Manitoba Tories discipline MLA Wharton after ethics commissioner finds conflict of interest breach
Former minister in Stefanson government apologizes, loses critic duties but will remain in PC caucus
Manitoba Opposition Leader Obby Khan stripped a Progressive Conservative caucus member of his critic duties Thursday, as questions continued to swirl about the former government's actions related to a proposed silica sand mine.
Jeff Wharton, one of three Tories found this week to have violated the province's conflict of interest law, is to remain in caucus but will no longer serve as critic for business, mining, trade and job creation.
"I have removed his critic role in light of this report that came out … and we'll move forward from there," Khan said.
The province's ethics commissioner ruled in a report Wednesday that former premier Heather Stefanson, former deputy premier Cliff Cullen and Wharton, the economic development minister at the time, acted improperly by pushing for an environmental licence to be granted to the Sio Silica mining project after the Tories lost the 2023 election to the NDP.
Wharton, the MLA for Red River North, apologized in the legislature and said he accepted the report's findings. He was not made available to reporters.
"To all Manitobans — and particularly the [people of] Red River North, the constituents that I have the honour to represent every single day — I am sorry. I will do better," Wharton said.
Ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor wrote that despite the election loss, the three Tories tried to get the project approved before the new NDP government, led by Wab Kinew, was sworn in. Their actions violated the Conflict of Interest Act and contravened the caretaker convention — a long-standing parliamentary principle that forbids outgoing governments from making major decisions, the report said.
The project did not get approved, due in part to opposition from bureaucrats and two other Tory ministers. The NDP government formally rejected the proposal months later.
Stefanson and Cullen have since left politics. Stefanson, in a prepared statement, said she was only acting to further and protect the public interest. Cullen has not returned requests for comment.
Schnoor is recommending fines of $18,000 for Stefanson, $12,000 for Cullen and $10,000 for Wharton.
The legislature will vote whether to accept the report. Khan said he will vote in favour and believes his caucus will as well.
Kinew said there are still many unanswered questions about the former Tory government's actions that need to be answered.
"Why were they so intent on ignoring the results of the election to improperly further this private interest?" Kinew said.
Schnoor's report said it's "reasonable to believe" Cullen told Sio Silica board member David Filmon, a well-connected Tory and a close friend of Stefanson, that the licence would be issued three days after the election.
After the NDP objected, Cullen wrote to Filmon that it "makes me look bad" and "I feel sick."
Facts don't support Stefanson's assertions: Schnoor
The report said there was no evidence that the three politicians would have gained anything financially had the project gone ahead, but Kinew said the ethics commissioner's ability to delve into any possible financial ties was limited.
The premier also pointed to the report's findings that some of what the commissioner was told by the Tory politicians contradicted the evidence.
Schnoor's report said the facts he learned "simply do not support the assertions made by Ms. Stefanson," including a statement from her that the project was at risk if approval did not come quickly.
Schnoor also said Wharton told him about a conversation with Cullen that the commissioner ruled didn't happen.
Kinew said there will be more discussion on the issues in the legislature in the days and weeks ahead.
"There's a whole lot of unanswered questions here that really speak to a group in the PC universe, including the former premier, who did some really bad things," Kinew said.
"So I think there's a lot more that needs to be accounted for."
The premier didn't rule out an inquiry if the Progressive Conservatives aren't co-operative.
He said the Tory vote-rigging scandal of the 1990s led to an inquiry, even though the premier wasn't penalized in that case.
With files from CBC's Ian Froese