Manitoba Committee Hansard — 30 November 2020 (Justice Committee, Sitting 1, 42nd Legislature, 3rd Session)

42-3-ju1

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Standing Committee on Justice Chairperson Mr. Andrew Micklefield Constituency of Rossmere Vol. LXXV No. 1 - 5:30 p.m., Monday, November 30, 2020 ISSN 1708-6671

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib.

GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib.

LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon.

Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC

1 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE Monday, November 30, 2020 TIME – 5:30 p.m. LOCATION – Winnipeg, Manitoba CHAIRPERSON – Mr. Andrew Micklefield (Rossmere) VICE-CHAIRPERSON – Ms. Audrey Gordon (Southdale) ATTENDANCE – 6 QUORUM – 4 Members of the Committee present: Hon. Mr. Cullen, Hon. Mrs. Stefanson Mses. Fontaine, Gordon, Mr. Micklefield, Mrs. Smith MATTERS UNDER CONSIDERATION: Bill 9 —The Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act * * * Clerk Assistant (Ms. Katerina Tefft): Good afternoon. Will the Standing Committee on Justice please come to order.

Before the committee can proceed with the business before it, it must elect a new Chairperson. Are there any nominations for this position? Ms. Audrey Gordon (Southdale): I nominate the member for Rossmere (Mr. Micklefield). Clerk Assistant: Mr. Micklefield has been nominated. Are there any other nominations? Hearing no other nominations, Mr. Micklefield, will you please take the Chair. Mr. Chairperson: Our next item of business is the election of a new Vice-Chairperson. Are there any nominations? Mr. Cliff Cullen (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I nominate Ms. Gordon. Mr. Chairperson: Ms.

Gordon has been nominated. Are there any other nominations? Hearing no other nominations, Ms. Gordon is elected Vice-Chairperson. This meeting has been called to consider Bill 9, The Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act. We have no registered presenters to this bill. Bill 9–The Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act Mr. Chairperson: We will now proceed with clause- by-clause of Bill 9. Does the minister responsible for Bill 9 have any– have an opening statement? Hon. Cliff Cullen (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Chair, just briefly.

I'm pleased to have introduced this legislation, which will allow Manitoba to join a class action lawsuit that was launched by British Columbia in 2018. This lawsuit aims to hold to account opioid manufacturers whose products have had and continue to have damaging effects on the health and well-being of Manitobans. Once passed, Manitoba would join British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in pursuing action against the opioid industry.

This builds on our government's investments in expanding the continuum of care for mental health and addictions related to–related challenges in our province and a ligns with recommendations of a number of reports including VIRGO, the Illicit Drug Task Force and the Community Wellness and Public Safety Alliance reports. I look forward to the support of the committee and the House in having this bill passed so that we can take on pharmaceutical companies that have created such a significant and ongoing harm to Manitobans. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairperson: We thank the minister.

Does the critic from the official opposition have an opening statement?

2 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 30, 2020 During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order. Also, if there is agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose. Is that agreed? [Agreed] I now invite all virtual committee members to unmute themselves so that their responses t o the question can be heard.

As a reminder to all, the membe rs of this committee are myself; Honourable Mr. Cullen; Ms. Fontaine; Ms. Gordo n; Mrs. Smith, Point Douglas; and Honourable Mrs. Stefanson. Clause 1—pass; clause 2—pass; clause 3—pass; clause 4 —pass; clause 5 —pass; clauses 6 and 7 — pass; clause 8 —pass; clauses 9 through 11 —pass; clauses 12 and 13 —pass; clauses 14 and 15 —pass; schedule—pass; enacting clause—pass; title —pass. Bill be reported. The hour being 5:35, what is the will of the committee? Some Honourable Members: Rise. Mr. Chairperson: Committee rise. COMMITTEE ROSE AT: 5:35 p.m.

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Debates and Proceedings are also available on the Internet at the following address: http://www.manitoba.ca/legislature/hansard/hansard.html

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	42-3-ju1
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	42nd 3rd hansardpdf ju1.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	1307b9884c7c7fd99c4b6994a50a905d214063d9

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