NDP Drop Manitoba to Last Place in National Business Rankings
WINNIPEG — The NDP’s reckless rollback of regulatory accountability has dropped Manitoba to the bottom of national business rankings, and made it harder to encourage the next generation to start and grow a business, Midland MLA Lauren Stone, PC Critic for Finance, said today.
“The NDP’s decision to abandon red-tape reduction measures like the one-for-one rule is sending a clear message to job creators that Manitoba is closed for business,” said Stone. “The former PC government worked hard to reduce barriers, encourage investment, and support small businesses. Now, the NDP are reversing that progress and making it even harder for small businesses to survive.”
Between 2016 and 2023, Manitoba reduced its regulatory burden by 11.4%, eliminating over 106,750 unnecessary rules, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
However, Bill 16, which repealed the requirement to remove outdated regulations whenever new ones were introduced, and the NDP’s failure to prioritize red-tape reduction earned Manitoba a failing grade in CFIB’s latest Red Tape Report.
Regulatory costs in Manitoba ballooned to $1.57 billion in 2024, while two in three business owners surveyed said they would not advise the next generation to run a business given current regulatory burdens, according to CFIB.
Stone added that Manitoba ranks second last among provinces in Canada for planned energy, mining, and forestry investments over the next decade. Meanwhile, provincial unemployment jumped from 4% to 6.2% in 2024.
“Our economy is weakening, investment is leaving, and job losses are piling up. Yet the NDP’s only response is to impose more regulations and drive businesses out of Manitoba,” said Stone. “When businesses struggle, workers suffer. The NDP need to stop attacking job creators before even more Manitobans lose their jobs.”
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