Borderland MLA Josh Guenter says he was happy two key files the Manitoba PC Government has been tackling were highlighted in Tuesday's Speech from the Throne. 

Those are the PC government's efforts to address affordability and healthcare issues affecting Manitobans.

Along with rising interest rates and high inflation, Guenter says people are having a hard time making ends meet. Because of the high-cost environment we're living in right now, Guenter noted many families have had to postpone or cancel plans to go to school, trips, or pay down their mortgages. 

"It's absolutely critical that we have a provincial government in Manitoba that stands up for Manitobans and continues to provide much-needed tax reliefs," said Guenter. "You know, the Federal government may not be doing this, the Liberal/NDP Coalition in Ottawa has recently voted to triple the carbon tax, something that our Provincial government has opposed."

In further addressing affordability, Guenter noted the Affordability cheques the PC government is in the middle of sending out to families with children and low-income seniors. He adds the Provincial PCs will also be continuing with the phase-out of the Education Property Tax, noting those rebates will be increasing to 50 %, which he says will be a huge benefit to Manitoba farmers.

On the healthcare front, Guenter says they have done a lot of work to whittle down the surgical and diagnostic backlog, and recently put up $200 million to support the hiring of another 2,000 frontline healthcare workers to end mandatory overtime. 

"And we've also made it easier for internationally educated Nurses to be accredited in Manitoba, and to be placed where we need them in our hospitals. We have a multi-pronged approach in health care in terms of a rural health care capital plan, which has us building two new hospitals and expanding six others, Boundary Trails Health Centre is one. But we know that while the bricks and mortar are important, we also need the bodies."

Overall, Guenter said Tuesday's throne speech 'strikes a balance, it's about stability, and it's about boring government.' Guenter says that's the kind of government people are wanting to get back to, and what they expect.

“It's about getting results for people when it comes to health care. It's about allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money. And it's about public safety and ensuring that your communities are safe. There's too much crime happening all across the country and we've got to be focused on that. So, this is about us focusing on what citizens have asked the government to do. Our areas of responsibility, and making sure that we focus on that first and foremost. So, all in all, I think it's balanced. It's boring, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

One thing Guenter said he would have liked to have seen more progress on, and said he will continue to call attention to, is the Lettelier Water Treatment plant. He noted the Pembina Valley Water Co-op has the allocation to pull the required water from the Red River, the plant just can't treat the water from the Red fast enough to keep up with the demand of the growing region.