Maintaining high-quality, effective services for all Manitobans is budget priority number one for the MGEU.
In general, the MGEU believes the 2013 Budget makes significant strides to protect services in key areas like protection of children, corrections, health care and education. These are areas of real concern outlined by our members and presented in Services First, our pre-budget submission.
However, while eight departments saw budget increases, ten saw decreases. We remain concerned that government is not ensuring sufficient resources for all government services, particularly Conservation and Water Stewardship programs.
Our brief recommended that all revenue options should be on the table. While the 1% increase to the PST is dedicated to infrastructure, including flood protection, and expires after 10 years, the MGEU’s preference is for tax changes that emphasize fairness by asking large corporations and individuals, who have done well in the economy, to contribute a bit more.
We are alarmed that federal policies to constrain national transfer programs did not move the Province to suggest a non-partisan, cooperative approach for all Manitobans to help convince Ottawa to change their stance. The MGEU remains ready to help where it can.
Budget 2013 announced no further provincial job cuts. However, the province remains committed to the elimination of 600 positions by 2015 and boasts they are “on track”. This is a harsh reminder that Manitobans will ultimately pay the price for these cuts through declining quality of services.
The official Opposition also offered some significant budget proposals. While we recognize one of their proposals -- to save on tendering -- matched our approach in Services First, the balance of the proposals eerily echoed the policies pursued by the provincial government during the 1990s. MGEU members do not remember fondly that era of high case loads, jail riots, home care strikes and Filmon Fridays.
Considering that the opposition's plan is only designed to replace a sales tax increase, imagine how destructive their plans to balance the whole budget would be - twice as many job losses and service cuts. Cutting services in order to balance the books by a self-imposed date is irresponsible. Job losses and further reductions to services that Manitobans depend on make no sense.
Our budget evaluation, 2013 Manitoba Budget Report Card, compares the MGEU’s recommendations from Services First to the budget priorities of the Government and the Official Opposition. (The Liberal’s response did not provide enough detail to fairly evaluate their priorities).