The Manitoba NDP caucus leader says an MLA who was removed from the caucus earlier this week had shown a pattern of deceit and disrespect before he was fired.
The NDP said Monday it would immediately expel Fort Garry MLA Mark Wasyliw from caucus because a colleague at the law firm where he works represented convicted sex offender Peter Nygard in court — which the NDP said was a failure of Wasyliw to “demonstrate good judgment.”
On Wednesday, caucus chairman Mike Moyes said it was simply “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“There were a number of incidents of disrespect towards many members of caucus, cabinet ministers and the prime minister, and there were incidents where he did not follow our processes,” Moyes told reporters.
“Unfortunately, we have now reached a point where we need to make a choice.”
Wasyliw, a defence lawyer, had pledged to end his legal practice before the NDP's victory in last fall's provincial election, but changed course after he was not appointed to Kinew's cabinet, Moyes said.
Caucus leadership met with Wasyliw repeatedly to discuss their issues and worked to help Wasyliw — who was first elected in 2019 — become a “team player” and “a role model for our new MLAs” over the past year, according to Moyes.
At Sunday's caucus meeting, it was agreed that he needed to be removed, the chairman said.
“We offer a clear path forward — leave your law practice or leave the caucus,” he said.
Echoing the statements of Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew words from last fall, Moyes added that being an MP was “a privilege and a public service — not just a side job.”
However, Wasyliw denied any consensus, meeting or vote.
“It would be very easy to prove me wrong,” he told the CBC on Wednesday. “Pull out the other 34 people. [NDP] Members of parliament and they can stand behind the microphone with Wab and say, 'Yes, we agree that he should go.'
“They won't be able to do that. There is no consensus.”
Caucus chair accuses MLAs of 'lying repeatedly'
After his dismissal on Monday, Wasyliw accused Kinew of being an oppressive leader.
Wasyliw reiterated his comments on Wednesday, accusing Moyes of being part of a “toxic and dysfunctional party culture” and calling the caucus chairman’s comments “bizarre and incorrect.”
The Progressive Conservative Opposition Party has called for an investigation into the bullying allegations.
Moyes argued Wasyliw's allegations were an attempt to “distract attention from his conduct by spreading lies about the cabinet, our party and the prime minister.”
Although Moyes did not provide details regarding the incident with Wasyliw, he said there was one incident involving a private member's bill.
“When you work in a caucus, you work as part of a team. The way Mark Wasyliw did it violated that team aspect,” Moyes said.
When asked about it “many times… he lied about it,” and only later “admitted that he had actually lied to many people many times,” Moyes alleged.
He declined to say what the private member's bill was about, or elaborate on how Wasyliw had lied.
'Refusing to be disturbed': Wasyliw
However, Wasyliw claimed that it was caused by an error.
He said a private MP's bill, which dealt with the wholesaling of real estate, had been drafted and a lawyer working on it mistakenly put it on the agenda. Wasyliw said he was then accused of trying to get it through by Moyes and the prime minister.
Moyes “immediately accused me of lying … and I defended myself in that meeting,” he said. “I refuse to be bullied in that way.”
Wasyliw also said Wednesday that he thinks Kinew owes an apology to attorney Gerri Wiebe — his colleague who represented Nygard.
Several legal associations have criticized the NDP's rationale for ousting Wasyliw, including the president of the Manitoba Bar Association, who emphasized the “crucial role” of defence lawyers in “ensuring a fair and honest legal system.”
Moyes said the NDP caucus understands that “everyone deserves a defense.”
But, echoing Kinew's comments on Tuesday, he added that “not everyone deserves or is entitled to have an MLA speak up for them.
“So, he has to make a choice.”