Manitoba.

• Author: Recksiedler, Greg
• Position: Legislative Reports

3rd Session of the 42nd Legislature

The Third Session of the 42nd Legislature resumed on October 6, 2021, for an intense jam-packed six-day session pursuant to a Sessional Order passed by leave on the first sitting day. The Sessional Order, discussed below, was in part prompted by the resignation of Brian Pallister as Premier on September 1 and as an MLA on October 4. Deputy Premier and Government House Leader, Kelvin Goertzen, assumed the reins as Manitoba's 23rd Premier on September 1, agreeing to do so for a two-month period as the Progressive Conservative Party will select its next leader on October 30. Manitoba will then have its first female Premier as the leadership race is between Heather Stefanson, former Health Minister and current MLA and Shelly Glover, a former Manitoba MP. The Sessional Calendar indicates that the House is scheduled to return on November 16, 2021, usually with a Throne Speech, however that date is not set in stone and it is possible that the new Premier could decide to call back the House at a later date.

Prior to the resumption of the Session, the House Leaders agreed to have a seating plan with two-thirds of MLAs in the Chamber in which the MLAs were separated by a desk instead of sitting side by side, with the remaining number of Members participating virtually. The seating plan required a fourth row of MLA desks due to the numbers of 24 PCs, 12 NDP and two Independent Liberal Members in the Chamber. Masks were worn by all present to enter, exit and move around the Chamber. The House continued the practice adopted in previous Sessions under COVTD-19 with document tables used for materials to be distributed rather than having Pages deliver Bills and other items directly to desks. Members not present in the Chamber were still able to engage fully in the proceedings on a virtual basis pursuant to a prior Sessional Order, detailed in a previous edition, allowing for such participation. The Public Gallery was not open as the Legislative Building remains closed.

Sessional Order

This sitting period had promised to be extremely busy, especially for Committees, as the Official Opposition designated five Bills to be delayed until these Fall Sittings. Bill 64--The Education Modernization Act, had received an unprecedented number of over 500 registered presenters. However that Bill, along with the other four government Designated Bills detailed in the previous edition, were withdrawn from any further proceedings as part...