WINNIPEG — With a new governing party in Manitoba, comes a new set of promises.
The Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister was elected Tuesday night after winning a majority of the province’s 57 seats in the Manitoba election.
Throughout his campaign, his party made a lot of promises – including a plan for their first 100 days in office. While the Tories’ platform lacked detail.,it did give it did give Manitobans a peek into how the premier-elect will govern over the next four years.
READ MORE: Manitoba Tories promise child-care spaces if elected
Here’s a list of some of the promises Pallister campaigned on:
Lower sales tax
On the first day of the election campaign on March 16, Pallister promised to cut back the provincial sales tax from eight per cent to seven by 2020. The one per cent of the PST is equivalent to about $300 million in annual revenue, which Pallister said he will recoup through savings and cuts.
READ MORE: Manitoba Tories promise to cut PST to 7% if elected
Cut ambulance fees in half
Pallister vowed to cut ambulance fees in half within his first term in office, saying it would cost about $2.8 million a year. The Tories also said they will create a task force to help shorten wait times for service in hospital emergency rooms.
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Restore the right to vote on tax increases
The party promised not to increase major taxes such as income, business or retail without getting Manitobans to vote on proposed hikes. If the pledge is broken, Pallister said cabinet ministers will have 20 per cent cut from their salaries. He said he would impose this within the first legislative session.
Cut income taxes
Pallister said his party will increase income tax brackets by the rate of inflation within their first full budget year. He also promised to raise the basic personal exemption toward the national average within his first term.
Reduce deficit
The Tories said they will reduce the deficit by an estimated $21.9 million in the first year in office. The premier-elect admitted it would only make a small dent in the$774 million provincial deficit. The platform projected $50 million a year in savings through a review of government programs. Another $35 million a year will be saved through what Pallister calls “smart shopping” for goods and services by putting more contracts up for open bidding.
Boost funds for home-based daycare
The Tories promised to boost funding for home-based daycares in order to lower wait lists for child care spots. The party said this would create 550 home daycare spots in 2016 .
With files from the Canadian Press
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