Tories pledge push for 40,000 new jobs

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This article was published 15/08/2019 (1714 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If re-elected, the Progressive Conservatives have promised to build Manitoba’s economy, by adding 40,000 private-sector jobs over the next four years.

The PCs didn’t say how much money they’d dedicate to “accelerating talent acquisition and business expansion,” as described in a news release, nor did they describe what industries would be specifically targeted for workforce growth.

Instead, Tory Leader Brian Pallister promised a fully-costed campaign platform in the coming weeks, and reiterated one of his most-uttered points so far this election campaign: Manitobans can trust his word.

“Manitobans know that when I give my word, I keep it. And they know when the NDP give their word, they probably do the other thing,” he said Friday.

Pallister acknowledged the job-creation target is ambitious, but said it’s realistic. He estimated the Tories created more than 30,000 jobs in Manitoba within their first term (2016-19).

“I think 40,000 isn’t anything but a little bit ambitious, and we should stretch. You don’t get to be 6-8 unless you stretch,” the PC leader said, referring to his own height.

The Manitoba Works plan includes at least nine components, which were mentioned Friday, but not explained in depth.

They include establishing a 10-year strategic capital plan and increasing the provincial highways budget by 14 per cent (to $400 million) over the next four years; enhancing broadband service for Manitobans in rural and remote communities; providing more support for tourism and the film industry; and “freeing the beer,” with new regulatory reforms to expand the local distilling and craft brewing industries.

Pallister also promised to act on the recommendations from the review of the Planning, Permitting and Zoning in Manitoba report, which he said would speed up development specifically in the Winnipeg Capital Region.

“We’re going to be implementing faster permitting systems with clearer service standards and appeal mechanisms, so we can increase investment and expand development here in Manitoba by increasing the confidence that people feel when they engage in the process of development here,” he said, noting the Tories would be “de-politicizing the process (and) making it professional so that there is greater certainty in the administration of those systems.”

Reacting to the PC promise to create 40,000 private-sector jobs, NDP Leader Wab Kinew said Friday his party’s plan goes further.

“Based on the infrastructure amounts that we’re committing to in our fully-costed platform, we’d create 50,000 jobs over the course of a term in government,” he said.

The NDP leader said he finds it ironic Pallister made a jobs announcement the day after a local heavy construction company auctioned off its road-building equipment in light of decreases in provincial infrastructure funding.

His party also released a “reality check” on Pallister’s jobs record, which singled out Manitoba for losing 5,000 full-time jobs in July (according to Statistics Canada) and noted Manitoba’s unemployment rate was higher than Canada’s in 2018.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said any party seeking government in the Spt. 10 vote should actually aim higher and look to create 60,000 jobs by 2024 to stave off unemployment.

“You don’t grow the economy by firing people and freezing wages and that’s what (the Tories have) been doing for three years. And frankly, that’s how they think they’ll continue,” Lamont said.

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Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president Chuck Davidson said he always supports job creation and hearing the Tory plan to boost the economy and invest in key industries, like tourism, may give the business community more confidence.

“In terms of whether or not that’s going to be enough that’s going to stimulate job creation within the private sector, that’s sort of the story to be told, as well,” Davidson said.

— with files from Larry Kusch and Maggie Macintosh

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu