LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
At 1:30 p.m. the Sergeant-at-Arms, carrying the mace and followed by the Speaker, the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, entered the Chamber.
The Sergeant-at-Arms returned to the north doors and met Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor with the mace.
Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms (Mr. Ray Gislason): Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor.
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor, accompanied by the honorary aides-de-camp, the Premier and the Chief Justice, entered the Chamber and took her seat on the throne.
The Sergeant-at-Arms made obeisance with the mace and retired to the side of the Chamber.
Speech from the Throne
Hon. Janice C. Filmon (Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Manitoba): I can see you smiling behind your masks. Your eyes are smiling. Thank you. Please be seated.
Madam Speaker, honourable members of the Legislative Assembly, invited guests and all Manitobans, I welcome you to the Third Session of the 42nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba.
Je vous souhaite la bienvenue à la troisième session de la quarante-deuxième Législature de la Province du Manitoba.
Translation
I welcome you to the Third Session of the 42nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba.
English
Twenty-twenty marks 150 years of Manitoba’s life in Canada. We began this year bathed in a spirit of optimism. We are closing this year cloaked in the spirit of determination.
United in Celebration is the theme of Manitoba 150. We still have much to celebrate, and we will, but that celebration, like so much else in our lives and province, is on hold in the face of the most serious public health and economic challenge Manitobans have ever confronted.
This year has been like no other. COVID-19 has changed the landscape of the world. The pandemic rampaged through health-care systems and ravaged economies around the world. It created the biggest global economic collapse since the Great Depression 90 years ago and the biggest world health crisis since the great influenza outbreak over 100 years ago.
Neither Canadians nor Manitobans are immune to this virus. Yet, we have weathered it better than most. The resilience of our economy, finances, public services and, most of all, our people, have stood out strongly. This year has shown Manitobans at their finest.
To the front-line workers–nurses, doctors, first responders, truck drivers, retail workers, teachers and, yes, parents and volunteers–who kept Manitoba open, safe and secure, we say thank you.
To every Manitoban who reached out to help someone else or reached deep to serve others, who stepped up to volunteer, or just stood fast in the face of uncertainty and fear, this Throne Speech is dedicated to you.
At this moment of need, nothing matters more than protecting Manitobans. Today’s Throne Speech speaks to just that. During this time of uncertainty and concern, Manitobans want a government that steps up, not back. They want their government to protect Manitobans; to protect the services they need; to protect jobs they have or want back; to protect their incomes for themselves and their families.
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. Your government has been taking action from the very beginning of this pandemic. It will continue to do so.
Today’s Throne Speech sets out a Protecting Manitobans Agenda with five guaranteed commitments:
(1) It commits your government to protecting health care and vulnerable Manitobans with record new investments and initiatives for better care sooner as we build an even stronger health-care system for Manitobans.
(2) It commits your government to protecting jobs by creating more jobs and restarting our economy with new investment and business supports to create even more new jobs.
(3) It commits your government to protecting your income by reducing your taxes you pay, saving you money and helping you keep more of your hard‑earned income with you, where it belongs.
(4) It commits your government to protecting education and child care by building a first-class K‑to‑12 education system with new schools, increased classroom funding and more say for parents in their children’s education outcomes and child-care choices.
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Finally, it commits your government to protecting Manitoba’s financial, environmental and energy futures by pursuing a careful two-term, balanced budget plan to eliminate the COVID deficit while investing more in health care and education and lower taxes, taking more steps for climate action and conservation to protect our province's environment and protecting our clean energy advantage with a strong and secure Manitoba Hydro.
Five guaranteed commitments to protect Manitobans at a time of need; five guaranteed commitments that continue your government's efforts to fix the finances, repair our services and rebuild our economy.
Keeping Manitobans safe and secure from COVID-19 is job one of your government. That job began the moment the pandemic took hold, and your government has not let up, with over $2.3 billion directed to COVID-response spending so far. This is the third highest per capita spending of any province in Canada. This includes investing in personal protective equipment for front-line health workers, securing more testing sites and capacity for COVID‑19 and ensuring funding and resources from across government are dedicated first and foremost to health-care needs. Innovative ideas for Manitobans within and outside government led to such initiatives as 'covisitation'–those modules are for residents and families in personal-care homes–and the creation of a central pandemic warehouse and stockpile of personal protective equipment.
