Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative government is presenting a budget today that is expected to include income-tax cuts, a new carbon tax and some spending controls.
Premier Brian Pallister has already said the budget will raise the basic personal exemption, the amount of money people can earn before they start to pay income tax.
It is currently at $9,200 compared to $16,000 in Saskatchewan.
Pallister told The Canadian Press earlier this month the budget will also put up more health care funding so that ambulance fees can be further reduced.
The budget will also say when the province’s $25 per tonne carbon tax will take effect and outline where the money be spent.
Pallister has said the money will go back to Manitobans to help them deal with rising costs in electricity and other areas.
The Tories also plan to keep spending increases in big departments in check.
The government recently announced a 0.5 per cent increase in public-school funding for 2018-19, an amount the teachers’ union says is far below what is needed.
Manitoba finance minister Cameron Friesen is promising today’s budget will keep more money on the table for Manitobans.
“I think that Manitobans may say finally a government that understands in my household, it’s getting tougher to pay bills,” Friesen said. “Finally a government that says I’m going to allow you to keep more of the money, money coming off the cabinet table and to the kitchen table in families.”
Business child-care credit
680 CJOB’s Richard Cloutier joined Global News Morning and said a new credit will be available for businesses who want to start on-site child care.
“For every space created, you could be eligible for $10,000 dollars in a tax credit,” Cloutier said. “This is a government that’s tried some different things with child care, more home-based child care, this one is business-based.”
“When it comes to your pocket book, it’s a little bit easier if you’re a small or medium business, and on the personal income side as well.”
New schools
Cloutier also said to expect “dramatic information” on new schools, including a new high school in Bridgwater Forest, done through a P3 (public private partnership) process as well as the announcement of a new mega-arena complex.
“As the government is trying to relieve itself on the tax side, and trying to make some cuts, you’re going to see the tap start to flow just a bit,” said Cloutier.
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Spending
Todd MacKay of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is hoping the government can reign in that spending.
“Spending continues to go up, you can’t spend your way out of a deficit,” MacKay said. “We’ve got to get a hold on spending and this government continues to spend more, hopefully we’ll see more progress, and we have to see that deficit come down.”
“On track”
The finance minister confidently said the government is still on track to reduce the PST by one per cent by the end of their first term, and to balance the books by the end of a second term, if they were to be re-elected. Friesen said the government already finds themselves under budget for the current year.
Shannon Sampert, associate political science professor at the University of Winnipeg, has some questions on if that can be done.
“It seems tricky to me, how are you going to reduce the PST, at the same time get that deficit under control and raise our credit rating?” Sampert said. “There’s a bunch of stuff you have to get accomplished in a very short time.”
She doesn’t expect any surprises when the budget is released Monday afternoon.
“This is going to be a deficit-slaying budget, steady as it goes, cut back on public spending, a little bit of tax cuts to keep people happy.
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Creativity
Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Loren Remillard is hoping to see a little more creativity after what he called an “uninspiring” 2017 budget.
“We’re really looking for the government not just to balance the books and tax measures. We’re really looking for it to be a statement on how we can do government differently, how can we engage all the sectors in Manitoba in the delivery of services and programs that Manitobans rely on.”
Global News will have more information later today about Manitoba’s budget.
-with files from Kevin Hirschfield, Global News