Russ Wyatt

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Russ Wyatt is a politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has represented Transcona ward on the Winnipeg City Council since 2002, and is currently a member of the city's Executive Policy Committee. His father, Reg Wyatt, was a councillor from 1983 to 1986.

Contents

[edit] Early life and career

Wyatt studied Political Science at the University of Winnipeg, and worked for the Wyatt Insurance Group, a family company, before entering public life.[1] He was chairman of the East Kildonan-Transcona residents advisory group in the 1990s, and served as an assistant to Transcona councillor Rick Boychuk.[2]

In 1993, Wyatt recommended that the City of Winnipeg introduce "park-and-ride" areas to improve public transportation.[3] During the 1997 federal election, he argued that renewed debates on national unity were taking attention away from pressing issues such as job creation, and credited the New Democratic Party as the only political party willing to discuss the economy.[4] He led a petition drive against bus fare increases in 1998.[5]

Wyatt planned to run for city council in the 1998 municipal election with an endorsement from the New Democratic Party of Manitoba,[6] but withdrew just before the nomination deadline.[7] He led a citizen's campaign to preserve Transcona's health centre in 2000, and criticized the provincial government of Gary Doer when it chose to move the centre.[8]

At the time of the 2002 municipal election, Wyatt was the director of communications for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.[9]

[edit] City councillor

[edit] Murray administration

Wyatt was elected to city council for the Transcona ward in the 2002 municipal election, at age 32. He was no longer affiliated with the NDP by this time, and ran without party endorsement.[10] He called for an improved municipal infrastructure and an increased police presence in his ward.[11] After the election, he was appointed to the city's Protection and Community Services Committee.[12]

Wyatt soon earned a reputation as a hard-working councillor and a vocal defender of his ward's interests.[13] He also emerged as a vocal opponent of Mayor Glen Murray, with whom he frequently clashed at council meetings. Some accused Wyatt of grandstanding, and of acting in an undiplomatic manner toward other councillors.[14]

Police services

Wyatt opposed the City of Winnipeg's police service restructuring plan in 2003, in part because his ward was slated to lose its station to St. Boniface.[15] After unsuccessful attempts to block the plan on council, he launched a billboard campaign calling for Transconans to protest against Glen Murray on the matter. Murray described this move as "very unprofessional", and said it was based on the flawed notion that he was personally driving the policy.[16] Council approved the restructuring plan in late July 2003.[17]

Other issues

Wyatt remained a supporter of public transportation, and endorsed rapid transit services for Winnipeg in 2002.[18] He opposed Murray's plans to introduce a sales tax, on the grounds that it would unfairly target the city's working and middle classes.[19] He also proposed a "Taxpayer's Bill of Rights" in 2004, arguing that it could be used to give citizens a direct vote on new taxes and major capital investments.[20]

Wyatt indicated his support for urban reserves in June 2003, as a means of alleviating aboriginal poverty in Winnipeg.[21] In the same year, he argued that Winnipeg had fallen behind in its efforts to hire greater numbers of women and visible minorities, and called for department-by-department investigation into the existing state of employment equity programs.[22] He also spoke against private companies overseeing Winnipeg's trash services, arguing that municipal employees were more reliable.[23]

2004 election

Glen Murray resigned as Mayor of Winnipeg in mid-2004 to run for the Canadian House of Commons. Wyatt considered running for mayor in the by-election that followed, but eventually chose to endorse Garth Steek. Wyatt said that he was impressed with Steek's "law and order" campaign, and particularly his pledge to crack down on the Hell's Angels biker gang.[24] He later became disillusioned, however, and suggested that Steek was actually trying to ensure the election of Sam Katz by attacking Katz's more serious opponents and otherwise keeping a low profile.[25] Katz won the election, while Steek finished a distant fifth.

[edit] Katz administration (first term)

Rapid Transit Review Task Force

Wyatt initially made an effort to improve his relationship with the new mayor.[26] He supported Katz's recommendation to shelve a proposed rapid transit bus line to the University of Manitoba in September 2004,[27] and was subsequently appointed as chair of the city's Rapid Transit Review Task Force.[28] After several months of public consultation, the task force encouraged the city to re-establish a rapid transit plan with a more city-wide focus.[29] Following a second round of consultations, it removed Katz's preferred option of a downtown light-rail system. These decisions created a rift between Katz and Wyatt, and by the summer of 2005 Wyatt had returned to his previous role as a critic of the administration.[30] When the task force's final report was submitted, Wyatt expressed concern that Katz's inner circle would cherry-pick its least expensive recommendations and ignore the rest.[31]

OlyWest

Wyatt was one of the earliest critics of the OlyWest hog processing plant, that was proposed for the Transcona and St. Boniface areas of Winnipeg in 2005. When provincial cabinet minister Rosann Wowchuk announced the project, Wyatt objected on the grounds that it could obstruct transit, and bring foul odours and water contamination to the area.[32] He later sought to defeat the proposal on council.[33]

