Under the dome at Christmas

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Published on Saturday, December 24, 2016

By Greg Nesbitt

Riding Mountain MLA

The second session of the 41st Manitoba legislature adjourned on Friday, Dec. 2 and will reconvene on Wednesday, March 1. All MLAs are now back in their ridings where they will have an opportunity to deal first-hand with constituents’ concerns, attend meetings and events in their communities. However, all rural MLAs have committee responsibilities, which require them to travel back to the legislature in Winnipeg regularly. When you hear that your MLA is not sitting again until March 1, do not be concerned; he or she is working for you on a daily basis.

I was honoured to be named to the Red Tape Reduction task force announced by Finance Minister Cameron Friesen earlier this month.

I will chair the subcommittee of the task force that will examine rules, regulations and legislation dealing with transportation in the province with the goal of removing regulatory requirements that are unfair, unclear, overly prescriptive, poorly designed, redundant, contradictory or antiquated. Our subcommittee, including Don Streuber, CEO of Bison Transport and Wade Linden, director of  operations at Southport Aerospace, will consult with stakeholders over the next two months. Online submissions will also be accepted through a portal on the Manitoba Government website. Our report will be submitted to the finance minister, who will announce an action plan next spring. The four sectors being looked at now are transportation, agriculture and food processing, non-profits and land development; more sectors are slated for review in the future.

My seatmate Blair Yakimoski had a little fun in the legislature with a private member’s statement on our last day of sitting. This was a very light-hearted way to end the session.

The Night Before Christmas at the legislature

Yakimoski: My apologies to Clement Clarke Moore. ’Twas the night before Christmas at the leg. open house, which I'm thrilled to attend, with Amy, my spouse. Members were nestled all snug in their chairs, all bringing forward constituents' cares. And the premier, our leader, so tall, lean and fit, answering the questions with his rapier wit. Sometimes in this house it's a chaotic forum, the Speaker may say, “May we have some decorum?”

The debate on Bill 7, it caused so much grief, to members opposite, Tom Lindsey and Chief.

Some honourable members: Oh, oh. 

Madam Speaker: Order, please. At least he's not singing it. I hate to spoil the rhyming of the poem, but I would just remind the member that we are not to reference members by their names.

Yakimoski: Madam Speaker, I'm sorry; I forgot in this game here in this chamber, we don't call out by name. It's Dauphin or Thompson, Seine River, Kildonan, Minto, Point Douglas, Selkirk, Winkler, Morden. 

Seventeen years of debt, decay and decline. We’ll fix the finances; we’ll get it right this time. For the member from Elmwood on this Christmas night, a bridge named Louise for his signs to be right. And the member from Steinbach — Kewatinook, your role will be noted in history books.

Some laughs in this chamber, yes there are those days, as when the member from Southdale had four girls to raise. But we are all here for the people and province, which we never forget as we believe in our promise. All members are glad that the house will now rise, then off to our ridings to create bonding ties. To the Speaker and clerks in their robes of black silk, “Thank you,” and the pages, “Earl Grey with milk.”

December's arrived and we've all settled in, let Christmas at the leg. open house now begin. To the top of this house, to the top of the dome, the session has risen, it’s time to go home. So to all of my colleagues after all has been said, Merry Christmas to all, there's blue skies ahead. 

Madam Speaker: Poetry wins over singing, I think.

Merry Christmas

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2017. Thank you very much for your comments, suggestions and support this past year. I look forward to the future with optimism!

Nesbitt can be reached at the constituency office in Shoal Lake or by calling 204-759-3313 or 1-844-877-7767.