Kinew demands Speaker reverse ban on words, including ‘racist,’ in legislative chamber

Premier Wab Kinew has asked Speaker Tom Lindsey to reverse his decision to ban MLAs from calling each other five words — “bigot,” “homophobe,” “racist,” “misogynist” or “transphobe” — while in the chamber of the legislature.

Lindsey delivered the ruling Monday, the same day he evicted Tory Opposition MLA Wayne Ewasko over a comment last month that Kinew said was undeniably racist.

Kinew told CBC on Thursday that Lindsey’s ruling to forbid the five words was “100 per cent” wrong.

Anyone who is subjected to racism or other forms of hate should be able to call it out, he argued.

“I have,” Kinew said in response to a question about whether he will ask the Speaker to reverse the ruling.

The premier said journalists have a responsibility to call out racism in the legislature when it is fact.

Deputy premier Uzoma Asagwara later backed Kinew’s request that Lindsey reverse his ruling.

“It’s pretty important that we can name those terrible behaviours,” Asagwara said. “We shouldn’t be focusing more on naming them, we should be focusing more on the bad behaviour that needs to stop.”

Asagwara would not say whether they support Lindsey remaining as Speaker.

On Monday, Lindsey told MLAs his ruling, delivered prior to question period, doesn’t allow them to use language that could be interpreted as bigoted, homophobic, misogynistic, racist, transphobic or offensive.

He said the five words are unparliamentary because, like the word “liar,” they constitute reflection on a member’s character or integrity, rather than debating policy.

The ruling was delivered during another session characterized by frequent heckling and concerns about the behaviour of some MLAs. Lindsey said people approach him on the street about the lack of decorum during question period.

After Monday’s question period, Lindsey ordered Ewasko to unequivocally apologize for saying, “Hey, quit drinking,” to Kinew, who is Anishinaabe and doesn’t drink alcohol, while heckling the premier on April 15.

Lindsey did not accept Ewasko’s responses after directing the Lac du Bonnet MLA three times to unequivocally apologize. The Speaker kicked him out of the chamber for the day.

Ewasko told the Speaker he apologized if Kinew took offence, and the comment was not meant to be racist.

Outside the chamber Monday, Ewasko apologized unequivocally, while Kinew told reporters the comment was discriminatory and played on an ugly racist stereotype. He accepted Ewasko’s apology.

Ewasko and Kinew faced off in question period Thursday, when the Tory MLA tried to quiz Education Minister Tracy Schmidt about school funding.

“The member opposite is on thin ice when he gets up in this chamber these days, and that’s why I think it’s probably beneath the education minister to respond to the sort of hate-spewing rhetoric that we see coming from the member opposite,” Kinew said.

“It’s pretty important that we can name those terrible behaviours.”

Ewasko replied: “Once again, Honorable Speaker, more of a showman than a statesman. (He) won’t even allow his education minister to stand up and answer a question.”

Kinew then referred to comments made against him while he was the opposition leader in 2023. Ewasko had said Kinew pretended to be an actor but was “no Adam Beach.”

A voice was heard saying the word “racist” while Kinew referenced Ewasko’s past remark during Thursday’s exchange, which was live streamed on YouTube.

The health minister was asked about that.

“I legitimately don’t know what you’re referring to,” Asagwara told reporters outside the chamber afterward. “But if I did say in the chamber that his behaviour was racist, like the Adam Beach comment that you’re talking about, so I want to go back to that actually.”

Asagwara then said Ewasko has “a history of saying wildly offensive and racist things in the chamber” toward Kinew.

Ewasko was reprimanded by then-speaker Myrna Driedger, a Tory MLA, for the 2023 remarks. He insisted the comparison to Beach, the Manitoba-born actor, wasn’t made based on race.

Kinew told CBC on Thursday that racist or hateful comments in the chamber have been “coming from one party — the PCs” — toward NDP MLAs.

Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan has commended Lindsey for banning the five words. He said government members, not Tory MLAs, are always the ones saying the five words in the chamber.

Lindsey had ruled that Khan made a “dehumanizing” and “hateful” comment to Asagwara — Manitoba’s first non-binary MLA — during question period March 17.

The Speaker, after reviewing an audio recording, said Khan told Asagwara, “You are a terrible person, whatever you are,” while heckling. Asagwara uses “they/them” pronouns.

Khan later acknowledged calling Asagwara a “terrible person,” but insisted he did not make any comments intended to target or demean them or anyone based on their background, identity or role.

The Speaker, whose role is non-partisan, occupies the position of highest authority in the 57-member assembly. MLAs elect a new Speaker by secret ballot after an election or when the Speaker resigns or otherwise vacates the chair.

Lindsey was acclaimed to the position after the 2023 provincial election. He was first elected as the NDP MLA for Flin Flon in 2016. Earlier this week, Khan suggested Kinew has lost confidence in Lindsey.

Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Manitoba, said past motions to remove the Speakers of the House of Commons and B.C.’s legislature failed.

“In B.C., it was acknowledged that the Speaker could not be forced out even by a majority vote, even if he lacked the confidence of the legislature,” Thomas told the Free Press. “He would have to be persuaded to resign.”

— with files from Carol Sanders

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca