LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
LOCATION – Winnipeg, Manitoba
CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Tyler Blashko (Lagimodière)
VICE-CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Diljeet Brar (Burrows)
ATTENDANCE – 6 — QUORUM – 4
Members of the committee present:
Hon. Min. Schmidt, Hon. Min. Wiebe
Messrs. Balcaen, Blashko, Brar, Ewasko
PUBLIC PRESENTERS:
Bill 38 – The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act
Dan Ward, Manitoba Association of School Superintendents
Leah Klassen, Manitoba School Boards Association
David Grant, private citizen
Bill 8 – The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act
David Grant, private citizen
Bill 9 – The Street Weapons Control Act
David Grant, private citizen
Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act
David Grant, private citizen
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS:
Bill 9 – The Street Weapons Control Act
Denys Volkov, Association of Manitoba Municipalities
Bill 38 – The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act
John Klassen, Garden Valley School Division Board of Trustees
Sandy Nemeth, Louis Riel School Division Board of Trustees
Sandra Davies, Evergreen School Division
Leslie Fernandes, Flin Flon School Division Board of Trustees
Tara Smith, St. James Assiniboia School Division Board of Trustees
Jennie Parsonage, Prairie Spirit School Division Board of Trustees
Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act
Carson Callum, Manitoba Beef Producers
MATTERS UNDER CONSIDERATION:
Bill 8 – The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act
Bill 9 – The Street Weapons Control Act
Bill 34 – The Interprovincial Subpoena Amendment Act
Bill 38 – The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act
Bill 40 – The Elections Amendment Act
Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act
Bill 44 – The Minor Amendments and Corrections Act, 2026
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Clerk Assistant (Ms. Katerina Tefft): Good evening. Will the Standing Committee on Justice please come to order.
Before the committee can proceed with the business before it, it must elect a Chairperson.
Are there any nominations?
Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I nominate MLA Blashko.
Clerk Assistant: Mr. Blashko has been nominated.
Are there any other nominations?
Hearing no other nominations, Mr. Blashko, will you please take the Chair.
The Chairperson: Our next item of business is the election of a Vice-Chairperson.
Are there any nominations?
MLA Schmidt: I nominate MLA Brar.
The Chairperson: MLA Brar has been nominated.
Are there any other nominations?
Seeing none, MLA Brar is elected Vice‑Chairperson.
This meeting has been called to consider the following bills: Bill 9, The Street Weapons Control Act; Bill 34, The Interprovincial Subpoena Amendment Act; Bill 38, The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act; Bill 40, The Elections Amendment Act; Bill 42, The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act; Bill 44, the Minor Amendments and Corrections Act, 2026; as well as Bill 8, The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act.
I would like to inform all in attendance of the provisions in our regular–in our rules regarding the hours of adjournment. A standing committee meeting to consider a bill must not sit past midnight to hear public presentations or to consider clause by clause of a bill except by unanimous consent of the committee.
I would also like to inform all members of the public in the gallery of the rules of decorum for standing committees. Please note that any participation from the gallery is not allowed. Examples of specific actions that are not allowed include clapping, cheering or interrupting presentations. Taking photos or videos of the meeting is also not allowed, and please set your phones to mute. I thank everyone advance for their co‑operation.
Prior to proceeding with public presentations, I would like to advise members of the public regarding the process for speaking in a committee. In accordance with our rules, a time limit of 10 minutes has been allotted for presentations, with another five minutes allowed for questions from committee members. Questions shall not exceed 45 seconds in length, with no limit for answers.
Questions may be addressed to presenters in the following rotation: first the minister sponsoring the bill or another member of their caucus; second, a member of the official opposition; and third, an independent member. If a presenter is not in attendance when their name is called, they will be dropped to the bottom of the list. If the presenter is not in attendance when their name is called in second–called a second time, they will be removed from the presenters' list.
The proceedings of our meetings are recorded in order to provide a verbatim transcript. Each time someone wishes to speak, whether it be an MLA or a presenter, I first have to say the person's name. This is the signal for the Hansard recorder to turn the mics on and off.
Written submissions from the following persons have been received and distributed to committee members: Denys Volkov, Association of Manitoba Municipalities, on Bill 9; John Klassen, Garden Valley School Division Board of Trustees, on Bill 38; Sandy Nemeth, Louis Riel School Division of Trustees, on Bill 38; Sandra Davies, Evergreen School Division, on Bill 38; Leslie Fernandes, Flin Flon School Division Board of Trustees, on Bill 38; Tara Smith, St. James-Assiniboia School Division Board of Trustees, on Bill 38; Jennie Parsonage, Prairie Spirit School Division on–Prairie Spirit School Division Board of Trustees, on Bill 38; and Carson Callum, Manitoba Beef Producers, on Bill 42.
Does the committee agree to have these documents appear in the Hansard transcript of this meeting? [Agreed]
On the topic of determining the order of public presentations, I will note that we have out-of-town presenters registered, marked with an asterisk on the list. With the–with this consideration in mind, in what order does the committee wish to hear the presentations?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I'd suggest that we allow for in-person out-of-town presenters first, followed by in-person in-town presenters, and then those who are joining virtually to be considered at the end.
The Chairperson: The suggestion is to start with out-of-town presenters, followed by local presenters, followed by online presenters? [Agreed]
Thank you for your patience. We will now proceed with public presentations.
The Chairperson: I will now call Dan Ward.
Mr. Ward, please proceed with your presentation.
Dan Ward (Manitoba Association of School Superintendents): Okay. Good evening. I'd like to thank the committee for providing me this time to speak to you this evening.
My name is Dan Ward, and today I'm presenting on behalf of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, which I've been a member for–on that association for close to 11 years and currently as co-president.
On behalf of my colleague and MASS co-president, Jenness Moffatt, our executive director, Barb Isaak, who's here this evening, and our entire organization, we wish to thank the committee for providing us time to speak here tonight.
Our organization represents senior leaders in public education across our great province, including superintendents, assistant superintendents and managing directors. I, myself, have been a school superintendent for close to seven years, first as superintendent of Mountain View School Division based in Dauphin, and currently serve as superintendent of Garden Valley School Division based in Winkler.
I started my teaching career in 1996. I've been teaching or in education for roughly 30 years, and, like a lot of folks, when I think 1996, I think it's about 10 years ago, but closer to 30 now. Started my career in Frontier School Division and have had the pleasure to serve numerous divisions and schools throughout Manitoba.
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Our members serve as senior leaders in public school divisions and districts across Manitoba. Working closely with elected school boards, superintendents and senior leaders help define vision, values. We translate board policy into effective practice and provide leadership in teaching, learning and student achievement.
Our association is here this evening to express its strong support for the provisions in Bill 38 that clarify and strengthen the requirement for every school division and district to appoint a superintendent who is a qualified and experienced professional educator. We believe these amendments to The Public Schools Act are good for students, good for schools and ultimately good for communities; and fully consistent with Manitoba's proud and long history of having democratically elected school trustees.
Requiring that a superintendent hold a valid teaching certificate, have direct teaching and curriculum experience and possess relevant leadership and administrative experience ensures that educational decisions are informed by well-rounded professionals with an understanding of how students learn, how teachers teach and how schools function. This matters because superintendents are responsible for administering curriculum, programming, supporting student success and inclusion, implementing board policy in schools, supervising professional staff and working with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning.
Public confidence in education depends on knowing that decisions affecting students are made by educators who understand classrooms, student needs and sound instructional practices. Manitoba has not been immune to increasingly polarized political discourse across a range of issues, many of which directly affect public schools. In this context and without these amendments, there is a genuine risk that a school division or district could appoint its senior leader based primarily on political ideology rather than on demonstrated educational expertise and professional qualifications.
The amendments in Bill 38 address this reality in a measured and responsible way. By legislating superintendent qualifications, Bill 38 also reinforces teaching as a profession and ensures consistency across all school divisions and districts. This is particularly important in a province with diverse student learning needs across urban, northern, rural and remote communities, who are all facing, or faced with, increasing complexity in curriculum, assessment, technology and inclusion. A qualified superintendent provides continuity, stability and system-level leadership, conditions essential to long-term student success.
These provisions do not diminish the authority of elected school boards. In fact, they strengthen it. Bill 38 preserves the fundamental democratic role of school boards by reaffirming the board's authority to appoint the superintendent, define the superintendent's duties, set policy and establish strategic direction while representing the local community. Superintendents remain accountable to their boards, while boards remain accountable to the public through elections and the relevant provisions of The Public Schools Act.
In closing, for these reasons, our organization supports the superintendent provisions of Bill 38. We thank and commend the government for its foresight and leadership in introducing these important amendments into The Public Schools Act, and we thank you and wish you a good evening.
The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Do members of the committee have questions for the presenter? [interjection] Forty-five seconds.
Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): Forty-five seconds, oh my gosh.
Okay, well thank you very much, Superintendent Ward, for your excellent presentation. Thank you for supporting the amendments as proposed in Bill 38. I want to thank not only you, but also, as you mentioned, your co-president, Superintendent Jenness Moffatt, who could not be here with us today, but also our executive director Barb Isaak. Thank you very much for taking the time to be here today.
I only have a few more seconds. I probably have a few more comments for you. I don't know if I'll have another time to ask a question, but just on the record, I want to say you articulated a little bit of your history. I just want to, as the minister, I want to say a sincere thank-you to you and to share with the room, folks that don't know, Superintendent Ward is retiring this year, and so for the incredible work that you have done–oh. Oh my gosh. I've just done something, but–
The Chairperson: And the minister's time has expired.
You're welcome to respond, Mr. Ward.
D. Ward: Absolutely. Want to thank Minister Schmidt. I will be retiring, but not this year. I've got a few more years to go, although it's something that I would enjoy if I was able to this year. I do love my job, but we all look forward to that time when we can look at our accomplishments and move on.
But I want to thank you for, you know, affirming our position, and, again, we definitely see the value in this change to The Public Schools Act.
Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Thank you, Mr. Ward, again, for your years of service, of course, to the education world. And good thing–the minister's now cancelled the cake she was going to give you tonight–on the retirement.
I do have a question for you quickly, though, Mr. Ward.
So how many superintendents are there right now presently in Manitoba that are working as superintendents that do not have a valid Manitoba Education teaching certificate? [interjection]
The Chairperson: Mr. Ward, sorry. I just have to recognize you for the mics.
D. Ward: Our association doesn't provide oversight in terms of qualifications to be superintendent.
Personally, I'm not aware of any of the currently 37 school superintendents in Manitoba that don't have teacher certification. But it's not something we provide oversight for.
And I'd say without the amendments to this bill, it would certainly be, you know, a possibility because at current, there's nothing in The Public Schools Act that would prevent a school board from hiring individuals without those credentials.
The Chairperson: Are there any other questions from the committee?
Mr. Ewasko: So just to close it out, thanks, Mr. Ward, for your presentation, coming to committee and definitely exercising your democratic right here in Manitoba to be part of the process.
So, thanks, again.
The Chairperson: You're welcome to respond if you'd like, Mr. Ward.
D. Ward: I just want to thank the committee again for this opportunity to present.
The Chairperson: Thank you.
Next up, we have Ms. Leah Klassen.
Ms. Klassen, you're welcome to start.
Leah Klassen (Manitoba School Boards Association): Good evening. At the–first, I do want just thank Minister Schmidt. I'm horribly nervous for coming here, but I will tell you, at the thought of my superintendent retiring, my anxiety level just went through the roof, thinking it was going to be a–[interjection] So I do appreciate that.
Thank you so much.
Good evening, distinguished members of the committee. My name is Leah Klassen. I'm vice-president for boards under 6,000 enrolments with Manitoba School Boards Association. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today on behalf of MSBA regarding Bill 38, specifically the proposed amendments to the Manitoba school boards act–association act.
At the outset, MSBA wishes to express its strong support for these amendments. We view them as the culmination of many years of advocacy, dialogue and partnership, aimed at advancing equity, reconciliation and genuine collaboration in Manitoba's education system.
Bill 38 reflects policy objectives that MSBA has been advancing for nearly a decade. Our first written recommendation on this issue dates back to 2019 following years of in-person meetings and repeated requests, beginning in 2017, to ministers and deputy ministers of Education.
This bill is therefore a clear example of government listening, hearing and acting on the considered advice of the public education sector alongside Indigenous education partners. Importantly, Bill 38 aligns directly with MSBA's advocacy to remove long-standing structural barriers that limited meaningful participation by First Nations and other Indigenous education authorities within our association, despite our shared mandates and objectives.
The amendments to the MSBA act will do three essential things. First, they'll enhance membership eligibility by allowing First Nations and other Indigenous education organizations to seek MSBA membership on a basis comparable to public school boards. Second, they enable MSBA to consider membership requests from other organization–education organizations that share our goal of promoting public education. Third, they preserve MSBA's core mandate: autonomy and member-driven governance while welcoming important partners who participation can strengthen the collective education system.
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In short, these amendments operationalize equity, not merely as an aspiration, but through lawful access, governance structures and shared resources.
MSBA believes that reconciliation must be structural, not symbolic. The late Justice Murray Sinclair described for us a mountain and showed us the way to the top. He reminded us that reconciliation requires all of us to do the climbing. Bill 38 represents a meaningful step up that mountain.
For more than a century, MSBA has provided extensive programs and services to public school boards, supporting governance excellence, labour relations, risk management and system sustainability. Bill 38 allows those same collective supports to be extended, where desired, to Indigenous education partners with shared values and objectives.
Equally important, the amendments provide for democratic participation, including representation on MSBA's provincial executive, delegate access to convention and participation in membership meetings. This reflects reconciliation in practice, grounded in respect, partnership and shared responsibility.
MSBA wishes to acknowledge and thank the government of Manitoba and the Department of Education for advancing this legislation and for their demonstrated willingness not only to listen but to act. We also recognize the critical leadership of our partners at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre and the Manitoba First Nations School System.
This bill is a result of collaboration, trust and mutual respect. MSBA is enthusiastic about the prospect that MFNERC or MFNSS may one day choose to become members of our association, strengthening the education landscape for all Manitobans.
Before his passing, Dr. Don Robertson, founding executive director of MFNERC and later Elder-in-residence with MSBA, spoke of changes that he dreamed could one day be possible. While Bill 38 is not dedicated to an individual, it undeniably reflects Don's life work. In that spirit, we wish to recognize and acknowledge Dr. Robertson's leadership and achievements while reflecting what he would have wanted for this committee and all Manitobans to know, that these amendments certainly reflect the aspirations and the dreams of those who preceded us, but that, ultimately, these amendments are dedicated to our future generations, unto the seventh generation and beyond.
Briefly, before I conclude, I wanted to share some important historical context. The MSBA act originated in 1943 when MSBA's predecessor drafted the original legislation to establish accountability for public funding and define the association's structure. Although government operating and grants were discontinued decades ago in 1970, MSBA's statutory mandate, independence and impartiality have remained our defining characteristics. The association is now a non-profit corporate entity established under a public statute with aims firmly tied to public good of education.
The absence of enabling authority within the act has long limited MSBA's ability to extend services. Most notably, the greatest impact fell upon Indigenous education systems, particularly following the establishment of MFNSS as the very first First Nations school system in Canada to be funded at parity at the public education system. Bill 38 finally removes that barrier.
Amendments to the MSBA act are rare, the last occurring 36 years ago. MSBA does not wish to burden the Legislature, but we do hope that the experience of Bill 38 will be instructive. Should future amendments ever be required, we encourage governments, regardless of political stripe, to continue acting as willing partners, recognizing MSBA's formal corporate standing and the need for flexibility over time.
We do not come every day to the Legislative Assembly to seek changes to our act. When we do, it's important. What is happening here today could have occurred nearly a decade ago, and while we look not to what might have been, we do keep a keen eye on what we do in the future.
Finally, MSBA acknowledges that Bill 38 is an omnibus bill. Our submission today is intentionally confined to the amendments affecting the MSBA act itself. We trust that the committee members will review the additional briefs submitted by the MSBA member school boards, as you noted, regarding proposed changes to The Public Schools Act.
Any amendment that would fundamentally alter the legal relationship between the democratically elected school boards and the Minister of Education must be approached with caution. And we trust the Assembly will give those valuable perspectives shared by our members the due consideration that they rightly deserve.
In closing, Bill 38 represents meaningful progress, the product of years of advocacy, partnership and principled dialogue. By removing structural barriers and enabling equitable access to shared resources, the legislation supports reconciliation, equity and excellence in education across Manitoba.
Thank you, again, for this opportunity to speak. We respectfully urge the committee to support the passage of Bill 38, as it relates to the Manitoba School Boards Association amendment act, without delay. And I would encourage members to refer to our written brief for additional detail and context.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Are there questions from the committee?
MLA Schmidt: Thank you very much, Leah–Trustee Klassen. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you for your presentation. We very much appreciate the–as you noted, like, the genuine collaboration between government and the MSBA. We very much value that relationship and we're going to continue to build on it.
I appreciate your presentation here today, for your commitment as articulated to the principles of democracy, to the principles of truth and reconciliation. We appreciate the MSBA for allowing this sort of partial membership with some of these Indigenous-serving organizations even prior to the enabling legislative authority to do so. So it's our, you know, privilege and our duty to listen to the sector and to bring forward these sort of amendments.
And just to your point about the–okay, thank you for your presentation.
The Chairperson: You're welcome to respond if you'd like, Ms. Klassen.
L. Klassen: Thanks for the comments.
Mr. Ewasko: Thank you, Ms. Klassen, for coming today, for your presentation, of course your dedication to students for quite a few years already. And, again, your thoughtful, again, presentation.
I also wanted to say thank you also for mentioning Dr. Don Robertson, and–huge contributor to education all across this great province of ours, so once again, thank you very much.
The Chairperson: You're welcome to respond, Ms. Klassen.
L. Klassen: Thank you.
The Chairperson: Are there any other questions?
Seeing none, thank you so much for your presentation.
So that concludes our out-of-town presenters, so we'll move to Winnipeg-based presenters and we'll proceed chronologically based on bill number.
The Chairperson: So we'll go back to Bill 8, and we have David Grant.
Whenever you're ready, Mr. Grant, please proceed with your presentation.
David Grant (Private Citizen): I don't have as much to say about this as I did about 38, but this sounds like a good idea.
I think the one, perhaps, weakness is that the retail sale of new long-bladed swords and machetes is something that's abhorrent, and–but the more significant thing is the ones that are out there are probably not being confiscated the way guns tend to be. And so that's something else that is perhaps a problem for Ottawa and a problem for Winnipeg police.
But, certainly, the distribution–second-hand distribution, is something we haven't dealt with. We've said that you can't do it–give such a weapon to a kid, but it–we don't have a system to control the second-hand distribution. I don't think this is mostly at yard sales; I think this is mostly an organization, or a friend gives you the blade. But it's something that I think we could go further on than Bill 8. Bill 8 could deal with that.
Bill 9 is slightly different wording. I mean, my comments are slightly different, but I think the controlling the second-hand distribution, and it's one of these things that I think the legitimate uses for swords is minimal now. And the legitimate uses for cutting sugar cane with a sword is not as big a deal here. And so if the weapons had been banned, you know, if they had been prohibited, I think the legitimate use for one of Mr. Trudeau's forbidden hunting rifles, that is less justifiable than would be a ban on all long-bladed weapons in public.
If you want to have a sword on a plaque in your office, that's one thing, but the idea that they're okay sometimes, and you might be going from Portage right into the woods, but even being in the woods–I've camped for all my life, and I've never had a need for a long-bladed weapon.
So that's all. Just, you know, it's a good start, and–but I would say that moving down the road of banning them, you know, in public and of controlling the second-hand purchase and sale and giving away–because if a person was criminally inclined and they had a 14-year-old that wanted one, the ability to prosecute is minimal. So that 14-year-old's going to get one from an uncle or whoever.
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So that's all. Just–it's a good start, but I can see that most of the criminal use of these things is going to completely ignore this bill.
So thank you.
The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Question from honourable Mr. Wiebe?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Thanks, David, for coming once again and for your insight here. I think you're right to see both bills 8 and 9 as both addressing the same issues and certainly taking a different approach but obviously working towards the same aim.
I also think you're right to identify the federal government's role in this regard and, you know, the list of prohibitive–prohibited weapons. We've got some ideas about how to expand that, and I've communicated that with the federal minister.
So, again, I think you're on the right track, and really it's about limiting. Of course we can't get rid of all of the long-bladed weapons, maybe, on our streets, but certainly making a dent. And law enforcement is telling us that the changes we've made already are starting to make a difference.
The Chairperson: Mr. Grant, you're welcome to respond.
D. Grant: Sure, thank you. And, yes, we're all reminded, or those of us who don't work here are reminded of metal detectors, you know, going through the arch and being wanded down because of the zipper on my shirt–on my jacket. But it is something that I think–it's intrusive and it's a bit annoying going into a courtroom or into this building, but it keeps people safe, and I think if every public doorway in the city had those, we'd have fewer people taking such things to the grocery store with them, for example.
And so I think the wand thing, if they're set to low sensitivity so shoelaces and buckles don't turn–set them off but big knives would, I would support that, as I would being stopped on the street. You know, people say, oh, you know, they don't want police interacting with them when they're walking down the street, but if police had wands and they're enabled to do that and they just went zip, zip on people randomly, you know, on–if they're doing foot patrol, I would say that, right now, they'd catch half the bad weapons that are out there.
Anyway, thank you for your permission to talk.
The Chairperson: Thanks.
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Thank you, Mr. Grant, for presenting today and bringing up really what is one of the major flaws in this bill, is–has been discussed, is second-hand sellers. And not only that, it's the enforcement of it and knowing that we're already strapped for resources for law enforcement, for community safety officers and for anybody who enforces these sort of acts. This puts an additional burden on there that–really it's a law within the bill that is just put there more for show because we know that it's not going to be able to be enacted.
So thank you for–or to be followed up on. So thank you for bringing that forward and mentioning that in your presentation.
The Chairperson: Your time is expired.
But you're welcome to respond, Mr. Grant.
D. Grant: Briefly. And that's one of the reasons it's not just to say some stuff that's obvious; it's the fond hope, because I think, a year or so ago, I saw a bill changed in this room, you know, at standing committee. You know, things were tweaked and added to it and I think that was largely a response to the delegations that day. So I still have the fond hope that I'll come here and say something and Mr. Wiebe will say, good idea; I'm going to do that. But not this time.
But, you know, thank you, Wayne, for raising that issue that there are weaknesses in bills. Nothing's perfect, but it would be nice if the obvious stuff was more often responded to.
Thank you, Wayne.
The Chairperson: Any further questions? No?
The Chairperson: Okay. Well, don't go too far because we will be going to Bill 9, and our first presenter is David Grant.
Mr. Grant, you can start with your presentation whenever you're ready.
David Grant (Private Citizen): Sure. I guess the main thing, as I mentioned before, the carrying of the weapons is more significant than how they got them. You know, the retail sale is a third of the equation and the problem. And I guess the other one is, as we've discussed, you know, being wanded more often and so on, and being detected in doorways.
But the other one–it did strike me a curiosity that even though a machete would be more useful when you live on the edge of a forest, it would seem, from the news, that they're a big problem in remote communities. And the idea that there's a blanket exemption for sword carriers on First Nations seems counter-indicated.
And I'm not sure if–I don't know the law and how it interacts. We know that murder's illegal on a First Nations or outside, but weapons things probably are too. So it would just–I found it disappointing that there's an exemption, which would therefore put a whole lot of First Nations innocent people at risk, because that's exempted. So that's the only significant thing other than, as I said before, I'd like to have a lot more subtle enforcement.
So thank you. That's it.
The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Again, thanks, David, for your presentation.
I think I'll just maybe take this little bit of time to just clarify that, on First Nations, they're not exempted; they are allowed to opt in. So it's just a–more of an active role.
I also note that, for the committee, that we have a written presentation from AMM and that they are the representative of all municipalities, you know, saying that they support this legislation.
You know, I hunt, I fish, I go camping and I know these tools can be used, and, you know, sometimes they are something that are carried around. I think nobody wants to see them carried in a public space or on a downtown Winnipeg–or on a bus. So that's what it's all about.
The Chairperson: Mr. Grant, you're welcome to respond.
D. Grant: No, thank you.
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Again, thank you, Mr. Grant, for bringing forward some concerns that you have and concerns that Manitobans have with the bill.
And I'll echo what the Minister of Justice said, that AMM did, in fact, write a letter, and within that letter they actually call on the government to look at the role of CSOs and make sure that they actively involve CSOs and provide equalized training across the board, which hasn't been happening under this government. So it's important.
Thanks to the minister for bringing that up. And I'll probably be able to read that whole submission in–
The Chairperson: Mr. Balcaen, your time has expired.
But you're welcome to respond, Mr. Grant.
D. Grant: It's pleasing also to hear that Mr. Wiebe and Mr. Balcaen are discussing these important issues and that's a sign of functioning government.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: Thank you.
Any further questions?
Okay, thank you, Mr. Grant.
Next up we have Mr. Robert Erstelle.
Mr. Robert Erstelle here? We're just going to double-check he's on–not online, no? Okay, so he will be dropped to the bottom of the list.
