
Resolutions
(Policy Proposals, Amendments to the Governing Documents, and Directives)
Resolutions are what the AGM is all about! Every year, Members submit proposals for new policies, amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, and directives to party units to help improve the way our party functions and our stances on the issues important to Manitobans.
The AGM Organizing Committee received 13 Resolutions in the two months that submissions were open (17 November 2021 to 14 January 2022). Following Debate at the Committee of the Whole Meeting on 30 January 2022, Two of these Resolutions were withdrawn for further work, and two received sub-amendments. Below, you can read each resolution and amendment being proposed.
Resolutions will be voted on online from 9 to 23 February, with results to be announced at the 27 February AGM.
You can click the button below to download a PDF copy of the resolutions, or you can go through the resolutions in the menu below the button. (note: the PDF format is reccomended due to formatting limitations of the website)
C01: RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND THE GLOBAL GREENS CHARTER
Sponsor: Kyle Labelle
WHEREAS:
- Green parties in Canada and around the globe are founded on the principles outlined in the Charter of the Global Greens, which recognizes that we exist as part of an interdependent global ecosystem and that we cannot address our environmental and social crises in isolation. (Section 10 of the Charter of the Global Greens speaks directly to this);
- In the Common Values of the Manitoba Greens, Article 3. section of our constitution, we state that “Manitoba Greens support in principle the values expressed in the Global Greens Charter”; and
- This resolution further solidifies our commitment to supporting the Global Green movement and to building relationships with like-minded organizations, which will assist us in growing our membership and developing a stronger Green presence in Manitoba.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
That Article 2 (Object of the Party) of the Constitution of the Green Party of Manitoba be amended to read as follows [proposed amendment in Bold]:
“The Object of the Party shall be to encourage the development of a sustainable and ecologically sound society as envisioned by the Common Values of the Manitoba Greens. The Party may undertake any activities which promote the attainment of this Objective. A main objective of the Party shall be to promote Green policies and values through participation in the electoral process. In accordance with Section 10 of the Charter of the Global Greens, the Party shall also seek to build relationships with like-minded community organizations in Manitoba, and endeavour to mutually support the election of Greens at all levels of government in Manitoba (through efforts such as election support, candidate promotion, event promotion, and membership promotion).”
C02: REORGANIZE THE GPM RULES OF PROCEDURE
Sponsor: Pearson Singbeil Montgomery
WHEREAS:
- Moving the existing Rules of Procedure of the GPM from Article 4 of the Constitution to its own freestanding governing document would be beneficial for several reasons, including:
- Improving the readability of both the Rules of Procedure and the Constitution, the former currently constituting pages 3 through 8 of the latter, and
- Improving the ease and flexibility of applying and adapting the Rules of Procedure to meet the individual differing needs of different units of the party, noting that articles of the constitution cannot legally be ignored, suspended, or changed by any unit of the party besides a General Meeting of the membership; and
- The Governance Committee of the Green Party of Manitoba is considering undertaking a major review and re-writing of both the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure, both of which would be made easier by those being separate documents.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
1. That the following new Article (Rules of Procedure) be added to the Constitution between the current Article 21 (By-Laws) and Article 22 (Amendments to this Constitution):
“This Constitution authorizes the adoption of Rules of Procedure, which shall be binding on all General Meetings and meetings of all party units, including Executive Council, Committees, Caucuses, and Constituency Associations; and which shall outline rules for facilitating, speaking, proposing motions, and voting at meetings. Rules of Procedure may be ratified, created, amended, or rescinded by a vote of more than 60% at a general meeting. Rules of procedure may also be suspended, reinstated, adapted, or added to by a vote of more than 60% at a meeting of any party unit for the sole purpose of procedure during that meeting or multiple meetings of said unit, provided that such changes do not conflict in any way with any other governing document of the party. The Chair(s) or Facilitator(s) of a meeting shall be responsible for interpreting and applying the Rules of Procedure in that meeting and keeping record of any approved changes to the Rules of Procedure for that meeting.”
2. That the Rules of Procedure of the Green Party of Manitoba, as appended to this resolution as Appendix A and being identical, notwithstanding grammatical and formatting corrections, to the Rules of Procedure established in Article 4 of the Constitution of the Green Party of Manitoba (Rules of Procedure), and set to be authorized under the constitution through item (1) of this resolution, be hereby adopted.
