View From the Legislature

The past few years have seen the global economic concerns around the world dominate both the news and the attention of policy makers. While there have been ups and downs on the economic roller-coaster during that time, at no time has the concern over the global economic picture been relieved entirely.

The most recent events in Europe have seen the end of long-standing governments as countries like Greece and Italy struggle to find a way through the debt crisis that grips them. Closer to home, lawmakers in the United States are still fighting over how to even trim the annual trillion dollar deficit that the world’s largest economy is racking up on an annual basis.

As has been said many times, while Canada has weathered the economic storms better than most over the past few years, we are certainly not immune to the impact of them. In fact, because we are a nation that relies heavily on trade and the global demand for our natural resources, we are very much impacted by what is happening around us.

All of these factors mean that there needs to be strong and certain financial leadership in our national government and the government of each of the Canada’s provinces. This is important for ensuring the government finances are being controlled properly and also to watch for and react to global developments.

That is why it is particularly strange and somewhat concerning that for several weeks the NDP government in Manitoba has not bothered to appoint a full-time Finance Minister. After the October 4th provincial election NDP Premier Greg Selinger decided not to immediately appoint a new Finance Minister but instead gave the job on an interim basis to Stan Struthers, who is the full-time Minister of Agriculture.

Despite the fact that the NDP government should already be working on the new budget due out in spring and despite the fact that there seems to be ever growing concern about the financial situation at home and abroad, Mr. Selinger has been in no hurry to appoint a new Finance Minister.

While Mr. Selinger would likely suggest that his government can make due just fine with a part-time Finance Minister, the fact that he hasn’t cared to appoint a full-time one for the past several weeks simply suggests it’s not a priority for him or for the rest of his government. And that is troubling. Because if the economic events that are happening around the world continue to impact Canada and Manitoba, there should be few priorities higher for Mr. Selinger than ensuring we have full-time, capable, financial leadership.