WINNIPEG With just under two weeks left until

election day on October 22, Mayoral Candidate

Robert-Falcon Ouellette is asking voters to look
beyond the horse-race of polls and take a closer look
at just what the leading candidates have promised.
Despite the public perception that his rivals Brian
Bowman and Judy Wasylyicia-Leis are on opposite
ends of the political spectrum, Ouellette says there is
surprisingly little difference between them on the
issues that matter most to voters: transit, taxes and
infrastructure.
Citizens should be crystal clear about the choice they
are making, and just what they will get for their vote,
said Ouellette. Brian Bowman and Judy Wasylycia-
Leis have both committed to Bus Rapid Transit
without being clear on how they will pay for it; they
arent putting enough funds into the basic
infrastructure we need, and they are both proposing
tax policies that are fundamentally unfair.
Wasylycia-Leis has said she would freeze business
taxes and raise property taxes by 3.5% a year.
Compounded over four years, that is a 14.75%
increase that would hit low- and fixed-income
property owners hardest. Under Wasylycia-Leis plan,
a homeowner paying $2,000 in taxes this year would
be paying $295 more four years from now.
For his part, Bowman has said he would scrap
property taxes entirely and replace them with a 3%-
4% sales tax. Under a City Sales Tax businesses and
individuals who own the most property would get
huge tax breaks while radically shifting the burden of
taxes to poor and middle-class families.
Ouellette said that in contrast to his rivals, he would:
Cancel the Southwest leg of Bus Rapid
Transit and implement a Metrobus system
instead, using existing infrastructure, improving
transit for the whole city instead of just the South
End
Implement a land value tax for surface
parking lots downtown that would generate $26-
million in revenue.
Use $12-million from the Land Value Tax to
finance a fully-funded $250-million fund,
dedicated to core infrastructure.
If you are going to vote for someone because you
think they are going to win, you should also be sure
they are going to do things you want, said Ouellette.
I have focused on fair taxes, better transit for the
whole city, and infrastructure funding that can have a
real impact.
Ouellette also said that the time was now to make
basic infrastructure repairs a priority. With BRT
cancelled, the city could focus on core infrastructure
repairs to roads and water treatment plants for two
years while the planning and costing the rail
relocation process take place.
The Social Planning Council of Winnipegs initial
report estimated the timeline for rail removal at five
years from the start of planning: two years of planning
between 2014-16, a year of negotiations with rail in
2017, with relocation starting in 2018/19. In areas
where rail yards are being decomissioned,
environmental remediation could take place in 2020-
21.
We can start moving on this now, but not if we build
BRT first, said Ouellette. We need to put this city on
the right track and when it comes to candidates
policies, the choice is clear
Where they Stand on Taxes, Transit and Infrastructure
Judy
Wasylycia-
Leis
Brian Bowman Robert-Falcon Ouellette
Taxes Will freeze
business
taxes, raise
property
taxes by
3.5% a year

compounde
d to a
14.75%
increase
after four
years.
Promised to create
a 3-4% City Sales
Tax that would
shift the burden of
taxes to poor and
middle-class
families while
delivering a
massive tax cut to
the largest personal
and business
property owners
Create a land value tax on surface parking
lots downtown, raising $26-million. 3 cent
environmental levy on drink containers to
raise $7-million.
Transit Spend
$450-million
on next
phase of
Bus Rapid
Transit,
source of
funding:
Spend $450-million
on next phase of
Bus Rapid Transit,
and billions more
to finish all six legs,
source of funding:
unknown.
Cancel next phase of Bus Rapid Transit.
Implement a Metrobus system using
existing infrastructure. Fund a $1.5-million
study into the costs and benefits of moving
rail traffic out of the city and using the
vacated rails for LRT or commuter rail.
unknown.
Infrastructur
e
Borrow $64-
million, paid
for through
property tax
increases
on
homeowner
s.
Spend $10-million,
source of financing:
finding efficiencies
at City Hall
A $250-million infrastructure fund, financed
by a dedicated $12-million a year from the
Land Value Tax