COLUMN: Report from the Legislature – End of session report

It’s been a busy spring at the Manitoba legislature. After a week of late-night sittings and tense negotiations, the legislature rose for the summer on Monday.

For our PC team, we had a clear message throughout this session: the government needed to take real action on affordability.

Under Wab Kinew and the NDP, the cost of living continues to rise, and too many families are struggling to make ends meet.

The premier talks a good game, but unfortunately much of that talk does not match reality.

Take the NDP’s plan to “remove all taxes from groceries.” It’s more of a public relations exercise than a serious affordability policy. The vast majority of grocery items are already tax-free. You may save a few cents on a slurpee or the bag you buy at the checkout, but this is not the kind of relief families need. The fact that the government is boasting about saving the average family roughly $100 a year—or about $8 a month—shows just how disconnected they are from the financial pressures many Manitobans face every day.

Meanwhile, this same government has increased the tax burden on Manitobans.

They broke their campaign promise and stopped indexing income taxes to inflation, pushing thousands of Manitobans into higher tax brackets. They eliminated measures our former PC government introduced to help keep property taxes affordable and replaced them with a one-size-fits-all property tax increase. Hydro rates continue to rise. Manitoba now has the highest food inflation rate in Canada despite being one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country.

The result is simple: the price of everything keeps going up while the purchasing power of your paycheque keeps going down.

Instead of offering Manitobans pennies in savings, our PC team proposed a measure that would provide meaningful relief.

We proposed raising Manitoba’s basic income exemption to $30,000, meaning Manitobans would pay no provincial income tax on the first $30,000 they earn.

This is not a rebate cheque months later. It is not a credit. It is not another government program. It is money that stays on your paycheque every time you get paid.

Our proposal would save many Manitoba families approximately $3,000 per year, or roughly $250 every month.

For a family struggling with rising grocery bills, mortgage payments, rent, fuel costs, or utility bills, that is real relief.

More importantly, it reflects a principle I strongly believe in: the people best positioned to decide how to spend their money are the people who earned it.

This would be a game changer for low-income workers, families, and many seniors.

Unfortunately, the NDP voted against it. Nevertheless, our PC team remains committed to implementing this policy when we next form government.

At the same time, Manitoba’s economy is showing troubling signs. Exports declined by more than 27 percent over the past year, investment continues to flow to neighbouring provinces, and too many businesses are questioning whether Manitoba remains a competitive place to invest and create jobs.

There are common-sense solutions to these challenges. Our PC team has proposed raising the basic income exemption, eliminating the land transfer tax for first-time homebuyers, removing the PST from building materials used to construct new homes, and implementing a single-desk permitting system to reduce red tape and attract investment back to Manitoba.

While much of my work this spring focused on affordability and economic issues, I have also continued advocating for the local priorities that matter most here in southeastern Manitoba.

Infrastructure and drainage remain among the most common concerns I hear from residents.

During this session I continued pressing the government on improvements to the D20 drain in Hanover, provincial drainage challenges in De Salaberry, Roads 302 and 303 in La Broquerie, Highway 210 through Piney, and the long-awaited upgrade of Highway 201 in Stuartburn.

I was pleased to receive confirmation from the Minister that the Highway 201 project will move forward. This upgrade has been a priority for local residents for many years and is important to the future growth and development of our region.

I have also continued leading the opposition to Bill 21, legislation that would further expand government control over water sources, including some shared wells. Rural Manitobans raised significant concerns about the impact this legislation could have on property owners and local public water access.

Working alongside residents, municipalities, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders, we have successfully stalled this legislation and forced the government to answer important questions that remain unresolved. We will continue holding the government accountable on this issue.

We have also proposed expanding the role of nurse practitioners within our health-care system to improve access to care, and brought forward a resolution that would better protect homeowners from legal action when acting in self-defence against an intruder.

On all of these issues and more, my priority remains the same: ensuring the voices of southeastern Manitobans are heard at the Legislature.

Manitobans deserve better.

Your family deserves better.

I will continue advocating for common-sense solutions that grow our economy, support our agricultural industry, create opportunity, and leave more money in your wallet.

As we move into summer, I look forward to attending events across our region, hearing your concerns, and continuing to be your voice in the Manitoba legislature.

As always, please feel free to reach out anytime at info@konradnarth.ca.