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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Posted: 10/15/2014 1:00 AM | Comments:

LIBERAL Leader Rana Bokhari used the backdrop of Winnipeg's city hall to unveil her party's plan to devote revenue from last year's provincial sales tax increase for the infrastructure needs of municipalities.

Making her first policy announcement since becoming leader of the provincial party a year ago, Bokhari said the Liberals would allocate funds on a per capita basis on top of the existing annual base funding of $313 million.

"Manitobans will know how much money we have and exactly where it's going," she said Tuesday. "Money can't be shifted out of it. It would be there only for municipalities."

Bokhari said the Liberal plan would have already provided municipalities with an additional $218 million this year for their infrastructure needs. She said some of the tax money collected by government last year wasn't spent. Instead, it went to general revenues.

Bokhari said in an earlier interview she plans on doing more to raise her profile going into the next provincial election, likely in April 2016.

The Liberals have a single member in the provincial legislature, River Heights MLA Jon Gerrard, who led the party for 15 years.

A Probe quarterly poll issued last week found the provincial Liberals had increased to 20 per cent support of decided voters. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives led with 42 per cent, with the governing NDP at 30 per cent.

The NDP government has said it spent $844 million on municipal and provincial core infrastructure projects last year, including roads, bridges, water-treatment plants and flood protection. Included in the $844 million was $190 million from the PST increase. The government had budgeted to spend an additional $75 million last year and says that money will be rolled over to this year.

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Liberals would devote PST cash to municipalities

Liberals are using their majority clout to keep secret the financial records on the money-losing MaRS office tower.

Grit MPPs at the legislatures estimate committee Tuesday blocked all attempts by opposition members to shine a light on financial dealings connected to the more than two-thirds empty 20-storey building.

Progressive Conservative MPP Randy Hillier asked Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid to supply, among other things, a business case that led to the Liberal government loaning MaRS $224 million to build the tower.

What you are asking me right now to respond to is information that I do not know exists, the minister said.

Duguid, who emphasized he wasnt even minister in 2010 when the MaRS deal was done, then said he would supply the business case filed with Infrastructure Ontario but only if one exists and only if it is not commercially sensitive.

Infrastructure Ontario later confirmed to the Star that one does exist, but was quick to put a stop to it being released.

The decision-making behind the loan program is commercially sensitive as it contains various third-party due diligence, applicant financials, and project specific business cases that would compromise the integrity of the loan process, spokesperson Bianca Lankheit said in an email statement.

Lankheit stated the loan application for MaRS Phase 2 went through rigorous checks and balances.

Even though they (Liberals) talk a good talk about openness and transparency, we are not seeing anything about transparency, anything about openness and they are preventing the public from seeing how the minister is spending their money, Hillier (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) told the committee.

The Liberal MPPs argued the information requested either contained commercially sensitive information or claimed the research and innovation minister should provide the details even though Infrastructure Ontario lent MaRS the money.

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Liberal MPPs block release of MaRS financial details

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Manitoba Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari says last year's one per cent sales tax increase should be put in a separate fund for municipal roads and bridges.

WINNIPEG Manitoba Liberals say if they form the next government, they will dedicate all money from the provincial sales tax hike to municipal infrastructure.

Last years one per cent increase should be put in a separate fund for municipal roads and bridges,Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari said.

The money is currently being used for municipal and provincial projects, including flood-protection.

Some of the tax money collected last year was not spent and went into the governments general revenues, Bokhari said.

The Opposition Progressive Conservativeshave promised to rescind the tax hike if elected.

Bokhari said she recognizes the increased tax is here and wants to ensure its used for important infrastructure.

The Canadian Press, 2014

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Manitoba Liberals want tax increase put in infrastructure fund

October 15, 2014, 12:36 pm

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has paid tribute to the Liberal Party on the eve of its 70th birthday for helping to build modern Australia.

The party name was adopted on October 16, 1944, and two months later its organisational and constitutional framework was drawn up.

By May 1945, the party's ranks had grown from an initial meeting of 80 men and women in Canberra to 40,000 members.

Party founder Sir Robert Menzies had hoped it would change the "current of Australian politics".

"The Liberal Party hasn't just changed our politics. It has helped to build modern Australia," Mr Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Liberals fought their first election in 1946 and in 1947 won state government in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.

In 1949 the Liberals, in coalition with the Country Party, were elected to national government.

Sir Robert Menzies went on to lead the party and the nation for 17 years, before retiring from politics in 1966.

Mr Abbott said the party stood for "the citizen over the official, the community over the state and the family over everything".

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Abbott marks Liberals' 70th birthday

How Money Influences American Politics Differences Between Liberals and Conservatives 1997 3

By: Z7

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How Money Influences American Politics Differences Between Liberals and Conservatives 1997 3 - Video