A mother whose four-year-old daughter was killed in a suspected murder-suicide is horrified by the refusal of the Manitoba Tory party to support a bill she says could prevent future tragedies.
“It’s really a slap in the face to any survivor — to Keira, to everyone,” said Dr. Jennifer Kagan, whose daughter Keira was found dead next to her father at the bottom of an Ontario cliff in February 2020. Courts had forced Kagan to allow the visit that day, even though 53 court orders had been issued against Keira’s father owing to violent and unpredictable behaviour.
Kagan has been fighting to bring about change across Canada since then.
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Jennifer Kagan with daughter Keira, who was found dead next to her father at the bottom of an Ontario cliff in 2020.
The Manitoba bill, informally known as “Keira’s Law,” would require provincial court judges and judicial justices of the peace to receive education about sexual assault law, intimate partner violence, coercive control in relationships and social context.
Manitoba’s Provincial Court Act currently has no such requirement. Keira’s Law is already in effect at the federal level and in Ontario.
Manitoba’s bill was first introduced by Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux in April, as a private member’s bill, but the government blocked third and final reading.
The NDP introduced its own version of the bill last week, Bill 41, saying the government could put money behind the imitative and Lamoureux could not. The government also expanded the scope to include Indigenous and LGBTTQ+ recognition.
Lamoureux said she supported the government bill but it came with a tight deadline. Keira’s Law must pass before the end of the legislative session on Thursday. The Opposition PCs would need to sign off on rushing the bill through the legislature.
During question period on Wednesday, the PCs rejected the NDP request to rush the bill through, then requested leave for a rush of both Bill 41 and their own private member’s bill to expand breast cancer screening, something the NDP had blocked. The NDP shot down the request.
Kagan was shocked to see the bill turn into a political issue.
“This is just so absurd,” Kagan said. “I think it’s an example of how partisanship is getting in the way of doing good work.”
PC house leader Derek Johnson said his party supported Keira’s Law when Lamoureux introduced it.
“This legislation should have passed in the spring but the NDP refused to make it a priority,” Johnson said.
He said the PCs are committed to moving the bill forward and blamed the NDP for delays.
“Once the government decides to move forward on Keira’s Law and make it a priority, we will be there to ensure its quick passage and implementation,” he said. “We have no interest in the NDP’s political games when it comes to public safety and judicial improvements.”
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe slammed the Tories for witholding support.
“It’s clear that the Opposition is playing games with a very important bill,” he told the Free Press in an interview after question period. He implored the PCs to “have some common sense and do the right thing.”
Asked why the NDP won’t support the PC’s private member’s bill, which the PCs say would clear the way for Keira’s Law to pass, Wiebe said the two matters are separate.
He said the province is already doing important work on breast cancer screening.
Lamoureux said through a spokesperson she is still hopeful the bill will pass by Thursday.
— With files from Carol Sanders
katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca
Katrina Clarke
Investigative reporter
Katrina Clarke is an investigative reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press. Katrina holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. She has worked at newspapers across Canada, including the National Post and the Toronto Star. She joined the Free Press in 2022. Read more about Katrina.
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