Manitoba premier says previous government's school plan was not funded

WINNIPEG -

The new NDP government in Manitoba is reconsidering a plan to build nine new schools started by the previous Progressive Conservative government.

Premier Wab Kinew accused the Tories on Wednesday of not setting aside money for the schools, and of adopting a private-public funding model -- called a P3 system -- that would cost the province a lot of money upfront.

"I think anybody who is fiscally responsible would have some serious questions about why you would choose to use an approach that's going to bring hundreds of millions of dollars in capital costs online in one year, rather than spreading it out over a multi-decade horizon," Kinew told reporters.

The schools will be built, he added, but the P3 plan is being reviewed and that could affect the construction time frame.

"We have to figure out if there's actually money to be able to pay for the construction, and then we can talk about timelines."

The Tories announced last spring that a P3 model would be used to build nine schools in areas with growing population.

Finding a private contractor to design, construct and maintain the buildings would allow the schools to be built quickly, the Tories said, and all nine schools could be open by September 2027. In exchange, the province was to sign a 30-year agreement that would include funding for ongoing maintenance.

The government issued a request for qualifications in July with the aim of establishing a short-list of companies that could get the contract. Companies had until Oct. 4 -- one day after the election that saw the NDP elected -- to respond.

Kinew said the NDP prefers the traditional construction model, which sees the government pay for construction itself and amortize the capital costs over decades.

Obby Khan, Tory finance critic, accused the NDP of deflecting responsibility.

"They're in government now. They need to make the decisions on how they're going to go forward," Khan said.

The Tory government looked at private partnerships for schools in 2018, but opted against the idea. It said at the time it could save money by building the traditional way and went ahead with construction of five schools.

Kinew's comments Wednesday were the latest in a series of accusations against the Tories of leaving the province in a fiscal crunch before the election.

He has said many spending promises did not have funding secured, and the deficit this year is going to be higher than the $363 million originally forecast. A fiscal update is due next month.

The Tories have denied the accusation. They have accused Kinew of trying to provide cover for his own campaign promises.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2023.