About Michelle Budiwski
When were you born?
Between 1966 and 1980 (Generation X)
Tell our readers a bit about your professional life. What do you do for a living? If you're an incumbent candidate, what did you do before you entered politics?
While my background is in business and entrepreneurship, when covid 19 shut down my businesses in 2020 I decided not to re-open and take an early retirement after 30+ years in the workforce. Always an entrepreneur I found myself restless and decided to return to school (I will be receiving my MBA in June 2023) and took a position with a global non-profit working with K-12 schools in remote Indigenous communities across the country.
I also began developing business courses for Assiniboine Community College for the Center of Continuing Studies. When a term position opened as a coordinator in that department, I accepted it and is now where I am working combining education and entrepreneurship for our communities.
What's the highest level of education you've attained?
Some university education
How long have you lived in the constituency? If you don't currently live there, what led you to run there instead of where you live?
I moved to Rivers in the riding of Spruce Woods from Northern Manitoba in 2005 with my husband, 11 year old son and pregnant with my second to be closer to an urban Centre and military base so my husband could receive treatment for his cPTSD which wasn't available in the north. We lost him to suicide in 2008 but I chose to remain in our community and build my business while raising our two children. I did remarry in 2010 and had two more children now aged 9 and 11 - we all consider Rivers our home.
What is the biggest challenge facing your constituency, and how would you address it?
Here in rural Manitoba there is a great deal of divisiveness and confusion over federal and provincial governments, how they are divided and what their responsibilities are. With the media focus on parties, leaders and drama, we have lost touch with the fact that it is our local MLAs that represent us in the provincial government and in fact are our voice in matters of health care, education, infrastructure, economic development and most of what impacts us on a daily basis. We need to start demanding more of our local representatives to be that voice we need in a Winnipeg-centric government.
If elected, what will be your first priority?
the rising of Spruce Woods includes eight different municipalities each with their own unique perspectives, needs and residents. My first priority is to establish strong working relationships with local municipal councils, community organizations and businesses to develop a plan to work collaboratively on their most pressing issues first and establish long-term plans for continues growth and prosperity.
Who are your role models in politics, and why?
Politically my role models are those who have over-come adversity, challenges and are standing up for what they believe even when it isn't popular or in their own best interest. Watching women like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stand up to bullies, Hilary Clinton fight personal attacks and hate and trailblazers like Tommy Douglas whom without we wouldn't have the health care system we have today.
Locally, Dr. Jon Gerrard inspires me because I have watched him over the years go out of his way, leaving Winnipeg and coming to our communities to help people who have probably never voted Liberal in their life - not because it would benefit him or his career but because it was the right thing to do. It is because of Dr. Gerrard that I am running under the Manitoba Liberal banner.
Tell us something about yourself that voters might find surprising.
I am actually a very humble person. I am strong willed and confident when I need to be but I am humble enough to admit when I am wrong or when I don't know an answer. I am always seeking to learn more and ask a ton of questions. When I don't know the answer, I won't pretend I do, I will seek out those who have more wisdom and knowledge than me in order to educate myself and get their counsel.
Other candidates in constituency:
Grant Jackson (Progressive Conservative)
Melissa Ghidoni (New Democratic Party)