Justice Minister, Kinew NDP Once Again Block PC Bill Against Domestic Violence
WINNIPEG — For the second time, Wab Kinew’s NDP have blocked a Progressive Conservative bill that intervenes in potential domestic and intimate partner violence.
“It is quite alarming that the Kinew government, particularly the Ministers of Justice and Families, can’t get behind such a straightforward, nonpartisan bill to protect Manitobans from harm,” said Selkirk MLA Richard Perchotte, who introduced the legislation twice. “My bill takes away a common tool that enables convicted criminal harassers to further victimize people. It intervenes before things potentially escalate into violence.”
Bill 212, The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Stalking-Related Measures), entered second reading Thursday morning. The legislation would allow courts to impose an automatic driver’s licence suspension on people convicted of criminal harassment (i.e., stalking) if a vehicle was used in the commission of the crime. The bill also authorizes police to seize and impound a vehicle if officers discover that the person using the vehicle was committing criminal harassment.
On Thursday, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe and several NDP colleagues blocked Bill 212 from moving forward. This marks the second time that the legislation was talked out by the NDP, after it was originally introduced in the spring of 2025 as Bill 236.
Stalking can be perpetrated by anyone, even complete strangers, Perchotte noted. Oftentimes, however, it is a precursor to or continuation of intimate partner violence, wherein perpetrators fixate on their partners and ex-partners in an attempt to wield control. Most often targeting women, the crime leaves victims feeling violated, isolated, and vulnerable.
According to Statistics Canada, Manitoba has seen a 35% increase in criminal harassment incidents since 2023, with a 30% year-over-year increase in 2025 alone. That year, Manitoba recorded over 440 incidents, the most in two decades. Rural Manitoba has the highest rate of intimate partner violence in all of Canada.
“Manitobans deserve to feel safe in their own homes and in the community, not in a constant state of fear of being watched, followed, or harassed,” said Perchotte. “My hope was that the NDP could put aside its political differences and work together for the sake of protecting Manitobans. What we’ve seen throughout this week—from Bill 212 to property crime to child welfare—is that the Kinew government is failing to prioritize Manitobans’ safety.”
“Victims of criminal harassment often see their concerns minimized or dismissed. We as legislators owe them better.”
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