Conservatives outline budget alternatives

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/04/2012 (5307 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With only a few days before the provincial government releases its budget, the opposition Progressive Conservatives outlined a framework of policy alternatives on Friday.

According to a Progressive Conservative Party caucus press release, the five-point strategy includes: A commitment to honesty and transparency in the budget, eliminating red tape, a pledge for more program spending reviews as well as a review of Manitoba Hydro’s capital spending plan and a promise to join the New West Partnership group that consists of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Brandon West Progressive Conservative MLA Reg Helwer, who was part of the policy development group, said the changes are necessary to promote sound fiscal management of the public purse.

“It’s difficult to see how the provincial government’s five-year plans are going to come to fruition because we are in challenging times now that they are running deficits and try to blame on everyone else but their own spending habits,” Helwer said.

“There’s little restraint anywhere and that’s a necessary part of governing.”

Helwer said the government has not been forthright with information on public spending by dodging questions in the legislature, denying Freedom of Information requests and not being accountable.

“This is public money being spent and the public has a right to know how that money is being spent,” Helwer said.

“I am very disappointed to see how few questions get answered by this government. Other governments seem to be able to answer questions of this nature in the British Commonwealth. If it’s something they are embarrassed about, they probably shouldn’t have done it.”

Brandon East NDP MLA Drew Caldwell criticized the opposition party’s plan, first by saying, “These are the guys that sold MTS to balance budgets.”

He added that program spending reviews already take place on a regular basis and took exception to the Tories’ assertion that there’s little oversight to the NDP administration.

“That’s fundamentally inaccurate,” Caldwell said.

“In 12 years of being the opposition party, you’d think they would have mentioned this in the house, if it was that burning of an issue for them. If they aren’t asking the right questions, I have no idea what they’ve been doing this past decade.”

The Selinger government will release the provincial budget in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

According to financial figures released last month, the province’s summary budget deficit was projected to hit a record $1.12 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31.

» kborkowsky@brandonsun.com