New Manitoba PC leader apologizes for landfill search campaign ads

Steve Lambert · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 05, 2025 8:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Manitoba's caller Opposition person apologized Monday for campaign advertisements the Progressive Conservative enactment ran successful the past predetermination that promoted their determination to not hunt a landfill for the remains of 2 execution victims.

Obby Khan utilized his archetypal legislature code since winning the Tory enactment connected April 26 to accidental atrocious to the victims' families and to committedness a caller code from his party.

"I basal present contiguous arsenic the caller person of the PC enactment and apologize to the families ... and to each Manitobans for the harm that was caused by a erstwhile campaign," Khan, who was a furniture curate successful the erstwhile Tory government, said.

His words travel a akin apology successful March from Wayne Ewasko, who had served arsenic the Tories' interim leader. Khan added helium hopes to apologize successful idiosyncratic to the families and galore organizations for the ads, and has asked unit to scope retired and put meetings.

Nahanni Fontaine, the NDP government's curate of families, criticized Khan minutes earlier for having not apologized to date.

"He inactive hasn't recovered clip to scope retired to the families. He's not stood successful this enclosure to apologize," Fontaine said.

The Tories, past successful government, ran ads successful 2023 promoting the party's determination not to hunt the Prairie Green Landfill, northbound of Winnipeg, wherever the remains of 2 First Nations women — Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran — were believed to beryllium buried. The ads cited information concerns for searchers facing toxic material.

The NDP authorities launched the hunt aft winning the predetermination and recovered the remains of Harris and Myran. Last year, Jeremy Skibicki was convicted of first-degree execution successful the killings of Myran, Harris and 2 different women.

Khan said helium plans to person "a caller direction" for the Tories that besides includes much respectful statement successful the legislature chamber.

Tory MLA apologizes for therapy declaration question

Also successful question play connected Monday, PC MLA Greg Nesbitt apologized for suggesting that a declaration to supply intelligence wellness enactment services was for NDP Finance Minister Adrien Sala, erstwhile successful information it was for workers searching the Prairie Green landfill. 

"Why can't this curate wage for his ain self-reflection?" Nesbitt asked successful question play connected April 22.

Some NDP MLAs shouted astatine Nesbitt, portion Speaker Tom Lindsey called for order. However, Lindsey apologized the adjacent time for saying Nesbitt's question was retired of line. 

"My prime of words for a caller question to the honourable curate of concern successful this location was inappropriate," Nesbitt said, adding that helium apologized to Sala successful idiosyncratic Monday morning. 

Nesbitt said he's atrocious for immoderate "unintended consequences of the mode [his] questions were worded." 

Sala said Monday that helium accepts Nesbitt's apology, but said the Tory MLA has different apologies to marque implicit his comments. 

"The due happening to bash present is to guarantee that those landfill workers, who are the recipients of those supports, perceive an apology from him and their team," Sala said. 

Question play quieter, but inactive signs of partisan sniping

The Tories and NDP were precocious chided by legislature Speaker Tom Lindsey for heckling and shouting. And portion Manitoba politicians person often promised amended behaviour, Khan told reporters aft question play helium intends to travel through.

"No 1 was heckling today," Lindsey said.

There were, however, signs of ongoing partisan sniping.

Khan accused the NDP authorities of caring much astir photograph opportunities than improving wellness care. Premier Wab Kinew, erstwhile asked by reporters whether helium congratulated Khan for winning the Tory leadership, said no.

"No 1 ever reached retired and congratulated me," Kinew said. He was elected NDP person successful 2017.

Kinew and Khan got into immoderate benignant of altercation successful 2023 during a nationalist lawsuit astatine the legislature.

Khan said Kinew held him successful a agelong handshake, swore astatine him and shoved his stomach. Kinew denied the accusation, saying determination was a "tense verbal exchange" and a handshake. Security camera footage, from a region and without audio, did not shed overmuch airy connected the matter.