Other issues

Wyatt opposed the provincial government's plan to construct the Waverley West suburb in 2005, arguing that it would incur significant infrastructural costs.[34] He voted against Sam Katz's anti-panhandling bylaw later in the same year.[35] He supported malathion spraying to target the city's mosquito population,[36] and supported an unsuccessful term limits motion in March 2006.[37]

2006 election

Wyatt was re-elected in the 2006 municipal election with 85.2% of the vote in his ward. He was endorsed by the Winnipeg Labour Council, and by the "OlyOpp group" of businesses opposing the OlyWest project.[38] Wyatt described his victory as a message for Gary Doer's NDP government, and warned that Doer's support for OlyWest would hurt him in the next provincial election.[39]

[edit] Katz administration (second term)

Executive Policy Committee

Following the election, Mayor Katz surprised many political observers by appointing Wyatt to the municipal cabinet (officially known as the Executive Policy Committee) as downtown committee chair. Some described this as a savvy move on Katz's part, on the grounds that it would shift Wyatt's opposition from the council chamber to the political backrooms.[40] Wyatt was also named chair of the municipal Red Tape Commission in February 2007, and was appointed to the municipal Housing Commission the following month.[41]

Wyatt has openly disagreed with Katz on some issues. He was the only cabinet member to oppose the creation of an Assiniboine Park Conservancy in June 2007, arguing that he could not support more private-sector control of the parklands.[42] In September 2007, he broke with the mayor and voted for a proposed commission into police affairs.[43] He later criticized Winnipeg's decision to ban pesticides, describing the decision as a part of a "national fad".[44]

Wyatt called for a single agency to manage Winnipeg's downtown development in February 2008, on the grounds that existing responsibilities were divided among too many organizations.[45]

Fall of OlyWest

Provincial support for the OlyWest project diminished after December 2006, when two of the three companies supporting the plant withdrew and the third was informed it would need to submit a new proposal. Progressive Conservative Party leader Hugh McFadyen and Liberal leader Jon Gerrard called for the project to be abandoned, while New Democratic Party Premier Gary Doer was initially non-comittal. During the 2007 provincial election, Wyatt wrote a guest editorial column for the Winnipeg Free Press calling on Doer to declare that the project would not be continued.[46] Doer withdrew his support for OlyWest a few days later, and Wyatt wrote a follow-up letter commending his decision.[47]

[edit] Ideology

Wyatt's ideological position on council has been somewhat eclectic. When running for re-election in 2006, he described himself as progressive on social issues and more conservative on fiscal issues.[48] In 2007, he indicated that both the New Democratic Party and Liberal Party were courting him to run for federal office.[49]

[edit] Electoral record

2006 Winnipeg municipal election, City Councillor, Transcona Wardedit
Candidate Total votes  % of total votes
(x)Russ Wyatt 7,880 85.23
Gerald Basarab 785 8.49
Stephen Smith 581 6.28
Total valid votes 9,246 100.00


2002 Winnipeg municipal election, City Councillor, Transcona Wardedit
Candidate Total votes  % of total votes
Russ Wyatt 7,270 61.67
Carol Miles 3,042 25.81
Bob Cook 1,476 12.52
Total valid votes 11,788 100.00

[edit] Table of offices held

Preceded by
Shirley Timm-Rudolph		 Winnipeg City Councillor, Transcona ward
2002-		 Succeeded by
incumbent

