Given the looming threats and impacts of Donald Trump’s tariff taxes, the Kinew government is wisely focusing this budget on helping our economy by investing in creating good, family supporting jobs and building health care, education, highway, municipal, broadband, parks and other infrastructure projects.
The MFL was encouraged to hear the budget’s promise of a Manitoba Jobs Agreement to ensure that, when Manitoba taxpayers are paying for critical infrastructure projects, the money goes towards hiring Manitobans first. The Manitoba Jobs Agreement will help to end the scourge of out-of-province license plates at construction sites across our province, a trend that was allowed to grow under the Pallister and Stefanson governments.
A key part of ‘Trump-proofing’ our economy is helping young Manitobans build their futures right here at home. This budget’s increased investments in training will help to prepare Manitobans for rewarding careers in their home province while helping to address Manitoba’s skilled trades shortage.
The budget also commits more money towards the Workplace Safety and Health branch, including more safety and health inspectors. This is a good move that will help protect workers on the job. Increases to the Labour Board will help unions and employers reach fair deals in a timely way.
And we need to strengthen our public services, like health care. This budget makes it clear that government knows it needs to continue to boost compensation for health care workers to recruit and retain them and address the health care staffing crisis. While the previous PC government attacked health care workers at every turn and legislated wage freezes, this government respects the right to collective bargaining.
There is a lot of work left to do to fix health care, but we do appreciate that this government values the hardworking Manitobans who provide the vital health care services that we all count on.