Business consultant quick to enter Winnipeg mayoral race, less eager to elaborate on platform
Jenny Motkaluk is the 1st official candidate in Winnipeg's 2018 mayoral race
The first candidate to enter Winnipeg's mayoral race was quick to register her campaign — but not as eager to entertain questions about her platform.
On Tuesday morning, less than two hours after the start of the 2018 mayoral campaign period, business development consultant Jenny Motkaluk visited the city clerk's office to make her campaign official.
"I'm running for mayor to defeat Brian Bowman, just to be clear, and it's because Winnipeggers know Brian Bowman doesn't share our priorities," she told reporters in the courtyard at city hall after she registered her campaign, taking aim at some of the mayor's initiatives.
"We know that spending money opening Portage and Main — millions of untold dollars opening Portage and Main — isn't a good idea. And we also know that future legs of rapid transit and Wi-Fi on the buses are not going to get us to work on time tomorrow."
Motkaluk also suggested incumbent Brian Bowman is more interested in public appearances than policy work.
"We know that being the mayor is a lot more than the ceremonial roles. It's a lot more than the ribbon cuttings and the picture taking and the handshaking," she said.
"Winnipeggers want a working mayor, someone who understands that the job is to make sure that the city works, every single day, for all of us."
When asked what she would do differently with Portage and Main or Winnipeg Transit funding, Motkaluk declined to comment. Her question-and-answer session with reporters lasted less than two minutes.
Dave Shorr, Motkaluk's media advisor, promised more comment later in the campaign.
"We registered today. We need to get the website up. We need to get the email addresses up. The campaign is literally 15 minutes old," Shorr said.
He later issued a statement that also listed road repairs, snow clearing and improved recreation centres as Motkaluk priorities.
"There's going to be many candidates coming forward. We're hearing about a number of people. This is democracy and I'd expect there'll be a number of candidates making their case to Winnipeggers," Bowman said at Siloam Mission following a Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone announcement.
The incumbent mayor also said road repairs are his top priority.
Mayoral candidates have until September to register their campaigns. The registration period for council candidates starts on June 30 and also ends in September.
The vote is slated for Oct. 24.