Legislative Update – New Proclamation

The Government has issued the following proclamation:

The Sustainable Watersheds Act (Various Acts Amended) (S.M. 2018, c. 6)

With the advice and consent of the Executive Council of Manitoba, we name January 1, 2020, as the day on which Part 1 of The Sustainable Watersheds Act (Various Acts Amended) (S.M. 2018, c. 6) comes into force.

Part 1 refers to renaming conservation districts as “watershed districts”.

A board of a district may now do work outside its boundaries if the work benefits the district. For that purpose, a board may enter into agreements with others, including First Nations. When assessing the benefits, a board must consider the relevant watershed management plan prepared under The Water Protection Act.

Legislative Update – New Bills

2nd Session, 42nd Legislature

New Bills: Government Bills

Bill 13: The Crown Land Dispositions Act (Various Acts Amended) – establishes uniform rules respecting authorizations required to sell or lease Crown lands.

Bill 15: The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Amendment Act – allows holders of a specific type of liquor service licence to sell beer, cider, wine and coolers to customers who order food for delivery or takeout.

Bill 18: The Summary Budgeting Act (Various Acts Amended and Public Sector Executive Compensation Act Enacted) – amendments to various acts to improve the development and implementation of the government’s summary budget.

Bill 20: The Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act – allows the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to impose an administrative penalty on a driver training school or driving instructor.

Private Bills

Bill 204: The Public Schools Amendment Act (Teaching Experience of Principals) – adds requirement that a principal must have a minimum of two years of teaching experience, unless at a school with fewer than three teachers.

Bill 205: The Restricting Mandatory Overtime for Nurses Act (Various Acts Amended) – amends The Employment Standards Code to establish a separate overtime regime for nurses by January 1, 2022.

Bill 206: The Louis Riel Act – bestows the honorary title of “First Premier of Manitoba” on Louis Riel.

Bill 207: The Election Financing Amendment and the Elections Amendment Act – any changes to these two acts must be approved by at lease two-thirds of the legislature.

Proclamations

S.M. 2019, c. 12: The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment Act (Cannabis Possession Restrictions) (whole Act) – comes into force January 1, 2020.

Check the Bill Status to follow the legislative process.

Impaired Driving Library Display

New impaired driving legislation is coming into effect on December 16, 2019 that adds stricter penalties for impaired driving, including immediate roadside prohibition.

These new rules are summarized here.

To help understand these changes, we have displayed relevant print and online resources.

For print items in the library see:

  • Impaired driving in Canada (4th edition) by Joseph F. Kenkel
  • Defending drinking and driving cases by Alan D. Gold
  • A guide to breathalyzer certificates in Canada by Alan Pearse
  • Impaired driving in Canada, 2012-2013 ed. By Joseph F. Kenkel
  • Impaired driving in Canada by Joseph F. Kenkel
  • Impaired driving and breathalyzer law : recent case law prepared by Keith R. Hamilton
  • Breathalyzer law in Canada : the prosecution and defence of drinking and driving offences (4th edition)
  • Journal of motor vehicle law

In our online collection we have:

From the Emond collection available behind the member’s portal,
Impaired driving and other criminal code driving offences: A practitioner’s handbook by Karen Jokinen , Peter Keen

And from the Irwin Law collection on desLibris:
Drug-Impaired Driving in Canada by Nathan Baker

As well as eNewsletters such as
Impaired Driving NetLetter(TM) by the Hon. Justice Joseph F. Kenkel

Legislative Update

2nd Session, 42nd Legislature

New Bills

GOVERNMENT BILLS

Bill 8 The Pension Benefits Amendment Act – amends The Pension Benefits Act with a number of changes made in response to recommendations from the Manitoba Pension Commission. These changes include how pension plan members contribute, determine benefits, withdraw funds, and other important changes.

Bill 9 The Public Services Sustainability Amendment Act – amends The Public Services Sustainability Act by setting the start and duration of a sustainability period by regulation, limiting increases in pay during a sustainability period, giving the minister power to approve modest increases in pay, detailing compensation changes, and other clarifications.

Bill 10 The Regional Health Authorities Amendment Act (Health System Governance and Accountability) – amends the Act to consolidate administrative services related to health care and to centralize the delivery of certain health services across Manitoba. The Act is renamed The Health System Governance and Accountability Act.

Bill 11 The Minor Amendments and Corrections Act, 2019 – corrects typographical, numbering and other drafting errors. It also makes minor amendments to various Acts.

Bill 12 The Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act – makes the following amendments to The Workplace Safety and Health Act: a discriminatory action is now referred to as a reprisal; the position of the chief prevention officer is eliminated; a referral for a reprisal must now be made to a safety and health officer within six months after the date of the alleged reprisal; an appeal of a decision made by a safety and health officer may be dismissed by the director if the appeal is frivolous or vexatious, or, in the case of a reprisal, if it was not referred to an officer within six months; and maximum fines for offences under the Act are increased.

Bill 14 The Public Sector Construction Projects (Tendering) Act – concerns tenders issued by government and other public sector bodies in relation to construction projects. It prohibits the issuing of a tender that would require the successful bidder to employ unionized employees or non-unionized employees for work on the project. Related amendments are included.

