That’s a wrap on provincial legislative session

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This article was published 04/12/2021 (1761 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba legislature recessed for the holidays Thursday after quickly passing several bills, tossing some and introducing others, including one that will make it tougher for thieves to sell scrap metal.

The most notorious and well-known piece of legislation, Bill 64, the Education Modernization Act, was one of five bills killed when the majority Progressive Conservative government returned to the legislature Nov. 23. The legislation would have eliminated elected trustees in English-language school divisions.

One of the fastest turn-around times for legislation this sitting was Bill 3, the Family Maintenance Amendment Act, that modernized legislation on parentage one year after seven LGBTTQ+ couples won their case to have the old law struck down. The courts declared certain sections of law dealing with the rightful parents of children to be unconstitutional and found the legislation infringed on certain sections of the charter.

The new law was introduced Nov. 25 by Justice Minister Cameron Friesen and received royal assent Dec. 2 — just in time to meet a court-imposed deadline to update Manitoba’s legislation.

Finance Minister Scott Fielding’s Bill 6, the Workers Compensation Amendment Act, fulfilled a throne speech promise to cover more types of work- related cancer suffered by firefighters. It was introduced Nov. 26 and proclaimed Dec. 2. Its swift passage was no surprise to the Winnipeg firefighters union that openly supported Premier Heather Stefanson in the Progressive Conservative leadership election.

The justice minister was the busiest when it came to introducing legislation. Friesen brought forward four new bills. In addition to the legislation concerning parentage and surrogates that is now law, he introduced Bill 7 (the Police Services Amendment Act — Enhancing Independent Investigation Unit Operations) that changes the Police Services Act to improve the cop watchdog’s communication with the Indigenous community and imposes fines and penalties on officers who break the new rules.

Bill 8, the Court of Appeal Amendment and Provincial Court Amendment Act, ensures candidates for judicial appointments participate in education on matters related to sexual assault and social context, and outlines continuing education for judges. It changes Manitoba’s selection process for judges, increasing the number of those on the selection committee who are not judges or lawyers, and enhances accountability by assuring all those who apply will be evaluated by the committee.

Bill 9, the Scrap Metal Act, would increase accountability for scrap metal dealers and introduce barriers for people looking to make a quick buck on stolen metal, Friesen said. It requires scrap metal collectors to provide a mug shot and photo identification when exchanging their haul for cash.

Three of the bills that were introduced in the condensed legislative sitting aim to promote Indigenous reconciliation.

Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere’s Bill 4, the Path to Reconciliation Amendment Act, amends the former Path to Reconciliation Act to include references to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew once again introduced Bill 202 (the Louis Riel Act) that would bestow the honorary title of “First Premier of Manitoba” on Louis Riel and ensure that his contributions are part of the curriculum in all Manitoba schools.

NDP MLA Ian Bushie introduced Bill 200 (the Orange Shirt Day Statutory Holiday Act) to declare Sept. 30 a provincial statutory holiday but was “talked out” — meaning time expired in the house before it could proceed to a vote. Bushie promised that the bill would be back when the session resumes March 2.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca