Latest news with #ManitobaProgressiveConservatives
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Opinion: Letters, June 10
Opinion Rent problems Re: Finding what's missing in the Winnipeg housing marke t (Think Tank, June 9) While Mr. Bellamy identifies the problem of affordable housing, I am disheartened at the lack of analysis of how families seeking ownership, as opposed to eternal status as tenants, can afford to bid against commercial developers who will now be able to bid for essentially every property in Winnipeg as a tear-down to construct multi-family revenue-generating 'middle housing.' The law of unintended consequences may then obtain with ever higher rents when the option of ownership further recedes into the economic distance, given that individuals bidding against investors will be at tremendous economic disadvantage. Mr. Bellamy is suggesting a market-based solution, when all the fundamentals of present concentration of ownership in the commercial residential tenancy market tends toward rent controls as essentially ineffective in the new construction market. Norman Rosenbaum Winnipeg Khan's claims Re: Seeking a reset on 'parental rights' and landfill snafus (June 7) Although Obby Khan was deeply involved in the 2023 provincial government that saw the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives decimated at the polls, he now purports that he was unaware of the meaning of the right-wing soundbite decrying that 'parental rights' were in danger, i.e. that the LGBTTQ+ community had no right to self-determination. Apparently, he was far too busy to attend any of this year's Pride activities, and besides pointing to his taxing schedule, tried to explain his absence by saying that no one in his party had received an invitation to any activity. Newsflash: no one needs an invitation to participate in Pride activities. During the campaign, his silence regarding the 'Stand firm' soundbite is equally telling. His party took the official stance of refusing to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women who police presumed were victims of an alleged serial killer. This was a central plank in his party's campaign. Remaining silent in the face of clear racism does not absolve his tacit complicitly in promoting that horrific message. The remains of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris were later found, thanks to the humanity and commitment of the Manitoba NDP. Does Khan not know that his pants are on fire, for all to see? A veritable inferno. Kenneth Meadwell Winnipeg I find it interesting that Obby Khan, the newly elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party states that he has had an 'a-ha' moment when it comes to his stance on parental rights and support (or lack of support) for the LGBTTQ+ community. First, he explains his position of being the champion of the parental rights movement as not really understanding the meaning or the extent of that movement as being anti-LGBTTQ+ and now he wants to apologize to anyone who though he was promoting a hate concept. Along with many other Winnipeggers, I saw Mr. Khan leading that huge parental rights demonstration down Broadway and it was clear that it was anti-LGBTTQ+. So I don't believe that excuse for a minute. Second, Mr. Khan and his entire PC caucus just voted against Bill 43 which would add Gender Expression to Manitoba's Human Rights code. This would not only ensure individuals are not discriminated against based on how they express their gender, but also bring the code in line with almost all other provinces and territories in Canada. Every PC caucus member voted against Bill 43 with Mr. Khan again leading the way. Don't believe this party has changed their stance on anything. Their 'apologies' are not lining up with their actions. Melissa Dvorak Winnipeg Khan really can't win this one. Either he knew and went along with it or he didn't think to google the phrase they were going to put beside his likeness and plaster all over certain areas of Winnipeg before agreeing to it. Either way, it demonstrates a level of cruelty or incompetence. One could also look to where the concentration of those ads were going to be the highest and should have asked a few other questions. Like, why are we targeting these areas with these ads? Answers to those questions should have raised concerns as well and maybe prompted another visit to the Google machine in hopes of generating possible eye-opening results. Regardless, his lack of interest in the power of language doesn't make for a great leader. And definitely doesn't signal a change in the party. From Pallister's 'All Lives Matter' comment to Stefenson's 'And that's where I draw the line' the PCs really need people who understand that words matter. They have staying power. And in Khan's case, they have sticking power. His words do stick with voters. And to date, none of them in a good way. For those reasons I do believe that if a provincial election were held tomorrow, Khan would end up with one more thing in common with Pierre Poilievre: he'd be a party leader without a seat. Brian Spencler Winnipeg HBC's legacy In 1821, the North West Company was absorbed into the Hudson's Bay Company and its name put to rest. In 1987, the HBC shed its Northern Stores Division, which subsequently became the revived North