Penny for your (budget) thoughts: finance minister

Finance Minister Adrien Sala is asking Manitobans to participate in an online survey to share their thoughts on next year’s provincial budget.

“Our government is working to deliver better health care, lower costs and strong public services, while also working to balance the budget and guard our economy against the impact of tariffs,” Sala said in a news release Thursday.

“Over the last two years, we’ve made good progress on your priorities. Now, we want to build on that work, starting by hearing directly from you.”

Manitobans can complete the survey online until Feb. 21.

It asks respondents to review a list of potential priorities and rank the importance of each.

Options include:

• rebuilding health care,
• lowering costs,
• making communities safer,
• Trump-proofing the economy/protecting sovereignty
• improving education and childcare,
• fighting climate change,
• creating jobs,
• advancing reconciliation,
• ending homelessness,
• investing in the arts, culture, tourism and sport,
• reducing the provincial deficit.

The province will host several in-person and telephone town hall meetings, including:

• on Feb. 10, in Winnipeg;
• Feb. 12, in Brandon;
• Feb. 19, in Flin Flon; and
• Feb. 26 in Gimli.

Manitobans can also email comments and ideas, or contact the Manitoba government for more information by email or by calling 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca