Council lefties brace for right hook

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This article was published 26/08/2010 (5732 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The emergence of high-profile conservative and centrist candidates in city wards currently held by left-leaning councillors could change the complexion of the civic election.

The NDP faces the threat of losing two seats and Winnipeg’s organized left may be forced to divert some of its ground game away from Judy Wasylycia-Leis’ mayoral campaign.

Lito Taruc, who serves as president of the Philippine Association of Manitoba and hosts a Tagalog-language radio show on CKJS, plans to register today to run for council in Daniel McIntyre, an inner-city ward where 18 per cent of the population identified themselves as Filipino in 2006.

Daniel Mac is currently held by opposition Coun. Harvey Smith, who has relied on Filipino-community support in the past. He’s already engaged in a battle against left-of-centre candidates Cindy Gilroy-Price, John Cardoso and the NDP-endorsed Keith Bellamy.

Former Winnipeg Jet centre Thomas Steen, who ran as a Conservative in Elmwood-Transcona during the 2008 federal election, is expected to announce his candidacy in Elmwood-East Kildonan, an inner-city ward held by NDP-affiliated Coun. Lillian Thomas — who is retiring — since 1989. Conservative and NDP sources say they expect Steen to join the race that currently includes NDP-endorsed former CTV reporter Shaneen Robinson, school trustee Rod Giesbrecht and Nelson Sanderson.

Factor in the presence of viable conservative candidates in opposition-held Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry and River Heights-Fort Garry, as well as a potential conservative in St. Boniface, and Mayor Sam Katz may receive what political organizers call a "kiss" in wards where conservative voters might otherwise have had no reason to vote.

In the 2006 election, former Katz chief of staff Ryan Craig helped organize an unofficial slate of conservative candidates who successfully reduced council’s opposition by two seats.

This time around, current Katz campaign manager Marni Larkin — who oversaw the federal Conservative campaign in Manitoba in 2008 — said she’s doing nothing of the sort. But other conservative sources said a de facto centre-right slate would work in Katz’s favour on Oct. 27.

"We’re not running any sort of slates and we’re not running any candidates, but it’s very good news individuals are coming forward to represent their views," said Larkin, who said she has never met Taruc and had no hand in convincing Steen, River Heights challenger Michael Kowalson or Fort Rouge challenger Ian Rabb to run for council.

Conservative entrepreneur Kowalson and property manager Rabb could give right-of-centre voters in opposition wards a reason to go to the polls on election day — the "kiss" that would bring out votes for Katz. So could Myron Troniak, a former federal Conservative candidate said to be mulling a run in St. Boniface against NDP-affiliated Coun. Dan Vandal.

But Taruc, who has no political affiliation, will be an immediate contender in Daniel McIntyre, where the left is eating itself in a battle between two of the candidates — Bellamy and Gilroy-Price — who helped found the Winnipeg Citizens Coalition specifically to prevent left-leaning candidates from running against each other.

"A lot of people are pushing me to run," said Taruc, who plans to have hundreds of supporters with him at city hall when he registers today.

Steen, who could not be reached for comment, would also be considered a contender in Elmwood-East Kildonan. As a federal Conservative, he lost the 2008 Elmwood-Transcona race to the NDP’s Jim Maloway by 1,579 votes, or five per cent of the ballots.

"This race just got more interesting," Robinson said.

Wasylycia-Leis’ campaign manager Nicole Campbell said she’s not sure whether the presence of Kowalson, Steen and Rabb are part of a deliberate strategy to provide a kiss to Katz-friendly voters and keep Wasylycia-Leis supporters such as Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi busy in their own wards.

She also said she’s not sure if such a strategy would have any impact on the mayoral campaign.

"Winnipeg is awake in this election. I’ve seen people who have never volunteered before come and volunteer," Campbell said. "However, I have seen strategies similar to this work at other levels of government," she said.

Gerbasi, meanwhile, said she believed Katz — who has repeatedly accused the NDP of trying to assume control of council — is doing the same thing on the right.

"After all the talk from the mayor about the NDP trying to take over council, it is ironic there is now a clear, concerted effort to elect conservative-leaning candidates who will support the mayor’s agenda," she said. "However, I see this as all being part of a healthy democratic process."

 

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca