Brief Suggests A Little Fine Tuning in Bill 37

Bill 37 will modify the way political parties operate in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Government has introduced in the Legislature Bill 37 which makes changes to the way in which political parties are financed, advertising for political parties, and registration requirements for lobbyists. The Manitoba Federation of Labour, generally speaking, supports the provisions outlined in Bill 37.

That includes a provision that has been criticized by some organizations and individuals - an Annual Allowance for Registered Political Parties that would be paid out of the public purse. The MFL's only reservation in regard to that measure is that it believes the government has set the level too low at $1.25 per vote received in the last election. At this level, the annual allowance will cover only about a third of the typical mainstream party's budgetary needs. In contrast, federal parties receive $1.91 per vote, in New Brunswick the allowance is set at $1.76 and in Nova Scotia at $1.50. The MFL recommendation is that the government amend Bill 37 to increase the annual allowance to $1.50 per vote received.

The brief states that the MFL is open to the idea of a fixed election date, and the provision in the act which would see polling stations remain open longer on election days. The MFL believes that having the polls open an hour earlier at 7 a.m. will provide greater convenience for working people and may well be an important factor in efforts to increase voter participation in the electoral process. The MFL also believes that limiting the distance that rural residents must travel to cast their vote is another a positive amendment.

The MFL brief also endorses new provisions of the Lobbyists Registration Act if they to lead to greater transparency in the political process. The brief does, however, urge the government to ensure that the bureaucratic support structure for the Lobbyists Registration Act doesn't become excessively cumbersome and an unnecessary burden for practitioners. For example, it questions whether re-filing unchanged information every six months is really necessary. The MFL suggests that lobbyists only be required to update their information when changes occur.

The full text of the brief on Bill 37 presented to the Manitoba Government by the MFL can be viewed in a PDF document containing the brief.