Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 29, 1985, Winnipeg, Manitoba A Tea k january Page 7 Howard Pawley Premier Eugene Kostyra acting Urban affairs minister most parties involved with Core area initiative want to see it Bill Norrie mayor Jim August general Core area initiative feint 3 in an gets top mar Howard Pawley gives it a Mark Between 65 and 70 per mayor Bill Norrie is More generous and Grants a Grade of 75 to 80 per general manager Jim August is cautious and hands out a 70 per Eugene Kostyra says it earns a Mark of 70 to 75 per Public relations director Janet Walker admits her Bias and ecstatically pro claims an they Are All assessing the work of the Core area initiative Cai program whose clock is run Ning Down to the expiry Date of will the agreement be or have we seen the end of United action to revitalize Winni Peg the million agreement was heralded by politicians and bureaucrats As the Long awaited salvation for Down town in five Short the Cai was expected to create rehabilitate inject massive doses of pub Lic and private investment into the Core of the redevelop the North of Portage breathe life into the in East preserve and protect the heritage locate new Federal buildings on the North Side of Portage fund Community and the list goes expectations were out of politicians bloated the objectives of the program to take Short term cred it for a process which will require decades to undo the neglect of Over half a in the politicians Manitoba acting Urban affairs minister Eugene Kostyra said recently the program was initially developed covering too Many things Over too Broad an resulting in expectations which were impossible to mayor Norrie says the expectations of the program were very High and those Public expectations have not been the cais nightmarish beginnings have Given Way these past two years to a More upbeat and less defensive Public Cai officials say the Public relations fiasco of the Jim Carr at City Hall first year was fuelled by some bad including the controversial suggestion that the free press ought to Start looking for a new what a Way to ingratiate oneself to the Barons of to make matters the offices of the Cai were not properly staffed for it was a rudderless ship sailing for Neve neverland full Speed the very nature of the cais Structure lends itself to political in three Levels of government with often competing agendas Are forced to Down at the through Urban while this dynamic relationship does succeed in bringing the politicians it also highlights the differences be Premier Pawley explained in an interview How his government views the Cai program and his expectations for the he says the graduation of natives and single parents from the cais training pro Grams is symbolic of the Best aspects of the the Cai should not just be bricks and you cant revitalize the downtown without maximizing the opportunities for those who live that was the provinces contribution to the you cant implement programs without factoring Peoples it is that focus on people and their opportunities to move from the Blind alleys of the Core to the Hope of the workplace that leads the Premier to his conclusion that the agreement should be we Are pre pared to renew says and i Hope the emphasis on people will be he is prepared to consider increasing the provinces on the broader question of Tripar Tite the Premier thinks the process has worked reasonably he says the jury is still out on the Federal governments attitude to wards Winnipeg complimenting Lloyd Axworthy for his commitment to the Pawley says he Hopes we will have the same from the new i am cautiously when asked about the role of mayor the Premier strokes his Chin and allows a slow smile to its very hard to know what to say about the the Premier he is providing leadership to the City the Way he sees it and i respect him for it was obvious that Pawley wanted to avoid stoking the fires of conflict which spark so frequently these Days be tween the mayor and the nip gov also says he says there is still a need for the the momentum must be you cant turn it on he priority areas should be the Community facilities the housing some of the Community service initiatives and the East it is this last area which annoys mayor Norrie it is frustrating and Amaz ing to me that we Haven been Able to come to an agreement with in for the East its been a Stone Norrie admits to the weaknesses of the process but says the cooperation among governments has been pretty he laments the dismal failure on the economic develop ment blaming the recession of the Early the staff at the Cai office Are those most responsible for the Deli very of programs and there is a Broad consensus that they have per formed general manager Jim August has Only been on the Job since no but his experience and Good judgment have earned the respect of his staff and the politicians he has to says when you have three people deciding where to go to dont always go to go to you dont always go to lunch where you August believes everything de pends on the continuation of the the whole thing is at risk if theres no he because the Impact would dissipated Over like everyone else associated with the August is Uncertain about the role of the new government in he thinks if the City and the province put together a coherent Ottawa will be prepared to at this it is Clear that Jake Epp is More prepared to listen