3. That Article 4 of the Constitution of the Green Party of Manitoba (Rules of Procedure), being functionally identical to and made redundant by the Rules of Procedure of the Green Party of Manitoba, as appended to this resolution as Appendix A and set to be authorized under the Constitution through item (1) of this resolution and adopted through item (2) of this resolution, be hereby repealed.
APPENDIX A :
RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA
[note: due to limitations of our website, this appendix cannot be properly formatted here. Please download the PDF version of the Resolutions for correct formatting]
- INTRODUCTION
- These are the procedures for use at Green Party of Manitoba meetings (conventions, annual general meetings, council meetings, committee meetings, workshops, etc.).
- DEFINITIONS
- Green Party of Manitoba: Also referred to as the GPM in this document.
- Chair: Also known as the facilitator or moderator, leads meetings and recognizes the speakers. See also (5) FACILITATION.
- Co-chair: Appointed (as needed) to assist the chair and maintain the speaker’s list or substitute for the chair if the chair needs to step down temporarily. See also (5) FACILITATION and (6) SPEAKERS’ LIST.
- Recorder: When the GPM Secretary is not present, the recorder records the minutes of any GPM meeting. See also (9) MINUTES.
- Timekeeper: A person who keeps track of the time spent on each area of discussion so that the meeting may meet its time commitments. See also (10) TIMEKEEPING.
- Voting card(s): At a Convention, Annual General Meeting or other large gathering a set of coloured voting cards, may be used to indicate voting members’ votes: a green card indicates that the motion is understood and agreed to; a yellow card indicates that more clarification or information is needed before the motion can be agreed to or rejected; a red card indicates that the motion is understood and objected to; a blue card indicates a request for a point of order; a black card indicates abstention.
- Session: Different parts of the same meeting as determined by the agenda.
- Concurrent Session: Agenda time where more than one sub-meeting, workshop, presentation, or combination thereof, is simultaneously taking place, at different locations.
- Plenary: The meeting of the whole group with no other concurrent sessions of the group taking place.
- Point of Order: A way of signaling for clarification, language translation, procedural suggestion, or additional information. See also (6) POINTS OF ORDER.
- Poll: A way to determine how a motion is being received by those present by holding a trial, non-binding vote.
- Motion: A proposed course of action, documented by the recorder, for the consideration of all present.
- Amendment (or Friendly Amendment): A modification or addition to the motion proposed by a member at the meeting. The main motion’s speakers’ list may be suspended, and a separate speakers’ list may start in order to moderate discussion on the amendment.
- Deciding Vote: The acceptance or rejection of a motion, by the voting members present, either by show of hands (at smaller meetings) or by voting cards (at Conventions or other larger meetings). See (3) PROCEDURE.
- PROCEDURE
- Presentation: The chair will present or ask for the presentation of a motion, resolution, proposal, or issue to be considered.
- Silence: The chair will then ask for a moment of silence during which everyone will be asked to note any questions they have concerning the resolution, proposal, or issue just presented.
- Questions and Clarifications: To facilitate efficiency and group understanding, the chair will ask if anyone requires clarification concerning the motion, resolution, proposal, or issue just presented. If so, the presenter will then speak to these. The chair will ask everyone to listen and to strike off their own questions as they hear their questions answered. The resolution or proposal may not be amended at this time.
- Discussion/Amendments: The chair opens the floor to discussion and/or amendments, sets or confirms a time limit, and monitors the meeting for possible solutions and/or agreement. Where it is not obvious that a majority of members present either agree or do not agree with a proposed amendment, the chair will poll the meeting for clarification.
- Testing for Agreement: If a decision is to be made and if there appears to be general agreement with a motion or motion as amended, or there is no further discussion, the chair will ask the recorder to read back the motion or item proposed and test for agreement by asking if anyone is strongly opposed to the motion. Agreement should not be interpreted to mean unanimity, only that all members can accept the particular motion.
- Noting Objections: If any member has a strong objection to the motion, they may signify verbally and/or by raising their red voting card when the test for agreement is made. In doing so, the person objecting should be prepared to state the reason for the objection including the basic GPM value that is at issue.
- For Informal Settings: In smaller meetings, where there is objection to the proposed agreement:
- One at a time, the chair will have the meeting briefly hear from each member who objected to the motion.
- For each objection, the chair shall ask for discussion or amendments to address the objecting members’ concerns. If there is agreement on any amendments, those amendments will be added to the motion currently under consideration.
