Heather Stefanson, the leader of the PC Party, shared her Vision 2030 for Manitoba on Monday. .Stefanson said her goal is to make life more affordable, boost the economy, and get ready for a population of 2 million people in the future..“Under a re-elected PC government, we will prepare Manitoba for a growing population with endless opportunities, driven by strategic development in key sectors and bringing new industries into our economy,” said Stefanson. .“We will do this by supporting our critical minerals sector and making Manitoba more attractive and competitive for businesses and workers.”.After the PC's commitment to lowering income taxes and removing the Land Transfer Tax for first-time homebuyers, the PC Party revealed on Monday that they will gradually get rid of the Payroll Tax on businesses in Manitoba over eight years. They plan to reduce it by 50% in the first four years..“This tax has been deterring business from coming to Manitoba or expanding in our province,” said Stefanson. .“A diverse and growing economy will power our ability to lower taxes, invest in services, and create prosperity for all Manitobans.” .In the past year, Manitoba added 21,800 jobs, and labour income, exports, and sales in manufacturing have all gone up..Manitoba is the third-fastest growing economy in Canada, behind only the other Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta.."Heather Stefanson refuses to let good opportunities pass her by. In the face of uncertainty and delays from the federal government, she stepped up and funded the full $40 million required for the CentrePort project,” said Martin McGarry, President & CEO of Cushman & Wakefield Stevenson. .“Her leadership and unwavering support for economic development is an asset for this province.”.After talking to people all around Manitoba for the past two months, Stefanson shared her ideas with business and community leaders in downtown Winnipeg..Stefanson pointed out that the PC government has been making investments to grow the Manitoba economy..There will be $2.5 billion spent on improving highways in the next five years to improve Manitoba's essential trade routes. They will also be upgrading Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway to freeway standards..The Manitoba government will spend $74 million to improve the Hudson Bay rail line that goes to the Port of Churchill. This will allow Western Canadian commodities to be transported to European markets, opening up new possibilities..CentrePort is North America's largest inland port and foreign trade zone, and the government will spend $40 million to improve and expand it. Once this expansion is done, it's expected to bring in over $1 billion in investments..Stefanson stated a re-elected PC government would have three key economic priorities..The first priority is building the infrastructure to get Manitoba goods and services to new markets..The second priority is to provide training to employers to get their internationally-educated professionals the Canadian credentials they need to work in their field..The third priority is improving Manitoba's tax system to be more competitive and reduce taxes so businesses and workers keep a larger portion of their earnings..Stefanson said her government would balance the budget by 2025, invest in the skills and training for 100,000 new jobs over the next five years, and attract affordable clean energy, including aquaculture, solar glass manufacturing, biofuels, critical minerals such as potash and lithium, and carbon sequestration..“Four years from now, your taxes will be lower, your bank account will be larger, your kids won’t be as likely to move away, and Manitoba will be on its way to being a ‘have’ province,” said Stefanson. .“We are the only party fighting for Manitoba’s future with a long-term vision—not short-sighted, temporary fixes like the NDP, who will let the world pass us by.” .The Manitoba election is set for October 3, 2023, with early voting running from September 23 until September 30.