Bill 16 The Labour Relations Amendment Act – amends The Labour Relations Act to allow the transition of conciliation and grievance mediation functions to the private sector. The requirement to review provisions of the Act (introduced in 2000) respecting the settlement of subsequent collective agreements is repealed. The Lieutenant Governor in Council is given authority to make regulations setting fees for the various applications that may be made to the Manitoba Labour Board under The Labour Relations Act and other Acts.

Bill 17 The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act (Claim Dispute Tribunal) – amends The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act to establish the claim dispute tribunal. The tribunal is an independent body that has exclusive jurisdiction to resolve a dispute between an insured person and MPIC concerning vehicle repairs or the amount payable when a vehicle is damaged. In addition, the tribunal may resolve a dispute about MPIC’s determination of liability for an accident or a decision to deny coverage, unless the insured person elects to have those matters determined by the court instead.

Bill 19 The Public Service Act – provides a legislative framework for an ethical and effective public service for Manitoba. The values for an ethical and effective public service are set out in law and supported by codes of conduct, action plans and workforce management policies to be established across the public service. An employers’ council, ministerial directive power for broader public service employers, and consultation opportunities harmonize the delivery of public services in Manitoba.

Bill 21 The Workers Compensation Amendment Act – amends The Workers Compensation Act to deal with the governance of The Workers Compensation Board (“WCB”) and to respond to the 2016-2017 recommendations of the Legislative Review Committee. It includes significant changes to governance, coverage and assessment, compensation, administration, and enforcement.

PRIVATE BILLS

Bill 203 The Climate and Green Plan Amendment Act (Improved Climate Change Targets and Enhanced Ministerial Accountability) – This Bill amends The Climate and Green Plan Act to change how reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions are established and reported and to reduce ministers’ salaries until the targets are achieved.       

Bill Status

SECOND READING

Bill 7 – The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act – Dec. 2, 2019

Check the Bill Status to follow the legislative process.

Manitoba Legislative Update

2nd Session, 42nd Legislature

New Bills

Government Bills

Bill 2 The Retail Business Hours Of Operation Act – Currently, retail business hours and days of operation are subject to provincial legislation. This Bill gives local governments authority over these matters.

Bill 3 The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment Act – This Bill amends The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act to make it a term of the agreement that the operator of a cannabis store must pay to the government a social responsibility fee. The fee is 6% of the operator’s annual cannabis sales revenue or the amount set by regulation.

Bill 4 The Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act – This Bill amends The Manitoba Hydro Act to increase the borrowing authority granted to Manitoba Hydro. Currently, Manitoba Hydro may borrow up to $500 million for temporary purposes. This amendment authorizes borrowing up to $1.5 billion for those purposes.

Bill 5 The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment Act – This Bill amends the Act to prohibit cannabis consumption in public places, unless the consumption is permitted by regulation or under The Smoking and Vapour Products Control Act.

Bill 6 The Planning Amendment Act – This Bill amends The Planning Act to provide that the council of the City of Brandon is the approving authority for the subdivision of land in Brandon.

Bill 7 The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act (Leave for Victims of Interpersonal Violence) – Currently, an employee who is a victim of domestic violence may take a leave from work under The Employment Standards Code. This Bill expands leave eligibility to an employee who is a victim of sexual violence or stalking.

Private Bills

Bill 200 The Legislative Assembly Amendment and Legislative Assembly Management Commission Amendment Act – This Bill amends these Acts to change the definition “recognized opposition party” and the definition “other opposition party” to include political parties that are represented in the Assembly by two or more members, provided that the party’s candidates received at least 10% of the votes cast in the last general election. Such a party and its members are not immediately entitled to any additional funding, salaries or allowances.

Bill 201 The Vital Statistics Amendment Act – This Bill amends The Vital Statistics Act to provide that the birth certificate and other official documents of a person who has changed their sex designation may contain no sex designation or may use an “X”.

Proclamations

SM 2019, c. 16 The Courts Modernization Act – “With the advice and consent of the Executive Council of Manitoba, we name January 1, 2020, as the day on which sections 7, 8, 12, 16, 17, 20 to 23 and 25 of The Courts Modernization Act (Various Acts Amended) (S.M. 2019, c. 16) come into force.”

Legislative update – Speech from the Throne

The second session of the 42nd Legislature has begun, with the Speech from the Throne.

The Manitoba government set out its key priorities to move Manitoba forward with guaranteed tax relief, job growth, health-care investments, education reform, and climate action in the speech from the throne, Premier Brian Pallister announced today.  Delivered by the Chief Justice Richard J.F. Chartier at the opening of the second session of the 42nd legislature, the speech from the throne is an ambitious agenda with over 100 initiatives and at least 20 new bills planned for introduction.

Full details are in this news release.

Please note: The library will be closing early on Friday, December 13th at 11:00AM for a special event.  Regular library service will resume Monday, December 16th at 8:30AM.

Please note: The library will be closed on Monday, November 11th, 2024.  Regular library service will resume Tuesday, November 12th at 8:30AM.