Manitoba's Finance Minister feels good about the work the governing Conservatives were able to accomplish during the fall session of the Mantioba Legislature.

Cameron Friesen admits they have an aggressive legislative agenda that they are pursuing, which includes some new initiatives.

"There' some new legislation that we have introduced that will come back in the spring including a Red Tape Reduction Task Force that we just announced that we believe will have a real effect in creating better conditions for businesses and non-profits to succeed. There are some very good areas for improvement and we're getting that work done."

Meanwhile, the fiscal challenges facing Manitoba have not changed since the PCs took office in April. According to Friesen, the out of control spending by the previous NDP government increased the provincial debt to $21-billion dollars, on which Manitoba pays over $855-million in interest charges a year. That's money Friesen says could be better spent on front line services.

"It's difficult to just turn the tap off on overspending because we must continue to deliver services. Right now, we're working hard on what will form our thinking and the content for the 2017/18 budget that we'll deliver in the spring. So the Treasury Board, departments and ministers are sharpening those pencils and doing the heavy lifting of looking for areas where we can save, where we can eliminate duplication and waste."

Friesen says, once the next budget is announced in spring, it will be crucial for all departments to hit their spending targets.

"In the past, not enough discipline was exercised in that way, but we have to get there for the sake of all us."

Meanwhile, Friesen will be heading off to Ottawa for a meeting of Canada's finance ministers next week to discuss a variety of issues, including the Canada Pension Plan.

Manitoba initially refused to participate in a federal government initiative to revamp the CPP last summer, unless Ottawa was open to some of the province's own proposals for improving it. The province eventually signed on only after federal officials agreed to conduct research and analysis of the province's proposals.