than to there have been very few pronouncements emanating from his office and it was impossible to reach either the minister or his aides for All of the major players realize the crucial role of the Federal govern none of them claims to know what on Clear that the future of the Cai will depend finally on the importance Given to it by the Manitoba minister and his politicians and bureaucrats Are anxiously awaiting the midterm evaluation of the Caps which will be completed some time in the problem is that the renewal agreements Are supposed to be in place by decision makers will have the Choice of using incomplete information or rescheduling the renewal Date to some time in the everyone expects the Public support for renewing cais mandate will be crucial As politicians sort of the costs and those who have been trained for new homeowners who have received businessmen and women who were helped through Startup Assis Tance and members of the general Public who have a stake in the Down town of their City will have a major say in the cais future As politicians seek their one thing is the Chance for a new beginning is immeasurably higher today than it was Only months politics is inseparable from Hydro Mulroney appears to Lack direction just before the 33fd parliament assembled in Liberal pollster Angus speaking at a panel discussion served up some thoughtful forecasts about the Mulroney governments the conservatives were elected Oft the grounds that it was time for a change in Canadian they had no mandate to carry out any particular and came to office with no working canadians them selves Little understood the Mas Sive adjustment challenges fac ing the Reid warned there was a Dan Ger of much rudderless move ment by this the conservatives would be tempted to think they could give the Cana Dian Public the kind of govern ment it wanted simply by being Nice the government would have to recognize that the coun try problems were deep and difficult and could not be solved so within Days of that panel Dis parliament was in ses Sion and Michael Wilson and his mighty Agenda for Newal were being put before the Canadian that Agenda called for a priority Effort to reduce the deficit and a detailed review of Canadas spending pro Trade policy and tax pro with Dis Cussion and a first set of programs to be announced in the finance ministers april for 100 Days and it was possible to shrug aside reids but now his concerns Are again ten As observers watch the new government in we have All for the governments rapid and con fusing Retreat on the matter of selectivity in social this was of by the Hasty disavowal by prime minister Mulroney after his finance minister suggested that wasteful spending on payments to the Wel Todo should be with the savings used to bring Down the we see costly plans being announced for the refurbishing and reinstatement of via we see Robert Coates with a seemingly open ended list spending plans for the defence with a but Lessith unconvincing refer ence to the priority need to Cut the deficit a Northern radar Tern a 10 per cent expansion of the armed forces and doubling of the militia a repeat order for eight new frigates expansion of Canadian forces based overseas new we see a Retreat on the question of privatizing air As the prime minister on a visit to que Bec worked his conciliation magic on powerful Union chief Louis we Are about to see an announcement reinstating Imperial to satisfy the conservative caucus despite the concerns voiced by the retail Council of Canada and the Consumers Asso these Are More than straws in the the and above All prime minister Mulron has a Clear Case of Nice Guy not yet fatal but on the other we have the Promise made just the other Day by Mulroney following the Meech Lake planning session that the coming budget would contain harsh economic we have an undertaking from him Joan Cohen Ottawa editor stronger in his 1983 leadership bid than in his 1984 Federal elec Tion speeches that the Defi Cit would be and a recognition of the danger it poses to the in 1983 he swore he would produce a balanced budget by the end of its first and there is the Erith knife drawn from government and the private supposedly finding government programs and tax deductions that can be wiped that led by tory Erik is said to have More than different pro Grams under examination for savings that could add up to billion or but there Are grounds for observers for example Are hard pressed to name one Cabinet minister who is Likely to be fighting on Michael Wilsons Side in the Federal not Treasury Board minister Robert de who occupies a Post where the incumbent is nor Mally the finance ministers Nat ural his after is to oversee the effective manage ment of government not Sinclair the right leaning regional Industrial expansion minister who was once going to rid the Public service of some workers to effect Stevens wanted the finance ministers Post himself a Felt he had a Claimon particularly since he was the first powerful tory in the caucus to Back Mulroney for the Leader of Are supposed to have Long me John another Man with a Long memory and him of a deficit cutting budget in is ignoring the whole still bitter and far removed from his beloved finance it is no secret is his the Justice with half the Cabi net new it has been suggest thinking Raore like Consumers that administrators of govern ment the merits of