(Continued)
The Chairperson: We will move on to Bill 38, which would be–is David Grant in the room?
Mr. Grant, whenever you're ready, please start your presentation.
David Grant (Private Citizen): I think this order is largely related to, when I see the bills have changed, then it's my key to sign up.
Anyway, yes, so, Bill 38, initially, I was going to comment on bullying, but let's start off with the concept of a high school official never being a teacher. I spent several decades as an engineer–professional engineer–not in management, and in the old days, we'll say up until 25 years ago, the people running engineering departments or running companies that did professional engineering tended to be engineers.
And then, starting about 20 to 25 years ago, places like Hydro and engineering departments at the City of Winnipeg started being run by people who had never even thought about engineering. And they can do budgets and they can notice cost-cutting and stuff like that.
They can do the function of a superintendent in an engineering function. But the two issues: (1) It demoralizes the people below because they got to be supervisor of eight engineers and never more until they retire. And so there's some negative–some downsides to a person being in charge of an entity who was never working at the low level of the entity.
I wouldn't say they can't do the job, because I would never have said that about the supervisors at Hydro–managers and division managers and so on. They did a competent job, even if they didn't know what engineering was about, because once you get enough levels above, your job really doesn't depend on interaction with students or all those things.
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So that was just my comment on the–that aspect of Bill 38, is, it can be done. To outlaw it is probably a good thing. And I think saying the same for–you know, it could be applied elsewhere. In engineering and accounting and so on, quite often the Province has moved the opposite way.
We have been promoting from experts somewhere else. We'll grab somebody from Toronto or Calgary to do the job that could have been done by a local who'd been in the job.
So that's all. Just a feeling that it isn't–in those other fields, it wasn't a good idea; and in this case, perhaps you're taking the–move in the right direction. It's not like nursing where somebody who has hand skills and technical skills is needed online and we don't have enough of them.
In the case of engineering, if we promote one to being the boss of Hydro, it doesn't hurt the overall engineering. If we promote a nurse to being–not Health minister, but to being something very high up in the chain, then we've lost the skill of that person. So I'm not sure where teaching is in that range. I think we, at the moment, we're not short, but that was just a comment on that aspect.
And back to the bullying thing. My oldest son was handicapped in several directions and he went through the regular public school system and he faced a lot of bullying. And this is in the '80s, and the school didn't give him a whole lot of support.
The brilliant move there was to take all the physically and mentally challenged kids, put them in with the worst behaviour kids, you know, the real delinquents, and–because those are the ones that needed extra attention. So the teacher had just a small group of 10 or 15 kids to look after, and that–they needed intensive care. But it put the victims in with the victimizers, and that seemed like a really bad idea, and I could never convince our school board that it was a bad idea.
So bullying is certainly an issue that's ongoing, and I'm disappointed that is does go on. In a way, if I was one of those parents right now fighting for a nine-year-old who's getting beat up or poked all the time, I would feel diminished if somebody is going to face similar discipline and attention by the system for, we'll say, a misgender, or a picking on some aspect of their being, as being equivalent.
I would say that getting beat up, physically bruised and so on, is significantly different than being called a name. And, you know, they're both bad and they both should be enforced and so on. The rules should be enforced, but I think the–I would be disappointed if people thought there was an equivalence there.
Just to comment on that aspect of bullying. And, you know, without getting too personal about it, but that's certainly one of the issues that is inevitable when you take students who have special needs and integrate them, is that if it's a need of being short or having some physical handicap, but when it's a combination of physical and mental handicaps, they are very vulnerable and that's something–I don't know if schools still do that–I haven't investigated it, but that's certainly an issue of those people who don't pick up–pick things up very well and don't understand socially and then have a problem walking or with stairs and so on. So it's that double handicap.
Not that we have to worry about it that much, but it's something that–maybe the system has smartened up in 40 years.
So, anyway, I think that's my comments on 38.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: Thank you, Mr. Grant, for that presentation.
Questions from the committee?
Honourable Minister Wiebe–or Minister Schmidt?
Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): We do look alike.
Thank you very much, Mr. Grant, for your presentation and for your commitment to this process. It always warms my heart to see you come here to this committee and to participate in this really important process, so thank you.
Thank you for your comments about the value of superintendents being teachers. Certainly, I take your point that it doesn't always necessarily have to be that way, that it has to be the people that do the work that necessarily means that you can also direct that work. But I think that we heard from a previous presenter who very well articulated why that's very important in our public education system, to have those people that are administering curriculum and overseeing the work of teachers and ultimately, you know, supporting students, that have a background in that work. So thank you for that.
And also, thank you for sharing your personal story about bullying, some of that lived experience. And certainly, you know, the work of Bill 38 is to define and broaden out the definition of bullying in order to support students like your son.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: You're welcome to respond, Mr. Grant.
D. Grant: Since the minister made reference to the first delegation person, he was–he and his second one were lamenting the fact he's retiring. I'm in my 13th year of retirement and I would invite him, if he's still in the room, to not go away and never be heard again, because he had good ideas, he had comments and I think that being retired presents you with the opportunity that you can come down here and you have a ton of knowledge that you can share. And so, I would invite him–anybody else in the room who's retired or thinking about it to not give up on the Legislature.
So thank you.
Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Thank you, Mr. Grant, again, for exercising your democratic right and whether it's one, two or 40 bills that you sign up to speak to, I think it's very important that this process that we have here in Manitoba gives the public the opportunity to come to Committee and share your thoughts on any piece of legislation that we're moving through.
I want to also thank you for your personal story. I know that there's always been some growing pains within the education world, but I am very thrilled with the school division and the school teams that we have and the student services that are providing to those students who need those extra supports. So thanks again for coming tonight and sharing your words.
The Chairperson: You're welcome to respond, Mr. Grant.
D. Grant: Yes, I think the reference to coming out here and taking part was largely–well, I became far more active rather than just election campaigns because of that eldest son and the problem he was having and the intransigence of the school board got me going to school board meetings. And there would be a union rep, there'd be a local newspaper guy and me and the people on the board. And it would go on year after year of, nobody cared. Occasionally, there'd be a choir come in and–from a school and sing to them, but it was discouraging. That's '80s and '90s, but it stuck and I felt validated by doing that, so thank you, Mr. Ewasko.
The Chairperson: Any further questions?
Seeing none, thank you, Mr. Grant.
We will move on to Bill 40, and our first presenter is Ms. Lou Roberts.
Is Ms. Lou Roberts here? Okay, we will drop her to the bottom of the list.
The Chairperson: We will move on to Bill 42, and is David Grant in the room?
Mr. Grant, you are welcome to start your presentation when you're ready.
David Grant (Private Citizen): It won't be very long.
Bill 42 makes reference to antique motor vehicle. I have a couple of vehicles that I love and they're not as old as I am, but they're pretty old. And it will be defined. I know what a–for MPI's definition of a vintage and the use of a vintage plate, but it struck me when people are reading this bill, and they're entitled and encouraged to, it didn't go into that. I tried clicking links and there was no, here's what it means; it just says it will be defined.
And so I went to the website. That's the Manitoba website. And I looked it up and the only reference in–that the website could find me was that bill. And it did strike me as–and the larger Google thing, including the word Manitoba, still didn't find me the definition. So, it really doesn't matter, but–and it doesn't say what use will be made of that definition. It just says it will be defined. And so it's just a–maybe that's a typo, but, you know, if you're going to define something, it would be nice if it appeared even in the explanatory notes: Here's what we're planning to do. You know, like 20 words to do that.
The driver's ed–driver's school changes seemed good. On the other hand, my first fiancée and I were headed off to a motor race, because that's my hobby, is volunteering there. We're headed to a motor race in Michigan, and we came upon the site of a freeway crash. And somebody had flipped the car over, tumbled it down the freeway, and nobody had seatbelts on and there were bits everywhere. It was traumatizing. And that was the last I saw of her.
* (18:50)
So it does happen that people get badly traumatized by this sort of thing in the most extreme cases, and I don't think there are many cases like that that are as grisly as that scene in North America. It's probably the worst one in decades. But, anyway, that's–so initially, my thought was that counselling and trauma–assistance with trauma is something that would be part of the medical system, and just wondering–I sort of disagreed with the idea that that is part of the trauma caused, the damage caused by a crash. So there's damage caused to people and guardrails and vehicles. The damage caused to the passersby, we also learn that ambulance attendants, ambulance EMTs, quite often have to go for–leave the job to be–to have their trauma dealt with, and as a volunteer at racetracks for almost 60 years, I've seen my share of carnage and been the first responder to them.
