Tories dare NDP to block property tax rebate cheques

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This article was published 14/04/2021 (1877 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Pallister government said it will introduce a bill next week to implement the education property tax refund announced in the April 7 budget — and dared the NDP to block it and hold up rebate cheques.

“Our hope is that the NDP will see this is important for Manitobans, to see this is tax relief, and to do the right thing and ensure that Manitobans do get that tax relief,” government house leader Kelvin Goertzen told reporters Wednesday.

The NDP said legislation is not needed to issue cheques to an estimated 658,000 residential and farm property owners who will receive the 25 per cent education property tax rebates this year and next.

“The government can issue cheques whenever it wants through a cabinet directive,” finance critic Mark Wasyliw said, pointing to the one-time, $200 pandemic relief cheques the province sent to seniors in June.

Wasyliw couldn’t say if — or how — the NDP would block an education property tax rebate bill.

“It’s misleading to somehow say they’re at the mercy of the official Opposition when they have a super majority and control cabinet,” Wasyliw said.

The introduction of a bill is a “cynical” ploy by the Progressive Conservative government to distract from helping out the well-heeled more than those who need it most during the pandemic — residential and commercial tenants, the NDP finance critic said.

He apologized during question period on Wednesday for suggesting last week that Premier Brian Pallister stands to personally gain more than $4,000 from the education property tax rebate on his $2.45-million mansion in Winnipeg. Wasyliw said he was sorry that he didn’t include the rebate the premier would also get for his properties outside Winnipeg.

“All in all, it’s $7,000 or more,” if the premier’s commercial property in Portage la Prairie and his home near there are also taken into account — “while regular Manitobans get wage freezes and cuts,” Wasyliw said in the house.

Goertzen told reporters that Wasyliw’s repeated comments about the premier’s personal tax situation is “untoward” and conduct that is “unbecoming” of an MLA. Goertzen said the NDP finance critic implied that the education property tax rebate was motivated by Pallister’s own personal self interest and was a “scurrilous” allegation.

“Our government has a long history of reducing taxes on all Manitobans and we will continue for as long as we can to do that in a fiscally responsible way — that will be demonstrated by the tabling of the (education property tax rebate) bill.” Goertzen said it’s a new statutory provision that requires legislation.

“It not only needs to be introduced… it needs to be passed before the rebates can be legally provided to Manitobans.” The government house leader said zero per cent rent-increase guidelines for two years is a “significant benefit” to renters.

Wasyliw said the premier’s personal tax situation illustrates the problem with the property education tax rebate and how it disproportionately helps landlords and not renters, whose tax credit is being eliminated.

“It illustrates to Manitobans in a very real way how little they’re actually going to benefit from this and how some in Manitoba are going to reap most of the benefits and how fundamentally unfair this move from the government is.”

The Tories haven’t spoken up about the fact that 100 per cent of landlord applications for rent increases above the provincial guidelines have been approved but “they become very fragile” when anyone raises the issue of how much they stand to benefit from a property tax rebate.

“I am not concerned about the government’s feelings,” said Wasyliw. “I am concerned about Manitobans getting a fair shake from this government and now they’re not.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca