Posted: Mar 11, 2021 8:49 PM CT | Last Updated: March 12
St. James MLA Adrien Sala said the ruling from Speaker Myrna Driedger defends his right to ask questions of the government in the legislative chamber.(Trevor Lyons/CBC)
WINNIPEG Manitoba’s premier said the official opposition is trivializing the respectful workplace agreement after one of its MLAs rejected the findings of the investigation last week. During a news conference Monday afternoon, Premier Brian Pallister criticized the response of NDP Leader Wab Kinew and NDP MLA Adrien Sala to the results of an investigation into harassment of a government worker. “These comments are an attack against every MLA against the legislature itself,” Pallister said. “And against the very important principle that everyone has the right to a safe workplace free from harassment and bullying.” Pallister added, “They have sought to politicize the legislature’s independent process, in so doing, they attempt to discredit a policy that seeks to hold people accountable for their actions.”
WINNIPEG An independent investigation has found that NDP MLA Adrien Sala breached the Legislative Assembly s respectful workplace policy when he made comments about a civil servant, alleging they had a conflict of interest and interfered with Manitoba Hydro. The findings of the investigation come months after Manitoba s former Treasury Board secretary Paul Beauregard launched a complaint in October. The complaint, which Sala publicly revealed in December, claimed he bullied, harassed, offended, and embarrassed Beauregard during a line of questioning in the Legislative Assembly, alleging he interfered with Manitoba Hydro during an RFP process for an important government contract.