Higher subsidies for political parties among changes in Manitoba omnibus bill
Manitoba's NDP government is looking to increase publicly funded rebates for political parties and candidates.
The measure is part of an 89-page omnibus budget bill put before the legislature Monday. It would boost rebates so parties and candidates would get 50 per cent of their eligible election spending reimbursed, up from 25 per cent.
Finance Minister Adrien Sala said the move will ensure money is not a barrier for people who want to run for office.
"That measure will help to ensure that anyone who wants to participate in our democracy has the ability to do so," Sala said.
The former Progressive Conservative government had cut the rebate to 25 per cent from 50 per cent.
Former premier Brian Pallister said the rebate was a subsidy for politicians that was unfair to Manitobans. He initially tried to eliminate the rebate entirely but compromised in an agreement with the NDP and Liberals.
Bringing the rebate back up could prove controversial, a political analyst said.
"Rebates back to political parties is a sensitive issue. Some people think they're feathering their own nests," said Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba.
If the bill becomes law, it would add hundreds of thousands of dollars to party coffers, especially those of the bigger parties.
The NDP spent $1.5 million in last year's provincial election campaign, filings with Elections Manitoba show. The Tories spent $1.4 million and the Liberals spent $138,000.
The omnibus bill contains dozens of other changes, including the elimination of certain debt-reduction targets for Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro that were set by the former Tory government.
Sala said that change will help keep Hydro rates affordable. The NDP promised in the election campaign to freeze Hydro rates for one year but has yet to say when that freeze might occur.
Credit rating agencies have raised concerns about Manitoba Hydro's debt level and have said it exceeds that of similar utilities in other provinces.
The omnibus bill also contains measures the government originally planned to introduce in separate bills, such as a ban on the use of replacement workers during labour disputes and the establishment of a seniors advocate who would report to the legislature.
Wrapping those and dozens of other measures into the budget bill should improve the chances of getting the changes passed into law before the end of the year.
The Tories, now in Opposition, said the government's move was concerning.
"They've had ample opportunity to introduce these bills in a way that would allow them to be considered thoughtfully by both the public and the legislature. And they've failed to do that. Now they're ramming it in," Tory deputy leader Kathleen Cook said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Police clear intersection of pro-Palestinian protesters on UBC campus
Police have moved on pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, with video on social media showing lines of officers advancing on demonstrators rallying at a main intersection.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
New Orleans mystery: Human skull padlocked to a dumbbell is pulled out of water by a fisherman
New Orleans mystery: Human skull padlocked to a dumbbell is pulled out of water by a fisherman
Indian capital swelters as temperature hits all-time high of 52.9 C
Delhi recorded an all-time high temperature of 52.9 C (127.22 F) on Wednesday as extreme heat conditions gripped the north and western parts of India.