Manitobans value public services more than a balanced budget: Poll

Results from a new poll by Winnipeg-based Probe Research show that almost half of Manitobans surveyed feel it's more important to maintain public services than to balance the budget.

The poll, which was conducted between March 17 and April 1, surveyed 1,005 people, both in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba.

"They've sent a very clear message that acting to protect the services families depend on is at the top of the list by a significant margin," said Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employee's Union (MGEU).

"Rushing to balance a budget by a fixed, arbitrary date by making deep cuts to services or cutting jobs may have been the way other provinces have gone, but clearly Manitobans want a different path forward."

The poll found that one of the ways Manitobans want to protect those services is by increasing income taxes on large corporations, and households, with before-tax annual incomes of $200,000.

"If you actually said to a Manitoban: 'would you want to have an extra hundred dollars in your taxes or do you want to maintain public hospitals, do you want to maintain your public road systems, do you want ensure your road systems are safe?' ... they're going to take the services," said Gawronsky.

The poll also found that 62 per cent of those surveyed oppose the privatization of public services.

MGEU made a number of budget recommendations for the Manitoba government based on the results, including to address staff and funding shortages in home care, long-term care and rural emergency services and to delay implementing the seniors property tax rebate until the budget is balanced.

The poll results are considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.