Manitoba Liberals promise new debt relief tools if elected

The Manitoba Liberals are promising new tools to help Manitobans get out of debt if they form government afternext week's provincial election.

At a campaign announcement Wednesday, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said his party would provide $2 million annually to the Credit Counselling Society, a non-profit that helps people restructure and pay back their debts, in order to expand its services.

"We need to act now to address these debt loads and get Manitobans back on their feet to boost our economy," Lamont said at the announcement at Bonnycastle Park, on Assiniboine Avenue in Winnipeg.

"This is not about government helping people pay off their debts, this is about providing people with new tools."

The party is also promising to create a new debt compromise board to give businesses and farmers a forum to meet with their lenders and work out solutions to their debt loads.

That would cost about $5 million to set up, Lamont said.

"The goal of this is to make sure that business owners can stay in their businesses and farmers can in their farms," he said.

Lamont said these initiatives would help Manitobanswho are struggling to balance the rising cost of living and high debt loads.

The Manitoba election is next Tuesday. Advance voting is open now, and continues until Saturday.

• Read full coverage of the 2023 Manitoba election here