ManitobaA Manitoba judge is weighing how far Winnipeg city councillors can go when speaking publicly about senior civil servants, as Coun. Russ Wyatt attempts to overturn a reprimand issued against him last year for comments he made about the city’s former chief administrative officer.Councillor argues reprimand could have ‘chilling effect’ Cameron MacLean · CBC News · Posted: Nov 21, 2025 7:54 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Russ Wyatt wants a Manitoba judge to quash an integrity report that concluded he harassed the former CAO of the City of Winnipeg. (Gary Solilak/CBC)A Manitoba judge is weighing how far Winnipeg city councillors can go when speaking publicly about senior civil servants, as Coun. Russ Wyatt attempts to overturn a reprimand issued against him last year for comments he made about the city’s former chief administrative officer.Wyatt appeared in Court of King’s Bench on Friday, asking Justice Christian Monnin to quash an integrity commissioner’s finding that he harassed former CAO Michael Jack. The ruling stemmed from comments Wyatt made to CBC News in 2023, when he said he would bring a motion to fire Jack if the city did not dismiss a planner named in the Parker Lands lawsuit, a case that led to a judge ordering the city to pay developer Andrew Marquess $5 million. A Manitoba appeal court judge overturned that decision earlier this year. The developer has applied for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.Jamie Pytel — the City of Edmonton’s ethics commissioner, brought in as an external investigator — concluded that Wyatt’s public comments amounted to harassment, violating council’s code of conduct, and council voted to reprimand him in November 2024.Wyatt argued the finding was an overreach that could have a “chilling effect” on the ability of councillors to speak openly.Speaking to reporters after the hearing, he said councillors outside the mayor’s inner circle depend on the media to raise matters of public importance. “So now, if I can’t even say that publicly — that I’m planning to bring a motion forward in advance, what am I gonna do, just walk on the floor of council the day of?” he said outside the courtroom.Wyatt added his comments were “not made as a threat,” but “to just say this is what has to happen to bring accountability back to City Hall.… If I can’t even do that, and it has to be done in closed-door sessions or secret sessions or private meetings … we’ve really lost something in our community.”Comments improperly pressured CAO: city lawyerWyatt’s lawyer, Kevin Toyne, told the court that councillors have a responsibility to speak openly about matters involving the city’s administration, and that the integrity commissioner failed to properly analyze the context of the comments or consider less severe measures before recommending a reprimand.He also argued the judge’s decision could have implications for other municipal councils, many of which have adopted similar codes of conduct to Winnipeg’s.Lawyer Greg Tramley, representing the city, argued Wyatt’s statements went beyond expressing an opinion, and instead placed improper pressure on the city’s most senior employee during an active legal file involving the Parker Lands development.“You’re not allowed under the code [of conduct] to threaten an employee to fire them if they don’t do A and they don’t do B. That’s a violation of the code,” Tramley told Monnin.He added that Wyatt had numerous other avenues available to him, including speaking directly with Jack, raising the matter with the mayor, or bringing the issue to council or a standing committee, where it could be debated openly or in-camera.The integrity commissioner’s report found that Wyatt’s comments suggested Jack did not “know what he was doing,” accused him of using a potential appeal as a “delay tactic,” and publicly warned he would bring forward a motion to fire him at the next council meeting if he did not act. The commissioner concluded Jack could reasonably interpret that as coercive, and council accepted that conclusion when it issued the reprimand.Wyatt is asking the court to quash the integrity report and order the city to cover his legal costs. Monnin has reserved his decision.WATCH | Transcona councillor challenges reprimand for comments about former CAO:Transcona councillor challenges reprimand for comments about former CAORuss Wyatt is asking a judge to quash an integrity commissioner’s finding that he violated city council’s code of conduct when he publicly called for the City of Winnipeg’s CAO to be removed. ABOUT THE AUTHORCameron MacLean is a journalist for CBC Manitoba living in Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He has more than a decade of experience reporting in the city and across Manitoba, covering a wide range of topics, including courts, politics, housing, arts, health and breaking news. Email story tips to cameron.maclean@cbc.ca.
Winnipeg councillor Wyatt argues free speech at stake in court challenge of integrity report
