Introduction

The development of Budget 2022 was informed by significant public engagement that included virtual meetings and telephone town halls between December 2021 to January 2022. More than 51,000 Manitobans participated in the province&aposs budget consultation process, even more than in 2020/21. An online survey at engagemb.ca received more than 7,400 responses and over 10,300 people participated in quick polls. Engagements and consultations occurred through telephone town halls, virtual meetings, online surveys and through email and written submissions.

Budget 2022, Recover Together – Strengthen. Invest. Build. represents the government’s plan for Manitoba’s recovery. It addresses ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and makes important and strategic investments to ensure the province’s social and economic recovery and growth is focused on the priorities of all Manitobans.

The sheer magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected all aspects of life in the province and around the world. Since the onset of the pandemic over two years ago, the Manitoba government secured additional funding and made investments to protect and support households, communities and businesses. The investments were timely, resulting in the economy performing much better than originally expected, even through the largest recession in Manitoba in over 40 years. While the economic recovery has been uneven, the number of full time jobs is higher than before the pandemic and the provincial unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country.

Despite showing strong signs of resilience, the pandemic highlighted gaps in services to Manitobans, particularly in health care and long-term care. The negative economic impacts of the pandemic varied across sectors, with some slow to rebound while others experiencing demand growth constrained by labour and material shortages.

By consulting with Manitobans, Budget 2022 focuses on the next phase of strengthening the ongoing recovery. The budget makes investments to increase capacity for delivering government services across the province. We can achieve a brighter future by working together to take advantage of the many lessons learned through the pandemic and by continuing to invest wisely in priority areas that deliver positive outcomes.

For more information on Budget 2022 consultations, visit: engagemb.ca/budget-2022 .