Mayor throws his vote behind roads for gas tax “top up” bonus dollars
Brian Bowman tells industry breakfast province has too much work to do to go to polls early
It is pure “political opportunism” if the Pallister government decides to pull the pin and call Manitobans to the polls this year, Mayor Brian Bowman told a crowd of some 130 from the industry and other business groups Thursday.
Bowman was speaking at the third of MHCA’s four Breakfast with the Leaders events this spring.
The mayor also told the breakfast crowd the surprise, $44-million top up to municipalities out of the federal gas tax fund this year, in his mind, should go to roads.
“Roads is primarily what I’d like to see it used for,” he said, noting the construction season is fast approaching and he wants council to vote on a motion to put the gas tax revenues to that purpose, so administration can ready the tender schedule for the streets projects.
City council approved on March 20 a budget that eliminated all significant construction on residential streets – 53 streets and 11 lanes – this year, because of a $40-million hole, from 2018’s streets program.
The city says the provincial government has yet to pay it $40 million (out of a total $50 million) it committed to flow in 2018 in a five-year, $250-million agreement for municipal roads. 2018 was the last of the five years.
The city continues to press Broadway for those dollars, and for the province to renew a long-term roads agreement. The Pallister government has said it won’t be held to commitments made by previous administrations.
Now Premier Pallister is musing he will call an early election this year, as he is not held to the October, 2020, date set out in fixed-election legislation. Speculation is an election may be called for June.
“This is old-school politics,” Bowman told reporters after his address.
“It’s not because the work is done,” the mayor said, talking about the need still to hammer down the federal-provincial agreement to fund Winnipeg’s accelerated regional road work, via a five-year agreement signed last fall.
Bowman said an early election call would be sheer “political opportunism,” noting the province should be held to the fixed-election date law, as are municipalities.
The next, and last, breakfast will feature provincial Finance Minister Scott Fielding, who will speak April 25th on the province’s budget. The breakfasts are co-sponsored by Winnipeg Construction Association, Manitoba Home Builders’, Merit Contractors, Manitoba Trucking Association and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.
