PCs Call for Prioritized Action Against Domestic, Gender-Based Violence After Clare’s Law Delay
WINNIPEG — With the ever-present threat of domestic and family violence hanging over the heads of thousands of Manitobans, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine and Premier Wab Kinew have been slow to act to protect those at risk.
Introduced and passed by PCs in 2022, the Disclosure to Protect Against Intimate Partner Violence Act, or Clare’s Law, informs Manitobans if their partner has a documented history of domestic or sexual violence.
Clare’s Law was set to be proclaimed and take effect at the end of 2023, upon ironing out regulations. However, after being kept in limbo for the last two years, the legislation only became effective this March.
“With the highest rate of intimate partner violence in all of Canada, Manitoba needs to be a leader in protecting families and spouses,” said Agassiz MLA Jodie Byram, PC Critic for Families. “Manitobans demand that their government takes domestic violence seriously. Why would we not see urgency in the proclamation of Clare’s Law? It will save lives.”
While adopted in various capacities across Canada and the world, the Progressive Conservative-led approach to Clare’s Law makes Manitoba the first Canadian jurisdiction to expand the law to include not only domestic violence, but also family violence and sexual violence within intimate partner relationships. This approach also makes Manitoba the first jurisdiction in the world to include access to public or community-based supports as a stated goal in legislation.
In addition to a delayed roll-out, the accompanying regulations have also been considerably watered down. Now, police records are only searched locally, rather than provincewide. Hence, a person in Winnipeg will not be informed if their partner has a past record in Thompson, for example. Likewise, the version supported by Minister Fontaine only reports convictions. Thus, if a person has been charged multiple times but had those charges dropped, it will not be reported.
The proclamation also follows the recent two-year anniversary of the brutal slaying of a teenage girl in her foster home, allegedly at the hands of her cousin’s boyfriend out on bail. At the time, Minister Fontaine insisted that a report into Child and Family Services’ inaction would be released by April 2024. No such report has been released to the public to date.
“Taking action against domestic violence, and against the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis, demands the government accepting accountability, identifying what needs to change, implementing solutions, and being transparent with Manitobans about that process,” said Byram.
Ahead of the spring session beginning March 4, the Official Opposition has introduced legislation to increase safety for Manitobans, including the anti-stalking Bill 212.
PCs are urging all members of the Legislature to signal a commitment to take action against domestic violence in Manitoba and protect victims.
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