Critics of NDP Green Team funding cuts get their meeting with province

Critics of Manitoba's decision to cut funding to a grant program that created jobs for young people got a meeting with government officials Thursday.

Two dozen organizations were in the gallery of the Manitoba Legislature and were later invited to speak with government officials, after the Progressive Conservatives spent much of question period criticizing the NDP government's decision to reduce Green Team funding. 

Green Team grants are given to non-profit organizations and municipal governments to hire youth and young adults to work on community projects over the summer months. 

"Now I expect that someone on that side of the chamber will get up, pat themselves on the back and tell us what they did fund," Tory interim leader Wayne Ewasko said during question period.

"While they're at it, maybe they can explain, if the criteria didn't change, how exactly they picked the winners and losers."

This year, $5.6 million was distributed, which is $4 million less than the $9.6 million given out last year by the former PC government.

The NDP is distributing the money this year to around 540 projects, down from around 700 last year. 

Summer camps have been impacted by the cuts, along with sports groups for young people, daycares and faith-based organizations. Many groups say they're either getting less money from the province, or nothing at all.

Some representatives from the organizations were slated to speak to media Thursday, but instead went into their meeting with the government.

The office of Ian Bushie, the government minister responsible for the program, didn't answer late Thursday if the province made any promises to the group. 

Some of the organizations that got funding last year, but were declined this year, include On the Move daycare, Carpathia Children's Centre, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Camp Massad and Mennonite Church Manitoba, the PCs said.

Ewasko asked why the NDP would cut out those organizations, but deputy premier Uzoma Asagwara instead asked the opposition to apologize for its 2023 election campaign before inviting representatives from the organizations to speak with the government. 

"We want to meet directly with those who are saying they're impacted," said Asagwara. "We want to learn exactly what those impacts are, we want to have a conversation with them to make sure that we have a full understanding of what the issues are that they're bringing forward."

Later in question period, municipal relations critic Trevor King asked how many programs were rejected.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe responded by saying there were over 800 applications for the program, with 539 projects being funded that will see more than 1,000 young people employed.

"We know that it's a priority to continue this," he said. 

Tensions also ran high in the session when Tory finance critic Obby Khan asked why the NDP "targeted" faith-based organizations in the Fort Whyte constituency, where he is MLA. Some heckling from both parties followed, as Wiebe responded.

"We won't play politics with this important program. We support this program and we support it in a sustainable way that the members opposite never took seriously," Wiebe said.