Motkaluk pledges to run council more collaboratively, says Bowman's city hall is close to 'autocracy'

Winnipeg mayoral candidate Jenny Motkalukaccused incumbent Brian Bowman of making city council run "perilously close" to an "autocracy" and vowed to instill a more collaborative style of governance if she's elected mayor in three weeks.

Motkaluksaid Wednesday Bowman treats executive policy committee as the"YesBrian club" and pledged to listen to all 15 councillors if she becomes mayor.

"Our current mayor has gradually, over the past four years, built himself a tidy little fiefdom and his 'my way or the highway' mantra keeps his cadre well in hand," she said at The Forks.

Se was flanked by North Kildonancouncil candidate Jeff Browaty. The incumbent councillorwaskicked off EPC along with Waverley West councillor-elect Janice Lukes after he opposed Bowman's push to establish growth fees in Winnipeg.

• Bowman punts growth-fee dissidents from inner circle

Motkaluk said if she's elected mayor, all members of council will be invited to a strategic planning session.

Former mayor Sam Katz held a session like this but Bowman has not, said Browaty, claiming the incumbent mayor does not regularly attend council seminars.

Motkaluk said her work as a business-development consultant has provided her with the skills to work with people of various backgrounds.

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"We very often can arrive at consensus on the things that really matter," she said.

Bowman's campaign responded by stating councillorswho sit on executive policy committee must have the ability to serve the entire city and not just their wards.

"It is challenging to balance ward-specific priorities with city priorities, but to be an effective EPC member you have to be committed to building a unified city rather than just focusing on regional divisions and differences," Bowman campaign manager Kelly McCraesaid in a statement.

Machirajucalls for Motkalukto withdraw

Mayoral candidate VenkatMachirajuissued a press release Wednesday, allegingMotkalukhas a "[severe] conflict of interest" and demanding she withdraw from the mayoral race.

In the statement, Machirajuclaims Motkaluk cannot be mayor because one of her brothers is a director of Bayview Construction, a firm that was awarded $19.1 million worth of road-construction contracts from the City of Winnipeg.

In the statement, MachirajumisspelledMotkaluk'sname in three different ways and calls her brother John by a different name, Joel.

Motkaluk said she is not withdrawing.

Diack wants better panic buttons on buses

Mayoral candidate Tim Diackalso made a pledge Wednesday, promising to spend $640,000 to improve panic buttons on buses. He said the existing buttons do not alert police quickly enough.

• Mayoral candidateDiackpledges to send policing bills to criminals

Diack also pledged to replace diesel transit buses with electric buses as existing vehicles are decommissioned, at a cost of $200,000 per bus.