Country-club campaign
Ternette says Sam Katz will waltz right back into the mayor’s office
Nick Ternette
As if Mayor Sam Katz is going to face any kind of opposition
in the October civic election.
I’m quite surprised that Katz is even bothering to campaign,
because I well remember the 1989 mayoral election, when Bill
Norrie won by a landslide without even bothering to campaign
— no campaign office, no literature, no debates.
Kaj Hasselriis, Ron Pollock and Gordon Warren are also in
this year’s race, but it’s become clear that fewer
candidates are participating in the political process than
ever before. In 1992, for example, there were 17 candidates
running for mayor, as opposed to four this year.
One of the most disturbing signs in this civic election is
the betrayal of principles by both labour and the NDP.
One needs to remember that the NDP formally dissolved its
civic branch in 1987. That’s why Winnipeg in the Nineties
(WIN), a coalition of liberals and NDPers, was formed in 1988.
It lasted until 1992. We still elect NDPers and labour-endorsed
candidates, but these representatives do not come together
and vote as a united block, and they are not accountable to
the party.
What’s disturbing is the lack of co-operation between
labour and the NDP concerning which candidates they will or
will not support. While both groups endorse candidates, NDPers
endorse only those who are NDPers. Labour groups endorse progressives,
not just NDPers.
As some of you may be aware, the Winnipeg Labor Council approached
Prof. Jim Silver in January of this year and asked him to
run for mayor. Unfortunately, Silver declined due to illness.
After that, former NDP MLA Marianne Cerilli thought about
running for mayor. In spite of Cerilli’s proven NDP
credentials, both labour and the NDP did everything to undermine
her campaign and stab her in the back. Labour refused to endorse
her candidacy. They also refused to endorse Hasselriis’
candidacy and told the two work it out between themselves.
Several issues came into play — prominent NDPers such
as Jenny Gerbasi support Hasselriis, many NDPers feel negative
about Cerilli, and other progressives complained that Cerilli
would be splitting the progressive vote by running against
Hasselriis.
Cerilli told me that Hasselriis had indicated to her that
he would not run for mayor if she ran, but he ended up running
and she did not. I believe Hasselriis is running to pave the
way for Coun. Donald Benham to campaign for mayor in 2010.
Benham, a Red Tory, is already generating support in labour
and the NDP Party, and Hasselriis previously worked on Benham’s
city-council campaign.
So where does that leave citizens of Winnipeg who are looking
for democratic, dynamic and progressive leadership to provide
a serious alternative to Mayor Katz’s pro-business agenda?
Nowhere!
That means we’re assured of another four years of Katz
at City Hall.
Nick Ternette is a community and political activist, freelance
writer and broadcaster. |
Uptown
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