Second Session - Thirty-Ninth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Standing Committee on Justice Chairperson Mr. Daryl Reid Constituency of Transcona Vol. LX No. 7 - 8 p.m., Monday, June 2, 2008 ISSN 1708-6671 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Ninth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park N.D.P. BOROTSIK, Rick Brandon West P.C. BRAUN, Erna Rossmere N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. BRIESE, Stuart Ste. Rose P.C. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage la Prairie P.C. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach P.C. GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Garry N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. JHA, Bidhu Radisson N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LATHLIN, Oscar, Hon. The Pas N.D.P. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARCELINO, Flor Wellington N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PEDERSEN, Blaine Carman P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SARAN, Mohinder The Maples N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELBY, Erin Southdale N.D.P. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew, Hon. Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 325 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE Monday, June 2, 2008 TIME – 8 p.m. MATTERS UNDER CONSIDERATION: LOCATION – Winnipeg, Manitoba Bill 14–The Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona) Bill 26–The Legal Profession Amendment Act VICE-CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Rob Altemeyer Bill 35–The Statutes Correction and Minor (Wolseley) Amendments Act, 2008 Bill 37–The Lobbyists Registration Act and ATTENDANCE –11 QUORUM – 6 Amendments to The Elections Act, The Members of the Committee present: Elections Finances Act, The Legislative Assembly Act and The Legislative Assembly Hon. Messrs. Chomiak, Swan Management Commission Act Mr. Altemeyer, Mrs. Driedger, Mr. Goertzen, Bill 39–The Court of Appeal Amendment Act Ms. Howard, Mr. Jha, Ms. Marcelino, Messrs. Bill 40–The Drivers and Vehicles Amendment, Pedersen, Reid, Mrs. Taillieu Highway Traffic Amendment and Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act APPEARING: Mr. Stuart Briese, MLA for Ste. Rose * * * Mr. Kevin Lamoureux, MLA for Inkster Mr. Chairperson: Good evening, everyone. Will the Mrs. Bonnie Mitchelson, MLA for River East Standing Committee on Justice please come to order. Mr. Hugh McFadyen, MLA for Fort Whyte Mr. Ron Schuler, MLA for Springfield This meeting has been called to consider the Mr. Rick Borotsik, MLA for Brandon West following bills: Bill 14, The Criminal Property Mr. Cliff Cullen, MLA for Turtle Mountain Forfeiture Amendment Act; Bill 26, The Legal WITNESSES: Profession Amendment Act; Bill 35, The Statutes Correction and Minor Amendments Act, 2008; Bill Bill 37–The Lobbyists Registration Act and 37, The Lobbyists Registration Act and Amendments Amendments to The Elections Act, The to The Elections Act, The Elections Finances Act, Elections Finances Act, The Legislative The Legislative Assembly Act and The Legislative Assembly Act and The Legislative Assembly Assembly Management Commission Act; Bill 39, Management Commission Act The Court of Appeal Amendment Act; Bill 40, The Mr. Rudy Derksen, Private Citizen Drivers and Vehicles Amendment, Highway Traffic Mr. George Fraser, Canadian Society of Amendment and Manitoba Public Insurance Association Executives Corporation Amendment Act. Ms. Sheila Michalski, Private Citizen At our previous meeting this morning, Mr. Mr. David Enns, Private Citizen Goertzen moved the following motion: That this Mr. Doug Hutchings, Private Citizen committee recommend to the House that it waive WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS: rule 92(7) for these committee meetings to allow members of the public to register to present to the Bill 37–The Lobbyists Registration Act and committee. Amendments to The Elections Act, The Elections Finances Act, The Legislative The motion was ruled in order, and, at the time Assembly Act and The Legislative Assembly of adjournment, Mr. Pedersen had the floor. Management Commission Act * (20:10) Mr. Mark Tisdale, Private Citizen Ms. Gaile Whelan Enns, Manitoba Wildlands Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Carman): This resolution, to Ms. Sandra Johnston, Private Citizen allow more presenters for Bill 37. 326 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 2, 2008 It certainly was good of the government We know there are more presenters out there. members to allow us to go and visit with Prince The government has accused us of stalling, but, as Edward, although I wasn't able to be in line for him they accuse us of stalling, they haven't even called to speak. It's a little different when you're dealing Bill 17 yet, which–at last count this afternoon–what I with royalty than dealing with other members in the understand, there are 410 presenters for that. If they Leg, so we'll take that as it may. can't handle however many we had at this, how do they expect to get all those presenters through on Bill What we're after is a resolution to allow more 17? Maybe, they won't–I guess they could always presenters for Bill 37. I call it an omnibus bill; I find use closure, if they really want to get the bill that very ironic because, when you talk about through. omnibus bills, we think of the U.S. Senate and Congress–[interjection]–ominous?–[interjection]– We have a very rushed timetable. They could oh, it's an ominous bill. have presented this bill and Bill 17 back at the beginning of the session, but, apparently, they didn't For the government members to be bringing in a want to hear from the public. So they've rushed the George-Bush-type bill is really incredible, but, timetable on this. We won't even go near the closed– maybe, the junior Republicans can learn something well, there's all summer. It's okay. We won't even go from this. We'll see anyway. near the closed door sign for the general public, so There are a lot of parts to this bill and, of course, we'll leave that one alone. when the bill was introduced at the very last moment It was interesting this morning as the in the Leg, in order to be in this session–strange how government members actually gave leave–actually it the press release went out, promoting a set elections was one of the government members who suggested date. We won't call it fixed, even though it is fixed a 25-minute recess, if I can call it that, to go out and elections. visit with Prince Edward out on the south lawn. I guess it was a coincidence that the media was As I was making my way down the hallway, led down the path to announce set election dates and, there was an elderly lady that I ran into, a very yet, there was a bit of information missing in this sprightly elderly lady. She was pretty upset. She said press release which, when we finally got the bill in she used to work for Premier Schreyer, and that's a our hands, obviously, we realized that there was a lot good number of years ago. Yet she came in there more to this than just set election dates. today–she came in the Legislature today and she said she has been treated so badly by people in the We're off to a good start on this, and we've had a Legislature, staff in the Legislature, and I don't take large number of presenters coming to Bill 37. We that as government staff. I mean, I take that as would certainly like to hear more from the public. government staff, not as security. It wasn't security that was treating her badly, and she was–actually, her I was home on the weekend, attending a couple last comment to me as I helped her out the south of functions and certainly heard from a lot of my door, her last comment was, it's too bad they're not constituents who were not at all impressed by the set- all nice like you are. up for committee. They were not able to make it in in the morning; they're finding it difficult to get in to be So, you know–[interjection] Hey, I'm a here, to be able to present. It would certainly be nice schmoozer with the elderly. What can I say? It was if this committee would give leave to extend the okay.