Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he wants to keep the door open for economic assistance to people affected by tariffs and other measures that may be taken by President-elect Donald Trump.
Kinew also promised support for small and medium-sized businesses hurt by the government’s property tax hike.
In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Kinew said the provincial government is prepared to consider aid if President Trump enacts harmful policies after taking office on Jan. 20.
President Trump’s threats include imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico unless they stop illegal border crossings and stop illegal drugs from entering the United States. There is.
“If we need to help Manitobans with economic insecurity post-January 20, I think it makes sense to put in place affordability measures,” Kinew said.
“I don’t want to say specific measures, but I think what are the affordable tools when there’s economic uncertainty for the average household, or perhaps some affordability announcements? I just want to say that there is.”
Kinew called on the federal government to meet President Trump’s calls for increased border security and promised to enlist Manitoba’s conservation officers to serve as additional eyes and ears at the border.
Affordability has been a key issue for Kinew’s New Democratic Party since winning the October 2023 election, but their efforts have been controversial at times.
They suspended the state’s fuel tax for a year to save motorists money, saying it would help reduce grocery prices. But food prices in Manitoba rose faster than the national average over the tax holiday period, leading all other provinces in November, according to Statistics Canada data.
The government has pledged to freeze electricity prices for a year in 2025, despite Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government both running consecutive deficits.
The government is also reviewing the education property tax system as an affordability measure for people living in low-value housing, but increased taxes on businesses, holiday homes and high-value housing will mean the government will have more money to spend overall. You’ll probably have to scrape together some.
A new flat $1,500 tax credit for primary residences in 2025 will replace a system of rebates and credits enacted by the previous Progressive Conservative government.
As a result, owners of lower value homes pay less and owners of higher value homes pay more. Commercial property owners who previously received the 10% rebate will not be eligible for the new credit.
Kinew has promised some help in the new year for small businesses that are losing their rebates.
“I think it’s still some of the measures that we’re going to be looking at around things like tax credits and rebates,” Kinew said.
“But some of them may be targeting support to companies in the areas they are seeking.”
Kinew said support for security systems could be expanded as part of the plan.
The government launched a rebate program in the summer offering up to $300 on products such as surveillance cameras and motion detectors. Some groups complained that it was only a fraction of the cost of securing land for the project.
“I think there’s something about that space that’s interesting to us,” Kinew said.
New state aid could be constrained by the government’s continued deficit.
The state’s most recent mid-year fiscal update revealed the deficit was $513 million higher than originally budgeted. The government has promised to balance the budget by 2027.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 31, 2024.
