Free Press: Province, city not interested in changing generous MTS tax break

As Winnipeg Free Press reports:

Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, pointed to the failed attempts of former mayor Glen Murray to diversify the city’s ability to tax utilities such as Manitoba Hydro or telephone companies. His attempts at a “New Deal” came to a crashing end under then-NDP premier Gary Doer, who wasn’t interested in dealing with the issue.

History would likely repeat itself if city officials tried to reopen the charter to look at the deal, Thomas said.

“Pallister has been quite outspoken with this (Bell-MTS) deal. With the additional investment it would bring, they would likely (also) meet a dead end,” said Thomas. “You have to ask yourself, who has an incentive to raise this issue? Not the provincial government and I am not even sure Mayor Brian Bowman would be all that keen on picking a fight. He is pretty much pro-business and he may think there are easier way to get additional revenue.”