- When all objections have been heard, the chair shall re-test for agreement.
- If agreement cannot be reached, the chair will poll the meeting to determine if:
- the motion should be tabled (and therefore be off the agenda for the rest of this meeting),
- the motion should be returned to its sponsors for more work (where an improved version may be reintroduced at the meeting if there is time or reintroduced at a subsequent meeting),
- the meeting shall proceed to a deciding vote on the motion.
- Voting Cards: If a deciding vote on a motion is to occur, a vote by show of hands (at smaller meetings) or voting cards (at Conventions, Annual General Meetings, or special meetings called of the general membership), will be conducted. The various categories of votes (see also (2) DEFINITIONS, (f) Voting Cards) will be counted separately and recorded in the minutes. A motion passes if more than 60% of the voting members present vote in favour of the motion. Amendments to the Constitution shall be adopted if more than 75% of the votes cast are in favour.
- VOTING RIGHTS
- Only members who have been members of the Party for the previous 30 days before a meeting shall be eligible to vote or count in quorum. Any member eligible to vote may make, withdraw, or move to amend any motion. In the case of any dispute over a member’s eligibility to vote, the members at the General Meeting may decide for that meeting only.
- Any person who does not meet the criteria of a “member” above, cannot vote or otherwise prevent agreement from being expressed toward a motion.
- The chair and co-chair cannot prevent agreement and cannot vote except in the event of a tie.
- FACILITATION
- Every meeting will have a chair and, as needed, a co-chair.
- The chair is primarily responsible for:
- Interpreting these rules of order.
- Managing the meeting in a way that is consistent with these rules of order and responsive to the members in attendance.
- The co-chair is primarily responsible for:
- Assisting the chair in managing the meeting.
- Keeping the speakers’ list.
- The chair(s) are responsible for keeping the meeting focused on one issue at a time and may recommend to the meeting the division of items for specific discussion or decision.
- The chair(s) may recommend to the meeting the appointment of “helpers” to help either the chair or co-chair in maintaining the speakers list, displaying the wording of proposals before the meeting, maintaining the agenda, allotted times, priorities, etc., thus freeing up either the chair or co-chair to focus more on other aspects of conducting the meeting.
- Any person may request the chair to test for agreement. The chair will poll the meeting if it is not obvious that the meeting is ready for the test for agreement.
- The chairs may not prevent agreement or vote.
- If any one of the two chairs wishes to participate actively in a discussion, object to a proposed agreement, or temporarily leave the meeting, the chair or co-chair must give up facilitation to the other chair who then may select from the meeting a stand-in co-chair for the duration of the discussion at hand. Any “step asides” of facilitation will be in effect until the matter under discussion is resolved. Following this, the original chair may regain their facilitation duties.
- SPEAKERS’ LIST
- Anyone may be placed on the speakers’ list by signalling their intention to the chair, co-chair, or appointee maintaining the speakers’ list. The meeting may decide to put non-members onto the speaker’s list.
- The main motion’s speakers’ list may be suspended, and a separate speakers’ list may start in order to moderate discussion on an amendment. When the amendment is either carried or cancelled, the amendment’s speakers’ list is also cancelled and the next person on the main motion’s speakers’ list is granted leave to speak.
- The chair or co-chair has the responsibility to maintain a balance of perspectives.
- The chair(s) may recommend to the meeting to “close the speakers’ list” and hear from only those already on the speakers’ list in order to meet allotted time commitments or to proceed quicker if it is felt agreement is at hand.
- The speakers’ list is cleared if the motion is agreed to, tabled, returned to its sponsors for more work, passed or rejected by a vote, or the agenda item ends.
- POINTS OF ORDER
- Any member of the meeting may signal the chair on a:
- Point of Clarification: if a procedure is not understood or a violation of these rules is believed to have taken place. In doing so, the section of these rules at issue must be identified at the outset. The chair may call for contrary views or rule on the point.
- Point of Order: a procedural suggestion that will aid or improve the facilitation of the discussion at hand.
- Point of Information (the facilitator or recorder may also request it):
- when there is some item of information that is necessary for the discussion; or
- when there is an item in discussion which must be accurately recorded in the minutes.
- Point of Translation: when the meeting is being conducted in more than one language and translation is needed.
