New PC budget disappoints
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/04/2022 (398 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As your MLA, I have been focused on the priorities of Manitobans, including health care, education and affordability. That’s why I was so disappointed with the budget recently put forward by the Progressive Conservative government. It is simply a continuation of Brian Pallister’s plan.
Manitobans were looking for hope in this budget — hope for health care, hope for an economic recovery and hope for a better future for their kids, but this budget lets Manitobans down.
Premier Stefanson’s first budget continues Pallister’s legacy of underfunding health care far below the rate of inflation. That means cuts for our hospitals, emergency rooms and front-line workers. We all know someone who is waiting for surgery and over 300 Manitobans have been transported hundreds of kilometres away because there aren’t beds for them. Unfortunately, this budget does not set a timeline to clear the surgical backlog, nor does it lay out a clear plan for when those transferred might return home.
In fact, the budget did not announce a single new personal care home bed. That is deeply disappointing. The PCs promised 1,200 additional beds, but there are now less than when they came to office. The budget also maintains the freeze on operating funding to communities, making it harder to recover from the pandemic.
We all want better supports for our kids at school. Unfortunately, the PC government’s plan means cuts to K-12 education. It means larger classes and fewer supports for students. For our students heading to college or university, the PC government continues to increase the cost of tuition while freezing support for post-secondary institutions across the province.
We want to ensure Manitoba is addressing the urgent issue of climate change. Unfortunately, the PCs haven’t issued a real plan with real targets to address the crisis. The budget documents clearly show that the PCs left millions of dollars unspent to help Manitobans switch to cleaner energy and appliances.
The government’s financial decisions ultimately have a direct impact on the well-being of our province. Unfortunately, this year’s budget does not address the urgent problems faced by Manitobans. If you have concerns about Budget 2022-23, please contact my office at 204-415-7621 or diljeet.brar@yourmanitoba.ca.
Our constituency office is at 3-350 Keewatin St.
Diljeet Brar
Burrows constituency report
Diljeet Brar is the NDP MLA for Burrows.