Four Manitobans shared their perspectives on Manitoba’s provincial budget day with Global News and 680 CJOB. Gorete Tavares, a single mother of three, expressed concern about the rising cost of living, including rent and groceries. She also highlighted the impact of financial stressors on mental health and the need for increased access to counseling services. Craig Whitman, a semi-retired residential real estate appraiser, emphasized the importance of fixing health care and attracting more health care workers, especially by recognizing foreign-trained professionals’ credentials. Whitman also called for proactive measures to address the province’s $2 billion deficit.
Sarah Jane Martin, who recently bought a home and is expecting a baby, shared her struggles in finding child care options with long waitlists. She hopes that the budget’s promise of 40 new child-care centers will provide a solution for her family. Josh Giesbrecht, the owner of Ashdown Market, highlighted the importance of social supports for his customers and praised the provincial gas tax holiday for helping small businesses like his during challenging times post-pandemic. All four individuals agreed that mental health care funding is essential, even though they believed that the allocated $11 million for mental health and addictions services may be insufficient.
Tavares, Whitman, Martin, and Giesbrecht praised the budget’s allocation for mental health and addictions services, with Tavares acknowledging that while the funding is a good start, more investment is needed. Martin celebrated the inclusion of a safe consumption site, noting that her father might have been alive today if such facilities were available earlier. She also appreciated the commitment to supporting new child-care spaces and improving wages for child-care staff. Whitman welcomed the extension of the provincial gas tax holiday, which would save him money, and Giesbrecht highlighted the benefits for small businesses by reducing shipping costs and called for incentives to support economic growth for small businesses.
Both Giesbrecht and Tavares expressed satisfaction with the funds allocated for the search of the Prairie Green landfill, as it addresses longstanding community concerns. Overall, all four Manitobans were pleasantly surprised by this year’s budget, feeling that the government’s response reflected a genuine acknowledgement of the public’s health care and affordability challenges. Whitman praised the government for listening to the people’s needs, while Martin expressed relief that the budget did not result in the worst-case scenario she had anticipated. This feedback highlights the diverse perspectives and priorities of Manitobans in response to the provincial budget, emphasizing the importance of mental health care, child care, and economic support for small businesses.
