KLEIN: Khan’s reaction to campaign expense mess shows lack of leadership

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Politics, once a calling for those who sought to serve the public, has now become a resting place for those with self-serving interests. Politics has shifted from solving problems to avoiding them, from providing leadership to finger-pointing.

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A recent story reported by the Winnipeg Sun exposing questionable invoices paid by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba supports that theory. Instead of confronting these serious allegations head-on, the responses from political figures addressing the donated funds spent on a car rental from a sex coach were disheartening.

One would expect a leadership hopeful like Obby Khan to show concern for transparency and the integrity of the process. Instead, he expressed disappointment to media that a former party member would “attack the party.” Really? The issue at hand isn’t the criticism from a former member, it’s the misuse of donated funds and the potential breach of trust with the public.

Khan should have reassured Manitobans that he supports a thorough, independent investigation into these allegations. He should have emphasized that they were donated funds — money given in good faith —  realizing that the integrity of his party is at stake. But he didn’t and that’s a problem.

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Moments like these shed light on whether politics are about leadership or maintaining power at all costs. When faced with scandal or controversy, too many politicians close ranks instead of opening the doors to accountability. Khan’s remarks reflect a pattern we see too often, not just in Manitoba, but across the political landscape. Instead of addressing the core issue — the potential misuse of funds and the need for accountability — the focus shifts to defending the party and deflecting criticism. That is not leadership. Leadership means confronting problems, not brushing them aside or turning them into partisan squabbles.

My transition from politics to journalism at the Winnipeg Sun was driven by a desire to focus on ensuring that Manitobans have access to facts. My role, and that of the Winnipeg Sun, is to present the truth to readers with accuracy and transparency. It isn’t about attacking any political party or individual. Our goal is to hold all leaders accountable, regardless of affiliation, and to inform the public with integrity. That is what we did in this case, and that is what we will continue to do.

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Accountability in politics is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. The public deserves leaders who answer to them, not to the party insiders. In this case, instead of working to uncover the truth, political figures on both sides have opted to point fingers, shift blame, and hope the public forgets.

Wab Kinew and his NDP government, for example, seized the opportunity to use the PC Party’s troubles as a weapon against their opposition. They, too, could have taken a higher road. Instead of addressing any questions about their own actions in the legislature, they merely used the allegations as a tool to beat down the opposition. Sure, they claimed there should be an investigation, but did they launch one? Have they followed up on it? Are they taking steps to ensure that all political expenses in Manitoba, across all parties, are thoroughly reviewed so this doesn’t happen again? Or are they just throwing stones from their glass house?

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This is the problem we face — there is no real leadership in politics today. A leader, when confronted with a broken system, should question the system, not just the individual players. The fact these questionable expenses were able to slip through raises serious concerns about the integrity of the campaign finance system as a whole. If one inappropriate expense got through, how many others have gone unnoticed? This isn’t just a PC Party problem — it challenges the integrity of the entire system. Yet, instead of facing this challenge, our leaders are too busy blaming others, pointing fingers, and ignoring the root of the issue.

The public deserves better. It is time to stop the game-playing and start ensuring that the systems in place to protect the integrity of our elections and campaign finances actually work. How do we safeguard the public trust? For one, we need to halt the proposed increase in rebates for election expenses until the system has been thoroughly reviewed and proven effective. Right now, it’s clear that the system is flawed. If one inappropriate expense made it through, it’s safe to assume there were others. Without real accountability, the integrity of campaign expenses, for all parties, is in question.

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Blaming others or turning a blind eye to the real issues is what we’ve come to expect from too many elected officials. It’s become the norm, which defines the lack of leadership. Leadership translates into taking responsibility, asking difficult questions and making sure the public can trust the people they elect. It means ensuring that something like this doesn’t happen again, not only for one party, but for all parties. Without action, without assurance, we’re left with the same old political games — and that’s not good enough.

We need leaders who will work on solutions, not deflections. We need leaders who understand that politics isn’t about them, it’s about the people they serve. We need a political system that prioritizes integrity over partisanship. Until that happens, we’ll continue to see the same cycle of blame, excuses, and inaction without any form of change.

— Kevin Klein is a former Tory cabinet minister, a former city councillor and President & CEO of Klein Group Ltd.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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