Premier accused of ducking questions on Melnick controversy

Manitoba's Opposition leader is accusing Premier Greg Selinger of hiding from questions about whether a former cabinet minister lied.

Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister says the premier has to start answering questions about whether he helped cover for former Immigration minister Christine Melnick.

An ombudsman's report last week says Melnick ordered a senior bureaucrat last year to invite immigrants and support workers to the legislature for a debate.

The finding contradicts what Melnick had told the legislature, and the ombudsman says the action created the perception of a partisan civil service.

The premier has so far declined interview requests on the matter, and told reporters last week the government was still reviewing the ombudsman's report.

Pallister says Selinger must have known Melnick was not telling the truth, and the public deserves an explanation.