Individual Manitobans answered the call too. Precision ADM made swabs and members of Hutterite colonies sewed masks. Local initiatives like these helped fill the gap as world supply chains shrunk and needed health supplies dwindled. The goal was simple: get ready and stay prepared.
The transformation of Manitoba's health-care system, begun in 2017, proved the right thing to do. The creation of Shared Health and a provincial Clinical and Preventive Services Plan is providing the right care at the right time in the right way and giving Manitobans the resilient and responsive health-care system they need at this critical time.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, wait times to see a physician are down 30 per cent in Manitoba while they are up 20 per cent across the rest of Canada. Your government will invest more now to reduce wait times further for cataract surgery and joint replacement. The Dauphin health centre will be improved with additional services provided as a priority project. Additional renal dialysis services will be provided in Steinbach to meet growing needs in that community. Your government will reintroduce the regional health authorities amendment act to continue this vital work.
Since 2016, your government has led the fight for a true federal health-care funding partnership. We must keep up the fight. Across Canada, health-care funding needs are growing and higher than ever, yet the federal share of support for these needs is lower than ever. This means wait times for health care are longer than ever. This must change, and it must change now. This Legislative Assembly will be asked to unanimously support a resolution that speaks with one voice on behalf of all Manitobans in a united call for the federal government to protect health care by increasing the Canada Health Transfer and becoming a full funding partner in providing health care to Canadians. Despite weakening federal support, your government invested $648 million more, last year, than just four years ago to provide better care sooner. Health-care investments will rise even further this year and next. Your government will exceed its $2‑billion health-care funding guarantee with new investments in hospitals, long-term care, drugs, doctors and nurses.
Seniors built our province. Protecting seniors is our foremost obligation as a community. As the number of seniors in Manitoba continues to increase over the next decade, your government is planning for the diverse needs of older adults and their families. This means ensuring that more Manitoba seniors are better able to age in place with the supports they need to live well in their homes and communities.
Your government will put forward an integrated seniors strategy that empowers older adults to have greater control over their own care, with increased access to flexible, self-directed care funding. We will create more choices for home- and community-based care, including enhanced Home Care services and digital home-care options. We will partner with service providers to create new, safe, supportive living spaces for seniors.
Your government will continue to invest in Manitoba's personal-care homes with significant capital upgrades to enhance resident health and safety, as well as the addition of safe, comfortable visitation shelters, ensuring residents can maintain vital connections to their family and friends during these unsettling times.
Protecting vulnerable Manitobans with disabilities is always important but never more so than now. Your government will help Manitobans with severe and prolonged disabilities through a new income support program. It will also expand supports for adults with intellectual disabilities to find and maintain community employment.
Helping Manitobans who need support to transition to work, get training and achieve financial independence must be an ongoing goal of government employment and income assistance programs. Your government will introduce amendments to The Manitoba Assistance Act that will help instill greater self-reliance and personal growth by working with employers, educators, communities and clients themselves.
Living in a safe, secure environment is a basic human need. Your government is partnering with the federal government to create a portable housing benefit for vulnerable Manitobans, particularly youth leaving the care of Child and Family Services.
Every job lost or not created because of COVID is more than a statistic. It has a face and a story behind it. It is a young single mother struggling to feed and raise her raise–kids; a middle-aged private sector unionized worker wondering whether he will be able to ply his trade and skills in a vastly altered economy; a young Manitoban fresh from college or university worried she might have to move away from home to find the opportunity and career she desires.
For these and the thousands of other Manitoba stories out there, protecting jobs and growing our economy is the best, fastest way to beat COVID and emerge stronger on the other side. The restart Manitoba initiative is helping Manitoba protect jobs and getting people back to work. It is bridging the gap by supporting workers, students and businesses who need it. Already, more than 21,000 Manitobans have used this assistance to keep working or to return to work.
Your government will continue to fund these and other initiatives to help people find and keep jobs. The Premier's Economic Opportunities Advisory Board is actively engaged in giving the government recommendations to restart our economy. At a time of massive change and economic disruption, Manitoba needs bold and innovative ideas to come out of COVID stronger than before.
