Manitoba PCs choose Narth as interim leader; Khan blasts former caucus colleagues

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives have chosen Konrad Narth as their interim party leader after the sudden resignation of Obby Khan.

Narth, who represents La Vérendrye in the province’s southeast, was chosen in a closed-door caucus meeting Tuesday morning.

Khan announced late Monday afternoon that he was quitting caucus and will sit in the legislature as an independent MLA.

“We’re not fractured,” Narth said shortly after being selected and just hours before the legislature resumed sitting after a summer break of nearly four months.

Khan resigned despite winning a caucus confidence vote Friday, saying despite the outcome there were members plotting to oust him.

The former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman said there were 13 votes for him to remain and six against, with one person absent.

Khan came out swinging against some of his former colleagues during an interview with CJOB Tuesday morning.

He said Kathleen Cook (Roblin), Richard Perchotte (Selkirk), Lauren Stone (Midland) and Jodie Byram (Agassiz) were among the Tory MLAs who were planning to meet in secret Monday night in an effort to subvert Friday’s confidence vote.

Khan said constituents deserve to know which of their elected representatives “lacked moral integrity.”

His successor pushed back.

“I have complete confidence that we have an extremely morally grounded caucus that is committed to doing the right things for Manitoba above and beyond any of their personal interests,” Narth said after the Tory caucus meeting.

“It’s very concerning to me that (Khan) would make those comments, because I stand 100 per cent behind all of our caucus…” he said. “We have people that are truly passionate on making Manitoba a better place and effectively representing the great people that have selected them to serve in those roles. We need to start taking that a lot more serious.”

In his Monday resignation speech, Khan thanked several Tory MLAs for supporting him, including Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach), Ron Schuler (Springfield-Ritchot), Rick Wowchuk (Swan River), Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain), Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli), Trevor King (Lakeside) and Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods).

Johnson, Nesbitt and Robbins were the only MLAs among that group who attended the news conference announcing Narth’s interim leadership.

In a release, Narth thanked the former leader for his service — without naming Khan — adding “I believe that there’s a better path forward for this province, and Progressive Conservatives are committed to showing Manitobans exactly what that looks like.”

The next provincial election is due by Oct. 5, 2027 but there have been rumblings that Premier Wab Kinew could decide to send Manitobans to the polls as soon as the spring.

The PC campaign director who resigned Friday after the confidence vote said the former leader’s decision to use Tuesday’s radio interview to publicly criticize those who didn’t support him illustrates the problem.

“I think it’s evident from the behaviours over the past couple of days why it was was hard to stay,” Stephen Carter said from Calgary. “This wasn’t the caucus’s problem. This was a leadership problem. If, in some fashion, I helped make that real by leaving, then I’m glad that I did.”

Narth said he has no plans to run for the leadership on a permanent basis.

“I’m here to continue moving us forward to find a new leader that will be the next premier of Manitoba,” he said.

The party hasn’t announced plans for a leadership race.

— With files from Nicole Buffie, The Canadian Press

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca