Manitoba premier talks about son's hockey team when asked about woman's death

CTV National News: Manitoba premier under fire Manitoba’s premier is under fire for failing to answer a question about a late COVID-19 patient’s care. Jill Macyshon reports.

Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson is facing criticism after she talked about her son’s hockey team after being asked in the legislature about a woman’s death.

Krystal Mousseau had been in the ICU in a Brandon, Man. hospital fighting COVID-19. But in May 2021, the 31-year-old mother of two from Ebb and Flow First Nation died after a failed attempt to transfer her to a hospital in Ontario.

The opposition NDP have been calling for an inquest into her death, but the province's chief medical examiner has declined to do so. In the Manitoba Legislature on Thursday, NDP Leader Wab Kinew brought up the issue during question period.

"Does the premier agree that a team transporting ICU patients should have the necessary training and equipment to do so safely?" Kinew asked.

But in her response, the premier spent almost the entirety of her allotted speaking time celebrating her son's high school hockey team win.

"Before I get to the member's question, I just wanted to say that sometimes we need to remember that we need to take time to celebrate our kids," Stefanson said.

"It's an exciting day for our family. Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words about that, Madam Speaker."

Stefanson then began to address Kinew's question, but the speaker interrupted her, saying that she had run out of time.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee called the premier's comments "ill-timed and very insensitive to the family."

"It's a colossal error in judgment," he told CTV News. "It's damaging when there's such an insensitivity and also a lack of compassion towards the issue. So, it's unfortunate that these things happen."

Stefanson shared an apology in an email to CTV News and offered condolences to the Mosseau family.

"First and foremost, my thoughts go out to Krystal Mousseau’s family as they grieve the loss of their loved one," she said. "I recognize the timing of my comment about my family was misplaced, and for that I sincerely apologize."

But Settee believes that the premier should deliver a public apology in the legislature and personally apologize to the Mousseau family.

"It has to be an open forum as she makes those apologies," he said.