Manitoba.

• Author: Signorelli, Andrea
• Position: Legistative Reports

The Second Session of the 41st Legislature began on November 21, 2016 with the Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant Governor Janice C. Filmon. This was the second Speech from the Throne of the new government, with three main focuses: finances, services, and economic growth.

The address highlighted a range of commitments and proposals in these areas, including:

* extensive province-wide pre-budget consultations;

* reforming the governance of major Crown corporations;

* establishing a Red Tape Reduction Task Force;

* reintroducing the referendum on increases to major taxes;

* developing a plan for the child welfare system;

* reforming Manitoba's Employment and Income Assistance program;

* completing a comprehensive assessment of the health system;

* creating pooled retirement pension plans;

* continue working on northern economic development strategies to create jobs;

* hosting partnership with the Government of Canada and the City of Winnipeg for the Canada Summer Games;

* developing a long-term literacy and numeracy strategy on education and investing in professional development for educators and supports for school divisions;

* eliminating the backlog of Provincial Nominee Program applications;

* implementing a return-on-investment test to prioritize government investments in infrastructure; and

* introducing a carbon pricing and climate change plan.

Interim Official Opposition Leader Flor Marcelino moved a non-confidence amendment to the Address in Reply motion, which stated that the provincial government:

* announced an agenda of cuts and austerity, breaking its pledge to protect front-line workers and the services they provide;

* opened the door to the privatization and deregulation of essential and important front-line services;

* manufactured partisan political crises and has refused to produce transparent, long-term financial documents;

* failed to take steps to keep the cost of living affordable for Manitobans; and

* had not presented any meaningful plan to address a wide range of needs concerning several important areas for Manitoba.

Later in the debate, Independent Member Judy Klassen moved a sub-amendment condemning the government's failure:

* to commit to lowering ambulance fees;

* to implement recommendations from the 2016 Liberal Caucus Brain Health Report-,

* to increase the amounts for special needs student funding;

* to commit to diversifying industries and tourism in addition to extricating natural resources in...