Manitoba becomes 1st province to legislate one-for-one law
Winnipeg, March 14, 2017 – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) commends the Manitoba government for becoming the first province to legislate a one-for-one law, with the introduction of Bill 22 to establish The Regulatory Accountability Act and Amendments to The Statutes and Regulations Act.
Bill 22 will establish a framework for measuring, assessing and reporting regulatory requirements in Manitoba. The Actwill require the government to annually track and publicly report on the number of regulatory requirements that exist. It will also legislate a ‘two-for-one rule’ mandating that until March 31, 2021, for every new requirement created, two existing requirements with double the administrative burden of the new requirement must be removed. After March 31, 2021, a ‘one-for-one’ rule would be implemented.
“We are thrilled to see the government deliver on its commitment to reduce unnecessary red tape for Manitoba entrepreneurs,” said Jonathan Alward, CFIB’s director of provincial affairs for Manitoba. “This law will go a long way to encourage innovation, prosperity and entrepreneurship in Manitoba.”
On January 23rd, 2017, Manitoba became the first province to accept CFIB’s red tape challenge by committing to legislate the one-for-one rule. CFIB’s executive vice president and chief strategic officer, Laura Jones, was on-hand for the landmark announcement with Deputy Premier Stefanson.
“Being the first province out of the gate to control red tape by legislating a one-for-one law puts Manitoba way ahead of the pack in showing leadership on regulatory reform,” added Laura Jones. “We challenge all other provincial and territorial governments to follow Manitoba’s lead and jump on the red tape reduction train.”
The CFIB has been a leading force in red tape awareness across Canada for over a decade. Government red tape is a hidden tax affecting Canada’s small businesses much more than larger firms. CFIB estimates the annual costs of all regulations on businesses in Canada is estimated to be $37 billion annually, with one-third considered red tape. In Manitoba, all federal, provincial and municipal regulations cost businesses $1.2 billion annually, $360 million of which is considered red tape.
For more information, see the government’s news release for The Regulatory Accountability Act and Amendments to The Statutes and Regulations Act.
To arrange an interview with Jonathan Alward, Director of Provincial Affairs for Manitoba, please call 1 888-234-2232, 204-982-0817 or email msman@cfib.ca. You can also follow CFIB Manitoba on Twitter @cfibMB.
CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members (4,800 in Manitoba) across every sector and region.
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