The Canadian Press: Manitoba government’s deficit-cutting path not clear, political analyst says
Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala says the NDP government remains committed to balancing the budget before the next election, but a veteran political analyst says the path to balance is muddy, especially after cost overruns this year.
“I’m still not clear on the budgetary path that they claim that they’ve set for themselves and how they’re going to get there,” Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said Tuesday.
The government’s fiscal update, released Monday, showed spending is forecast to end up $475 million over budget, driven primarily by health costs. That has increased the projected deficit for the current fiscal year to $1.3 billion, up from the $796 million originally predicted in the spring budget.