Daudrich-led Tory party would be lovely gift for Manitoba’s NDP

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This article was published 20/02/2025 (252 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s social conservatives are excited these days.

With the rise of Trumpism south of the border and a looming federal election in Canada that could see the Conservative party win a majority government, there’s been plenty to electrify the spirits of social conservatives in Manitoba.

Which is why Wally Daudrich, a Churchill lodge owner who recently joked about releasing polar bears into downtown Winnipeg to solve the city’s homelessness problem, may have a chance of winning the Progressive Conservative party’s leadership race in Manitoba.

It will depend on how many party memberships Daudrich can sell and where the new sign-ups live.

Unlike the last Tory leadership race in 2021, narrowly won by former premier Heather Stefanson, the party will not be using a pure one-member, one-vote system. Instead, party officials have chosen a points-based model that will limit how much each constituency can influence the vote. It’s designed to prevent any constituency from unduly influencing the outcome of a leadership race through mass membership sign-ups.

The Tories were criticized in the last leadership race for what appeared to be a flurry of new sign-ups from people who bought memberships for the sole purpose of voting for leadership candidate Shelly Glover (who, among other things, actively courted the anti-vaccine vote during the COVID-19 pandemic). Glover garnered 49 per cent of the vote.

The new system is expected to mitigate that possibility this time around. But it still allows new sign-ups to influence the vote to some degree. That’s good news for a candidate such as Daudrich, who probably doesn’t have the Tory establishment vote, but could sign up enough members from across the province to tip the balance in his favour.

The candidate with the most points on April 26 wins the race.

Daudrich, a pro-lifer who has made transphobic comments, is an attractive option for Trump-loving social conservatives in Manitoba. He has the backing of party stalwart Ken Lee, who played a role in the party’s toxic and racist provincial election campaign in 2023, and is intent on “getting the woke out of schools,” which he claims is indoctrinating students.

If you’re a social conservative in Manitoba, Wally is your guy.

Of course, a Daudrich victory would be a disaster for the PCs. No party can form government in Manitoba without winning a sizable number of seats in Winnipeg which, for the most part, is made up of moderate, progressive voters.

While the Tories normally poll well in most of rural Manitoba, they typically need to tie, or come close to tying, the NDP in Winnipeg to win government.

That would be virtually impossible for a party led by someone like Daudrich.

The Tories were nearly wiped off the electoral map in Winnipeg in the last election. It was further evidence that Trump-like campaign tactics don’t work in the capital city.

But that doesn’t seem to matter to the people behind the Daudrich campaign, who are deluded into thinking they can convince enough voters in Winnipeg (and other, more progressive, parts of Manitoba) to elect a socially conservative Tory government.

They are so exhilarated with the success of the ultra-right in the U.S. (which is quickly turning into all-out fascism) and with the possibility of a Conservative win at the federal level (although that seems very fluid at the moment), that they believe it could translate into victory for them in Manitoba. It wouldn’t. Not even close.

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It’s unclear how the Tories’ new points-based system will impact the outcome of the leadership race. It may be enough to prevent a takeover of the party by members on the far right. But if it isn’t, the party is in big trouble.

Naturally, the prospect of a Daudrich victory is good news for the NDP, because it would ensure a long reign in office for the party.

The fact the Tories’ leadership election committee even allowed Daudrich to run (after disqualifying Ken Lee from running in 2021) is a sign that party brass are willing to flirt with the kind of social conservatism Daudrich is peddling. That should be very troubling to moderate conservatives.

The more Daudrich speaks, the better it is for the NDP. If the polar bear tour company owner wins, it will be catastrophic for the PC party.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

Tom Brodbeck
Columnist

Tom Brodbeck is an award-winning author and columnist with over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom.

Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are 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.