With this new, urgent reality in mind, this board of accomplished private and public sector leaders will be asked to advise government on new ways to unleash private sector capital and investment to create jobs and build on Manitoba's unique strengths as a transportation hub for–as a transportation hub, an agricultural powerhouse, a small-business engine and a clean-energy producer.
Specifically, they will be asked to recommend a new, independent, private-sector-led economic development agency to attract investment and promote international trade for our province. They will also be asked to examine the need and role for a provincial venture capital investment fund to give Manitoba businesses better access to innovative financing to bridge established private investment capital sources.
Good jobs require good workers. Manitobans fit the bill, but our skills must fit the jobs available. Our universities and colleges need to align the education they offer with the labour market needs that exist now, and those needs that are emerging.
The government will release a forward-looking skills, talent and knowledge strategy to prepare Manitobans for the jobs of the future, and to ensure our workers get the education and labour market training they need to be job-ready. This will include legislation to better align post-secondary institutions with labour market needs, expand work-integrated learning opportunities for students and improve the governance, transparency and accountability of our colleges and universities.
As part of this overall skills strategy, your government will transform and modernize apprenticeship training, enabling more individuals to become skilled journeypersons, particularly in rural and northern Manitoba.
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Your government will also introduce amendments to the fair registration practices in the regulated professions act to ensure faster recognition of qualified professionals to meet labour market needs.
Et il offrira cette année de nouveaux soutiens à la formation pour aider les entreprises à protéger les emplois et à garder leur personnel.
Translation
And, to help businesses protect jobs and keep workers, new training supports will be provided this year.
English
People are Manitoba’s greatest strength. And new immigrants make Manitoba even stronger, enriching our culture, filling job needs and creating new jobs for themselves and others.
COVID is closing borders and opportunities that we must reopen as soon as it is safe. Your government will be ready to welcome new immigrants to our province through a special immigration credential recognition program, while insisting upon an expanded federal quota for our province under the highly successful, made-in-Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
Investing in infrastructure creates jobs by building Manitoba for Manitobans. Your government will continue to invest in new infrastructure projects under the $500-million Manitoba restart plan, including the St. Mary's interchange on the South Perimeter Highway, a new roundabout at the Trans-Canada Highway intersection with Provincial Trunk Highway 16 and the development of a North Perimeter Safety Plan.
Your government will continue to vigorously pursue, and insist upon, federal government partnership and approval of the $500-million Lake Manitoba-Lake St. Martin channel project, without delays. This is the largest single infrastructure project in our province and will help protect people and communities from climate change, and give people in the region their lives back. It is past time to get it done.
Cleaning up Lake Winnipeg is a major environmental priority of your government. Building on historic investments in upstream watersheds, we will dedicate over $268 million as a first contribution to upgrading the North End Winnipeg sewage treatment plant on a priority basis under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan.
A momentary silver lining of COVID has been the chance for many Manitobans to experience staycations and rediscover parts of our beautiful province. But we need to be ready when borders reopen and tourists are invited back. Your government will release an updated provincial tourism strategy to build back this important sector and protect jobs and incomes for thousands of Manitobans.
Our natural agricultural advantage is a massive competitive advantage in which we must keep investing. Your government will host a Protein Summit next year to assert our global leadership in sustainable protein production. It will invest further in sustainable water and irrigation management to maintain Manitoba's agricultural advantage.
In recent years, Manitoba has led the country in private sector capital investment growth, due to its focus on reducing job-killing red tape. Your government will continue to streamline planning and approval processes by reintroducing changes to The Planning Act and The City of Winnipeg Charter. These changes will ensure municipal governments make timely and transparent decisions on private sector capital investment opportunities in their communities.
We will also repeal the complicated, restrictive and unnecessary rules surrounding holiday and Sunday shopping hours to make shopping easier for families and seniors.
As Canadians, we are rightly proud of our democratic institutions and processes, built upon a foundational respect for the rule of law. Legal protest has helped shape our democracy and must be protected and cherished. Earlier this year, however, Manitoba experienced the negative economic effects of illegal protests and blockades, putting the livelihoods of people and communities at risk. Your government will introduce legislation to prevent such illegal blockades of critical transportation routes and protect jobs.
