Item #7: "Huge major capital investments in process: Wuskwatim dam -- a $1.2 billion project; Manitoba Hydro headquarters -- $258 million; Red River Floodway improvements -- $665 million; Winnipeg Airport approximately $750 million; Winnipeg airport expansion, $560 million."
Sinclair opines: "That's the sound of a booming economy, even if most of the money driving the construction is coming from the public sector.
"The one project that's still missing from the list is the proposed $311 million Canadian Museum of Human Rights, which -- if it goes ahead -- could serve to give this city a positive and unique national identity. And, as Ritchie points out, a huge boost to our tourism industry."
What Jr. may not have noticed was that these things would not be happening if the NDP hadn't been elected in 1999 (with perhaps the exception of the airport expansion).# 10. "Manitoba has one of the best immigration policies -- specifically the provincial nominee program -- of any province in Canada." This area has been agressively developed since 1999, due to significant work by the NDP with the federal government.
# 5. "Very rich province in terms of resources and economic advantages -- hydro electricity with the lowest electricity rates in North America due to hydro power. A diverse economy with major investments in everything from aerospace, financial services, agriculture, mining (gold) and oil exploration."
With Tories in power after 1999 -- Hydro would have been sold off. No question, regardless of the denials by apologists today. The roadmap was clear post MTS and they never categorically denied it as a policy option.
2. "We have one of the most educated, highly-skilled workforces in Canada, generating 6,000 graduates annually from Winnipeg universities."
One phrase: Tuition freeze.
It's interesting that many of the reasons things former Torontonian and Free Press publisher, Andie Ritchie, feels is going like gangbusters in Manitoba now are due to Gary Doer policies -- most which simply would not have happened under Tory rule.
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When you say "David Asper", what are you referring to, exactly?
After frequent unkindness to Mayor Sam Katz, today an inexplicable kindness from the dominator of the radio waves in the 'Peg, CJOB.
They SO let him off the hook for his subterfuge on his position on David Asper's manoevrings to take over the Blue Bombers that it boggles the mind.
On Cloutier Thursday am, Katz said he knew of no deal to move the Bombers to private ownership (later fudged by the fact Asper calls his proposal a public-private partnership). Later when asked what he thinks about this undefined public-private partnership versus the current community ownership situation, he says "what 'community-owned' means should be defined first."
Uh, yeah.
And what do you mean by "Bombers", actually?
We are verging on Clintonesque levels of parsing here.
And just to put it over the top, Katz is supposed to have said
"The real issue as Mayor is to make sure the team is around for another 200 years and continues to prosper."
Wow. 200 years. That's a loooong time. Even longer than some Senators stay in office (but not if Harper has his way!).We don't have a transcript of the show, but if we were Kaj Hasselriis we'd get it. Kai won't win, but if he took this potentially major blue collar issue, where the mayor appears to be out there with big nose-stretchers -- it might at least make it an interesting race. More interesting than a monorail link between the U of M and downtown. (OK, we jest about Kai's transport policy thingy.)
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After promising to be the enfant terrible of the Manitoba blogging world, Mr. CC appears to be pretty dry. His most recent comment is nearly two weeks old. And the previous one more than a week. After such promise ...
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Blogger beta -- we'll wait. It seems more trouble than it's worth at the moment.
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Burntwood Health Authority -- yuk.