West Company. Knowing these facts may comfort those, including myself, who lament the loss of the iconic Bay, in at least two ways. First is the idea that it may one day, perhaps in the far future, be itself revived in some form, as had been the NWC. Second, and more immediate, is the knowledge that the NWC carries a lot of the history of the HBC; it is not completely lost. It is as yet unclear exactly what meaning or resonance the HBC Stripes, as sold by Canadian Tire, will have, but I hope they prove to be, in the near future, another source of comfort and historical continuity for all who miss the Bay. Conrad Padilla Winnipeg Time for an inquiry Re: Bureaucrats must also be accountable (Think Tank, June 7) David McLaughlin's article on Manitoba's ethics commissioner report shows a clear case of broken governance and the need for Premier Wab Kinew to call for a full, independent public inquiry into the Sio Silica file. For decades, organizations have been calling for meaningful reform of Manitoba's environmental assessment and licensing regime under the Environment Act. Reforms that ensure for independent evidence-based decision making, an accountable public service and a transparent process are required to bring about proper oversight and good governance. Strengthening our environmental and mineral law and policy will prevent the 'fear or favour' culture and political back-door dealings identified in the report. The government's handling of the Sio Silica development since 2016 exemplifies the 'capture in ideas and implementation and an unhealthy accommodation of 'getting along to go along.'' Until an inquiry and meaningful reform occurs, Manitobans will continue to have no confidence in our government nor our environmental regulatory and enforcement processes. Tangi Bell Anola
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘We are setting a new tone'
Newly minted Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan apologized Monday to the families of four serial killer victims — and all Manitobans — after his government's previous campaign not to search a landfill for their remains. 'Today it is fitting that my first opportunity to address the house is Red Dress Day honouring the memories of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,' Khan told the house Monday. 'As the new PC leader, this is now on me to carry and move forward in humility, in humbleness and in kindness in an unwavering love and belief that when we come together under one big tent, we are all better for it.' The Fort Whyte MLA made his legislative debut as Opposition leader after narrowly defeating Churchill lodge owner Wally Daudrich for the Tory leadership last last month. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS New leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, Obby Khan, speaks in the chamber at the Manitoba Legislative Building where he apologized to the families of four serial killer victims after previous Conservative government's campaign not to search a landfill for their remains. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS New leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, Obby Khan, speaks in the chamber at the Manitoba Legislative Building where he apologized to the families of four serial killer victims after previous Conservative government's campaign not to search a landfill for their remains. After question period, Khan said he instructed his staff to reach out to the families of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and Ashlee Shingoose, as well as 'many other organizations' about the apology and to request a meeting with them. Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan's apology. 'Why can't they apologize to me or my family face-to-face? And if they were really sorry, why did they deny the complaint of discrimination that I currently have open to them?' she said Monday at a Red Dress Day event. Harris filed a complaint against the party in January 2024, accusing PC officials of violating the Human Rights Code when they ran election ads proclaiming their decision not to search the Prairie Green Landfill for human remains. 'This is now on me to carry and move forward in humility, in humbleness and in kindness in an unwavering love and belief that when we come together under one big tent, we are all better for it.'–Obby Khan The complaint is currently in mediation, Harris said. '(Khan) can apologize to whomever, but the fact is that there is repercussions, and there is emotional turmoil and damage that their party has caused far beyond the Indigenous community, but within society now, too.' Khan took over as leader after Heather Stefanson resigned following the PCs' 2023 election loss. The Tories' campaign ads promised to 'stand firm' on the PC government's refusal to search the landfill for murder victims' remains. Wayne Ewasko, who was interim PC leader at the time, apologized March 5 for refusing to search the landfill, a week after the province announced unidentified human remains had been discovered there. The remains were since identified as belonging to Myran and Harris. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan's apology. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan's apology. Khan promised to improve 'the tone of question period' as the legislative session resumed after being on break since April 24. 