MAGUIRE AIMS FOR MAYORALTY
He’s back in the race again and wants to put Ottawa on the road to financial sustainability, reports Andrew Seymour.
Q We have Lansdowne and light rail moving ahead, there’s a new convention centre, the city has secured provincial funding for the Ottawa River cleanup, so it seems to me we’re moving in the right direction. But you have said, “The city is in a mess.” Why?
A Because all roads lead back to the budget. We don’t have a financially sustainable path forward. Our borrowing is substantial, our debt has increased — it’s almost doubled in four years, our unfunded liabilities now exceed $2 billion, and we have hundreds of millions more in obligations that aren’t funded and secured — but nonetheless, we’re going to have to pay this eventually.
Q You talk about fresh ideas. Give me three tangible examples of yours.
A Bring back weekly garbage pickup, remove the $30-milliona-year Hydro Ottawa overcharging, put rail back on the rail rights-of-way and the rail corridors throughout Ottawa to give commuters another option.
Q Is this similar to what you suggested in 2010 around GO train-style commuter rail for the suburbs?
A Precisely that, absolutely.
Q Why do you think that’s a good idea?
A Let’s solve the problem where the problem is. Right now we have an erroneously expensive Phase 1 LRT ... ( justified by) bus congestion downtown. We have a proposed Phase 2 LRT, which is going to be Tunney’s to Bayshore in an area that’s already well-served by buses. None of these things address our real traffic congestion in Ottawa, which is the Queensway and the arterial roads leading west and east. We do have existing rail and rail corridors west and east ... why not utilize what we have already? It’s a fraction of the cost; it makes perfect sense. Montreal does it; Toronto does it — why not Ottawa?
Q In a campaign where we have two people running, the mayor and yourself, you’ve probably got a lock on some conservative votes and the CFRA audience. What, then, is your strategy to attract more centrist or middleof-the-road voters who are maybe not enamoured by Watson’s city hall?
A I’m interested in appealing to what appeals to people’s selfinterest. So when I talk about things like ‘Let’s reduce traffic congestion by putting commuter rail back in Ottawa, let’s reduce your hydro bills by removing the overcharges,’ I don’t think people look at that and say to themselves, ‘Well, I support this’ or ‘I don’t support this because this guy is a Conservative or a Liberal.’ I think they look at that and say, ‘Wow, that resonates with me; that’s something I can identify with.’ And that’s my strategy.
Q What is Mayor Watson’s greatest strength?
A I like that he’s a tireless promoter of Ottawa. I don’t for a moment doubt his genuine commitment to the city, and I do find that an admirable quality.
Q What is Watson’s biggest weakness?
A He appears to have either a complete ambivalence to basic finance and economics or, almost as bad, he simply doesn’t understand. The path that we’re on right now is not sustainable, the eventual outcome will be entirely unpleasant, and what’s even more tragic is this is avoidable.
Q What is your plan for the city’s finances?
A We have to migrate back to living within our means. There is no other sustainable municipal model than living within your means. I’d like to see the city focused on a financial strategy that sees us returning to pay-asyou-go where possible. I know there’s capital projects that we have to borrow for, but let’s focus on pay-as-you-go; let’s focus on building our reserves back up.
Q You secured about 6,600 votes in 2010, compared with Watson’s 131,000 votes. Are you running because you think you have a chance to win or because you don’t think he should run unopposed, that he shouldn’t just get the keys to the city?
A I chat up folks all the time, I meet businesses all the time, I speak to thousands of people — they don’t feel they have a voice, and they need a voice. So, I’m representing those tens and tens of thousands of people. They’re going to make a decision about whether they support my campaign platform or not. Regardless, it won’t change the way I do my job. I’m out here to present a campaign. I’ll beat the bushes looking for votes, I’ll make my case in the debates and in the press, and if folks support that, great. And if they don’t, I fully understand.