Manitoba Liberals' platform includes minimum income for seniors, mental health coverage, tax hike for some

The Manitoba Liberal Party has released its full campaign platform, which includes roughly $1 billion in new spending and higher taxes for some income earners and property owners.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont says the spending is needed to fix health care, education and other services, and is an alternative to the Progressive Conservative and New Democrat plans.

Lamont's promises, if elected on Oct. 3,include a minimum income for seniors aged 60 and over and people with disabilities, medicare coverage for mental health services and bonus pay for all front-line health-care workers.

To pay for it, Lamont says he would eliminate the education property tax rebate cheques the government issues to the richest 80 per cent of the population.

He says other parties promise to keep giving back to rich Manitobans, including the New Democrats.

"I think whatthe Manitoba NDP is doing, it's actually harmful to progressive movements everywhere, Liberals included, because they're putting the NDP seal of approval on right-wing policies that just don't work," Lamont said Wednesday.

Income tax changes

The Liberal leader says he would also take in more income tax revenue by reducing the amount for many people, but raising taxes paid by people earning more than $120,000 a year.

The Liberals would also not fully refund the price on carbon, but instead use some of the money raised for green-energy projects.

The party also repeated earlier pledges to cover half the cost to search a Winnipeg landfill for the remains of two First Nations women, a $300 million green fund to fight climate change and building emergency shelters for women and children fleeing violence.

• Read full coverage of the 2023 Manitoba election here.