Manitoba Chambers of Commerce wants PCs to move faster on deficit

A cautious Progressive Conservative budget with spending increases and a tax freeze means a billion-dollar deficit will take years to erase.

But the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce wants the timeline cut in half to get the books balanced as soon as possible.

"If it takes eight years to balance the budget, we'll have gone from 15 to 16 years without a balanced budget in Manitoba, and that's not the kind of message we are hoping to send," Chamber president and CEO Chuck Davidson said, adding thatslaying the deficit earlier would buildconfidence for the business community and Manitobans.

PC Finance Minister Cameron Friesencalled the effort "proactive" and said the government wants thestory on deficit reduction to be compelling.

"We've already been able to find $122 million in savings. We believe this is a message we can give to groups and say this is our initial efforts and ask them for their understanding that this will take some time, but we believe it's important to get that work going right away," Friesen said, following a speech to the Manitoba Chambersof Commerce Wednesday morning.

Friesen and Premier Brian Pallister have said publicly several times they would protect front-line services from budget cuts and the recent budget saw only a modest trim to funding for agriculture.

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Davidsonsays the Chamber would like to see the provincial budget in the black in four years.

"We are willing to work with them. It would be nice to have that done before that first mandate [is completed] to be extremely close to a balanced budget, because at the same time you also made a commitment to reduce the PST, which is going to be a another huge chunk of change," Davidson said.

Friesen and Premier Brian Pallister are heading to Toronto this week to outline Manitoba's fiscal plans to financial agencies and leaders.

Ultimately theopinion of those leaders and agencieswill count for much, as they determine the province's credit rating and could have an effect on what the government pays in interest on what it borrows.