Has the world gone crazy?
A political party that elected an accused wife beater as its leader is roiled by anonymous accusations that a member who is no longer in the Legislature tickled women years ago?
He not only tickled women, but threatened to tickle others. And even asked one if she liked to be tickled. What a beast!
One ex-MLA--- one of the fearless, strong, independent NDP women---has come forward to say that she, whoever she is, was tickled, too. And not once. Twice. TWICE, we say. Within four, or maybe eight, or possibly even 17 years. And nobody stopped this animal?
An army of aggrieved females has declared they will put an end to tickling in politics. Never again, they say.
But where were they when a woman came forward last year to say that her former common-law husband, Wab Kinew, dragged her along the ground by her hair to show her how a real man treats his woman.
Another time, she said, Kinew threw her across the room of their home so viciously that she suffered rug burns on her legs when she landed. Still not finished that night, he allegedly hauled her onto the balcony where, she said, she feared she was going to be thrown off to the concrete below.
Where were they? We'll tell you. They were voting to make Wab Kinew their leader.
Leader Wab now wants to be in the forefront of the battle against tickling in politics. He demanded that his predecessor quit as MLA for St. Boniface for failing to stop the monster tickler when women complained about his behaviour. He declared he would set up a two-woman commission to hear stories about tickling and other such unacceptable behaviour.
As for the allegations against him? Well...the bitch is lying. That's his message.
Except that the woman, who didn't hide behind anonymous posts on social media, went to the police with her story about her husband. They charged Kinew with domestic assault. "Minister Tickles" Stan Struthers has never been charged with anything.
Kinew denies everything. And points to the fact that the charges against him--there were two---were stayed by the Crown. That proves he didn't do it, says Kinew.
But his former common-law wife says she was fully prepared to go to court to testify to what Kinew did to her, and she had no idea why the Crown chose to stay the charges. That proves she stands behind her story.
The professional journalists in the city, who can't stop chasing the Struthers tickle stories, at first ignored the allegations of assault involving Wab Kinew.
Then they covered the woman's story, but have never demanded to hear Kinew's side of the story.
You would think that an alleged wife-beater running to lead the official Opposition would be a big story. Not in Manitoba.
"All too often, women are subjected to unacceptable behaviour. I stand with these women who've come forward..." said Bernadette Smith (NDP-Point Douglas) who issued a statement on behalf of the party.
Where was Bernadette Smith when a woman accused Wab Kinew of being a wife beater? Supporting Wab Kinew's candidacy for leader. So much for standing with the women who have come forward.
Nahanni Fontaine, another NDP MLA, said at the time of the accusations against Kinew that "I absolutely have always taken the stand that women are telling the truth." But---well---uh---she still backed Wab Kinew as leader of the NDP.
People change, she said, in defending the alleged wife-beater.
Unless, obviously, there's tickling involved.