Legislature Speaker in Manitoba says sorry, threatens to toss some politicians

The Speaker of the Manitoba legislature has apologized for saying an Opposition question was out of line and is threatening to toss politicians from the chamber if chaotic behaviour continues.

Tom Lindsey issued the apology a day after question period descended into a shouting match.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives had asked about a Finance department contract for therapy and suggested, without evidence, the therapy might have been for Finance Minister Adrien Sala.

Members of the NDP government yelled “shame” and argued the question was out of line, and the Speaker sided with them, saying the Tories can’t ask questions about a personal health issue.

Lindsey says he was wrong and legislature members have the right to ask a broad range of questions under long-standing parliamentary rules.

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He also says that he was ignored during the dust-up when he called for order and, if that happens again, some politicians may find themselves out of the chamber.

“Decorum in this house was absolutely awful. At one point, the government front bench was shouting so loudly that I had to shout to be heard,” Lindsey said Wednesday.

“Yesterday was not the only example of bad decorum I’ve seen in this house recently, but it was most assuredly the worst.”

Legislature members listened quietly as Lindsey continued to admonish them.

“In the future, if members persist in disregarding the authority of the chair, I will not hesitate to exercise my authority as your Speaker and have members removed from this chamber,” Lindsey said.

Tory Greg Nesbitt, who had asked the questions about the contract, said he simply wanted to know what therapy the government was spending money on and that his right as a legislature member to ask questions should not have been curtailed.

Shortly after the cacophony Tuesday, the government told reporters the $10,000 contract was for mental health supports for workers searching a landfill for the remains of murdered First Nations women. Jeremy Skibicki was convicted last year of killing four women, and the remains of two were recently found at the landfill.

Before Lindsey’s apology, NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine said Nesbitt’s line of questioning that suggested a politician was seeking therapy was “deplorable.”

“If they were seeking therapy … nobody should be bringing that up in the chamber at all.”

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