PC leadership hopeful Khan breaks with interim leader, won't call refusal to search landfill a mistake
CBC
Manitoba Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Obby Khan has declined to support his interim party leader's declaration it was a mistake for the former PC government to refuse to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of murdered First Nations women.
Fort Whyte MLA Obby Khan said Friday the decision made by former premier Heather Stefanson's PC government was based on information it possessed at the time, even though he said hindsight is 20/20 and he believes his former government displayed a lack of empathy and compassion in the way it communicated that decision.
Khan's opponent, hotelier Wally Daudrich, said he would have been "all in" on a landfill search but would have enlisted the private sector to help fund it to reduce financial burden on the government.
On Wednesday, the first day of a new sitting of the Manitoba Legislature, interim PC Leader Wayne Ewasko rose in the chamber and apologized to the families of four women murdered by serial killer Jeremy Skibicki in 2022 for refusing to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of two of his victims, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran.
"Honourable Speaker, our government erred. It's as simple as that," Ewasko said during question period on March 5, one week after two sets of human remains were discovered as part of a landfill search initiated by Wab Kinew's NDP government.
"We went forward and followed advice to emphasize prosecution above all," Ewasko said. "We lost our way in regards to empathy and also lost our way in regards to closure being brought forward to the families of the victims."
After Ewasko's apology, Khan refused to say whether he supported it, adding he would provide an opinion following the conclusion of the PC leadership race on April 26.
The MLA relented two days later, stating in an interview that Ewasko was right to apologize for the party's messaging and communications about the landfill search — but would not say the Stefanson government made a mistake by refusing to conduct the search.
"I think the decision that was made at the time was based on the information that was presented at that time. I think if you can now look in hindsight, and say the information that's now available to us and what can be done would have favoured a different response at that time," Khan said Friday in an interview in Winnipeg.
"I think at that time the advice was justice for the families is is what needs to be done, justice and the criminal case was still happening at that time," said Khan, noting a search of the landfill did not begin in earnest until Skibicki was convicted for the murders of Harris, Myran, Rebecca Contois and a woman granted the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
"The NDP did not start the dig until after the case was ruled on and justice was served to the family. Hindsight is always 20/20," Khan said.
Khan was a member of the PC caucus when the Stefanson government made its decision not to search the landfill.
Daudrich, who does not have a seat in the legislature, said Friday he would have been "all in" on a landfill search, noting he has four daughters.
"I can't imagine thinking about losing one of my children and especially under the circumstances that some of these people have lost their daughters," Daudrich said in an interview in the R.M. of Stanley.
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