And maybe because it's–I've done it so much that it doesn't traumatize me as much, but I'm just questioning that, the reason why that is called an MPI coverable claim rather than pure medical. Because, like, when you fall out of a tree, that's medical, and when you tip your bike over, that's an MPI matter.
And so that's all. I'll just comment that that one, I disagreed with the idea that it's that, but, obviously, the minister had reasons for bringing that in. And so that was my comments on that one, is the definition and the–I guess the inclusion of trauma in–or mental health issues. So it was–you know, perhaps the minister explained that–the logic behind that. Maybe in the real world if you have been traumatized by something, you never get treated because there's always somebody in worse shape. So if it's because there is no other service, then I'd be in support of it.
But–thank you.
The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation.
Are there questions?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister responsible for the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation): Yes, sorry, Mr. Grant, that you had that experience, or, yes, more specifically your fiancée had that experience and saw that, you know, traumatizing event. And I think you've really hit the nail on the head there about the need for this, the trauma that first responders see and others, and, you know, just to clarify what–this is not MPI delivering these services. It would still be through health-care providers, in this case mental health providers. It's simply a matter of covering that as part of MPI.
And then with regards to the antique vehicles, I think one of the previous presenters mentioned the mid-'90s, you know, as seeming like yesterday to some of us. You know, right now those vehicles would be considered antiques, and I think everybody sees there's some flaws there. We really want to have some nuance, which is why MPI will take the next steps with regulation.
The Chairperson: Mr. Grant, you're welcome to respond.
D. Grant: Yes, I guess that's one of the other things that–so a lot of things refer to–you know, those of us who are really old and who've been very busy and not paying attention to the years going by. Like, the one I've been working on is a '62, and it's fairly exotic and so on. I think I have half of that model in the province in my possession. But it's–having it defined in the bill would have been handy, and it's good that we were recognizing that. I think a while back Manitoba recognized that sort of thing. We had antique car displays on the property back 15 years ago. So it's something that can be done, and thank you for recognizing that.
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Again, thank you, Mr. Grant, for bringing forward some oversight that you've seen on this bill and some other areas.
I guess more of a question to you, as you read through this and looked for the definitions and looked for the regulations and everything else, do you find that perhaps this is putting the cart before the horse and putting out a bill before all of the answers are there?
D. Grant: It might be a symptom of that. On the other hand, bringing stuff in like that does have its challenges and you can't get it perfect, but maybe it means that if I discovered that two weeks ago or three weeks ago, you know, when the bill was offered, perhaps I should have written to the minister and said, oh is this an oops or–you know, because then his staff, if they have it on their desk, could publish it. So maybe that's–the typos should be reported to the appropriate minister when they're discovered. Give them a chance to–if there's an answer.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: Thank you for that.
Any final questions?
Thank you, Mr. Grant.
Please don't go to far, because we're moving on to Bill 44 and you are first up.
Mr. Grant, you're–
Floor Comment: When I signed up–44 is the one that's got 88 bills being changed?
The Chairperson: Sorry, this is–
An Honourable Member: Yes.
The Chairperson: Yes.
An Honourable Member: Minor correc–
Floor Comment: Unfortunately, when I signed up for it, I had dreams of looking at those bills to see which ones were being cancelled, and it became a huge task and I decided not to waste a day and a half doing it, so I really have no comments.
The Chairperson: Okay, so you decided not to present on this bill. Okay, thank you.
So we will go back to the those folks who got dropped to the bottom of the list. So we will come back to Bill 9 and Mr. Robert Erstelle. Mr. Robert Erstelle?
So Mr. Robert Estelle will be dropped from the list.
We will go to Bill 40 and Ms. Lou Roberts. Is Ms. Lou Roberts here?
They will also be dropped from the list, and that concludes our presenters.
* * *
The Chairperson: In what order does the committee wish to proceed with clause-by-clause consideration of these bills?
An Honourable Member: Numerical.
The Chairperson: Numerical? Numerical.
(Continued)
The Chairperson: We will now proceed with clause by clause of Bill 8.
Does the minister responsible for Bill 8 have an opening statement?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I do, thank you, honourable Chair.
I want to thank folks for being here tonight to talk about Bill 8, which is The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act. And this is really about continuing our government's work to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals, but–certainly, but even out of the hands of minors more generally.
In 2024, we introduced The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Act, which banned the sale of machetes and long-bladed weapons to minors.
Bill 8 now brings online retailers, as well as secondary sellers like those that are sold on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, under the act so that they cannot sell these weapons to minors and that they also must keep records of their sales.
Bill 8 also adds pepper spray into the act, and the bill really is about answering the calls of those in our community who want to see strong, common sense measures to keep our community safer. Bill 8 goes a long way in creating safer streets and safer communities for everyone.
Thank you, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the minister.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Sure. Excellent. Well, thank you very much, honourable Chair, and I would like to take this opportunity to address the bill here.
But, as I've done in previous sessions, I know that a great deal of the work is done by members of administration from Manitoba Justice; and, again, would like to thank them for their professionalism and their great work that they do there. I've had a pleasure of working with them for many years in previous positions and, again, the work that they do behind the scenes can't be commended enough. So I'd like to, again, publicly thank them for that service.
Also, I'll make sure that I thank law enforcement that are out there enforcing these bills, as well as community safety officers and other public safety units that would be making sure that Manitobans are kept safe.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: We thank the member.
During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.
Also, if there is agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose.
Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Clauses 1 through 3–pass; clauses 4 and 5–pass; clauses 6 and 7–pass; clauses 8 and 9–pass; clause 10–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
Wonderful.
(Continued)
The Chairperson: We will move on to Bill 9.
* (19:00)
Does the minister responsible for Bill 9 have an opening statement?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I do, thank you very much.
The Chairperson: The Honourable Minister Wiebe.
Mr. Wiebe: Once again, thanks to everybody for the participation here this evening to discuss Bill 9, The Street Weapons Control Act.
Bill 9 is another step and another part of the overall strategy that our government is undertaking to make our communities safer. The bill makes it illegal to carry street weapons like machetes, axes and pepper spray in public spaces. Under Bill 9, police and safety officers can step in and seize the weapons before someone gets hurt.
The bill still respects due process. People, of course, can request those weapons back from law enforcement if they aren't convicted of an offence or if the bill–or if the weapon is requested to be returned. And the bill makes exceptions for authorized people who need these items for their jobs.
The bill also will apply to First Nations in–as an opt-in option for them as they develop their own internal bylaws. Bill 9 is an important step to keep our public spaces, like parks, like buses, like community areas, safe and available to everyone in the public.
So I look forward to passing this bill and making communities safer everywhere in Manitoba.
Thank you, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the minister.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Again, thank you, honourable Chair, for the opportunity to address Bill 9. I put some words on the record previously regarding this bill, so I won't continue with those.
I do have one concern. I find it somewhat redundant to have the seizure and return process articulated in this bill where the seizure can happen and then request for return. If it's a weapon, I don't believe those weapons should be back out on the street where law enforcement, community safety officers and others can get harmed by them. And I know the Minister of Justice laughs about that, but he hasn't faced those realities, so we certainly hope that law enforcement and those that are enforcing these laws are kept safe.
The Chairperson: We thank the member.
During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.
Also, if there's agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose.
Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Clause 1–pass; clauses 2 and 3–pass; clauses 4 and 5–pass; clauses 6 and 7–pass; clauses 8 and 9– pass; clause 10 through 12–pass; clauses 13 through 15–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
The Chairperson: We will now move on to Bill 34.
Does the minister responsible for the bill have an opening statement?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Thank you again for the committee's consideration of Bill 34, The Interprovincial Subpoena Amendment Act.
Interprovincial subpoena legislation allows courts to enforce subpoenas from other provinces and territories. The bill before us today amends this Interprovincial Subpoena Amendment Act to apply to boards, commissions and tribunals, allowing them to require witnesses from outside Manitoba to give evidence. This will provide accountability in our justice system and, ultimately, will strengthen the ability of boards, commissions and tribunals to do their important work.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer some comments.
The Chairperson: Well, we thank the minister for the comments.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all of the clauses have been considered in their proper order.
Also, if there's agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose.
Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Clauses 1 and 2–pass; clauses 3 through 7–pass; clause 8–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
(Continued)
The Chairperson: We will move on to Bill 38.
Does the minister responsible for Bill 38 have an opening statement?
Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I do.
First of all, I would like to start by thanking all of the presenters that came out tonight. Also to thank the department for all the work that they did on Bill 38, thank the political staff. And, again, thank you to all of our education sector partners.