In the midst of this pandemic, Manitobans are rightly worried about how far their paycheque can go. Your government understands this and is taking less and less of the income you earn to help you care for your family and invest in your community. Now is not the time for higher taxes. Now is the time for lower taxes to protect incomes and jobs.
Since taking office in 2016, taxes have been lowered in each and every year, allowing Manitobans to keep almost $700 million: $700 million left in your pockets, where it helps most.
Your government kept its word to Manitobans to cut the PST to 7 per cent, eliminate bracket creep for personal income taxes each year and remove the PST from both property insurance and will preparation. It will continue its 2020 Tax Rollback Guarantee by eliminating probate fees on estates and removing the PST from income tax preparation.
Last year, in a renewed mandate from the people of Manitoba, the government announced its commitment to eliminate, over time, the education property tax. Given the challenges we face however, Manitobans need more tax relief sooner, not later, and your government will provide it. The phased elimination of the education property tax, paid by individual Manitobans, will begin next year.
Manitoba was a strong, early advocate of paid leave for workers that are sick with COVID, required to self-isolate, or must take time off to care for others who are sick. The federal government listened to that call and has finally responded. Amendments to The Employment Standards Code will be introduced to update leave provisions and ensure Manitobans are able to access paid federal sick leave promptly, while protecting themselves and others.
Paying less for products and services is good for working Manitobans. Every bit helps, including from publicly funded Crown corporations. Your government will help a bit more, by instructing Manitoba Hydro to keep this year's rate increase to below 3 per cent, ensuring MPI continues to lower rates and allowing less expensive and more convenient private retailing of liquor in the province.
Legislation will be reintroduced to streamline the onerous process of the Public Utilities Board, enabling it to make decisions sooner and at less cost, benefitting ratepayers.
Keeping schools open and children and students safe during this pandemic remains your government's top education priority. To protect access to education during COVID, your government is establishing a provincial blended-learning strategy, consisting of remote and in-class learning options through the Restoring Safe Schools plan. This strategy will ensure that learning continues as seamlessly as possible for every student during the pandemic, regardless of where they live.
Building new schools is essential, not just for learning, but for the health and safety of students. Your government will not deviate from its commitment to build 20 new schools.
Better learning environments must be accompanied by better learning outcomes. Parents, students and teachers alike all want a K-to-12 educational system that is the best it can be.
Your government will set out a K-to-12 Better Education Strategy Today–BEST–with the aim of transforming Manitoba's education system into a modern, responsive and ambitious educational system that is classroom-focused, student-centred and parent-friendly. The BEST strategy will ensure that money is going to where it is needed most–into classrooms and schools–by providing a guaranteed increase of over $1.6 billion more in education funding over the next four years.
It will improve outcomes and achievement for all students across the province. It will equip teachers and administrators with the tools they need to be successful. It will build consistency and coherence across the province, with stronger accountability structures across the complete school experience for students and parents, teachers and principals, administrators and educators.
We need more resources directed into teaching and learning and less time and money wasted on school administration and red tape. We need teachers and principals focused on teaching and running schools, not distracted by time-consuming bureau-cracy. And we need parents to be given the chance to be more involved in their children's education, not less.
Your government's BEST strategy will deliver on these goals.
Protecting child care means making it more affordable and accessible for parents. Your government will develop a modern child-care system and funding model that will enable and support the child-care sector to grow in line with the demand from Manitoba families, provide greater equity in the type of support given to families and offer choices and flexibility that reflects the needs and challenges today's parents face.
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Protecting Manitoba's future means addressing today's priorities with an eye to tomorrow. Dealing with the immediate effects of a pandemic is 'unavoilable,' but failing to think about what this means for our province's future would be unforgiveable. We must think today about tomorrow's generations.
Your government will continue to plan and take steps to protect Manitoba's financial future, Manitoba's climate future and Manitoba's energy future. Each represents a common goal–passing on a stronger Manitoba to future generations–because each represents a common challenge: reducing the financial and climate debts we must not pass on to others.
