|
“Politics is the only profession where you can lie, cheat, and steal, and still be respected.”
— Mark Twain
Declining ethics and questionable morality are at issue once again in the Manitoba legislature. Is this the same-old, same-old? Or are things getting worse?
Advertisement
The Macro
It has been a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad month in the Manitoba legislature when it comes to moral and ethical transgressions, the inability to embrace basic civility and toxic levels of political hyperbole.
Just consider this list of lowlights from April:
• Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan erroneously stated that social workers were not mental-health professionals. (Spoiler: they are.) Khan was forced to send an apology to the Manitoba College of Social Workers.
• On April 7, Speaker Tom Lindsey determined Khan had made “dehumanizing” comments about Deputy Premier Uzoma Asagwara, who is non-binary and uses “they/them” as preferred pronouns. After reviewing audio recordings of proceedings, Lindsey said he could clearly hear Khan say to Asagwara, “You are a terrible person, whatever you are.”
Khan steadfastly refused to apologize, claiming the recording didn’t accurately capture what he said.
• While Khan was busy setting fire to himself in the legislature, Premier Wab Kinew was setting new standards for political hyperbole outside the chamber.
Following the NDP national leadership convention held in Winnipeg, Kinew said in a scrum that his controversial gas tax holiday — introduced in 2024 and possibly making a comeback this year — was “the most important thing that a provincial government ever did in the history of Manitoba, because it gave power back to the middle-class and to the low-income folks.”
It’s hard to believe Kinew actually believes that but, if he does, then it’s particularly worrisome.
• The hits kept on coming for Kinew in April when he was caught taking liberties with the truth over the departure of commissioner of teacher misconduct, Bobbi Taillefer. Education Minister Tracy Schmidt initially said Taillefer — who was found to be conducting most of her duties remotely from Florida — had agreed to resign.
Kinew challenged that narrative, saying Taillefer was fired. The opposition Tories produced an order in council that said Taillefer had indeed resigned, more or less at the government’s request.
Kinew’s outburst was unnecessary and made the province vulnerable to a lawsuit.
• Finally, the most complex moral/ethical incident involves Tory MLA Greg Nesbitt, who took the unusual step of providing surety for his niece — convicted sex offender Chastity Findlay — so she could get bail while awaiting an appeal.
Findlay, a former teacher, was found guilty of having a sexual relationship with one of her 15-year-old students.
Blood is thicker than water, but it is surprising that Nesbitt didn’t realize that as an elected official, he cannot intervene in a criminal matter of this kind.
The NDP government has roasted the Tories over Nesbitt’s mistake in judgment.
The Manitoba Legislative Building (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)
None of these incidents are completely unique or unprecedented, although the Nesbitt story is quite odd. However, in reviewing the frequency and intensity of the incidents in the past 30 days, I’ve grown concerned that a new level of visceral disgust is taking root.
Of all the regrettable things that were said, Khan’s comment that he found Asagwara to be “a terrible person” was the one that resonated with me. Professional elected officials are supposed to be, well, professional and keep the personal stuff out of it.
That said, it’s hard to see how politics can produce good government when politicians are convinced their opponents are terrible human beings.
Let’s be clear about a couple of things here. Khan was the person who said the “terrible person” line out loud, but there is no doubt New Democrats feel the same about the Tories. And for the record, I don’t think Khan, Asagwara or Kinew come anywhere close to being terrible human beings.
Something should be done to address moral and ethical transgressions, and perhaps return a measure of civility to politics. After writing a version of this commentary for decades, I just don’t know what that something is.
Here’s one idea: have the legislature pass a motion to send Khan and Kinew to a cabin somewhere deep in the northern Manitoba wilderness. Give them a box of matches and a Swiss Army knife. And tell them to work out their differences by working together to survive.
If both leaders come back to Winnipeg in one piece, who knows, perhaps there will be fewer personal attacks in the legislature.
Any other worthy ideas would be welcome at this point.
|
