The Manitoba Provincial Politics Discussion

[newflyer]

Corporation Capital Tax: It will be completely eliminated for all businesses by the end of next year. It’s already eliminated for all manufacturers and processors.

Manitoba will become the country’s first income tax free zone for small business next year as the province takes the final step in eliminating the small business income tax rate. It was eight per cent a decade ago.

New resources to speed up application process for new immigrants.
Students who live and work in Manitoba to qualify for portion of tuition fee income tax rebate.

All very good moves for the province. (can't believe I am saying this)

If they could eliminate the payroll tax in Manitoba I would be very happy, but as it is I don't think I could expect much more from the NDP. The economy will benefit from these moves.

[1ajs]

can't do it all at once newflyer gota gradualy ween ones self off not all at once no?

[1ajs]

Tories Lead NDP In New Public Opinion Poll
CJOB News Team reporting
3/18/2010

The provincial Conservatives are leading the NDP according to a new public opinion poll conducted online.

the Angus Reid poll shows the PC Party has 44 percent of 800 decided Manitoba voters behind it, against 37 percent support for the NDP.

The NDP does have the edge in Winnipeg at 44 percent to 36, but the Tories are favoured 55 percent to 28 percent in rural Manitoba.

The Liberal Party and the Green Party run well behind at 13 and 3 percent respectively.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Tories Lead NDP In New Public Opinion Poll
CJOB News Team reporting
3/18/2010

The provincial Conservatives are leading the NDP according to a new public opinion poll conducted online.

the Angus Reid poll shows the PC Party has 44 percent of 800 decided Manitoba voters behind it, against 37 percent support for the NDP.

The NDP does have the edge in Winnipeg at 44 percent to 36, but the Tories are favoured 55 percent to 28 percent in rural Manitoba.

The Liberal Party and the Green Party run well behind at 13 and 3 percent respectively.

Just out of curiousity, what is the Conservative Party stance on the CMHR asking for $50 million dollars from the Provincial government?

[jmt18325]

I find this difficult to believe given the female numbers in the poll. This may be the 1 time out of 20 when the poll is out to lunch. I'd have to see more before I gave any credit to this.

[dennis]

I have been an NDP supporter for a long time. Only recently have I deferred to the conservatives. Mainly because my perception of a more left leaning governments is one that tends not to promote private investment as much. The NDP does not seem as inclined as the conservatives in attracting more private investment in Manitoba. Private industry is the real moneymaker and job producer. Yes governments do create jobs and development, but in the end, the government is not in the business of making money- only spending it - which is necessary (providing infrastructure). The philosophy of right is for a smaller more efficient government. Also one that tends to do a better job of attracting private investment (the ones who are in the business of creating money and jobs through profit).

Not too much of a McFayden fan though...

[jmt18325]

The philosophy of the right didn't seem to do this province much good through the 90's.

I am a Liberal, but credit must be given where it is due. This province has an economy that has been growing faster than ever, and a population that has been doing the same. Winnipeg is nearly booming and the north is about to have big things happen in the development of hydro-electric and mineral mining projects. I would hate to see a change when one isn't needed, because there is nothing socialist about this NDP government, and there never has been.

[dennis]

The economy of the 1990's was not good either, Would the NDP have done a better job. I don't know, but because the economy was bad, I am sure a very large number would have complained against them because there would have been layoffs and low job creation. Saskatchewan seems to have improved from the switch to the right leaning Saskatchewan party. But I do admit, the NDP did a very good job. It just seems to me that the core ideology of the NDP will prevent them from doing more than is possible to attract money to this province. Maybe the conservatives will do worse. But comparing Manitoba to the other western provinces, we are still in debt and much much more so than the other western provinces. Manitoba is doing the worst job of getting out of debt. It also seems that conservative jurisdictions (Steinbach, Morden, Winkler, Brandon) seem to create more business and job growth than NDP ones.

[thurmas]

Filmon paved the ground for what Doer and Selinger have when he balanced the books in a much worse economy and with massive transfer cuts from Ottawa to boot. Filmon is very underated!

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by dennis

But comparing Manitoba to the other western provinces, we are still in debt and much much more so than the other western provinces. Manitoba is doing the worst job of getting out of debt.

That's not a fair comparison. Since the NDP came to power, oil production has more than doubled....to less than 10M barrels a year. We don't have the resources that Saskatchewan does in potash and oil, that Alberta does in oil and gas, and that BC does in gas and a few other choice things. We are in a very different situation with the other provinces. It's no coincidence that 3 of the 4 current have province are loaded with oil....and the other one with gas (and because gas isn't as valuable, it is doing the worst of any of the 4).

