Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
“There is a crushing infrastructure deficit in our communities across the province that needs to be addressed.”
— Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck
We are pleasantly surprised to see labour and business now pulling together to try to get a handle of the staggering infrastructure deficit faced by Manitoba.
Organized labour is aligning itself with the province’s most powerful corporate movers and shakers to urge a reluctant provincial government to hike the PST in order to fix Manitoba’s crumbling roads and bridges.
As reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, the Manitoba Federation of Labour is sponsoring a resolution at this weekend’s NDP convention in Winnipeg calling on the Selinger government to increase the provincial sales tax by a percentage point and dedicate the proceeds to renew or replace municipal infrastructure.
“There is a crushing infrastructure deficit in our communities across the province that needs to be addressed,” MFL president Kevin Rebeck said.
“It is something we think is past due for the province to engage with municipalities and figure out how we can work together to address the infrastructure deficit.”
The Business Council of Manitoba, reported the Free Press, has been asking for the same thing for more than a year.
A one-point hike would raise an estimated $262 million a year. Manitoba is said to have an $11-billion municipal infrastructure deficit. Brandon Mayor Shari Decter Hirst has pegged Brandon’s infrastructure deficit at $165 million.
Jim Carr, the business council’s president and CEO, welcomed the MFL’s initiative.
“I’m very pleased that the Manitoba Federation of Labour has concluded that we don’t have enough revenue to tackle the growing infrastructure deficit,” he said Tuesday. “I welcome the resolution and I hope it passes.”
While the province has been hesitant to hike the PST to attack infrastructure, now that the NDP’s main supporters are giving the thumbs-up, the plan has some legs.
The tax hike would be relatively painless for the average consumer, but would provide Manitoba municipalities with a dedicated funding source that would allow them to tackle their infrastructure woes. Manitoba has committed to giving municipalities the equivalent of one percentage point of the PST for infrastructure purposes. But that simply replaces current funding and still isn’t enough to come near to fixing the problem. Our crumbling roads, sidewalks, bridges, sewers and water lines are in dire need of repair and upgrading. Reluctance for political reasons by successive levels of government over several decades to properly plan for infrastructure repair and maintenance — not to mention upgrades and expansion — has now resulted in a dire situation.
We agree wholeheartedly with those who say investing in infrastructure projects builds the economy. While providing proper situations for businesses to flourish, the actual act of building the infrastructure itself can provide impressive levels of employment.
So we encourage delegates to the NDP convention this weekend to pass the MFL’s resolution and then for the governing party to take the next steps to bring it into law.
This is one tax that we would accept the NDP levying on us. And we believe taxpayers in general would accept it once they see the jobs being created and the work being done.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition May 31, 2012
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
“There is a crushing infrastructure deficit in our communities across the province that needs to be addressed.”
— Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck
Already subscribed? Login to view full article.
Not yet a subscriber? Click Here to Signup
“There is a crushing infrastructure deficit in our communities across the province that needs to be addressed.”
— Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck
A subscription to the Brandon Sun Newspaper is required to view this article. Please update your user information if you are already a newspaper subscriber.
Most Popular
Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments
You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.