Manitoba election: NDP, PC and Liberal leaders spar in final debate

Leaders of Manitoba's three major political parties went head-to-head on taxes, infrastructure, health care and other issues, while also taking some shots at each other,duringthe last leaders' debate before election day.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce hostedthe 90-minuteprovincial leaders' debate early Thursday afternoonat the RBC Convention Centre.

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The sold-out event featured Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari, Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister and NDP Leader Greg Selinger fielding a number of questions based onManitoba Bold, a "crowd-sourced vision document" for the province's future created by the chamber.

Questions included what they think of the PST going up from seven to eight per cent, how they would raise business capital and keep it in Manitoba, how they would improve the provincial government's procurement processand how their parties would advance work with indigenous communities to provide access to more jobs and business opportunities.

The leaders also asked each other questions throughout the debate on issues ranging from the PST and the payroll tax to how they would fund education.

Pallister, who opinion polls suggest is the front-runner, was frequently pressed for specifics on his agenda.The crowd applauded whenSelingerandBokhariaskedPallisterto specify how much he would spend on schools or infrastructure.

But the crowd also applaudedPallisterwhen he said he can't commit to specific dollar amounts until he knows how big the provinces deficit is.

At one point, Pallister accused Selinger of leading a "dysfunctional" and "broken-down" team following the departures of five cabinet ministers from his NDP government and the leadership contest that followed.

Selingerresponded by saying his team includes a good mix of newand experienced people.

One question that caught the leaders off-guard was what they thought of buildingtraffic roundabouts on provincial highways and perhaps even the Perimeter Highway.All three leaders admitted they are not experts on roundabouts, but they would look into the subject in consultation with engineers and experts.