28°c A few clouds
15°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Pallister pushes again on raising tax exemption
Tory leader Brian Pallister comments to media after the NDP government's throne speech Monday. (JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)
Tory Leader Brian Pallister wasted no time Tuesday condemning the NDP for what he labelled its "boot-on-the back" tax policies.
Leading off his first question as opposition leader in the Manitoba legislature, Pallister again called on the Selinger government to immediately raise the basic personal tax exemption -- the amount at which people start paying income taxes -- to put more cash in Manitobans' pockets.
The Progressive Conservatives said last month the basic exemption should rise from $8,634 to the Canadian average of $10,617, a move that would save every Manitoban about $200 a year and save a lower-income couples $400 a year.
The NDP say that would rob the provincial treasury of $140 million—a move that would not help the province climb out of deficit.
Pallister also said the NDP’s new "tax whack" on haircuts over $50 and some insurance products hurt seniors and students, and are to blame for Manitobans being the biggest users of foodbanks in the country.
Premier Greg Selinger said the NDP has increased the basic personal exemption by about 25 per cent since Pallister was an MLA under former premier Gary Filmon.
"When he was last in office and thought things were great the personal exemption was $7,231," Selinger said, adding the NDP have also ushered in other tax measures to make the province one of the most affordable to live.
Pallister also said the NDP put too much focus on IKEA arriving in the city in Monday’s throne speech than making an effort to help the city’s poor.
"For heaven’s sake, they spent more time talking about shopping opportunities at IKEA than they did about the over 60,000 Manitobans that had to use foodbanks," Pallister told reporters. "Get your priorities straight. This is not about Marie Antoinette. This is about real situations that are facing real people in our province."
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 42 articles for today)
Man drowns after crash on Manitoba reserve
1:18 PM 0A 29-year-old man drowned early Sunday morning on the Waywayseecappo First Nation after the car he was a passenger in ...
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Teen on train tracks from York Landing
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Teens face charges after Transcona robbery
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Winnipeg man given 2-year sentence for coma-inducing 'sucker punch'
- RCMP say woman deliberately murdered her sister with her car
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Manitoba restaurant stops selling giant hamburger "for obvious reasons"
- Man convicted of drunk driving in Henderson pile-up
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Two Winnipeg teens identified as victims of crash
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Father, daughter seriously injured in ATV crash
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Filipino singer Charice comes out as lesbian; Catholic official says she's in identity crisis
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Accounts and accountability: UK committee says bankers must take more responsibility
- Youths charged in fatal shooting of chief's grandson, 5, on Alberta reserve
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Only one workshop to be held on vacant land at The Forks
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Sobeys gobbles up Safeway
- Priest kept silent about accusations against Storheim, court hears
- Manitoba restaurant stops selling giant hamburger "for obvious reasons"
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- Geothermal heat coming to some Manitoba First Nations
- Spiralling cost of land raises new home prices
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- Rogers and MTS announce new network sharing agreement
- New owner for lumber stores
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Door openers being used to break into garages, police warn
- Province formally opens Mental Health Crisis Response Centre
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.