Premier Greg Selinger is encouraged by this week's positive economic outlook from the Conference Board of Canada.

The board's spring outlook predicts Manitoba will post real GDP growth of 2.8 per cent this year and again in 2016.

Selinger says it appears government policies designed to strengthen the provincial economy are working.

 

"That's exactly what we wanted to see happen when we put that $5.5 billion infrastructure program in place over 5 years and we're working with all our partners at the community level, the private sector and our labour force to make sure they're well trained to do these good jobs," said Selinger.

The Premier says that infrastructure investment will help protect communities from flooding and ensure greater prosperity in the future by having roadways that provide access to our major markets for our products, like Highway 75, which is Manitoba's busiest trade route into the U.S.

 

"When you have success everybody deserves credit for it and we're completely comfortable sharing the good news with everybody and ensuring that everybody gets credit for the good work they're doing to make the economy strong."

You can hear all of Selinger's comments on a variety of issues on the Premier's Report which airs on CJRB Radio 1220 on Fridays at 11:45 am.

 

Meanwhile, Manitoba's opposition leader doesn't quite see it that way. Brian Pallister doesn't think the Selinger government should take any credit and suggests the NDP has done nothing to stimulate the Board's glowing economic forecast for our province in the next two years.

 

"The Conference Board also said that the reason for the glowing economic forecast had nothing to do with the government doing anything right," said Pallister. It was principally due to the price of oil declining at a record rate and that actually helps Manitoba verses other provinces, and in fact, we're one of only two provinces in Canada that actually benefit because of our strong, diverse economy and our export orientation. We benefit when oil prices drop."

Pallister accuses the Selinger government of always taking the credit for good stuff and blaming somebody else for the bad stuff. "That's the nature of the NDP."

Pallister made the comments for the weekly radio program The Other Side which can be heard Fridays on CJRB 1220 at 1:15 pm.