Winnipeg councillor suggests 3rd-party intervention to solve city-province funding fight.
Coun. Shawn Nason expressed the idea of engaging Manitoba’s General Auditor or the provincial ombudsman to resolve the dispute between Winnipeg and the progressive conservative provincial government.
"It seems like the two sides are not able to work it out between themselves," Nason said. "Maybe it's the time for an independent third party to look at ways to move forward, and you come to an agreement before you kick those shovels in the ground."
The political battle over Winnipeg's road repair funding has been going on for the second year. Nason was elected last fall. Despite the fact that he works in the financial committee at the mayor's office, he does not fully understand the whole situation.
Finance Minister Fielding explained that his government kept all the promises.
"We've met our financial obligations to the city in terms of the money that has been identified, to be frank, on the clarity front," Fielding said.
Finance chair Coun. Scott Gillingham was very wary of Nason’s suggestion.
"I don't know the answer to that. I know ultimately this comes down to the relationship between the province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg," Gillingham said.
Kevin Klein, the councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood, and Janice Lukes, who represents Waverley West, were asked whether they support Nason’s suggestion.
Janice Lukes said that she was open for the idea, but she did not know who was telling the truth in the funding dispute.
"Let's settle this right now. Put the document on the table. First one to drop the paper wins," Klein offered.
The PC government will table the budget on Thursday.