O'Brien to urge transit revamp in mayoral race

Ottawa mayoral candidate Larry O'Brien will push for an overhaul of OC Transpo as part of his election platform, as well as a wage freeze at city hall, CBC News has learned.

The incumbent's re-election platform, slated to be announced Wednesday at 7 p.m., is not expected to call for reforms to the size or structure of city council.

The revelations suggest O'Brien's campaign will bump head-on against challengers Clive Doucet and Jim Watson.

On Tuesday, Doucet made transit issues a pillar of his campaign with his pledge to put aside plans for a multibillion-dollar downtown transit tunnel and instead pursue surface light rail lines along Carling Avenue. Meanwhile, Watson upbraided O'Brien's current city hall administration for racking up debt and also announced plans to freeze wages for the mayor and council at city hall.

O'Brien's plans for OC Transpo would likely include changes at the top, which could spell bad news for current transit chief Alain Mercier. The city's general manager of transit services has been beset over the last year by a strike, a ballooning price tag on a new bus garage and a vote by drivers to reject a new collective agreement.

On fiscal issues, O'Brien is expected to one-up his rivals' aggressive stance on city spending, with the possible pledge of a wage freeze for all city staff, not just politicians and managers. But such a vow could be difficult to keep because of current contracts with municipal unions.

Watson's campaign has called for fewer city councillors — shrinking the current complement of 23 to between 14 and 17 — but O'Brien's platform is not anticipated to advocate such a move.

Ottawa's municipal election will be held on Oct. 25.