'A new day has begun,' Khan told the chamber. He promised to hold the NDP government to account for what he described as its failed promises to fix health care, make life more affordable and keep Manitobans safe. Khan said the official Opposition also plans to prevent question period from descending into a ruckus, as witnessed of late. On Apr. 22, for instance, there was an uproar in the house when PC MLA Greg Nesbitt suggested a $10,205 contract for counselling services paid for by Finance Minister Adrien Sala was for his own therapy. The government said after question period that the contract was to provide counselling service for searchers looking for the human remains at the Prairie Green Landfill. '(Khan) can apologize to whomever, but the fact is that there is repercussions, and there is emotional turmoil and damage that their party has caused far beyond the Indigenous community, but within society now, too.'–Cambria Harris The next day, Nesbitt, the member for Riding Mountain, requested and received a rare apology from the speaker. Nesbitt accused speaker Tom Lindsey — the NDP MLA for Flin Flon — of taking sides, not maintaining order and allowing government benches to drown out his right to ask questions about the contract. Lindsey said he shouldn't have told Nesbitt he couldn't ask a question in the house where free speech is upheld. Nesbitt, however, was the one apologizing Monday for his 'inappropriate' choice of words in asking Sala about the contract for counselling services. The PC MLA said he apologized in person to Sala that morning and was apologizing to all members publicly in the chamber for 'any unintended consequences of the way my questions were worded.' Khan said he didn't ask Nesbitt to apologize. 'Greg (Nesbitt) came to me and said he wants to do this. He thought it was the right thing to do,' Khan told reporters. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. 'Of course, I support him as the leader and also, the greater picture is it is signifying a real change in the PC Party Manitoba. We are setting a new tone.' Sala said he accepts Nesbitt's apology, 'but this isn't about me,' the finance minister said outside the chamber. 'I think the proper thing to do here is to ensure that those landfill workers who are the recipients of those supports hear an apology from him and their team,' Sala said. — with files from Nicole Buffie Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Manitoba PC leadership race data suggests Khan puts party in position to improve in Winnipeg, Brandon
Obby Khan campaigned to lead Manitoba Progressive Conservatives on the basis he'd improve the party's fortunes among urban voters. The results of Manitoba's PC leadership race indicate the Fort Whyte MLA was indeed more popular among party members in Winnipeg and Brandon than Wally Daudrich, his sole competitor in the race. Khan won the Official Opposition party's leadership contest on Saturday by securing more points under a weighted ballot system, even though Daudrich earned more actual votes. The race was close, regardless of the metric. Under the weighted system, which awarded points to each of Manitoba's 57 constituencies based on the number of votes cast by PC members in those areas, Khan racked up 2,198.8 points compared to Daudrich's 2,163.2. Daudrich won the raw vote by 53 ballots, with 3,387 votes to Khan's 3,334. The race was not close at all when you look at constituencies in Winnipeg and Brandon alone. According to voting data posted on the party's website, Khan was by far the more popular candidate in Winnipeg. He received more votes than Daudrich in 25 out of 32 Winnipeg constituencies. Khan beat Daudrich by the largest margins in suburban Winnipeg constituencies such as The Maples, Waverley and his home constituency of Fort Whyte. The only corner of Winnipeg where Daudrich proved more popular was a seven-constituency crescent of the city's northeast quadrant. If Winnipeg voters in general follow that pattern, the party could do better in Winnipeg with Khan as its leader than it would have with Daudrich in the next provincial election. Right now, the NDP holds both Waverley and The Maples. Khan's seat is one of only two the PCs have in Winnipeg (Kathleen Cook's Roblin is the other). That leaves tremendous room for a Khan-led Progressive Conservative Party to improve in Winnipeg, even though the prospect of clawing back enough seats to return to power next election is unlikely. History suggests Wab Kinew's NDP government will earn a second term regardless of the party's performance. Manitobans tend to be forgiving toward new governments: The last one to suffer defeat after a single term was Sterling Lyon's Progressive Conservative government, which was in power from 1977 to 1981. Daudrich more popular in rural areas The PC leadership race data also shows Khan won both of the constituencies in Brandon, whose demographics are somewhat similar to those in Winnipeg. While Brandon East generally prefers the NDP, Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservatives won both this riding and Brandon West in both the 2016 and 2019 provincial elections. In non-urban Manitoba constituencies, Daudrich was the more popular candidate in the PC leadership race. He won 20 out of 23 constituencies located