Manitoba’s Minister of Finance, Stan Struthers, tabled the 2013 budget in the Legislature this afternoon. Several items in the budget will be especially important to MGEU members:

  • The budgets of eleven departments will be either frozen or reduced;
  • Overall departmental spending increases will be limited to 2.1 percent;
  • Program efficiency reviews will be initiated;
  • Manitoba’s universities and colleges had their increases cut in half (universities received a 5% increase in 2012, will receive 2.5% in 2013; colleges received 4% in 2012, will receive 2% in 2013).

“Obviously, we’re very concerned about those departments that have been identified for freezes and cuts,” said MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky. “Members are telling us that they are already struggling everyday with staffing shortfalls and that something is going to give. You can pay for all the efficiency reviews you want, but you can’t expect front line services to remain intact or improve when resources are continually dwindling.”

The MGEU commissioned a pre-budget poll of the public to gauge the priorities across the Province and Manitobans strongly supported maintaining vital programs and services. MGEU members have been worried about growing workplace stress because they are continually being asked to do more with less.

With economies around the world still uncertain and another potentially devastating flood year ahead of us, Gawronsky said the union expected the Government to announce plans for increasing revenue. “What we don’t understand is why they chose an increase to the PST when they could’ve just listened to Manitobans. When we polled them, Manitobans told us quite clearly that any new revenues should come from corporations and upper income Manitobans who’ve benefited most from our economy.”

Gawronsky also acknowledged that not all the news was discouraging.

“The Government has said they’ll be increasing funding to departments like Corrections and Child Protection, two areas that we know are in critical need of improvements. But our job now is to go through the budget line by line and interpret what it all means for our members and the front line services they’re trying so hard to provide to their fellow Manitobans.”

Stay tuned to www.mgeu.ca for further MGEU comment on Budget 2013.