This bill was really developed in close partnership with all of our education sector partners, so I just want to thank, again, everyone that's here today, but, again, all of the educators, all of the trustees, all of our First Nations and Indigenous community partners, our school division leadership. And, again, most specifically, thank you to all the presenters that were here tonight.
So Bill 38 has three main objectives: first, to protect students; second, to ensure all divisions are led by experienced educators; and, third, to expand the supports available to First Nations educational organizations across Manitoba.
This bill supports safe and caring schools by updating provisions related to our provincial code of conduct, including the broadening of the definition of bullying to ensure that it captures a more broad definition, including harm to individuals, groups, broader school communities, and also to make sure that it captures the use of technologies like AI and social media in that definition.
Bill 38 also ensures school divisions and districts will be led by qualified and experienced educators. Again, I don't think I could articulate the intent of this bill any more succinctly or any more passionately or fulsomely as did our presenters.
So I think it is important to note, though, that why we brought this amendment forward is because that, while, as was noted, I think, through some of the questions, it is the current practice that superintendents are appointed in every school division across the province, it's not, in fact, a requirement by law. This bill legislates that requirement.
So, again, this is something that has been asked for for years by the sector, by superintendents. I think it's important that when we have our partners asking for reasonable legislation, that we listen and we stand up, and so that's what we did. So I just want to thank the members of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents for their years of advocacy to getting us here to Bill 38.
And, thirdly, these amendments–so this bill also includes amendments to The Manitoba School Boards Association Act to expand the eligibility for full membership in the MSBA for Indigenous educational organizations and other organizations to promote representation for Indigenous voices in the association and in our education sector more broadly.
Again, I think our presenters articulated the intent of the reasons for these amendments very well. Why? Because we are committed to the truth and–to truth and reconciliation. Why? Because the MSBA has incredible services and support that they offer. So, again, we thank the presenter for their words that they put on the record.
I think it's important to note that ensure to–in order to ensure that Indigenous member voices are meaningfully heard, there are provisions in the bill that will require that once the MSBA has one or more members that are Indigenous educational organizations, that the executive of the MSBA must include a director who is designated as a representative–a designated representative of an Indigenous educational organization to sit on that board.
So, again, we want to thank the Manitoba School Boards Association for their advocacy in bringing about this change. Again, we think it's important that, when the sector stands up and asks for help, that we listen, and so that's what we think that we've done here.
So, again, I want to thank the Manitoba School Boards Association, MASS, the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, Manitoba First Nations educational resource centre, Manitoba First Nation School System, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and all of our valued partners in coming up with this important piece of legislation.
* (19:10)
I also want to note: it was referenced by some of the presenters and was certainly referenced very fulsomely in the written presentations that there is–there was some criticism in the bill about the liaison–what role the superintendent plays as a liaison with the minister. So we found that those critiques were very thoughtful and very well suggested and so we are prepared to move a committee stage amendment today to support the presentations as put forward by the presenter.
So I think I would leave my comments there. But, again, just thank you very much to the department and to our presenters and to the sector.
The Chairperson: Thank you, Minister.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): I'd like to thank everyone again who took part in the development of Bill 38 as well as Manitoba association for school superintendents, Mr. Ward, for coming to do your presentation, and, of course, Ms. Klassen from the Manitoba School Boards Association as well, plus all of the school divisions who also did some written submissions for tonight's committee.
It is good to hear that the minister has changed a little bit of tune here and is going to make the amendment to the bill to incorporate "a" instead of "the" into the amendment, as many of the submissions have been–had been submitted today again.
So thank you to the department as well for their hard work and everyone involved in Bill 38, and we're happy to move it forward with that amendment that the minister is going to be bringing forward shortly.
The Chairperson: We thank the member.
During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.
Also, if there's agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members have any–may have comments, questions or amendments to propose.
Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Clauses 1 and 2–pass; clause 3–pass.
Shall clause 4 pass?
An Honourable Member: No.
The Chairperson: Honourable–oh, I hear a no.
The floor is open for debate.
MLA Schmidt: I move
THAT Clause 4 of the English version of the Bill be amended in the proposed clause 51.1(e) by striking out "the liaison" and substituting "a liaison".
Motion presented.
The Chairperson: The amendment is in order. The floor is open for questions.
Seeing no questions, is the committee ready for the question?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
The Chairperson: The question before the committee is as follows:
THAT Clause 4 of the English version of the Bill be amended in the proposed clause 51.1(e) by striking out "the liaison" and substituting "a liaison".
Amendment–pass; clause 4 as amended–pass; clause 5–pass; clauses 6 and 7–pass; clauses 8 through 10–pass; clause 11–pass; clauses 12 and 13–pass; clause 14–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill as amended be reported.
The Chairperson: We will now move on to Bill 40.
Does the minister responsible for Bill 40 have an opening statement?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Bill 40 requires candidates running for office to say whether they have previously broken Manitoba's conflict of interest rules in cases where the Ethics Commissioner issues a penalty such as a fine, suspension or removal from office. The goal here is to give voters clear and honest information about a candidate's past conduct before they cast their ballot.
Bill 40 strengthens the openness and accountability in our election system that our government has made a priority and it helps ensure that Manitobans can make informed choices about who represents them.
I look forward to further passing this bill and moving it on to third reading.
Thank you, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the minister.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): I appreciate the opportunity to speak to Bill 40, The Elections Amendment Act.
I just want to comment on the remarks made by the minister, here, to look at the conflict of interest rules and his government wanting to be clear and honest and open. Openness and accountability are important.
If that was the case, I'm wondering why the minister and his government wouldn't have put in the full act and allowing anybody who has been convicted under this–not just a penalty, but anybody that's been convicted. And I dare say it's because the NDP government and the minister's own fellow ministers are the first ones to have ever been convicted under that act, and they want to make sure that that isn't brought forward to the public.
So I find it 'disingenerous' when we talk about clear and honest information being brought forward with openness and accountability when we exclude some of the major parts of that act.
Thank you.
The Chairperson: We thank the member.
Does the consideration–sorry–during the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.
Clause 1–pass; clause 2–pass; clause 3–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
(Continued)
The Chairperson: We will move on to Bill 42.
Does the minister responsible have an opening statement?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister responsible for the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation): I do.
Bill 42 makes four substantive improvements to MPI products and services that will strengthen the supports for Manitobans, ultimately make our roads safer and reduce red tape for Manitobans.
First, the bill expands counselling services and benefits that are offered from MPI for those who suffer a serious injury in an accident or who now witness a highly traumatic accident as well.
Second, the bill will make MPI the only regulator of driver training in the province.
Third, the bill modernizes the definition of antique vehicle to make life easier for those antique vehicle owners who have that designation and also keep our roads safe.
And, fourth, the bill allows farm trucks to be used for personal purposes to better reflect how modern farm families use their vehicles.
And I'd also like to point out for the committee that there was a written letter, or a submission, to the committee of support from Manitoba beef, and we appreciate their participation in the committee here this evening as well.
Thank you, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the minister.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): We understand that much of this bill is regulatory in nature, but I would 'bre' remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to remind the minister of his responsibility to Manitoba taxpayers.
And, under his watch and control of MPI, a trend of suggesting efficiency and rate reductions have actually turned into year‑over‑year increases, and that's really unfortunate to Manitobans during this province's worst‑ever affordability crisis.
Thank you, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the member.
During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.
* (19:20)
Also, if there is agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose.
Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Clauses 1 and 2–pass; clauses 3 through 7–pass; clause 8–pass; clauses 9 through 11–pass; clauses 12 and 13–pass; clauses 14 through 16–pass; clauses 17 through 22–pass; clauses 23 and 24–pass; clause 25–pass; clause 26–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
The Chairperson: And now we will move on to Bill 44.
Does the minister responsible for Bill 44 have an opening statement?
Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I do.
Thanks for the opportunity to put a few words on the record with regards to Bill 44, this year's Minor Amendments and Corrections Act, 2026.
The annual omnibus bill corrects drafting, typographical and numbering errors.
Other minor amendments also made to various acts provide clarity and consistency in Manitoba's statute book. These–some examples of these are: The Provincial Offences Act will be amended to set a deadline for a person to apply to set aside a default conviction; the social services amendment act will update the definition of a residential-care facility; and several laws will be updated to reflect the Criminal Code's replacement of the term child pornography with the more updated child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
Thank you for the opportunity to bring this forward, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the minister.
Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Yes, and not much more could be said regarding this, it's purely clerical and stepping up a number of the errors that may have been detected.
But I would like to take the opportunity to thank Leg. Counsel and all of those that put in yeoman hours on this to make sure that our bills are brought up to standard and the great work that they do.
I wanted to make sure that they were recognized for that work.
So, thank you, honourable Chair.
The Chairperson: We thank the member.
During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.
Also, if there is agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose.
Is that agreed? [Agreed]
Clause 1–pass; clauses 2 through 4–pass; clauses 5 through 7–pass; clause 8–pass; clause 9–pass; clauses 10 through 12–pass; clauses 13 through 15–pass; clauses 16 and 17–pass; clause 18–pass; clause 19–pass; clauses 20 and 21–pass; clauses 22 and 23–pass; clauses 24 and 25–pass; clauses 26 and 27–pass; clauses 28 through 30–pass; clauses 31 and 32–pass; clauses 33 and 34–pass; clauses 35 and 36–pass; clause 37–pass; clause 38–pass; clauses 39 through 41–pass; clause 42–pass; clauses 43 through 45–pass; clauses 46 through 48–pass; clauses 49 and 50–pass; clauses 51 through 54–pass; clauses 55 and 56–pass; clause 57–pass; clause 58 and 59–pass; clause 60–pass; clause 61–pass; clauses 62 through 64–pass; clauses 65 and 66–pass; clauses 67 and 68–pass; clauses 69 and 70–pass; clause 71–pass; clause 72–pass; clauses 73 and 74–pass; clause 75–pass; clauses 76 and 77–pass; clauses 78 and 79–pass; clauses 80 through 82–pass; clause 83–pass; clauses 84 through 86–pass; clause 87–pass; clause 88–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.
Well, the hour being 7:27, what is the will of the committee?
Some Honourable Members: Committee rise.
The Chairperson: Committee rise.
COMMITTEE ROSE AT: 7:27 p.m.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
Re: Bill 9
To Whom It May Concern,
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on Bill 9: The Street Weapons Control Act and supports its overall intent to enhance public safety across Manitoba communities.
Public safety remains one of the most pressing concerns consistently raised by municipalities. As such, the AMM welcomes new provincial measures aimed at strengthening safety and security for Manitobans.
The AMM also acknowledges and appreciates the department's proactive engagement with our association, the Provincial-Municipal Justice Advisory Committee (PMJAC), and AMM members through a dedicated webinar held prior to the formal introduction of this legislation. Early consultation is essential to ensuring municipal perspectives are meaningfully considered.
We further support the proposed escalating penalties for repeat offenders under this proposed legislation, as increasing fines for subsequent offences promote greater accountability and serve as an important deterrent.
With respect to enforcement, the AMM continues to emphasize that the Province must take a more active and consistent role in ensuring Community Safety Officers (CSOs) are equipped with the training required to safely and effectively carry out their duties. As CSO authorities evolve, particularly in situations that may require direct intervention, deescalation, and the potential seizure of weapons in public spaces, it is essential that the Province provide and maintain comprehensive, standardized training that reflects the complexity and risks associated with these responsibilities. This includes not only initial basic training, but ongoing, scenario-based and refresher training to ensure CSOs are prepared to respond appropriately in high-risk and rapidly changing situations.
At present, there is variability in CSO preparedness and response capacity across Manitoba. The AMM therefore continues to call on the provincial government to work in close consultation with AMM and municipalities to strengthen CSO provincial training frameworks, ensuring they are responsive to local realities while maintaining a high and consistent level of competency across the province.
Furthermore, although the number of CSOs is growing, this enforcement option remains financially out of reach for many municipalities, underscoring the need for increased provincial support to ensure greater access to adequate training and the financial resources required to establish and sustain CSO programs.
The AMM looks forward to continued collaboration with the Province to ensure that municipalities are well-supported in implementing measures that enhance public safety.
Respectfully and sincerely,
Denys Volkov
Executive Director
____________
Re: Bill 38
Introduction
We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the Standing Committee on Justice regarding Bill 38, The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act, currently before the Committee.
Our submission is offered in the spirit of constructive dialogue and with respect for the Legislature's role in improving the governance and administration of public education in Manitoba. We are supportive of the overall intention of the provisions under the Act which address clarity of the roles and responsibilities for superintendents across Manitoba. However, we wish to raise specific concerns regarding the proposed wording of section 51.1(e) and the implications it may have for democratic governance and long-standing relationships between the Minister of Education and locally elected school boards.
Section 51.1(E): Role of the Superintendent as Liaison
Section 51.1(e) proposes that one of the powers, duties and functions of a school superintendent would include: "acting as the liaison between the minister and the school board."
At first glance, this may appear to be a matter of drafting. In practice, however, the inclusion of the definite article "the" carries significant legal and operational implications that merit careful consideration by the Committee.
Democratic Governance and Direct Accountability
School boards in Manitoba are democratically elected bodies, directly accountable to their communities and entrusted with governance responsibilities under The Public Schools Act and The Education Administration Act, while also exercising significant relationships regarding many additional statutes, regulations and policy directives. Historically and appropriately, school boards have maintained direct relationships with the Minister, communicating collectively and individually on matters of policy, governance, funding, and local impact.
By describing the superintendent as "the" liaison, the provision may reasonably be interpreted as establishing an exclusive or mandatory channel through which communication between the Minister and a school board must flow. This risks altering the nature of the relationship between an elected government and elected boards, as well as the relationship between boards and their superintendent, and also, between superintendents and the Minister, in a manner that was, to our understanding, neither clearly intended, articulated nor justified under Bill 38.
Risks of Unintended Consequences
If left unamended, this wording opens wide the door to potential future interpretations that could:
• Limit or discourage direct communication between elected school boards and the Minister;
• Undermine the governance role of boards by interposing an administrative officer as the sole intermediary;
• Shift the balance between governance and administration in a way that weakens democratic and operational accountability;
• Create uncertainty for boards, superintendents, and the Ministry regarding appropriate and permitted lines of communication.
Even if such outcomes are not intended, legislation must be drafted to guard against them. As written, section 51.1(e) does not sufficiently provide that assurance.
Proposed Amendment
We respectfully submit that replacing the word "the" with "a", such that the superintendent would act as "a liaison" between the Minister and the school board, would achieve the likely administrative objective of the provision without compromising democratic relationships or governance principles.
This small but meaningful amendment would:
• Preserve the superintendent's important role in facilitating communication;
• Respect the independence and elected authority of school boards;
• Maintain the Minister's ability to communicate directly with boards and with superintendents, as appropriate;
• Reduce the risk of future misinterpretation and/or restrictive administrative practice.
Conclusion
For the reasons outlined above, we believe that section 51.1(e) cannot stand as currently drafted. The language requires amendment to ensure it does not unintentionally constrain or redefine the relationship between the Province and democratically elected school boards. We therefore urge the Committee to recommend an amendment changing "the liaison" to "a liaison" in section 51.1(e) of Bill 38 and we thank the Committee for its consideration and for the opportunity to provide input on this important matter.
Respectfully submitted,
John Klassen, Vice Chair
Garden Valley School Division Board of Trustees
____________
Re: Bill 38
To the Members of the Standing Committee,
The Louis Riel School Division Board of Trustees is writing to provide feedback on Bill 38, specifically regarding the proposed "Powers, Duties and Functions of the Superintendent."
While we support efforts to modernize the Public Schools Act, we have significant reservations regarding the current draft of Section 51.1(e), which states that a function of the superintendent includes:
"…acting as the liaison between the minister and the school board." We formally request that this section be amended to replace the word "the" with "a."
The use of "the" implies an exclusive, singular channel of communication. This wording risks entrenching a dynamic in which the Superintendent—appointed to their role by the School Board—becomes the gatekeeper between the Provincial Government and democratically elected school boards.
Our concerns are two-fold:
1. Preserving Democratic Accountability: School Trustees are elected by the community to provide local oversight and advocacy as members of a School Board. To fulfill this mandate, boards must maintain a direct, unencumbered relationship with the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning.
2. Preventing Future Restrictions: Legislative language must be robust enough to withstand changes in government. As currently written, "the liaison" could be interpreted by future administrations to limit or even prohibit direct dialogue between the Minister and elected School Boards.
Amending the text to "a liaison" respects the professional role of the Superintendent as a vital link in the chain of communication without undermining the essential, direct partnership that must exist between the Ministry and the Board.
The Louis Riel School Board believes in a governance model rooted in collaboration and transparency. We urge the Committee to adopt this simple yet vital amendment to ensure that the voices of our community, through their elected representatives, continue to be heard directly at the provincial level.
