LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
The House met at 10 a.m.
The Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.
We acknowledge we are gathered on Treaty 1 territory and that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk nations. We acknowledge Manitoba is located on the Homeland of the Red River Métis. We acknowledge northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit. We respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
Please be seated.
The Speaker: The honourable Government House Leader–private members' business.
House Business
Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): Good morning, Honourable Speaker. Pursuant to rule 34(7), I am announcing the private member's resolution to be considered on the next Tuesday of private members' business will be one put forward by the honourable member for Thompson (MLA Redhead). The title of the resolution is Advancing Manitoba's Economic Future Through Provincial-Federal Collaboration in Churchill.
Miigwech.
The Speaker: It has been announced that, pursuant to rule 34(7), that the private member's resolution to be considered on the next Tuesday of private members' business will be the one put forward by the honourable member for Thompson. The title of the resolution is Advancing Manitoba's Economic Future Through Provincial-Federal Collaboration in Churchill.
The Speaker: Now, just before we begin, I'd just like to remind the House about the previous announcement that there will be votes on two selected bills this morning: Bill 211, The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act (Various Acts Amended), vote at 10:25 a.m. and–question at 10:25 a.m.; Bill 230, The Grocery Store Food Waste Prevention Act, question at 10:55 a.m.
If recorded vote is requested by at least four members on either side, will be held Thursday, October 16 at 11:55 a.m.
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): I move that Bill 211, The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act, be now read a second time and referred to a committee of this House.
The Speaker: Moved by the honourable member for Fort Garry that Bill 211, The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act (Various Acts Amended), be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House.
Mr. Wasyliw: This morning, I wanted to first by–thank and acknowledge the Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, Carolyn [phonetic] Zamora and Reuben Galang [phonetic] and a number of others who've come down here today in support of this bill. I know that this is an important issue to the newcomer community in Manitoba and that this organization has taken a leadership role and have been advocating on this issue for well over a decade if not longer. And I think this is the first time this has ever come to this Chamber. And I want to thank them for being here and their support on this important issue.
Now, what does Bill 211 do? Well, it modernizes The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act. It allows 16- and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in municipal and school board elections. It also grants permanent residents voting rights in those same elections.
Manitoba would be a leader in Canada by making these changes, and one of the leaders in the world. Austria, Scotland, Wales already allow 16- and 17‑year-olds to vote in local elections. So does Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and parts of Germany. The BC Legislature is examining a lower voting age as we speak, and Toronto currently allows 16- and 17‑year-olds to vote in polls in their neighbourhood level on planning and policy issues.
We would break new ground by allowing permanent residents the right to vote here in Manitoba.
And this year, the United Kingdom Parliament is debating changing their voting rules to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in national elections.
Now, why we need this change–in the last municipal election, 35 per cent of eligible voters actually came out to vote. It's not much better in provincial politics; it's 55 per cent. And it's even equally uninspiring at the federal election level where it's trending towards lows of 60 to 65 per cent.
And we know, each and every election, fewer and fewer Manitobans are voting. And we know that young people are less likely to vote. Poor and marginalized Canadians are also less likely to vote. And a municipal or school board election, where there's a super majority of 65 per cent of the voting population who does not vote, lacks legitimacy. That is a crisis of democracy and it needs to be addressed.
So I want to address to this Chamber why permanent residents should have the right to vote. Over 10 years ago, I was the former chair of the board of the Winnipeg School Division and I was approached by a broad coalition of community groups, including the Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, who were advocating on behalf of a large portion of our population which have largely, when it comes to politics, been invisible. They were advocating that we needed to change our election laws to allow permanent residents the right to vote.
They have made Winnipeg and Manitoba their permanent home. They spend their entire lives here. They own homes, businesses and other property. They pay both municipal and education property taxes. Their children attend our schools. They use our municipal services. Yet they have no say in how these institutions are run.
You know, 10 years ago, I was told that it was approximately–Winnipeg had about 80,000 permanent residents. Ten years later, I'm told that number is way out of date; it's double. It's closer to 170,000 permanent residents living in the city of Winnipeg alone, not counting the rest of Manitoba.
And, of course, these permanent residents are paying taxes and they get no say. Keep in mind, permanent residents are allowed to join the Canadian military, they can defend this country, they can die for it, yet they get no vote in local politics.
And Manitoba has been built as a refuge for many people. We are a safe harbour for those around the world, often fleeing conflict and starting over, including my family. Allowing permanent residents a say in their children's school and in their cities is a way of signalling that they are part of the community, that they are valued, that they have a voice in the future of this province. It would be a major step in integrating a whole new generation of Manitobans.
* (10:10)
And, you know, the criticism for this type of bill is, well, why can't they just become Canadians? And many permanent residents can't become citizens because it would mean giving up their citizenship of their country of birth, and if you have family or relatives that you're looking after in your birth country, and you oftentimes need to get into the country quickly in order to deal with family emergencies and tragedies, they have to retain that citizenship in order to do it.
So this is a recognition that, in some situations, in some people's lives, that's not a realistic option for them. But this bill is concerned about local elections, not national ones. The issues that are being dealt with and being voted on affect them directly. There's–these elections don't require you to be a Canadian citizen. It has everything to do with somebody's status as a resident and nothing to do with their nationality.
So why am I seeking to give 16- and 17-year-olds a vote? Well, they are the worst voting demographic, is 18 to 24. We know that voting is habit-forming, and like any civic skill, it has to be learnt and someone has to teach it to you. And when you have youth voting in a structured environment during a school year, which most elections would coincide with many teaching opportunities, it would create mass engagement and excitement at the school level. There would be positive peer pressure to be interested and active, and once a young person votes for the first time, they're more likely to vote again and again in their lives.
So as I said, United Kingdom just announced that they're planning to lower their voting age to 16. And keep in mind that, in Canada, we've already done this. In 1969, the voting age in Manitoba was 21. In 1969, Manitoba lowered the voting age to 18. We know from research from Germany and Austria that 16- and 17-year-olds are just as qualified as older voters making voting choices, they take it seriously and they receive good education on political issues. Arguably, 16- and 17-year-olds in a structured learning environment like a school would be better informed voters.
Right now, most elections come around for an 18- or 19-year-old when they're no longer in school, there's no longer a structured learning environment and there's no longer, sort of, that positive peer pressure. And unless their family's engage, and family takes on that mentoring role, many young people are not influenced to cast that first vote.
The concerns is, of course, that they could disproportionately sway the election. Well, that's not what's occurred in other jurisdictions. In fact, 16- and 17-year-olds make a tiny fraction of the population and wouldn't change the outcome, and studies have shown in other jurisdictions that young voters tend to have the identical voting profile as a larger population.
But the reverse is also true that 16- and 17‑year‑olds will end up influencing their parents who would not otherwise vote. We also have to recognize that a third of 16-year-olds have employment which means they pay in to taxation and they get no say for that. We trust 16-year-olds to drive a vehicle, a potentially dangerous object that can hurt people, and we also trust 16-year-olds to enlist in the military which they're allowed to do in Canada with the consent of their parents. So why can't we trust them with the vote?
Parents will be copying, modelling behaviour from their children, and if their children are voting, they'll have to vote as well, and how could they not? So it's shown in places like Austria that younger voters are more connected to democratic institutions and political parties, more satisfied with democracy. In times of growing authoritarianism, we need more young people engaged and finding our democracy legitimate, and this is a tool in the toolbox.
It also addresses inequality of votes. Elections are skewed to the oldest members of the community and often youth voice are missing from politics. With more young voters, more politicians will have to address their issues. And of course, in the case of school board elections, young voters will have a direct say in how their schools are run, and it'll mean that school boards will have to be more attentive to the people they ultimately serve.
This is about fairness and about inclusion. It's about Manitoba recognizing that, at the municipal level, every resident needs to have a voice. It's about youth being engaged in our democracy. It's about our politics being more representative, and it's about sending a signal to newcomers that they belong here. And I urge all my colleagues to support this bill and have it move on to committee.
Thank you.
The Speaker: A question period of up to 10 minutes will be held. Questions may be addressed to the sponsoring member by any member in the following sequence: first question to be asked by a member from another party; this is to be followed by a rotation between the parties; each independent member may ask one question. And no question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds.
The floor is now open for questions.
MLA Jelynn
(Radisson): You can't have any decisions made about youth without youth. And here in Manitoba, there's this large discrepancy in youth democratic participation. In other jurisdictions like Austria, where 16-year-olds can vote, youth participation actually staggers up to 15 points lower than older cohorts because of a lack of resources.
Based on this member's consultation, what supports have youth told the member that they require should they be able to vote as early as next year?
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): I think the major support for a bill and an initiative like this is the public education system. The election–the next municipal election would happen in the fall, during the school year.
