Manitoba.

• Author: Signorelli, Andrea

Second Session of the 42nd Legislature

The Second Session of the 42nd Legislature began on November 19th, 2019 with the Speech from the Throne delivered Chief Justice Richard J.F. Chartier, in his role as Administrator of the Province. The address highlighted a range of commitments and proposals focused on areas such as tax relief, job growth, healthcare investments education reform, climate action, safer streets, including:

* eliminating the education portion of property taxes, with phase-out beginning the first year after the budget is balanced, and to be completed over a maximum of 10 years;

* promoting job creation in the north;

* introducing legislation that would eliminate Sunday and holiday shopping restrictions;

* constructing 13 new schools over the next 10 years;

* undertaking a mandate review of the Department of Education to prepare to implement reforms recommended by the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 review;

* continuing to implement the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan; and

* implementing the Safer Streets, Safer Lives Action Plan in order to crack down on drug dealers.

During his contribution to the Throne Speech debate on November 21st, the Leader of the Official Opposition Wab Kinew moved a motion expressing non-confidence in the government, highlighting several areas he believed the Government failed to address in the Speech from the Throne, including:

* freezing funding for municipalities;

* a broken healthcare system;

* no plan to help reduce and end poverty;

* laying the groundwork for cuts to education;

* failing to meaningfully consult with Indigenous leaderships regarding the Lake St. Martin outlet channel and other initiatives that affect Indigenous rights;

* ignoring the needs of the northern communities; and

* failing to take any meaningful action on climate change.

On the same day, Dougald Lamont, Member for St. Boniface, moved a sub-amendment, stating several reasons why his party would not support the Throne Speech.

On November 28th, the sub-amendment was defeated on a voice vote. Subsequently, Mr. Kinew's amendment was defeated on a recorded vote of yeas 20, nays 32, while the main budget motion carried on a recorded vote of yeas 32, nays 20.

During this sitting period, the Government introduced several bills, including Bill 7--The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act (Leave for Victims of Interpersonal Violence), a bill designed to expand leave eligibility to an employee who is a...