Kinew extends fuel tax cut

The Manitoba provincial government is extend- ing its temporary halt to the federal fuel tax until September. The cut had previously been scheduled to expire in June. The tax, which is a key part of the federal government’s strategy to curb the climate crisis, has created conflict with several premiers. Despite the economic impacts of a carbon tax, they have been shown to lower fossil-fuel emissions.

Around the Kitchen Table

On April 11, University of Manitoba Press will launch Around the Kitchen Table, a collection of essays, stories and poems by and for Métis women. Edited by professors Laura Forsythe and Jennifer Markides, the project originated when the two noted the lack of texts focusing on the work of Métis women scholars. A launch event will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 in McNally Robinson Grant Park.

Community orgs react to provincial budget

Various community organizations are weighing in on the provincial NDP government’s 2024 budget. The Southern Chiefs’ Organization praised spending on healthcare, harm reduction, homelessness and the Prairie Green Landfill search. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives commended healthcare increases but said the budget “does not go far enough to addressing the costly social deficit, reversing regressive tax cuts and shoring up needed revenue in Manitoba.” Winnipeg Police Cause Harm said the budget “maintain(s) a long-standing right-wing trajectory by increasing funding to policing at the expense of things that actually keep people safe.”

U of W student films to screen at Cinematheque

Students from the University of Winnipeg’s Filmmaking 1 courses will screen their work for audiences at the Dave Barber Cinematheque (100 Arthur St.). The year-end screening will showcase work from student filmmakers made throughout the 2023-24 academic year. The screening will run from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Admission is free.

Province boosts healthcare spending

The inaugural budget from the new NDP government, led by Premier Wab Kinew, followed up on a key campaign promise to prioritize healthcare. The province will spend $8.2 billion on healthcare, a 13.5 per cent increase, and will accommodate 1,000 new jobs. Healthcare spending was gutted by the previous PC government.

Words of a Toole

Erin O’Toole, the former head of the federal Conservative Party, is alleging that Chinese interference played a role in his ouster as party leader fol- lowing his 2021 election loss. At the time, O’Toole sought to punish Bert Chen, a Taiwanese-born Canadian member of the Tories’ national council, for circulating a petition calling for O’Toole’s resignation. The petition did not lead to O’Toole’s resignation, which came after a February 2022 internal caucus revolt. Chen denies any ties to the Chinese government. Since the party’s formation in 2003, it has been standard practice for its leaders to resign following election losses.

Published in Volume 78, Number 24 of The Uniter (April 4, 2024)