Manitoba premier warns of opposition during state-of-the-province address

WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger’s annual state-of-the-province address Tuesday was his last before next April’s election and had a decided campaign-style tone.

Selinger touted his NDP government’s increased spending to about 1,000 people at a business luncheon and warned that the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals would hurt the economy and cancel flood-prevention projects.

“I say to you that the opposition’s plan doesn’t cut it,” the premier said. “A plan that focuses on cuts as a way forward, I do not believe serves the needs of Manitobans at the moment.”

Selinger mentioned the Liberals, who hold just one seat in the legislature, as much as he mentioned the Opposition Progressive Conservatives. The Liberals have risen in opinion polls and suggestions are the party could be a threat to NDP seats in Winnipeg.

Selinger criticized a recent Liberal promise to privatize government-run liquor stores. He also accused them of planning tax cuts that would leave the province with less money to prevent spring flooding, which has become almost an annual problem.

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The premier said afterwards that his speech wasn’t in response to polls, but was simply laying out his vision in advance of the April 19 election.

“It’s a reflection of the fact that we’re coming into the election window and we have to sharpen our understanding of what each political party is offering to Manitoba,” he said.

The NDP government fell in opinion polls after raising the provincial sales tax in 2013. Selinger has defended the increase as necessary to build roads, flood prevention projects and other infrastructure work, as well as to keep the economy growing.

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The Tories under Brian Pallister have promised to reduce the sales tax sometime during their first term if they are elected, and have laid out proposed spending cuts on everything from government advertising to the size of cabinet.

The Liberals have not revealed how they plan to pay for their promises. The party has said it would eliminate wait times for hip and knee surgery, boost funding for student aid and eliminate, in stages, a provincial tax on corporate payrolls.

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Selinger said the Liberals can’t promise new spending while also cutting the payroll tax.

“How are they going to do that if they’re cutting $300 to $400 million of revenues with corporate giveaways? That doesn’t add up.”

Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari has said the Liberals will reveal their plan closer to the election.

Selinger also told the luncheon that if his government is re-elected, it will pursue expansion of Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro. That could include a deal with the new NDP government in Alberta, he said.

“I think we’ll have more announcements going forward with other jurisdictions to the west of us, who now are fully seized with the need to build climate-change resiliency in this country.”

Selinger provided few details afterward.

“Stay tuned,” he told reporters.