Manitoba PC board member suspended over ICE social media post

The Progressive Conservatives have suspended Patrick Allard’s party membership and board position over a recent social media post.

WINNIPEG — A regional director with the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives had his board position and party membership suspended Monday after posting a social media message that appeared supportive of ICE -- the immigration enforcement agency in the United States.

Patrick Allard is also banned from running as a candidate in the next election, Tory Leader Obby Khan said.

“This party does not stand for hate, does not stand for division like that,” Khan told reporters.

On the weekend, Allard posted a message on Facebook that asked whether ICE, or some similar organization, is in Manitoba.

“Do we have an ICE in Manitoba? If so are they hiring? Asking for a friend,” the message said. Khan called the remarks offensive and inappropriate.

The post came after last week’s fatal shooting of Renee Good in her car by an ICE agent during a street confrontation in Minneapolis, which has sparked protests.

Another weekend post on Allard’s Facebook page called for the arrest of Renee Good’s wife.

Allard said Monday the post about ICE was tongue in cheek.

“It’s a Facebook post. It’s, like anything online these days, inflammatory without context,” Allard said.

Allard said he planned to talk with the Progressive Conservatives about his future in the party and said he and the party share the aim of defeating the governing New Democrats in the next election.

Allard’s suspension followed an emergency meeting of the Tory party board, which will make a further determination about his future following due process, Khan said.

Allard, who was chosen as regional director for northwest Winnipeg by party members late last year, had earlier gained prominence as an opponent of COVID-19 restrictions in Manitoba and was fined for violating restrictions on public gathering limits.

He ran as an independent in the last election in 2023 and finished a distant second in the St. John’s constituency, behind the NDP’s Nahanni Fontaine.

Khan said the Tories have taken more decisive action than Premier Wab Kinew did when Fontaine offered online thoughts about events in the United States.

Last summer, Fontaine shared another person’s post about the killing of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk. That post called Kirk a “white nationalist mouthpiece,” and the author said they had no sympathy for Kirk, only for his children.

Fontaine apologized for reposting the message. Kinew rejected calls to remove Fontaine from cabinet and said he did not believe in cancel culture.

Kinew, speaking Monday before Allard’s suspension was announced, called on the Progressive Conservatives to explain Allard’s post.

“When you see a mother killed, I think it should make everyone pause and bring out their best. Unfortunately though, from the P.C.s, we’ve seen it’s brought out their worst.”

Kinew said he spoke Monday with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

“I let him know that we here in Manitoba support our neighbours,” Kinew said.

“There’s so much confusion and so much violence.

“We just want to see things for our southern neighbours get back to normal. And I offered whatever assistance we can provide and, of course, the sense of solidarity that we can send down to our American friends, and in many cases, family.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2026

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press