Certainly, the Minister of Education could create a structured unit, but even if the Ministry of Education doesn't, I can tell you that school boards absolutely would, individual principals and teachers absolutely would and they would create a whole curriculum and structure around this. I imagine there would be a lot of excitement and the public education system would be all in.
Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): I'd like to thank the member for Fort Garry for bringing this proposal forward for this House to consider.
I'm just wondering, if extending voting rights to permanent residents and extending voting rights to youth are quite separate issues, why are they brought together here rather than separately?
Mr. Wasyliw: Well, as my friend would know that municipal elections encompass both school board elections and regular civic elections. And it would make sense that, on the same day, that both youth and permanent residents would have the franchise to be able to participate fully on one of our major electoral days.
This is a new idea and in my consultations on this bill, there is differences of opinion on our community. Some people are less comfortable with permanent residents' votes. Others are less comfortable with young people voting. And I think a municipal election would be a nice testing ground where Manitobans could see how–
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
MLA Shannon Corbett (Transcona): Manitobans take pride in fair, transparent elections where every voice is heard.
Can the member opposite explain why Bill 211 focuses on changing who can vote instead of addressing real barriers like access in northern communities, where distance and limited polling stations remain the real challenge?
Mr. Wasyliw: Well, certainly, this government has failed in expanding access to elections, including the North, which is a shame, because they have four members from the North and seem very disinterested in this.
But we're not talking about that today. We're talking about permanent residents, about 170,000 in the city of Winnipeg who are full citizens yet are denied a voice in our politics. We're talking about young people not being able to have a voice in their own education system, and that needs to change.
Mr. Balcaen: Again, I listen to the opening statement by the member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw), and during that, he quoted some stats that 18-to-24-year-olds were some of the lowest rated for turnout for voting, and being that this would bring forward 16‑to‑17-year-olds, he mentioned that they must be learn–they must learn and be taught to be able to vote.
So I'm wondering, isn't there a risk of mischief by letting school-age children help decide who makes policy decisions at a school board level?
Mr. Wasyliw: I don't believe that there would be. I think that's one of the myths surrounding this. I think that 16- and 17-year-olds, we trust them to join the military, we trust them to drive vehicles, they can become emancipated youth–they have the maturity to vote.
* (10:20)
And, like I said, I think the actual reverse would be true; they will be some of the most best educated voters because they're in a structured learning environment. And they will be putting pressure on their parents, who are currently not voting in elections, to come out and vote. And it will have a noticeable improvement in our democracy by getting more people in our community engaged.
MLA Corbett: Elections Canada is already independent and well-equipped to run a secure, trustworthy and transparent election.
Can the member opposite assure Manitobans that Bill 211 won't open the door to political interference or targeted challenges against specific voters?
Mr. Wasyliw: No, it won't. And the way I can say that with some confidence is that there–have done this in other countries, like Argentina, Austria, parts of Germany, Wales, Scotland, and there's been no such problems there.
Elections Manitoba–we can be proud of–is a strong, independent organization that knows how to run elections. And just like the sky didn't fall in 1969 when we reduced our voting age from 21 to 18, the sky will not fall reducing it from 18 to 16.
Mr. Balcaen: I'm just wondering if there was some consultation done on this prior to bringing this forward because I'm wondering if this amendment generally represents the people's desire for change for the voting parameters.
Mr. Wasyliw: The whole impetus for this bill came from the community. This came from the Immigration Partnership of Winnipeg and other community stakeholders that saw that we have disenfranchised now about 170,000 Winnipeggers, just to use Winnipeg as an example, but this is a province-wide issue. And they said, that's not right, and they–in my former life as a school board trustee, they came to us saying that we needed to change. And now, in this role, I'm trying to act on the will of our community to change the law to make it fair.
MLA Corbett: Manitobans already have clear voting rules: advanced polls and mail-in options that make participation easy.
If our current system delivers record advance voting and strong turnout, what evidence does Bill 211 provide that the proposed changes are necessary, and how will it avoid creating confusion for families, seniors and newcomers who already trust the process?
Mr. Wasyliw: I am really concerned about who's writing the talking points for this member: 45 per cent of the population does not vote in a provincial election; 65 per cent of the population does not vote in a municipal election. That is nothing to be proud of. That is nothing to pat your back and saying, we're doing a good job.
We are clearly not, and our democracy is struggling and we need to do something, anything. And it seems this whole approach of this government is that, you know, they've tried nothing and they're all out of ideas.
The Speaker: No further questions?
Oh, sorry–the honourable member for Radisson (MLA Dela Cruz).
MLA Dela Cruz: Earlier, I asked the member for Fort Garry, you know, what youth have told him supports–what kind of supports are lacking in our communities. He failed to answer that question, so I'll ask that again, Honourable Speaker.
Mr. Wasyliw: Okay, well, I–with respect, I think I did answer it. The supports that would be there to help youth is the education system. It's a structured learning environment. That's why this initiative is so key.
The problem we have now is, once most people are in their first voting scenario, they're 18 or 19 years old, they're out of school, they may be working full time, they may be struggling to pay the rent and they don't have that sort of positive support network around them.
And the numbers bear it out, they're not voting. And if you don't vote once, you're not going to vote again. And the reverse is true–is if you have that mentoring, if you have that support and you get a young person to the polls, they are more likely to keep doing it. It's habit-forming.
There's also an aspect of mentorship and–
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
MLA Dela Cruz: Thank you, Honourable–
The Speaker: Order, please.
In accordance with rule 25, and as previously announced, I'm interrupting debate to put the question on the honourable member for Fort Garry's selected bill.
The question before the House, then, is second reading of Bill 211, The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act (Various Acts Amended).
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
An Honourable Member: Agreed.
Some Honourable Members: No.
The Speaker: I hear a no.
Voice Vote
The Speaker: All those in favour, please say aye.
An Honourable Member: Aye.
The Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay.
Some Honourable Members: Nay.
The Speaker: I believe the Nays have it.
The motion is accordingly defeated.
* * *
The Speaker: We will now–the honourable Government House Leader.
Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): Honourable Speaker, could you please call Bill 234–[interjection] Oh, okay.
Honourable Speaker, can you please call it 10:30?
The Speaker: Is there leave to call it 10:30? [Agreed]
The Speaker: So, as previously announced, the honourable member for Fort Garry has indicated that Bill 230, The Grocery Store Food Waste Prevention Act, will be their second selected bill for this session. The question will be put on the–Bill 230 at 10:55 a.m.
Accordingly, I will now recognize the honourable member for Fort Garry to move the second reading motion for Bill 230 to begin this debate.
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): I move that Bill 230, The Grocery Store Food Waste Prevention Act, be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of the House.
Motion presented.
Mr. Wasyliw: Manitoba is in a cost-of-living crisis. The Manitoba Bureau of Statistics reports that in August 2025, food prices have gone up year over year by 3 per cent, much higher than the cost-of-living increases most Manitobans have received. In fact, the minimum wage went up 1.1 per cent this year, or 20 cents an hour.
MLA salaries went up 2.5 per cent in the past year, and as high as that is, that's still lower than the cost of food increase in Manitoba. We lead the country in skyrocketing costs of groceries.
We are also the child poverty capital of Canada. More people are in deep poverty in Manitoba than elsewhere in Canada, and more people earn less than $1,000 per month in Manitoba than they do anywhere else in the country. Food insecurity is a major issue and food bank usage has skyrocketed in Manitoba. They cannot keep up with demand.
We are also in an environmental crisis. We are a rich country that wastes food, we have large grocery store chains that throw out perfectly edible food because it's bruised, hit its best before date but still good and has cosmetic imperfections or damaged packaging. Voluntary donation programs exist but are inconsistent, unreliable and inadequate. Sometimes, large chains will donate to Harvest Manitoba, sometimes it's just easier for them to throw tons of food into the trash.
This clogs our landfills, it produces methane gas and raises Manitoban CO2 emissions. It means food banks have less resources for growing demand. So this bill would make food donations a requirement for operating a large grocery store chain in Manitoba. It would ensure usable food is redirected to people in need instead of landfill.
So what does this bill do? A food bank may require the owner of a grocery store to enter into an agreement to donate all unsold, usable food that would normally be thrown out, to the food bank. Grocery stores must notify the food bank when there is food available for pickup, unless the grocery store staff deliver it themselves to the food bank. It prohibits large grocery stores from throwing out usable food, except in specific circumstances.
This bill only affects large, corporate grocery store chains that have 280 square metres of retail space, so it doesn't affect sort of small, ma-and-pa operations. So this bill addresses food insecurity; it tackles rising prices of groceries which are becoming unaffordable and it gives food banks the support that they need.
* (10:30)
It has significant environmental benefits; it basically tackles food waste, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and landfills. And it's about economic fairness.
Large grocery store chains profit from Manitobans. None of them are headquartered here. Profits are leaving our province, and as the cost of doing business in Manitoba, they must share the responsibility in addressing hunger in our community.
