Making Choices

Submit Your Budget

Manitoba needs a strong fiscal plan to improve our province. We are committed to eliminating wasteful government spending and creating a province with lower taxes, better services and a stronger economy. Governments must make choices when determining priorities for spending, just like every Manitoban does when creating a household budget.

Each increase or decrease in funding has an effect on other areas of Manitoba's budget. For example, an increase in funding for health care will mean there is less money for other areas of government services, like education, funding for child care or the costs to maintain and repair roads. Similarly, decreases in one program area can free up resources for other higher priorities that may involve spending on programs, taxes or fees or deficit and debt reduction.

To better understand what you think is important, we want you to build your own provincial budget focused on your priorities. We also want your suggestions on how provincial spending and revenue should be prioritized, as well as your thoughts on innovative ways to save money while ensuring services are available and what efficiencies might be possible.

Things to remember when building your budget

• The base budget is the starting point based on 2018/19 budget levels.
• This tool will allow you to raise or lower taxes to levels you think Manitobans prefer, while considering the revenue needed to sustain priority programs or reduce the deficit and debt.
• Your challenge is to find efficiencies in some areas to fund priorities in others. But remember, every spending increase or tax decrease means you have to think carefully about where those dollars are coming from.
• Significant spending increases over and above revenue affect Manitoba's deficit, debt and ultimately, the government's ability to lower taxes and to invest in the services that matter most to Manitoba families over the long term.
• Choosing to increase, maintain or reduce the 2019 budget in any given program could mean a significant changes in programs or services because of the effects of rising costs.
• Manitoba's core deficit is now $521 million, and our net debt is more than $25 billion. Returning to balance by eliminating the deficit will have to be a key priority to help slow the growth in debt and debt servicing costs.