Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 11, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba May 2000 my my my my press slugger beefs up Gold eyes lineup Talent Laden fish bring former major leaguer Back to the team c1 she has a problem aspiring Canadian astronaut fears career stuck on launch pad after cosmonaut forcibly kissed and she told a4 the weather 012 increasing 70 Chance of High 16 Low 3 t health fix Trumps tax cuts doer defends Good but critics find budget lacking by Dan Lett and Doug Narne Premier Gary doers govern ment delivered a budget yester Day dominated by a prescription for the ailing healthcare but it left Little room to satisfy a growing appetite for income tax in the Dps first budget in 12 finance minister Greg Selinger out lined a new provincial Flat tax system that will provide million in cuts Over the next two freeing Low income people earning up to from paying provincial income but there was Little new tax Reli Emor Middleto High income Manitoban apart from cuts announced last year by the former tory Selinger also delivered on a Promise to Cut property putting an additional in the pocket of each Home foolish the government acknowledged that Manitoba was surrounded by provinces that were attacking income tax Bur Dens and relinking their provincial systems from the Federal to maintain the status quo in that context would have been Selinger Selinger avoided tax save for a hike in the Levy on tobacco prod which will add 15 cents to a pack age of cigarettes and provide the coffers with an additional million this slingers lip service on tax cuts spooked business leaders and lobby who had been pleading with the doer government to do something to keep up with other provinces that have reduced income taxes rapidly across the Manitoba tripped Over the starting line in the tax said Graham president of the Manitoba chamber of the halfhearted tax plan was especially galling to the former tory gov which lost a provincial election after promising million Phil Hosback Winnipeg free press doer faces the Media yesterday after his government delivered its first which focuses on Manitoba ailing healthcare system r of inside i health gets m injection a6 i How the budget affects you a7 i students catch biggest break a8 i nip keeps nose out of business a9 i editorial tiny tax cuts a16 in tax they had better put a sign at either end of the province taxes opposition Leader Gary Filmon doer angrily shot Back at his detract claiming his budget provides a combination of tax reduction and sup port for health care and we think that this is a Good balance that goes beyond our promises and continues to show the optimism we have for he continued please see budget a2 the dig i new Flat provincial tax rates of about ii per cent to per cent depending on i about Low income earners who make up to will no longer have to pay Middle to High income earners get Little new i healthcare spending increasing by i province projects a surplus of million on spending of almost Bil i cigarette taxes increasing by half a Penny per cigarette As of Midnight last i increases to provincial property tax credits of this year and another next a new lion bursary pro i University and College operating Grants increasing by i an extra Mil lion for Urban and Northern ambulance taxpayers must wait for major Relief nip most cuts deferred pcs irate by Doug Narne most Manitoban will see no extra income tax Relief in but theres the Promise of million in cuts to look Forward to Over the next two in the first budget for the new nip finance minister Greg Selinger offered a sprinkling of tax reductions and weighted heavily toward the the infirm and the Selinger said the nip has made pro Gram spending its 1 but admitted Manitoba is still under pres sure to keep up with tax cuts in other we decided to seize the Opportunity to redesign the tax system to Bene fit Manitoba he we could have stuck our head in the Sand and ignored it but we decided we had to grasp the nettle and move Selinger said the province looked at 185 models for a new tax system before deciding to change from the current 47 per cent of Federal tax to a Flat rate of about 11 per cent of income for the lowest income rising to per cent for those making More than those earning Between and will pay per cent next but in 2002 it will fall to per continued please see income tax a2 banners railways jeer Grain system overhaul by Paul Samyn Ottawa Prairie Farmers will reap million in annual savings under a Long awaited overhaul of the Grain transportation the Chretien govern ment also Hopes to Pla Cate or e Farmers with to we got 100 per cent of what we were asking agricultural or Widmont Bob Dewar improve Rural roads used to haul Grain Over five this is very Good Bob the Wawanesa Farmer who is president of the Canadian federation of Agricula said the package is great and we Are getting a very Large chunk of the efficiency the goal of the to be introduced next is to update and improve the Grain shipping system that railways and Grain was not but the plan Drew the ire of rail companies Canadian Pacific which has spent about billion in the last three years to improve its May have to reconsider future a spokesman savings to Farmers will come by Way of a Cap in revenues that railways earn from hauling Prairie the Cap takes effect 1 and will be 18 per cent lower than initially trans lating into a saving of per we got 100 per cent of what we were asking for on the Revenue key Stone agricultural producers president Bob Dewar Canadian National and up which both saw their share prices fall yester Day following the were not impressed with the Revenue this unbalanced approach will have serious consequences for cons existing rate and service packages offered to Grain said Paul Cana Dian nationals car called the proposed legislation transport minister David Collenette vowed the new Grain Reform package will Lead to More transportation efficiencies and above benefits for Fann continued see Grain transport a5 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