The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is slamming the Manitoba government for backtracking on ‘groundbreaking’ work to reduce red tape.
Every year, CFIB announces recipients of its Paperweight Awards showcasing what it describes as egregious examples of red tape mismanagement across the country.
This year, the Province of Manitoba has received the dubious honour.
“I think that there is now just an absence of transparency and accountability, and that’s something that the government needs to answer for,” said Brianna Solberg, CFIB’s director of legislative affairs for the Prairies and northern Canada.
So what did the province do to earn this award? CFIB said the government backtracked on regulatory accountability when it introduced Bill 16. Solberg said the bill removes Manitoba’s obligations to count incoming regulations, removing an old regulation for every new one added, and measure regulatory burdens.
“It’s essentially the equivalent to trying to weigh something without a scale,” Solberg said. “There is no way to measure how much regulatory burden is being imposed on businesses and residents if we don’t have some form of count.”
She said prior to Bill 16, the province was a leader in regulatory management.
“It was an example for provinces across Canada as to how to go about measuring reporting and being held accountable in terms of red tape,” she said.
The change has earned Manitoba the title of 2025 Paperweight Awards winner.
Bill 16 aimed at ensuring tax dollars are used effectively: justice minister
When asked for a response, the province provided a statement from Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe.
“Our government passed Bill 16 to ensure tax dollars are used effectively to deliver better results for Manitobans,” the statement reads. “The former PC government had a convoluted system where over 300 civil servants spent thousands of hours counting regulations rather than delivering the services Manitobans rely on.”
The statement said the province will continue working with the business community.
The province wasn’t alone. The City of Winnipeg was among the honourees for the awards. CFIB said the city is charging $28 for residents and businesses to see their tax assessments.
However, a city spokesperson said property owners can get their current year’s assessment mailed free of charge.
“Copies of tax account statements, property tax bills, or assessment notices from previous years are available for a service fee, which covers the cost of staff time, mailing, and printing,” the spokesperson said, noting previous assessments or tax bills can be accessed for free in person at the 311 Customer Service counter in the Susan A. Thompson Building.
