Third Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXV No. 73A - 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 1, 2021 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne, Hon. Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey, Hon. Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek, Hon. Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC 3717 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, June 1, 2021 The House met at 10 a.m. reading motion of Bill 237 this morning, June 1st, 2021, at 10:55 a.m. Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): It is my duty to inform the House that the Speaker is unavoidably Should a recorded vote be requested, as per absent. Therefore, in accordance with the statutes, rule 23(7), that vote will be deferred until 11:55 a.m. I would ask the Deputy Speaker to please take the the next Thursday when the House is sitting to con- Chair. sider private members' business. Mr. Deputy Speaker (Doyle Piwniuk): O Eternal ORDERS OF THE DAY and Almighty God, from Whom all powered and PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable Government prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we House Leader, on government–on private members' pray Thee, that we may desire only in which is in business. accordance with Thy will, that we seek it with wisdom Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Government House and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly Leader): Mr. Deputy Speaker, could you please call for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the for debate this afternoon, bill two–[interjection]–this welfare of all our people. Amen. morning. Boy, it's got to be afternoon somewhere– Please be seated. Good morning. 237. Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (Official Opposition House Mr. Deputy Speaker: It has been called by the Leader): Could you canvass the House–could you honourable Government House Leader that we'll be– please canvass the House for leave to allow an on private members' business will be on Bill 237, The exemption to our dress code requirements so that the Elections Amendment Act, now under the name of the member for Keewatinook (Mr. Bushie) could wear a honourable member for Brandon East. traditional ribbon shirt as he participates in House SECOND READINGS–PUBLIC BILLS proceedings virtually today? Bill 237–The Elections Amendment Act Mr. Deputy Speaker: Is there leave to allow the–an exception to our dress code requirement so that the Mr. Len Isleifson (Brandon East): I move, member from Keewatinook could wear the traditional seconded by the honourable member for McPhillips ribbon shirt as he participates in the House pro- (Mr. Martin), that Bill 237, The Elections ceedings virtually–is there–today? Amendment Act, be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House. Is there leave? [Agreed] Motion presented. Deputy Speaker's Statement Mr. Isleifson: Well, thank you again and good Mr. Deputy Speaker: I am now advising the morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It's good to see every- House that I have received a letter from the one this morning. Government House Leader indicating that the gov- ernment of caucus has identified Bill 237, The I am pleased to introduce Bill 237, The Elections Elections Amendment Act, as the first of their three Amendment Act, this morning and put a few words on selected bills for this session. the record. This bill will update The Elections Act by re- As a reminder of the House, the rule 24 permits quiring any leader of any recognized party to be open, each recognized party to select up to three private transparent and upfront with their past financial members' bills per session to proceed to a second records. To do so, this bill would require the leader of reading vote and requires the House leader to provide any registered political party to file their income tax written notice as to the date and time of the vote. statements with both their income and their tax The Government House Leader has therefore payments with the chief elections officer and then to advised that the questions will be put on the second the public. 3718 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 1, 2021 The readers of–pardon me–the leaders of recog- higher standard of responsibility, and public dis- nized parties would disclose the amount of income tax closure is required and will be required by this bill. that they have paid for the last 20 years, thereby increasing the transparency for Manitobans in regards This legislation will provide Manitobans with to who is running for public office. information that many of them would like to see. And I think that we can all agree that our leaders, To reiterate, Mr. Deputy Speaker, leaders of rec- regardless of political affiliation, should be open and ognized parties would have to disclose their tax honest with the Manitobans they are hoping to serve information for the last 20 years or until they were in public office. 18 years old. I believe this legislation will broaden the open- You see, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I've been involved ness and maybe even shine a light on the financial in a number of elections as both a volunteer and as a actions of leaders of political parties, just like it did candidate. During these times I have heard numerous when former British Prime Minister David Cameron conversations around tax documents of leadership who–released his income tax returns from the past candidates and how these should be made public. In seven years when he was in office. addition, when election season comes around, we often hear the leaders of political parties sparring over Mr. Deputy Speaker, we're certainly at a time releasing their tax forms or requesting their opponents where there are more demands for public trans- to do so. parency, and see, in March 2017, I was very fortunate to attend a global meeting of world leaders at the This legislation would proactively solve this issue Organisation for Economic Co-operation and by requiring that information on the amount of taxes Development in Paris. At the conclusion of the anti- paid would be released. This establishes a standard corruption in politics conference, I wrote a report on that all party leaders would have to abide by, and by how to create a corrupt-free world by changing the putting in legislation, everybody who is seeking the little things one at a time. leadership of a party will know well ahead of time what that standard is. * (10:10) The current wording of this bill allows One can also review the research by the American Manitobans to have a deep look into the leaders' Economic Association article titled Disclosure by history of tax payments or evasion. Additionally, it Politicians, as it shows that public disclosure, rather would also be required that they provide their notices than confidential disclosure, is associated with of assessment to the chief 'electorial' officer, in order lowering perceived corruption and creating better that they may verify the accuracy of the declaration. government. I do want to note that this bill does not require that On May 25th, 2021, the current NDP leader stated the actual tax returns or notices of assessments be in the Legislature, and I'll quote: The person that you made public, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Bill 237 simply are on the way is the person that you will become represents a balance between the transparency that is when you sit in the chair. End of quote. This bill will often asked for around election time, while respecting help to highlight the morale character of those in the privacy of personal financial information. leadership roles and who they were on the way to get there. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I do believe that while others want to speak, and I do look forward to Mr.