Manitoba legislature enters winter hibernation

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This article was published 30/11/2022 (756 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba recessed for the winter break Thursday, with the governing Tories and their opponents trying to strike the right chord with voters entering the new year.

Since the final session of the 42nd legislature began Nov. 15, the Progressive Conservative government introduced 10 bills not likely to stir controversy or give the Opposition ammunition until the session resumes March 1.

The next provincial election must occur on or before Oct. 3.

Bills such as the Official Time Amendment Act (to end daylight saving time if the U.S. does so first), loosening liquor regulations, removing cannabis sellers’ six per cent social responsibility fee, and charging off-road vehicle users a fee to pay for trail safety and maintenance were introduced.

The government was able to get speedy passage of three pieces of legislation: amending the Vital Statistics Act to allow for the registration and proper spelling of traditional names; raising the minimum wage to $14.15/hr on April 1; and the Demise of the Crown Act to reflect the change of the sovereign to King Charles.

Two private members bills passed: NDP MLA Jamie Moses’s Bill 200 proclaiming February as Black History Month, and PC MLA Obby Khan’s Animal Care Amendment Act to prohibit leaving a companion animal unattended in a vehicle if the temperature is more than 22 C or below -10 C.

The session began with newly appointed Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville delivering a throne speech that reiterated promises to fix health care and make life more affordable. It promised the government would get tough on crime — a stance critics said was a throwback to an era before addressing root causes was seen as the solution.

The PCs made a raft of funding announcements before a communications blackout took effect with the writ drop for the Dec. 13 Kirkfield Park byelection,

The biggest by far was $200 million to hire 2,000 health-care professionals, without offering details or timelines.

While it wasn’t a funding announcement that could violate byelection blackout rules, the government rolled out a plan to slash annual fees paid by Manitoba Hydro to the province for water rental and for guaranteeing the utility’s debt. (Hydro then announced it could reduce its asked-for 3.5 per cent rate to two per cent.)

The Opposition NDP, meanwhile, is ahead in the polls to form the next government, but “is walking a thin line,” said one political observer.

“They need to find the right balance between trying to score points and not losing points,” said University of Winnipeg political science Prof. Felix Mathieu.

“The more announcements and promises (party leader) Wab Kinew and the NDP will make, the more they expose their cards and risk losing points if the propositions they make are incomplete or problematic in some way,” he said, pointing to the New Democrats’ yet-to-be-detailed promise of a hydro rate freeze.

“On the other hand, they cannot simply stand by and say nothing, because they need to show to their partisan base and general population that they are active and ready to govern.”

The PCs are restricted in terms of what they can announce because of the Dec. 13 byelection, Mathieu said.

“In any case, the Stefanson government’s best chance of success is if they appear to be in total control of the current political situation. For this to be possible, they need to be very selective in the number and nature of issues they want to discuss publicly.”

Question period has followed a routine lately, with the NDP calling out the governing PCs for cost-cutting that’s made the health-care crisis worse and accusing the Tories of planning to privatize Hydro.

The PCs’ response is things were just as bad, if not worse, when the New Democrats last governed (1999-2016), NDP meddling resulted in Hydro’s massive debt, and they won’t privatize the Crown corporation.

What the recent session might be remembered most, though, for is its rancour.

In the house, PC MLA Blaine Pedersen smacked the back of NDP MLA Bernadette Smith’s chair, bringing her to tears. Days later, Liberal MLA Dougald Lamont raised his middle finger to government house leader Kelvin Goertzen, who called him a “disgrace.”

That was after lawmakers delivered a standing ovation to PC MLA Bob Lagasse, who shared his struggle with depression, thoughts of self-harm and appealed to his fellow members for kindness.

“I sincerely fear that this might dissuade some of Manitoba’s best talent to put their names in the hat for the next general elections,” said Mathieu. “All three political parties represented in the legislature share their part of the blame.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca