Prices up, but government making things worse
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This article was published 24/08/2022 (280 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Everyone knows that it is costing a lot more just to get by. When you buy your groceries or fill up at the pumps, it seems the cost of everything is going up and up. Recent information shows that Manitoba continues to have one of the highest rates of inflation in all of Canada. It’s getting a whole lot more expensive to live and work in this province.
Unfortunately, the PC government is not doing enough to help Manitobans address the rising cost of living. The last minimum wage increase took effect last fall. It went up just five cents. For a full-time worker, that’s only $2 more per week. The minimum wage has an impact on the wages of all workers. Paycheques just aren’t keeping up with the rising cost of living, and working people are falling behind. The current minimum wage of $11.95 an hour is not enough to pay the costs of a year ago, never mind today. Other provinces have taken action to address this. Manitoba has not, and by this fall, under the PCs, Manitoba will have one of the lowest minimum wages in the whole country. This is a national embarrassment. The PC government should commit to a living wage so that no one working full-time has to live in poverty.
The PCs have also proposed quickly increasing Hydro rates far higher than they have ever been. That’s not the right approach when Manitobans are facing an affordability crisis. Manitoba Hydro is a great advantage to Manitobans, and it needs to continue to be affordable. Unfortunately, the PC government put forward legislation this spring that, if passed, would all but guarantees that Hydro rates will increase by five per cent each and every year for years to come. Again, we don’t believe this is the right approach for Manitobans facing sky-high costs for essentials.
The Manitoba NDP has called for an all-party committee to address cost of living issues and to provide transparency on rising prices. It’s important to understand who is benefiting, who is not and how to address the current situation Manitobans are facing. An all-party committee would show a united front and a real commitment to help address the rising cost of living in Manitoba.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone at 204-654-1857 or matt.wiebe@yourmanitoba.ca
Matt Wiebe
Concordia constituency report
Matt Wiebe is the NDP MLA for Concordia.