And it's about system-wide change, no longer relying on charity. It would become a standard set for responsible corporate practice by large grocery store chains. We would also be a leader in Canada by passing this bill. France and Italy have laws that incentivize supermarkets to donate unsold food, but we would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to do so.
So we can make history with this bill. And I ask this House to support this bill at second reading.
The Speaker: A question period of up to 10 minutes will be held. Questions may be addressed to the sponsoring member by any member in the following sequence: first question to be asked by a member from another party; this is to be followed by a rotation between the parties; each independent member may ask one question. No question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds.
The floor is now open for questions.
Hon. Lisa Naylor (Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure): I just want to speak on this bill and ask the member opposite about how mandatory agreements would work.
We know that community partners have told us the real barrier isn't intent, it's the infrastructure, that they need cold storage and same-day logistics. Otherwise, bulk donations are difficult to manage and food goes to waste.
So my question for the member is, how does adding mandatory agreements solve the actual checkpoint that causes edible food to be wasted?
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): Well, as my friend across from the House knows well, that in speaking with stakeholders including Maple Leaf, they've shared with me that they would mislabel a whole, you know, massive load of bacon. And instead of repackaging with proper labelling, that whole load goes into the trash.
And it becomes an issue of convenience, whether or not they have the time and the energy to find someplace for their goods. And if they make the business decision that it's not worth the effort, then this food gets wasted. And that's occurring all across the province with big food producers and big grocers.
So what this would do would take out the randomness–
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): My question for the member is, how will the existing federal and provincial food safety laws interact with this bill requirement?
Mr. Wasyliw: We currently have a law on the books in Manitoba called The Food Donations Act that protects corporations from liability for donating food to food banks. That's how they can legally do it right now.
So we do this right now, it's just on the good will of a corporation as opposed to the same mandate that if you want to do this kind of business in Manitoba, part of your business model is reclaiming and saving edible food which you don't want to sell anymore.
MLA Naylor: Bill 230 imposes fines of up to $100,000 on corporations for non-compliance, yet it doesn't provide clarity on how enforcement would work or who bears liability when food banks cannot pick up donations on time.
So how would the member justify creating a law that would punish businesses for circumstances beyond their control without offering any support or infrastructure to make compliance feasible?
Mr. Wasyliw: A fine straw man argument. In the bill, if the food bank is unable to pick up the food in time and it spoils, there is no liability towards the corporation.
There's a number of exemptions in the bill and I invite my friend to actually read the bill and she would see that her concerns have already been addressed.
Mr. Narth: What specific, standard, legal protections are in place to ensure that safe and usable food is donated, most especially regarding the labelling, expiry date and related illness occurrence with regards to negligence and willful misconduct?
Mr. Wasyliw: Manitoba already has a piece of legislation, it's called The Food Donations Act and it specifically allows protection to these large grocery store chains that do currently donate food to the food bank. Again, we're not talking about a new practice. What we're doing is moving from a charity model and something where it is just random and inconsistent to something which is structural and it's part of our food security program, and that we've thought about and actually put in practice as a government and as a community.
MLA Naylor: While I certainly agree that food waste is a problem in Manitoba, this bill assumes that grocery stores are the main source of edible food waste. But many already do have voluntary donation programs in place.
So I wonder if the member could share with us what evidence they have that mandatory agreements would make a meaningful difference beyond what exists already?
Mr. Wasyliw: Well, it certainly is what's occurring in Italy and France where they've had this law in place and it makes a big difference. I've certainly met with Vince Barletta at Harvest Manitoba who was extremely supportive and excited about this bill and believed that Manitoba needs this kind of law.
You know, charity is good. Charity is fine. But we can't leave these things to charity and peoples' good will. We need a structured system in place where, as a policy goal, we do not waste food in Manitoba when we are child poverty capital of Canada.
Mr. Narth: My question for the member is why he hasn't considered incentivising a program like this rather than putting in a fine structure?
Mr. Wasyliw: I think we have to recognize in Manitoba that these large chains come in to our province and they take a lot of our money out of the province. And part of the benefit of being able to do business in Manitoba is to be a good community member and good community partner. And this is the minimum we can ask of them, to make, you know, huge profits in Manitoba that they have to give back and have to be part of our community.
So yes, they get some benefits by doing business here, but they also have some responsibilities, and this is one of them.
MLA Naylor: The member identified that he consulted with Manitoba Harvest food bank. I'm wondering if he can share with us who else he has consulted with in creating this bill; were businesses consulted with, were everyday Manitobans consulted with?
I think we have some concern that this bill could impact the basic costs and–of everyday lives of Manitobans, so we'd like to have a better understanding of the scope of consultation that was done.
Mr. Wasyliw: Again, another straw man argument.
Right now, this practice is happening, it's just on an ad hoc basis and nobody–nobody has ever suggested that the big, corporate grocery store chains would lose money by not throwing out food. They would–it's a donation, so they would get a tax credit for this. They'd actually help their income tax position by engaging in this, that's why many of these large corporations in fact do that.
And I think it is reckless fear mongering to tell Manitobans that unless we waste food, your grocery store prices are going up. That's patently ridiculous and I invite my friend to, like, prove it. [interjection]
The Speaker: Order.
Mr. Narth: My question for the member is, how will the compliance be monitored and also enforced?
* (10:40)
Mr. Wasyliw: So the bill just provides a framework, but it has a regulation section to it, and obviously the government of the day, should they pass the bill, would be responsible for filling out the enforcement provisions and those type of details.
This is just basically creating an overall policy position. The government has to work out the details and they would do so in regulation, as is the common practice with our laws.
MLA Naylor: In my previous question, I had asked about consultation and I didn't hear a response to that question. So I'll give the member a second opportunity to share who he's consulted with.
But in–at the same time, I just, I wanted to thank him for rightfully pointing out that Manitoba does have a Food Donations Act, so there is existing legislation that supports donations of food from businesses to Harvest.
And we also have brought in some other bills, such as–laws, such as the universal nutrition program, the Northern Healthy Foods Initiative; real measures that are helping feed people today. I'm wondering also what the member–
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
Mr. Wasyliw: It's certainly concerning that this government seems more concerned about what, you know, grocery–large grocery store chains headquartered in Toronto think, as opposed to what Manitobans need.
And, of course, we are in food poverty. So we have food security issues in Manitoba. We have growing inequality under this government. We have child poverty, which is shameful. And this government has been absent when it comes to making Manitoba a fair, more equal place.
And that's why food bank usage is at record highs. That's not something to be proud of.
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
So the time for question period has also expired. As we previously agreed to move 10:30 ahead four minutes early, the interruption to put the question on Bill 230 will now occur at 10:51.
So, and then, as the House agreed to move to 10:30 four minutes early, the interruption to put the question of Bill 230 will occur at 10:51; also, the 11 o'clock interruption will now be at 10:56.
The Speaker: So the floor is open for debate.
MLA David Pankratz (Waverley): You know, I want to start by just saying how fortunate I feel. We are, in this Chamber, among the privileged folks who likely got to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner with our families and enjoy a nice meal and get together with folks.
So, you know, I hope everybody had a restful weekend and I think that it's a good time to speak about food insecurity in this country and in this province. And I want to start by saying that I think it's a good thing that the member opposite brought this forward. It's a good conversation to be having.
And when we talk about food waste, we're talking about something that Manitobans understand on some level, right, that feeling you get when you see good food go to waste, right, or in the garbage knowing that there's someone out there that could use it.
And I don't think there's a person in this room who disagrees with the goal, right? Where we might differ is maybe on how to actually make that work.
So before I worked in emergency services or politics, I had some of those early life jobs that all of us, or I'm sure many of us have had. You know, I was a dishwasher at one point in a local restaurant. And, you know, it was tough; I'd be up to my elbows in grease and suds and plates and things everywhere.
And then I would see all of this food getting scraped off of plates. All of this food that was perfectly–it would be completely edible, it would be fine for people to eat. But it was getting wasted, right. And it was sort of this introduction to this strange feeling of knowing that there are these people spending all of this money on this food and then there are all these folks, maybe a block away, who are struggling just to get by and don't necessarily have the supports or the things that they need every day.
And we know that this has become more and more of a challenge for Canadians. You know, I think at this point, the number is, it's 18 per cent of Canadians are facing food insecurity right now. And so, as a government, we have done a ton of work to try to push back when it comes to cost of living, affordability, our universal nutrition program for kids, to make sure that more and more Manitobans are able to get the food that they need to support their family and to create a good life for themselves.
So you know, it always bothered me, going back to this restaurant story, seeing all of this food waste. And then later on, as a firefighter and paramedic, you know, I saw it first hand. I was on the other side of it. I would go to a senior's home sometimes and you'd go into a room and someone wouldn't quite have what they needed to get by. You'd be working on the street with folks who were struggling to get by day to day and sometimes in that line of work you'd sneak an extra little bit of food in to your lunch and then you'd bring that out to them to try to support them.
