Manitoba legislature speaker cracks down on heckling, expands list of unparliamentary words

PC leader Obby Khan was reprimanded for a remark made toward Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, who is non-binary, last month.

The speaker of the Manitoba legislature said he is enforcing new rules about decorum due to repeated complaints about the language used during debates in recent months.

Speaker Tom Lindsay spoke in the legislative chamber Monday afternoon prior to the start of question period, saying he has concerns about the use of unparliamentary language and decorum.

During his speech, Lindsay said he has heard complaints from members of the public, as well as school groups that view question period in the chamber, saying the behaviour doesn’t set a good example.

“Teachers have asked to leave the gallery early due to the language being used,” Lindsay said, adding some schools have said they won’t return.

Lindsay said teachers and students have found question period to be “loud and overwhelming,” and said one teacher told him students were imitating an “unkind heckle” they heard during the session.

He said starting Monday, members who engage in loud or excessive heckling will be called to order. If they’re called to order three or more times, the speaker will not recognize them for the remainder of the day. Members who ignore the rule will be asked to leave the chamber.

Lindsay also added the words “bigot,” “racist,” “homophobe,” “transphobe,” and “misogynist” to the list of words considered unparliamentary language, citing legislatures across the country. He said the words have been ruled unparliamentary in debate because they attack a member’s character or integrity.

Legislature decorum has been an issue several times during the most recent sitting of the legislature.

Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan apologized to the legislature in October after making a gesture that mimicked him shooting himself in the head while Education Minister Tracy Schmidt was answering a question.

Premier Wab Kinew has been criticized for calling Khan a bigot over transgender rights, and the Tories have criticized Kinew over his criminal past.

Last month, Khan was rebuked by Lindsay for a comment towards Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, who is nonbinary. During a heated session in the chamber, Khan called Asagwara of being “terrible person” and added the remark “whatever you are.” Khan, however, maintained the latter remark was incomplete and had been taken out of context.

NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine, who serves as the government house leader, expressed disappointment with the ruling outside of the chamber.

“We now have a new regime in the chamber that is more concerned with words and people’s feelings being hurt by their own behaviours, rather than the safety of my BIPOC colleagues,” she said.

Fontaine said in her role as house leader, she will ensure her caucus follows the rules.

Khan commended Lindsay for his ruling on decorum.

“It’s long overdue,” he said. “Now that the speaker has identified this, we support his decision, and we look forward to him enforcing those rules.”

With files from The Canadian Press