Manitoba.

• Date: 22 December 2020
• Author: Recksiedler, Greg

3rd Session of the 42nd Legislature--Including Virtual Resumption of Sittings

The unique situations arising in the legislature from the COVID-19 pandemic continued when the House resumed on October 7, commencing the Third Session of the 42nd Legislature with the Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant Governor Janice Filmon. By agreement, the number of MLAs physically present in the Chamber for this session has been reduced to 18 Government Members, nine Official Opposition Members and one Independent Liberal. In order to accommodate physical distancing, for both the Throne Speech and subsequent daily sittings, some seats were removed and a fourth row of desks were set up on the outer rim of the Chamber. The seating plan will change weekly, so that MLAs from each caucus can take turns being present in the Chamber to participate in proceedings while other MLAs participate by a virtual platform. The total number of MLAs in Manitoba is 57.

It should also be noted that typically the House continues where it left off in the previous session when it resumes sittings in October. However, this year the Provincial Government prorogued the House in order to start a new session; all bills died if they were not completed in the Second Session before prorogation.

Several logistical and ceremonial components were also omitted from the Throne Speech proceedings. These omissions and alterations, which were due in part to Winnipeg being in a state of COVID code orange at the time, included:

* No military procession and inspection

* A single aide for the Lieutenant Governor

* No stakeholders or spouses present

* Chief Justice Chartier, representing all three courts, paraded in and sat in the Loge

* No singing of "God Save the Queen" and "O Canada" (songs instead piped over the audio system)

The address featured a "Protecting Manitobans" agenda which outlined five guaranteed commitments to protect Manitobans in the fight against COVID-19 as well as five guaranteed commitments to continue the Provincial Government's efforts to fix the finances, repair services, and rebuild the economy. The address highlighted the following areas:

* Protecting Health Care

* Protecting Jobs

* Protecting Incomes

* Protecting Education and Child Care and

* Protecting Manitoba's Future

Some of the details on how the Provincial Government plans to meet the above objectives include:

* Spending an additional $1.6 billion on education over the next four years, while at the same time phasing out the education property tax, beginning next year.

* Eliminating probate fees on estates and removing the provincial sales tax from income tax preparation.

* Planning to set a course for a gradual, careful return to a balanced budgets over the next eight years.

* Transforming Manitoba's education system to provide more accountability via the recommendations from a review of Manitoba's kindergarten to Grade 12 system.

* Addressing health care by establishing more COVID-19 testing sites and screening capacity...