Manitoba Tory government signals looser purse strings, health money coming in budget

Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government, trailing in opinion polls with an election set for next year, is signalling that its upcoming budget will pump more money into health care and offer some sort of protection against rising inflation.

Premier Heather Stefanson has revealed some of her cards ahead of the budget, set for Tuesday.

Last week, she promised $15 million for personal care homes in what was touted as a "pre-budget announcement." A day later, Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced the hiring of new forensic nurse examiners to care for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Stefanson has told the legislature there will be other health-care measures in the budget.

A political analyst said he's not surprised to see the Tories loosen the purse strings after years of trying to balance the budget through tight spending controls.

"The government might be thinking this isn't the year to go into austerity again. This is the year to try to address concerns within the public," said Christopher Adams, adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba.

The Tories were elected under former premier Brian Pallister in 2016 with the biggest majority in Manitoba in a century. They were re-elected in 2019 but have dropped sharply in opinion polls since the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During that wave, outbreaks at personal care homes claimed lives. At one privately owned care home, ambulances were called in after patients deteriorated rapidly. In the third wave, hospital intensive care units were so stretched, dozens of patients were flown to other provinces in a bid to free up beds.

Pallister, who froze public-sector wages and kept spending increases below the rate of inflation in a bid to end a decade of deficits, resigned last fall.

Stefanson quickly signalled a different approach after succeeding Pallister. She axed a plan to eliminate elected school boards and said she might phase out the province's education tax on property more slowly than Pallister had planned.

Details on the latter are expected in the budget.

Adams said the Tories are likely to loosen spending controls, as part of a plan to revive their fortunes before the election slated for October of next year.

"I suspect that we might see in this budget a budget for addressing concerns of the population and not a budget to slash and burn," he said.

Stefanson has offered few details when asked about what other items might be in her fiscal plan. She has hinted at some form of tax cuts or other measures to address the cost of living.

"I think you'll see ... there will be many things in there that will make life more affordable for Manitobans," she told reporters recently.