New Manitoba Tory leader says sorry for campaign ads on landfill search

Progressive Conservative legislature member Obby Khan is seen speaking to reporters at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg, Monday, April 4, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert

WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s new Opposition leader apologized Monday for election campaign advertisements the Progressive Conservative party ran in the last election that promoted their decision to not search a landfill for the remains of two murder victims.

Obby Khan used his first legislature speech since winning the Tory leadership on April 26 to say sorry to the victims’ families and to promise a new tone from his party.

“I stand here today as the new leader of the P.C. party and apologize to the families ... and to all Manitobans for the harm that was caused by a previous campaign,” Khan, who was a cabinet minister in the former Tory government, said.

His words follow a similar apology in March from Wayne Ewasko, who had served as the Tories’ interim leader. Khan added he hopes to apologize in person to the families and many organizations for the ads, and has asked staff to reach out and arrange meetings.

Nahanni Fontaine, the NDP government’s minister of families, criticized Khan minutes earlier for having not apologized to date.

“He still hasn’t found time to reach out to the families. He’s not stood in this chamber to apologize,” Fontaine said.

The Tories, then in government, ran ads in 2023 promoting the party’s decision not to search the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg, where the remains of two First Nations women — Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran — were believed to be buried. The ads cited safety concerns for searchers facing toxic material.

The NDP government launched the search after winning the election and found the remains of Harris and Myran. Last year, Jeremy Skibicki was convicted of first-degree murder in the killings of Myran, Harris and two other women.

Khan said he plans to have “a new direction” for the Tories that also includes more-respectful debate in the legislature chamber.

The Tories and NDP were recently chided by legislature Speaker Tom Lindsey for heckling and shouting. And while Manitoba politicians have frequently promised better behaviour, Khan told reporters after question period he intends to follow through.

“No one was heckling today,” he said.

There were, however, signs of ongoing partisan sniping.

Khan accused the NDP government of caring more about photo opportunities than improving health care. Premier Wab Kinew, when asked by reporters whether he congratulated Khan for winning the Tory leadership, said no.

“No one ever reached out and congratulated me,” Kinew said. He was elected NDP leader in 2017.

Kinew and Khan got into some sort of altercation in 2023 during a public event at the legislature.

Khan said Kinew held him in a long handshake, swore at him and shoved his stomach. Kinew denied the accusation, saying there was a “tense verbal exchange” and a handshake. Security camera footage, from a distance and without audio, did not shed much light on the matter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press