Legislative Reports
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Legislative Reports • introducing a comprehensive ment. This included the govern- crystal meth strategy; ment’s failure: • • strengthening Manitoba’s Gang to commit to the principle of ac- Prosecution Unit; and countability in the delivery of public health care services in • further reductions to personal in- Manitoba; come taxes in 2006. • to adequately address the causes of crime; and In his amendment to the Address • to commit to a process leading to in Reply motion, Official Opposi- electoral reform and improved Manitoba tion Leader Stuart Murray identi- democracy in Manitoba. fied a number of government failures, including: n October 27, 2005, Lieuten- Mr. Gerrard’s sub-amendment was defeated on division, while Mr. Oant-Governor John Harvard • failure to acknowledge the esca- Murray’s amendment was defeated delivered the NDP government’s lating debt of the province; eighth Speech from the Throne, on a recorded vote of 18 yeas, 32 • opening the Fourth Session of the failure to present a plan to ad- nays. On November 8, 2005 the dress the fact that Manitoba is the main motion carried on division. Thirty-Eighth Legislature. The highest taxed province through- House sat for just over six weeks, re- out all of Canada; Legislation cessing for the winter break on De- • failure to address the fact that cember 8, 2005. since 1999 gangs have flourished The government introduced 20 Speech from the Throne in Manitoba; bills during this fall sitting, with • failure to address the doctor nine of them completing the legisla- Debate on the Throne Speech domi- shortages, emergency room clo- tive process to receive Royal Assent. nated the first two weeks of the sit- sures and downgraded health The legislation addresses a range of care services throughout rural governance areas, including: ting. The address conveyed a range Manitoba; of government proposals and com- • mitments, including: failure to consider, within a pub- • Bill 8 – The Official Time Amend- licly funded, single-payer health ment Act, which provides that, care system, the development of • new legislation to ensure en- starting in 2007 in accordance public-private partnerships for with the North American trend, hanced capacity to deal with the delivery of health care ser- emergencies; daylight saving time will run vices; from the second Sunday in March • a commitment to 1,000 mega- • failure to support the desperate to the first Sunday in November. watts of wind generation over the plight of agriculture producers; • next decade; Bill 11 – The Winter Heating Cost and Control Act, which prohibits any • addressing wait lists identified in • failure to call an independent further increases in natural gas the First Ministers’ Accord in- public inquiry into the Crocus prices for customers of Centra cluding joint replacement, car- Fund scandal. Gas during the 2005-06 winter diac treatment, cancer treatment, heating season, and allows the sight restoration and diagnostic government to limit such price in- imaging; Jon Gerrard (Independent Lib- creases in 2006-07. The Bill also requires Manitoba Hydro to es- • completing the replacement of all eral – River Heights) moved a sub-amendment to Mr. Murray’s tablish a stabilization and afford- 160 ambulances in the province’s able energy fund. Bill 11 is fleet in the coming year; amendment identifying further dis- currently listed at Debate on Sec- appointments with the govern- ond Reading on our Order Paper. SPRING 2006 /CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW 41 • Bill 18 – The Highway Traffic mittee, the level of input from the deputy ministers as witnesses be- Amendment Act (Countermea- public on this Bill was most note- fore the PAC. sures Against Impaired Drivers and Other Offenders), which worthy. During seven meetings of PC Leadership Contest gives the same status to alco- the Standing Committee on Social & hol-related offences committed in Economic Development, MLAs After five years as Leader of the Of- the United States as those com- heard 183 presentations on the Bill ficial Opposition, Mr. Murray re- mitted in Canada for the pur- and received 17 written submis- poses of suspension of drivers’ cently announced his intention to sions. licences and related administra- resign as leader of the Progressive tive sanctions. It also gives the Rule Changes Conservative party. On November same status to offences for which the offender is found guilty, but 5, 2005, delegates to the party’s an- receives a discharge. The Bill also On December 7, 2005 the Standing nual convention voted on the reso- restricts certain offenders to driv- Committee on the Rules of the lution “Do you want a leadership ing only motor vehicles equipped House met to discuss a number of convention”. While 55% of mem- with an ignition-interlock device proposed amendments to our bers defeated the resolution, Mr. after their suspensions expire. Rules. The Committee adopted the