“Flurry” of provincial government announcements before blackout

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba provincial government has committed hundreds of millions of dollars and made dozens of announcements since November’s Throne Speech.

The NDP promises include a new highway bypass in south Winnipeg, 12,000 new daycare spaces across the province and the possibility of relocating the railyards to a location outside of the city.

RELATED: NDP promises 12,000 new daycare spaces in Manitoba

Premier Greg Selinger said these initiatives were outlined in November’s Throne Speech.

“These specific announcements are the follow up on the Throne Speech to show where we are going over the next five years.”

He also said there are no plans to raise taxes, despite a number of commitments.

A flurry of announcements is also no coincidence as it marks almost 90 days before the provincial election in April. The Election Finances Act prohibits the sitting government from doing just that; legislation was passed in 2012.

Political analyst Christopher Adams said pushing initiatives through before the deadline is political gamesmanship.

“If the PC’s or Liberals, let’s say they defeat the NDP in the upcoming election, to what extent to implement ideas brought forward by previous government? They aren’t required to,” Adams said.

The opposing Tories criticized the NDP’s actions in a statement saying: “the NDP have spent hundreds of millions of tax dollars in pre-election advertising and announcements, without providing any details of how these promises will be paid for without raising taxes like the PST again.”