Women’s issues front and centre at mayoral forum

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This article was published 07/10/2010 (5785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – Making Winnipeg a better place for women was the subject of a series of questions posed to the four mayoral candidates this morning.

During a 60-minute session organized by a Winnipeg chapter of the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, the candidates — Sam Katz, Rav Gill, Brad Gross and Judy Wasylycia-Leis — were asked how the City of Winnipeg could address issues of affordable housing, daycare, education and training and affordable recreational facilities.

Wasylycia-Leis demonstrated the benefit of a long political career at the provincial and federal level by delivering the best passionate speech of the morning without answering any of the questions.

The city should invest in crime prevention and programs that “nurture and support” women, Wasylycia-Leis said.

“I believe that in organizations like this one we have the seeds of hope fo an inclusive society,” she said. “Where we can address the most fundamental problems… Those seeds will bear fruit if we water them and nuture them.”

Gross said that a city with him as mayor would spend money to provide affordable housing for women and men, provide affordable, 24-hour daycare and on training and education programs to improve the situation of women.

Gill said most of the issues posed by the questions were matters of provincial jurisdiction, but added that the city can and does work with other levels of goverment to help organizations access the funds they need.

Gill said the mayor can best help women by controlling property tax increases and working to remove education taxes from the property tax base.

Katz outlined the various programs aimed at youth and crime prevention that the city has initated since he was mayor.

The morning session lacked the fireworks of Wednesday’s televised debate between Katz and Wasylycia-Leis. But the two go at it again later this afternoon in a forum organized by the Downtown BIZ at the Manitoba Hydro Place atrium.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca