Mayoral candidate attacks competition
Posted Sep 25, 2012 05:58:20 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An amicable debate on community transit during Halifax’s latest municipal election debate ended with one candidate drawing the line between himself and a fellow frontrunner.
During closing arguments, mayoral candidate Tom Martin told the crowd he has seen the city’s dark side, taking a shot at candidate Mike Savage.
“Mr. Savage, while you were behind a desk as an MP and a business executive, I was on our streets as a homicide investigator and hostage negotiator,” said Martin in a prepared speech. “I’ve seen horrific living conditions and I’ve dealt with countless domestic disputes, drug crimes and murder cases.”
The 30-year police veteran drew various comparisons between the poor and the wealthy, the disabled and the able-bodied, the desperate and the entitled.
He finished with another personal attack on Savage and a humble appeal for votes in the upcoming election.
“I don’t need the extravagance of a $200,000 campaign,” said Martin. “And we as citizens can never offer up the mayor’s chair to the highest bidder. The Globe and Mail stated only an ‘act of God’ would prevent Mr. Savage being elected. And The Chronicle Herald portrays him as having already won. But the media doesn’t decide. You do.”
Transportation was the focus of Monday’s debate and dominated the discussion during the first two hours of the Citadel High event, organized by the Planning & Design Centre.
Candidate Aaron Eisses presented one of the more radical transportation ideas.
“We should have a free transit day and no cars allowed in the city,” said Eisses. He also suggested that as more people come to the city to work in the shipyards, more ferries like one to Shannon Park would help keep the peninsula from becoming a parking lot.
Mike Savage argued that it takes too long for Halifax council to make decisions, and that the municipality needs to turn to the private sector.
“I’d like to see somebody go to CN and work this out in a reasonable business-like session, being firm and understanding the position of the city,” said Savage. “We have to work out if we’re going to do rail from Bedford into Halifax and some of the other corridors.”
Fred Connors said transit needs to be a better experience for passengers.
“We could integrate a user-pay system where the same thing that gets you on the ferry is the same thing that gets you on the bus. It also allows you to pay for a cab. It also allows you to cross the bridge,” said Connors.
