CTF Meets Finance Minister to Present 2003/04 Pre-Budget Recommendations

Pre-budget submission (220 KB)

WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation will meet with Finance Minister Greg Selinger this afternoon to present the CTF's findings and recommendations for the 2003/04 Manitoba Budget.

The theme of this year's pre-budget submission is "paving the road to prosperity." Currently, Manitoba has the highest provincial income tax in all of Western Canada. Even Saskatchewan, a province similar to Manitoba in many respects boasts a more competitive tax regime. The CTF is once again pressing the Provincial Government to follow the lead of most other provinces and announce the elimination of bracket creep by fully indexing tax brackets and credits to inflation.

"If our province wants to enjoy any semblance of economic prosperity in the future, it is imperative a competitive tax system be implemented," said Adrienne Batra, CTF provincial director. "There is little doubt if we don't put our income taxes on a level playing field with other jurisdictions, Manitoba will continue to suffer a mass exodus and shrinking tax base, " stated Batra.

Driven by the results last year's CTF membership survey results, the pre-budget submission, available at www.taxpayer.com, finds that low confidence in provincial tax rates to spur business development has inspired members to press for income tax relief first, followed by gasoline tax and the PST, in that order.

The CTF will press for property tax reform by calling a comprehensive review of the school tax system to explore alternative education funding mechanisms.