Bill 64, others bills, to be withdrawn in Manitoba

Manitoba's newest premier says a shortened fall legislative session is to be expected this year.

Fall's session will be brief, likely only a few days. Newly-minted Premier Kelvin Goertzen will be serving until October 30.  During this time, five previously tabled bills will be withdrawn, coming right off the table.

"The fall agenda will be significantly lighter because those five bills have been removed," Goertzen says.

These bills include stricter blockage restrictions and others on infrastructure. 

Goetzen says hundreds of people registered to seek at the sitting, including the highly-contested Bill 64 on education. The Manitoba Teachers' Society's vice president is glad to see this.

“For the good of our students and our members, teachers are proudly slamming the door on 64," Nathan Martindale says in a statement.

The vice president says the society looks forward to partnering with the government, noting that future education reforms in Manitoba are currently unknown.

"I think there is a strong feeling in Manitoba, that the education system in Manitoba should be improved, that it should be strengthened," Goertzen says.

Goertzen previously services as the minister responsible for education before his last role as Deputy Premier. During this time the education review, from which Bill 64 came from, was presented.

"It was maybe that there was a movement away too far from the report that was provided two years ago."

More information will come from the Education Minister on Thursday. 

"The brief fall sitting, which would only be there a few days, would be there to finish the budgetary requirements," Goertzen says. He says it "shouldn't take long, but need to be passed."

The government will reconvene on October 6, but Goertzen says they could also meet earlier in the year.