Pieces of the budgetary puzzle

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This article was published 01/06/2016 (3448 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Health and Healthy Living

• Budget for 2016-2017: $5.989 billion
• Percentage of core government spending: 44.2%
• Amount budgeted last year: $5.653 billion
• Percentage of 2015-2016 core budget: 43.9 per cent

Main issues facing government

Health spending continues to eat up a high percentage of provincial tax revenues. If the Progressive Conservatives are serious about reining in government spending, they will have to find a way to limit the size of Health Department expenditure increases, which have traditionally exceeded those of other departments. They have to do this while keeping promises to reduce wait times for hip and knee replacement surgeries and long waits for service in hospital emergency departments. A shortage of personal care home beds is another issue facing the new government.

How they decided to tackle them

The budget provides another healthy boost to the Health Department. Spending is forecast to increase by 3.8 per cent over what was actually spent last year (as opposed to what was budgeted). These are early days in terms of actions to lower wait times and keep other health promises, such as cutting ambulance fees in half. The Tories will appoint a wait-times task force later this year. It will develop “a funding model” to fast-track construction of nursing home beds in partnership with community groups. It will reduce ambulance fees a mere five per cent this coming year.

 

Families (formerly Family Services)

• Budget for 2016-2017: $1.927 billion*
• Percentage of core government spending: 14.2%
• Amount budgeted last year: $1.162 billion
• Percentage of 2015-2016 core budget: 9%

*The department has been expanded to include other areas previously in other departments, such as housing and the former Department of Jobs and the Economy.

Main issues facing government

With more than 10,000 Manitoba children in care, child welfare has been a major focus of government. The Families Department faces the challenge of trying to reduce the sky-high number of kids in care while still ensuring children are protected. Critics of the child welfare system say too much government funding is earmarked for child apprehension and too little is spent on programs to help struggling families so that children can remain safely with their parents. Meanwhile, the province also faces a severe shortage of child care spaces, with more than 12,000 names on the online child care waiting list.

How they decided to tackle them

The budget boosts child and family services funding by 4.5 per cent. It also ensures that those on social assistance receive 75 per cent of median market rents when living in private rental housing. The budget maintains existing child care centre funding without spelling out new initiatives that would significantly boost the number of child care spaces in Manitoba.

 

Education and training

• Budget for 2016-2017: $2.69 billion*
• Percentage of core government spending: 19.9%
• Amount budgeted last year: $2.51 billion
• Percentage of 2015-2016 core budget: 19.5%

*This year, the department also contains workforce training, immigration, child and youth services

Main issues facing government

The province pays a share of about 60 per cent of the $2.25 billion annual costs of operating the K-12 school system, based on a complex funding formula. The NDP annually increased its share by or above the rate of provincial growth since 2000. Postsecondary operating grants are based on a percentage increase of what a school received the year before, with absolutely no connection to per-student funding. In recent years, that’s been 2.5 per cent for universities and two per cent for colleges.

How they decided to tackle them

The Tories kept the NDP funding promise for this year, by increasing its share of operating grants by 2.55 per cent. School boards passed their budgets in March. Finance Minister Cameron Friesen gave the postsecondary schools those grants, but not additional 1.5 per cent the NDP promised the University of Manitoba for new programming.

 

Sustainable development (formerly conservation and water stewardship)

• Budget for 2016-2017: $141.7 million
• Percentage of core government spending: 1.0%
• Amount budgeted last year: $138.1 million
• Percentage of 2015-2016 core budget: 1.1%

Main issues facing government

Sustainable development is tackling a made-in-Manitoba climate plan that includes some form of carbon pricing. It has to figure out how to open natural areas up to industry to create jobs, and to boost fishing and hunting. The department must find alternative land uses to reduce flooding.

How they decided to tackle them

There is a promised two-year moratorium on lease and service fees for cottages in provincial parks. The department has also scaled back forecast revenues to almost $14 million from the last NDP budget, to reflect what has happened in the past year, particularly a drop in water power rental and parks fees.

 

Infrastructure (Roads, bridges, flood protection, sewer and water)

• Budget for 2016-2017: $1.037 billion
• Amount budgeted in 2015-2016: $1.080 billion

Main issues facing government

Provincial and city streets are in great need of repair and upgrading. Hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to beef up flood protection. Water and sewer treatment facilities throughout Manitoba also require huge investments. Major investments are needed in these areas for decades.

How they decided to tackle them

The Tories have kept an election promise to earmark about $1 billion a year. The Association of Manitoba Municipalities is pleased that the money will likely come with fewer strings attached than in previous years.