NEWS: Premier, mayor jousting anew

August 25, 2010
Winnipeg Free Press

Duelling press conferences on priorities highlight continuing gap on transit cash

The long-simmering city-provincial dispute over rapid transit reignited on Tuesday, when Premier Greg Selinger and Mayor Sam Katz each held their own press conferences about infrastructure spending.

At 11 a.m., Selinger stood at the corner of Main Street and Jefferson Avenue in an attempt to highlight how much the Manitoba government has spent over the past four years to fix Winnipeg's major roads and residential streets.

Three hours later, Katz stood at the corner of Ellice Avenue and St. James Street in an attempt to pressure the province to divert money the NDP government has earmarked for rapid transit to a series of road and bridge projects.

Provincial officials said they were surprised Katz did not attend the West Kildonan event with the premier and a held a news conference of his own in Polo Park. A spokesman for Katz denied the move was a snub, but Katz said he would not attend what he called "a re-announcement" of provincial funds already committed to the City of Winnipeg.

Flanked by St. James-Brooklands Coun. Scott Fielding, the mayor urged the province to help pay for traffic improvements in the heavily congested Polo Park retail district -- a $10-million job that's one of 11 road and bridge projects Katz would like to conduct using money from the Building Canada Fund.

The Selinger government wants the city, province and Ottawa to spend no less than $195 million to complete the second phase of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor -- a job now pegged at $210 million to $270 million -- as a bus-way. Katz wants to see the infrastructure money pay for the road and bridge projects, including the Polo Park work, and seek P3 Canada funding to build a rapid-transit network.

"The city deserves both. It's not either or," said Katz, who urged the province to "stop the politics" and accept the city's wishes. "The province is the only obstacle in the way."

The mayor acknowledged he's negotiating with the province in public because this tactic proved successful in settling city-provincial disputes over funding for police cadets and the forthcoming police helicopter.

The premier, however, refused to bite.

"We're always looking at projects we can do with the city, projects that make a difference," said Selinger, claiming his door is always open for Katz to discuss infrastructure projects and funding.

Flanked by Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux and North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty, Selinger said the province is spending $38.1 million this year on big-ticket items for Winnipeg such as the eastern extension of Chief Peguis Trail and the Jubilee overpass reconstruction. Selinger also said the province has advanced more than $23 million to the province already so that work begins as quickly as possible.

Katz's 11-item wish list, which city council has endorsed, includes a western extension of Chief Peguis Trail to McPhillips Street and the widening of Kenaston Boulevard in Tuxedo. He said he may hold one press conference for each item on the list.

Mayoral challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis, meanwhile, said Katz's decision to forgo an appearance with the premier and hold his own press conference is in keeping with what she called dithering over infrastructure renewal and rapid transit.

"I don't understand Sam's agenda," said the former NDP MP and MLA, before skewering Katz's fondness for light rail over bus rapid transit. "I think Sam's plan is to play one plan against the other. It's just very confusing. What's needed is a mayor that sticks to the task at hand."

When asked whether he did not appear with Selinger to illustrate his independence from Manitoba's NDP leader, Katz said he has a good relationship with all other levels of government.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca, bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

 

Back to NEWS