Tory MLA wants Manitoba election candidates to publicly disclose criminal records

Proposed changes to Manitoba's election rules could require candidates to publicly disclose if they've pleaded guilty or been convicted of a crime.

Private member Bill 240, the Elections Amendment Act, would also require the chief electoral officer to publish the candidates' criminal pasts online.

The bill is being put forward in the Manitoba legislature by Fort Richmond MLA Sarah Guillemard, who is a member of the governing Progressive Conservatives.

"Most people assumed this was already included in our Elections Act," she said. "Certainly [voters] aren't going to know every single detail of everyone's lives, but I think these are pertinent pieces of information for a voter to decide who is going to be representing them."

If passed in the legislature, each candidate would be required to provide a statement of any crimes they've committed under the Criminal Code, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Income Tax Act, or "any other law related to financial dishonesty."

"If you didn't disclose this or provide this information to Elections Manitoba, there certainly would be consequences to it," Guillemard said. 

Candidates would not be required to disclose if they committed a crime as a young offender, or had been pardoned for a crime.

"What this boils down to is that voters deserve to have full knowledge of who they are voting for. This doesn't prevent people from running," Guillemard said.

Criminal records are already publicly accessible through the justice system.

"We would just be making it accessible to voters, they don't tend to take the time to do any digging," she said.

Guillemard said the bill allows for voters to know more about the people they are electing to represent them.

"If you're going to be hiding those elements of your past, it would put into question what else are you hiding, and question that trust," she said.

"I personally would not want to see someone who's been convicted of pedophilia or convicted of child abuse or certain elements like that to be put in a position where they might have access to children. We have school groups who visit us all the time at the legislature."

An attack on Wab Kinew?

One of the politicians potentially affected by the proposed change would be NDP Leader Wab Kinew, whose criminal record has repeatedly been raised by political opponents.

Kinew has been open about his past run-ins with the law, including a conviction for impaired driving and for assaulting a cab driver in his early 20s more than a decade ago — offences for which he has since received pardons.

He was given a conditional discharge in 2004 for an assault in Ontario, and was charged with assaulting his partner in 2003. The latter charge was stayed, although his former partner said last year she maintains Kinew threw her across the room.

"I wouldn't say it's an attack on Wab Kinew," Guillemard said. "In fact, I would say if this particular provision had been in place before he became a candidate, than a lot of the drama that has followed him, probably would have been averted … so it wouldn't be coming as a surprise."

When asked about the bill, Kinew said it wouldn't change how he's conducted his political career.

"I've been the first person to talk about my past in every instance and in every forum where it's been brought up and this bill wouldn't change anything in terms of my candidacy at any level," Kinew said.

He said he disclosed his past already because "Manitobans ought to know that real change is possible, that people can change their lives for the better. I think that's why all of us enter politics."

He said he isn't sure if it will discourage people from running.

"Insofar as there is value in inspiring hope in people, I agree with that. If it's about mudslinging, then I'll leave it to Manitobans to decide what they think of that."