PCs promise independent children's advocate, reduced red tape in throne speech
New legislative session begins with wide-ranging throne speech
The Manitoba government is looking at government wages, Crown corporations and provincial agencies for ways to reduce the province's red ink.
In a throne speech delivered Monday by Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, Premier Brian Pallister said his government will continue to battle the deficit by taking numerous steps that include legislating sustainable increases in government wages and asking Crown corporations to reduce management costs.
"When you speak about fixing finances, for too many years the previous administration chose to fix its finances by making it harder on your finances. And we can't do that," Pallister said.
The premier also signaled his government's commitment to taking action on reducing court delays, creating a new children's advocate office and protecting concert-goers from ticket scalping.
The speech from the throne, which signals the start of the second session of the 41st legislative session, began with a renewed commitment to improving the province's finances while enhancing front-line services.
The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives inherited an $846-million deficit from the previous NDP government and red ink remains the prime target of Pallister's government.
Pallister called the plan a "pretty exciting blueprint for hope."
The throne speech promised to introduce legislation to ensure provincial public-sector wage increases are affordable.
The premier argued the province's ability to pay for wage increases, the province's single biggest expenditure, has not always guided negotiations with public sector unions.
"We have tremendous respect for the people who work in our system," Pallister said. "But we cannot fail to get a handle on the out-of-control spending growth that we've seen."
On improving the economy, the plan includes investment in entrepreneurship, developing Manitoba's northern economy and diversifying the province's economy.
Pallister said his government wants to eliminate legislation around public-private partnerships, agreements where private capital partners with the public sector for long-term projects, often related to infrastructure.
"The rules that were brought in by the previous administration are the most profoundly restrictive in Canada," the premier said. "They almost discourage private sector capital."
Cutting from the top
Manitoba will continue to trim expenditures from the top by cutting senior levels of management, the throne speech indicated
After making cuts in 2016 in managerial levels of government, the Pallister government said it is now asking Crown corporations and regional health authorities to look at their own top brass for savings.
The Pallister government says it will look at reducing the number of provincial agencies, boards and commissions — currently about 200 — by 20 per cent in an effort to save money.
The strategy will eliminate "duplicate work and oversight completed elsewhere and those that are inactive," the speech said.
The government will also abolish the Crown Corporations Council, an organization that supports Manitoba Crown corporations and advises government on Crown corporation-related matters. The PCs say doing away with it will increase efficiency and transparency.
Reducing regulation, or red tape, is another key plank the PCs are pursuing.
"Our red tape reduction task force will consult with external stakeholders, identify regulatory barriers and develop options to eliminate them," the throne speech said.
The government will table legislation in the New Year to enhance regulatory accountability.
They also promised to create a taxpayers bill of rights, Pallister said, where any increase in provincial taxes, like the PST, would trigger a referendum.
"It's designed to give Manitobans the assurance that on the major taxes … if any government wants to bring forward legislation to raise those taxes they have to ask Manitobans' permission first," said Pallister.
Children in care
The government says it is going to create a stand-alone children's advocate to make the office more independent. Currently the office of the children's advocate says it operates independently within the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.
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"We will develop a comprehensive plan that acts upon the many outstanding reports and recommendations and which will achieve better outcomes for children," said the speech.
The plan aims to reduce the overall number of children in CFS, developing stronger partnerships with families and communities and co-ordinating services.
The government expects the upcoming inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women will help provide additional recommendations to improve outcomes for children in care — the majority of which are Indigenous.
"This work will build upon the passage of the Protecting Children Act," the speech said.
Nothing for Winnipeg, say NDP
Interim NDP Leader Flor Marcelino said she was disappointed there was nothing in Monday's throne speech specifically designed to benefit Winnipeg, a huge economic driver for Manitoba.
"This is the premier's city, most of the population is here," she said.
Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman was less critical but still cautious. He said he welcomed Pallister's measures to improve the province's books.
"Bringing the provincial finances in better shape and back into balance is something we want to see as well," Bowman told reporters at the Legislative Building.
"However, we want to ensure the manner in which they achieve that is not on the backs of Winnipeg taxpayers."
The mayor clarified that he is concerned about the potential for the province to download services onto the city as part of cost-cutting measures.
In general, Marcelino said she was "hard-pressed to find anything" she liked about Pallister's throne speech.
She said the NDP is "deeply disturbed" by legislation to regulate government wage increases.
"Because it will mean, definitely, cuts to public service, cuts to front-line service workers," she said.
Marcelino wanted to see the minimum wage increased as well as improving affordability for post-secondary education and utilities.
Interim Liberal Leader Judy Klassen said she also had wanted to see the minimum wage increased.
The minimum wage in Manitoba is $11/hour and some anti-poverty groups say it should rise to $15 to keep up with the cost of living.
Key PC promises in throne speech:
- Release a new provincial housing strategy to address homelessness, affordability and repairs to existing stock.
- Create of premier's enterprise team to develop entrepreneurialism and increase access to venture capital.
- Fund special events and activities to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation next year.
- Strengthen Manitoba's northern economy through Manitoba's Look North initiatives.
- Modernize protections related to ticket scalping.
- Improve accessibility to mental health and addictions services.
- Introduce carbon pricing to combat climate change.
- Create a campaign to warn Manitobans about the danger of fentanyl.
- Establish a health-care wait-time task force.
- Target Manitoba's support for post-secondary students to lower-income and Indigenous students.
- Develop a plan to create a path for the self-regulation of paramedics.
- Create a new option to save for retirement through Pooled Retirement Pension Plans.
with files from Sean Kavanagh and Bartley Kives