Sincerely,
Sandy Nemeth
Chair; Board of Trustees
Louis Riel School Divison
____________
Re: Bill 38
The Board of Evergreen school division welcomes Bill 38's intention to confirm the role of Superintendent in the Public Schools Act.
However, we would like to advocate for an edit to correct what appears to have been an oversight in the draft.
Under section 51.1(e) of the Bill, one of the powers, duties and functions of the superintendent is the following:
"…acting as the liaison between the minister and the school board."
We feel an amendment in this phrase from "the" to "a," in order to respect the democratically elected relationship between the Minister and school boards would be appropriate.
If this wording is not changed, we are concerned that a future Government could potentially limit or restrict direct communications and relationship between government and school boards.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sandra Davies, Chair
Evergreen School Division
____________
Re: Bill 38
As a northern division, we wish to speak to Bill 38 as a means of clarification on some wording presented.
A school board would be required to appoint a qualified person to be the superintendent. The superintendent would be responsible for the general administration of the school division and is to oversee or participate in the hiring of employees of the school division.
We feel that the intent of this bill would be strongly supported and that the requirement of appointing a superintendent as a necessary and welcome change.
Superintendents are essential for navigating the complex administrative, academic, and financial needs of a school division.
The issue we are seeing is the wording in 51.1 (e).
While we agree that the superintendent may act as the liaison between the minister and the school board, our concern is that the superintendent cannot be the only point of contact. School boards respect the open communication between government and trustees at the board level. This is also seen by the minister's respectful dialogue with board chairs regularly at the annual Manitoba School Boards Association convention. This shows the importance and value on both sides. As a northern board, our concerns and needs are unique to the north. Being unable to speak directly with the minister could have negative impacts on divisions and potentially students.
School trustees are elected by their communities to represent their needs and values in public education, much like an MLA is elected to do. Limiting the dialogue between these elected officials would impact the accountability of the very role they were elected for.
We respectfully request that the wording in this bill be changed to;
(e) acting as a liaison between the minister and the school board
Thank you
Leslie Fernandes
Flin Flon School Division Board of Trustees
____________
Re: Bill 38
My name is Tara Smith, and as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the St. James Assiniboia School Division, I write on behalf of the entire board. We are strongly opposed to one section of Bill 38.
Under section 51.1(e) of the Bill, one of the powers, duties and functions of the superintendent would include the following:
"acting as the liaison between the minister and the school board."
We have deep concerns and reservations regarding this draft. The word "the" before "liaison" is extremely troublesome. If this wording is not changed, then any future Government could potentially limit or restrict direct communications and relationship between government and school boards.
We kindly ask for an amendment from "the" to "a", to respect the democratically elected relationship between the Minister and all school boards.
Thank you.
Tara Smith
St. James Assiniboia School Division Board
of Trustees
____________
Re: Bill 38
The Board of Trustees of Prairie Spirit School Division speak generally in favour of Bill 38. We do, however, have two areas of concern:
1 - Changes to the Public Schools Act, Section 51.1(e): We feel that an amendment from "the" to "a" would honour and respect the democratically elected relationship between the Minister of Education and school boards within Manitoba. While in practicality, the Superintendent will often represent the School Division, there are times when it is more appropriate for the Board of Trustees to represent the Division. To solely identify the Superintendent (or any employee) as "the" representative is reminiscent of Bill 64 and the disempowerment of locally elected representatives in the public education sector.
2 - Changes to the Manitoba School Boards Association Act, Sect 5.1: We fully support opening a MSBA membership path for publicly-funded Indigenous Education organizations such as MFNERC and MFNSS. Our concern lies around the phrase "other organizations" in regards to MSBA membership. While there are some eligibility criteria set out, it could be interpreted quite broadly. In particular, we feel that it would be useful to have a definition of a "non-profit organization" included in the Act that would limit private non-profit schools that may focus on values and teachings that do not align with public school values and curriculum from pursuing full membership in MSBA. As Section 5.1(2) of Bill 38 is currently written, a group with an agenda contrary to the public education system could potentially find a path to MSBA membership and the voting rights and speaking platform that comes with such a membership. We feel that there should be more restrictive membership eligibility requirements included for "other organizations" that are not democratically-elected school boards, notwithstanding that approval of the MSBA Executive would be required as per 5.1(2)(b). Furthermore, we wonder why MSBA would grant full membership to any "other organizations" that are not publicly-funded school boards nor publicly-funded Indigenous Education organizations, when there is already an associate membership option.
Our board has recently spent significant resources dealing with another provincial bill that is being interpreted by some in a different way than the province intended. The wording in that bill, similar to this one, leaves room for interpretation. This has raised our awareness of the importance of clarity in the wording of provincial legislation.
Thank you,
Jennie Parsonage
Vice Chair
Board of Trustees
Prairie Spirit School Division
____________
Re: Bill 42
Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) thanks the members of the Standing Committee on Justice for the opportunity to provide some written comments regarding Bill 42 -- The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act.
MBP represents approximately 6,000 producers involved in various aspects of the province's beef cattle sector, including the cow-calf, backgrounding and finishing sectors. Our mission is to represent all beef producers through communication, advocacy, research, and education—within the sector and to governments, consumers and others, to improve prosperity and ensure a sustainable future for Manitoba's beef producers.
Beef production is Manitoba's single largest livestock commodity in terms of the number of individual farm operations. These farms and ranches are widely geographically dispersed across the province, reaching as far north as The Pas. In 2025, Manitoba cattle and calf receipts rose to a record $1.2 billion, and those dollars flow back into the provincial and national economies, creating numerous benefits.
MBP supports the proposed amendments in Bill 42 regarding the authorized use of farm truck as outlined in Section 180(2) which will allow for a broader range of use for certain types of farm trucks. These provide for greater recognition of the ways these vehicles can be used on farms and ranches. They also recognize that the size of farm trucks has increased considerably since this legislation was created. The proposed amendments would for allow such mixed uses so long as the registered gross weight of the farm truck is less than 5,500 kilograms. The proposed changes also clearly define that the ability to transport property includes towing a trailer.
In recent months MBP was consulted by staff from Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure and Manitoba Public Insurance as these changes were being considered by the provincial government. MBP appreciated the opportunity to outline our concerns about the current limitations and possible means to address them. MBP also recommended there be an education period to inform producers and brokers of any legislative and regulatory changes enacted to ensure there is a smooth transition to the new requirements.
MBP thanks the provincial government for bringing forward the aforementioned amendments in Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act. MBP sees value in the efforts to update the legislation to provide for more flexibility in the way farmers and ranchers can use these types of farm trucks.
Respectfully submitted,
Carson Callum
Chief Executive Officer
Manitoba Beef Producers
TIME – 6 p.m.
LOCATION – Winnipeg, Manitoba
CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Tyler Blashko (Lagimodière)
VICE-CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Diljeet Brar (Burrows)
ATTENDANCE – 6 — QUORUM – 4
Members of the committee present:
Hon. Min. Schmidt, Hon. Min. Wiebe
Messrs. Balcaen, Blashko, Brar, Ewasko
PUBLIC PRESENTERS:
Bill 38 – The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act
Dan Ward, Manitoba Association of School Superintendents
Leah Klassen, Manitoba School Boards Association
David Grant, private citizen
Bill 8 – The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act
David Grant, private citizen
Bill 9 – The Street Weapons Control Act
David Grant, private citizen
Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act
David Grant, private citizen
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS:
Bill 9 – The Street Weapons Control Act
Denys Volkov, Association of Manitoba Municipalities
Bill 38 – The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act
John Klassen, Garden Valley School Division Board of Trustees
Sandy Nemeth, Louis Riel School Division Board of Trustees
Sandra Davies, Evergreen School Division
Leslie Fernandes, Flin Flon School Division Board of Trustees
Tara Smith, St. James Assiniboia School Division Board of Trustees
Jennie Parsonage, Prairie Spirit School Division Board of Trustees
Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act
Carson Callum, Manitoba Beef Producers
MATTERS UNDER CONSIDERATION:
Bill 8 – The Long-Bladed Weapon Control Amendment Act
Bill 9 – The Street Weapons Control Act
Bill 34 – The Interprovincial Subpoena Amendment Act
Bill 38 – The Public Schools Amendment and Manitoba School Boards Association Amendment Act
Bill 40 – The Elections Amendment Act
Bill 42 – The Motor Vehicle Statutes Amendment Act
Bill 44 – The Minor Amendments and Corrections Act, 2026
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