Manitoba 2017 budget highlights: From tax credit reductions to new child care spaces

​The Manitoba government released its 2017-18 budget on Tuesday. Here is a look a some of the highlights:

• No increases to personal or business taxes.
• Department spending increases are being held at or near the rate of inflation: 1.8 per cent for health; 1.1 per cent for education.
• Tuition fee income-tax rebate for post-secondary graduates who stay to work in Manitoba — worth up to $2,500 a year per person — to be phased out by 2018.
• Primary caregiver tax credit for people looking after relatives in their homes capped at $1,400 a year.
• Research and Development Tax Credit for scientific development reduced to 15 per cent from 20.
• Maximum tax credit for political contributions to increase next year to $1,000 from $650.
• Province to help create 501 new licensed child-care spaces and 50 home-based spaces.
• Government predicting an overall deficit of $840 million — $32 million less than last year.

• Manitoba holds the line in budget 2017
• Full coverage of the 2017 Manitoba budget