New provincial budget, Selinger’s St. Boniface seat hot topics when legislature resumes

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This article was published 05/03/2018 (2799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Will Greg Selinger make one final farewell appearance?

The former NDP premier intends to resign his St. Boniface seat Wednesday, the same day the Manitoba legislature resumes sitting — but Selinger won’t say if he’ll take his seat at 1:30 p.m. one last time before filing his letter of resignation.

An MLA since 1999, Selinger stepped down under pressure from NDP Leader Wab Kinew, after women came forward last month with accusations of sexual misconduct by former cabinet minister Stan Struthers while Selinger and Gary Doer were premier.

This is the first time MLAs have met since the Struthers allegations broke, as well as Premier Brian Pallister’s acknowledging he fired former deputy minister Rick Mantey after complaints of sexual harassment.

Pallister has announced new policies on sexual misconduct at the legislature, and Kinew has named his own commission to hear women’s stories and recommend policies.

The house sits only Wednesday and Thursday before Finance Minister Cameron Friesen tables his provincial budget March 12. Pallister has hinted there could be some tax savings in the budget, but austerity looks likely to be the Tory government’s priority as it controls spending and trims the public payroll.

Education Minister Ian Wishart has announced he’ll be tabling a significant amendment to the Public Schools Act, which would allow province-wide bargaining with 15,000 teachers whose collective bargaining agreements expire June 30. They’ll be subject to Bill 28’s wage controls, which limit wages and benefits increases to zero the first two years, 0.75 per cent the third year, and 1.0 per cent the fourth year.

Meanwhile, 11 government bills received first reading by the time the members took a break in December, including key proposed legislation on child-care regulations, cannabis retailing, sustainable watersheds, whistleblower protection, and floor-crossing.

The NDP has the right to delay up to five government bills to the fall, and provincial bargaining will likely be one of them.

The massive overhaul of the health-care system dominated the first two years of the Pallister government. While that’s well underway, the timing of the closings of the Seven Oaks and Concordia hospital emergency departments in Winnipeg is uncertain.

Last spring, the government tabled the Concussion in Youth Sports Act to widespread approval, but there the bill still sits.

“We will be conducting further consultations to help develop this important bill. This legislation is all about protecting children and youth athletes. This legislation is new in Canada, and we want to take the time to make sure we get it right,” Minister of Sport Cathy Cox said Monday.

A coalition of 25 labour unions takes the government to court May 29 and 30, seeking an injunction to block Bill 28 — the public-sector wage freeze — until a larger legal action can decide whether the controls are constitutional.

There are still details of the Pallister government’s carbon tax and about the sale of legal cannabis to be decided and announced.

A review of the province’s colleges is imminent, as is the study whether a business case can be made for public/private partnerships in major capital projects. Four schools would be the first P3 projects if the consultant gives a thumbs-up, but approval would also be a green light for the Tories to go P3 on a wide variety of capital projects.

The Public Utilities Board will rule in April whether Manitoba Hydro can increase its rates 7.9 per cent a year for six years. That decision is arm’s-length to the provincial government, but how that ruling affects Hydro’s finances and its massive debt over the Keeyask Generating Station megaproject will have a profound impact on Friesen’s books and Manitoba’s credit ratings.

And then there’s Selinger’s former seat to deal with — Pallister must call a by-election by Sept. 8.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca