Pallister speaks publicly about spat with Winnipeg mayor

Manitoba premier Brian Pallister spoke publicly for the first time since a spat between the province and the city erupted in recent weeks.

But the premier gave no indication as to when the two would sit down and meet.

“I’ve had good productive discussions with the mayor as have our ministers,” Pallister said.

“But I think it’s important to understand that some things like the relationships between cities and provinces are best built together with mutual trust and that’s not best done by accusations through the media.”

READ MORE: City vs. province spat will affect voters, says politics prof

Things ramped up earlier this month when Bowman accused the Pallister government of backing out of 75 million dollars in infrastructure funding promises.

The province disputed that figure, and last week the mayor was trolled on Twitter by Manitoba finance minister Scott Fielding, who accused Bowman of raising taxes to solve the city’s financial woes.

READ MORE: Manitoba premier and Winnipeg mayor spar over budget delay

Bowman said last week he asked the Premier’s office for a meeting regarding the issue, but the mayor says he was denied a meeting, and no alternate date was given. On Thursday, Pallister didn’t give any timeline as to when a meeting would take place.

“I enjoy our discussions and I’ve had many and I will continue to do that,” Pallister said. “And I will not do my scheduling through the media.”