Last week, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce released the results of their business leader’s survey which confirmed that Manitoba continues to fall behind and that Manitoba is not competitive with other provinces. Manitoba is becoming more and more insignificant as each day goes by. The survey revealed that the anti-business environment in Manitoba is growing almost as fast as young Manitobans are leaving in search of hope and opportunity elsewhere. We have never seen such an exodus of young people from Manitoba as we have in 2005, when Statistics Canada reported that 9,880 more people left Manitoba to other provinces than came to Manitoba from other provinces. This doesn’t come as a surprise to most constituents, because I hear every day from those who are concerned about our young people leaving for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and even Saskatchewan! We all know someone who has left – our nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, cousins, and friends!

Only 3 out of 10 Manitoba businesses rated the NDP government positively. A resounding 93% of business owners believe that the NDP has failed to create opportunities for young Manitobans, which has resulted in the mass exodus of people out of our Province.

The business leaders have been calling for meaningful tax relief both for individual taxpayers on a personal level, and for businesses. While every other province in Canada is moving ahead with tax cuts and policies that encourage growth, Manitoba remains the highest taxed province West of Quebec. We have the highest taxes, but the worst roads!