Manitoba legislature members trade insults over tofu, lattes and criminal past

No holds barred personal attacks are becoming a regular feature in the Manitoba legislature. CTV’s Daniel Halmarson reports.

WINNIPEG — Tofu-eaters. Misogynists. Criminal.

The insults have been flying fast and furious at the Manitoba legislature, where even Tom Lindsey, the Speaker who is in charge of maintaining order, got into it by calling one legislature member “not that clever.”

Both the governing New Democrats and Opposition Progressive Conservatives agree decorum in the chamber has been very poor, but each side blames the other.

With high school students watching part of the proceedings from the public gallery, Lindsey later said question period was shameful and an embarrassment.

The Tories have been bringing up Premier Wab Kinew’s well-known criminal past — convictions two decades ago for which he was later granted a pardon.

Kinew has accused Tory Leader Obby Khan of being a bigot over transgender rights, and NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine told the chamber the male Tory legislature members are misogynists.

The name-calling extended to questions about hunting, when Tory Rick Wowchuk accused Kinew of being a “Pinocchio” over non-Indigenous hunting rights. Kinew accused the Tories of being fake hunters.

“On this side of the house, you’ve got the people raised on moose meat,” Kinew said Thursday.

“On that side of the house, you’ve got the tofu-eaters, you’ve got the salad-bar-line-uppers, you’ve got the latte-sippers.”

The Speaker took exception to Wowchuk’s use of the word “Pinocchio,” as it’s against parliamentary rules to accuse someone of lying, and chastised Wowchuk.

““He thinks he’s being clever, found a clever way to call somebody liar. He is not that clever. He will stop it,” Lindsey said.

The Tories objected, and Lindsey soon apologized.

“I recognize that today’s question period was a shambles and was a lot of disgraceful behaviour all the way around,” Lindsey said.

“And as your Speaker, I should rise above that.”

Just over an hour later, Lindsey had to interrupt debate to ask both sides of the chamber to stop “hollering.”

The legislature is scheduled to rise next Thursday for the winter break.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press