Budget fails to address affordability

Roblin

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/04/2024 (845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The NDP government introduced its first budget on April 2, and if you found it somewhat disappointing, you’re not alone. The NDP is trying to convince people that this budget will help with the rising cost of living, but the facts don’t add up for the average Manitoban.

The government significantly reduced the education property tax rebate for homeowners. Despite promising not to raise taxes, the average homeowner in our community is going to have higher education property taxes this year -–not a great way to support the middle class during an affordability crisis. Cottages, apartment blocks, and small businesses with commercial properties will receive no rebates at all.

The government touted “wide range middle-class tax cuts” that were actually changes to the basic personal exemption and tax brackets put forward by the previous Progressive Conservative government. There’s nothing new from the NDP when it comes to long-term relief for the average family in Winnipeg.

Over $160 million was cut from the infrastructure budget, which means less money for filling potholes, new road projects, and sewage spills.

The NDP also cut $100 million from the capital budget in education and early dhildhood Learning, which means fewer new schools and daycare spaces will be built this year, all while Winnipeg parents are dealing with long waitlists for daycare spaces and large class sizes in our schools.

Furthermore, the budget lacked the No. 1 thing our health-care system needs – a real, tangible plan to recruit, retain, and attract healthcare workers in Manitoba. I am genuinely shocked that the NDP could run an election campaign based almost entirely on health care, and six months and one budget later, it still doesn’t have a plan for health-care staffing in Manitoba. Targets –without a plan to achieve them – are just numbers.

The NDP budget also lacked any measures to address surgical wait times right now. Thousands of Manitobans are waiting for surgeries and diagnostic tests today. Yet,the NDP has taken away many of the options that were in place to help in the short term and replaced them with vague promises of help at some unknown point in the future. The budget was unfortunately short on details and devoid of timelines.

What does Budget 2024 add up to for the average Winnipegger? Higher cost of living, higher taxes, longer wait times for surgeries, and fewer schools and daycare spaces.