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Budget proposes welcomed but marginal funding increase to support implementation of landmark AMA

Mar 13, 2018

Based on the budget papers released yesterday, the government is proposing an increase of $30,000 (3.8%) in the overall budget for the Disability Issues Office (DIO), the government unit with lead responsibility for the implementation of the the AMA.

This is more modest one-year increase than had been approved in the DIO's 2017/18 budget. The increase in last year's budget was $136,000 or about 21%.

These are welcomed increases. At the same time, the DIO's total budget was $656,000 for 2016/17 and it was struggling to back then to meet its responsibilities with that level of resources. The DIO's responsibilities have grown enormously over the last two years and they will grow even more in the next two years.

Having not had an adequate budget in 2016/17, the DIO's projected budget of $822,000 for 2018/19 seems even less adequate now.

Notably, it is difficult to confidently assess the adequacy of resources in the absence of a comprehensive implementation plan for the AMA. Four years after the passage of the AMA, a comprehensive plan has yet to be developed, or even an monitoring and compliance regime.

The increase for the DIO in this year's budget is slightly above the 3% increase for the department of Families, the department that the DIO is housed within.

This 3% increase for Familes is the second highest among all government departments (see below)

The Province's 2018/19 budget is, understandably, getting considerable media attention.

For examples of media coverage, please visit:

Winnipeg Free Press: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Budget-2018-476049633.html

CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/2018-manitoba-budget-highlights-1.4572273

We also invite you to vist Abilities Manitoba's coverage of the budget at: https://www.facebook.com/AbilitiesMB/photos/a.1699480360311937.1073741829.1697608037165836/2000658473527456/?type=3&theater

Graph of % changes to proposed departmental spending

The graphic above was published by the Winnipeg Free Press.

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