This year marked the first balanced budget in the province in over a decade. Manitobans can have the confidence that your government will continue to manage the province's finances wisely and prudently for the future. It has already done so, while leading Canada in investing more in health care, education and families.
But Manitobas also want confidence that their tax dollars are being managed wisely. Accordingly, next year's budget will set out a pathway to a gradual, careful return to balance over the next two terms.
Climate change is a growing threat to both our environmental and economic futures. Extreme rainfall events have caused tens of millions of dollars in damages to communities in Westman and Winnipeg. These events reinforce Manitoba's efforts to keep planning for a climate change reality that is already happening around us.
Your government will continue to implement its Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan with new initiatives to reduce 'carmon' emissions across all sectors of our economy, building on our clean energy advantage. It will invest in natural infrastructure projects and release a provincial water strategy aimed at making the most of this vital resource sustainable.
Manitoba Hydro is the crown jewel of our Crown corporations. It is the foundation of the province's clean energy advantage in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, interference by a previous government has resulted in massive increases in Hydro debt that exposes Manitobans to enormous and growing financial risk.
That is why an independent economic review of the Bipole III and Keeyask projects was so necessary to give Manitobans the full facts and to offer recommendations to ensure this never happens again. Manitobans need to know the full extent of why these projects were approved, allowed to proceed and mismanaged, leading to billions of dollars in cost overruns. Your government will make this report public once it is received.
The sustainability of Manitoba's fish and wildlife populations is critical to protect natural resource jobs and conservation traditions. We cannot allow Lake Winnipeg to be polluted any longer and we must protect species like our moose population from threats.
Your government will introduce legislative changes to strengthen supports from the Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund. It will proclaim the safe hunting and shared management amendments to The Wildlife Act to create new partnerships with Manitoba's Indigenous communities, hunters and landowners to protect big game species currently in decline.
It will continue to consult with harvesters and Indigenous communities to develop long-term shared management plans and other initiatives intended to allow the sustainable use of our wildlife resources and end the unsafe practice of night hunting.
Through EngageMB, your government has consulted with more Manitobans more often than any government in the past to inform our collective COVID response. Your government has listened. It will keep listening.
From the ongoing pandemic response to the forthcoming budget, Manitobans will be asked to contribute to new policies, programs and actions to restart our economy and keep protecting us all. Your government is committed to hearing directly from Manitobans on what matters most to you.
Your government is ready to continue with the mandate you gave us to fix the finances, repair the services and rebuild the economy. Many of the bills from the last session are integral to accomplishing this work and will be reintroduced in this session to complete this work.
We are truly in this campaign against COVID together. As we look to the future, we can draw inspiration from the past. This year marks 150 years of Manitoba's history as a province, but also 100 years of this magnificent Legislative Building. This is the people's House. Its presence is a reminder of our individual freedoms and collective progress.
To mark this moment of respect and reconciliation, this Throne Speech announces that a monument to Chief Peguis will be placed on the grounds of this Legislative Building to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Selkirk Treaty and the contributions of Saulteaux Chief Peguis and the allied Cree chiefs who were signatories.
Forging positive, respectful and inclusive relationships with Indigenous and northern communities is fundamental to Manitoba's economic prosperity. It is an important pillar of government's mandate to advance reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
Your government will continue to advance economic initiatives and priorities as well as supporting innovative partnerships that increase Indigenous participation and opportunities in Manitoba's economy and advance reconciliation.
It will continue to expedite treaty land entitlement, recognizing the important role that land plays in living out our treaty obligations and enhancing fiscal and economic opportunities.
To build on and enhance food security initiatives in northern Manitoba, your government will implement a food security innovation challenge that will engage local, regional, national and international stakeholders in the launch of a challenge prize to accelerate solutions to efficiently increase reliable access to healthy foods in northern and remote communities.
Over 100 years ago, the 4-H movement in Canada started right here in Roland, Manitoba. Today, 4-H clubs across the province continue to teach many traditional personal and community values that are still relevant today. Your government will honour the values of head, heart, hands and health by establishing a 4-H scholarship endowment strategy that will help provincial and local organizations provide these unique opportunities for young Manitobans.
Manitoba is the home of hope. We remain full of hope about our future together. We can rightly take pride in what Manitobans have accomplished together, not just this year, but over the past 150 years.
