Impasse continues over proposed intoxication law

The government and opposition Tories are digging in their heels over a bill to detain intoxicated people.

Government house leader, Nahanni Fontaine, urged the Progressive Conservatives to help lessen a “public health crisis” by voting for the bill that would allow intoxicated people to be detained for up to 72 hours.

If they don’t, the session that was set to end Thursday will resume Monday, Fontaine wrote in a letter to the opposition Tuesday.

“Every day, Manitobans encounter individuals in public spaces who are severely intoxicated, including those experiencing meth-induced psychosis, and in need of care, not criminalization,” her letter said.

Premier Wab Kinew said Monday he would extend the legislative session “as long as it takes” to pass Bill 48, the Protective Detention and Care of Intoxicated Persons Act, which was introduced Oct. 2. He railed against the Tories for refusing to vote on it until their proposed amendments are debated.

“The premier wants to jam this through as fast as he can without any accountability, without any checks and balances,” PC Leader Obby Khan said after question period Tuesday.

The PCs said they support the bill in principle but want to debate amendments to it, including a required 45-day consultation period to address community concerns about the 72-hour protective detention centre. The province has a 20-bed facility at 190 Disraeli Fwy. that is ready to open once the legislation is passed and regulations are in place.

“We want to get it right,” Khan said. “They want to jam it through.”

Fontaine’s letter said the system is not equipped to respond effectively or humanely, and that Bill 48 offers a new path that prioritizes safety, dignity and access to care over punitive measures.

After question period, the government house leader accused the Tories of “political theatrics” and “putting their egos before Manitobans, before Manitoba families, before keeping our streets safe and before helping and ensuring that Manitobans that are the most vulnerable and need supports and services have access to them,” Fontaine said.

“I don’t know about anybody else, but I would submit that, you know, Manitobans aren’t happy with that.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca