Two bills are completely unnecessary while two others are deeply flawed: Gerrard

WINNIPEG – Manitoba Liberal Leader Dr.Jon Gerrard and Inkster MLA Kevin Lamoureux continue to actively speak to government bills and provide opposition to several poorly thought out government legislations.

As the Manitoba Legislature winds up its fifth week, with only two weeks to go, observers note that Manitoba Liberals have demonstrated effective opposition to the NDP legislation.

The Liberals see five bills as unnecessary or deeply flawed.

1) Bill 5 – The Public Accounts Committee Meeting Dates Act
2) Bill 11 – The Children’s Advocate’s Enhanced Mandate Act
3) Bill 19 – The Fair Registration Practices in Regulated Professions Act
4) Bill 20 – The Planning Amendment Act
5) Bill 21 – The Housing and Renewal Corporation Amendment Act

“Bills 20 and 21 are completely redundant and are just PR strategies designed to make the NDP look busy,” Dr.Gerrard said. “The Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation already has the power to assist in housing in the inner city and it should be doing this already. The Planning Amendments proposed should be adequately covered by local rural municipalities and do not need provincial legislation.”

The government’s Children’s Advocate bill raises concerns over the role of the advocate because this bill transfers the responsibility for the review into the death of a child in care from the chief medical examiner to the Children’s Advocate.

“The bill is extremely problematic in that it fails to recognize the role of the advocate,” Dr.Gerrard said. “The role of the advocate is to act on behalf of the child not investigate after the fact and this bill confuses that mandate.”

The Liberal recommendation is for a stronger support system to be put in place for the Children’s Advocate to act on behalf of the child while the child is still in care, with the Medical Examiner maintaining the power to investigate when a child in care dies.

The Liberals also see Bill 5, which requires the Standing Committee on Public Accounts to meet six times annually, as token change to a committee which needs major reform.

“Never before in my 15 years in the Manitoba Legislature has a bill been required to set dates for a committee meeting. Accountability and transparency are lacking in this government and six meetings a year is unsubstantial,” Lamoureux said. “There has to be more meetings for it to be effective. The committee should better be meeting about 20 times per year if it’s going to be effective.”

Lamoureux has represented the immigrant community on many issues and spoke to the government’s bill on the recognition of foreign professional credentials. Bill 19 calls for the political appointment of a fairness commissioner to oversee the various certifying organizations. Lamoureux recommends that the individual be appointed by the Legislature as is done with the Children’s Advocate, as opposed to the Minister of Immigration and her government.

“In Manitoba, with the shortage of doctors, nurses and skilled trade professionals paired with the high number of qualified immigrants moving here every year we all know too well the importance of recognizing immigrant credentials,” Lamoureux said. “Recognizing foreign credentials is a move in the right direction but to make a substantial difference the commissioner should be hired by the Legislature and by doing so be free from political obligations and biases.”

This Legislative Session will break on November 8, 2007 and reconvenes on November 20, 2007 with the Throne Speech.

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