Manitoba’s Opposition Progressive Conservatives lost a seat in the legislature Tuesday as three-term member Bob Lagasse announced he is leaving the Tory caucus to sit as an Independent.

Lagasse said his constituency association board is coming with him, and he plans to run in the next election, slated for October 2027, as an Independent with their support.

“There were things that were not sitting right with me, that occurred with the party itself,” Lagasse said in an interview shortly after announcing his decision in the legislature and leaving the building.

Lagasse pointed to a few incidents, including an ethics commissioner’s report last year that found three other Tories broke the conflict-of-interest law by pushing for approval of a silica sand mine near Lagasse’s Dawson Trail constituency, east of Winnipeg.

The Tories unsuccessfully pushed to get environmental approval for the project after losing the 2023 election and before the incoming NDP government could be sworn in, the ethics commissioner’s report said. One of the three Tories, Jeff Wharton, continues to sit in caucus.

“To still be sitting beside the member who directly was found in violation and not thrown out of the party … was extremely problematic for me.”

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Lagasse also cited an incident last year in which party leader Obby Khan mimicked shooting himself in the head while listening to a NDP cabinet minister in question period. Khan apologized for the gesture, but Lagasse, who has talked openly about having mental health struggles, said it was “incredibly insensitive”.

Lagasse said there were other issues, but he didn’t want to focus on Khan.

“I think it’s pretty evident by what’s been going on, how things are within the party but … I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of having a platform on this.”

Lagasse’s move comes a few days after another Tory, Richard Perchotte in Selkirk, announced he will not seek re-election because he can do more as a private citizen than as a member of the Progressive Conservative Opposition. The Tories now have 20 of the 57 legislature seats.

Khan wished Lagasse well and told reporters he would not discuss any talk with Lagasse.

“I don’t feel it is right for me to share a private conversation with anyone, let alone the media, especially about caucus issues or conversations that we’ve had,” Khan said.

“Bob served here, he did some good work here, and now I wish him nothing but the best.”

A political analyst said the change comes at a time when the Tories are trying to rebuild after losing the 2023 election. Since that vote, the Tories have lost a byelection in a traditional stronghold in the Tuxedo constituency in Winnipeg, are raising much less money that the governing New Democrats and are consistently polling behind the NDP.

“There are a lot of ominous signs that they’re not in good shape to be ready for an election,” Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Manitoba said.

Other Tories have announced they will not seek re-election, such as veteran politicians Kelvin Goertzen and Ron Schuler.

While it’s not unusual to see a Manitoba politician kicked out of caucus, the most recent case saw the NDP remove Mark Wasyliw, who sits as an Independent, in 2024, having one leave voluntarily to sit as an Independent is rare.
The New Democrats said Lagasse’s departure shows the Tories are in trouble.

“There’s something going on there, and that something, I would say … is a failure of leadership,” deputy premier Uzoma Asagwara said.

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