The road ahead is not fully clear to any of us. What is clear is that we are on this journey together. We know that if the pandemic is tough, Manitobans are tougher. To get through COVID-19–and make no mistake, we will–we must remain confident in ourselves above all, confident in our abilities to overcome, confident in our resilience to stand strong, confident in our willingness to work together. Resilient, we will prevail.
Pour se protéger les uns les autres, il faut commencer par prendre soin de chacun, dans un esprit d’amour de notre province et de notre pays, et avec bienveillance envers autrui.
Translation
Protecting each other begins with caring for each other; with love of province and country and kindness toward others.
English
That is how we can live with COVID. That is how we have always lived. That is how we should keep living together.
I now leave you to the business of the session, knowing that you will faithfully discharge your duties and responsibilities.
May Divine Providence continue to bless our province and guide this Assembly in all of its deliberations.
God bless Manitoba; God bless Canada; and God save the Queen.
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Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor rose from the throne and retired from the Chamber escorted by the Sergeant‑at‑Arms carrying the mace and followed by the honorary aides-de-camp, the Premier and the Chief Justice.
Prior to their exiting the Chamber, God Save the Queen and O Canada were played.
The Speaker proceeded to the throne.
The Sergeant-at-Arms approached the Speaker, made obeisance with the mace, then placed the mace on the table.
Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.
Please be seated.
Hon. Brian Pallister (Premier): I move, seconded by the member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen), that Bill 1, An Act Respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office; Loi sur la prestation des serments d'entrée en fonction, be now read a first time.
Motion agreed to.
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Mr. Pallister: I move, seconded by the member for Brandon West (Mr. Helwer), that the speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor be taken into consideration tomorrow.
Motion agreed to.
House Business
Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, on House business.
Is there leave of the House to consider today without notice a sessional order establishing procedures to allow the Manitoba Legislature to sit virtually?
Madam Speaker: Is there leave for a sessional order to be brought forward in the House? Leave? [Agreed]
Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Government House Leader): I move, seconded by the member for St. Johns (Ms. Fontaine),
THAT in order to accommodate the use of virtual technology for sittings of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, and of the Assembly's committees, the following sessional orders are to apply until December 3rd, 2020.
THAT the Assembly's customary procedures and practices remain in effect for members situated in the Assembly Chamber and committee rooms, unless otherwise noted.
THAT in the event of a discrepancy with existing rules, the provisions of the sessional order are to apply.
THAT in the event of public safety requirements, as set out by an order under The Public Health Act prescribed by the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, the Speaker, House leaders of recognized parties and the honourable member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard), or their designates, collectively will have the ability to vary, pause or postpone the proceedings of the House and committees until the said order is terminated. Upon termination of the said order, the proceeding of the House and committees will resume immediately.
THAT for the purpose of attendance, all MLAs participating virtually or observing the Throne Speech proceedings outside of the Chamber due to physical distancing requirements are deemed to be in attendance retroactive to October 7th, 2020.
Virtual proceedings
(1) Notwithstanding the rules, orders and forms of proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the House and the Assembly's committees can meet from time to time in virtual proceedings, which includes members physically present in the Chamber or committee room and members participating from locations outside of the Chamber or committee room using an approved video conferencing technology platform.
Definitions
(2) In this sessional order:
Committee proceeding means a meeting of the Assembly's committees taking place in a committee room or the Chamber and remotely from locations outside of the committee room or the Chamber using an approved video conferencing technology platform.
Moderator means a Legislative Assembly employee acting under the authority of the Speaker to facilitate the remote participation of members in the proceedings.
Sitting of the House means a sitting of the House taking place in the Chamber and remotely from locations outside of the Chamber using approved video conferencing technology platform.
Virtual proceeding means a sitting of the House or committee proceeding using an approved video conferencing technology platform involving members of the Legislative Assembly who are not physically present in the Chamber or committee room.
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Virtually means participating in a virtual proceeding and appearing visually on the approved video conferencing technology platform screens in the Chamber or committee room.
Quorum and attendance
(3) Members who are participating virtually in the proceedings are to be counted as part of the quorum of 10 members required as set out in sub‑rules 5(1) and 75(2) and section 8 of The Legislative Assembly Act.
