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Manitoba Independent MLA Mark Wasyliw has filed a defamation lawsuit against Premier Wab Kinew and two other members of Kinew’s NDP government, claiming they associated the defence lawyer-turned-MLA with convicted criminal Peter Nygard as an excuse to kick him out of the party.
In a statement of claim filed with Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench two days before Christmas, the Fort Garry MLA is seeking a published apology and damages from Kinew, Seine River MLA Billie Cross and Keewatinook MLA Ian Bushie for comments they made “in or around” September 2024 about Wasyliw’s work as a defence lawyer.
Wasyliw is also asking the court to issue an order restraining Kinew, Cross and Bushie from further “defaming, disparaging” and otherwise damaging his business and reputation with any other form of communication about him.
The NDP caucus announced it removed Wasyliw from its caucus in September 2024. In his statement of claim, Wasyliw describes the ouster as sudden and without justification.
In the claim, Wasyliw states Kinew and his two caucus colleagues damaged his reputation and character when they associated him with Nygard in “an injustifiable and misleading excuse” to remove him from the party “and to reduce his political standing in the community.”
Wasyliw states in the claim that Kinew, Cross and Bushie orchestrated their respective statements in a “conspiratorial scheme” to cause him injury.
In the claim, Wasyliw states Kinew explicitly or implicitly claimed the Fort Garry MLA “does not possess the requisite values to be an NDP member” and that “there is something unseemly or immoral about being a defence lawyer.”
Wasyliw claims that a comment Kinew made to reporters on Sept. 17, 2024, is a defamatory statement.
“You can be affiliated with the NDP or you can be affiliated with Peter Nygard, but you can’t do both,” Kinew said at the time.
Wasyliw also stated in the claim that Bushie made a similar statement and that Cross said “it’s extremely hard to support a colleague who might benefit from representing a sexual predator.”
None of the allegations have been tested in court. No statement of defence has been filed.
Wasyliw declined comment on Monday, as did a representative from Kinew’s office.
On Sept. 16, 2024, NDP caucus chair Mike Moyes issued a statement announcing Wasyliw’s removal from caucus, citing the Fort Garry MLA’s legal and business association with lawyer Gerri Wiebe, who was representing Nygard in court.
Speaking in the Manitoba Legislature on Oct. 2, 2024, Kinew issued an apology to defence lawyers and said he also called Wiebe to apologize.
