January 28, 2015

Public letter to Winnipeg City Council

January 28, 2015

Dear members of City Council,

The media will probably insulate the public from my comments, but I want to say this about True North’s plan to build a hotel and, likely, retail space to link with the Convention Centre. More gambling machines could line the new hallways with funds going to True North.

I don’t want to see another dime of City money go to a union-busting, billionaire-backed outfit like True North. This is an outfit that receives at least $12.5 million in public money every year, and fails to say even a small thank-you on its website.

We are talking about a quarter-billion dollars in public money over twenty-five years being sucked up by True North with no accountability, calculated before we landed the Jets franchise. How fair is that to other downtown hotels?

I’m not counting the recently-installed gambling machines whose revenue goes to True North and subsidies to support the Jets franchise. How many more machines will True North want in the new development?

It is a private corporation that does not have to report its profits, unlike how the government forces First Nations (who are owed resources and funds) and trade unions (who are democratic, unlike corporations) to disclose all their spending.

This privileged outfit busted the union that worked at the publicly-owned Arena.

To me, you are allowing CentreVenture to get away lightly for signing a deal with True North.  You have the power to make True North give the stagehands their jobs back, show some gratitude, and disclose its finances.

If True North fails to do that right away, then it’s time for you to reverse the privatization of the Arena.

I am unable to make these comments in person to you today, but I hope the discussion at council shows you will put people before billionaires.

I’d put $12.5 million a year towards building houses and child care centres, not supporting an outfit like True North.

Darrell Rankin
Leader, Communist Party of Canada – Manitoba