And I know that that's–that's the ethos, the MO of our government, is to make sure that we're doing everything that we can from a government lens, to make sure that folks who support–whether that again is the universal nutrition program, making things more affordable for people, cutting that gas tax to make things more affordable for the everyday Manitoban, because we know that more and more people with the rising cost of living are facing more and more challenges.
You know, the thing about this bill today is that it seems like it's really focusing on punitive action, or rules and fines. And we do know that we need to also create the infrastructure, the supports to make sure that if we are getting this food from the grocery stores to the community support programs that are available, that it's actually done in an effective and an efficient way and that we have a way to make sure that that food won't spoil as well, because it is, we know, a very complicated system.
And I recall the member for River Heights (MLA Moroz) brought forward a resolution following a meeting that we had at Manitoba Harvest, actually, specifically speaking about this issue. And it was an important conversation because it started to illustrate a little bit more clearly the number of barriers that can get in the way when it comes to food insecurity and providing that food to people in community.
You know, you can have a truck that's coming with 26 pallets of product and if the refrigeration goes down or an order gets cancelled, there's only a few hours to find a new home for it. And so I would hate to start forcing a procedure into place and then having food be spoiled on its way over because we haven't also looked at the issues surrounding that transportation of the food.
And, you know, this bill as it's written right now doesn't necessarily fix that problem. You know, it creates an obligation, obviously, a piece of paper. But it doesn't build a cooler, right? It doesn't fund a delivery route. It doesn't give Manitoba Harvest or a rural food bank the tools that they would need to keep those donations safe.
And as I mentioned, I've learned through a lot of different jobs that good intentions without that infrastructure will often fail, right? And that's why again, our government is really trying to build up to that infrastructure.
And so I also was just reading in preparation for this bill, I was really pleased to have a chance to read through our Path to Net Zero again, that our Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MLA Moyes) has brought forward, and specifically speaks, in article 6.2 here, to strengthening local food systems. And I'll just–I will quote this here, because I think it's an important document overall, because we know it is an issue of just the food itself, but it's also an environmental issue, when we talk about food waste. And so I do want to bring that into the conversation a little bit as well.
But the Path to Net Zero says that we will build networks that connect local producers and consumers based on practical, regionally adapted approaches that can help reduce food waste, improve affordability and support broader environmental outcomes.
And so I think that that's a–it's a strong message to be sensed, that we are actively working at this. And, you know, another thing that I know the member opposite knows is that we are taking a whole of government approach to these issues. So whether it's the Minister of Education, the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe), the minister of Housing and mental health or Infrastructure, or even innovation and tech in this case, specifically, you know, we are going to be working together to make sure that we're solving these issues.
* (10:50)
I would also be remiss not to quickly mention as part of this discussion in this bill the incredible work around food security that two constituents of mine are doing–I'll do this quickly: Meetu Sidhu, who helps run the kitchen at the gurdwara in St. Norbert, so the MLA for Seine River who would be well acquainted with the work they do in that kitchen. And they feed so many people in our community. And so it is–I just want to specifically point the work that they are doing out as part of my reflections today.
As well as Dr. Abra, who is an incredible advocate regarding food insecurity in the community. We've had so many really fruitful and robust conversations about what we can be doing as a government and what we've done so far, what he has appreciated, and, you know, his house is incredible. It is constantly filled with students and young people who are maybe struggling to get by and can use that extra meal.
And so I just want to say, overall, our government is working so hard to solve this problem. We have introduced the universal nutrition–
The Speaker: Order, please. In accordance with rule 25, and as previously announced, I'm interrupting debate to put the question on the honourable member of Fort Garry's selected bill.
The question before the House, then, is second reading of Bill 230, The Grocery Store Food Waste Prevention Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
An Honourable Member: Agreed.
Some Honourable Members: No.
The Speaker: I hear a no.
Voice Vote
The Speaker: All those in the House in favour, please say aye.
An Honourable Member: Aye.
The Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay.
Some Honourable Members: Nay.
The Speaker: In my opinion, the Nays have it.
The motion is accordingly defeated.
* * *
MLA David Pankratz (Deputy Government House Leader): Honourable Speaker, could you please call for second reading Bill 218.
The Speaker: It has been announced that we will now resume debate on Bill 218–Bill 218, The Climate Action Month Act (Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended). It is standing in the name of the honourable member for Lakeside, who has nine minutes remaining.
Mr. Trevor King (Lakeside): It gives me great pleasure to stand up this morning and talk about the climate action month, commemoration of days, weeks, months act amended.
Now, if I do recall a while back when I did get the opportunity to stand up, I only got to talk for like 45 seconds on this bill. So I'm glad that I get an extra few minutes to put some words on the record here. And if I do recall, I was talking about Earth Day somewhat, and how we have celebrated Earth Day for a number of years–I'm going to say probably 40 years now or more.
And my first recollection of Earth Day was in my own little hometown of Warren. We had a celebration for Earth Day, and happened to have a band at that time. And my band played and entertained at the street dance celebrating Earth Day.
And one of the songs I do remember playing, that we learned ahead of this, because we knew it was Earth Day, was an Alabama song. And it was called–and I just remember the words, I can't remember the song, but–the name of the song, but it was–
An Honourable Member: Sing it.
Mr. King: You want me to sing it, but–I'd love to sing it. But that would not be appropriate in the Chamber, I don't think.
But it's–the words were, let's keep the green on the ground–keep the blue up above us and keep the green on the ground. And that's something that we've encouraged my kids to do, and hopefully they encourage their kids to do. And coming from the farm–
An Honourable Member: Pass It On Down.
Mr. King: We like to pass it on. Pass It On Down is the name of the song; thanks to my colleague from Lac du Bonnet for probably googling that for me quickly. But keep–so we do; we try to pass it on down to other generations to take care of our environment, and continue to conserve what has been put before–has been created for us.
Now, I like to encourage my kids to recycle. You know, put the plastics in one container and put the aluminum in another, and the household garbage, of course, goes to the landfill, just–because I truly believe that saving our–room in our landfills, for one thing, and saving our environment. I believe that plastics has a huge, huge part to–in what's hurting our environment out there.
So yes, every Wednesday morning, I take out the garbage. I've got a bag of plastics, the cans we keep, we recycle them and take them to the local salvage yard. It may not be much money but it–that you get but it keeps that from going into the landfill, the aluminum and, you know, it buys a couple bags of ice here and there. So it's–we strongly encourage my family members to recycle.
I think the fact that we have banned plastic bags is a start. But we need to do more in this province to encourage people to recycle, to keep the plastics from rolling into the landfill, whether it be, you know–
The Speaker: Order, please. As the hour is now ten fifty–the hour is now 11 o'clock, the time for private members' resolutions. The next thing before the House is private members' resolutions.
When the previous matter is again before the House, the honourable member for Lakeside (Mr. King) will have five minutes remaining.
The Speaker: So now the time is 11 o'clock, private members' resolutions. The resolution before us this morning is resolution 21, Manitoba Needs to Address the Cost of Living Crisis, brought forward by the honourable member for Fort Garry.
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): I move, and
WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has lost 5,000 jobs in the month of August; and
WHEREAS Manitoba continues to lead the country in the fastest growing grocery store prices; and
WHEREAS Manitoba has the fastest growing rents in the country despite being a rent-controlled province; and
WHEREAS Manitoba has the third lowest minimum wage in the country; and
WHEREAS one in four working Manitobans, or 170,000 people, earn less than a living wage and are overwhelmingly women with young children and/or newcomers to Manitoba; and
WHEREAS the provincial government continues to ignore the rising costs of public transit and add to the financial burden of parents who already pay exorbitant fees for private child care, by increasing tuition on students and underfunding public education.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the provincial government to immediately reduce the costs of living for Manitobans by creating a plan which will reduce the costs of rental housing, groceries, public transit, public school fees, and will also bring in tuition freeze for post-secondary students and provide for the immediate building of new child-care spaces.
The Speaker: Is there leave to consider the motion as printed as opposed to as the member said?
Is there leave? Is there leave? [Agreed]
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Provincial Government to immediately reduce the costs of living for Manitobans by creating a plan which will reduce the costs of rental housing, groceries, public transit, and public school fees, and will also bring in a tuition freeze for post-secondary students and provide for the immediate building of new childcare spaces.
Motion presented.
Mr. Wasyliw: Manitobans are in a cost-of-living crisis, and under this government they have very much been losing ground.
According to the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics, the Manitoba rate of inflation is above the national average. In August of this year, the CPI is the third highest in the country, and only Nova Scotia and Quebec are worse. Winnipeg ranks as the fifth highest inflation of any major centre in Canada. Only Quebec, Montreal, Halifax and Victoria are worse off. That means inflation is lower in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary than it is in Winnipeg.