Murray still requested a leadership package after some debate, and convention be held. On November One Bill eclipsed all others later in the same sitting day the 14, Mr. Murray announced that he however in terms of public interest. House received the Committee’s re- would not enter the leadership race Bill 7 – The Architects and Engineers port, concurring it in immediately. and would step down once the Scope of Practice Dispute Settlement The rules amendments included: party chose a new leader. The Party Act (Various Acts Amended), set the leadership convention for amended three Acts to address the • changes to the Membership ar- April 29, 2006 in Winnipeg, with a scope of practice dispute between rangements for the Public Ac- provision for a second vote, if neces- counts Committee (PAC); architects and professional engi- sary, on May 13, 2006. neers. • increasing the number of annual By-Election The amendments to The Architects mandated PAC meetings from Act included provisions that clarify four to “six to eight”; John the circumstances in which a profes- • provisions for calling Ministers In late September 2005, sional engineer can do engineering and deputy ministers as wit- Loewen (PC – Fort Whyte) resigned work that would also be considered nesses before the PAC; and his seat in the provincial Legislature architectural work; and facilitate • changes to the order of items in and announced his intention to seek the joint practice of architecture and Routine Proceedings, moving up the Liberal party nomination in the professional engineering. “Introduction of Bills” as the first federal riding of Charleswood – St. item in the routine. James – Assiniboia. In the subse- The Bill also amended The Build- quent provincial by-election in the ings and Mobile Homes Act to provide Standing Committee on Public Accounts Fort Whyte riding held on Decem- clear authority for amendments to ber 13, 2005, Hugh McFayden re- the Manitoba Building Code that The Manitoba Public Accounts turned the seat for the Progressive are required to settle the scope of Committee met on four occasions in Conservative party. practice dispute. November and December of 2005 to The current standings in the The amendments to The Engineer- consider a great volume of out- Manitoba House are: NDP 35, Pro- ing and Geoscientific Professions Act standing reports. At the first meet- gressive Conservative 20, Inde- mirrored several of the amend- ing the Committee passed 10 pendent Liberals 2. Barring an early ments to The Architects Act, includ- reports, clearing up some of the emergency sitting, the House is set ing provisions for a more timely and backlog. At the subsequent meet- to resume for the spring sitting on effective resolution of disputes be- ings the PAC considered Auditor March 6, 2006. tween the two professions. General’s reports on the Crocus Ultimately supported by both the Fund and an Adult Learning Cen- Rick Yarish official opposition and the two inde- tre. In addition to debate on the con- Clerk Assistant / pendent Liberals, Bill 7 received tent of the reports, these meetings Clerk of Committees Royal Assent on November 30, also heard extended debate over the 2005. While MLAs debated Bill 7 ex- interpretation of the new provisions tensively in the House and in com- in our rules for calling Ministers and 42 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW / SPRING 2006 extending the $100 Registered media attention as they are both leg- Education Savings Plans grant islative precedents in Canada. payable to children at ages 8, 11 and 14 who were born in Alberta Privilege in 2005 and beyond, to now in- clude all Alberta children turning 8, 11 and 14 years of age. On May 17, 2005, the last regular sit- ting day of the Spring Session, Laurie Blakeman, Official Opposi- Private Bills tion House Leader, gave notice that she would be raising a question of Alberta One Private Bill was passed during privilege on the next regular sitting the Fall Sitting. Bill Pr4, Brooklyn day regarding an alleged alterca- he Fall Sitting of the First Ses- Hannah George Rewega Right of Civil tion that took place in the Members' Tsion of the 26th Legislature ad- Action Act, allows this child to com- lounge behind the Chamber be- journed on December 1, 2005 after mence an action against her mother tween a member of her caucus, Rick 11 sitting days. By the conclusion of for injuries sustained in a traffic ac- Miller (Lib, Edmonton- the sitting, 18 Government Bills and cident that occurred prior to birth. Rutherford), and a member of the one Private Bill were passed by the The daughter is alleged to have suf- Government caucus, Tony Abbott Assembly. During the Fall Sitting, fered brain damage and blindness (PC, Drayton Valley-Calmar). The the Assembly also approved sup- as a result of a single vehicle acci- incident arose over comments made plementary estimates totalling dent that occurred when her mother by Mr. Miller during the routine $1,770,397,000 for 13 departments.