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Filmon paved the ground for what Doer and Selinger have when he balanced the books in a much worse economy and with massive transfer cuts from Ottawa to boot. Filmon is very underated!

Because he did a terrible job. Between the time the Liberals took power in the early 90's and this year, Canada's economy grew by massive amounts. Both Filmon and the NDP benefited from that, but we have done very well under the NDP. Also, they have (and it's very easy to see) improved healthcare substantially. I'd have to see what the PC platform was before I could ever decide to vote for them.

[grumpy old man]

It's also a fools game to compare governments over different time periods. Did Filmon govern during the economic good times that Doer did?

Another consideration: does Manitoba really need the billions of welfare dollars (transfer payments) the feds doled out? Or did the government of the day suckle off the transfer payment teats for all its worth simply because it was there?

Can we begin weaning ourselves off that largess?

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

. I'd have to see what the PC platform was before I could ever decide to vote for them.

Hope this helps:

http://www.pcmanitoba.com/issues/issues.html

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

Hope this helps:

http://www.pcmanitoba.com/issues/issues.html

I'm talking about during an election. Until then, very little matters. Also, they may need some updating. Very soon, the small business tax will not exist in Manitoba.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by grumpy old man

It's also a fools game to compare governments over different time periods. Did Filmon govern during the economic good times that Doer did?

Another consideration: does Manitoba really need the billions of welfare dollars (transfer payments) the feds doled out? Or did the government of the day suckle off the transfer payment teats for all its worth simply because it was there?

Can we begin weaning ourselves off that largess?

Yes, Manitoba does need, them, and we are relying less on them as a percentage than we were before. I really dislike people referring to a program designed to level regional differences as largess or welfare. That isn't the purpose at all. The purpose is to benefit all Canadians. It allows all of us to avoid high taxes while allowing all provinces the ability to provide reasonably equivalent services. Have provinces still have the ability to do more for themselves (Alberta spends more per capita on government than any other province besides Newfoundland and Labrador) but have not provinces also get the ability to provide what their citizens want, within reason. We may be able to eventually get off of equalization completely, but that will be difficult given the speed at which some other provinces grow as a result of their resource revenues which we cannot count on.

[grumpy old man]

Interesting perspective jmt18325. That is analogous to giving welfare recipients the ability to provide what they want, within reason rather than giving them what they need within reason.

Why is Manitoba a "have not" province? We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. With everyone (mostly) gainfully employed why does the federal government (and Saskatchewan and Alberta and BC and Ontario) have to send any of their money to Manitoba?

Dislike people saying it until the cows come home, it is federal welfare. And I for one don't believe we need to take so much.

[jmt18325]

We are a have not province, because as a result of oil, Alberta has a per capita GDP of over $80K, Saskatchewan and N+L $60K, and Ontario and BC $45K...while ours is $42K. For comparison, Quebec is $38K, but for some reason we get more equalization per capita. The resource revenue of three provinces in particular really skew the average, and so it's very difficult for us to work our way out, even with the record growth that we've had. We aren't poor...we just aren't that rich, and Equalization, as written in the Constitution, is designed to average the differences so that all Canadians can have roughly similar taxes with roughly similar services (when the calculation is made, potential revenue at an average tax rate is used).

The system ensures we all get roughly equal service. It looks beyond provincial concerns to national concerns, because we are one country after all.

[jmt18325]

See, this seems to be far more reasonable and believable:


http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...-89319322.html

[thurmas]

I still think the ndp is a sinking ship by 2011 they will have been in power for 12 years so people naturaly will be tired of any govt. in power that long. They have just promised 4 more years of large deficits on top of the one they just announced so their claim of strong economic management is tossed and they have lossed Doer one of the most popular premiers in history. I could see in the next election though a minority government propped up by the liberals John Gerrard. I think Gerrard rather prop up the tories though because Gerrard is a more right leaning liberal and he has favoured getting rid of the payroll tax which I am sure conservatives would agree with.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

We aren't poor...we just aren't that rich, and Equalization, as written in the Constitution, is designed to average the differences so that all Canadians can have roughly similar taxes with roughly similar services (when the calculation is made, potential revenue at an average tax rate is used).

Right, but the alternative is that people get the level of services they want by moving to the places where they can be most productive economically. Equalization makes it possible for people to survive indefinitely in places where they can remain unproductive (Newfoundland historically being the most obvious example of this). That harms the overall national economy and the economies of both rich and poor provinces. The United States doesn't have anything like equalization: there, if you can't find a job in West Virginia or Rhode Island or Mississippi, you say goodbye to the old home town and move to Dallas or Chicago or Portland or New York City or wherever.