Manitoba MLAs to take fall break after summer-long session

An unusually long session of the Manitoba legislature is drawing to an end or, at the very least, taking a two-month breakthanks to an agreement reached on Thursday between the opposition Progressive Conservatives and the governing New Democrats.

The Tories have beenemploying procedural tactics to extend the legislative sessionthroughout the summer holidays, in opposition to theNDP government's increase to the provincial sales tax.

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The PST went up from seven to eight per cent on July 1, even though the bill that would make it law has not yet been passed in the legislature.

PC Leader Brian Pallister announced on Thursday that anagreement-in-principle has been reached between the two parties to take a recess in mid-September.

The NDP has been allowed to select 10 bills they want toapprove before the house rises, which will be sometime between Sept. 13 and 17, depending on how much time is needed for committee hearings.

A government spokesperson said those 10 bills will include Bill 18 thegovernment's controversial anti-bullying legislationand Bill 33, the proposed municipal modernization act.

All other government bills will pass second readingby mid-September,and the budget process will also be passed, the spokesperson said.

What won't be discussed next month are two bills at the heart of the PST increase debate: Bill 20, which would allow the government to raise the PST without having to hold a referendum on the increase, and Bill 47, the proposed budget implementation and tax statutes amendment act.

The debate on those bills will be held over to a new session that will begin Nov. 12 with the Speech from the Throne.

All bills from the current sitting, including the ones that pass second reading in September, will be voted on by Dec. 5, when the house will rise for the holidays.

The legislature will then reconvene by early March for the spring session, according to the government spokesperson.