Laughing, barking, waiting 30 minutes to answer: Manitoba NDP's conduct at committees questioned

The Manitoba government's behaviour at legislative citizens committee meetings has add up below unfavorable judgment after the premiere laughed and made barking noises at the Tory leader and the justice minister took 30 minutes to respond to a question from an Independent MLA.

"It's not the government's role to denigrate the Opposition, or to heckle to the point where the person can't ask questions," Christopher Adams, a political scientist who's written a book on Manitoba politics, said.

He was referring to a tense estimates meeting Tuesday where the Progressive Conservatives accused NDP Premier Wab Kinew of "making dog noises" while Tory Leader Obby Khan questioned him.

A few seconds after Khan accused Kinew of using a government policy on large infrastructure projects to infringe on the rights of non-union workers, Kinew began laughing. It's not clear from the legislature video feed what prompted the reaction.

"Again, you know," Khan said.

"Oh man," Kinew replied.

"I've asked the premier numerous times to please be respectful while I ask questions [for] Manitobans," Khan said while Kinew spoke over him.

The premier's words were unclear on the recording. Kinew then started barking.

"This is unbecoming of the premier. It is unfortunate," Khan said.

The Tories posted the exchange on social media, accusing Kinew of acting like a child.

Adams, who teaches political science at the University of Manitoba, said the well-documented animosity between the leaders of the province's two main political parties isn't letting up.

The pair routinely spar during question period.

Premier, justice minister accused of bad behaviour in committee

At an estimates meeting last May, Kinew called Khan a "joke," mocked him for crying during an earlier media scrum and told him to call him "dad." The Tory leader, meanwhile, repeatedly called Kinew a "bully" and told him to look in the mirror if he wanted to see a joke.

Adams said heckling is a routine part of question period but estimates meetings traditionally involve more substantive policy exchanges.

"Committees are supposed to work," he said. "It's not grandstanding for the public eye or for the media, but it just shows you how deeply rooted this toxic atmosphere is."

Kinew defended his approach.

"I like to have fun," he said Thursday after an unrelated news conference.

"The PCs are very downer," he said, before criticizing the party for threatening to hold up the budget implementation bill. "So, I like to lighten the mood."

Also on Tuesday, Kinew's justice minister, Matt Wiebe, was accused of wasting time at an estimates meeting. He took 30 minutes to respond to Independent MLA Mark Wasyliw's question about the cost of the premier's security detail.

Cabinet ministers can take as much time as they want to respond to questions at estimates, though it usually takes no more than a few minutes.

"He didn't want to answer, and he wanted to make sure that the time was wasted, and he succeeded," Wasyliw said in an interview.

Wiebe was seated at the committee with justice department staff members, who were available to help him answer questions.

While Wasyliw waited for a response, there were periods when the minister and staff spoke amongst themselves. At other times, Wiebe was on his phone.

"The whole point of estimates is to hold the government accountable," Wasyliw said afterward. "And you'd think a minister would have the ability and the confidence to defend their record.… This minister has shown that he can't do that."

Wiebe suggested he would have taken Wasyliw's questions more seriously if he belonged to a political party. Wasyliw was removed from the NDP caucus in 2024.

"I do like to get the information right there to the members that are asking them," Wiebe told reporters Thursday.

"When it's a serious question from a serious member and from a registered political party here in the province of Manitoba, I do everything I can to get that information," Wiebe said.

Legislature rules allow committee members up to 45 days to respond to a question, often in writing. Wiebe didn't use the option, explaining "there's different styles" to answering questions.

House Speaker Tom Lindsey tried to get a handle on deteriorating decorum in the chamber last month by barring MLAs from calling each other a racist, bigot, misogynist or homophobe, or being transphobic.

Other recent incidents raising the Speaker's ire include PC MLA Wayne Ewasko saying "quit drinking, Wab" to the premier.

The NDP alleged Ewasko's comment was a form of anti-Indigenous racism, which he denied.

As well, Lindsey said Khan made a "hateful" remark when he said, "You are a terrible person, whatever you are" to Uzoma Asagwara, Manitoba's non-binary health minister.

While the Speaker presides over question period, he doesn't oversee committee meetings, where a fellow MLA, as chairperson, acts as a referee. The chairperson usually doesn't interrupt the heckling as frequently.

Kinew vs. Khan: A recap of declining decorum

Provincial affairs reporter

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