One of the major drivers of the cost-of-living crisis in Manitoba is shelter costs. They have gone up 3.2 per cent year over year and are higher than the national average. Rent, despite being a rental-controlled jurisdiction, are growing faster here in Manitoba than the rest of the country. And, of course, 40 per cent of Manitobans rent.
And the reasons for the rapid rent increases are found in loopholes in our rental laws that allow landlords to get around the rental cap. The Kinew government promised to close those loopholes, and after two years, they haven't advanced any legislation to do so, and it's clear that this government is not committed to this and have broken yet another promise.
We then turn to grocery store prices, which are the fastest growing in Canada: 3 per cent year-over-year increase. We've talked this morning about food bank use skyrocketing in Manitoba, and the Kinew government has done nothing to bring these prices down.
* (11:00)
The only tangible response Manitoba has is a pre-existing one where we regulate the price of milk in Manitoba. And that's the only commodity that hasn't skyrocketed in inflation.
We certainly can do that with other grocery store staples. We could also open up government grocery stores, working on a non-profit model to lower prices. And, finally, we can cap and disallow predatory fees that large supermarket chains charge, whose costs get pushed onto Manitoba consumers.
There's examples of companies that require food distributors to pay and rent space in their supermarkets on different shelves, having different visibility, charging different prices. Well, Manitoba consumer ends up paying for those fees and it pushes up prices. United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia all have laws banning that type of fees and grocery store practices, and grocery store prices are much cheaper in those jurisdictions.
Then we come to transportation costs. They are up 5.6 per cent year over year. The Kinew government borrowed $340 million to give a one-year gas tax holiday. Most of that, 60 per cent of it, went to corporations and high-income earners. Most people were saving less than $14 a month from that initiative.
In the meantime, this government put zero money into public transit, and public transit fees are skyrocketing. It now costs $6.70 for a return trip by bus. Money spent subsidizing corporate tax bills could have paid for transit for everyone for several years. It shows where this government's priorities lie, and it's not with Manitoba families.
And, of course, inequality has gone up under the Kinew government. Manitoba is once again the child poverty capital of the country. It has never been acknowledged by this Premier (Mr. Kinew), nor has it been a priority, and very little resources have gone into poverty reduction.
In fact, poverty is on the rise: 11.9 per cent of Manitobans, or almost 180,000 people, live below the poverty line. And Manitoba has the highest rate of people living in deep poverty, living 75 per cent below the poverty line. That amounts to living on less than $11,341 a year or $945 a month.
How, in a country as rich as Canada, we can allow that to occur?
The Kinew government has frozen EIA, our welfare rate, and in a cost-of-living crisis, that's a cut, a cut to our most vulnerable Manitobans. Even the much-heralded school nutrition program–in its second year, the funding was frozen for this government, which means skyrocketing costs of food has actually caused a cut to the nutrition program in its second year, at the same time that food bank use is skyrocketing in Manitoba.
Manitoba also has the distinction of having the lowest rate of intergenerational income mobility in Canada. That means, if you leave in poverty in Manitoba, you are trapped. Your children have less of a chance of escaping poverty here than anywhere else in the country. And you have a higher likelihood of dying in poverty and passing on poverty on to your children.
So it's not just very poor that are worse off in the Kinew government, it's also working people have gotten it pretty bad as well. Over 170,000 workers earn less than a living wage. That's one in four Manitoba workers; overwhelming, women and newcomers and mothers with children under the age of 18. It's been observed that if you just raise their income alone to a living wage you would go a long way to tackling child poverty in Manitoba.
Now, a living wage in Manitoba is over $19 an hour, yet Manitoba minimum wage was just raised to a paltry $16. That's the third lowest in Canada. Only Alberta and Saskatchewan have lower minimum wages, and of course we're talking about an increase about 1.1 per cent.
But ask Manitobans how fair that is. Keep in mind that the Premier (Mr. Kinew) received a cost-of-living increase this year of 2.5 per cent. Why does the Premier deserve a cost-of-living increase over twice what he's planning to give to working families?
Again, working people and poor Manitoba families have simply not been on this government's radar. They don't seem to count. And this government has shown that they have no interest in tackling the cost‑of‑living crisis.
That, then, brings us to tuition. The Premier continues to underfund health care, education and child care, but post-secondary institutions are also struggling. They do not have sustainable funding from this government. The result is they're jacking up their tuition fees. The Province is trying to balance the books on the back of Manitoba students. The Kinew government has allowed tuition to rise 5 per cent plus inflation. At the same time, class sizes are ballooning and graduation rates are dropping. Universities are becoming the preserve for the very wealthy.
Now, the previous NDP government froze tuition, making Manitoba one of the most accessible jurisdictions for school in western Canada. That is no longer the case. And other provinces are acting and helping their students. Ontario has a tuition freeze, so does Nova Scotia. Alberta caps tuition at 2 per cent, whereas this Premier is making life less affordable for Manitoba students and is taking away any economic advantage to attracting the best and brightest to come study in Manitoba.
That brings me to child care. The Kinew government has promised to create 23,000 spaces by 2026. That's right: two and a half months from now. As of this year, they have only created 3,408 spaces, or just 15 per cent of what they promised.
Manitoba ranks second last in Canada for child-care availability, and 51 per cent of our children live in child-care deserts. If you can't fund high-quality publicly subsidized child care, you have to pay for it and it's expensive, assuming you can even find it. And young families are being hit hard by the lack of affordable care, which is one of the major expenses they face. And this government refuses to fund and open up new spaces and have no realistic way of meeting their own targets.
So the Kinew government has been missing in action when it comes to the cost-of-living crisis. Public transit, they've provided no assistance at all; it's skyrocketed. Grocery, food prices–again, no assistance at all. The nutrition program was actually cut. Child care, no spaces.
The province is not meeting its own targets, not even close. And it's a huge cost to young families. And middle-class students are being left behind who want a better life but they're being taxed on their education and we're seeing skyrocketing tuition fees. There are less students graduating and able to maintain their studies.
And it–when comes to poverty and inequality, those words don't even leave the lips of this government. This is a government by the rich, for the rich and it's meaning 'lenny'–many Manitobans behind.
Manitoba, this isn't the change you voted for.
The Speaker: A question period of up to 10 minutes will be held. Questions may be addressed in the following sequence: the first question may be asked by a member from another party; any subsequent questions must follow a rotation between the parties; each independent member may ask one question. No question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds.
The floor is now open for questions.
MLA Robert Loiselle (St. Boniface): The PMR demands a plan, but our government already has one in action.
How do you justify spending legislative time on a resolution that duplicates existing measures instead of working with us to deliver real results for Manitobans?
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): You know, this answer is, I think, indicative of this government about how, after two years, it's just so fundamentally out of touch. This is the number one issue facing Manitoba, is the cost-of-living crisis, and this government is wholly uninterested and unprepared, and has not put any meaningful programs forward.
In fact, they have raised taxes on middle-class Manitobans. They've made life more difficult for university students. They've gone after our most vulnerable Manitobans by cutting EIA and the nutrition program. This government needs to turn and go in a new direction.
MLA Loiselle: Rising costs and inflation impact the everyday lives of Manitobans.
My question to the member opposite is: What have you done in your constituency to help support residents of Fort Garry with these challenges?
Mr. Wasyliw: I think it's a shared responsibility, and what I'm trying to do today, and it seems like it's an uphill battle, is to get the government, who is actually running the province, to care about cost of living and care about the well-being of Manitobans.
It shouldn't be this hard, it shouldn't be this difficult and we shouldn't have to debate this in the House to get the government's attention. But here we are. And this is where this government has gone.
The Speaker: Just before I recognize the honourable member, during his last question, he did address the question directly to the member as opposed to through the Chair. So I'd just remind all members, please direct questions and answers through the Chair.
* (11:10)
The honourable member for St. Boniface (MLA Loiselle)–sorry, the honourable member for Midland.
Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): I thank the member, my colleague from Fort Garry, for bringing this resolution forward. As we know, unemployment hit historic lows in 2022 and were predicted to remain low until 2026 but, under this NDP, have drastically climbed upwards, especially youth unemployment rates.
Can the member tell us what the current government is doing wrong and where their failures are in adding jobs for youth and Manitobans?
Mr. Wasyliw: Well, I thank the member for a very important and critical question.
Manitoba lost 5,000 jobs in August, and it appears that we're the province that is one of the ones that has taken the biggest brunt of the trade war, given our manufacturing base.
This government doesn't have a plan. They have press releases; they have press conferences. They don't actually have any meaningful plan. And they are not investing in Manitoba workers; they're not investing in research. In fact, there was a large fight with the universities about how much they were getting cut back and research in Manitoba were getting back.
