Budget 2014: Steady Growth, Good Jobs

Budget 2014 is the Manitoba government's plan to create good jobs and grow Manitoba's economy ' while protecting the frontlines of services that families count on.

A key part of this budget is a $5.5 billion Five-Year Plan that will build our core infrastructure like highways, bridges, flood protection and municipal infrastructure. These investments will stimulate our economy, keep businesses growing and create job and training opportunities for families.

Learn more about what Budget 2014 means for you and your family.

More opportunities for young people

A good start in school and new opportunities mean young people can build a good life here at home. New investments in the province's schools and skills training opportunities will start more young Manitobans on the path to a good job and a brighter future. Highlights include:

  • new investments in smaller classes, to ensure students have more one-on-one attention in their critical early years;
  • new support for students to begin skills training and start planning their careers by earning post-secondary and first-year apprenticeship credits while still in high school;
  • an improved tax credit of up to $5,000 to encourage employers to take on more apprentices and a new bonus for employers who take on apprentices for the first time;
  • more job opportunities for students to gain valuable work experience, and;
  • a new initiative led by Premier Greg Selinger, which will bring together community leaders to help more Manitoba First Nations students graduate from high school.

Strong infrastructure and a growing economy

Investments in core infrastructure keep businesses competitive and growing, and they create good job and training opportunities for families. Manitoba's new $5.5-billion, five-year plan will build key infrastructure, boost Manitoba's economy by $6.3 billion and create more than 58,000 jobs for families. Highlights include:

  • historic investments in Manitoba's major trade routes including PTH 75, the Trans-Canada Highway, PTH 10, PTH 12, PTH 6 and the North Perimeter Highway at PTH 59;
  • the largest-ever provincial investment of $250 million to renew and upgrade Winnipeg streets;
  • new infrastructure to support CentrePort Canada including a Trans-Canada Highway bypass at Headingley;
  • new permanent flood protection for communities along the Assiniboine and Souris rivers, lakes Manitoba and St. Martin; and
  • targeted funding of $75 million for municipal roads and bridges, in addition to a $700-million investment in bridges and overpasses provincewide.

An even better place to live

Manitoba is a province with a growing population, good services for families and still one of the most affordable places to live in Canada. New initiatives will help make it an even better place to live. Highlights include:

  • more doctors and nurse practitioners, opening more QuickCare Clinics, and establishing Primary Care Networks to improve access to family doctors;
  • new legislation to protect consumers when they contract home repairs and buy or sell a home, and new rules to protect families from misleading cable, Internet and cellphone promotions;
  • a new low-cost loan program through MPI to make it easier for families to buy winter tires;
  • new funding of $5.5 million to build more child-care spaces for families and provide operating grants for child-care centres to support better wages;
  • an increased and simplified rental benefit for Manitobans on social assistance and better support to help make the transition from welfare to work; and
  • a new seniors school property tax credit of up to $235 on top of the $1,100 existing tax credit, entirely eliminating school property taxes for 7,200 more seniors.

More efficient government, better services

Delivering government services more efficiently means those savings can be redirected into the front lines of services. Manitoba will build on recent progress in streamlining and modernizing government services. Highlights include:

  • a new lean council chaired by Rob Despins of Standard Aero, tasked with providing advice to government on ways to offer better services more efficiently across government departments;
  • a freeze or reduction to the budgets of nine government departments;
  • an extension of corporate administrative spending caps to all regional health authorities; and
  • a limit on government spending growth to two per cent this year, ensuring the cost of government doesn't grow more quickly than the economy.