Former PC official Ken Lee, who opposes vaccine requirements, enters race for premier

A former Progressive Conservative party official who opposes vaccination requirements to enter businesses or work in government jobs says he is entering the race to become the party's next leader and Manitoba's premier.

Ken Lee, a chartered accountant who oversaw the selection of Brian Pallister as the party's leader in 2012, is himself poised to succeed Pallister when PC members choose a new leader on Oct. 30.

Lee is a former Manitoba PC chief financial officer who headed up the party's leadership selection process in 2011 and 2012. He claims authorship of the party's one-member, one-vote leadership-selection mechanism, along with former PC MLA Clayton Manness.

Lee also ran former city councillor Gord Steeves's unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Winnipeg in 2014 and PC MLA Janice Morley-Lecomte's two successful campaigns in the provincial Seine River constituency in 2016 and 2019.

On his campaign website, he describes himself as a proponent of "common sense conservatism" and espouses libertarian ideals.

"I have no governing experience as such. I have no political machine. I have no great profile. Not yet, at least! What I do have is a lifetime of common sense involvement and values. Period," Lee states in his biography.

"My view these days makes me think that PC stands for political correctness, less for progressive conservative."

After signing up PC members for several weeks, Lee formally announced his candidacy for PC leader and premier on Wednesday.

He immediately positioned himself on the right flank of a possible three-candidate ballot that could also include Tuxedo MLA Heather Stefanson and former Conservative MP Shelly Glover.

"Canadians cherish their freedoms. Many have died to preserve them. There is an emerging belief in Canada that the Charter of Rights and Public Health Act have been used by governments to justify the erosion of our freedoms," Lee stated in his candidacy announcement. 

Lee says on his website that he opposes "vaccine passports," vaccination as "a job requirement" and photo-radar enforcement.

"Governments have been systematically been taking away our freedoms," he says. "The pandemic has allowed governments to justify the erosion of our freedoms and accelerate it to warp speed." 

Lee also pledges to increase intensive care unit capacity in Manitoba's hospitals, which were overwhelmed during the third wave of COVID-19. Nonetheless, he says chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin "has failed Manitobans." 

Leadership committee reviewing submissions

Lee was briefly associated with Glover's camp before heading out on his own.

Glover said in a statement issued last week she was "thrilled to see more candidates joining the race."

"Ken is a friend and I respect the work he has done with our party for many years," she said.

"I have always maintained that a contested race is necessary for the grassroots to have a choice. Building back the party is essential to a 2023 election victory and having more candidates step forward is healthy for the party and all Manitobans."

The Progressive Conservative Party's leadership committee met Wednesday evening to finalize the list of candidates who will end up on the leadership ballot.

Candidates had until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to submit a $25,000 entry fee, sign up 1,000 new members and clear a party screening process.

"The leadership committee is reviewing the final submissions and verifying criteria," the party said in a statement Wednesday, promising to issue a statement Thursday.

If Lee winds up on the ballot, he would immediately be a front-runner, according to party members who told CBC News the former PC executive has already signed up more than 4,000 members.

Lee counts People's Party of Canada supporters among his own.

"We at the People's Party of Canada stand with him and endor[s]e him,"  Winnipeg South PPC candidate Byron Gryba states on his Facebook page, imploring Progressive Conservative Party members to make Lee Manitoba's premier on Oct. 30. 

"PPC are fighting hard against vax passports. We want freedom to gather, shop etc. for all Canadians."

Last week, an announcement was made at a rally for PPC leader Maxime Bernier south of Winkler, soliciting signatures, memberships and donations for the PC leadership contest.

Martin fails to make ballot

While Lee declared his candidacy, McPhillips MLA Shannon Martin declared on Facebook he failed to make it on to the leadership ballot.

"We swung for the fences and while we may have come up short, we tried, we stepped up," Martin said Wednesday night.

Martin declared his candidacy on Monday.