Grant agrees with Chambers decision to call on province

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Published on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

myWestman.ca

Neepawa Chamber of Commerce president Sherry Grant attended the Manitoba Chambers meeting over the weekend and says she agrees with the resolution that was passed, which calls on the provincial government to respect the current balanced budget legislation ensuring a referendum does occur before increasing the Provincial Sales Tax to eight per cent.

"I don't believe raising the PST is going to raise the kinds of funds that they (provincial government) are looking for," she said.

"It was very well laid out for us at the convention. How much money that they anticipate they were going to raise and it really isn't adequate," she continued.

She says the province has not done the correct cost-benefit analysis to people potentially leaving the province to shop for goods and services.

"This government is doing some things that are not friendly," she added.

In addition to the resolution on the PST increase, Manitoba Chambers also passed resolutions calling on the province to move forward with flood proofing of Highway 75, creation of a plan to clean up Lake Winnipeg as well as the need for a Northern Manitoba economic development strategy.

Grant says Highway 75 is a main access for Canadians to the U.S. and that it's important to the economy in terms of travelling north and south.

The highway has been shut down during past floods, including those in 2009 and 2011.

"We can't have happen what happened two years ago and we need to avoid that in the future," she concluded.