Taxpayers Federation Meets with Finance Minister Greg Selinger

2001 Pre-Budget Report

WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation met today with Finance Minister Greg Selinger to present the CTF's recommendations for the 2001/2002 provincial budget.

"The theme of this year's pre-budget recommendations is undoubtedly the growing 'tax-cut gap' between Manitoba and the provinces," said Victor Vrsnik, CTF Provincial Director. "In 2000, Manitobans paid the third highest personal income taxes in Canada."

Highlights of the pre-budget brief include recommendations to:

• Replace the current tax brackets with a flatter single rate of provincial income tax competitive with the 10% rate recently set by Alberta.
• Eliminate bracket creep and fully index tax brackets and credits to inflation.
• Balance expenditures with revenues and continue to pay down the debt in accordance with the debt repayment schedule.
• Freeze overall government spending for two years with the possible exception of health care spending. Increases to health care spending should be funded by a redirection of existing budget envelopes.
• Raise the $7,361 basic personal exemption to a level competitive with the $11,620 rate recently set by Alberta.