LETELLIER, Man. – Allan Calder stopped seeding corn for a couple of minutes to speak to his member of the legislative assembly, Jack Penner, on the first full day of campaigning for the Manitoba provincial election.
“You guys should keep working on making education tax fairer,” said Calder, repeating a refrain common to farmers across Western Canada.
Penner jumped in before Calder could expand on his complaint and told him that Progressive Conservative leader Stuart Murray had begun the provincial campaign the day before with a promise to eliminate education taxes from property taxes.
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Calder seemed surprised that what he and other farmers keep demanding was actually being offered by a political party.
“Well, yeah, I agree with that,” he said. “That’s OK.”
Calder’s pleasant surprise was shared by Association of Manitoba Municipalities president Stuart Briese, who has loudly demanded that the province reduce the weight of education taxes on the property base.
“We’re really pleased,” said Briese in an interview.
“We’re trying to stay nonpartisan and we want all the parties to address this issue. The Conservatives played it right off the start and we want to see the other parties deal with it too.”
The election will be held June 3.
NDP premier Gary Doer called Murray’s tax cut idea “completely crazy.”
NDP officials estimated the province would lose $435 million in taxes if it cut the education portion of the property tax bill.
The AMM decided recently after province-wide meetings with municipal leaders that the only issue it would trumpet in this election would be education taxes on property.
AMM has not demanded that all education tax be taken off of property. But it has demanded that the province pick up at least 80 percent of the cost of education, rather than the 50 percent the AMM claims it is covering.
Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Manitoba Association of School Trustees have also called for education taxes on property to be lowered. KAP wants education tax on property eliminated.
Briese said Murray’s decision to open his campaign with the education tax promise made him feel that farmers’ concerns might finally be addressed.
“It’s going to be an election issue,” he said.
Penner found a warm reception with Calder, who is a member of the Conservative party. Calder said the property tax promise has reaffirmed his faith in his party.
“They seem to get a little bit more done in the country,” said Calder.
“We need someone who will help outside the (Winnipeg) perimeter.”