- CHALLENGING THE FACILITATION OR CONDUCT OF OTHERS
- A member of the meeting, other than the chair, may challenge the facilitation or challenge the conduct of another person in the meeting if it is felt that:
- the chair has not made a fair and accurate ruling.
- a person is misrepresenting the rules for preventing a decision.
- a person is being obstructionist; or
- some other serious violation has taken place.
- Upon any such challenge listed in step (a), and for the duration of the challenge, the meeting closes to any further business. If it is the facilitation that is being challenged, the chair must immediately give up facilitation of the meeting to the co-chair, who in turn may ask for the appointment of a temporary co-chair.
- MINUTES
- When the GPM Secretary is not present, each meeting will have at least one person designated as a recorder to record the minutes of the meeting. For large, teleconference, or upon request of the members present at a meeting, electronic recording of the meeting shall take place. The meeting minutes shall include (at a minimum):
- The title and purpose of the meeting.
- The date, time, and place the meeting is convened and adjourned.
- The names of all persons in attendance.
- The membership/voting status for all persons in attendance at Conventions and Annual General Meetings.
- The names of the chair(s), recorder(s), and timekeeper(s).
- Agenda items or discussion topic headings, the approved wording of any motions, and the context or rationale for a particular decision; and
- Relevant attachments.
- The recorder shall ensure that completed minutes are forwarded to the party or meeting secretary for formatting, filing and distribution. The party or meeting secretary shall ensure that completed minutes are received from the recorders of each session.
- The recorder shall be permitted to participate actively in the meeting to the extent that their voting or membership status allows.
- TIMEKEEPING
- Each meeting will have a person designated as the timekeeper to keep track of time spent on agenda items.
- The timekeeper can notify the chair when: allotted time is close to running out; or allotted time has run out.
- The timekeeper shall be permitted to participate actively in the meeting to the extent to which their voting or membership status allows.
- PROCEDURAL ITEMS NOT COVERED BY THESE RULES
- The chair has the authority and responsibility to address procedural items that might arise that are not already covered by these Rules of Procedure.
MOTION TO AMEND: "C02: REORGANIZE THE GPM RULES OF PROCEDURE"
WHEREAS:
- The original resolution C02 included a sentence at the end of its first clause that would add Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised as a back-up procedural manual in the event of gaps in the GPM’s existing rules of procedure.
- The consensus of the committee of the whole was that Members should consider the adoption of Robert’s Rules of Order as a part of our procedural system separately from the other changes to our rules of procedure;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
That the following sentence, formerly included as the final sentence of clause 1 of resolution C02, be considered separately as an amendment to the same:
“Any procedural questions or matters not covered under the Rules of Procedure or elsewhere in this Constitution or any other Governing Document shall be referred to the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.”
C03: REORGANIZE THE GPM CODE OF CONDUCT
Sponsor: Pearson Singbeil Montgomery
WHEREAS:
- Executive Council, the Governance Committee, the Youth Development Committee, and other members and units of the GPM have identified several serious inadequacies in the party’s Code of Conduct currently outlined in By-Law 3;
- The Governance Committee is currently planning to undertake a major review and rejuvenation of the GPM’s Code of Conduct and complaint and conflict resolution procedures; and
- The Governance Committee believes its work in this department would be aided by the Code of Conduct being its own free-standing document enshrined by the Constitution, rather than a single clause in the By-Laws.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
1. That the following new Article (Code of Conduct) be added to the Constitution between the current Article 21 (By-Laws) and Article 22 (Amendments to this Constitution):
“This Constitution authorizes the adoption of a Party Code of Conduct, which shall be binding on all individuals affiliated with the party, including but not limited to members, volunteers, contractors, officers, candidates, and elected officials; and which shall outline:
- Expectations, guidelines, and rules for their behavior when participating in party events or spaces such as committees or general meetings, accessing party property or information, interacting with other persons affiliated with the party, or interacting with the public or press while representing the party or holding a high-profile or public-facing position in the party.
- Guidelines and/or procedures for dealing with code of conduct violations or complaints, including conflict resolution and discipline procedures.
The Party Code of Conduct may be ratified, created, amended, or rescinded by a vote of more than 60% at a general meeting. Provisions in the Code of Conduct may also be added, rescinded, or amended by a vote of more than 60% of the Executive Council, provided that all members are given notice that those amendments have taken effect and that the amendments are ratified within one year by a vote of more than 60% at a general meeting. All party units, including but not limited to general meetings, Executive Council, caucuses, committees, and Constituency Associations, shall be authorised under this Constitution to develop, approve, and amend their own supplemental Codes of Conduct through a vote of more than 60% of its members, provided that such a code does not conflict in any way with the party’s Code of Conduct nor any other Governing Document.”
