Ethics commisioner tells Manitoba premier not to write new books, promote old ones while in office | CBC News

Manitoba’s ethics commissioner has told Premier Wab Kinew he must not submit new books or promote his existing publications while he remains in office.

In a letter dated Nov. 2, provincial ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor advised Kinew he must scale back his work as an author while he serves as premier.

“You must not submit anything further for publication while you are premier, unless it is related to your official powers, duties or functions,” Schnoor wrote in the letter, which Kinew’s office provided to CBC News.

Kinew is the author of one work of non-fiction, a 2015 memoir called The Reason You Walk, as well as three works of fiction: the children’s book Go Show The World, released in 2018, and the young adult fantasy novels Walking In Two Worlds and The Everlasting Road, released in 2021 and early 2023.

Schnoor instructed Kinew not to engage in any activities intended to promote these books and to instruct his publisher to refrain from identifying him as the premier of Manitoba in any promotional activities.

The ethics commissioner also instructed Kinew not to take any action as premier that would affect the publishing industry.

Kinew “must not make a decision or participate in making a decision that would materially and specifically affect the book publishing industry, including print and other modes or media of publication,” or use his position “to influence such a decision,” Schnoor wrote.

The commissioner also told Kinew to ensure senior provincial staff do not advise him of any matters relating to book publishing.

The premier is free, however, to continue earning royalties from existing books, the commissioner ruled.

Kinew earned more than half of his income from book royalties and speaking engagements in 2016, the year he became an MLA, according to a tax return he released to reporters.

He ratcheted down his speaking engagements but continued to submit books while he was in office. He became leader of the NDP while in Opposition in 2017, and became premier after his party won this year’s October election.

Kinew said he welcomes the ruling from the ethics commissioner.

“Being the premier is job one and my only job right now, and I think it’s important, in the spirit of transparency, to share with the people of Manitoba that the ethics commissioner has given me this advice,” Kinew said in an interview last week.