Quorum count
(4) If a quorum count is requested during a sitting of the House:
(a) the division bells shall ring for one minute, during which time the doors shall remain open and members may enter the Chamber or join virtually–or join the sitting virtually;
(b) once the division bells stop, no further members may enter the Chamber or join the sitting virtually with the moderator to block online access once the division bells have stopped;
(c) the Clerk shall then count and announce the number of members present in their seats in the Chamber and those members who are present virtually, including the Speaker; and,
(d) if a quorum of members is not present, the Speaker must adjourn the House for the sitting day.
Virtual participation, notice to participate virtually
(5) Members are to provide two hours' notice for any given day to the moderator of their intent to participate virtually.
Audio and visual video functions
(6) Members who are participating virtually must have their audio and video functions enabled with their faces identifiable in order to be included as part of the quorum to participate in proceedings and to vote.
(7) Members participating virtually must keep their audio muted until recognized by the Chair and should also mute their audio if stepping away from the screen.
Dress code
(8) Business professional attire comparable to attire worn in the Chamber is required for members participating virtually.
Electronic devices, use of electronic devices
(9) Members participating in a sitting of the House or a committee proceeding may use electronic devices in silent mode. During oral questions such devices should be kept below the desk or table and out of the camera's view.
Decorum on adjournment
(10) When the House adjourns members present in the Chamber shall stand and remain in their places until the Speaker has left the Chamber. All members participating virtually shall not log off until the Speaker has adjourned the House.
Order in addressing the Chair
(11) Every member in the Chamber desiring to speak shall rise in their place and address themselves to the Speaker. In accordance with the Legislative Assembly seating plan, members seated in supplementary seating must proceed to a stand-up podium microphone to speak while members participating virtually shall signal the moderator of their intention to speak and should speak from a seated position once recognized.
Tabling of documents
(12) A member presenting a report or document to the House while participating virtually must state that they are tabling a report or document and must provide an electronic copy to the moderator immediately.
Motions to be in writing
(13) All motions shall be in writing except motions to adjourn a debate or to adjourn the House. This includes motions moved by members participating virtually, which must be submitted electronically to the moderator immediately.
Motions moved and seconded
(14) Members must be in attendance, including virtually, to move or second a motion.
Conducting–Conduct during the putting of the question
(15) When the Speaker is putting a question, all members are to remain seated and are not to make any noise or disturbance.
Request for a recorded division
(16) A recorded division on any question put to the House may be requested by
(a) a House leader from a recognized party; or
(b) any member with the support of three other members, including members participating virtually who raised their hands to show support.
No debate permitted
(17) All members who have been–after all members who have been summoned to the sitting for a division, no further debate shall be permitted.
Conduct during stating of the question
(18) No member shall enter or leave the sitting, whether present in the Chamber or participating virtually, during the stating of the question and may not leave the sitting during the final statement of the question until the division has been conducted and the result of the vote announced.
Time limit on division bells
(19) Not more than one hour after directing that the members be summoned to the sitting, the Speaker shall:
(a) order the division bells be turned off;
(b) state the question again; and
(c) immediately order the recording of the division.
Requirement to vote
(20) Every member present, whether in their seat or participating virtually, must vote. Voting will be conducted with the members seated in the Chamber, followed by the members participating virtually.
Conducting the vote
(21) For the members participating virtually, the vote will be conducted by calling the names of members individually, stating–starting with the leaders of the recognized parties and then alphabetically with each member to say yea or nay when their name is called.
Points of order and matters of privilege–Raising of points of order and matters of privilege
(22) Members participating virtually must signal the intent to raise a point of order or matter of privilege by unmuting their audio and seeking the floor.
Procedure on a point–Procedure on point of order
(23) A member addressing the House, if called to order by either the Speaker or on a point of order raised by another member, shall cease deliberations and be seated, and if participating virtually, shall mute their audio while the point of order is being stated, after which the member may explain.
Privilege ruling subject to challenge
(24) The Speaker shall determine if a prima facie case of privilege has been established and provide the House with a rationale for this decision. Rulings of the Chair dealing with matters of privilege may be challenged by:
(a) a House leader from a recognized party; or
(b) any member with the support of three other members, including members participating virtually who raised their hand to show support.
