Manitoba's Second Quarter Financial Report a very Sobering Document

Manitoba Financial Report shows poor management of provincial finances: A look through the government's second quarter financial report released today, paints a very sobering picture of the state of Manitoba's finances with a forecast ballooning of this years deficit from about $500 million to about $1 billion. 

My immediate reaction is "How could the NDP have so badly managed our provincial finances at such a critical time?"

What is most striking is that the NDP government has been spending much more than budgeted in family services and justice in costs which were not related to the flood.  It appears that the NDP were continuing to spend in a major way, without thought to the overall financial picture, during the first six months of this fiscal year.  I suspect that they spent and spent and spent in the run up to the election on October 4th. 

The NDP should have been much more careful of non-flood related expenditures, knowing how serious were the extra financial demands of the flood itself.  After all, we are in a time of considerable global economic uncertainty, and we need to be very careful in managing our fiscal situation so that we will be able to cope if the global economy takes a turn for the worse.  Furthermore, in my view every dollar of taxpayers money needs to be spent as wisely as possible.

In attempting to watch over the province's finances with an interim Minister of Finance, the NDP are trying to take canoe Manitoba through a rapids, switching their stern paddler in the middle of the turbulence. The Premier needs to immediately appoint a permanent Finance Minister who can present a plan to get us through the rough waters and then guide consultations with Manitobans in the run up to the Budget this coming year.

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