Manitoba politicians spar as new Statistics Canada figures point to inflation jump

New numbers from Statistics Canada show Manitoba tied for the highest annual inflation rate among the provinces in April, driven in part by jumps in food prices and property taxes.

Manitoba politicians spar as new Statistics Canada figures point to inflation jump. New numbers from Statistics Canada show Manitoba tied for the highest annual inflation rate among the provinces in April, driven in part by jumps in food prices and property taxes. Manitoba’s inflation rate, compared with April of last year, was 4.3 per cent — tied with Nova Scotia and above the national average of 2.8 per cent. Property taxes and related charges rose 19 per cent while food costs rose 4.9 per cent — both were steeper increases than in any other province. The Manitoba government said it is helping the situation through a recent cut to the provincial fuel tax and higher tax credits for renters and homeowners. The NDP government is also planning to eliminate the provincial sales tax on more food as of July 1, but a bill to enact the change ha...