By The Canadian Press
The Manitoba legislature chamber, shown on Wednesday Jan. 6, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert)
Manitoba’s new Progressive Conservative government says the province is facing a $1 billion deficit.
That’s 50 per cent higher than the deficit outlined in March by the previous NDP government.
Finance Minister Cameron Friesen says the NDP deliberately overstated revenue projections and exceeded budgeted spending.
He says the hole left by the NDP is large and can’t be explained by the economic downturn.
Friesen wouldn’t say exactly what impact the deficit will have on the Tory party’s promises, including balancing the books.
But he says the government is determined to roll back the provincial sale tax hike brought in by the NDP in 2013.
