Vision or practicality? Front-runners in race to be Winnipeg's mayor weigh in

With one day to go to voting day, the two leaders in the race to be mayor of Winnipeg went head to head on CBC's Information Radio with Marcy Makusa. 

• Special Report: Winnipeg Votes 2014

Judy Wasylycia-Leis and Brian Bowman were asked if they had to choose, would their priority be practical solutions or vision.

Bowman said the city needs both, but he made his choice clear.

"[It] is vision. We've had a lack of vision at city hall for a long time and that's the role of the mayor, to set the vision, to set the tone and then engage people to find the practical solutions to get it done."

Wasylycia Leis said with the city's infrastructure in the state it's in, the mayor has to be practical first. But there is a place for vision.

"You can't get to that point unless you actually ensure that we've got good roads to drive on, we don't have potholes and frozen pipes, [and] you should be able to flush your toilet."

There was also a difference of opinion between the two candidates on the role of municipal government.

"I think government needs to know what things it's good at and what things it's not good at," Bowman said. "For instance, it's not good at telling businesses how they should run their business. Small businesses need government to try and make things easier for them."

"The first role of a civic government is actually to ensure the foundations are strong," Wasylycia-Leis said. "And we've got a $7.4 billion infrastructure deficit and a mess at city hall."

Get all the information on election night with CBC: 

On cbc.ca/manitoba: livestreaming from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On CBC Radio One: live coverage from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

On CBC Television: live coverage on main TV network in Manitoba from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and at 11 p.m. on CBC News Winnipeg at 11