Ignatieff says his Libs would consider financial funding for Quebec City arena

Ignatieff says his Libs would consider financial funding for Quebec City arena

By: Martin Ouellet, The Canadian Press

QUEBEC - Michael Ignatieff used a visit to Quebec City to mock the reluctance of the federal government to spend money on a proposed sports arena in the provincial capital.
The Liberal leader wouldn't commit himself to any dollar figure for the arena, which is now having its estimated $400 million cost split evenly between the provincial and Quebec City municipal governments.

Ignatieff took a subtle dig at the Conservatives, who kept putting off a final decision on arena funding by saying they were waiting for a more detailed business plan.
The government announced, in the end, that said would not contribute to the actual arena but could help fund the infrastructure that surrounded it.

"I'm in Opposition, I never received a business plan," Ignatieff said in French.

"There are several possibilities and I am open to all possibilities. What I can tell you is that I'm not there to make the sidewalks."

Ignatieff is fighting an uphill political battle in the provincial capital region, where his party trails the Bloc Quebecois, the Conservatives and the NDP.

But he prepared his sales pitch for Quebec votes in the next election, casting his party as the only alternative for people who want to get rid of the Conservatives.

On the arena issue, for example, the only party that could deliver federal cash would be the Liberals.

"During the election, there will be an alternative: the Conservatives who say no, the NDP which can do nothing, the Bloc which cannot deliver and a Liberal party that can deliver the goods," he said during a news conference.

Possible arena funding wasn't the only promise Ignatieff made during his visit, which came as election speculation swirled around a possible federal government defeat in the coming weeks.

He also said a federal government led by him would settle the contentious fight over sales-tax harmonization — a move which Quebec says should bring it $2.2 billion.
Ignatieff noted Ottawa has concluded deals with Ontario and British Columbia since 2009 but not with Quebec.

"It's a question of political will," he said. "For me, it's a question of fairness.

"What was given to British Columbia and Ontario, should be given to Quebec. That's my position and of the Liberal Party of Canada. I tell you, if the harmonization issue is not resolved before the next election, I guarantee you that once elected prime minister, I will settle it."

Responding to a question from a local businessman, Ignatieff also reiterated his support for a high-speed train in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. Like the original national railway over a century ago, he said, a high-speed modern line would bolster Canadian unity.

Pavolo wrote:a) Who thunk you two would miss the real problem with this story that we in English canada have to kiss their a$$ Quebec to get a majority goverment and you can thank all of the parties for that .

2) And do you really believe that the Harperites won,t find a way to do it under the table get fricking real , they have to their majority rest on it .

grumpy old man wrote:Recall the discussion a short while ago where the conservatives announced they were changing the rules regarding what was considered acceptable under Federal infrastructure rules? It was around the time the discussion of federal funding for that arena was taking some heat.

It was my assertion at the time that the rules were loosened specifically to allow the Quebecois to take Federal Infrastructure money and use it on the arena. Prior to the change arean's etc. were specifically excluded.

The government announced, in the end, that said would not contribute to the actual arena but could help fund the infrastructure that surrounded it.

JTF wrote:But after that Charest announced that they were going to do it without the Feds. That seems pretty clear no?

grumpy old man wrote:
The feds transfer $250 million extra to Quebec for infrastructure. Quebec spends it on roads etc. that would have been funded by the province. Quebec then takes the newly found $250 million and applies it to the arena.

The net result is the same but it does not look as though the feds spent money on the arena.

grumpy old man wrote:Desperation indeed. Does iggy not understand Canadians don't want governments funding arenas? He and his handlers are not very sharp...