Cost of living front and centre as Manitoba legislators return to house Tuesday

As Manitoba politicians return to the legislature Tuesday, the cost of living will be a top priority. Premier Wab Kinew and Opposition Progressive Conservative house leader Derek Johnson both emphasized the issue at a press conference last week. Kinew highlighted the NDP's removal of tax from some grocery items before adjourning for the summer and pointed to legislation around rent control as unfinished business.

Johnson criticized the conservatives for holding legislation back and said the PCs plan to focus on affordability and community safety. The NDP has already increased homeowner and renter tax credits and cut the provincial tax on prepared foods. The PCs have proposed raising the income tax-free amount to $30,000. Health care will also be a key topic, with Kinew noting the NDP added over 4,700 net new health-care staff since being elected.

The government has also signed a contract for a CancerCare Manitoba facility and expanded doctor training in emergency medicine. The Opposition PCs plan to push for public disclosure of wait times for specialists and treatments. The NDP's throne speech promised to open a safe consumption site in January, though that didn't happen, and they committed to enshrine Canada's first Crown-Indigenous corporation into law.