On June 1, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba adjourned for the summer.

Bill 222, The Lobbyists Registration Amendment Act, was introduced in March, but has not yet moved beyond the first reading.

The bill would remove the exemption for union representatives in The Lobbyists Registration Act.

If passed, the Act would come into force 90 days after the day it receives royal assent.

The Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on October 6.

On June 3, the 4th Session of the 41st Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, which began on November 20, 2018, adjourned until October 2, 2019.

Bill 2, The Municipal Amendment Act (Strengthening Codes of Conduct for Council Members), received Royal Assent on June 3.

The new law amends The Municipal Act to require a code of conduct for members of municipal councils be adopted through by-laws.

The code must include procedures for receiving and dealing with reports of contraventions, relevant sanctions, and training on the municipality’s code of conduct.

The new legislation requires each member of a council to undergo training.

Lawmakers plan to adjourn the Assembly again on November 7.

Starting on September 10, the Manitoba Electoral Divisions Boundaries Commission begins public hearings regarding proposed changes to all 57 existing electoral divisions in the province. The hearings will be held from September 10 to September 20 in 11 cities.

The Commission is inviting feedback from the public concerning the proposed electoral division boundaries and names. Sixteen new names have been proposed by the Commission, including six inside of and 10 outside of Winnipeg. The proposed electoral division boundaries and names, along with their respective populations, are available to view on the Commission’s website.

The last review of the province’s electoral divisions boundaries was in 2008. After the hearings, the Commission’s final report is expected to become law and go into effect before the next provincial general election in October 2020.

Early voting has begun for the July 17 by-election to fill the St. Boniface provincial seat in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

The MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) seat for the St. Boniface constituency has been vacant since March 7, when former Manitoba premier Greg Selinger resigned amid allegations of MLA Stan Struthers’s inappropriate behavior while Selinger was leader of the party.

Premier Brian Pallister did not call for the special by-election until June 19. Selinger had been the MLA for the St. Boniface riding since 1999.

On March 7, former Manitoba premier Greg Selinger will officially resign from provincial politics. Selinger announced his resignation amid allegations of MLA Stan Struthers’s inappropriate behavior while Selinger was leader of the party.

A special by-election for Selinger’s St. Boniface constituency MLA seat will be called by Premier Brian Pallister in the next six months, as required by law. Pallister will not commit to calling the by-election before summer, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Pictured: Former Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger

On June 1, the 2nd Session of The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, which began on November 21, 2016, adjourned until October 4, 2017.

Bill 26, the Election Financing Amendment Act received Royal Assent on June 1. The new law increases the annual contribution limit for individuals from $3,000 to $5,000, and is indexed for inflation. Other changes to the law include limiting cash contributions to $25 or less, allowing self-employed persons to volunteer services for which they normally charge without the services being considered a contribution, and expanding the definition of “election communication” as applied to third parties to include communications about issues associated with a political party or a candidate. The law takes effect on September 1.

Lawmakers plan to adjourn the Assembly again on November 3, and then reconvene on November 15, with a final scheduled adjournment of the 2nd Session to be on December 1.

Rob Altemeyer, caucus chair for Manitoba’s New Democratic Party (NDP), will step down to focus more on issues within his constituency and his impending wedding.

Altemeyer’s resignation follows a lengthy two-day caucus discussion of a sexual harassment accusation against fellow NDP member Mohinder Saran.

Altemeyer stated he will remain the caucus chair until the NDP chooses a replacement.

Premier Brian Pallister announced the appointment of Andrew Micklefield, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Rossmere, as the government’s new house leader.

Micklefield was preceded by Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen, who held the position as house leader for a decade.

The formal swearing-in ceremony for Micklefield has yet to been determined.