Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press Saturday April 13, 2024 It seemed for a moment as if adult basic education’s time had finally come. Premier Wab Kinew spoke publicly about its important role in moving people into the paid labour force; an Adult Literacy Act is in first reading; so too are legislative changes enabling people on Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) to pursue adult education and still receive benefits.   Then the budget came down. Funding for adult basic education is to grow by less than 5 percent. This means adult basic education is still education’s poor ..read more

Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press April 5, 2024 By ORLY LINOVSKI In voting against the 2024-2027 municipal budget, Coun. Russ Wyatt stated that decades of low property taxes have resulted in “self-imposed austerity”, limiting the ability of the city to deliver services ( Mayor, councillors vote overwhelmingly for city’s multi-year operating, capital budgets, March 20). As the City of Winnipeg implements a budget including cuts to recreation and library services, Coun. Wyatt is correct to note the “self-imposed austerity” created by the city’s property tax policy. However, across ..read more

April 4, 2024 is Equal Pay Day in Manitoba The following is the press release and speaking notes from a new coalition acknowledging Equal Pay Day in Manitoba, featuring Jan Simpson, National President of CUPW, Kevin Rebeck, President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour and Molly McCracken, CCPA Manitoba Director.  Equal Pay Coalition Manitoba calls on government to help close the gender pay gap. Winnipeg – Today is Equal Pay Day in Manitoba, a day that symbolizes how far into the next year the average woman must work in order to have earned as much as the average man did in the previous ..read more

April 2, 2024 For Immediate Release (Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory): The Manitoba Budget released today makes progress on reversing previous cuts to healthcare however does not go far enough to addressing the costly social deficit, reversing regressive tax cuts and shoring up needed revenue in Manitoba. Healthcare The Budget rightly invests $980 million, or 6.1% more in health care over Budget 2023/24 particularly in the health care workforce. CCPA is pleased to see a commitment to the number of health care aids from 100 to 600 across the healthcare sector. It is promising that there is more ..read more

PRESS RELEASE Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 8am CST   Community-led development key to sustainable and inclusive development in Budget 2024 Winnipeg, Treaty One: Community development leaders are calling on the provincial government to make significant investments in Budget 2024 in a renewed community-led development program. The lack of provincial support for community development in Manitoba over the last 8 years has weakened communities. Community-led development is in an unacceptable state of crisis in Manitoba. A change in course is needed.  A press conference will be held TODAY ..read more

Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press March 25, 2024 MANITOBANS play, sing, act, and dance as well as other Canadians do, and it’s time for our provincial government to fund the places and spaces through which we express ourselves through culture, play, and art. We are proud of the richness and variety of our festivals, arts events, and sports opportunities. Whether professional or amateur, held in an arena, concert hall, or a school soccer pitch, the sheer range of things to do and see can fill a family calendar for months — and often does. So in the upcoming provincial budget, whe ..read more

Press release sent on behalf of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba, Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition and the Wilderness Committee Manitoba FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 21, 2024 WINNIPEG / TREATY 1 TERRITORY AND HOMELAND OF THE MÉTIS NATION —  The Manitoba government should end the gas tax “holiday” on June 30 as planned and restore the tax to 14 cents per liter at least, as gas tax revenue is needed to fund climate transition and reduce Manitoba’s reliance on fossil fuels. This should not change in the face of the shutdown of the main fossil fuel pipeline to Manitoba ..read more

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By Jess Klassen Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press March 8, 2024 Have you heard of the elusive Winnipeg superhero Femme Fiscale? Almost 20 years ago, Femme Fiscale attended Manitoba budget scrums donning a shiny cape and striped tights. She used her oversized POV (point of view) goggles to look at Manitoba’s finances through her gendered lenses, surveying how the budget affected women in Manitoba. Shawna Dempsey, a long-time Winnipeg performance artist, played the part of a hero championing women in Manitoba with her knee-high boots firmly planted on the ground (while the cherubi ..read more

March 8, 2024  For Immediate Release (Winnipeg Treaty One). On International Women’s Day and with a new Manitoba budget set to be released on April 2, 2024, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Manitoba is releasing a new analysis on the effects of personal income tax cuts first announced in Budget 2023/24 on gender-based income inequality in Manitoba. The research was done using Statistics Canada SPSD/M tax simulation software. The results paint a stark picture of increasing gender-based income inequality.  Overall, the analysis finds that the top 10% of all men in Ma ..read more