Motkaluk vows to play nice with all councillors, if elected

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This article was published 18/10/2018 (2008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk has made a commitment to all ward candidates that she’ll work with whoever is elected, even if they haven’t publicly endorsed her.

Motkaluk’s move, made in a statement released Thursday night, appears to be a jab at incumbent Brian Bowman, who has been accused of holding grudges against some city councillors and refusing to work with them.

“I would like to state to all candidates that, regardless of whether you have endorsed me or not, regardless of your political philosophy, if I am elected mayor, I will ensure that all members of council will participate in our civic governance,” Motkaluk said.

“If you and I are elected, you will be treated respectfully as the duly elected representative of thousands of Winnipeggers in your ward. I will not exclude any citizens from being represented by shunning their elected councillor.”

Four incumbent councillors — Jeff Browaty, Jason Schreyer, Ross Eadie and Janice Lukes — have endorsed Motkaluk. Each cited Bowman’s refusal to work with them and other members of council as one of the reasons for lining up behind Motkaluk.

Lukes spent the first two years of her term as a member of Bowman’s inner circle, and then said she was shunned by Bowman, who refused to talk to her after he removed her from the executive policy committee.

“I represented 70,000 people in my ward and the mayor refused to talk to me,” Lukes told the Free Press. “I have no choice but to endorse a candidate for mayor who is willing to work with all members of council.”

Motkaluk promised to take a different approach if elected as mayor.

“We may not always share the same opinion or agree on certain issues, but there is no reason why some should be excluded from the democratic process and others not,” she said.

“I look forward to working closely with each elected councillor because they are a voice for thousands of Winnipeggers.”

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca