Manitoba ‘open for business’ during fiscal renovations, premier tells Toronto audience

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This article was published 12/01/2017 (2919 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister’s sales pitch to the prestigious Economic Club of Canada Friday touted Manitoba’s “strategic” central location in Canada, transportation system, clean and low-cost electricity and affordable real estate.

“Manitoba is once again open for business, offering a competitive and business-friendly environment as well as supportive infrastructure for a wide array of industries and sectors,” a news release from his office quoted from his address to business leaders in Toronto.

“These attributes have resulted in Manitoba becoming one of Canada’s most diverse and dynamic economies, but a lack of vision has hampered our province’s growth.”

The speech was not live-streamed, nor was a written copy available. Pallister’s staff said the Economic Club of Canada would be posting the speech online shortly after he finished speaking, but the ECC does not expect it to be available until Monday.

The premier gave an overview of Manitoba’s current economic climate and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to improvement, growth and change, his office said.

Pallister reportedly spoke of Manitoba’s economic challenges — a large budgetary deficit, credit downgrades and past fiscal mismanagement — threatening government services Manitobans rely upon.

It was not clear whether he shared any hints of the austerity measures the he’s are considering — such as wage freezes in the public sector or the possibility of opening up existing contracts.

“Our story is far from complete and I firmly believe that our next chapter, though sure to be challenging and certain to require difficult but necessary decisions, will be a tale of determination and of success,” another quote from the release read. “It will detail our unparallelled opportunity to rebuild this special province. And it is one that we will write together.”