View From the Legislature

Recent Canadian polling simply confirmed what everyone already knew, Canadians are concerned that life is getting more expensive as the price of food and fuel drive record levels of inflation. High inflation, driven through a combination of federal monetary policy and global events, is understandably worrying Canadians at the same time it takes a greater bite out of household income.

While provincial governments cannot impact federal monetary policy, there are some steps that can be taken to ease the burden of a higher cost of living. The recent provincial budget has a focus on investment in healthcare and education but also took significant steps to make life a bit more affordable for Manitobans by reducing taxes and fees. This has caused provincial opposition parties to criticize the government for providing this tax relief to Manitobans. In particular, the provincial NDP, who raised taxes in essentially every budget that they introduced during 17 years of government, have been opposed to measures that return money to Manitobans at the time when they need it most.

One of the most significant tax reductions in the provincial budget is the move to return 37.5% of the Education Property Tax paid by Manitobans and to create a Residential Tenants Tax Credit for renters. The cost of shelter is increasing fast and returning a significant portion of the Education Property Tax to Manitobans while still providing record levels of support to schools is critical at this time.

In addition to making life more affordable for Manitobans, our government continues its effort to reduce red tape to help businesses operate more efficiently and cost effectively. In turn, this can help business keep the cost of their products and services down. Over the past six years, Manitoba has focused on reducing the number of regulations that do not provide measurable consumer or worker protection but that impede the work of business. These efforts were recognized last month by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) who annually grades the provinces on efforts to reduce red tape.

Manitoba received an A rating from CFIB, the highest rating in the country. Laura Jones, the executive vice-president of CFIB applauded Manitoba’s efforts noting that it would be an important factor for small businesses looking to recover economically from the global pandemic. As the Minister responsible for this file in our government, I appreciate the hard work of so many to not only achieve this top grade, but to continue to work to ensure Manitoba remains a friendly and welcoming place to do business.

The Bank of Canada predicts that inflation will continue to be high for the foreseeable future even as it continues to increase interest rates. While provincial opposition parties are committed to vote against financial relief for Manitobans, the Manitoba Progressive Conservative government is determined to do what it can to help blunt the burden many are feeling from rising costs while still investing in critical services.