Now that the spring session has ended, I wanted to highlight some of the important things that happened in 2021 so far. Notably, I wanted to talk about what myself and my NDP colleagues have done to fight back against the Pallister government’s regressive policy agenda.
We introduced numerous petitions that called on the government to take action on healthcare, the vaccine rollout/eligibility, the addictions crisis, homelessness, rural broadband, Manitoba Hydro, and more. We also hosted numerous virtual town halls to learn more about what Manitobans’ biggest concerns are and we will have more events in the future.
The PCs have introduced many pieces of legislation that will hurt Manitobans. For example, they made it easier for for-profit centres to get public dollars and play a role in our childcare system, which will make childcare more expensive, and for the government to interfere with post-secondary institutions and raise tuition.
But as the official opposition party, we are able to delay the passage of five different bills till the fall so that Manitobans have more time to learn about the bills and organize against the negative changes they will usher in. The bills we chose to delay are:
• Bill 64: the Education Modernization Act which would dramatically change our education system and consolidates all northern school divisions into one. This bill will take away our local voices.
• Bill 16: the Labour Relations Amendment Act, which would take away employees’ rights and ability to go to arbitration which would prolong strikes.
• Bill 57: the Protection of Critical Infrastructure Act, which infringes on Manitobans’ rights to protest at locations like railroads, hospitals and more.
• Bill 40: the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation Amendment and Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment Act, as it allows for the private sale of liquor, which will move public dollars into private hands without requiring mandates to fund addictions programming, which is currently done by our Crown corporation.
• Bill 35: the Public Utilities Ratepayer Protection and Regulatory Reform Act, as it transfers power over hydro rate setting from the Public Utilities Board to the government.
I would encourage anyone who would like to speak about these bills at committee to do so. You can register by calling 204-945-3636.
There were some positives that happened this session as well. We managed to pass a couple of our private member bills, including Point Douglas MLA Bernadette Smith’s Bill 223 –the Spirit Bear Day Act, which designates May 10 Spirit Bear Day in honour of Jordan Anderson, a Manitoban First Nations child who died while the provincial and federal governments fought over who would pay for his healthcare needs. Another NDP bill that passed was The Pas-Kameesak MLA Amanda Lathlin’s Bill 213 – the Reporting of Supports for Child Survivors of Sexual Assault Act (Trained Health Professionals and Evidence Collection Kits), which will help northern children who are victims of sexual assault access the care they need.
Although we don’t return for the next session until the fall, I will continue to work on behalf of my constituents throughout the summer. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or by calling me at 204-677-2744.
