The Manitoba government will deliver its 2026 budget with a sharp focus on affordability, health care, and accountability.
Homeowners will see a $100 increase in their education property tax credit starting next year-but only if their home is valued under $1 million. The credit phases out on a sliding scale for properties between $1 million and $1.5 million and disappears entirely above that threshold.
The budget responds to surging food and fuel costs. The NDP government plans new measures to control grocery prices, including potential limits on milk pricing.
It also funds a public inquiry into a disputed silica sand mine east of Winnipeg. The project was approved during the transition from the former Tory administration to the current NDP government. Manitoba’s ethics commissioner found the effort violated conflict-of-interest laws.
Health care receives additional funding to tackle persistent wait times, with targeted investments in nursing education and cardiac services. Police and corrections staffing will also get financial support.
Despite pledging a balanced budget by 2027-28, the province now faces a $1.6 billion deficit for the current fiscal year-more than double last spring’s projection-driven largely by wildfire and drought response costs.