Who Answers When Public Trust Breaks?

Jannetje Van Went | Winnipeg municipal election position | October 28, 2026

Winnipeggers have spent years watching the costs of major public projects climb while trying to learn who approved what, who benefited, and who was responsible when safeguards failed. The fire station audit and the police headquarters inquiry did not appear out of nowhere. They arose from decisions made in our city, with public money and public trust at stake.

I want the next mayor and council to answer a direct question: What will stop the next costly failure before residents have to pay for an audit, a lawsuit or an inquiry to understand it?

The answer must be visible throughout a project. When the City buys land, chooses a contractor or changes a budget, residents should be able to see the reason for the decision. Council should receive independent cost advice before committing public money. Potential conflicts should be disclosed and managed in public. When an audit finds a problem, its recommendations should have deadlines, named officials responsible for carrying them out, and regular public progress reports.

The pandemic and the 2022 convoy also taught a wider lesson about leadership: a crisis does not wait while governments decide whose responsibility it is. I watched the response to the occupation of Ottawa and questioned why Ontario’s government did not join early meetings with the city and federal government. Winnipeg needs its own clear agreements for emergencies so that residents know who leads, who responds and how different levels of government work together.

We should ask every candidate for mayor and council to commit to five things:

1. Publish accessible records for major contracts, land deals, cost changes and conflict disclosures.

2. Require independent review when a project’s scope or price changes substantially.

3. Report publicly on every outstanding recommendation from major city audits and inquiries.

4. Pursue recovery of public money where the evidence and law support it.

5. Set out clear responsibilities for municipal emergencies and publish a review afterward.

I am challenging a pattern of weak accountability, whoever holds office. A party label cannot repair a procurement process; a promise cannot recover public money. Winnipeg needs leaders who will show their work, protect residents’ interests and answer for the results.

Public money. Public records. Public responsibility. No One Left Behind.