2. That the Code of Conduct of the Green Party of Manitoba, as appended to this resolution as Appendix B and being identical, notwithstanding re-formatting, to Clause 3 (Code of Conduct) of the By-Laws of the Green Party of Manitoba, and set to be authorized under the constitution through item (1) of this resolution, be hereby adopted.
3. That Clause 3 (Code of Conduct) of the By-Laws of the Green Party of Manitoba, being functionally identical to and made redundant by the Code of Conduct of the Green Party of Manitoba, as appended to this resolution as Appendix B and set to be authorized under the Constitution through item (1) of this resolution and adopted through item (2) of this resolution, be hereby repealed.
APPENDIX B :
CODE OF CONDUCT OF THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA
When acting on behalf of the Party, attending Party meetings, or Party events, all Party members, volunteers, and staff shall:
-
- Uphold municipal, provincial and federal law when acting on behalf of the Party, or attending Party events, notwithstanding cases of non-violent civil disobedience;
- Support the aims of the Party as expressed by the Common Values of Manitoba Greens;
- Treat other members and the public in a respectful, responsible, and open manner;
- Refrain from intolerant conduct that promotes sexism, racism, or other forms of discrimination;
- Refrain from bullying, coercion, (sexual) harassment, verbal and/or psychological abuse;
- Refrain from deliberate misrepresentation or lying;
- Refrain from theft or abuse of position for personal gain;
- Refrain from all physical violence, including destruction of property, either through direct participation or promotion;
- Refrain from misusing the conflict resolution committee.
- While engaged in Party business, all Party members and candidates must follow Election Canada’s Shared Code of Ethical Conduct, available on the Elections Manitoba website.
C04: CREATE AND EMPOWER THE MANITOBA YOUNG GREENS
Sponsor: Nova Martin
WHEREAS:
- the Youth Development Committee (YDC) was formed in November 2020 to produce a report on the creation of the Manitoba Young Greens (MBYG) as a semi-self-governing wing of the GPM;
- the YDC, which was entirely youth lead and operated, undertook substantial consultation, organizational review, and planning processes to produce the aforementioned report, which recommends that all the below amendments to the Constitution and By-laws be passed; and
- the youth members of the party, through the YDC, believe that the purpose-built, by-youth, for-youth structure for the MBYG being proposed in this resolution, passed in its current form, would be the best solution for youth engagement, retention, and growth in the GPM as well as the most attractive youth wing of any Manitoba political party for potential youth recruits to join;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
[Note that, throughout this resolution, additions are marked in bold, subtractions in red strikethrough, and editorial notes in [square brackets]]
Amendments to the Constitution of the Green Party of Manitoba
1. That Current Article 5 of the Constitution (Party Units) be amended to read as follows:
“The following are recognized units of the Party:
(1) Individual Members
(2) General Meetings
(3) Executive Council
(4) Manitoba Young Greens (MBYG)
(5) Young Greens Council (YGC)
(6) Constituency Associations
(7) Caucuses
(8) Committees”
2. That Current Article 6 of the Constitution (Membership) be amended to read as follows:
“Any resident of Manitoba at least 14 years of age who:
- subscribes to the Object of the Party and the Common Values of the Manitoba Greens;
- accepts and abides by the terms of this Constitution and any other governing documents herein established;
- pays the annual membership fee, if applicable; and
- is not and does not become a member of another provincial political party may become a member of the Party.”
3. That Current Article 7 of the Constitution (Membership in Good Standing) be amended to read as follows:
“In this Constitution “member” means only a member in good standing. A member is not in good standing if they have not paid the annual membership fee, if applicable, or has not paid any other debt owed to the Party, either of which is due more than 30 days, and shall remain not in good standing so long as the debt remains unpaid.”
4. That Current Article 11 of the Constitution (Executive Council) be amended to read as follows:
“The Executive Council shall be composed of the Leader, elected officers of the Party, and appointed members at large, and the Youth Representative(s). It is empowered to conduct all normal business of the party, subject to review at the Biennial Convention. Its decisions shall be effective unless rescinded or amended by a general meeting. The Council by resolution may:
[sub clauses omitted for brevity].”
