The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Manitoba's official opposition wants the NDP to substantially raise the basic personal exemption, the amount Manitobans can earn before the taxman comes knocking on their door. Manitobans can currently earn $8,634 before paying provincial tax, far less than the nearly $15,000 in Saskatchewan and the more than $17,000 in Alberta. While the rates vary from province to province, Manitoba is on the low end of the scale, according to the Progressive Conservatives. 'Increasing the basic personal exemption offers tax advantages to all Manitobans, but most importantly it helps those who need the money the most,' said PC Leader Brian Pallister. Increasing the basic personal exemption to the same level as the Canadian provincial average would save every Manitoban worker $200 each year, say the PCs. Working couples would save over $400, and the opposition party says that money would go back into the economy to generate more income. 'As the cost of living continues to rise, we need to find ways to put more money in Manitobans pockets,' said Pallister. 'By doing that we will in turn stimulate the economy.' _ Compiled from a Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba news release
