I often get questions from constituents about the role of a member of the Official Opposition in our parliamentary system. Most know that a significant part of the role involves holding the government to account by scrutinizing the decisions that they make and the policies that they bring forward. That is a key part of the role and an important part of accountability within our system of government.
Less recognized however is the role that the Official Opposition plays in driving the agenda of government and bringing forward ideas of its own. Often these ideas are either directly adopted by government or end up becoming part of legislation the government introduces on its own.
The first week of the most recent Manitoba Legislative session is an example of exactly that. I was pleased to introduce a piece of legislation that will make it easier for police to seize property that is believed to either have been used in a crime or is the proceeds of crime.
For example, when police bust up a drug house operation they often find large amounts of cash. It is obvious from the fact that drugs were being sold in the house that the cash likely came from the sale of drugs. Most often, nobody puts in a claim for this cash because it is connected to a crime yet the police still have to tie up valuable court resources and their time to seize the illegal funds. New legislation I have proposed would allow the police to make publicly known that the cash has been confiscated and if no person comes forward to say the money is theirs and not the proceeds of crime, it can be seized.
Also this week, legislation by the opposition was introduced to allow volunteer firefighters to obtain license plates that recognize that they are a volunteer firefighter. This would be similar to legislation passed several years ago that permitted veterans to have a poppy logo on their license plate to recognize their military service. The idea for the veteran license plates was also one that came from members of the Progressive Conservative Caucus and was adopted by the government.
On Tuesday, the Progressive Conservative Caucus brought forward legislation that would increase the transparency of provincial budgets. Just a week after the NDP introduced a budget that broke their promise not to raise taxes, this new legislation would require governments to publish a schedule of all fees charged by government and its agencies. Too often fees are quietly increased on Manitobans, often totaling millions of dollars, without true disclosure. Governments who increase fees on taxpayers should not be able to do so without proper disclosure.
Over the course of the next couple of months as the Manitoba Legislature continues to sit, you will hear members of the official opposition question the government on its policies. That is an important part of the role of the opposition. But what you may not hear as much about, are the ideas that come forward from the opposition that often find their way into law.
