Manitoba Minute: Issue 106

Manitoba Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Manitoba politics.

📅 This Week In Manitoba: 📅

• A recent Moody’s report has raised doubts about the Manitoba government’s plan to cut its deficit and achieve a balanced budget by 2027-28, warning that the province’s projected fiscal improvement may not align with its modest economic growth forecast of 1.3% in 2026 and 1.7% in 2027. Moody’s also flagged uncertainty around Manitoba Hydro, noting that prior budget projections for the utility's net income have repeatedly missed targets, yet the government is again forecasting a $140 million profit this year despite recent droughts. Morningstar DBRS offered a more cautious perspective, saying the government’s plan “appears intact” but highlighted risks from economic softness, extreme weather, and trade disruptions. Finance Minister Adrien Sala defended the budget, citing accurate revenue projections, anticipated federal funding, and declining debt-servicing costs that free up $240 million for spending, projecting a slim $8 million surplus in 2027-28. 
  
  
• Premier Wab Kinew has called his government’s 2024 gas tax holiday - suspending the 14 cents per litre levy for a year and costing the province $340 million - “the most important thing a provincial government ever did in the history of Manitoba,” saying it gave power back to middle- and low-income families. His comment drew criticism from Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives, who said it ignored historically transformative actions, such as granting women the right to vote in 1916 and building the Red River Floodway in the 1960s. Political scientist Christopher Adams suggested Kinew was likely caught up in the moment, emphasizing that while the tax holiday was a highly populist move, other provincial achievements, like municipal amalgamation under Ed Schreyer or expansion of Manitoba’s boundaries under Rodmond Roblin, arguably had far greater long-term impact. If the gas tax holiday was so transformative, why not do it again - permanently this time?
  
  
• Manitoba nurse practitioners say the Province has missed an April 1st federal deadline to ensure their primary care services are publicly funded, allowing them to bill the provincial system like physicians. Currently, patients seeking care from nurse practitioners in private practices must pay out of pocket, despite the Canada Health Act now permitting coverage for services from nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and midwives. Nurse Practitioner Association CEO Ashley Carruthers criticized the lack of progress, while Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara countered that Manitoba is aligned with federal requirements and that some independent NP practices may be operating outside the Act’s parameters.
  
  
• Manitoba pharmacists can now administer measles vaccines to children and youth aged two to 19, a move aimed at curbing a growing outbreak in the province. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara called the policy a “commonsense step” that leverages pharmacists as accessible, trusted providers to increase vaccination coverage. The Province has reported 392 measles cases so far this year, the highest in Canada, with exposure events, including one at a Winnipeg Ikea. The vaccine will be free through the publicly funded program, and experts say pharmacist involvement is key to reaching herd immunity and supporting public health goals of 95% coverage. Pharmacists Manitoba welcomed the change, emphasizing their readiness to expand services and improve access across communities.
  
  
• Manitoba has launched its first Indigenous language immersion bachelor’s programs, with students beginning studies at the University of Winnipeg and University College of the North. Premier Wab Kinew highlighted that these programs, offering Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and Ininimowin (Cree) immersion, will train a new generation of language speakers, teachers, and community leaders, helping preserve Indigenous languages and promote cultural health among youth. The provincial government is also supporting broader language initiatives, including land-based Cree camps, Anishinaabemowin courses at RRC Polytech, adult fluency projects, and translating the speech from the throne into Anishinaabemowin for the first time. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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