Belt tightening by government is not that Well Wilson is a seasoned financial expert who understands Al too Well the damage a cumulative deficit will inflict on the but he is proving to be less than adept at political and As we have shows signs of wanting to be seen As Nice Guy More than one who has hammered the budget into the result is that there is some doubt in Ottawa now whether Michael Wilson is Likely to survive too Long in the finance ministers and if that question has to be then another it of implied in the Reid analysis what does Brian arriving in office at such a critical time in our his want to achieve for this country As prime minister with the most massive majority in no Man is in a better position to carry the nation toward his if he has to say that politics and Hydro electric Power cannot be separated May sound rather but it is realistic when the Premier makes a major announcement about Hydro development without the presence of officials of the Utility which will be doing the working against an election dead the government has decided that Manitoba Call for tenders on the general contract for the Limestone generating with construction to begin before the end of the that is occurring despite the fact that the ruling of the National Energy Board about the Sale of which would justify the has yet to be that Sale of billion Worth of Power for 12 beginning in first appeared in the last ses Sion As a memorandum of under if Energy min ister Wilson Parasiuk this agreement would mean an earlier Startup of As Hydro officials had earlier without any major construction was not required to Start until despite the ministers the tories pointed out that nothing was even if the words were translated into they doubted the province would actually receive the benefits which the government pleased to prove them Parasiuk announced the sign ing of a contract to actually sell Power to the Northern states Corn the dome Arlene Billinkoff which would produce a billion although neb approval was the government was so confident that it was already setting up meetings with Manitoba construction firms and northerners about their potential involvement and planning to Start work in eventually the neb hearings were scheduled and tories announced they would although Parasiuk said it was a political ploy because the opposition did not want a successful project associated with the Gary Filmon insisted there were valid eco nomic reasons to delay the project until the Power was starting earlier would Cost about million in interest and result in the Public paying higher he a delay would Cost even countered while jobs created and spinoffs would More than offset the Cost of legislation would be introduced to ensure that part of the Hydro Sale profits would be used to keep provincial rates within therefore he favored an Early native arguing that Many would not Benefit because of a Lack of time for those arguments were repeated to the which is expected to announce its decision by the end of the cannot wait if it wants the Plant in operation by therefore the announced the calling for tenders by the end of along with a new set of purchasing and tendering guidelines to ensure Maxi mum economic and employment benefits for bidders would be required to describe the proposed Manitoba Content in their bids and in exceptional circumstances Hydro and the government had an option to increase that Pawley believed this approach Lead to maximum provincial while still maintaining the integrity of the competitive tend ering the contract was Likely to be awarded in but the tenderer would be advised that it was contingent upon Hydro gaining approval to Export considering that one might question Why the government did not wait for the it is important to get the contract this Spring because of interest rates and explained it was also important from a the govern ment wanted to get the project off the drawing Board before the next elec despite a generally positive reaction from those who would Benefit from the the tories remained Limestone is desirable in terms of investment and admitted but it was a purely political decision to proceed without neb approval two years ahead of this action could jeopardize a Good leading to rapidly escalating Hydro rates and interest Hydro critic Harry Enns was equally emphasizing that advancement of the starting Date would Hurt the northerners who required at least a year to train for better because of the governments that Opportunity would be Filmon believed it was a strange Way to or was it politically astute he accused the government of attempting to ensure that work is underway even if neb rules against the earlier starting it should be done at the proper he but the govern ment was playing politics with some thing that was very important to the economic future of the should the tories sound so virtuous about that topic they might recall their announcement about a Western Power which would have led to resumption of Lime it occurred in the midst of the 1981 election was that any less politically motivated than the current action the tories should understand the Basic time is of the essence and the government is running out of that precious commode it May be now or doonesbury by Garry Trudeau excuse Pip you say if you hapa want to 0uppy Pon tuft him push your you Amund Pawn fi6ht0ack fi6htbmk All mass your pays mis Cigar ;