Province gives Manitobans new way to shape next budget

The government of Manitoba has created a new interactive website for Manitobans that allows citizens tostep into thefinance minister's shoesand design their own provincial budgets.

Your Province Your Plan offers a tool that givespeople the ability to play around with revenues and expenditures and attempt to balance Manitoba's books.

"I'm excited about the launch of thiswebsiteand the exercise but more than that ... I'm really excited to hear whatManitobanshave to say," saidPremier BrianPallister.

"Part of this I think...is financial literacy enhancement. Giving people a chance to actually work through some of the challenges."

It also has information about in-person community meetingsand ways to submit written statements about the future budget.

The Progressive Conservatives say they will use data gathered from Your Province Your Plan to create the 2017 budget, said Pallister. The province will also release findings to the public but saidit will protect user privacy.

Raising taxes a possibility

While Pallister said he does not plan to raise taxes, if the consultation shows the majority of Manitobans support the idea he would "have to" consider it and hold a referendum on the question.

"I'm not prejudging what the consultations will produce," said Pallister. "We're ready to listen to Manitobans and hear what they have to say."

The consultations process will also be used to assess specific projects the previous NDP government promised to fund, said the premier.

The PCs previously saidall the spending promises are under review. The only NDP program the government has publicly promised to continue to support is the affordable housing program, Rent Assist.

"It's Manitoba's future, it's Manitoba's plan, and we believe Manitobans should have a say in it."

The previous NDP government started running a string of deficits in 2009, culminating in a $1-billion deficit in the fiscal year that ended in March.

Pallister, who was elected April 19, has promised to reduce the deficit and cut the provincial sales tax by one percentage point.

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