All-party legislative committee proposal on Ukraine meets with resistance

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This article was published 04/03/2022 (1324 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Russia’s unprovoked attack against Ukraine may be uniting Manitobans at odds during the COVID-19 pandemic — such unity hasn’t seeped into a divided legislature, however.

“Politics in Manitoba has become a blood sport,” NDP MLA Mark Wasyliw said.

The Ukrainian-Canadian’s request an all-party committee work together to help Ukraine was rebuffed by the Progressive Conservative government during question period Thursday.

On Friday, Wasyliw told the Free Press there are PC and Liberal members willing to work across party lines — especially on an urgent, non-partisan issue like helping Ukraine. Premier Heather Stefanson vowed to work collaboratively when she was elected leader of the PCs, and Wasyliw said he is waiting to see it.

“The previous premier set the tone,” Wasyliw said, referring to Brian Pallister, whose style was known to be more combative than collaborative.

Government house leader Kelvin Goertzen, who served as the interim premier between Pallister resigning and Stefanson taking over, said political parties in Manitoba are united in their support for Ukraine and the PCs are open to any suggestions on how to help — without having to wait for a committee to be formed.

”This is not a partisan issue,” Goertzen told the Free Press. The provincial government has already taken steps to provide financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is considering further steps, the MLA for Steinbach said.

“Any suggestions from political parties or the public are welcomed,” he said. “This is the quickest and most flexible way to respond to the unjust and unjustifiable war in Ukraine which is constantly evolving and changing.”

Having an all-party committee address an issue deep concern to all Manitobans is not unheard of, said University of Manitoba political studies Prof. Christopher Adams. “I see the value of this and clearly in the Manitoba population, many are connected to the issue.”

An estimated 180,00 Manitobans have Ukrainian roots.

COVID-19 pandemic isolation and social distancing deepened existing partisan divisions, since MLAs were no longer having face-to-face interactions or running into each other at public events, said Wasyliw.

Members uniting to work together on a common cause in an all-party committee might be the tonic needed to cure a toxic political culture, said the Fort Garry MLA, who’s been known to toss a few sharp barbs during question period.

“I think it’s a smart move by the opposition, the NDP to call for this, and I could see why the PCs would rather not be involved with this rather than going ahead with it,” Adams said of an all-party committee.

“It does raise the profile of the opposition to be to be calling for this and in some ways, it puts the PCs in a difficult position to to say no.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca