[getbak]

Either way, I think the arena deal gets done, but neither side is 100% certain since it still has to pass the cabinet.

The fact that it's framed as infrastructure money from the province makes it more palatable for the NDP to be able to okay it because that infrastructure work needs to be done regardless of what's built in the area.

Once the NDP put out their budget plan and it had the arena costs penciled in, I think it killed any chance this was going to be a wedge issue for the election.


I also believe it's a bad idea to try to make it a wedge issue since it's not something that falls along clear party lines, so it's just as likely to push someone to vote for the other side as it is to make them vote for you. Look at the last deal, the two biggest voices against the deal on Council were Farkas and Farrell, who were as far apart on the political spectrum as you're going to find in municipal politics.