Manitoba Independent legislator Mark Wasyliw has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Premier Wab Kinew and two other members of Kinew’s NDP government. Wasyliw alleges that they wrongly linked him to convicted criminal Peter Nygard to justify his expulsion from the party. The lawsuit, filed in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench just before Christmas, demands a public apology and compensation from Kinew, MLA Billie Cross, and MLA Ian Bushie for remarks made in September 2024 regarding Wasyliw’s past as a defense attorney. Additionally, Wasyliw seeks a court order to prevent further damage to his reputation through defamatory statements by Kinew, Cross, and Bushie.
The NDP caucus removed Wasyliw in September 2024, a decision he describes in the lawsuit as sudden and unjustified. Wasyliw accuses Kinew and his colleagues of tarnishing his image by associating him with Nygard as a pretext to diminish his political standing within the community. The lawsuit alleges that Kinew, Cross, and Bushie orchestrated a coordinated effort to harm Wasyliw.
Specifically, Wasyliw claims that Kinew suggested he lacked the necessary values to be an NDP member and insinuated that being a defense lawyer was unethical. Wasyliw points to a statement made by Kinew on September 17, 2024, as defamatory, where Kinew remarked, “You can be affiliated with the NDP or you can be affiliated with Peter Nygard, but you can’t do both.” Wasyliw also contends that Bushie and Cross made similar damaging statements.
It is important to note that none of these allegations have been proven in court, and no defense statements have been submitted. Wasyliw and Kinew’s office declined to comment on the matter. On September 16, 2024, NDP caucus chair Mike Moyes announced Wasyliw’s removal from the caucus, citing his professional ties with lawyer Gerri Wiebe, who was representing Nygard in a legal case.
Following these events, Kinew issued an apology to defense lawyers in the Manitoba Legislature on October 2, 2024, expressing regret for the situation.