Winnipeg, MB – Brian Pallister has made life harder for people in the North – he’s cut health care in Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson, privatized LifeFlight, cut the Northern Transportation Program and said it’s ‘business as usual’ as the North loses thousands of jobs.

But Pallister made it all worse by cutting the education property tax credit for hundreds of Northern homeowners in Flin Flon, The Pas, Thompson and other communities. Documents obtained through FIPPA show a change Pallister hid in a nearly 70-page bill raised taxes on hundreds of homeowners in Flin Flon and throughout the North this year.

“Pallister hiked taxes on 500 homeowners in Flin Flon this year – some residents will see their taxes go up by $550 a year. That’s a massive hit to Northerners who are already suffering from Pallister’s cuts,” said Tom Lindsey, NDP candidate for Flin Flon. “We know every dollar counts but Pallister decided he would raise taxes on those who have the least – it’s an insult to hard working northern families”.

Pallister’s 2018 Budget Implementation Bill eliminated the ability to transfer unused education property tax credits to offset municipal taxes. This meant that 500 people in Flin Flon saw their overall tax bill increase by up to $500 last year.

“Pallister doesn’t care about the North – and that’s why he’s making it harder for folks who live here,” said Lindsey. “Only Wab Kinew and the NDP are fighting for health care and a more affordable life for Northern families.”