View From the Legislature

The second session of the 41st legislature concluded last week, having passed numerous government bills focused on fixing the finances, repairing the services and rebuilding the economy. Manitoba politicians of all stripes stayed up all night Thursday in the legislature to pass laws before the end of the legislative session, with proceedings delayed for about four hours when the microphone and sound system in the legislature chamber stopped working. Once sorted out, debate continued on the nine bills in front of the house and voting lasted until 4 a.m. Friday. From being a Canadian leader in safety-focused cannabis legislation, to the North American leader in comprehensive red tape reduction, our government achieved a lot in this session and moves Manitoba forwards to becoming Canada’s most improved province. Significant results were achieved during this session for Manitobans, we were elected last year with an ambitious agenda and have accomplished a great deal in a relative short period of time. There remains a lot to be done, but I am proud of our government as we moved ahead with meaningful legislation aimed at improving life for Manitoba families.

Legislation passed this fall includes: marketing freedom for freshwater fishers; a modernized approach to elections laws, including a more accurate voters’ list, to provide better service to voters; reducing red tape for Manitobans, raising of the minimum wage and indexing it to the rate of inflation, allowing municipalities to decide how best to enable a responsible, reliable and economical taxicab industry, including provisions for ride-sharing; and steps to keep Manitoba tuition the lowest in Western Canada while also providing additional support directly to post-secondary students.

I am most proud in the passing of Bill 34: The Medical Assistance in Dying (Protection for Health Professionals and Others) Act. This bill grants protections for health professionals who on grounds of conscious objection, cannot be forced to participate in a medically assisted suicide. The positive response from Manitobans was incredible, with my office receiving over 14,000 hand signed pieces of correspondence in favour. In total, 38 pieces of legislation were passed in the session, including 28 bills passed prior to the June adjournment. Those bills include: repealing the East Side Road Authority, ratifying Manitoba’s membership in the New West Partnership, protecting taxpayers and maintaining fiscal discipline, and harm prevention measures related to legalized cannabis. The legislature will now be on a break until Nov. 21, when the Progressive Conservative government will announce its plans for the coming year in a speech from the throne. We remain focused on achieving results for Manitobans and any measures not completed in this session will be brought back in the new session.