View From the Legislature

Last week Manitoba’s NDP Premier surprised some observers by stating it was a priority of his new government to change the prayer that begins each legislative sitting day at the Manitoba Legislature. This might have been surprising to Manitobans for a couple of reasons. The first being that almost certainly most Manitobans didn’t know that there was a prayer at the beginning of the sitting day and secondly at a time when people are struggling with the high cost of living and crime, this may not have been seen as a top priority.

The prayer itself has been given in the Legislature for many decades. It is followed by a land acknowledgement that was adopted in recent years. Every Legislature has their own way of starting their day. Some, like Saskatchewan, have a similar prayer. Others have alternating prayers that reflect different faiths or offer a moment of reflection. Recently I visited the Alberta legislature which incorporated at the beginning of its day the singing of O Canada by their MLAs.

One important aspect of how Legislature’s begin their day is that it is determined by the members of the Assembly collectively, not simply by the Premier or the government. In fact, there is a formal committee that deals with rules of the house, and all political parties and all independent members, are part of the committee. Before any changes to the prayer or other procedures of the house can occur, the rules committee must unanimously agree to them. The requirement for unanimous consent to change rules and procedures is for good reason. It would be a dangerous precedent to allow a Premier or a government to arbitrarily change rules that govern the Assembly, including how bills are democratically debated and passed.

Ultimately, despite public pronouncements to the contrary by the Premier and the government, the procedure to change any of the Legislature rules or proceedings, including the prayer, will need to go through the required proper process.

Whatever changes the NDP hope to make to the opening prayer are a little unclear. And if there is a desire to examine how each day begins in the Legislature it should have a wider scope than just considering the prayer. It should include looking at other jurisdictions to see what their practices are (such as the singing of O Canada which is done regularly in some Legislatures). And that broader examination would ultimately have to conclude with an agreement of the Assembly as a whole, as required under the rules of the Manitoba Legislature.

Personally, I would like to see the prayer maintained in some fashion. I have found that it offers a quiet time of reflection reminding Members of their duty to act on behalf of all Manitobans and seeking wisdom in carrying out that duty. As Question Period closely follows the prayer, a frequent observer might wonder if the spoken prayer actually results in better decorum or collegiality. That would be a fair question. But regardless of its collective impact, it is a time for each member to individually reflect, if briefly, on their own actions and duty.

For those of you wondering what the current prayer is, here is the text of what is read at the beginning of each day by the Speaker of the House.

“O Eternal and Almighty God, from whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province.

Grant O merciful God we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly.

For the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.”