Rules for cannabis sales, plan to tackle climate change coming in this Manitoba Legislature session

Sloppy streets from a late-winter snowstorm are ushering in a new sitting under the Golden Boy.

The Third Session of the 41st Legislature in Manitoba resumes Wednesday, and will feature bills to set rules on the retail of marijuana and safety around legalized cannabis, the Progressive Conservative government's changes to child-welfare laws, and the introduction of taxes and spending to combat climate change.

PC House leader Cliff Cullen said some of the details on the climate change package will come with the Tories' third budget, set to be delivered next Monday.

The government will also take another step on its road to rip up red tape in Manitoba, Cullen told CBC News.

The Conservatives plan to introduce approximately 15 new pieces of legislation in the coming session and hope to clean up work that wasn't completed in the last meeting of the legislature.

"I think it's fairly ambitious. We made commitments to Manitobans and this is part of the framework around those commitments … carrying over, I think, around nine [pieces of legislation] from last session in the fall," Cullen said.

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One of the most challenging pieces of new legislation is expected to reform child welfare rules in the province.

"Certainly there has been a lot of discussion about the child-welfare system and we are taking a lot of big steps we think are going to be very positive improvements to the system here in Manitoba," Cullen told CBC News.

Farewell to former premier

The Opposition NDP will walk into the new session under a cloud after allegations surfaced last month concerning the conduct of former NDP MLA Stan Struthers.

A CBC News investigation revealed that four women complained to NDP brass about Struthers's behaviour between 2010 and 2015.

Three more women have come forward since the initial story and Struthers has apologized for his actions.

In the wake of the allegations against Struthers, former premier Greg Selinger announced his resignation as St. Boniface MLA as of March 7.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said Selinger will be present Wednesday and will make a statement.

"I think it'll sort of be his day," Kinew said. 

As for his party's legislative agenda, Kinew hinted the NDP will focus on a few key areas for their private members' bills: workplace standards, gender equity and rent protections.

"We want to help give voice to people that are being impacted by the changes to government that are being brought in," he said.

Kinew said the NDP's role will continue to follow a theme from last fall's meeting of the legislature, and "making sure that working families know their interests are being looked after."

Although he doesn't have a seat at the legislature, Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said he will continue to make frequent appearances during this session. 

Lamont doesn't expect many surprises from the Tories when it comes to new legislation, but said he expects their agenda to continue to ignore specific areas such as poverty. 

His party, which currently has three seats in the legislature and does not hold official party status, is still working on what private members' bills it will introduce.

The Liberals are hoping through legislation to address a gap in the current harassment policy, which fails to fully protect politicians at the municipal level, Lamont said.

"There is very little," he said. "There are huge problems, even with people being harassed at public meetings, so we are hoping to address that."

Hanging over Lamont is the question of whether he will run in St. Boniface under the Liberals in the next election. He said he hasn't decided yet.

House business now online

For those who want to see or hear what's going on in the Manitoba Legislature, video and audio recordings of various activities at the legislature will now be posted on Legislative Assembly website's archives page.

Morning and afternoon sessions, and some broadcasts of routine proceedings, will be archived on the page. 

Speaker of the Legislature Myrna Driedger has also announced new security protocols for people who watch proceedings from the gallery.

A metal detector has been installed, visitors may be scanned with a hand wand, and coats, bags and other items will be checked before entry is allowed.