Province issues special warrant to use $710M for Tories’ ‘budgetary failures’

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This article was published 27/02/2024 (900 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The provincial government has approved a special warrant of $710 million to cover unbudgeted expenditures.

The Financial Administration Act allows the province to dip into its consolidated fund when an expenditure for a public service not foreseen or provided for, or not sufficiently provided for, is required for the public good and the legislature is not in session. The session resumes March 6.

In a press release Tuesday, Finance Minister Adrien Sala said the order in council issued Feb. 21 was needed “due to the failure of the previous government to account for collective bargaining agreements in Manitoba’s health system.”

“Our government inherited the budgetary failures of the previous government and this warrant is needed as we deal with a $1.6-billion deficit,” the release said. “We are committed to balancing the priorities of Manitobans while being responsible with the province’s finances.”

Sala noted the amount was determined due to staffing initiatives not included in the government’s contingency fund and unbudgeted collective agreements that led to an extra $700 million needed in Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care for cash flow requirements.

The previous government issued special warrants — including one on Aug. 24, 2022 — when an additional $96 million was approved a week before then-premier Heather Stefanson announced the province would spend $87 million on a “family affordability package.”

As part of the package, families with children and a household income of less than $175,000 in 2021 received a benefit cheque of $250 for the first child and $200 for each additional child. The province estimated 145,000 families with approximately 282,000 children would benefit.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca