Klein calls union’s attack ads ‘dirty politics,’ urges Gillingham to reject support

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein said attack ads from Winnipeg’s largest union are an example of “dirty politics” and verge on United States-style campaigning.

The pamphlets, signed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, show a United States flag draped behind Klein, with text stating he has sided with “the broader alt-right political movement” and defends the U.S.

“As Canadians we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. This is not the politics that we have experienced in the City of Winnipeg. This is not the type of politics we want to experience in Canada,” he said during a Tuesday news conference at his campaign headquarters.

He called on incumbent candidate Scott Gillingham to denounce the ads and reject the union’s campaign support.

“I’m calling on Scott (Gillingham) to denounce what they (the union) put up, denounce them as a support because he doesn’t support that kind of dirty politics,” Klein said.

CUPE Local 500 endorsed Gillingham’s re-election bid last week.

Colin Fast, spokesperson for Gillingham, said in an email that the incumbent candidate had “nothing to do with the flyers.”

“We do share CUPE’s concerns about Mr. Klein’s newspaper columns criticizing Canadian governments while expressing admiration for President (Donald) Trump and members of his administration,” he said.

CUPE Local 500 president Patrick Troughton said the union believes that some of Klein’s writings in the Winnipeg Sun reflect positions taken by Trump.

“If (Klein) can’t take responsibility for his own words on public record, then can Winnipeg families trust his campaign promises today?” he said in an emailed statement.

“The fact is Kevin Klein’s words, that he wrote himself in the Sun, are his personal opinion. If he does not like his own words being shared with Winnipeggers, then that’s on him.”

Aaron Moore, a political science professor at the University of Winnipeg, said the union’s tactics are risky because they rely on judgments about Klein’s views rather than using attributed quotes. The ads could also push people away from both Gillingham and the union because of the similarity to U.S political attacks.

“If they (the union) want to emphasize things they don’t like about him, focus on the policies in his platform. To me, that should be far more important to the election than their interpretation of what he represents,” Moore said.

During Tuesday’s news conference, Klein promised to create a hospital relief custody team to free Winnipeg police from having to wait with people in custody who require medical treatment.

He said the new team would use cadets, enabling officers to return to patrols. The cadets, who have lower salaries, already have training as peace officers to handle people in custody, Klein said.

Two teams would be stationed at Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital, he added.

Klein said he would ask the province to cover half of the estimated $2-million cost to hire more cadets.

Klein also suggested the city has spent roughly $111 million in single-source contracts — awarded without a bidding process — from 2023 to 2025, while Gillingham was mayor.

Fast disputed the assertion and said there are legitimate reasons for single-source contracts, such as emergencies or when only one company supplies an item or service.

Gillingham made no campaign announcements Tuesday.

On Monday, Mark Chipman, executive chairman of True North Sports and Entertainment, endorsed Gillingham. Chipman did not publicly support any mayoral candidates in the 2018 and 2022 elections.

“There’s a lot to be optimistic about in Winnipeg right now, but there’s also a lot of work ahead. I’ve seen Scott’s commitment to building a vibrant downtown and city. I have confidence in his leadership and am proud to endorse him for another term as mayor,” Chipman said in a post on Gillingham’s Instagram account.

matthew.frank@winnipegfreepress.com