One of the most popular interviews Marty conducted during the 2014 Winnipeg Mayoral race was with a political unknown – Robert-Falcon Ouellette. He parlayed an unexpected 3rd place finish to ride the wave of Trudeaumania Pt. 2 to Ottawa the next year. Now he’s taking another shot at the Mayor’s chair, and Marty spoke with him about his ‘surface lot redevelopment tax’ plan, and also quizzed RFO about his election campaign. We even got a bit of a scoop about an upcoming policy concept RFO is reviving from the 2014 platform.
6.40 RFO press conference – Hear his proposal to charge owners of surface lots- especially the 172 acres in downtown – a special assessment rate equal to a 4 story commercial building. He spoke about how it would improve public safety and force owners to spark a construction boom.
13.35 A short lead in to a back-and-forth with RFO
14.50 RFO’s logic leads to specific questions. Marty asks the candidate if he’d include lots owned by churches like Calvary Temple in this tax assessment and whether it penalizes the church for investing in servicing their congregation. A follow-up question asks the same about Rupert Ave. surface lots that serve the major arts organizations. Hear RFO’s theory of how these forced unplanned construction projects can be paid for (and it isn’t private investment).
19.25 Marty followed up on the example of Calvary Temple by going to interview a surprised church official, who declined to comment directly, but did point out a major stumbling block to RFO’s idea. That’s not the only hurdle, as Marty and Kenny discuss.
31.55 Ouellette fields 4 questions from Marty – about his campaign, how he can emerge from the crowded field, “how good ideas should never die”, and provides a message for our audience.
38.30 General discussion about the RFO Q and A and his role in the election.Part 2
45.25 A rundown of the newest candidates who will now challenge for a seat on city council.
53.30 The worst problems voters want solved are crappy city services, and random violent crime. We recap the excuse used to *not* pick up garbage at a Charleswood home, discuss the St. James home invasion where calling 911 was useless and left a young couple in fear and frustration, and point out that no surface parking lots had anything to do with the random bear-spray attack on 10 folks outside Club 200 this week. Think they have fear and trauma now?
Hear how Glen Murray, of all people, is following our lead from earlier this summer and talking about the fear of crime and violence and the repeated recidivism of the perps, which we said was at the forefront of election issues. Unlike Murray, we discuss who’s to blame by name, Mayor Brian Bowman – who Murray endorsed in 2018 – and Police Chief Danny Smyth. We talk about how the next Mayor has to be honest and while supporting rehab services for some, ensure the public isn’t victimized by the willfully criminal.
As Marty explains: “There’s no message from any of the candidates that Winnipeg will not welcome criminals.” Kenny explains how he has seen the downward spiral from 5 years ago downtown.
1.07.20 We wrap up by discussing the revival of Aurora Recovery centre in Gimli. It’s been taken back over by Michael Bruneau, and ask whether the next mayor should be exploring if the City can reserve 20 of the 60 new beds he’s adding to the facility.
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