If we want a modern economy, we have to invest in our people. Nobody's going to come save us. Nobody is riding in with a white horse with all the answers and this government has been missing–
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
MLA Loiselle: Rising costs of living is something our NDP government is prioritizing.
The question I have for the member opposite, through you, Honourable Speaker, is, will they support our government on future bills to address this problem?
Mr. Wasyliw: Well, I–been doing this independent gig for a year now, and I think I have a bit of a track record. And when the government actually acts like New Democrats and actually brings in progressive legislation that helps Manitobans, I will be there and I will be an enthusiastic voter for it.
When the government brings in reactionary, knee-jerk political theatre, without any sort of serious plan to help Manitobans, I will loudly and proudly speak out against it.
Mrs. Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods): So Spruce Woods housing corp. went up–property taxes went up to just under $17,000 due to the removal of the multi-unit residential property tax.
I'm asking the member today what he would do differently with that–to have more affordability to the members–or to the constituents?
Mr. Wasyliw: Well, I appreciate the question; as a former school trustee, we're absolutely obsessed with property taxes.
But one thing I think we have to–non-profits probably should have been completely exempted from property taxes. So should've multi-family apartment buildings and those type of buildings.
Recognizing that we are in an environmental crisis, that we need to densify our communities, we certainly could tweak our tax system to recognize, you know, and support our non-profit organizations and institutions. And that obviously has been ignored by the government.
MLA Loiselle: Honourable Speaker, employment in Manitoba has grown steadily, and we're investing in major infrastructure projects, supporting thousands of jobs.
How does this resolution recognize the progress our government has made in creating good, stable jobs across the province?
Mr. Wasyliw: You know, I was taught by a very senior politician that the key to politics, the currency in politics, is credibility. And when my friend stands up and tells people with a straight face that Manitoba's economy is doing better than ever, you lose some credibility.
The fact of the matter, we are struggling as a province, and there is absolutely no plan. And this government burying its head in the stand and saying we're wonderful is not creating real solutions for Manitoba. And I ask my friend to take a different approach.
Mrs. Stone: Earlier, this year, in this year's budget, we saw the NDP removing indexing of income tax brackets, which essentially pushes low-income earners into a higher tax bracket so any increase in wages will not be felt by those individual Manitobans.
So does the member agree that–and what would he do differently to ensure that low-income earners are not pushed into higher tax brackets and that Manitoba remains competitive with other provinces across the country that have higher tax brackets?
Thank you.
Mr. Wasyliw: Manitoba does have a revenue problem, and that's where I probably would disagree with my friends on the opposition benches. But it's how you raise revenue which is critical, and I think they have a point there, that when we stopped indexing the income brackets, that attacked the middle class. That's who's going to pay the bill there, that's who can't escape with tax credits and write‑offs, and they're going to be the hardest hit by that tax change.
And similarly, the way the education property tax was designed, that's also going to hit a lot of middle‑income families who can't, sort of, income plan their way out of it. And we need to have a debate about creating a fair and progressive–
The Speaker: Member's time has expired.
MLA Loiselle: Honourable Speaker, our government has introduced 25 ways to help Manitobans save. Just some of the things we've done include freezing hydro rates for the year, increasing the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit and implementing a permanent 10 per cent reduction to the provincial gas tax.
Can the member please provide real examples of ways they've helped Manitobans save money like our government has done over the last two years?
Mr. Wasyliw: You know, one of my frustrations with this government is, sort of, the empty performative politics of it, that it is a government more interested in headlines and press conferences but doesn't sweat the details once the cameras are off. And there's no plan, there's no purpose to actually reduce costs that wouldn't be meaningful to Manitobans.
And so most of the changes have been superficial and cosmetic and expensive, so both ineffectual and expensive, that–well done.
The Speaker: No further–the honourable member for St. Boniface (MLA Loiselle).
MLA Loiselle: Honourable Speaker, education is one of our top priorities. We're lowering costs for families with school‑age children by supplying free meals through our universal school nutrition program, we're also working to support post‑secondary students and, in 2024‑25, we invested $10.5 million in the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative to help them access quality education.
Can the member please explain why–what they've done to create affordable education in Manitoba for students of all ages?
Mr. Wasyliw: As I'd already mentioned, this government cut its own signature nutrition program this year. By freezing funding with skyrocketing inflation, they are actually giving the school boards less money than they did in their first year.
We also know from speaking to school boards how underfunded they are, and what that ends up doing is that school fees go up and up and up. And people going to a public school now have to pay $60, $80 for all these extras that never used to be extras. And that's hitting middle‑class Manitobans hard.
So this government could make life more affordable by properly funding the public education system.
The Speaker: The time for questions has expired.
The Speaker: The floor is now open for debate.
Hon. Mintu Sandhu (Minister of Public Service Delivery): I rise today to speak on the opposition's motion, Manitoba's need to address the cost of living.
We all know that cost of living is a serious issue for all Manitobans. Families are feeling the pressure and many are struggling to keep up. While the member from the–Fort Garry is talking about today, our government has been taking real action from day one. We have been listening to Manitobans. We are delivering. In our first 100 days, we took immediate action to make life more affordable.
We introduced the gas tax relief that saved Manitobans 14 cents per litre, making our gas the cheapest in the country. In the Budget 2025, we made that savings permanent with a 10 per cent cut to the provincial gas tax. That means every time Manitobans fill up, they keep more money in their pockets.
Mr. Tyler Blashko, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair
Honourable Speaker, we also freeze hydro rates, something the previous PC government refused to do, even while–when families and businesses were hurting from the rising costs.
We didn't stop there. We increased the education property tax rebate and boosted the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit, easing pressure on families' biggest monthly expense: housing.
* (11:20)
We also raised the Renters Affordability Tax Credit for the second year in a row, because under the PCs, life became unaffordable for renters. We are changing that.
We have also taken the action to protect access to reproductive health because costs aren't just economic, they are personal. We are also making provincial park access free for one year because enjoying nature doesn't–shouldn't be a luxury.
We are keeping a $10 child care in place year‑round and expanding it to non-school days. Honourable Deputy Speaker, that saves families an average of $2,800 a year and helps more parents return to work. That's real, lasting relief for middle-class families.
While the opposition talks about high grocery prices, our government is taking action to lower them. Honourable Speaker, we extended the $300 Security Rebate Program for the families and small businesses to help them stay safe and save money.
As the Minister of Public Service Delivery, I'm proud that we have passed the–Bill 31 which bans a restrictive covenant used by the big grocery chains to block competition. This will allow more grocery stores to open and creates competition and stabilizes prices for everyone. We are using every tool available to bring food prices down and hold big corporations accountable.
Honourable Speaker, let's not forget what happened under the PC–under the previous PC government. There is hydro rates at the Cabinet table. Even during the holiday season, they hiked MPI premiums, they cut public services and making families pay out of pocket for things that used to be covered. And when Manitoba needs help, they were missing in action.
Honourable Deputy Speaker, affordability isn't just about short-term savings, it's about building a strong, stable economy for the future. That's why we are investing $3.7 billion in capital infrastructure, creating nearly 18,000 jobs across the province. We are growing local industries and building a strong, Trump-proof economy. We know when people have good jobs, they can build a good life right here in Manitoba.
That's–what's good for workers is good for our province. That's why we have signed the first Manitoba jobs agreement to create good jobs for Manitobans. When Manitobans build Manitoba, paycheques stay local. Local spending supports small businesses, and public revenue goes back into our schools, health care and our communities. In other words, supporting Manitoba workers means supporting every classroom, every hospital and every family.
What we know–not knowing we can walk into job sites tomorrow, that's why we are helping Manitobans beyond construction by investing $2 million in employment and training programs to help any Manitoban facing employment barriers gain the skills and qualifications needed to secure good jobs and a sustainable income.
We also know that a strong economy starts with a skilled workforce, and through the Canada mentor jobs grant, we are providing $3.5 million so businesses can train workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Every Manitoban, union or non-union, has a pathway to success under this plan. We are investing in affordable housing, expanding child-care access and improving health care so families don't face hidden costs for essential services.
Honourable Deputy Speaker, this resolution talks about the need to act on affordability in housing, groceries, transit, education and child care. But those are exactly the areas where we are already delivering real results.
This resolution doesn't offer anything new. It simply repeats what our government is already doing. Honourable Deputy Speaker, Manitobans elected us to listen, to act and to put Manitobans first, and that's what–and that's exactly what we are doing. We are making life more affordable; we are investing in local jobs, we are creating an economy that includes everyone.
While the opposition play politics and try to divide people, we are focused on building one Manitoba, where every person is respected, every community has the opportunity and every public dollar works for the people. We are committed to making life more affordable and putting Manitobans first.
Honourable Deputy Speaker, I just came from the procurement conference, first-ever here in Manitoba, where we are bringing suppliers and the government on the same table so that Manitoba companies have the chance to bid on local contracts and learn how to bid on those contracts.
