Liberals promise to make Manitoba friendlier to business, reform CFS

Manitoba Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari threw a few punches at the New Democrats in front of a business crowd at a Manitoba Chambers of Commerce breakfast Wednesday morning.

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In her address, Bokhari said the Manitoba Liberals would be unflinching in its support for large businesses and blasted the NDP over implementing a payroll tax.

If elected, a Liberal government would reduce and eventually eliminate Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy, she said.

The payroll tax is imposed on businesses in Manitoba with a payroll of $1.25 million or larger.

"This tax is bad for business that's why we're committed to eliminating it," said Bokhari.

"It's a tax on your ability to grow your business and create jobs."

Bokhari said other Liberal promises aimed at the social sector, including experimenting with minimum income payments, expanding all-day kindergarten and investing in health carelikeending quotas for knee and hip surgerieswould have indirect benefits for businesses of all sizes.

"We will be getting people back to their feet and back to work,"said Bokhari.

Liberal Leader zings NDP slogan

Bokhari called the NDP's slogan"Steady Growth Good Jobs" which appears in advertisements is "average at best."

"Nobody, no young Manitoban right now, wants to have 'good jobs' we want inspiring jobs. We want creative jobs. We want jobs that make us competitive nationally. That's what we want," said the Liberal leader.

Bokharialsoaddedaiming for steady growth is not aiming high enough, in her opinion.

"Manitoba today has business in this community not because of a government but because our businesses have tenacity," said Bokhari, who blamed red tape and regulation put in place by the NDP for curtailing thebusiness sector.

Liberals, NDP critique PC child welfareplan

Later on Wednesday,Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari called the Progressive Conservatives' plan for addressing the large number of children in Child and Family Services (CFS) care "irresponsible."

During an economic announcement Tuesday, BrianPallistersaid he will address Manitoba's child-welfare crisis by boosting the economy, if his party forms government April 19.

"If he believes dealing with the very serious and critical issues of CFS will only be resolved by growing the economy he has very well insulted most of our indigenous population," saidBokhari.

The vast majority of children and youth in care are indigenous.

"This is an insult to the actual work that we are doing to change Child and Family Services," saidKyraWilson, a Liberal candidate in Fort Richmond, who is on leave from her job with the Manitoba First Nations children's advocate office.

An overhaul of the system needs to happen, creating anew model that restructures the $480 million in funding currently put into CFS annually, Wilsonsaid.

The Liberals previously announced they would reduce the number of kids in care by half, to roughly 5,000, by putting more money into supporting families rather than apprehending children.

Put more money into prevention andoffermore resources for social workers to work directly withfamilies, so their children can stay with them, she said.

Asked by reporters if she honestly believes that half the children in care don't need to be there, Wilson said, "I do believe that if we look at the way that families are being supported right now, that children don't necessarily need to be in care. They just need the extra supports."

Wilson was then asked about children who are taken away because they need protection. She said thatif there are protection concerns that will be looked at, but didn't elaborate.

In a written statement the NDP called PC Leader Brian Pallister's approach to CFS "narrow" and ignores "deeply rooted issues like intergenerational poverty."

"We introduced Customary Care to allow children to stay in their communities and close to their roots and their culture," said the statement.