Local

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Selinger backs off on commitment to balance province’s books by 2014

By: Larry Kusch and Bruce Owen

Posted: 11/19/2012 1:47 PM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 11/19/2012 3:07 PM | Updates

Chief Justice Richard Scott on behalf of Lt-Gov. Phillip Lee gives the throne speech in the Manitoba Legislature Monday afternoon. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Bits and bites from today’s throne speech

Save money

The NDP will reduce the size of its civil service by 600 people over the next three years through attrition and other measures such as through technology

Amalgamate smaller municipalities with populations under 1,000

Merge Companies Office with small business programs which will also reduce red tape

Health care

Province will bring in a five-year sustainability plan in the coming months to preserve universal health care in the province

Despite hedging on its promise to get the province back in the black by 2014, the NDP remain committed that all Manitobans will have access to a doctor by 2015

The government will increase medical residencies to train more family doctors and fund more nurse practitioner, physician assistant, nurse and dietician positions.

It will also introduce new ways to deliver homecare to keep older Manitobans in their homes

There is also a plan to increase personal care home beds by 200 in Winnipeg

Jobs

The province has set a target of getting 75,000 more workers into the workforce by 2020 to meet an expected shortage with baby boomers retiring

The plan includes spending $60 million on the new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre at Red River College

Education

In the coming months the province will announce new schools in the Sage Creek and Waverley West developments

New measures to be introduced for students, parents and teachers to combat bullying

Upgrade rural high school shop classrooms to apprenticeship standards and make it easier for high school students to start an apprenticeship

A web-based program for parents to see what their children are being taught

Law and order

New rules to be in place this Christmas to fight impaired driving

Launch a new crime reduction program in William Whyte in Winnipeg’s North End.

New reduced speed limit rules to be brought in to protect first responders and give firefighters power to direct traffic

Lifestyle

Create new parks and upgrade older ones

Consumer protection laws for car sales, new home construction and cable bills

More liquor mart express locations in grocery stores and Brandon

New measures to help low-income families buy a house and develop more housing co-ops

In the next year more than a dozen new child care facilities will open in the province

Brandon will see funding for a city-wide curb-side composting program

Premier Greg Selinger backed off today on what had been a firm government commitment to balance the province’s books by 2014.

At a news conference this morning in advance of this afternoon’s throne speech, Selinger said Finance Minister Stan Struthers would have more to say on provincial efforts to balance the books next month when he releases his second-quarter budget report.

Selinger said the government’s goal is to see progress on narrowing the gap between revenues and expenditures "every single year."

He noted that the international economy is softening and that federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, in a report last week, said that Ottawa may have to extend its own timeline for balancing its books.

At the news conference, Selinger did not say what the province’s new timetable might be for getting its budget into the black. But 2014 no longer seems to be a hard and fast date.

"We’re going to take into account the real change in the global economy, just like the federal government has done — it’s no different," the premier said.

"We’re giving ourselves more wiggle room to deal with reality — absolutely. I am creating more space to look at the reality that is in front of all governments in Canada right now."

After running up a $1 billion deficit in 2011-2012, due largely to a devastating 2011 flood, the government projected a $460 million deficit for the current fiscal year.

Next month, Struthers will report whether the province is on track to meet its projections for this year and beyond.

This past spring, Struthers projected a $176 million deficit for 2013-2014 and a small surplus in 2014-2015.

With money tight, the government made few big spending commitments as it unveiled its throne speech this afternoon.

In fact, it promised to reduce the size of the civil service through attrition by 600 positions in the next three years and vowed that increases in health spending would rise by half the rate it has over the past dozen years.

The government set a target of adding 75,000 more workers to its labour force by 2020, which would exceed current job growth rates by about 30 per cent. The Premier’s Economic Advisory Council will convene a skill summit to advise the government on how it can reach the ambitious jobs goal.

In education, the province promised new parent friendly "curriculum tools" to keep parents up to speed on what their kids are learning. It will also introduce new measures to help parents, teachers and students fight bullying. And it promised to set the locations for new schools in Waverley West and Sage Creek

One expensive election promise it did commit to this year was an expansion of Red River College’s skilled trades and technology centre, where students will receive trades training for the construction and manufacturing sectors. That will cost $60 million.

Also on the education front, it promised to fund the development of a ground-breaking urban and inner-city studies program at the University of Winnipeg, new nursing programs at St. Boniface University, and permanent funding for a first-in Canada masters of psychiatric nursing at Brandon University.

The government also promised to establish government liquor kiosks at several grocery stores in Winnipeg and Brandon and make it possible for liquor permit applications for wedding socials to be completed online.

It also said it would introduce new measures to protect consumers in the areas of home construction, automobile sales and cable bills.

As reported today in the Free Press, the government will also call on municipalities with fewer than 1,000 people to merge with others. Selinger said today the province wants to see these amalgamations take place in time for the 2014 municipal elections.

The province also plans new rules against drunk driving to be in place in time for the holiday season.

As well, it will introduce legislation to improve access to public buildings for Manitobans with disabilities.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

History

Updated on Monday, November 19, 2012 at 3:07 PM CST: Adds picture from the throne speech.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The 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.