Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the reason a member of his NDP caucus who was given the boot is because he chose being affiliated with disgraced Winnipeg fashion designed Peter Nygard over being a member of the government’s ‘team’.
Mark Wasyliw was removed from caucus, the party said in a statement Monday, after it learned the Fort Garry MLA’s business partner is acting as a criminal defence lawyer for Nygard, who was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted of four sexual assaults in Toronto, dating from the 1980s to the mid-2000s.
Nygard has upcoming court dates in Manitoba as well. Kinew said even the perception that Nygard’s defense team might have a link to a sitting member of the legislature could be problematic.
“You have a right to a defence attorney. You do not have a right to be defended by an MLA,” Kinew said.
“Our team has asked (Wasyliw) to make a choice: do you want to be a defence attorney or do you want to be an MLA?”
Wasyliw, however, told 680 CJOB’s The News on Monday that he no longer has any ties to the lawyer in question, or any connection whatsoever to the Nygard case. According to Wasyliw, the reason he was removed from caucus was because he stood up to Kinew, whom he characterized as an insecure leader.
The premier said he welcomes dissent, but said Wasyliw’s choice “doesn’t align with our values”.
“The choice was put to this MLA, he made his choice, and I support the team’s decision. It’s disappointing that he’s chosen to push a lamp off the table on his way out the door.
“From the very beginning, before the election, I worked really hard a long with the other team members to make sure this is a team approach.”
University of Manitoba political science professor Chris Adams told 680 CJOB’s The Start that there’s been some tension between the two sides for some time.
“(Wasyliw) publicly embarrassed the premier when the government’s cabinet was being announced at the swearing-in,” Adams said.
“He was the only one who didn’t shake (Kinew’s) hand…. He publicly complained about not being put in cabinet.
“That was taking the government and the NDP off their messaging for what should have been a good, happy day.”