Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 08, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A4 A 4 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014 TOP NEWS winnipegfreepress. com stmarysacademy. mb. ca | facebook. com/ smawinnipeg | twitter. com/ smawpg 550 Wellington Crescent | Winnipeg, MB | R3M 0C1 | 204- 477- 0244 an advantage for life st. mary's academy New student applications are due February 14, 2014 - Financial Assistance Available - Students at St. Mary's Academy know that education is more than just opening a book. It's being a part of a community that encourages academic excellence, spiritual growth, athletic and artistic ability. It's developing the skills and self- confidence to become the best person she can be. A community of learning, faith and service. This is my school. RIVER SAFETY NOTICE Dangerous Ice Conditions During Ice Cutting and Ice Breaking Operations The Manitoba government is preparing for potential spring ice jam flooding. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Ice cutting machines will begin working on or about February 10 on sections of the Red River beginning in the Netley Lake area and will move upstream towards Selkirk. On February 17, the Amphibex ice breakers will start operating at the mouth of Netley Creek. Dangerous ice conditions may not be obvious but will exist. Ice fishers, cross- country skiers, snowmobilers and others going on the frozen river must: .. Use caution on the ice. .. Stay away from the ice cutting and ice breaking equipment. .. Watch for posted warning signs about dangerous ice. .. Watch for notices to remove ice shacks and remove them promptly. T HE Selinger government is backing off a 2011 election campaign promise, reaffirmed in last year's budget, to eliminate the school tax for seniors ages 65 and over by 2015. Finance Minister Jennifer Howard said the government will need an additional year to phase in the tax credit because it's under the gun not only to eliminate the deficit in three years, but to deal with lower- than- anticipated federal transfer payments due to an ongoing squabble with Ottawa over how many people actually live in Manitoba. The first instalment of the new seniors' property tax credit will come into effect in the March 6 budget, but Howard said it will take two more budgets to completely implement instead of two. " That is directly related to having less revenue and still wanting to move towards balancing the budget," she said Friday. The tax credit comes with a hefty price tag at the same time the Selinger government wants to wipe out the deficit by 2017. Howard said by phasing it in over three years instead of two, the blow will not be as severe. " This year, we expect this to be worth about $ 15 million. If we try to do it in two years it would have been worth about $ 25 million. That $ 10 million helps ensure we can fund education." In 2012, the NDP gave a $ 75 property tax credit for seniors earning less than $ 25,000 on top of the $ 700 credit given to all Manitoba households. There is an additional $ 400 credit for households with an annual income less than $ 40,000. Howard said those credits mean there are about 990 seniors who don't pay any education tax now. There are more than 180,000 seniors in the province, but it's not known how many live in their own homes. Howard said besides delaying the full tax credit, the NDP is wrestling with how to make it fair for all seniors, whether they live in a home in Tuxedo or a home in Point Douglas. " We are looking at the very real question if it's fair that the provincial government forks over $ 10,000 to $ 20,000 for people who live in very expensive homes, which I think is a small, small minority of seniors," Howard said. " Do you want to be writing a cheque for $ 10,000, $ 15,000, $ 20,000 to pay the education property taxes on a $ 1- million home? I think that's something that many Manitobans would say, ' No, that's maybe not fair.' " Howard also said talks between Manitoba and Statistics Canada continue on Manitoba's contention the federal agency underestimated the province's population by as many as 18,000 people in the 2011 census. The Manitoba government argues the province stands to lose $ 500 million in federal transfer payments over the next five years because of the discrepancy and is considering an independent analysis to settle the issue. " The impact of it is serious for our budget," she said. " We continue to look for ways to adjust to a revenue that's $ 100 million less than we expected." The province says Statistics Canada had stated Manitoba's 2011 population estimate at 1,251,690, but reduced it to 1,233,728, a reduction the province says is not consistent with the number of people filing income tax returns over the same period. Statistics Canada has said its numbers are correct. Howard said the transfer shortfall is significant despite Manitoba's economy, which although still recovering from the 2009 recession, is doing well, with the province's GDP growth second only to Alberta's and almost on par with Saskatchewan's. " But what is giving us real difficulty on the revenue side is the fact that we have a growing population, and federal transfers don't consider that." The Opposition Progressive Conservatives have said the dispute with Statistics Canada has more to do with the provincial government spending beyond its means. The Tories say the year- end results for 2012- 13 showed the government went $ 186 million over its original core deficit projection of $ 504 million because of its spending. bruce. owen@ freepress. mb. ca ' We are going to continue to challenge ourselves to provide excellent services more efficiently, and you will hear a lot about that in the budget' Howard on the budget: ' We are going to find ways to be more productive, to be more efficient, to provide excellent services, maybe not always in the same way we have, and find some cost savings that we direct back into what's important for Manitobans' ' We have a lot to learn from private industry, who have