April 3, 2024
Yesterday in Winnipeg, Minister of Finance Adrian Sala tabled his government’s first budget since the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) election win last fall. The province’s 2024/25 budget entitled, “One Future. One People. One Manitoba,” lists a deficit of $796 million; however, the “medium-term plan shows an improving fiscal situation from a $532-million deficit in 2025/26 to a $18 million surplus in 2027/28.”
Budget 2024 provides additional spending details for many of the campaign promises reiterated in the government’s Speech from the Throne in November, as well as the pre-emptive announcements leading up to Budget Day, including an end to Manitobans’ paper health cards, an extension of the gas tax cut until the end of September 2024, and up to a $1,500 property tax credit for every home replacing the former education-tax rebates.
Health care was a large focus of the budget, with funding promises spread across the themes of staffing, emergency room wait times, and capital investments, including a focus on better care for Indigenous, rural and northern families and communities.
Rebuilding Health Care – Key Highlights:
- $309.5 million to retain, recruit and train more health care workers (100 doctors, 210 nurses, 90 paramedics and 600 health care aides)
- $635 million in 2024 for health capital investments
- $17.6 million to open two new Minor Injury and Illness Clinics and to establish the first of five primary care clinics
- $6.9 million in operating funds for better cancer care to allow:
- access to new, cutting-edge cancer drugs
- companion testing to better match cancer drugs with specific oncology patients
- $50 million for the new Health System Innovation Capacity Fund to reduce wait times for surgeries and tests
- $50 million to modernize electronic patient medical records
- $21.8 million to provide better care for seniors
- $4.6 million for a helicopter medevac service for patient transportation in northern Manitoba
- Over $22 million to expand and improve medical transportation across the province
- $7.7 million for prevention and services for Sexually Transmitted Blood Borne Infections (STBBI) and for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-related illness testing and care
- $124,000 increase to the advanced care paramedic training program at Red River College Polytechnic
- Over $11 million across various departments on mental health and addictions services including support for expert-led harm reduction supports and treatment
- Additional $250,000 in industry partnership funding to Research Manitoba
Other areas of focus include lowering costs for families, continuing to grow the economy, federal-provincial transfers and a dedicated Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Highlights include:
- Launching an economic development strategy, including a partnership with Economic Development Winnipeg and CentrePort Canada
- $50 million Strategic Innovation Fund which will provide targeted supports for industry
- $500 million to repair highways and public infrastructure and creating a blue-ribbon infrastructure advisory panel
- Establishing a National Heavy Equipment Vehicle Innovation Centre of Excellence with New Flyer Industries Group, in addition to supporting the creation of 400 low-carbon manufacturing jobs
- $4 million in the Indigenous Economic Development Fund (IEDF) to provide grant funding that supports Indigenous business owners, entrepreneurs and organizations
- Increases in the film and video production tax credit and interactive digital media tax credit
Finally, the government’s budget also provides support for the development and implementation of various environmental innovation, carbon-reduction and climate change projects including $6.4 million for a collection of climate and sustainability initiatives and a $10 million Low Carbon Economy fund to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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For more information and insights about what these developments mean for the political landscape in Manitoba, please reach out to our experts:
Tara Bingham – Senior Strategy Advisor
tara@prairieskystrategy.ca
204.390.7760
Tracey Maconachie – Senior Strategy Advisor
tracey@prairieskystrategy.ca
204.294.4042
To learn more about Prairie Sky Strategy, please visit our website.
