Manitoba NDP, Tories in spat over ‘waah waah’ sound made during afternoon bill debate

WINNIPEG — Manitoba legislature members are sparring over the meaning behind a “waah waah” noise that sounded like a baby crying.

Opposition Tory Jeff Wharton made the noise during a debate Tuesday over a bill that would allow judges to weigh in if the Manitoba government ever invokes the notwithstanding clause.

Premier Wab Kinew was speaking at the time.

He accused the Tories of being entitled, said New Democrats had to work for what they have, and that in living memory, some people could not vote.

Wharton said “waah waah,” and Kinew later said Wharton was being disrespectful about Canadian history and the fact that Kinew’s father, as a First Nations man, was not allowed to vote as a young man.

Wharton said his noise was not aimed at Kinew’s father, but rather at Kinew’s comments that the Tories are entitled while the NDP are hard-working.

“The first minister at the time (was) talking about his colleagues and how they’re working so hard and doing things for Manitobans, and simply that’s not the case,” Wharton said Wednesday, one day after the incident.

The NDP’s deputy house leader did not agree with Wharton’s take, and called his noise “childish mockery.”

“We were talking about First Nations people in our province and our country not having the ability to vote … and there was an interjection that was mocking that statement,” said David Pankratz, who took to social media to complain about Wharton’s noise.

The dispute came during a legislature session already marked by shouting and heckling and warnings from Speaker Tom Lindsey to behave better.

Insults have been flying back and forth. Kinew earlier this week called former premier Heather Stefanson “degenerate.” Tory Wayne Ewasko said Kinew will go down in history as the only premier charged with domestic violence. Kinew was charged with assaulting a woman in 2003. The charges were later stayed and Kinew has denied the accusation.

One New Democrat returned the “waah waah” sound to Wharton while he was speaking later in the chamber.

Lindsey reiterated his appeal for better decorum Wednesday.

“The behaviour on display from both sides of this chamber was, quite frankly, disgraceful,” Lindsey said.

“This has to stop. We have to show the people of Manitoba that we are better than this.”

The legislature session is scheduled to end next week, and the NDP has been trying to push through a bill that would allow people intoxicated on methamphetamines and other drugs to be detained up to 72 hours. The Tories have proposed amendments and denied a request to sit late into the night Wednesday to pass the bill.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2025.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press