Manitoba.

• Author: Yarish, Rick
• Position: Legislative Report

The Fourth session of the 39th Legislature began on November 30, 2009 with the presentation of the NDP government's 13th Speech from the Throne. Delivered by Lieutenant-Governor Phillip Lee, the speech was the first since Premier Greg Selinger assumed the office from retiring Premier

Gary Doer, now Canada's Ambassador to the United States.

The address identified a range of government commitments and proposals, including:

* Saying no to a harmonized sales tax (HST) due to $400-million impact on Manitoba families.

* Increasing stimulus spending by more than 50 per cent over the previous year, supporting 1,500 projects and creating more than 12,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs.

* Investing $545 million in roads and 28 bridges in 2010.

* Investing $310-million in the schools capital program for new schools and needed renovations.

* Investing in capital projects at the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Brandon University, College universitaire de Saint-Boniface, University College of the North, Assiniboine Community College and Red River College.

* Committing to proceed on important health capital projects such as:

** building a new women's hospital at the Health Science Centre site,

** building a new birthing centre for the south end of Winnipeg,

** building a new cancer centre for Brandon and the Westman Lab in Brandon,

* Introducing new legislative tools to stop gangs

* Providing tools to help parents prevent teens from getting involved in gangs.

* Instituting methane capture at Manitoba's large landfills.

* Investing in a buy local program to support quality Manitoba food.

* Providing support for municipalities on water and waste-water projects.

Official Opposition Leader Hugh McFadyen's non-confidence amendment to the Address in Reply motion included a number of observations and commentaries on the government's plans, including:

* Failing to address the fact that Winnipeg is the country's murder capital, the child poverty capital, and Manitoba has the lowest GDP per capita in the west;

* Failing to address the high taxes that Manitoba families already pay under the current NDP Government; however the PC Caucus does support some positive initiatives in the Throne Speech, including the NDP Government's decision to avoid increasing taxes by refusing to move to a harmonized sales tax in a manner that would add to the already high taxes that Manitobans pay;

* That instead of using the last decade of general global economic...