Wab Kinew must remove Nahanni Fontaine from office immediately

There comes a point when enough is enough. Manitoba has reached that point. The people of this province deserve better than a government minister posting hateful, vindictive comments about a man who was just assassinated in front of his wife and children. The victim, Charlie Kirk, was a conservative commentator. Whether you agreed with his views or not, he was a human being whose life was stolen in the most brutal way possible. What followed from Nahanni Fontaine, a sitting minister in the NDP government, was not empathy, was not leadership, and was not even decency. It was a disgrace.

Her Instagram post called Kirk a racist, xenophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, sexist, white nationalist mouthpiece who made millions inciting hate. She went on to say she extended “absolutely no empathy” to him, only to his children, before calling for a country opposite to everything Kirk stood for. Think about that. This wasn’t some anonymous online troll spewing vitriol. This was a minister of the Crown in Manitoba, a person paid by taxpayers to represent us, publicly celebrating the death of a man killed for his beliefs.

And here is what makes her attack all the more appalling: Kirk often argued that dialogue—even with those we profoundly disagree with—was the antidote to extremism. Agree or disagree with his politics, his call for courage and dialogue resonates with particular urgency now. That message is the very opposite of what Fontaine expressed.

This is not an isolated mistake. Fontaine has a long history of posting reckless and divisive comments. Not long ago she mocked a person she shared a stage with because of their use of American Sign Language. She has repeatedly lashed out at people online, framing herself as the victim of harassment and bullying while dishing out venom against others. That is hypocrisy defined. I have personally been the target of Fontaine’s online attacks when I sat in the Legislature, and I have seen her demean people who simply disagreed with her. These are not the actions of someone fit to hold public office.

It does not matter what you think of Charlie Kirk or his politics. It is inexcusable to publicly attack him after his murder. A man was assassinated in front of his family for his opinions. That is the reality, and it should shake every one of us to our core. If we have reached the point where elected officials gleefully mock or dismiss the death of political opponents, then we are watching the unravelling of civilization itself. I have seen plenty of disgusting commentary online over the years, but this one, coming from a minister in government, is particularly dangerous.

Nobody has the right to attack someone for their beliefs. Nobody has the right to cheer on violence against people they disagree with. That is the very foundation of democracy: the right to speak, the right to debate, the right to dissent without fear of punishment or death. And let me be absolutely clear on this point — it is never acceptable to use violence on people you disagree with. Yet, what are our political leaders doing? Too often, they fuel the very division they claim to oppose. They introduce policies that pit people against each other, they stay silent when hate comes from their own side, and they preach tolerance while practicing the opposite. This cowardice has created an environment where political violence is no longer unthinkable.

Now here we are, with a Manitoba cabinet minister embarrassing an entire province. The same Premier who swiftly removed Mark Wasyliw from caucus for far less serious comments is suddenly quiet when it comes to Fontaine. Wab Kinew has a decision to make. If he fails to act, then he and his caucus are complicit in normalizing hatred from their own ranks. Fontaine should be immediately removed from cabinet, expelled from the NDP caucus, and she should resign. Nothing less will restore any measure of integrity.

The importance of free speech cannot be overstated. Free speech is not about protecting words we agree with. It is about protecting the words we despise. It is about ensuring that even those we find offensive have the right to speak without being attacked or killed. When elected officials mock the dead and dismiss their humanity, they undermine that principle and give license to violence. The dangerous idea that “if you don’t think like me, I will cancel you” has already seeped deep into our culture. Now it is bleeding into our politics in ways that threaten to dismantle the very freedoms our democracy depends on.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in Winnipeg just this week, spoke briefly about Kirk’s assassination. His words should resonate with anyone who cares about the future of civil society. “You can have vigorous arguments without ostracization, cancellation, and ultimately, assassination,” Harper said. “We need to raise our voices and say, stop, because this is getting really scary.” Harper is right. We are at a tipping point. If we do not push back against this culture of hatred, if we allow government ministers to spew venom unchecked, then we are signalling that this is acceptable. It is not.

What has become of us? When did we start celebrating the deaths of those we disagree with? When did compassion become optional, reserved only for those who think like us? When did leadership turn into cheering for division instead of unity? These are not rhetorical questions. They are the hard truths we must face. Because if we continue down this road, there will be more division, more violence, and more families torn apart by hatred.

This is not about left or right. This is about democracy itself. It is about drawing a line and saying no, we will not allow this kind of rhetoric from our leaders. It is about demanding that politicians of all parties act with dignity, even toward those they oppose. If we cannot even expect that from our ministers, then what hope do we have of expecting it from the public?

Fontaine’s words were not just unprofessional. They were unworthy of the office she holds.

Manitoba deserves leaders who rise above the fray, who show that disagreement does not mean dehumanization, who demonstrate that free speech means tolerance, not violence. Anything less is an insult to every Manitoban who still believes in democracy.

And let us not pretend this is a closed matter. Fontaine’s comments are being circulated widely on X and Reddit, spreading far beyond our province. This is how Manitoba is being introduced to people across Canada, the United States, and beyond: through the words of a minister mocking a murdered political activist. Every share, every repost, is another stain on our reputation. Manitobans should not have to carry that burden.

The time for excuses has passed. The Premier must remove her from cabinet, eject her from caucus, and demand her resignation. Anything less is complicity. Anything less tells Manitobans that hate and hypocrisy are acceptable in government. That is not the Manitoba I believe in, and it should not be the Manitoba anyone accepts. I want to be perfectly clear: I believe this is wrong on every level, and I do not accept it and neither should you. As a post from PC MLA Kelvin Goertzen said on a post to social media showing Fontaine’s post, “Let the Premier Kinew (know) what you think of them. Email Premier@manitob.ca

A spokesperson for the Manitoba government responded to our request for comment and provided the following statement from Minister Fontaine: “I apologize for sharing a post yesterday on the murder of Charlie Kirk. Violence has no place in our democracy. Political debate is achieved with words and discussion. In a world too often divided, we should strive to show empathy to everyone, even those we don’t agree with.”

We have not yet received a response from the Premier’s office. But let’s be clear: Calling for empathy today does not erase her words from yesterday. Fontaine wrote, “I have absolutely no empathy for people like that.” That was not a slip of the tongue. That was deliberate. And no apology can rewrite the fact that she celebrated the death of a man murdered for his beliefs.

Although Premier Wab Kinew did not respond to the Winnipeg Sun’s request for comment, he told the media on Friday that he will not remove one of his ministers from cabinet over a social-media post about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Speaking at an unrelated news conference, Kinew confirmed he had spoken with Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine earlier in the day and asked her to apologize for the Instagram post.

That response is nowhere near enough. A quiet request for an apology does not match the seriousness of a minister celebrating the execution of a human being. By refusing to take stronger action, the Premier is signaling that words of hate and division are tolerable in his cabinet.