View From the Legislature

The recent NDP Throne Speech contained within it an interesting, if not curious, commitment by the current provincial government to form a committee, consisting of all political parties, to examine providing public support to local media outlets. It has been well known for years that many media outlets are struggling as they adapt to the changing way that people receive and consume news.

The idea of striking an all-party committee to look at an issue is not new in Manitoba. What made this suggestion different than most is that the NDP government did not actually consult with other parties before announcing this committee. Generally when there is a desire by the government for all political parties to study an issue it isn’t something that other parties are surprised by. As well, the terms of the reference for an all-party committee are stronger when they are formed together with all the parties that will be participating. That was not the case with the NDP proposal.

Cooperation in the Manitoba Legislature between parties is not without precedent. Many will remember the national debate about the Meech Lake Accord to recognize Quebec as a distinct society in Canada. As this required 10 provincial legislatures to agree, then Premier Gary Filmon worked together with opposition leader Gary Doer to establish Manitoba’s unified support, even though the Meech Lake Accord would ultimately fail.

Gary Doer himself when he became Premier formed an all-party committee, dubbed a special committee, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This special committee was dedicated to reviewing security issues that might impact the safety of Manitobans and its institutions and infrastructure.

Premier Doer also created an all-party delegation in 2007 to go to Ottawa and lobby the federal government to make changes to the federal Criminal Code. Specifically, the all-party delegation was to lobby the federal government to create stronger penalties for auto theft, drive by shootings, and to establish longer sentences for certain crimes.

Wab Kinew, when he was in opposition, also sought to create an all-party committee to review the national increase in food prices that were part of the global inflation crisis experienced recently. Interestingly, upon forming government, Premier Kinew didn’t look to create this all-party committee but rather is seeking a committee to examine public support to local media.

What these previous examples have in common is that all-party committees have generally been used to try to address an issue that was either national or international in scope and that wasn’t able to be acted upon directly by the provincial government. In fact, just this past week the PC Caucus suggested that the Manitoba government create an all-party committee to help head off the proposed 25% tariff on Canadian exports to the United States by the incoming Trump administration.

The imposition of tariffs by the United States would not only hurt Canada and Manitoba, but it would also increase prices on American consumers as well. An all-party committee utilizing the contacts in the United States that all Members of the Legislative Assembly have would be an excellent utilization of an all-party committee.

Elected officials working together can not only produce better results, but it is also often what the public wishes to see. The use of all-party committees in Manitoba is not new, but it has to be done right. Ensuring that all parties are not only invited to participate but are actually able to have meaningful input in the formation, makes for better decisions and a stronger Legislature.