Non-profits, union leaders, business reps react to Manitoba’s budget

Feedback for the NDP government’s third provincial budget:

“We’ve advocated pretty hard for our issues in corrections and wildland firefighters. We’ve seen a sprinkling of that (in the budget), but overall our workers are doing more with less continually, and we’re not really seeing any advancement of bringing in people to do this work.”

— Kyle Ross, Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union

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“We’re very happy to see an increase in public safety. The $14-million increase to corrections is well-received. I have mixed reactions and disappointment in the lack of increase in investment for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in the province. We’ve heard loud and clear from municipalities that they are ready to grow… but with no increase in water and wastewater infrastructure they won’t be able to grow.”

— Kathy Valentino, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

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“Doctors will be encouraged to see continued investments for health care, including to recruit more doctors to address our physician shortage… We are disappointed the government’s budget included no signs of fulfilling their election promise to add 250 team-based providers in physician practices.”

— Dr. Nichelle Desilets, Doctors Manitoba

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“You can hire more police to respond and investigate crime, but if you don’t hire more prosecutors there won’t be anyone to prosecute the cases the police are working on.”

— Ben Wickstrom, Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys

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“It’s disappointing to see the decline in progress. Two hundred and fifteen new units won’t get us very far especially since they won’t all be social housing units, which are the most affordable and most desperately in need.”

— Shauna MacKinnon, Right to Housing Coalition

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“Manitobans haven’t forgotten that (Premier Wab) Kinew hiked their income taxes last year with bracket creep while he keeps borrowing more money. The government needs to provide real tax relief instead of painting over tax hikes with inadequate measures that leave taxpayers worse off overall.”

— Gage Haubrich, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

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“As the global economy continues to face strain, it is encouraging to see the provincial government focused on creating good, family supporting construction jobs here at home by putting Manitobans to work first in building our province up.”

— Kevin Rebeck, Manitoba Federation of Labour

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“CFIB appreciates that the province avoided introducing new costs for small firms, extended the business security rebate program, and ensured that strong fiscal management is a priority by reducing the deficit. However, practical measures to support investment and growth for small firms remain absent.”

— Tyler Slobogian, Canadian Federation of Independent Business

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“With Manitoba’s near-term climate targets and action plan coming this spring, the absence of significant climate investments in this budget casts doubt on their seriousness and viability.”

— Laura Cameron, Climate Action Team Manitoba

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“One nurse to 50 patients is unacceptable, but nurses aren’t working alone; health-care aides and dietary aides are doing hands-on patient care every single day and are consistently working short-staffed.”

— Margaret Schroeder, CUPE 204

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“Continued funding in key areas like loan programs, veterinary initiatives, and enhancements to insurance coverage, and new initiatives on trade, are welcomed.”

— Colin Hornby, Keystone Agricultural Producers

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“We’re investing more in health care because we don’t invest in eradicating poverty. If we eradicated poverty, that would actually have the most positive impact on the health care system.”

— Kate Kehler, Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

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“Transit is so important to us… We’re a working-class city. So this is very important for the families and for their kids to be able to get to the Walmart, to the Canadian Tire, the Home Hardware. It’s exciting.”

— Larry Johannson, Selkirk mayor

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“There is still a freeze on welfare rates and no improvements to rent assist… If you’re a very low income person, a working wage adult, you’re still going to be accessing food banks and other things just to survive day to day. It doesn’t answer the urgency we’re seeing on the street with very visible homelessness and other problems like that.”

— Molly McCracken, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

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“We’re happy to see a focus on affordability for Manitoba families… Eliminating that PST is going to keep more money in people’s pockets, and that’s a good thing when affordability is stressing families and sending more folks to food banks.”

— Vince Barletta, Harvest Manitoba

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“We were looking for a little bit more. We understand where the government was going in regards to affordability for the average Manitoban. We would have liked to have seen some measures as well for businesses.”

— Chuck Davidson, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce