Brandon Minute: Controversial Ads, Joint Resolution, and the PC Leadership Debate

Brandon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Brandon politics

This Week In Brandon:

• There will be a meeting of City Council on Tuesday at 7:00 pm. The agenda includes a joint resolution with the Brandon Police Service for bail reform, an update on the City’s Housing Strategy, and a borrowing bylaw to fund the construction of new stormwater infrastructure.
  
  
• A Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership debate will be held in Brandon on February 19th, with candidates Obby Khan and Wally Daudrich attending. The debate will be exclusive to party members and recent former members, but it will be available for public viewing online afterward. The leadership election committee explained the decision to limit in-person attendance to manage the crowd and ensure priority for party members. A second debate is expected in Winnipeg in March.
  
  
• Brandon University is looking for a third-party auditor for its failed enterprise resource planning (ERP) project, which was launched in 2020 to modernize its systems but was halted in early 2024. The search follows KPMG's withdrawal due to a conflict of interest related to its ties with Anthology, the ERP provider. The project, which spent millions in development, has been under scrutiny for misreported costs, with the university now clarifying that approximately $5 million was spent before its termination. The auditing firm will be tasked with evaluating various aspects of the project, including decision-making processes, resource allocation, and the role of the external consultant.

Last Week In Brandon:

• The Conservative Party of Canada has released an ad highlighting overdose deaths, using the City of Brandon as an example to criticize the Trudeau Liberals' handling of drug policy. The ad, shared on X, includes a nearly six-minute video with visuals of Brandon and an audio voiceover by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, linking the rise in fentanyl overdoses to the government's drug policies since 2016. Mayor Jeff Fawcett of Brandon responded, stating that the ad is overly political and that many Canadian communities, not just Brandon, have been impacted by overdose deaths.
  
  
• The Brandon Police Service posted a Valentine's Day-themed video on social media that has sparked both amusement and controversy. The video humorously invites people to "make their ex-partner's Valentine's Day special" by reporting them for alleged crimes, offering a "luxury stay" at the "Crowbar Hotel" with playful visuals of a holding cell. While the video has received significant attention, some argued that it lacked empathy. The police defended the video as a lighthearted attempt to engage the public and humanize officers.
  
  
• Brandon's Safe and Warm Shelter has been operating at full capacity, turning away individuals due to the increasing demand for emergency shelter. The 41-bed facility, which has been at capacity for over a month, has seen a surge in people seeking shelter, with many struggling with mental health issues, addictions, and financial hardship. The homelessness crisis in the city has worsened, with recent data showing a nearly 80% increase in the number of homeless individuals since 2021.