Honourable Deputy Speaker, it was when the conference was opened and people were trying to get registration, there was 500 spots. They were filled within two weeks. We had over 200-people waiting list, so 700 businesses from local–from Manitoba came to learn and to see how to bid on local contracts. This is how we are creating good jobs here in Manitoba.
Thank you, honourable Speaker.
Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): I appreciate getting the opportunity today to just put a few words on the record at what a failed NDP government that we have seen over the past two years when it comes to cost-of-living crisis and affordability. So I just want to go through a few statistics to show that the NDP have not only broken their promises on ensuring life remains affordable for Manitobans but have completely failed to implement any new affordability measures over the past two years.
So let's first look at some statistics in what we've seen, and my colleague, the member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw), raised a few of them as well. The NDP have lost 5,000 jobs in the month of August. I believe the exact number was around 5,200. So unemployment continues to be elevated and more people are leaving Manitoba under the NDP government. Our economy is failing and the NDP has failed to improve our job rate and our GDP growth. In fact, Manitoba has one of the worst job–worst GDP growths within the country: 4,300 manufacturing jobs were lost in August under the NDP. So we're losing jobs and unemployment is increasing and we're losing manufacturing jobs as well.
And my colleague, the MLA for La Vérendrye, spoke at length in question period about this last week. There is no reason that Manitoba should be losing manufacturing jobs here in this province when Alberta and Saskatchewan and Orterio [phonetic] are increasing manufacturing jobs. We're all in the same tariff situation together as a country, yet Manitoba is faring far worse than our other provinces.
Housing costs are going up for renters and first-time buyers and grocery prices continue to skyrocket within this province. If I recall, during the election, the NDP actually stood up and promised that they would control grocery prices, but yet what have we seen? We've seen some of the worse foodflation in the country. I'm sure many of us within this Chamber spent time in a grocery store as we got ready for Thanksgiving dinner and were shocked at the prices within our grocery stores.
The NDP have erased years of progress of employment in just two short years. Parents are struggling to put food on the table, low-income earners are struggling to pay their rent and many Manitobans, including seniors on fixed incomes, are struggling to pay their mortgages.
* (11:30)
In fact, the only affordability measure that this NDP brought forward over the past two years that wasn't a recycled and actually a promise and a policy that the former PC government actually implemented and that they took credit for, even though it was already well in the works and already announced; their only affordability measure was a sloppy rolled-out education property tax affordability credit that actually in fact increased taxes on 55 per cent of Winnipeggers. That's 132,000 properties within the city of Winnipeg that are actually paying higher taxes because of this poor, poorly thought-out, sloppy roll-out of their affordability tax credit. It wasn't really an affordability tax credit at all, honourable Speaker, with 55 per cent of Winnipeg property owners actually paying higher taxes.
School divisions have hiked taxes at unprecedented levels. The mayor of Winnipeg, the finance chair for the City of Winnipeg, have both said that these are historic tax increases that school divisions have made, things that they have never seen here in Winnipeg.
And not only that, the NDP went even further and actually collected an additional $350 million in property taxes from Manitobans by taking away the credit altogether. What else has the NDP done–I spoke about it in my question to the member earlier this morning–is they removed indexation of income taxes. What this does is something called bracket creep, if the NDP has ever heard of that, it actually pushes low-income earners into a higher tax bracket, so any wages–increase in wages that have been felt by those Manitobans, will be completely erased if they get pushed up into a higher tax bracket.
So what did our PC team do before the NDP was elected? We kept taxes low across the board, we increased spending in every major department, we reduced the PST from 8 per cent to 7 per cent and I find it very ironic, honourable Speaker, that the NDP has now collected $350 million in additional education property taxes. Well, that was as much as Greg Selinger's NDP collected from raising the PST to 8 per cent. But then they also collected an additional $400,000, or will be, by the removing of indexation on income tax brackets.
So that's eight hundred thousand–$800 million more of increased taxes on the backs of Manitobans that Manitobans did not have with the former PC government, because we kept taxes low, honourable Speaker. So, like I said, it's always a great opportunity to stand up and talk about the failings of this NDP government to keep taxes low and to keep the affordability crisis under control here in Manitoba. Instead it has gotten worse.
Manitobans–Manitoba families are struggling to pay their rent. They're struggling to pay their mortgages and they're struggling to put food on the table for their families.
So, with that said, honourable Deputy Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to again talk about the failings of this NDP government in keeping costs low and affordability under control.
Thank you very much.
Hon. Nellie Kennedy (Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism): I would like to put some words on the record with regards to the private member's resolution.
Manitoba needs to address the cost of living. Really it's interesting that the members opposite sit here and talk about the failings of the NDP government when, in fact, we had seven and a half years of terrible policy and decision making from the PC government under Brian Pallister and Heather Stefanson.
And I myself got to witness a lot of those things and it's really the reason that I ran for politics. Because if we'll remember Brian Pallister sat and decided he wanted to freeze the wages of civil servants. I was a civil servant. I got to sit there and wonder why, in fact, a government would decide to punish the very people that actually do the work of their departments.
But anyways, I'm going to discuss here about how we're delivering on affordability, our NDP government.
So as the member, the independent member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw) had stated, there is a lot that goes into affordability. And that really is one of the reasons that the NDP were elected, because Manitobans were tired of the terrible decisions that had been made by the PCs and we were in an affordability crisis.
Life is expensive, and it has gotten more expensive. So from housing and groceries to transit, education, child care, our government is acting and we're going to continue to act to make life more affordable for Manitobans.
With our budget in 2025, we provided Manitobans with many different ways to make life more affordable, and this PMR is really redundant and it calls for measures that we're actually already implementing.
We're implementing rent control, child-care expansion and cost of living relief. We're building opportunity through record investments in health care, infrastructure, non-profit housing and 23,000 new child-care spaces by 2026. We are working hard for Manitobans. We recognize that affordability has been an issue.
The PC record really speaks for itself: years of cuts, privatization and above guideline rent hikes have left families struggling while rewarding the wealthy.
We stand with farmers, freezing Crown land lease rates, reducing agri-insurance premiums and expanding on farmers' supports to keep food on Manitoba tables. And I see that the member for Portage la Prairie (MLA Bereza) is confused, but he'll get his chance to speak if he wants to.
With regards to the affordability for Manitobans, we know that people are feeling the weight of rising costs, and we know that when people are sitting down at the kitchen table at a meal, they're deciding, you know, what can we afford and how can we pay for groceries and keeping the lights on and affording rent and having their kids get a good education. These are real pressures, and we understand that people are facing this.
I, myself, went canvassing this summer, had many community barbeques, had the chance to speak with many constituents, and we talked about, you know, the pressures that people are feeling. And we–I got to hear from people about how they're so thrilled that we have true $10-a-day child care, that this puts real money back in their pockets, and not just for school; we've got it during in-services, professional development days, we have it during spring break and Christmas break and summer holidays, it is true $10-a-day child care. And that puts hundreds of dollars back in the pockets of Manitobans each month.
We have our child-care nutrition program, which is–our school nutrition program, pardon me–and this is something that, for people who really struggle to have food at home, their children can go to school and have food to eat. There's breakfast time, there's snacks, there can be a lunch program. I know myself, my children come home and they talk about the fact that they see kids sitting and sharing food together, and it doesn't matter. No one knows which child can afford that food and which child can't. It is open to every single child, and it is important to take away the stigma of poverty and not being able to have food on the table for some of these children who come to school and don't have snacks to eat or lunch to eat. It is something that our government is incredibly proud of, and we've made such progress in this regard that it has levelled the playing field for children in schools who can sit and learn with food in their bellies.
For–with regards to affordability, it's–what I was saying before–it's not just one issue. And so we're talking about housing, we're talking about groceries, transit, education, child care. We know that job security is the foundation for affordability, and when work feels uncertain, everything else is harder.
I know my husband was downsized this year in February; he lost his job and had to really consider about where he was going to go from there and what he was going to do. That was extremely stressful. That just doesn't happen to people that we don't know; it happens to people within our own families and our own lives.
And we're proud to say that we have added 3,900 jobs to our economy this last month. The labour market can fluctuate month to month, but our focus has always been on the long-term growth of our economy because we value enduring gains for Manitobans. This is incredibly important.
Employment in Manitoba is something that we want to discuss; we've signed our jobs agreement. This is incredibly important for people. We're building schools, we're building hospitals, personal-care homes. These are all places where people will be employed and have good jobs in Manitoba.
And we have made sure that, with these infrastructure projects, we are creating thousands of jobs across the province. And these aren't just short-term fixes, this is long-term projects in what we're investing in–schools, hospitals, our roads.