embraced this idea of leaner management because they know that it helps them to deliver better services to their customers, but also helps them do it with less cost' ' The theme ( of pre- budget Treasury Board meetings) has been maybe not now, maybe not as fast as you would like and how can you do this in a better way' ' I just don't have revenue to make a lot more room on ( tax breaks) right now' Full tax credit for seniors strung out It will now take three years instead of two: Howard By Bruce Owen RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The province will not let seniors off the school- tax hook until after the NDP government's current mandate runs out. IT took Premier Greg Selinger all of 42 seconds in a speech to the NDP party faithful Friday night to confront the elephant in the room - his decision this week to kick a former cabinet minister out of his caucus. He faced up to the fact he had ousted Riel MLA Christine Melnick quickly - and then didn't return to the subject again in a 20- minute speech in which he described himself as a " fighter" and his party as underdogs in the next election. " This week I had to make a tough decision to remove someone from caucus. And I did it after we consulted with the caucus and they supported that decision," he told the party's annual general meeting. " And I know it hasn't been easy on any of us in this room. But it was a necessary decision so that we could stay focused on the priorities of Manitobans." Speaking without notes and with most of his caucus standing behind him, Selinger addressed the issues he felt the party needs to concentrate on to win the next election - infrastructure, health care and education among them. He painted the Conservatives under Brian Pallister as a group of cost- cutters who would institute two- tier health care in Manitoba, giving the rich the best care, and cut frontline services. " Brian Pallister is a serious threat, but I'm a fighter and you're fighters and this caucus is full of fighters," he told the crowd, which gave him a rousing ovation when he entered the Canad Inns Polo Park ballroom. Selinger stuck to familiar themes: the need to build up the province's infrastructure, including flood- proofing communities along the Assiniboine River, the importance of continued investments in health and education and the need for expansion of hydroelectric power generation in northern Manitoba. Two recent studies have questioned the necessity of building two more dams in the north, but Selinger seemed determined to see Manitoba Hydro carry out its expensive plans. " If we don't build Manitoba Hydro, we face the prospect of running out of power in the next 10 to 12 years, and then we will have to import power like natural gas. Why do we want to create jobs elsewhere like the opposition party wants to do?" the premier said. " We'll show that there's customers who want that power as we go forward." Afterwards, Selinger said he addressed the Melnick affair early because it could not be ignored. " It's a reality. It's something that we had to deal with this week and people need to know we addressed it." On Monday, Melnick, who was removed from cabinet in October, broke ranks with her caucus by criticizing the premier and his senior staff, accusing them of hanging her out to dry over the fallout from a controversial event at the legislature in 2012. The premier turfed her from caucus the next day. Melnick had intended to attend the weekend convention, but was contacted by a party member asking her not to come, as it would cause division at the meeting and potentially hurt her reputation, a source said. The decision to expel Melnick was not unanimous among caucus members, as a small handful of MLAs argued she was a longtime NDP member deserving of better treatment, the source said. Federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair addresses the meeting this morning. Party members will debate dozens of policy resolutions gleaned from close to 200 motions submitted before the convention. Among the resolutions are calls for an increase in rental allowances to welfare recipients and a proposed junk- food tax. The convention comes as the NDP, down in popular support, is trying to rev itself up to win a fifth term in office in the spring of 2016. The convention is to also see the unveiling of a new TV attack ad against Pallister. larry. kusch@ freepress. mb. ca bruce. owen@ freepress. mb. ca Melnick decision ' necessary,' Selinger tells faithful By Larry Kusch and Bruce Owen Opinions on Melnick NDP members attending the party's annual general meeting Friday night tended to shy away from reporters asking for their opinions on the Christine Melnick controversy. Here is a sampling from those who did offer an opinion: . " It's a non- issue" - Leo Van Den Bussche, Dawson Trail constituency . " Unseemly, inappropriate, stupid - are the words that come to me...( for) the management of it. It sounds terrible" - anonymous, Fort Rouge constituency . " It's a blip on the radar... We're focused ( at convention) on what's important for the people of Manitoba. It's fuel for the media" - Walter McDowell, St Johns constituency . " It's done. It's over. Let's move on" - Wayne Copeland, St. James constituency . " I think it's being blown out of proportion... I think it could have been resolved ( without Melnick's ouster from caucus) if they would have sat down and talked to her face to face" - Wayne Levac, Thompson constituency . " I think that when Christine first answered the question ( on whether she ordered a civil servant to invite immigrant groups to the legislature to witness a legislative debate), she should have said ' yes' ... because this is government policy and this is the direction in which we're going" - Cyril Keeper, Wolseley constituency JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Greg Selinger addresses the Manitoba NDP annual meeting Friday. He vowed a vigorous fight against the Conservatives in the next election. A_ 04_ Feb- 08- 14_ FP_ 01. indd A4 2/ 7/ 14 10: 47: 22 PM ;