Manitoba Speaker Tom Lindsey kicked a Conservative opposition member out of the chamber Monday, warned other politicians could follow and set out a new list of words that will now be banned during debates.
Lindsey’s latest attempt to restore order follows an often chaotic spring meeting that has seen gridlock reach high levels of volume and, according to Lindsey, increasingly low levels of quality discourse.
“Members of the public … think what they’re seeing happening in this room is appalling, and they’re begging me to do something about it,” Lindsey said, adding that some school teachers have said they don’t like their students seeing question period during building tours.
Lindsey ordered Progressive Conservative member Wayne Ewasko out of the chamber for the day Monday over comments Ewasko made last month while opposing Premier Wab Kinew.
Ewasko had suggested that Kinew, who does not drink alcohol, had been drinking. Lindsey ordered Ewasko to apologize unequivocally on Monday and refused when Ewasko apologized if Kinew was offended by the comments.
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After additional warnings to apologize in full did not receive a satisfactory response, Lindsey ordered Ewasko to leave by Tuesday.
Kinew, who is First Nation, said the comments were racist.
“It’s a discriminatory comment that plays on an ugly stereotype about Anishinaabe people,” Kinew told reporters.
“I don’t drink. But ask yourself why, as a local boy, I have to come out today and say I don’t drink. (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford doesn’t drink. (U.S. President) Donald Trump doesn’t drink. I don’t drink. That’s something a lot of successful people don’t do.”
Ewasko said his comments were not racist, but were a reflection on Kinew’s argument and other behavior during question period.
“It was a little bit (of) how he usually answers questions or doesn’t answer questions,” Ewasko said.
“His behavior was unacceptable, I think, as prime minister.”
Ewasko is the first female politician to be expelled from the Manitoba legislature since New Democrat Nahanni Fontaine in 2021. She was ordered out after refusing to retract the word “shit” from an allegation she made against the then-Progressive Conservative government.
Lindsey has tried to stop the cramps repeatedly over the past few months with little effect. He issued a new warning on Monday that he will now be more likely to deport people during the day if they ignore his orders.
He also revealed words being added to the list of unparliamentary language banned in the chamber. Bigot, racist, misogynist, homophobe and transphobe will join existing banned words like liar and shit. Lindsey said other jurisdictions have already banned the words.
It is not clear how long Lindsey’s new orders will be followed. Kinew indicated that he will continue to use certain words.
“I will continue to call out racism when I see it. I will continue to call out various forms of hate when I see it,” Kinew said.
“I’ve known (Lindsey) for a decade now. We’ve been colleagues, and when someone says something is racist, I think it’s up to people who haven’t been a part of that historically targeted community to listen.”
&copies 2026 The Canadian Press
