The Manitoba government will table their 2017 budget on April 11.
Finance Minister Cameron Friesen announced the date alongside the co-chairs of the advisory panel on fiscal performance, the group that will be advising the province on budget decisions.
“This budget upcoming has to include some tough measures, where we’re at is not sustainable,” said Friesen.
The government is trying to reduce a deficit that some estimates have put near $1 billion.
Get weekly money news
Janice MacKinnon, a former Saskatchewan finance minister, is one of the co-chairs of the advisory panel which has been reviewing two audits commissioned by the province on the finances and the health care system.
She said the panel will focus on three key areas: controlling spending, efficiently leveraging assets and raising revenue.
- TC Energy urges co-operation on growing natural gas network to meet ‘generational’ demand
- AI stocks drop as tech companies call to slow down development for safety
- Central Alberta carbon capture hub on track to be largest in Canada
- Enbridge makes US$2.55B acquisition of pipeline, storage systems in U.S. midwest
The other co-chair, former Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Dave Angus, said the provincial payroll is approximately $10 billion and eats up around 70 per cent of all provincial expenditures.
“It’s a significant part of the cost structure of our budget and it’s certainly something that we’re taking a look at,” said Angus.
So far the government has met with the panel four times.
The two audits the panel is reviewing have not been released to the public.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.