WINNIPEG, MB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is bringing the Debt Clock to the Manitoba Legislature today to call on Premier Wab Kinew to balance the budget and stop wasting taxpayers’ money on interest payments.

“Interest payments on the debt are costing taxpayers $2.2 billion this year,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “That money can’t be used for tax relief or programs – it’s just wasted because the government failed to balance the budget in the past.”

The Debt Clock is a huge digital counter mounted on the side of a moving truck that shows the provincial debt. The CTF is taking the Debt Clock to the Legislature to show the debt increasing in real time:

• Interest payments on the debt will cost about $2.2 billion this year, or $1,480 per Manitoban.
• Manitoba’s provincial debt is about $33.5 billion, or $22,869 per Manitoban.

The provincial government is currently predicting a $2-billion deficit for this year. It is the largest deficit ever projected in the province outside of the pandemic.

The government last balanced the budget in 2022. The government has only balanced two out of its last 10 budgets.

“The government needs to give Manitoba a balanced budget,” Haubrich said. “Taxpayers balance their household budgets and are only asking for the government to do the same.”