* (11:40)
The member opposite talking about, you know, spending in each major department. I think that's laughable considering the fact that, in Infrastructure and Transportation, they underspent the budget year after year after year. And now, our incredible minister is sitting here fixing the mess that was made in that department and is doing an exceptional job in that capacity.
We want to keep Manitoban communities strong. We hear from people every day about how they are struggling–food, energy prices–they're squeezing families since the pandemic. And while inflation has moderated, food prices remain a very difficult place for folks.
But under the previous PC government, Manitobans endured some of the steepest prices in decades. I think it's interesting that they're painting an–a different picture and, you know, pushing a narrative that is simply just not the case.
Food inflation soared by 8.3 per cent in 2022 and 7.2 per cent in 2023. And this forced families to make hard choices at the checkout. That was the reality of years of neglect and short-term thinking under the previous failed PC government.
But under our government, things are changing; 2024: food inflation slowed dramatically to 3.3 per cent, and this is returning to more of a typical rate and easing the burden on household budgets. This didn't happen by accident; it happened because we acted quickly and decisively to introduce affordability measures. We have, as I said, $10-a-day child care which is saving thousands for families each year.
I wish that I had the ability, when my children were younger, to be able to have that extra money. I hear from people in our constituency of how they're using that money to be able to pay for extracurricular activities for their children, how they're able to maybe even take a family vacation or catch up on their bills. It is enormous, the amount of money that people are putting in their pocket because of that.
Hydro rates, we froze for 2025, and our gas-tax reductions are permanent. This means a lot for people who are travelling far distances to and from work, who are on these construction sites, going, you know–there's a huge part of Manitoba that is rural and it takes a lot to drive from one place to the next and get to where you need to go, either for medical appointments, employment. These are big savings for families, and we've been hearing about that.
We want to ensure, with regards to measures–these aren't just numbers. And I think that's really important. People throw around numbers; they talk about these things. But these numbers affect real people's lives, people who are constituents of ours, who we are elected to represent and speak on their behalf in the Chamber here, to advocate for them.
And we know, like–one thing that's something I hear so often from my constituents is rent increases. This is just devastating for people, people who are on fixed incomes. And we know that the rent increases hit people the hardest, people who are already stretched. But that's why Manitoba's rent increase guideline for 2025 is 1.7 per cent, and that's among the lowest nationally.
And we're not stopping there. We're investing in non-profit and affordable housing and linking new development to child-care spaces, making communities stronger and more affordable.
Manitobans deserve fair pay for the hard work that they do. And that's why minimum wage is now $16–
The Deputy Speaker: Order.
The member's time has expired.
Mrs. Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods): When we talk about affordability, I'm hearing from lots of different constituents in my riding saying affordability from this government has not come through at all.
For a fact, as I asked the question earlier, renters in low-income housing for families and seniors are–the property taxes increased up to just under $17,000 under this government because they took the rebate for the multi-residential places away that house many people, and they've taken that away. Well, the only thing that the landlords and the developers can do is raise rent.
I sat down with some developers in Brandon, and they have held rent off for the last couple of years because they felt affordability and they felt for their people, and they could keep this up because their property taxes had been going down under the PC government. But since their property taxes have increased over 38 per cent, they are going to have to pass this on to the renters this year, and so they're going to see this right across Brandon, this increase.
So–and these are people that live in apartments, are people that–they're on fixed income, they're seniors, they're new immigrants to the country that are basically on low income, low-income families, young students that are going to university or college that can't afford any more increases in their lives.
As I was grocery shopping this weekend in a couple different stores in my riding, people were having conversations at the one store. And they were talking about how ridiculous, these prices, and how the increase is making it very difficult for some families to be able to afford to have a big Thanksgiving dinner, and we're cutting back and doing something different because things are not getting any cheaper; if anything, getting more expensive.
So this government just keeps saying that they're helping with affordability, but just in these two cases alone we're seeing major increases, and I'm just finding that everything today is costing more and more, and young families are feeling the pinch, low-income seniors are feeling the pinch. I'm just hoping and hoping for these people that they stay.
Like, developers, are they in a housing crisis? Are they going to build any more if they have to put on these high rents, because it's not going to work, whereas they can go to our neighbours and build there and save on property taxes and save and get a better profit for themselves. Because without the–everybody wants a profit and we wouldn't–your developers can't–we can't ask them to build housing and not make any money.
So we have to keep them here, and I think affordability and removing these property taxes would be one way of helping that, rather than increasing it to these people.
Well, I'd like to thank the honourable Deputy Speaker for letting me speak on this affordability, and let's hope this NDP government will listen to these suggestions.
The Deputy Speaker: Are there any further speakers?
The honourable minister–the honourable member for Tuxedo.
MLA Carla Compton (Tuxedo): I'm grateful to have a few moments to put some words on the record today.
Affordability is definitely top of mind for most folks. I know we just had Thanksgiving weekend, and it was definitely a topic of conversation at my household–or, my family's household because we were fortunate to be able to get together and learning that–like my colleague, the Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism (MLA Kennedy) mentioned, you know, my family has also been impacted by job losses recently and things like that. And so we know how much affordability, on this side of the House, is very much top of mind and important to folks.
And one of the things I want to mention or lift up is we're hearing, you know, what has our government done that is taking actionable steps of making life better and more affordable for Manitobans? And I want to speak specifically to the conversation around women and the things that our government is doing that are–that is helping the lives of women, and through affordability.
* (11:50)
So, obviously, I have a health lens, is often where I start with. And, first and foremost, it cannot be understated how significant and impactful the fact that our government is providing accessible birth control and hormone replacement to women and non gender–non-binary, non-gender-conforming folks throughout their lifespan. Myself–yes.
We know the ability to go to–you know, finish your education, get a good job, be a contributing member of society which helps our economy to be successful and be growing; all of these pieces are interconnected. And that's why–you know, one of the things our government is working on, whole government approach to things.
And so, when women have access–women and non-binary folks have access to the health care that they need, it means that they can complete their education. You know, when I was in high school, so not a nurse yet–I was a lifeguard, swimming instructor. And I was also the person that my own classmates' friends would go to with questions around their own health things.
And I had a friend call me in the middle of the night in grade 11, in, you know, a very scary state. And this was when Plan B was just starting to be available to folks. And they were very afraid, full of shame. And at the same time, their biggest fear was they're, like, I don't know if my life is about to change and be very, very challenging.
And so, I was fortunate in that I, you know, was able to go and accompany my friend to the hospital because at that time you had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night, or whenever it was, to the emergency room, to get a prescription there. And that in and of itself was a barrier to people accessing the health care that they need to make sure that they're able to be contributing members of society.
And so, whether it's our $10-a-day daycare, whether it's the food nutrition program, whether it's accessible birth control: these are concrete things that this–that our government has done since we've come into power that are actively improving and impacting affordability in the day-to-day life of Manitobans and, in particular, women that we know are very high risk of having their lives derailed when their body autonomy is taken away from them.
And that's another thing that I will lift up as well that our government has brought forth, that is very actionable, is making sure that all of us have full body autonomy in making decisions around health care and reproductive freedom.
And I find it very frustrating when members opposite diminish or invalidate or minimize that there are–have been significant steps.
Even going in the grocery store, at the pharmacy I hear people say, oh I didn't have to pay for this today; when they're getting their hormone–it was an elderly person and they were getting their hormone replacement, and they were like, oh when did this happen? This is so great.
Our government knows we have work to do. This is why every day we're out, we're knocking on doors, we're meeting with everyday Manitobans and we know affordability is top of mind. But we also know that that's where having a strong economy is important.
We also know that it's having good relations with our union partners as well as the business owners. You know, previous government for years, again, like my colleague had mentioned when they were speaking, just chose not to sit at a table and find solutions and resolution to collective bargaining.
And so, in a way, they were pushing the bill later. So when you have a bill that's overdue, when you have many bills that are overdue, at a certain point, you've got to pay that bill. And that was pushed onto our government.
And I will say, you know, first and foremost: as a nurse–I wasn't even an elected member yet–but within the first month of my previous contract being expired, they were sitting at the table. And that is not something that the previous government ever did with good intention.
We had years of an expired contract. And when we talk about affordability, it's predictability and income.
And we know that our union sector workers–that that is part of the fiscal foundation within a province because that is predictable, tax–income tax, income, as well as jobs, people attending our schools, growing their families, that that is an important piece of building our own economy.
And we also know that our government is looking at not just–
The Deputy Speaker: Order.
When this matter is again before the House, the member will have three minutes remaining.
The time being 12 p.m., this House is adjourned–recessed and stands recessed until 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
CONTENTS
Bill 211–The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act (Various Acts Amended)
Bill 230–The Grocery Store Food Waste Prevention Act
Debate on Second Readings– Public Bills
Bill 218–The Climate Action Month Act (Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended)
Res. 21–Manitoba Needs to Address the Cost of Living Crisis