Manitobans don't back PC health-care and education cuts, poll suggests

Manitobans are not on board with the provincial government's plan to delay funding for new healthcare facilities and education expenses.

A Mainstreet poll for Postmedia, released on Friday, found that 61 per cent of those surveyed disagree with the delay for funding for new healthcare facilities.

Similarly, 60 per cent of respondents say school boards should get increased funding to cope with increased inflation costs.

"The good news for Premier Pallister is, it appears that most Manitobans would not be affected by a carbon tax," Mainstreet president Quito Maggi said in a release.

A majority of respondents (60 per cent) want a referendum before a carbon tax is put in place, but 40 per centsaid it would not affect their likelihood of voting PC; 16 per cent said the carbon tax would make them more likely to vote Tory.

The poll also asked Manitobans whether they want school boards to have the ability to level their own taxes, garnering a mixed response of 36 per centproand 32 per centcon.

Manitobans were also split on the question of the province's plan to change the way it bargains collectively, with 39 per cent on board with the changes and 40 per centagainst.

If an election were held today, 38 per centof respondents said would support the PCs, 18 per centthe NDP, 11 per cent the Liberals and 8 per centthe Greens. A total of 26 per cent of survey respondentswere undecided.

Mainstreet surveyed a random sample of 1,001 Manitobans from March 21-22 on both landlines and cellphones. The margin of error for survey results is +/- 3.1, 19 times out of 20.