If elected, Daudrich to push for Westman oil refinery

BRANDON — Wally Daudrich said Tuesday if he becomes the MLA for Turtle Mountain, he’ll push for construction of an oil refinery in Manitoba’s oil patch.

“I don’t see why Manitoba is burning a single drop of oil or using natural gas from outside Manitoba,” the former Progressive Conservative leadership candidate told the Brandon Sun.

“Why can’t we have a refinery, for instance, right here just south of Brandon, and all that oil and natural gas, because it’s there? It just needs the infrastructure.”

Building that infrastructure and relying only on Manitoba energy is “100 per cent” possible, he said, because a PC government under Leader Obby Khan could eliminate regulations that hold that back, he said.

Daudrich announced last week he would seek the Progressive Conservative nomination in Turtle Mountain after current MLA Doyle Piwniuk said last month he would retire from politics at the end of his term.

Daudrich said he had been approached by Piwniuk before the fall about running in the Tory stronghold. He had asked Khan for the PC nomination in Spruce Woods, a seat that includes part of Brandon and the rural area surrounding it, but was turned down.

Although Daudrich received more votes than Khan in the spring leadership contest, Khan won because votes were weighted by constituency.

Daudrich called Manitoba a “third-tier province” and said he wants to turn that around, which echoes Premier Wab Kinew’s stated goal of turning Manitoba into a “have” province.

“We are living on the good graces of our neighbours in Saskatchewan and Alberta and British Columbia, which actually pay into this equalization fund. I want to bring us to a place where we’re actually off the welfare scheme and paying into it rather than taking from it.”

Daudrich came under fire during the leadership campaign when he joked he would let polar bears loose outside the legislature as a way to combat homelessness.

He owns a hotel and ecotourism company in Churchill and splits his time between Churchill and the Morden area. He said he wants to run in Turtle Mountain because he lives very close to the eastern edge of the constituency and he conducts business in the area.

“I do represent the values of southern Manitoba and southwestern Manitoba. And a lot of my (leadership) platform — my rural platform — was specifically geared towards this riding because I knew at some point I would be running here,” Daudrich said, adding he plans to campaign aggressively and sign up new members.

Daudrich received 80 per cent of the vote in Turtle Mountain during the leadership contest, but said he “doesn’t take it for granted” against potential opponents.

In a PC government under Khan, Daudrich said he would like to be infrastructure minister.

He said Khan has been making changes since he became leader and that “we’ll see where it goes,” adding that data shows Khan is moving in a positive direction.

A request for comment from Khan about Daudrich running for the PCs in Turtle Mountain wasn’t answered.

A party spokesperson said the PCs are accepting nominations for some constituencies.

“There are no nomination races announced yet, and 2027 is long way off, but if people are interested in running in a non-held riding, or a riding with a retiring MLA, they are encouraged to contact the PC party,” the spokesperson said.

Daudrich said he submitted his paperwork for the Turtle Mountain nomination last week.

He said other people have indicated to him they might contest the PC nomination, but he has heard nothing concrete.

In addition to Piwniuk, PC MLAs Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach) and Ron Schuler (Springfield-Ritchot) have announced they will retire at the end of their terms.

The next election is slated for October 2027.

In the fall, Kinew hinted at calling an election before that time but said in November he’s “not thinking about an early election.”

In the last two provincial elections in Turtle Mountain, in 2019 and 2023, Piwniuk received 67 and 55 per cent of the vote, respectively. The constituency was reconstituted ahead of the 2019 election.

— Brandon Sun