Economy, homelessness dominate Manitoba leaders debate

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This article was published 12/09/2023 (773 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No new sales tax for Winnipeg — that’s one thing Manitoba’s political parties can agree on.

Homelessness, taxation and government spending, however — those are battles to be fought.

Party leaders Heather Stefanson, Wab Kinew and Dougald Lamont traded barbs Tuesday morning during their first leaders’ debate in advance of the Oct. 3 provincial election.

While the parties were in lockstep on some topics — all said they would reinstate 24-hour road maintenance — they diverged on issues of homelessness and taxation.

“The commitment that I’m making to you is very clear,” New Democrat leader Kinew said. “I expect to be held accountable on the promise of ending chronic homelessness in Manitoba.”

Last October, he pledged his party could end chronic homelessness in eight years. Kinew didn’t elaborate Tuesday but said the NDP would work with municipal leaders, law enforcement and the business community.

Progressive Conservative leader Stefanson touted her party’s funding of police while discussing homelessness, saying the PCs will continue to invest in law enforcement.

“Being homeless is not a crime,” Manitoba Liberal leader Lamont later quipped.

Stefanson noted the PCs have crafted a homelessness strategy and committed more than $125 million to address the issue.

“This can’t be fixed overnight,” she said, adding other levels of government and community groups must be involved.

Lamont pointed to same-day housing, mental-health supports and job training as necessary to tackle homelessness.

Promises were flying: both Kinew and Lamont said their parties would conduct an audit to identify vacant and surplus land for infill and affordable housing, and they would reduce red tape to brownfield remediation.

Stefanson said she was open to discussions with Manitobans on the matter.

Kinew committed to funding the expansions of Chief Peguis Trail and Kenaston Boulevard. Stefanson said her government has committed to both.

The Tories announced $1.4 million last June for design studies of the two road projects.

If the Liberals are elected, Kenaston Boulevard’s widening may not receive provincial funding.

“Quite honestly, the Kenaston widening, I’m not sold on it. I have yet to be convinced,” Lamont said, noting it doesn’t align with a green economy. He’s on board for Chief Peguis Trail’s expansion, though.

Municipalities will get a portion of the province’s sales tax revenue under a Liberal government, Lamont said.

The total amount would be determined after negotiations, he said.

Neither he, Stefanson nor Kinew committed to a City of Winnipeg sales tax when asked at the forum.

“What they need is revenues. We want to work with them to see what that will look like,” Stefanson said.

New Democrats would offer a multi-year funding picture to municipalities and create an infrastructure panel — which would include municipal governments and industry partners — to prioritize infrastructure projects.

The parties heralded the importance of economic growth to the attending business crowd; nine business associations, including the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association and the Business Council of Manitoba, hosted the debate.

The PC party’s top priority for Manitoba is growing the economy, Stefanson said.

For Kinew, “the economic horse pulls the social cart.”

“Our team has strong ideas for where we need to build health care into the future of this province,” the NDP leader said. “Those things will only happen if the economy is strong.”

An NDP government would increase hydrogen production, freeze hydroelectricity rates and improve the Perimeter Highway and Highway 75. The latter promise would use infrastructure funding bookmarked but unused in the PC budget, Kinew said.

“I’m running against two Conservatives,” Lamont taunted beside Kinew.

The Tories will make Manitoba a “have province,” growing the economy through tax reduction and making life more affordable for residents, Stefanson explained.

“For too long, we try to change things by cutting taxes,” Lamont said. “We do not have a self-reliant economy. That’s one of my major concerns when it comes to … tax cuts.”

Manitoba will be in “deep trouble” if Ottawa reduces its money transfers to provinces, Lamont said.

The NDP announced earlier it would reduce the gas tax; the Tories said they will phase out the payroll tax and cut the land transfer tax for first-time home buyers.

“When we create those jobs, it makes sure there’s more money… (for) government,” Stefanson said, highlighting economic growth as key to fund government services.

Lamont touted a business development bank, in which local entrepreneurs can access capital. There’s a need for investment now to balance budgets later, he said.

Chris Lorenc walked away from Tuesday’s forum pleased.

“(There’s) recognition that growing the economy is job one,” said the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association president.

“Unless you’ve got revenues coming into government, discussing our standard of living or new programming is moot.”

Creating the proper environment for private sector investment is crucial, Lorenc stated.

“At the end of the day, it’s about fiscal management of government, it’s about managing budgets, it’s about taxation of business,” said Paul Provost, president of 6P Marketing and a forum attendee.

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For Bram Strain, president of the Business Council of Manitoba, community wellness is a top election priority.

“It impacts everything. It impacts people wanting to live in the city, wanting to come back to work in the office,” he said.

“It impacts being able to recruit people, and it’s our image, as a province.”

Competitiveness with other jurisdictions on taxation, regulation and trade infrastructure, such as good roads, are also important, Strain said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com

Gabrielle Piché
Reporter

Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.

Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.