Manitoba pushes ahead on education tax rebate, despite opposition to payouts for commercial property owners

The Manitoba government is ready to dish out education rebate cheques for the second straight year, despite the Official Opposition's objectionstotax relief being extended to corporate landowners.

The governing Progressive Conservatives voted in favour Thursday of legislation they say gives the province the authority to spend nearly $350 millionto issue therebates.

Residential homeowners and farm property ownersare entitled to a rebate of37.5 per cent of their education property tax this year, which is an increase from the 25 per cent rebate issued in 2021.

The average rebate this year will be $600, Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said on Twitter.

They'll be sent out the month that property taxes are due in the property owner's municipalityJune for those in Winnipeg and Brandon.

The Tories plan to eventually phase out the education property tax in favour of what they call a fairer wayto fund the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system. The government is consulting on a new funding formula.

Biggest payouts to big business

The promised tax relief hasn't won over all Manitobans, however.

In recent days, the Opposition NDP have criticized the government for giving the biggest rebatesto commercial landowners, a group which will receive a 10 per cent rebate for the second year in a row.

The NDP argued commercial landowners, some ofwhich are not based in Manitoba, are not desperate for thetax relief.

In particular, the party singled out the owners of the Polo Park shopping centre, Cadillac Fairview, which is entitled to a cheque of more than $1 million, CBC News reported.

The NDP put forward an amendment Thursday to exempt commercial property owners from the payout, but it was voted down.

An animated Friesen chastisedthe NDPtwo days in a row in scrums with reporters. The finance ministersaid the Oppositionwas dismissing the "fundamental premise" underpinningcommercial leases, which isthat the tax relief for owners will getpassed down to the tenants.

Some of those tenants are national and international businesses, but Friesen said on Wednesday theyhire Manitobansand make money that is circulated within the province.

He added that Manitobansare calling for financial relief as the price of fuel, groceries and other goods keeps rising.

A recent CBCanalysis of Winnipeg properties foundthe top 10 per cent of education tax rebate recipients pocketed four times more cash than the bottom 10 per cent.

The government originally touted the education tax rebateas a way to bring relief to working people, seniors and lower-income families.