The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) was honoured to have been invited to the Manitoba Legislature yesterday to hear Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville deliver the Speech from the Throne, which signalled the opening of the Second Session of the 43rd Legislature.
In its speech, the Government of Manitoba laid out its legislative agenda for the upcoming year, focusing on healthcare, making life more affordable for Manitobans, and growing the economy.
The MCC welcomes the Government of Manitoba’s commitment to developing a long-awaited economic development strategy, outlining the next stage of economic growth in Manitoba with a new focus on productivity. We have long advocated for a comprehensive, forward-looking strategy to help boost Manitoba’s economic growth, attract investment, and support job creation.
The 40-minute speech from the throne addressed several other issues that are of interest to the Chamber Network, including commitments to:
Manitoba Economy
- Compete in the new economy with a ‘Made in Canada’ stamp by helping homegrown success stories like New Flyer Industries, who set up an all-Canadian build facility with hundreds of new jobs.
- Open two new Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation offices next year and invest in sustainable aviation fuel in Portage la Prairie.
- Lead in the film industry, attracting big production companies with film tax credits.
- Freeze Manitoba Hydro rates for one year starting in 2025.
- Improve safety training for workers to protect them from dangerous chemicals like asbestos by strengthening the Workplace Safety and Health Act.
- Reconvene the Advisory Council on Workplace Safety, bringing together employers, workers, and health and safety experts to ensure Manitoba’s laws are relevant with the realities of today’s workplaces.
Workforce
- Welcome more newcomers into the workforce on their journey to citizenship and bring in a record number of new workers through the Provincial Nominee Program by extending post-graduate work permits.
- Make progress on upgrades to the North End Water Pollution Control Centre to accommodate future development and protect Lake Winnipeg.
- Open 3,500 new childcare spaces at schools, universities, and hospitals with a $10-a-day childcare setting starting in December.
- Support the creation of these 3,500 new spaces by delivering on a previous commitment to develop a workforce recruitment and retention strategy.
Environment
- Help Manitobans save energy while saving money with rebates and incentives for home retrofits, geothermal heating systems, and electric vehicles.
- Improve energy efficiency codes and invest in grid refurbishments to meet energy needs while keeping Manitoba Hydro rates low.
- Modernize the Environment Act to make big polluters pay for breaking environmental laws and strive for the highest standards of water protection.
Healthcare
- Attract more internationally educated healthcare professionals to Manitoba by expediting the Nursing Re-Entry Program, creating more opportunities in rural and northern communities, and opening new pathways for medical graduates.
- Unveil a new ER wait time strategy working with leaders in every hospital across the province, and reduce surgery wait times by adding capacity for 800 new hip and knee surgeries at the Selkirk Regional Health Centre.
- Bring a new mobile MRI to Thompson, The Pas, and Northern First Nations to lower wait times and create greater access to care for those living in the North.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is encouraged by the Kinew Government’s messaging around the importance of a growing economy, and especially about developing a long-awaited economic development strategy. A growing economy is necessary to pay for the services that improve the lives of Manitobans.
We are optimistic that the new economic development strategy will address critical areas such as workforce development, infrastructure, innovation, and business competitiveness. Collaboration between government, business, and other stakeholders is necessary to ensure that the strategy aligns with the needs of Manitoba’s diverse industries, from agriculture and manufacturing to technology and bioscience.
It is imperative that we create an environment in Manitoba that is supportive of businesses and conducive to investment. Given the ever-changing global economic landscape, we hope the strategy is sufficiently flexible and adaptable, with a focus on building resilience in the face of future economic challenges.
We look forward to further details on the strategy and remain committed to working collaboratively with the government to both contribute to its development and ensure its success.
In addition to the important commitments made in the Throne Speech, we encourage the government to strengthen economic relations with our province’s largest trading partner and capitalize on the opportunity to engage directly with U.S. policymakers. Dedicated representation in Washington would provide Manitoba with an influential voice in U.S. trade negotiations and help advocate for issues critical to Manitoba’s economy, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and cross-border logistics.
The legislature is scheduled to sit until December 5. To read the Speech from the Throne, please visit: https://www.manitoba.ca/thronespeech/index.html
