The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) praised the Manitoba government for successfully balancing the budget in 2022 as election day approaches on October 3..Heather Stefanson’s Progressive Conservative (PC) party trails Wab Kinew’s New Democrat Party (NDP), with only a 20% chance of retaining the legislature, according to 338 Canada.. 338 Most MB Seats .“The government deserves credit for balancing the budget,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie Director of CTF. .“Now it's time to set up a plan to pay back the debt and make sure Manitoba stays in the black.”.This marks the first surplus the Manitoba government has achieved since 2019..“The government needs to keep this progress rolling,” said Haubrich. .“Taxpayers can’t afford to have the government waste any more of their money on debt interest charges.”.The PCs and NDP promised to balance the budget within the next four years. The Liberals have indicated that achieving a balanced budget might take a bit longer..The initial projection for Budget 2022 had estimated a deficit of $548 million. However, the public accounts reveal that the year concluded with a surplus of $270 million..This marks a notable improvement of $818 million when compared to the originally projected budget deficit..The surplus primarily results from a significant increase of $1.9 billion in revenue, surpassing the budget's projections. .However, the province’s expenses also increased, amounting to $1.1 billion above budget..The provincial government's debt currently stands at $30.3 billion, which is $281 million less than what was projected in the budget. .Taxpayers had to cover interest charges of $1.9 billion last year..Kinew is set to make a healthcare announcement in Winnipeg..Stefanson last did a news conference on Monday..The Manitoba election is set for October 3, 2023, with early voting running from September 23 until September 30.
