Manitoba backbencher says bill would protect health-care providers, patients
A backbench member of Manitoba's governing Progressive Conservatives is proposing new limits on protests outside hospitals, clinics and schools.
Shannon Martin introduced a bill in the legislature Tuesday that would create "access zones" of between 50 and 150 metres around schools, hospitals and other areas where health care is provided.
If the bill becomes law, people could be fined or jailed for trying to prevent people in those zones from accessing health services. They would also be penalized for harassing health-care providers, either in-person or online.
"We need to ensure ... that any individual accessing legal services or providing legal medical services are protected from harassment or dissuasion," Martin said.
Bills put forward by backbench members or Opposition politicians -- called private members' bills -- can only become law with government support. Most do not get it, but Martin said he is optimistic his will.
Government house leader Kelvin Goertzen offered no guarantees.
"Like all the bills that come forward, you'll have to wait and see," he said, adding that there is limited time set aside to debate private members' bills before the legislature rises in November.
The Opposition New Democrats have put forward similar bills in the past without success, aimed primarily at people opposed to abortion and COVID-19 restrictions, but Martin said his is better because it would cover more facilities.
The bill protects the right to protest and only prevents actions that interfere with the provision of health services or harass and intimidate providers, he said.
The New Democrats said their bills were better because they also established buffer zones around the homes of health-care providers. That concern, Martin said, is covered by his proposed ban on harassment.
The NDP also questioned whether the Tories were serious about the issue.
"It's telling that the premier and her cabinet wouldn't sponsor this bill," NDP justice critic Nahanni Fontaine said. "This bill is just for show."
Similar restrictions have already been implemented in some other provinces. Ontario adopted a law in 2018 that banned protests within 50 metres of an abortion clinic.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.