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Transcona", Winnipeg Votes 2006, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, accessed 8 February 2008; "Seeking city hall seats", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 July 1998.
  2. ^ Bill Redekop, "Factory boss set for tall-grass fight", Winnipeg Free Press, 10 August 1993.
  3. ^ Bill Redekop, "City agrees to study park-and-ride idea", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 July 1993. "Park-and-ride" areas are for drivers who choose to park their cars before taking public transportation.
  4. ^ Russ Wyatt, letter, 2 June 1997, A11.
  5. ^ Kim Guttormson, "City budget plan secretive, too rushed, councillors told", Winnipeg Free Press, 28 February 1998, A4.
  6. ^ Linda Quattrin, "10 New Democrats run under banner", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 August 1998, A3.
  7. ^ "Wyatt departs race; leaves two to vie for Transcona seat", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 October 1998, A8.
  8. ^ "Transcona fights to keep health centre", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 November 2000, A6; David Kuxhaus, "Health-care centre move opponents 'betrayed'", Winnipeg Free Press, 16 December 2000, A14.
  9. ^ Nick Martin, "Pining for police", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 2002, A6.
  10. ^ "Candidates endorsed", Winnipeg Free Press, 21 September 2002, A2; Nick Martin, "Pining for police", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 2002, A6.
  11. ^ Carol Sanders, "Transcona win sends message: new councillor", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 2002, A10.
  12. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Rookies win plum positions on city council", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 November 2002, A6.
  13. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Wyatt's abandonment of hell-raising style sign of his ambitions?", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 December 2004, B3.; Mary Agnes Welch, "Transcona tired of being abused", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 March 2003, B1.
  14. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Shouting match erupts between mayor, councillor", Winnipeg Free Press, 17 July 2003, A3.
  15. ^ Leah Hendry, "Police stations at risk", Winnipeg Free Press, 11 December 2002, A1; Leah Hendry, "Police station plan 'alienates' Transcona", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 January 2003, A6; Mary Agnes Welch, "Councillor threatens to 'fight' city hall", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 June 2003, B3.
  16. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Councillor targets police station plans", Winnipeg Free Press, 19 July 2003, A7.
  17. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "New police stations win council approval", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 July 2003, A3.
  18. ^ Leah Hendry, "Higher fares for bus riders get council OK", Winnipeg Free Press, 12 December 2002, A12.
  19. ^ Daniel Lett, "'Get off the fence,' Tory chief tells Doer", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 September 2003, A6.
  20. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Committee rejects bill of rights for city taxpayers", Winnipeg Free Press, 6 May 2004, B3.
  21. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Urban reserves to tackle poverty?", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 June 2003, A1.
  22. ^ Patti Edgar, "City slighting employment equity: Wyatt", Winnipeg Free Press, 4 May 2004, B2.
  23. ^ "Privatized garbage pickup debated", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 April 2004, A5.
  24. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Eight could run for mayor's crown", Winnipeg Free Press, 7 May 2004, B1; Mary Agnes Welch, "Election battles begin brewing", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 May 2004, B2; "Hockey, law and order take the podium", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 May 2004, A1.
  25. ^ Patti Edgar, "Steek denies campaign winding down", Winnipeg Free Press, 21 June 2004, A1; Patti Edgar, "Mihychuk says Katz team made her unsolicited offer", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 June 2004, B3.
  26. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Wyatt's abandonment of hell-raising style sign of his ambitions?", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 December 2004, B3.
  27. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "City transit boss quits", Winnipeg Free Press, 30 September 2004, A1.
  28. ^ "Who got what", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 2004, A8.
  29. ^ Leah Janzen, "$312-M transit vision unveiled", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 2005, A1; Mary Agnes Welch, "The path of least resistance", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 May 2005, B5.
  30. ^ Patti Edgar, "Light-rail plan derailed", Winnipeg Free Press, 5 July 2005, B1.
  31. ^ Patti Edgar, "Rapid transit years away", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 October 2005, B1. During the city's 2006 budget negotiations, he introduced a successful motion calling for the province to pay for half of the city's transit costs. See Bartley Kives, "Council approves $308-M capital budget", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 February 2006, A7.
  32. ^ Leah Janzen, "Hog plant to bring 1,100 jobs", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 November 2005, B1; Helen Fallding, "Councillor says postpone hog plant", Winnipeg Free Press, 19 November 2005, B2.
  33. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "OlyWest foes left outside chamber", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 May 2006, A5.
  34. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Waverley West rainy-day funds touted", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 January 2005, B1.
  35. ^ Patti Edgar, "Panhandlers be warned", Winnipeg Free Press, 30 June 2005, B1.
  36. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Looming infestation swats city's 'greener' approach", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 July 2005, A1.
  37. ^ Bartley Kives, "Council nixes vote on term limits", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 March 2006, B1. Wyatt also supported a similar motion in 2007. See Bartley Kives, "Veteran councillors terminate plan for term limits", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 November 2007, A4.
  38. ^ Bartley Kives, "8 council candidates get labour's backing", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 June 2006, B3; Bartley Kives, "Cerilli gets OlyOpp vote", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 September 2006, B1.
  39. ^ "Transcona", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 October 2006, B9.
  40. ^ Mary Agnes Welch, "Vocal critic gets a promotion", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 November 2006, B1.
  41. ^ "Katz gives one-time critic Wyatt red-tape job", Winnipeg Free Press, 21 February 2007, Web Extra; "Katz names appointees to housing committee", Winnipeg Free Press, 8 March 2007, Web Extra. In April 2007, he recommended removing licences for home-based businesses. See Bartley Kives, "City 'cash grab' could be history", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 April 2007, B2.
  42. ^ Bartley Kives, "Save the park...and the riverbank...and our bridges...", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 June 2007, B2.
  43. ^ Bartley Kives, "Police service 'isn't working': Katz", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 September 2007, A5.
  44. ^ Bartley Kives, "Pesticide ban passes -- with a bit of tweaking", Winnipeg Free Press, 8 May 2008, B3.
  45. ^ Bartley Kives, "Who's driving this thing?", Winnipeg Free Press, 11 February 2008, B2.
  46. ^ Russ Wyatt, "Doer hoping voters forget OlyWest, pigs", Winnipeg Free Press, 6 May 2007, B10.
  47. ^ Russ Wyatt, "Re: Doer puts nail in OlyWest's coffin, May 9" [letter], Winnipeg Free Press, 11 May 2007, A14.
  48. ^ Bartley Kives, "Transcona candidates flare nostrils over hog plant", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 2006, B2. Veteran social activist Nick Ternette once described him as a right-wing populist, although others have disagreed with this assessment. See Nick Ternette, "As the world turns at city hall", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 June 2006, A11.
  49. ^ Bartley Kives, "Hair-raising tales come out of city hall", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 April 2007, B3.