Manitoba Minute: Issue 79

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

📅 This Week In Manitoba: 📅

• The Manitoba government has launched a new Economic Development Strategy designed to raise wages, strengthen the private sector, make life more affordable, and encourage young people to stay in the province. Premier Wab Kinew set a target of making Manitoba a “have” province by 2040, aiming to reduce reliance on equalization and grow the province into an economic leader. The plan includes a $50-million business loan program to help companies invest in equipment, technology, and facility upgrades. It also modernizes tax credits, shifting part of the Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to an immediate sales tax exemption on machinery and equipment, while expanding the Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit to attract up to $30 million in new investment. The strategy emphasizes retaining young people through career development, apprenticeship programs, and stronger ties between employers and post-secondary institutions. It also prioritizes housing supply, regulatory reform, trade growth, and inclusive economic development.
  
  
• Manitoba’s government ran a $1.1 billion deficit in the last fiscal year, $353 million higher than planned, despite receiving significant revenue from a national tobacco settlement. Overspending in health care, anticipated legal liabilities in the Families department, and losses at Manitoba Hydro due to dry conditions contributed to the shortfall. The province forecasts a $890 million deficit for the current fiscal year, partly driven by at least $179 million in costs from this year’s forest fire season. While revenue from corporate and education property taxes has been stronger than expected, Hydro is again facing losses due to low water levels. Finance Minister Adrien Sala emphasized that these wildfire-related costs are one-time expenses and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to balance the budget by the 2027 election. Opposition Progressive Conservatives argue the government has yet to demonstrate a realistic path to achieving this target, noting steadily rising spending. Moody’s has also predicted a higher deficit next year but indicated the province could increase taxes if necessary, though Sala has no plans to do so.
  
  
• Premier Wab Kinew plans to introduce legislation in the fall session to allow people high on meth to be held longer in detox centres, changing the current 24-hour limit under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act. Kinew said the law, expected as early as November, responds to concerns from police, doctors, and the public about meth’s growing impact on communities. While he did not specify the new maximum detention period, he emphasized that extended stays would include health care supports and connections to treatment. A secure facility is expected to be operational by November. The Main Street Project, which provides detox services, welcomed the plan but stressed that extended detention must be accompanied by medical oversight, mental health assessments, and active support for long-term recovery. Kinew noted that the current act was designed with alcohol in mind and does not adequately address meth-related issues.
  
  
• A report by former judge William Burnett recommends creating an independent office to protect seniors in Manitoba, arguing that only an independent body can restore public confidence and ensure impartial investigations. Burnett was tasked in 2023 with overhauling the Protection for Persons in Care Office (PPCO) after an auditor general report revealed serious failings, including dismissed abuse claims and lengthy delays. His 64-page report, released Friday after months of delay, proposed transferring all investigatory powers to the new office and granting it additional authority, such as subpoena power and the ability to examine witnesses under oath. While the NDP government plans to establish a seniors’ advocate, it will not have investigatory powers, focusing instead on identifying and evaluating issues facing seniors. The province will create a working group to implement the “spirit” of Burnett’s recommendations, though details remain unclear. Critics, including PC seniors critic Trevor King, say the plan leaves seniors vulnerable and falls short of the independence and accountability needed. Burnett emphasized that despite improvements at the PPCO, its long history of problems makes a new independent office the best path forward.
  
  
• Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party is asking the Court of King’s Bench to rule that Premier Wab Kinew and the NDP broke the law by posting a social media message during the Spruce Woods byelection. The post, in which Kinew discussed a promise to improve a highway, came during the campaign and is being challenged under the Election Financing Act, which restricts government advertising during elections. Opposition leader Obby Khan argues the premier’s social media accounts are government resources and that political staff have historically assisted in creating content, giving the government an unfair advantage. The Premier’s Office maintains no government resources were used for the post. Khan has filed a three-page notice with the court and plans to submit further evidence, saying he wants a clear judicial ruling to reinforce the law. This court action is separate from an ongoing investigation by the Commissioner of Elections.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Did you catch our friends at Project Confederation’s email on the notwithstanding clause last week? If not, let us know and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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