[TSN]

I would throw out the comparisons with BC/Alberta. They are largely resources oriented economies in which their industries require a ton of manpower, hence the high employment growth rates. Manitoba should outperform anybody out east and IMO, the best measuring stick would be Ontario/Quebec since they are diversified economies, much like Manitoba, albeit on a bigger scale.

If you look at payroll/corporate taxes, Manitoba's are quite comparable today to those in Ontario and Quebec, and that's only been fairly recently. They were higher before, which could explain the drag on the economy. I think it'll be interesting to see how Manitoba stacks up against these place over the next few years. According to the Conference Board, the three provinces are projected to be quite comparable.

No doubt, taxes could be 'tweaked' a bit more but taxes are only part of the cost of doing business. If they were the only thing, you'd see everybody stampeding to Alberta, I don't see anybody flocking out of Toronto to come to Calgary anymore. And I don't see companies moving en masse from NYC to Dallas either.