Staying consistent with its election focus of fixing health care and making life more affordable for Manitobans, Wab Kinew’s NDP government released its first full budget last week.
“Six months ago, Manitobans put their trust in our government to rebuild health care and lower costs for families,” Kinew said.
“Our first budget delivers on those commitments by hiring 1,000 new health-care workers and delivering cost savings for Manitoba families with a $1,500 Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit. We’re strengthening our province’s economy, with help for you and help for those who need it most.”
As it was through the election campaign, health care dominated the province’s budget with $1 billion in new spending going directly to the front lines.
According to Kinew, the record investments in health care support a plan to hire 100 doctors, 210 nurses, 90 paramedics and 600 health care aides over the next year, along with investments to retain and train even more.
It also adds hospital and ICU beds, and opens new minor injury and illness clinics and primary care clinics, so more Manitobans can see a doctor when they need one.
“The challenge that we face in health care isn’t going to be fixed overnight,” Kinew said, adding capital funding in health care is more than doubled this year.
“But based on this document, you are going to start seeing improvements in health care this year.”
The premier noted the budget helps to take better care of seniors, invests in better health care for rural and northern communities takes action to improve cancer care in Manitoba, and will help modernize health records and bring in plastic health cards.
When it comes to affordability, an extension of the gas tax holiday through the summer leads the way in addition to providing renters and seniors with increased tax credits, expanding $10-a-day child care, providing free birth control, increasing funding for fertility treatment and providing rebates for electric vehicles.
“What we heard resoundingly is the reality and the impacts of rising costs, the difficult conversations Manitobans have been having at their kitchen tables in every part of Manitoba,” Finance Minister Adrien Sala said, commenting on the process which resulted in the budget.
“We heard about the difference the gas tax is having for people in this province, of the freedom that lower costs create for your family and we know it has meant a bit more left to put into savings at the end of the month.”
The budget also makes significant investments in community safety, agriculture, the economy and education.
“I want Manitoba to be a have province in the next decade and in order to do that you have to grow GDP per capita by about 10,000 to 12,000 dollars,” Kinew said.
“And the way we do that, the best economic plan, is an education plan.”
The work is hard, Sala added, considering the situation left by the previous government when it was removed from power by voters.
“The previous government left us with a huge mess to clean up - a historic deficit, a health-care system that’s been badly hurt by seven years of cuts, and a failure to strengthen our economy or support families who were struggling with years of rising costs,” said Sala, adding the budget charts a path to balance by the end of the NDP’s first term.
“We’re different. We’re making smart, targeted investments. We can take steps to fix health care and lower costs, and we can do it while being responsible with public money and charting a path back to balance. That’s what Manitobans can expect from our first budget.”
Budget 2024: One Future, One People, One Manitoba, is a document borne of extensive consultations and conversations, Kinew said, and is a plan which should excite every Manitoban and bring them pride.
“A huge amount of work has gone into identiying the needs, to listening to the challenges, but also hearing the opportunities that Manitobans are excited about for our future. We don’t have to agree on everything to do the big things together like fixing health care and lowering costs in this present economy,” he said, adding that in addition to unity, the theme of this budget, is about delivering more help for those who need it most.
“It’s a path forward that is built on compassion. It is built on listening to the evidence and most importantly it is built on listening to you. We are very proud to bring forward this document, so that we can continue to work together making this province such a great place. A great place to grow up and a great place to grow old.”
More budget details are available by visiting www.manitoba.ca/budget2024