The NDP government’s decision to raise the Provincial Sales Tax one percentage point continues to divide Manitobans, a new poll suggests.
For every person who thinks the PST should stay eight per cent, there is another person who wants to see it lowered.
In a poll conducted by Probe Research Inc. on behalf of CTV Winnipeg and The Winnipeg Free Press, 48 per cent of respondents said the PST should remain the same, and 44 per cent wanted it lowered.
With a margin of error of +/- 3.1 per cent, those groups are almost evenly split.
Another six per cent said they were unsure, and two per cent wanted to see it increased.
The split among poll respondents ran not only along party lines, but also education.
NDP supporters were more likely (66 per cent) to support keeping the PST at eight per cent, while Progressive Conservative and Liberal supporters were more likely to support lowering it (55 and 53 per cent respectively).
An equal percentage of PC and Liberal supporters (40 per cent) favoured keeping the PST at eight per cent.
Those with a post-secondary degree were also more likely to support keeping the PST the same; 56 per cent supported an eight per cent PST, while only 35 per cent of those with Grade 12 or less favoured keeping it.
Probe surveyed 1,000 Manitoba adults between March 28 and April 4.
The provincial election is April 19.