entirely outside Winnipeg and Brandon. He earned his largest percentage of the vote in the rural constituencies of Dawson Trail, Turtle Mountain and La Verendrye, all solidly PC constituencies over the past decade. In other words, Daudrich did best in areas that are unlikely to ever vote NDP. Khan did better where the PCs need to grow. So on the basis of numbers alone, Khan presents the party with a better chance of whittling away at the NDP's seat count in the future. The question is whether he can actually do so. Khan said the first step in that task is rebuilding trust with voters, particularly in Winnipeg. "We have some work to do as a party to rebuild that trust. We've got to rebuild that relationship," he said Wednesday in an interview. Asked whether that rebuilding requires a more vociferous disavowal of the party's mean-spirited 2023 election campaign than Manitobans have heard from him before, Khan suggested that may be on the way. "I have a lot more to say on a lot of things that have happened in the past with this party," he said, promising more specifics later. Khan is vulnerable here on two main fronts. He did not offer full-throated support when interim PC leader Wayne Ewasko apologized for Heather Stefanson's refusal to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of murdered First Nations women. He also did not fully distance himself from his own role in the 2023 provincial election, when he served as the face of his party's vague promise to bolster "parental rights." In an interview in March, Khan said he was not aware the term may be seen as a transphobic dogwhistle when the campaign was underway. "I was aware after the campaign, actually, that some people would use that as a dog whistle. It was not my intent at all. I don't believe in that at all," Khan said on March 7. The NDP revisited Khan's track record in an attack website that went online minutes after Khan won the PC leadership race. Premier Wab Kinew, however, has not spoken to CBC News about Khan since the PC leadership race concluded on Saturday. Kinew and Khan will face each other as party leaders for the first time when the legislative session resumes on Monday — the first day Khan will have the chance to embark upon his stated mission of making his party more palatable in areas of the province with more pavement than prairie grass.
Winnipeg Free Press
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Khan vows to build bridges after nail-biting PC leadership win
Manitoba Progressive Conservatives elected Obby Khan to lead the party in a tight race that saw the MLA for Fort Whyte eke out a win over Wally Daudrich with 50.4 per cent of the points available. Daudrich, the Churchill lodge owner who was seen as a longshot challenger against the establishment candidate, received 49.6 per cent of the points awarded. 'Wow,' Khan told the 320 PC supporters gathered at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg Saturday, some of whom were on their feet cheering while others sat stonefaced. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Candidate Obby Khan speaks at the PC leadership debate at the Caboto Centre in Winnipeg on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. The PC party website showed Daudrich received 53 more votes than Khan but under the party's new system that awards points to each constituency based on the number of votes cast, Khan narrowly won. After the tense, close finish was announced, Khan said he needed to catch his breath. 'That was more exciting than running out of the tunnel for a Grey Cup game,' the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman quipped. 'I actually won this, for once!' Khan thanked his young son, Sufi, supporters, volunteers and Daudrich for putting his name forward. He said he would reach out to all party members to unite in defeating the NDP government in the next election, expected in 2027. The PCs lost the October 2023 general election and hold 20 of the 57 seats in the Manitoba legislature. 'It's thrilling to look around this room tonight and see a different party coming together,' said Khan, who was first elected MLA in a March 2022 byelection called after former premier Brian Pallister vacated the seat. 'To see new members, young members, old members — everyone coming together — it is truly a big tent party from all geographical areas in this province,' he said. 'It's thrilling to look around this room tonight and see a different party coming together.'–Obby Khan 'I understand we might not always agree — I've said this numerous times on the campaign trail — and that's OK. 'As long as we are open and honest and respectful, we can have those conversations and we can move together forward as one Progressive Conservative party.' Daudrich left without speaking to the party faithful or reporters after the results were announced. Asked if Daudrich conceded defeat, campaign spokesman Mike Patton did not answer the question but said in an email that '100 per cent it was a fair and equitable process.' The last PC leadership race in October 2021 saw then-Tuxedo MLA Heather Stefanson narrowly defeat challenger Shelly Glover by 363 votes. Glover, a former Winnipeg police officer and MP did not initially concede defeat but later unsuccessfully challenged leadership election 'irregularities' in court. Khan told reporters Saturday night that he spoke to Daudrich after the results were announced. 