A provincial bill that would have eliminated the requirement for governments to run public notices in newspapers has been amended.
Amendments to Bill 19, The Planning and Amendment Act, were tabled on May 29 by Jeff Wharton, municipal relations minister. The amendments withdrew sections 19.2 and 25 of the bill, which dealt with public notice.
Unanimous consent was required to withdraw the amendments, and it was given.
In a release from the Manitoba Community Newspapers Association (MCNA), president Ken Waddell said the MCNA board was pleased with the amendments, and commended those who appeared at hearings of the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development to affect change.
While the MCNA finds the amendments promising, it noted that Bill 8, The Government Notices Modernization Act, which will be considered by Manitoba Legislature in the fall, would also eliminate the requirement for notices to be posted in local newspapers.
