The Second Session of Manitoba's 40th Legislature got underway this week with the Speech from the Throne.

The contents of the speech indicate Manitoba's NDP government is re-evaluating its projection of balancing its books by the 2014-15 fiscal year. Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux says a softening world economy has forced them to deal with those financial realities. Lemieux says the province is not alone in readjusting its target for eliminating the deficit.

"The federal government is taking a closer look at its projections as we are and other provinces are doing the same. We're certainly re-evaluating what's happening on the global side and also more regionally here in Manitoba and the other provinces."

Meanwhile, this week's throne speech also outlined the Selinger government's plan to create new regional treatment hubs in Brandon, Steinbach, Selkirk and Thompson in the coming year. The CancerCare Manitoba hubs will provide patients with extended care closer to home and under one roof. Lemieux says that's a huge improvement for rural Manitobans.

"The announcement the Health Minister made is truly important to rural Manitoba because, as we see it, rural Manitobans are Manitobans like anybody else. They want to get the services closer to home and we really feel we're moving forward on a plan to provide Manitobans with faster cancer care treatment."

Lemieux made his comments on this week's Premier's Report, a program that airs on radio stations AM 1250 every Friday at 11:45 a.m. when the Legislature is in session.

This start of this session marked the return of Brian Pallister to the Manitoba Legislature, this time, however, as the new leader of the opposition Tories. Pallister lead off by calling on the Selinger government to raise the Basic Personal Exemption on income tax. The NDP say such a move isn't possible during this period of high deficits. Pallister says he's not proposing anything radical.

"What we're proposing is something that would put us to the Canadian average and leave $400.00 more in the hands of working families. That may not sound like much to somebody like the Premier who is used to dealing with millions and billions of dollars. But $400.00 can be the difference for a family between having piano lessons or hockey for a child or not. It's a significant amount of money for working families and we believe it should be in their hands, not in the hands of the NDP."

Meanwhile, one of the issues raised in the throne speech that has created a real buzz among rural municipal politicians is the province's push to have smaller populated municipalities amalgamate with their neighbours. Pallister says the province has handled this issue poorly.

"To go to the media and tell these folks, we're going to tell these folks what to do, without even consulting with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities first, is, to me, counterproductive at the very least and disrespectful of the people who you are trying to build a relationship with. The government made a big mistake by doing that. They put on a show of what they were going to do rather than being respectful and going to the municipalities and saying let's work this out as partners in governments."

Pallister made his comments on the radio program The Other Side which airs on AM 1250 every Friday at 1:15 p.m. during the legislative session.