'Wally and I had a nice conversation in the hallway after they announced it,' Khan said. 'I gave him a nice, big hug. We exchanged some pleasantries with one another,' he said. 'I will definitely reach out to him and work on building that bridge within our party,' Khan said. 'We are going to win government by addition, not subtraction.' MIKAELA MACKENZIE/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Wally Daudrich is suing the provincial government, saying revoking two ecotourism licences was unlawful. Daudrich has spoken out against reproductive rights and free prescription birth control. In the last provincial election, Khan supported 'parental rights,' a term critics alleged was a thinly veiled code for a toxic anti-LGBTTQ+ movement. Khan has also mused about giving one per cent of the provincial sales tax to help fund municipalities. Daudrich's campaign spokesman said Daudrich hasn't decided if he will seek the PC nomination to run in Spruce Woods, after previously saying he would. That seat was vacated recently after PC MLA Grant Jackson quit to run for the federal party in Brandon-Souris. Khan didn't directly answer if he would support Daudrich getting the PC nod to run in that byelection, which must be called by October. 'Now that I'm leader, I have a lot of work to do. I have to look into all that stuff,' Khan said. 'There's a nomination process. You have to meet those requirements. I believe that if people want to run in that seat, then they should be allowed to run in that seat, so as long as you meet those requirements.' Khan's win is likely good for the party's chances in a general election, said University of Manitoba political studies adjunct Prof. Christopher Adams. 'Looking at this, there was a sense that the party has two wings to it: the rural, more right of centre and the urban, more centrist wing,' Adams said Saturday night. 'I think here we see the urban centrist side of the party came through,' said Adams. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 'I think for the party's future, having Obby Khan as the leader is probably a good thing for the party because you have to win Winnipeg if you want to win government.' The NDP caucus jumped on the results of the tight race, issuing a news release pointing to Tory division. 'Obby Khan won the PC leadership by a razor's edge, earning just 0.8 per cent more than his opponent Wally Daudrich,' it said. 'The result is less than Heather Stefanson's margin of victory — it's clear the Progressive Conservative party is more divided than ever.' Khan replaces interim leader Wayne Ewasko, who held the position since Stefanson stepped down in January 2024. Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Manitoba Progressive Conservatives choose Obby Khan as new party leader
Manitoba Progressive Conservatives have narrowly selected Fort Whyte MLA Obby Khan to serve as the party's new leader. After a six-month leadership contest, Khan defeated Wally Daudrich, who owns a hotel and ecotourism business in Churchill, in a vote conducted through mail-in ballots. Khan won 2,198 points in the weighted ballot to Daudrich's 2,163, the Official Opposition party announced Saturday at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg. Khan's victory gave him 50.4 per cent of the available points. The leadership contest was sparked when former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson stepped down as party leader in early 2024, months after her PCs lost the fall 2023 provincial election to Wab Kinew's NDP. Following her departure, the party appointed Lac du Bonnet MLA Wayne Ewasko as interim leader and decided on a lengthy contest to select a new permanent one. The party gave prospective contestants six months to sign up for the race and another six months to campaign, partly to avoid a repeat of the party's disputed 2021 leadership race between Stefanson and former Conservative MP Shelly Glover. Khan, who was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature in a 2022 byelection, was endorsed by 10 out of 20 members of the PC caucus ahead of Saturday's vote. During the lengthy leadership race, he positioned himself as better able to lead the opposition party out of the political wilderness on the basis he already has a seat in the legislature. Khan made few policy announcements during the campaign. He promised to pursue more public-private partnerships within the health-care system and provide municipalities with an undisclosed portion of provincial sales tax revenue. Daudrich, who plans to run in the forthcoming Manitoba byelection in Spruce Woods, did not receive endorsements from any members of the PC caucus. Early in the campaign, he described some PC MLAs as lazy and but declined to name the elected officials in question. During the campaign, Daudrich positioned himself as the more conservative of the two candidates and mused about removing the word "progressive" from the party name. Daudrich promised to fast-track the development of Manitoba mines and build a second port on Hudson Bay, claiming European customers would foot the bill for the proposed megaproject. The Progressive Conservatives currently hold 20 seats in the 57-seat Manitoba Legislature, while the governing NDP holds 34.
