Tories, NDP make deal: PST cut on track
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/04/2019 (1827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Premier Brian Pallister has reached a compromise with the Opposition NDP to see his PST bill passed this spring, rather than held over until the fall, in exchange for abandoning his plan to eliminate all provincial election campaign subsidies for candidates and parties.
It is unclear whether the deal affects the potential of a snap provincial election.
Pallister would not tip his hand Wednesday, although the Liberal and NDP leaders appeared to believe the Manitoba premier is still determined to go to the polls before the legislated fixed-election date of Oct. 6, 2020.
The Tory leader said Wednesday the compromise ensures the government can keep its promise to lower the PST to seven per cent, effective July 1.
“We said we would lower the PST. We’re keeping our word. And that is assured with the passage of this bill,” he said.
When it was put to him he already had the power to keep his PST promise this summer, even if the Budget Implementation and Tax Statutes Amendment Act (BITSA) were to be held over until fall, Pallister said it was important the matter be settled sooner rather than later. He claimed the Opposition could still have delayed passage of the bill, and the deal gives Manitobans “tax certainty that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Under legislative assembly rules, the Opposition can designate up to five bills introduced in the spring sitting to be deferred to the fall. As long as the government has the votes — and the Progressive Conservatives enjoy a substantial majority — the designated bills are assured passage in November.
The NDP had until Wednesday to choose which bills to delay.
Under the compromise, the budget bill is assured passage by June 3, when the house is set to rise for the summer.
NDP Leader Wab Kinew described the deal as a victory for democracy, as BITSA would have eliminated all provincial election campaign expense subsidies for parties and candidates.
Under current legislation, parties and candidates are rebated 50 per cent of allowable campaign expenses if they garner at least 10 per cent of the votes in an election. Under amendments approved to the bill Wednesday, parties and candidates will be able to receive rebates on 25 per cent of expenses if they receive five per cent of ballots cast.
“We’ve got a win,” Kinew said of the deal. He said retaining at least part of the subsidy — and lowering the qualifying threshold — will make it possible for more people to consider a run for political office.
Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said he wasn’t privy to the discussions between the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP that led to the compromise. He suspected the origins of the deal occurred at a tête-à-tête between Pallister and Kinew last week.
Lamont was to join the two leaders at the meeting, but was un-invited after alerting the media about it. He met separately with Pallister.
Pallister had been placing his promise to reduce the provincial sales tax July 1 at risk by calling a spring election, Lamont said. With the PST bill now assured passage this spring, Lamont speculated the premier would opt for an early summer election, dropping the writ in June for a July vote.
Meanwhile, Elections Manitoba spokeswoman Alison Mitchell said staff are already scouting locations for returning offices in each of the 57 Manitoba constituencies in preparation for an election.
A source told the Free Press the organization is contacting community centres about space for as early as July 2.
“We may be looking at summer dates because of the speculation that we’ve heard, but as far as specifics go, I can’t confirm any specific date,” Mitchell said, referring to media speculation about an early provincial election.
“We do have staff that are starting to do election preparation and our staff are contacting potential voting locations. What we’re doing is we’re securing a few potential times, because we don’t have a particular date in mind.”
Mitchell said Elections Manitoba staff would likely find out about an early writ drop at the same time the public does, since the government does not guarantee them a heads-up.
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca
Larry Kusch
Legislature reporter
Larry Kusch didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life until he attended a high school newspaper editor’s workshop in Regina in the summer of 1969 and listened to a university student speak glowingly about the journalism program at Carleton University in Ottawa.