A politician recently ousted from the NDP caucus says a tense handshake between Wab Kinew and a then-Tory cabinet minister last year met the legal definition of an assault.
It’s the latest allegation made by Mark Wasyliw against the premier since he was ousted from caucus a week ago. The Fort Garry MLA and defence lawyer held a news conference Monday to “correct the record” about what happened to Progressive Conservative Obby Khan at a Turban Day event at the legislative building on April 13, 2023, months before the NDP won the fall election.
Khan made a formal complaint to the legislative assembly about the incident, which happened at a gathering hosted by the NDP. It occurred when Khan went to shake hands with then-opposition leader Kinew after making a speech to the crowd assembled in the rotunda.
Khan, who was minister of sport, culture and heritage at the time, accused Kinew of intimidating him, using profane language and being violent.
The Fort Whyte MLA said in his complaint that Kinew pulled him in close, uttering profanities and insults to express his displeasure with the minister’s speech. Khan has told the audience that the banners of the PC and Liberal parties should also have been displayed at the event.
Khan said at the time that the interaction with Kinew left him feeling threatened and unsafe. He said the NDP leader’s grip on his hand was strong. When he pulled away, Kinew wouldn’t let go, and the exchange concluded with a “physical shove” to his stomach, Khan said.
Kinew said at the time that there was a heated exchange but no profanity or shoving. The NDP caucus accused Khan of lying, saying it was “a desperate attempt to distract by the PCs from their health-care cuts. Manitobans deserve better.”
Wasyliw said Monday he had “a clear, unobstructed view of what occurred.” He said Kinew’s face was “twisted and contorted — he was angry,” while Khan appeared “horrified” and was trying to pull his hand away.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Mark Wasyliw held a news conference Monday, saying he wanted to “correct the record” about the incident between Wab Kinew and Obby Khan on April 13, 2023.
“It was clear Wab wasn’t going to release his grip,” Wasyliw, who couldn’t hear what was said, told journalists Monday.
“Wab did most of the talking in an angry and agitated manner.”
Wasyliw will sit as an independent in the legislative assembly. The NDP caucus issued a statement Sept. 16 saying he was removed from caucus because of his association with a lawyer defending convicted sex offender Peter Nygard on criminal charges.
Wasyliw said he was asked by one of Kinew’s communications staff members to refute Khan’s claims regarding the Turban Day incident.
“I told them I would not lie for Wab, and if the media had asked me, I would give them the version of events I just gave you,” he told reporters in the lobby of the building where his law office is located.
Wasyliw said what Khan experienced meets the legal definition of an assault.
He said he’s coming forward now because he has concerns about Kinew’s fitness as a leader and to apologize to his constituents for not speaking up at the time.
“I suspect they would want more from their representative than what I showed that time,” Wasyliw said.
“It was not a safe atmosphere. It was toxic and hostile in caucus and, had I come forward, I would’ve absolutely been expelled from caucus by Wab.”
He said he apologized to Khan on Friday.
“He was telling the truth, and my caucus knew it, and yet they cast aspersions on him. They attempted a character assassination and created a social-media pile-on,” Wasyliw. “He didn’t deserve any of that. He deserved to believed. He was telling the truth.”
The incident was investigated by then-Speaker Myrna Driedger, who ruled that because it didn’t occur inside the chamber or during any legislative proceedings, it was not a violation of Khan’s privilege as a member of the legislative assembly.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Mark Wasyliw said “It was clear Wab wasn’t going to release his grip,” when Kinew shook Obby Khan’s hand last year.
She released a 40-second surveillance video of the encounter that both Kinew and Khan have said proves they were telling the truth.
The video, which doesn’t include audio, shows Khan leaving the podium, which was in front of a large NDP banner, after making his remarks.
He approaches Kinew, who is seated, to shake his hand. Kinew stands up and engages in a prolonged handshake with Khan, who tries to pull away at one point and appears to be drawn in again by Kinew.
Wasyliw branded Kinew a bully after he was turfed from caucus.
“(Kinew) will bully people instead of trying to build consensus,” he said. “He is very demeaning to staff and MLAs when he talks to them. He will run them down — very disrespectful. The man couldn’t pass a respectful workplace review.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.