After voting down NDP bill, PCs introduce their own sexual assault legislation

The PC government has introduced a new sexual assault bill, a week after voting a different one down.

Bill 15, the Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Act, would fight sexual assault on Manitoba campuses. If passed, it would compel schools to draw up sexual assault policies that address reporting, response and education on campus.

Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Rochelle Squires introduced the bill Wednesday, making good on a Tory promise to replace a similar NDP bill the PCs voted down last week.

At the time, the party criticized the New Democratbill as weak and said it would follow up a new version.

• Bill 204 would require Manitoba campuses to disclose sexual assaults
• Sexual assault policies lacking at most Canadian universities, say students

Squires said the Tory bill one-ups its NDP counterpart by including a section on social media and a clear definition of "sexual violence."

It would also apply to 46 more schools than the New Democrat version, all private institutions ranging from financial to vocational to bible schools.

"Based on our consultation that we did over the summer and we did extensive consultation with student groups, with parents and with all the institutions we really felt strongly that we needed to put out legislation that had a little bit more substance than what was already on the table," Squires told reporters Wednesday.

NDPtosupport bill

Fort Rouge MLA Wab Kinew introduced the NDP attempt, Bill 204, in June. Last week, he criticized the Tories for "playing politics" by rejecting the legislation completely, instead of amending it in committee.

On Wednesday, he told reporters he would support the PC bill.

"It would've been great to see the same sort of bipartisan sentiment on both sides of the house, because the substance of the bill is the same as what was presented under the former Bill 204," he said.

"But you know, bygones be bygones."

• NDP MLAs accused of intimidating women in legislature
• 'We crossed a line': Accused of intimidating women, Manitoba NDP MLAs apologize

The bills and the PC vote last week will live in infamy after controversy erupted over the behaviour of three NDP MLAs as Tory members rose to vote.

Fort Richmond MLA Sarah Guillemard accused NDPs Rob Altemeyer, James Allum and Andrew Swan of singling out PC women and shaming them for voting against the bill.

The MLAs and interim NDP Leader Flor Marcelino have since apologized for the behaviour.