Candidate for Manitoba PC Leadership Raises Concerns About Age Appropriateness of Books in School Libraries

February 21, 2025 TruthUSA

A leadership candidate for the PC Party in Manitoba has expressed concerns about the content found in school libraries, citing books that describe bestiality and incest.

Candidate Wally Daudrich raised this issue during a recent leadership debate in Brandon, Manitoba.

At the debate on Feb. 19, Daudrich questioned Obby Khan, another leadership candidate and former minister of sport, culture, and heritage, about the matter.

“In the last couple of years, when you were a minister, some mothers in Manitoba approached you about pornography in schools, including content that describes to teenagers how to engage in bestiality and incest,” Daudrich said to Khan. “You took no action.”

Khan refuted the claim as “factually incorrect” and stated that the issue falls under the jurisdiction of municipalities and school boards, not the minister.

“I recommended moving age-appropriate books to appropriate sections,” Khan mentioned during the debate.

The Epoch Times reached out to Khan for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

Daudrich, in an interview with The Epoch Times, mentioned speaking with concerned mothers who found the material inappropriate and sexualizing for children.

He specifically referenced the book “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins, which he found concerning. The book is promoted as a story about twin sisters in an “all-American family” dealing with secrets.

Daudrich, a figure in the tourism industry, expressed his intention to ensure schools are free from indoctrination if selected as a leader.

“We want schools to return to their original purpose as places of education for children, fully preparing them for the world through reading, writing, arithmetic, and appropriate history—both the good and the bad,” he stated.

He clarified that his goal is not to ban books but to ensure age-appropriate and appropriate material for children.

Daudrich added, “I don’t even want to hear what’s in these books because much of the content is unsuitable even for adults, written in a way that sexualizes our children.”

Brandon Schools Debate Book Ban

The issue of age-appropriate books in school libraries was previously discussed by the public school board in Brandon back in 2023.

During that time, the board voted against establishing a committee of trustees and parents to review books in school libraries for age-appropriate content.

Concerns about library content have been raised in other parts of Canada as well.

In 2022, a father from Abbotsford, B.C., questioned the availability of certain books in the school district’s libraries. As a result, three books were removed based on his concerns.

The father stated that the books contained detailed descriptions of various sexual acts.

The RCMP in Chilliwack, B.C., investigated the content of some books following complaints in 2023. They determined that the books did not meet the legal definition of child pornography.

A statement from the RCMP indicated that an investigator examined the most concerning material in the publications.

Sergeant Krista Vrolyk, spokesperson for the Chilliwack RCMP, expressed that while the content may be unsettling to some, it did not violate the law.

B.C. MLA Bruce Banman also addressed the issue in the B.C. legislature, questioning why a book with explicit content was accessible in public schools for children as young as 11.

He read passages from the book during the session, leading to a reprimand from the Speaker for inappropriate language. Banman questioned the appropriateness of the content for sixth graders if it was deemed disturbing in the legislative chamber.

Lee Harding contributed to this report.

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