Latest news with #WayneEwasko
CBC
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Manitoba PCs pause bills on booze, elections, housing and more until fall session
Some of the bills now before the Manitoba legislature will have to wait until the fall to be passed into law. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives have exercised their right under legislature rules to hold back five bills for further debate beyond the summer break. One bill would forbid liquor licences in urban convenience stores and gas stations — a move the Tories say will affect small businesses and customer choice in the few locations where such licences have been issued. Another bill would lower political donation limits and require political parties to have a code of conduct for election advertising. A third bill would prevent owners of many government-funded social housing units from selling their buildings without provincial consent. The bills are almost certain to become law anyway, given the NDP majority in the legislature, but the Tories say a delay will allow for more time for debate. "We're going to take the time on behalf of Manitobans to ask some questions, to do further consultations," interim Tory leader Wayne Ewasko said Monday. The fourth bill being delayed is aimed at protecting people from lawsuits designed to prevent them from speaking on matters of public interest. Defendants would be given more power to ask a judge to dismiss the suits. The fifth bill contains several changes to observances at schools. O Canada would have to be sung daily, and a little-used provision that required God Save The King to be played would be eliminated. The bill removes the royal anthem as an "optional patriotic observance," the Tories said, affecting a Canadian tradition that recognizes the constitutional monarchy.
CBC
10-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Manitoba MLAs weigh proposal for daily singing of O Canada at legislature
Manitoba's MLAs may soon be showing off their pipes — and their Canadian pride — on every legislative sitting day. Elected members appear poised to ask the legislature's rules committee to study an Opposition Progressive Conservative proposal to have O Canada sung every day that the legislature sits. In advance of the resolution being debated Thursday morning, interim PC Leader Wayne Ewasko told question period the "daily onslaught of U.S. and Chinese tariffs" has shown "it is important that we all recognize the important things that make us Canadian and part of the Commonwealth." The governing party wouldn't say if it endorses the daily singing of the national anthem, but NDP House leader Nahanni Fontaine sounded receptive when she told reporters the national anthem is commonly heard inside and outside the legislature. "We sing O Canada when our bills receive royal assent. We sing O Canada when we're at games. We sing O Canada all the time," she said. "We're all very proud." 'Permanent symbol' of pride Fontaine said it was only a few days ago the government addressed American threats to Canada's sovereignty by hosting a "rally for Canada" event in front of the giant Canadian flag draped over the legislative building. "We're standing up for our country," she said. The text of the PC resolution reads that singing the national anthem every day would be a "permanent symbol of collective Canadian pride." It suggests the national anthem be sung after the daily prayer and land acknowledgement. Ewasko called on the NDP to support the resolution during question period Wednesday. "It's important that we educate our children and the youth on our Canadian history, our traditions and our heritage," he said. While the Tories are asking legislators to unanimously support the resolution, the debate isn't necessary. Traditionally, party House leaders meet privately to discuss potential rule changes, which are then referred to the standing committee on rules of the House. The committee is chaired by the Speaker of the House, and includes the NDP and Progressive Conservative House leaders, as well as the legislature's only Liberal member. In the Manitoba Legislature, O Canada and God Save the King are traditionally sung on two occasions: after the throne speech at the start of each session, and following the royal assent ceremony at the end of each session. Provincial legislators have shown a willingness in recent years to make adjustments to the traditional opening of legislative sitting days. The province adopted a land acknowledgement in 2021, while the current NDP government first expressed an interest in 2024 in making the daily prayer more inclusive of people who practise faiths other than Christianity and those with no faith at all. Any changes to the prayer must also be referred to the rules committee. In Ottawa, the national anthem is sung on a weekly basis when the House of Commons is sitting.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Manitoba PCs apologize for opposing landfill search for murdered women
Interim Progressive Conservative Leader Wayne Ewasko offered an "unconditional" apology in the Manitoba Legislature Wednesday after his party, while in government, refused to search a landfill north of Winnipeg for the remains of two First Nations women who were victims of a serial killer — a decision the Tories made part of the 2023 election campaign.
CBC
07-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Manitoba's $140K 'Buy Local' ad campaign includes spending on social media like Facebook, Instagram
The Manitoba government's new advertising campaign encouraging people to spend their dollars in Manitoba and support local businesses is being questioned because some of the government money is being spent on international social media sites. The government announced $140,000 on Wednesday for a four-week "Buy Local" ad campaign, aimed at supporting Manitoba businesses that may be harmed by tariffs threatened by the United States. The NDP government said the campaign would be on digital platforms, billboards and radio, and Premier Wab Kinew didn't directly answer Wednesday when asked whether some money would go to non-local media platforms such as Facebook. By Thursday morning, ads were popping up on Facebook and Instagram. "Out of one side of the premier's mouth, he's talking shop or support local, and on the other side, he's not doing the same with the [government's] advertising dollars," said Wayne Ewasko, interim leader of the Opposition Progressive Conservatives. "We've got many community-run media, newspapers … radio as well." Deputy premier Uzoma Asagwara said the government is spending a lot of the money locally, and all of the spending is in support of protecting Manitoba businesses. "We have taken to all different kinds of outlets and platforms to make sure that Manitobans have access to the information," Asagwara said. The government later said the campaign will include local print media as well — something that was not part of Wednesday's announcement. The province also said roughly one-third of the $140,000 cost is slated for digital advertising, which includes social media ads and display advertising on various websites. The spending on Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, is expected to be $12,000. The tariffs from the U.S. had been set to start Tuesday, but U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would hold off for a month and give more time to reach an economic deal with Canada and Mexico. The Manitoba government had planned to remove American alcohol products from liquor store shelves as a retaliatory measure, but has paused that plan. The province is also examining possible methods to prevent U.S. companies from bidding on Manitoba government contracts if the U.S. follows through on its tariff threat.
