Councillor leans toward province in roads row

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This article was published 10/04/2019 (2040 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Transcona Coun. Shawn Nason admits his time as special assistant to two cabinet ministers in the Pallister government may have coloured his perception of the recent funding dispute with city hall.

Nason told reporters Thursday he’s not convinced the Manitoba government has been withholding $40 million from the City of Winnipeg’s 2018 road renewal program, adding he’s seen nothing from civic officials to support that claim.

“Maybe I do lean to some of my recent employment history,” Nason said. “I don’t feel I’ve seen all the information to make a well-informed, reasonable decision as to who’s at fault.”

Before claiming his council seat in the Oct. 24, 2018, civic election, Nason worked closely with the government led by Premier Brian Pallister since it took office in 2016. He was hired as MLA Scott Fielding’s special assistant in May 2016, and reassigned in January 2018 as special assistant to MLA Eileen Clarke.

On Thursday, chief financial officer Mike Ruta told the finance committee that in addition to the $40 million in dispute, the Pallister government still owes city hall another $12.6 million from other capital projects from last year and $3.6 million from 2017.

The City of Winnipeg has said the province has reneged on a deal set in place by the previous NDP government promising $50 million a year over a five-year period (2014-18) for city local and regional roads.

City officials said the Pallister government agreed to fulfil the commitment, continuing the payments in 2016 and 2017, but surprised officials in January 2019 with news its contribution for 2018 would be limited to $10 million, as the full $250 million had been allocated.

The city was relying on the remaining $40 million to pay for road renewal work completed in 2018. Without it, city hall initially decided to use the $40 million it had planned to spend in 2019 to fill the hole.

The Pallister government has ignored a request from city hall to produce an accounting of how its portion of the $250 million had been allocated, a request also made by the Free Press. The province has only distributed to the media copies of letters it had sent to Mayor Brian Bowman repeating the government’s claim, without any supporting documents.

Nason wouldn’t comment on the province’s refusal to supply the data as requested, adding despite his close ties to two powerful cabinet ministers for more than two years, he no longer has any influence with them.

“I have a (PC) membership. That’s my tie” to the provincial government, Nason said. “Now, I have as much access as any other council colleagues.”

Finance committee chairman Coun. Scott Gillingham said he can’t account for Nason’s uncertainty, but he’s satisfied the Tory government has shortchanged city hall.

“I believe that city staff have been as forthright as possible with the information available, and I personally find it convincing. That information is available to all councillors,” Gillingham said. “While I appreciate that one of my colleagues may not be as confident, in my view, the city has been the only party disclosing detailed information regarding provincial funding to the City of Winnipeg.”

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca