Budget 2022 moves Manitoba on a solid path to recovery with strategic and significant investments in key priority areas that focus on the health and financial well-being of all Manitobans, Finance Minister Cameron Friesen announced today as he released Budget 2022: Recover Together.
“Two years of the pandemic have forced Manitobans apart, shaken our families and damaged peoples’ livelihoods – now it is time to look ahead,” said Friesen. “Budget 2022 implements our plan to recover together and is built to take action on the issues Manitobans care about. Budget 2022 strengthens, invests and builds our province, and gives Manitobans hope and optimism for the future.”
Friesen noted Budget 2022 makes strategic investments in five priority areas to ensure strong social and economic recovery, and a prosperous future for all Manitobans:
Strengthening Health Care
- Investing $110 million to reduce the pandemic diagnostic and surgical backlogs.
- Providing $17 million to implement year one of the five-year A Pathway to Mental Health and Community Wellness: A Roadmap for Manitoba.
- Allocating almost $20 million to develop a new seniors strategy and $32 million for initiatives from the Stevenson Review.
- Investing over $11 million to increase nursing enrolment in Manitoba’s post-secondary institutions.
- Providing $812 million in continued capital commitment for rural and northern health care under the five-year Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventative Services Plan.
- Providing $630 million for contingencies and COVID-19 response and recovery.
Making Life More Affordable
- Increasing the education property tax rebate to 50 per cent by 2023, saving the average homeowner $1,355 over two years.
- Introducing the new Residential Renters Tax Credit.
- Expanding eligibility for the Child Care Subsidy Program to support an average of $10 a day per child for regulated child-care spaces.
- Increasing shelter benefits for low-income Manitobans by investing:
- $9 million for Employment and Income Assistance Rent Assist indexation.
- $8.9 million for non-Employment and Income Assistance Rent Assist indexation.
- Providing $12 million in new income support programs for people with severe and prolonged disabilities.
- Reducing vehicle registration fees.
Building the Economy
- Launching a new Venture Capital Fund with an initial $50-million investment.
- Making the Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit permanent and expanding it to support venture capital funds.
- Providing $5 million to strengthen immigration programming to help attract newcomers to Manitoba.
- Investing more than $2 million supporting new property development in Manitoba.
- Focusing on tax competitiveness for Manitoba businesses and investors.
- Reducing the payroll tax for 970 businesses.
- Providing more than $18 million for improving the wages of front-line workers in the community living disability, children’s disability and family violence prevention sectors.
- Implementing the Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy.
Investing in Our Communities
- Investing $326 million over two years to make child care more affordable and accessible for Manitoba parents.
- Creating 716 spaces in new child-care centres and supporting 50 new home-based spaces this year.
- Investing in new schools with a new goal to build 22 new schools by 2027.
- Supporting the arts, culture and sports organizations with $100 million over three years including $34 million in 2022-23.
- Investing an additional $10.3 million to enhance the Building Sustainable Communities Program, with a $25 million total investment in 2022-23.
- Investing $578.5 million in capital projects for highways including projects funded under the Manitoba Restart Capital Program.
- Working with Indigenous leaders, elders, knowledge keepers, families and community members to advance shared goals and economic opportunities.
- Committing $5 million for advancing progress on reconciliation activities.
Protecting Our Environment
- Developing the Energy Policy Framework and a new water management strategy.
- Investing over $6 million for 12 initiatives to advance the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan including $1.5 million for expanding the Conservation and Climate Fund.
- Providing $50 million over the next two years for accelerating the remediation and rehabilitation of orphaned and abandoned mine sites.
- Allocating over $10 million for forestry programs and over $14 million for provincial parks.
- Developing a new multi-year parks capital strategy to modernize and enhance campgrounds, roads, trails and other key infrastructure.
- Providing over $100 million for the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels Project for enhancing flood protection.
- Working with the Government of Canada to meet international climate change targets.
- Continuing partnerships to upgrade the City of Winnipeg’s North End Water Pollution Control Centre.
The province is projecting a deficit of $548 million for 2022-23, a significant improvement over the deficit forecast for 2021-22 of $1.393 billion, and is on track to return Manitoba’s books to balance in seven years, the minister noted.
“Our government recognizes that fiscal responsibility is critical to building up our communities and our economy,” said Friesen. “From a pandemic deficit high of $2.1 billion, our government has worked diligently to reduce the deficit and invest in the areas that matter most to Manitobans.”
Budget 2022 documents are available at manitoba.ca/budget2022/.
(Manitoba Government News Release)