[Migs]

Now its clear that the official opposition is in favour of the funding as well, putting even more pressure on the govt to deliver. Great news for us and bad news for the stadium naysayers as they are running out of people to vote for.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/can...#ixzz1CDKh1IKF

OTTAWA — Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has offered guarded support for the idea of using federal funds to build a new NHL arena in Quebec City, giving the Harper government more political cover should it decide to bankroll the project.

Ignatieff suggested Wednesday his party would support federal funding for the proposed 18,000-seat arena, provided the city comes up with a “well-put-together” business plan that demonstrates the facility will have a “cultural use” and serve as a “real regional economic driver.”

“If that’s the proposition, and it’s really put together well, and we’ve got private participation and public participation from the other two levels of government, a federal government is going to be involved,” Ignatieff told reporters after the Liberals wrapped up their winter caucus meetings.

“But then you don’t do this one off; you then have to be sure that you’ve got fairness and equity across the country, because there are other regions . . . that have a good enough claim on that.”
Ignatieff added that he would like to see more details about the project. “You’ve got to be able to persuade Canadians that this is good value for money,” he said.

The Harper government appears to have warmed to the notion of funding the proposed arena — which Quebec City hopes will lure an NHL team back to town — since Quebecor Inc. chief executive Pierre Karl Peladeau said his company would be willing to provide “tens of millions” of dollars in support.

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume has been lobbying the federal government to match the $175 million promised by the provincial government to help build the arena, expected to cost roughly $400 million. The city has committed $50 million.

Critics have predicted federal support for the project would set off a wave of requests across the country for funding to build sports facilities. Of the arenas that serve as home to the NHL’s six Canadian teams, only the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa received federal funding to cover construction costs.

The Bloc Quebecois has called on the federal government to cough up the full $175 million requested by Quebec City.

A Department of Finance memo recently obtained by Postmedia News warned that bankrolling the arena would be an “extremely rare” exception to federal policy on funding sports facilities, which has tended to focus on supporting amateur sports.

But pro-sports facilities have received funding when they also hosted big international amateur events, such as the Pan Am Games.

Quebec City has expressed interest in bidding for the Winter Olympics.

Postmedia News