Klein: An ethics scandal could define the future of politics in Manitoba

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On May 21, 2025, the Manitoba Ethics Commissioner published a 100-page report, which in the recent history of the province is one of the consequences of the political accountability. The report came to the conclusion that former Prime Minister Heather Stefanson, former Minister Cliff Cullen and the current Red River North Mla Jeff Wharton had violated Manitoba's conflict of interest. Your criminal offense: Attempt to secure the approval of the SIO-SILICA reduction project during the transitional period after the violation of the progressive conservative party in October 2023.

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This moment is important because it tests the boundaries between public service and political self -interest. The results of the commissioner provide a rare and detailed overview of the inner functioning of a government that faces a defeat, and the decisions made behind closed doors ignored many years of democratic conventions.

In a province in which the public's trust was constantly undermined in political institutions, this investigation offers both a settlement and an opportunity for renewal. It forces us to ask whether the rulers are willing to keep the same standards that they expect from others – and whether our systems are strong enough to enforce these standards if it counts the most.

The Commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor, KC, found that these people were inappropriately acting by urging the officials to publish an environmental license for the SIO -Silica project before the newly elected NDP government took office. The report describes repeated efforts to avoid the defined governance conventions. These measures, Schnoor wrote, “lacked ethical and constitutional legitimacy.”

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The results are clear. Two former MLAs are exposed to fines -18,000 US dollars for Stefanson and $ 12,000 for Cullen. Wharton, who remains a sitting MLA, is recommended to pay a fine of $ 10,000. It was found that only one of the four civil servants mentioned in the original complaint, Derek Johnson, did not violate the law.

The project at the center of this study was politically sensitive, economically significant and environmentally friendly. This included potential effects on the Sandilands Aquifer and was characterized by Manitobas Clean Environment Commission in early 2023 as unresolved risks. Nevertheless, internal communication from October 2023 – days after the election – showed an urgency to drive them forward. “Did we do it today?” Read an e -mail.

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As I have mentioned several times as a former Minister of the Environment, I was contacted by Jeff Wharton on October 12, 2023. He asked me to spend the environmental license for the SIO -Silica project. I declined. I believed at the time and still believe that it was the wrong one. I respected the process and the authority of the incoming government. I stood on the principles with which I was raised: integrity, accountability and respect for democratic institutions. The report by the ethics commissioner confirms what I already knew: What tried was a clear violation of public trust.

Another minister, Rochelle Squires, reported to receive a similar call. Wharton initially denied contacting one of us. However, the commissioner found that he both instructed us both and asked us to approve the license on separate occasions.

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Since the publication of the report, I have repeatedly asked the media whether I accept Jeff Wharton's written answer. I suspect that many hope for a heading – something that ignites the situation or provokes another division. But my job is not to escalate. I have already made my position clear – not only in words, but also in action.

For me, this result is no surprise – it is the exact result I expected. The facts were never cloudy. The caretaker convention is not a proposal – it is a fundamental principle of our democracy. It exists to protect the voters and ensure that decisions of considerable consequences are taken by those selected to rule, and not by those who are on their way to the outside.

Wharton's participation in the attempt to enforce this project was not just a judgment. It was a violation of public trust that was confirmed by an independent official of the legislator. His written apology remains a start, but the real accountability duty stops.

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But it's no longer about Jeff Wharton's intention or Heather Stefanson's explanations. The violations are documented. The facts are included. What remains unsettled is how the party – and its new leader Obby Khan – reacts.

This is Khan's first true leadership test. Does he respect the rule of law? Does he respect the people who chose him and the responsibility of the office that he is now? Will he act or will he be clear?

We need clarity. Did the PC party treat the legal costs for Stefanson, Cullen, Wharton or Johnson during the examination? Were internal party money for legal advice or support for public relations? If so, will the party return these funds because the results are now available?

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Are the fines recommended by the Ethics Commissioner Personally paid by those responsible or will the party cover the costs in their name? If the latter, what message does this send to Manitobans about the accountability obligation?

These questions are not political attacks – they are questions of ethics, government and public trust. Transparency is important here. The leadership is tested here.

If I were leading the party, I would do the case for stronger standards. I would suggest that every sitting MLA should be obliged to step down and meet the voters under violation of the law of conflicts of interest. Let Manitobans decide whether this person deserves to represent them further. That is the essence of accountability in a democratic society.

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This is not about punishment. It's about principle.

What happens now will shape the way in which future governments understand their responsibility. A soft answer will be forgotten. A strong answer will be remembered. It will influence how future violations are treated – by all parties, not just from one.

We stand for political ethics in Manitoba at a critical moment. This is an opportunity to turn the page – to increase the bar. Not with slogans. Not with spin. Not with guilt, but with an obligation to become real, enforceable accountability.

If the progressive conservative party is serious, this is the time to act.

If Obby Khan wants to lead with integrity, it must be transparent. He has to prove that violations of public trust have consequences – and that nobody lies above the principles that we claim to maintain.

Because in the end, Manitobans will not remind you of the statements. You will remember what was done against them.

– Follow Kevin Klein follow FacebookPresent X and visit his website kevinklein.ca

Do you think about what's going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or all over the world? Send us a letter to the publisher at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca.

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