time job.

The PCs designed the legislative framework for the independent commissioner and online teacher registry back in 2023, with the NDP government adopting the mandate and overseeing its rollout after winning the provincial election later that year. On Wednesday, Byram said the PCs envisioned the commissioner’s role to be a full-time one, not part time, as Taillefer’s contract was, paying her $80,000 annually for her work.

Byram also referenced the fact that Taillefer had initially been working full-time in Saskatchewan when she first took over the Manitoba commissioner role in January 2025.

She was referencing a Free Press report from February of that year that confirmed Taillefer was employed by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation — the main teachers union in that province — at the same time she was on the books as Manitoba’s inaugural commissioner.

The MLA for Agassiz challenged the minister to publicly release the emails between Taillefer and her deputy ministers to prove who knew about the former commissioner’s remote work setup.

“The minister can’t have it both ways. Either Bobbi Taillefer resigned or was fired, and there is no middle ground,” Byram said. “If the minister and her premier have been honest with Manitobans, wouldn’t they want to release the evidence?”

Schmidt dodged the request for emails, accusing the PCs of launching “disgusting personal attacks” and “dark insinuations” to score political points, while defending her government’s actions.

“What we did, Honourable Speaker, is in the best interest of Manitobans, and it was done to make sure that Manitoba kids are protected by a commissioner that lives and works in Manitoba,” she said.

“So, sue me. What we do is in the interest of Manitobans… we can debate all day. It was a firing, it was a hiring, it was a termination. The fact of the matter is kids today in Manitoba are safer under this NDP government.”

The chaotic exchange is the culmination of a busy week for the Kinew government, which has struggled to limit the fallout since it was revealed Taillefer had been working remotely from Florida over the winter.

Last Thursday, Schmidt claimed she was completely unaware of the arrangement until informed by the Free Press, framing Taillefer’s sudden exit as a resignation. That narrative shifted heavily when the premier intervened the next day, telling reporters that Taillefer was fired for her lack of judgment.

The government’s timeline unravelled further Tuesday, when Taillefer released a written statement asserting the province knew about her travel plans before she accepted the job. She said she informed government officials she would be spending time in Florida and would need to work remotely.

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The Free Press had received several credible tips that Taillefer was working out of the country.

When asked directly in late March if she was in Florida, Taillefer ignored the question. She also didn’t respond to a followup email that asked for confirmation of her physical whereabouts and explained the importance of being transparent, given the commissioner was brought in to improve transparency when it comes to teacher discipline matters.

Taillefer will stay on in a supporting role, with her transition contract running until mid-July. Schmidt confirmed the new contract began Monday, clarifying that Taillefer is no longer the commissioner, referring to the negotiation as a “messy HR matter.”

Schmidt didn’t provide a timeline for appointing a new commissioner but said the search for permanent replacement is underway. To fill the current gap, the province has named David Yeo, a 30-year veteran of the Education Department, as the acting commissioner to ensure the office continues to process sensitive teacher complaints without interruption.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.