Manitoba Tories challenge provincial sales tax increase in court

WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s Opposition Tories are in court arguing the governing NDP broke the law when it raised the provincial sales tax last year.

Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister says his party isn’t asking the judge to rule on whether increasing the tax was fair.

He says the issue is that the NDP broke the law because it didn’t hold a referendum on the tax change.

The government suspended that requirement at the same time as it introduced the tax increase.

Tory lawyer Robert Tapper told court the province hasn’t given any justification for its actions.

The NDP says the government has the right to raise the tax and sidestep a referendum.