Manitoba PC government tables bill to repeal balanced budget law

Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government has introduced legislation to repeal the province's balanced budget law, which Premier Brian Pallister had originally brought in more than two decades ago.

The Balanced Budget, Fiscal Management and Taxpayer Accountability Act lays out the consequences for running deficits for instance, shrinking the salaries of ministers in the event of a deficit.

Pallister first introduced it when he was a minister in Gary Filmon'sPCgovernment.

In 2009, when the NDP government started running deficits, it suspended sections of the law and cut in half the salary reduction for cabinet ministers.

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Pallister said on Wednesday that the idea of ministerial accountability will be incorporated into new legislation that he plans to introduce in the fall.

"There have to be consequences for elected officials. I said that when I introduced the original balanced budget law in 1993 and I continue to be a very strong believer that elected people owe Manitobans some personal accountability, some level of personal accountability, in respect of the performance of their duties as far as managing the books of the province," he told reporters after question period.

Pallister would not reveal other details of the legislation to replace the balanced budget law, other than to say it will be a "law that suits Manitoba's purposes."

When asked whether former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge will stillbe hired to review the legislation the previous NDP government announced his appointment in MarchPallisterwould only say he anticipates he will have some information on that in the near future.