October 16, 2025, News ReleaseManitoba Government Acts to Protect Democracy and Fundamental Freedoms The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would require any provincial legislation invoking Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, commonly known as the notwithstanding clause, to be automatically referred to the Manitoba Court of Appeal for an opinion on whether the law violates charter rights, Premier Wab Kinew and Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
News ReleaseManitoba Government Introduces Legislation to Keep Vehicle Insurance Rates Affordable October 6, 2025 – The Manitoba government has introduced new legislation to enshrine the current registered owner model into law, ensuring it remains the model used by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, minister responsible for Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, announced today.
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Second Session, Forty-Third Legislature
Government Bills
Introduced
Bill 49The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act (2) – The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act is amended to clarify that any discount from a premium payable to insure a vehicle must be based on the driver safety rating of the registered owner of the vehicle.
Under the regulations, an exception may be made to this requirement.
Bill 211 The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act (Various Acts Amended) – The Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act and The Northern Affairs Act are amended to lower the voting age to 16 and to allow permanent residents of Canada to vote in municipal, school board and community council elections.
The Public Schools Act is amended to lower the voting age to 16 and to allow permanent residents and students enrolled in a program provided by a francophone school board to vote in elections for that board.
A food bank may require the owner of a grocery store to enter into an agreement to donate all unsold usable food that would normally be thrown out to the food bank. The grocery store must notify the food bank when there is food available for pick-up unless grocery store staff deliver it to the food bank. The grocery store is prohibited from throwing out usable food except in specified circumstances.
News ReleaseManitoba Government Introduces Bill That Would Respond to Meth Crisis, Reduce Pressure on Emergency Rooms and Keep Public Safe October 2, 2025 – The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would address the growing meth crisis across the province, giving police and health-care professionals more options to offer treatment immediately to people intoxicated on drugs in a safe space that protects the public, Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith and Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
An intoxicated person in a public place who poses a danger or is causing a disturbance may be detained by the police or a designated officer and held at a detention location or protective care centre.
A person cannot be detained for more than 24 hours except if they are at a protective care centre. While at the centre, they can be detained for up to 72 hours and, if they continue to be intoxicated after 24 hours of detention, they must be assessed by a health care professional.
The person must be released before the detention period expires if they are no longer intoxicated or if someone takes responsibility for their care.
While the person is detained at a protective care centre, a health professional may require that the person be taken for an involuntary medical examination. A person may also be allowed to voluntarily remain in a protective care centre to receive care or services once they are no longer intoxicated.
News ReleaseManitoba Government Declares State of Emergency to Protect Manitobans from WildfiresMay 28, 2025 – The Manitoba government is declaring a provincewide state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act, Premier Wab Kinew and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor, minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Organization, declared based on the recommendation from Manitoba’s wildfire and emergency management officials.
News ReleaseManitoba Government Passes Groundbreaking Interprovincial Trade Bill with All-Party SupportJune 2, 2025 – The Manitoba government is strengthening the economy and protecting Manitobans from tariffs with the passage of Bill 47, the Fair Trade in Canada (Internal Trade Mutual Recognition) Act, and amendments to the Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act (Buy Manitoba, Buy Canadian Day), Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses announced today.
News ReleaseManitoba Government Delivers on Ambitious Agenda as Spring Session EndsJune 3, 2025 – The Manitoba government passed 39 bills into law that help to improve health care, make life more affordable and enhance public safety, among other matters. The session also included the passage of measures that would strengthen renters’ rights (Bill 10), protect the environment (Bill 22) and ensure food in every school for students through Nello’s Law (Bill 17).
Bill 229The Human Rights Code Amendment Act (Non-Disclosure Agreements) – The Human Rights Code is amended to provide that a provision in an agreement is unenforceable if it prevents a person from disclosing information about discrimination or harassment or penalizes a person for doing so.
A person contravenes the Code if they attempt or threaten to enforce such a provision.
Bill 236The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Stalking-Related Measures) – The Highway Traffic Act is amended to impose automatic driver’s licence suspensions on persons convicted of criminal harassment if a vehicle has been used in the commission of the offence.
The licence suspensions are in addition to an existing provision under The Domestic Violence and Stalking Act that enables a person who is subject to stalking to request a court order that suspends a stalker’s driver’s licence.
Further amendments authorize a peace officer to seize and impound a vehicle if the peace officer discovers a person using the vehicle to commit criminal harassment.
When a person who previously committed two or more criminal harassment offences using a vehicle commits another such offence, their vehicle is subject to forfeiture
News ReleaseGovernments of Canada, Manitoba Support Hate Crimes Education for Manitoba ProsecutorsMay 22, 2025 – The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing $95,000 to provide specialized training to Crown attorneys on prosecuting hate crimes, federal Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Sean Fraser and Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
If Canada, a province or a territory has legislation or a scheme similar to Manitoba for removing barriers to trade in goods and services, the government of Manitoba may designate it as a reciprocating jurisdiction.
Under mutual recognition rules, the goods and services of a reciprocating jurisdiction that meet its standards and approvals are recognized as meeting the comparable standards and approvals in Manitoba.
The mutual recognition rules do not apply to goods and services that are provided by Crown corporations or exempted by regulation or to regulated professions or occupations.
The Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act is amended to proclaim June 1 of each year as Buy Manitoba, Buy Canadian Day.
Private Members’ – Public Bills
Introduced
Bill 204The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Reason for Traffic Stop) – The Highway Traffic Act is amended to require a peace officer who stops the driver of a vehicle to first inform the driver of the reason for the stop before further interacting with the driver or a passenger.
If the officer fails to give the reason, any evidence arising from the stop is inadmissible in a subsequent enforcement proceeding.
Bill 220The Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act – The Criminal Property Forfeiture Act is amended. Currently, money in the criminal property forfeiture fund may be used for programs operated by law enforcement agencies. The amendments enable the money to be used for non-profit community organizations for social programs, such as affordable housing and restorative justice.
News ReleaseManitoba and Ontario Governments Agree to Knock Down Interprovincial Trade BarriersMay 14, 2025 – TORONTO—The Manitoba government signed an agreement with the Ontario government to boost the flow of goods, services, investment and workers in both provinces, Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced here today.
The Manitoba Law Library would like to acknowledge with gratitude that we are situated on Treaty One Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree and Dakota peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
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