Manitoba NDP says unspent government funds would cover more than $500M in new spending

The Manitoba New Democrats say they can afford the new spending they've promised during the election campaign thanks to existing contingencies in the provincial budget.

The NDP released a costed platform Thursday that outlines between $520 million to $608 million in new spending for each of the next four years, if the party is elected on Oct. 3.

That new spending will mainly be paid for by redirecting funding the Progressive Conservative government had budgeted but never spent, according to the NDP.

For example, the 2023-24 budget sets aside $520 million for "contingencies and unanticipated events" that NDP Leader Wab Kinew says his government would use to cover new spending, mainly in health care.

In addition, the party anticipates it would have an extra $66 million to spend in the upcoming fiscal year by redirecting other funds the Tories have left unspent, along with a return on infrastructure investments and ending the practice of giving education property tax rebates to some out-of-province property owners.

"This plan is a responsible and a transparent approach to using the resources that you invest in your provincial government so we can fix health care, so we can lower costs for you and your family," Kinew told reporters from a highrise balcony at West Broadway Commons in Winnipeg, overlooking the Manitoba Legislative Building.

The provincial government would still be able rely on other areas of the budget to cover unforeseen expenses, Kinew stressed, such as the $585-million fiscal stabilization fund, commonly referred to as the rainy day fund.

Kinew said he isn't concerned about the province having less fiscal breathing room. Throughout the election campaign, he's alleged the Tory government has used contingencies to splurge on new spending before the release of every budget. 

"We've struck a balance here," Kinew said.

"We're still preserving a cushion to respond to unforeseen events that will inevitably arise," but his party would also "ensure that there's more transparency by spelling out" spending in greater detail, he said.

The NDP would accomplish its goals without raising taxes, he said.

The party's platform forecasts the province will have a razor-thin surplus of $1 million dollars by the end of a four-year NDP term in office. 

In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the NDP is projecting $582.5 million in new expenditures.

The party is promising almost $220 million of new spending on health care, including $125 million to recruit and retain new staff. The major expense of reopening emergency departments at three Winnipeg hospitals isn't on the books until the third year of the NDP's economic forecast, when the party plans to reopen the ER at Victoria General Hospital.