The PC MLA for La Verendrye says the first budget delivered by the NDP government has left him very concerned. 

Premier Wab Kinew and his NDP government delivered their first budget on Tuesday. Konrad Narth says this budget has complete disregard for industry, small business, agriculture, and the middle-class Manitoban in general. He adds it also made no mention of southern Manitoba.

"Southeast Manitoba, being one of the fastest growing regions in the entire province and the entire southern portion of Manitoba really being the economic driver for our province, it was concerning that there wasn't anything that catered towards further promoting the growth that we've seen in the past couple of decades in our corner of the province," says Narth.

Narth says with infrastructure being top of mind for many people in southeastern Manitoba, it is concerning to see $163 million cut in infrastructure capital investment. He notes that is more than a 10 per cent cut to the highways infrastructure budget. 

"There are many highways and provincial drainage needs and concerns in our corner of the province that are limiting our economic growth and prosperity, and this cut in crucial investment is concerning for me as I look at our tremendous growth potential," he adds.

Further to that, he says the southeast has benefited from two very valuable grant funds. These are the Building Sustainable Communities fund and the Arts, Culture and Sport in Community Fund. He notes both of these programs have made valuable investments into our communities helping community organizations build or expand and support municipalities with crucial investments. Narth says there is no commitment towards either of these funds in Budget 2024. According to Narth, some notable local investments through these funds were the New Bothwell rink cover, Grunthal Drop Zone expansion, La Broquerie Minor Baseball Association and the St. Pierre Library.

Narth says the largest investment in this budget is in a health care plan that has not worked in the past. Narth says he is referring to the idea of throwing money at a problem in health care. He notes the government has committed to hiring 1,000 new health care workers, which in theory is necessary. However, he questions where they will come from. 

"Without having a plan in place on training and recruiting the people that we need to fill those positions, we can make a commitment for 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 the sky is the limit on commitment if you're not able to actually fulfill that," he says. 

Narth adds there is commitment to opening Winnipeg ERs that are currently urgent care but no commitment to strengthening rural health care delivery. 

And finally, Narth says while the previous government made a commitment to eliminate school tax on property, the new government is doing the opposite. 

"And farmers are going to be hit most significantly," he says. "There's many progressive farmers across all of Manitoba that pay an unjust portion of school taxes on their property tax and it's unique to Manitoba and something that our government had committed to changing but now the NDP government has given control back to the school divisions to tax at an increased rate that they see most fit."

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