If re-elected this fall, the PC Party of Manitoba says they will remove the PST from the sale of trees and flowers. 

Janice Morley-Lecomte, PC candidate for Seine River, made the announcement on Wednesday, saying they want Manitoba families to have the opportunity to beautify their homes and neighbourhoods. 

“More trees and plants mean cleaner air and healthier communities. We believe these measures will make home and community greening efforts more affordable and help us all add an extra splash of nature to our streets.”

Fruit and vegetable plants are already exempt from PST, Morley-Lecomte noted. Extending the exemption will build on the PCs’ commitment in Budget 2023 to plant an extra 1 million trees every year in rural, urban, and Indigenous communities across Manitoba over the next decade, she said.

“That has an equivalent impact of taking more than 16,000 cars off the road,” said Sheilah Restall, PC candidate for McPhillips. “I’m proud to be with a party fighting for a greener future for Manitoba and working to restore our natural landscapes and renew our urban canopy and streetscapes.”

She says extending the PST exemption will also remove administrative red tape and stimulate business for local growers.

“Making it more affordable for Manitobans to buy plants is a great initiative,” said Kevin Twomey, former owner of T&T Seeds. “Plants are good for our mental wellbeing, and they absorb carbon from the atmosphere. More plants is good for Manitoba and good for local greenhouses and small businesses.”

The provincial election will be held on October 3, 2023.