Episode 22 provides a day-by-day account of the allegations hurled by Wab Kinew and the Manitoba NDP at Mark Wasyliw, the MLA they exiled who has pulled no punches in allegations about Kinew’s toxic behavior and backroom micro-management.
Part 1- A preview of the upcoming Sunday column in the Winnipeg Sun, about the federal by-election result in Elmwood-Transcona this week. You’ll hear about a special interview with a key figure in the campaign.
A brief note about a Town Hall on the new City transportation blueprint that had Coun. Brian Mayes seeing red. The session is from 7-9 pm on Monday Sept.23 at the Norberry – Glenlee Community Centre Site at 176 Worthington and you’ll be reading about it in the Sun.
7.30- Marty asks what was going through Wab Kinew’s head when he decided- because no one believes it’s a caucus decision- to turf his Fort Garry MLA.
While a new poll puts Kinew at the peak of his political honeymoon, the attempt to dirty up Mark Wasyliw- for being a lawyer who knows other lawyers defending unpopular clients- has backfired. The resulting blowback is trans-partisan in nature and national in scope.
11.25- From the first sentence of the weak caucus announcement it was obvious the ouster was personal. Being somehow linked to counsel acting for Peter Nygard was a pretext for ousting Wasyliw.
Marty walks listeners through what was said, the attack on the principles of criminal law, Wasyliw’s fiery claim that all of the caucus is bullied by Kinew and his assertion that it’s “a personality cult, it’s all about him.”
16.30- The anger erupted from lawyer’s groups at the inference of Wasyliw having ‘guilt by association.’
Did Kinew think it was a good idea to attack the president of the Law Society for representing Nygard? The Charter guarantee to mounting a criminal defence doesn’t hinge on the government’s approval. Former Tory A-G Kelvin Goertzen tweeted out a good overview.
21.50- After waiting a day to comment, Kinew doubled down it was a “caucus decision.” Then he falsely portrayed Wasyliw as being affiliated with Nygard’s criminal defence, and shifted the reasons to the MLA not being a ‘team’ player.
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25.40 Part 2- Wasyliw issued a statement refuting Kinew’s cover-up, claiming House Leader Nahanni Fontaine said she had no idea about the caucus vote. The Progressive Conservatives open a third front, wanting official House probes into possible respectful workplace infractions. They’d been harping on Kinew’s behavior all year- yet the press gallery on Broadway never picked up on it.
29.50- Wednesday brought a fresh round of smears towards the dissident MLA as other justifications were trotted out. There’s been MLAs continuing with their real-life jobs for years, but now the NDP considers it “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Wasyliw laughed at the cover-up by a “toxic and dysfunctional government.” He dared the media to ask for details on the vote and the supposed ‘consensus’.
37.00 The unreported bombshell allegation: Kinew ‘flagged’ Wasyliw’s law career after the MLA witnessed the 2023 incident between Kinew and PC MLA Obby Khan- and he’s promising to dish more details soon.
(Here is a Black Rod analysis of the confrontation- which includes a list of previous instances of Kinew’s temper and lack of accountability: Obby vs Wabby: The real story of Handshake-gate)
By Thursday, the NDP trotted out more mouthpieces to try to undermine Wasyliw, who didn’t actually provide any evidence of a vote while still lying that he is involved in Nygard’s defence. At the same time, the actual lawyer pleading the case, Gerri Wiebe, issued her own public statement, thanking supporters and blasting the NDP.
Watch Legislature video from May where interim Opposition leader Wayne Ewasko identified the issues about Premier Kinew’s conduct and behavior that Wasyliw has now seemingly confirmed.
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