View From the Legislature

Last Thursday saw the close of the fall sitting of the Third Session of the 41st Legislature, where our government was able to introduce several legislative measures focused on fixing the province’s finances, improving services, and rebuilding the economy.

Some of the measures introduced include:

• the safe and responsible retailing of cannabis act, to help keep cannabis out of the hands of youth and away from the black market
• the sustainable watersheds act, Canada’s most comprehensive watershed legislation to improve the health of Manitoba’s waterways and the first major step in the Made-in-Manitoba Green Plan
• the public sector compensation disclosure amendment act, to better inform Manitobans on how tax dollars are spent; the public interest disclosure (whistleblower protection) amendment act, which enhances the investigative powers of the ombudsman while further strengthening protection for Manitobans who make disclosures
• the government notices modernization act, which improves access to various government notices by publishing them online and free of charge on a weekly basis
• the community child care standards amendment act, which amends the province’s early learning and child care legislation to reduce red tape, address gaps and enhance governance and accountability
• legislation to streamline provincially appointed agencies, boards and commissions to ensure they deliver effective services and provide value for money

As legislators, we look forward to having full debate about all these pieces of legislation, as well as others we intend to bring forward, in our continuing effort to make Manitoba the most improved province in Canada.