What does NDP infighting at the provincial legislature mean for taxpayers? Here are some thoughts:

Bad News: People pay taxes in exchange for services from the government. Politicians should always be focused on delivering the best services they can for the public. But right now that’s not happening.

While the government should be focused on figuring out ways to address abysmal results we’ve heard about recently in health care, education and public safety (to name a few), infighting is getting in the way.

The government should also be looking at ways to address the deficit, getting our high tax rates down to competitive levels and stopping the continued flow of young people out of the province. Not to mention this ginormous problem – click here.

Again, infighting is getting in the way from those problems receiving 100% of the government’s focus.

Good News: Leading up to elections, governing parties often sit around and dream up ways to spend taxpayer dollars in an attempt to try and buy votes. But because the NDP is so busy fighting amongst themselves right now, they’re spending less time on the former.

That’s great news, as taxpayers simply can’t afford more wasteful spending announcements. The government is currently running a $437 million deficit and our province’s debt is close to -$32 billion.

Infighting also means less time for the government to dream up, and pass, laws and policies that restrict our freedom and interfere with progress.

Conclusion: They say that most divorces occur over financial problems. Well, the divorce involving Manitoba’s NDP seems to be no different.

It was uncontrollable spending that led to a sales tax hike – a move that move went over like a lead balloon. As a result, the NDP’s support dropped like a rock and now the knives are out, they’re all fighting amongst themselves.

For over a decade, the government spent and spent instead of making tough choices like reform services in order to achieve better results (rather than throwing more money at problems) and saying ‘no’ to luxury projects.

We’re now at a point where there’s no more money to throw at problems that arise and more and more people are looking at their tax bill and realizing they’re getting a raw deal. In short, the one trick pony has run out of tricks.

Too bad it took 15 years, a pile of debt, thousands of departed Manitobans and all kinds of other problems for us to get there. But at least we’re there. Hopefully.