Naming a member
(25) The Speaker shall be vested with the authority to maintain order by naming individual members for disregarding the authority of the Chair and ordering a withdrawal from the Chamber or termination of virtual participation for the remainder of the sitting day.
Disregarding an order of the Chair
(26) In the event of a member disregarding an order of the Chair made pursuant to sessional order 25, the Speaker shall order the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the member out of the Chamber or direct the moderator to terminate the virtual participation of the member.
Suspension
(27) A suspension under sessional order 26 shall be decided by the Speaker but shall not exceed two weeks, including virtual participation.
(28) If a member refuses to obey the Speaker's order to accompany the Sergeant-at-Arms out of the Chamber, the Speaker must then advise the House that force is required to implement the order. Any member removed from the Chamber by force is then suspended from all sittings for the remainder of the session.
Moment of silence
(29) At the conclusion of the speeches for condolence motions, the Speaker puts the question and asks members to signify their approval of the motion by observing a moment of silence, with members present in the Chamber to rise.
(30) With unanimous consent, a moment of silence may be observed with the members present in the Chamber to rise and the members participating virtually to remain seated.
Committee of Supply
(31) The following physical distancing measures are to be taken into account when the Committee of Supply is meeting in the Chamber and in the committee rooms:
(a) limiting attendance to no more than six members at a time in any one section: Chair, minister, one government member, two official opposition members and one independent Liberal member;
(b) having one member per table in the committee rooms and in the Chamber having members similarly distance–distanced as set out in the regular House proceedings;
(c) limiting attendance in each section to no more than four ministerial staff at a time;
(d) limiting attendance in each section to one staff person from the official opposition, and
(e) limiting attendance in the committee rooms to one staff person per section from the independent Liberals.
* (14:30)
Standing committees–Standing committee membership
(32) The rule governing standing committee membership is altered with the understanding that these arrangements will be in place for all meetings but can be changed either by leave of the House or by written agreement from the Government House Leader, the Official Opposition House Leader, and the member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard) or their designates by
(a) waiving rule 83(2) and reducing membership for all standing committees except for Public Accounts and rules of the House from 11 to six, with proportional representation as follows: Four government members, including the Chairperson, two official opposition members;
(b) waiving rule 83(2) and reducing membership for the standing committees on rules of the House from 11 to eight, with proportional representation as follows: Speaker as Chairperson, four government members, two official opposition members, one independent Liberal member.
Non-committee members and staff attendance
(33) With the exception of the Public Accounts Committee the following non-committee members and staff persons are permitted in the committee rooms during a meeting of a standing committee: one non-committee government member, one non‑committee official opposition member, one non‑committee independent Liberal member, one ministerial staff person, one official opposition staff person, one independent Liberal staff person.
Rules governing standing committees
(34) The Government House Leader, the Official Opposition House Leader and the member for River Heights, or their designates, collectively are authorized to make further changes to rules governing standing committees when the House is not sitting by providing a letter to the Speaker detailing such changes.
Presentations to standing committees
(35) To facilitate physical distancing, persons making public presentations will be asked to wait in a separate location from the committee room and will be called one at a time to the committee room to make presentations.
General provisions
Amendments
(36) After adoption by the House, this sessional order may be amended only by
(a) unanimous consent of the House;
(b) passage of a subsequent sessional order by the House, or
(c) written agreement of all House leaders if the House is not sitting.
Madam Speaker: Is there any debate on the sessional order? [interjection] Oh, sorry.
It has been moved by the honourable Government House Leader (Mr. Goertzen), seconded by the honourable member for St. Johns (Ms. Fontaine), that the following sessional order be adopted.
Is there any–
An Honourable Member: Dispense.
Madam Speaker: Thank you.
Is there any debate on the sessional order?
If there is no debate on the sessional order, it has been moved by the honourable Government House Leader, seconded by the honourable member for St. Johns, that the following sessional order be adopted.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Hon. Brian Pallister (Premier): I move, seconded by the member for Riding Mountain (Mr. Nesbitt), that this House do now adjourn.
Madam Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
The House is now adjourned and stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.