NDP Budget Lacks Real Affordability for Manitoba Families: Stone
WINNIPEG — Progressive Conservatives are shocked by the lack of real affordability measures for Manitoba families in the 2026 NDP budget, said Midland MLA Lauren Stone, PC Critic for Finance, today. Stone is disappointed that the NDP budget lacks any serious plan to make life more affordable.
“Wab Kinew and his NDP are once again letting down Manitoba families,” said Stone. “They promised Manitobans that they would make life more affordable, but this budget fails to deliver real, tangible relief for families struggling with rising costs.”
Skyrocketing education property tax increases are what Manitobans continue to get from the NDP. According to Statistics Canada, homeowners in Winnipeg experienced a near-20% increase in property taxes between 2025 and 2026. The City of Winnipeg’s taxation department has determined that some school divisions have raised their taxes by as much as 43% since the NDP formed government.
“When education property taxes in Winnipeg—and across Manitoba—are going up by hundreds and thousands of dollars, increasing the tax credit by only $100 and not until next year is a drop in the bucket,” said Stone. “Manitoba families need affordability relief now, not next year.”
“Manitoba families deserve affordability,” said Obby Khan, Leader of the Official Opposition. “They deserve stability. They deserve a government that understands what they’re going through and is ready to act. I see moms and their kids in the grocery store, picking up fruits, vegetables, meat, or coffee and putting it back on the shelf because it is just too expensive. We’re focused on putting more of your hard-earned money back in your pocket. Because Manitoba families deserve affordability now.”
Manitoba Progressive Conservatives are proposing zero provincial income tax on the first $30,000 earned by struggling Manitoba families. That would save an individual about $1,500 per year and the average family up to $3,070 per year. Low- and middle-income Manitobans would be able to keep more of their paycheques, with families having more money for everyday expenses.
“That’s real relief, right now. It’s not a rebate at tax time. It’s higher paycheques every week, every two weeks, every month,” said Khan. “It’s shocking and surprising that Wab Kinew and his NDP have failed Manitobans on affordability, on growing the economy, on healthcare and on crime. That’s not leadership. That’s failing to understand what Manitoba families are going through.”
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