Proposed legislation to educate judges about intimate partner violence was kicked around like a political football Wednesday and may not pass in the Manitoba legislature.
MLA Cindy Lamoureux, a Liberal, introduced private member Bill 209, known as “Keira’s Law,” earlier this year. It would require provincial court judges and judicial justice of the peace candidates to participate in continuing education about sexual assault law, intimate partner violence, coercive control in relationships and social context, including systemic racism and discrimination.
Keira’s Law came into force at the federal level and in Ontario last year. It’s named for Keira Kagan who was four years old when she was found dead next to her father’s body at the base of an Ontario cliff in 2020. Her father had been granted access to Keira even though 53 court orders had been issued against him for violent and unpredictable behaviour.
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”Manitoba has one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence and it’s needed now more than ever,” said MLA Cindy Lamoureux.
On the final weekend of Keira’s life, the court forced her mother to hand her daughter over to her father for his weekend visit despite his increasingly violent behaviour and knowing that his custody rights would be curtailed the following week.
Lamoureux’s bill passed second reading and sailed through the committee stage without any amendments earlier this month. Her request for it to receive third and final reading by the Nov. 7 deadline was denied.
On Wednesday, she withdrew her bill so the government could introduce its own version, Bill 41, saying it was the only way to pass Keira’s Law.
“Whether it was Bill 209 or Bill 41, I do think it’s extremely important it gets passed,” Lamoureux told reporters outside the chamber, standing next to Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, who had introduced the government bill.
”Manitoba has one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence and it’s needed now more than ever,” said Lamoureux.
“The legislation is more important than who’s bringing it forward,” she said.
Wiebe said he was part of the committee that heard from stakeholders about Lamoureux’s bill.
“We learned important lessons about how we can improve on this legislation and build on the important work that Cindy has done,” he said.
Bill 41 adds Indigenous and LGBTTQ+ recognition and the financial support of the government needed to provide the judicial training.
The government on Wednesday asked the Progressive Conservatives, who supported Lamoureux’s bill, for leave to rush Bill 41 through the legislature. The PCs — whose private member’s bill to expand breast cancer screening was blocked by the NDP the same day — refused.
“We’re seeing a clear trend from this NDP government blocking meaningful legislation,” opposition house leader Derek Johnson told reporters.
“If they aren’t credited with the good headlines, they refuse to engage, regardless of the broad community support for these initiatives,” he said.
“Had the NDP truly prioritized this legislation, it could already be law,” Johnson said, referring to Lamoureux’s version of Keira’s Law.
He said PC Kathleen Cook’s Bill 221 on earlier breast cancer screening has faced similar delays.
During debate on Cook’s bill earlier this month, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara suddenly announced that the province would lower the breast cancer screening age to 40 by the end of 2026, echoing the timeline in Cook’s proposed legislation.
Sending Cook’s bill to committee would’ve allowed public input on reducing the age for self-referral for breast cancer screening. Its passage would require the minister to report annually on the number of screening mammograms performed.
Johnson wouldn’t say whether the Tories would allow the government’s version of Keira’s Law to pass by the Nov. 7 deadline.
“We’re absolutely open to negotiations,” he said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
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