The Government of Manitoba’s fight to cut the province’s deficit is getting an assist from the federal government.
The federal Finance Department’s new figures show that Manitoba can expect a $255-million boost in equalization payments next year.
2020 will be the third consecutive year that equalization payments to Manitoba have increased by more than 10 percent.
Equalization is a program that is federally funded program that gives money to the poorer provinces so that they can offer the same services as the richer ones.
Manitoba’s PC government has promised to balance the budget before the next election and recently announced that they are predicting a $350 million deficit for the current fiscal year.
Provincial Finance Minister Scott Fielding says that the federal funding boost will help, but the province has also controlled spending increases in an effort to getting closer to balancing the budget.
