Legislative Update: New Bills

by | Oct 8, 2019 | Bill Status, Legislation, New Bills

First Session, Forty-Second Legislature

Government Bills

Bill 2: The Public Services Sustainability Amendment Act

This Bill amends The Public Services Sustainability Act. The key changes are as follows:

  • the start date and the duration of a sustainability period for a group of unionized employees may be set by regulation;
  • the increases in pay during a sustainability period that is set by regulation cannot exceed the maximum increases currently permitted under the Act;
  • the minister may approve a collective agreement that provides for modest increases in additional remuneration;
  • compensation changes that reflect sustainability savings identified in the course of collective bargaining may be approved by Treasury Board;
  • a collective agreement may be exempted from the Act by regulation;
  • references to the Manitoba Health Services Insurance Fund and other funds are removed;
  • the recovery of overpayments is clarified.

Bill 22: The Business Registration, Supervision and Ownership Transparency Act (Various Acts Amended)

This Bill amends The Business Names Registration Act, The Cooperatives Act, The Corporations Act and The Partnership Act. The following are the key changes.

Extra-Provincial Registrations

Registrars may enter into agreements with other Canadian jurisdictions respecting the extra-provincial registration of corporations, partnerships and cooperatives. Cabinet may make regulations about these registrations.

Extra-provincial limited partnerships can now be registered in Manitoba.

Extra-provincial limited liability partnerships that have an attorney for service no longer require a registered office in Manitoba.

Supervision of Cooperatives

The Cooperatives Act is amended to authorize the minister to designate a Superintendent of Cooperatives. Those functions of the Registrar of Cooperatives that relate to the supervision over financial matters, the issuing of securities and appeals of membership terminations in a housing cooperative are transferred to the Superintendent. The Registrar is also no longer required to act as an adviser to cooperatives or provide model forms of articles and by-laws to cooperatives.

Ownership Transparency

The Corporations Act and The Cooperatives Act are harmonized with recent changes to federal legislation respecting ownership transparency.

Corporations must maintain a register of individuals who, separately or collectively, exert more than 25% of the shareholder voting rights. Reporting issuers, publicly traded corporations, licensed insurers and loan and trust corporations are exempt from this requirement.

Corporations and cooperatives are no longer allowed to issue options or other instruments that are convertible into bearer form. Holders of such instruments that are in bearer form can require the corporation or cooperative that issued them to convert them into registered form.

*Reinstated from the 4th Session, 41st Legislature

Private Members’ Bills:

Bill 200: The Legislative Assembly Amendment and Legislative Assembly Management Commission Amendment Act

This Bill amends The Legislative Assembly Act and The Legislative Assembly Management Commission Act. The definition “recognized opposition party” and the definition “other opposition party” are changed 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.

To follow the legislative process, be sure to check Bill Status daily. 

Legislative Update: New Proclamations

by | Oct 4, 2019 | Legislation, Proclamations

The Government has proclaimed the following Act(s):

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 October 1, 2019, as the day on which sections 52, 67 to 69, 71 to 73 and 75, subsections 76(1), 79(1) and (2), and sections 82, 83, 85 and 86 of The Sustainable Watersheds Act (Various Acts Amended) (S.M. 2018, c. 6) come into force.

The Boards, Committees, Councils and Commissions Streamlining Act (Various Acts Amended or Repealed) (S.M. 2018, c. 8)

With the advice and consent of the Executive Council of Manitoba, we name October 1, 2019, as the day on which sections 3, 5 and 6 of The Boards, Committees, Councils and Commissions Streamlining Act (Various Acts Amended or Repealed) (S.M. 2018, c. 8) come into force.

The Planning Amendment Act (Improving Efficiency in Planning) (S.M. 2018, c. 14)

With the advice and consent of the Executive Council of Manitoba, we name November 1, 2019, as the day on which section 20 insofar as it enacts the definition “large-scale livestock operation” in section 118.1, clauses 118.2(1)(b) and (2)(b), subclause 118.4(1)(b)(ii) and clause 118.5(b) of The Planning Amendment Act (Improving Efficiency in Planning) (S.M. 2018, c. 14) comes into force.

The Government Notices Modernization Act (Various Acts Amended) (S.M. 2018, c. 28)

With the advice and consent of the Executive Council of Manitoba, we name October 1, 2019, as the day on which sections 6, 11, 15 to 17, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26 and 28 of The Government Notices Modernization Act (Various Acts Amended) (S.M. 2018, c. 28) come into force.

The Crown Lands Amendment Act (Improved Management of Community Pastures and Agricultural Crown Lands) (S.M. 2018, c. 35)

With the advice and consent of the Executive Council of Manitoba, we name October 1, 2019, as the day on which The Crown Lands Amendment Act (Improved Management of Community Pastures and Agricultural Crown Lands) (S.M. 2018, c. 35), except section 3, comes into force.

Legislative Update – Speech from the Throne

by | Sep 30, 2019 | Legislation, Throne Speech

The newly re-elected provincial government delivered the speech from the throne this morning:

The speech highlighted key government commitments including:
•    completing necessary legislative requirements in order to fully implement the measures outlined in Budget 2019;
•    continuing to work to make Manitoba more economically competitive by reducing regulatory red tape and encouraging innovation;
•    completing the implementation of the New West Partnership Trade Agreement;
•    addressing addictions and public safety issues; and
•    making strategic investments to strengthen front-line health, education and social services.

News release – Manitoba September 30, 2019

Watch for more updates as this very brief, two-week sitting continues.

Legislative Updates: New Proclamations

by | Jul 4, 2019 | Legislation, Proclamations

The Government of Manitoba has proclaimed the following Acts:

  • The Mental Health Amendment Act (whole Act), SM 2016, c. 8 , effective June 1, 2019
  • The Courts Modernization Act (Various Acts Amended) (Part 1 and sections 6, 15, 19 and 26 to 29), SM 2019, c. 16 , effective July 1, 2019
  • The Family Law Modernization Act (Schedule C — The Arbitration Amendment Act (Family Law), whole Act except section 21; Schedule E — The Family Maintenance Amendment Act), SM 2019, c. 8, effective July 1, 2019
  • The Red Tape Reduction and Government Efficiency Act, 2018 (subsections 26(1) and (3) to (9) and section 37), SM 2018, c. 29, effective July 1, 2019
  • The Red Tape Reduction and Government Efficiency Act, 2018 (section 35), SM 2018, c. 29, effective September 1, 2019