5. That Current Article 15 of the Constitution (Elected Officers) be amended to read as follows:
The Party shall elect the following officers to Executive Council, but any vacancies may be filled by Council appointment until the next General Meeting.
- A President
- A Treasurer
- A Secretary
- A Membership Development Coordinator
- An Elections Planning Coordinator
- A Youth Representative
- A Northern Manitoba Representative
- A South-Eastern Manitoba Representative
- A South-Western Manitoba Representative
- A Winnipeg Representative
6. That the following new Article (Youth Representatives) be added between the current Article 16 and Article 17 of the Constitution:
“The Manitoba Young Greens shall select, through a method it prescribes, at least one and no greater than two of its members to serve as Youth Representatives, who shall be considered full voting members of the Executive Council. Youth Representatives shall be responsible for reporting the operations and finances of the Manitoba Young Greens to the Party, making recommendations and requests to the Party on the behalf of the Manitoba Young Greens, and otherwise advocating the interests and positions of the Manitoba Young Greens and Manitoba youth in general in all decisions made by the Executive Council. If a Youth Representative position becomes Vacant, the Manitoba Young Greens shall fill the position through the method it prescribes for filling such vacancies.”
7. That the following new Article (Manitoba Young Greens) be added to the Constitution between the current Article 17 (Council to Appoint Financial Officer) and Article 18 (Forming a Constituency Association):
“The Manitoba Young Greens (Herein MBYG) shall exist as an association of members of the party, consisting of all those members in good standing who are of age thirty (30) or under. A general meeting of the members of the MBYG (Herein Youth General Meeting, YGM) shall be held at least once per year. The MBYG is empowered to:
- Select the Youth Representative(s)
- Select the Young Green’s Council
- Create sub-units such as committees and campus chapters
- Create, approve, and maintain the Manitoba Young Greens By-Laws
- Develop and oversee the implementation of strategies and initiatives to engage Manitoba youth as voters, volunteers, members, donors, and candidates with the GPM.
- Make determinations on the use of any funds allocated by the Executive Council for youth initiatives within the GPM
- Fulfill any and all other responsibilities as assigned by this Constitution, the By-Laws of the Party, the Executive Council, or the MBYG By-Laws.”
8. That the following new Article (Young Greens Council) be added to the constitution between the current Article 17 (Council to Appoint Financial Officer) and Article 18 (Forming a Constituency Association), immediately following the Article added through the previous clause of this resolution:
“The Young Greens Council (Herein YGC) shall be composed of at least five (5) and no greater than fifteen (15) members of the Manitoba Young Greens, who shall serve either as Members-at-Large or in positions designated either by the YGC or in accordance with the MBYG By-Laws. Members of the YGC may be selected or removed through the methods prescribed by the MBYG By-Laws or, when no such By-Laws exist, through a motion at a YGM, a General Meeting of the Party, or a meeting of the YGC. In addition to being a recognised unit of the GPM, the YGC shall also be considered a subunit of the MBYG. The YGC is empowered to perform all business of the MBYG while not in a Youth General Meeting, Subject to any additional restrictions or responsibilities set out in this Constitution or the MBYG By-Laws.”
9. That the following new Article (Manitoba Young Greens By-Laws) be added to the constitution between the current Article 21 (By-Laws) and Article 22 (Amendments to this Constitution):
“This Constitution authorizes the creation of Manitoba Young Greens By-laws (herein MBYG By-Laws) which shall be binding on the Manitoba Young Greens, the Young Greens Council, and their members. MBYG By-laws may be ratified, created, amended, suspended, or repealed by a vote of more than 60% at a YGM. MBYG By-laws also may be created, amended or suspended, or repealed by more than a 60% vote of the YGC, provided that such amendments must be ratified within one year by a vote of more than 60% at a YGM.”
Amendments to the By-Laws of the Green Party of Manitoba
10. That Current Clause 1 of the By-Laws (Membership Fees) be amended to read as follows:
“1. The membership fee shall be set at:
Adult Membership:
$10.00 annually, or $25.00 tri-annually for an individual 30 years of age or older than 30 years of age.
Youth Membership:
Free-of-Charge, issued annually, for an individual between the from ages 14 and 29 14 to 30, inclusive.
Sustaining Members:
Individuals who make monthly auto-donations to the Party shall be deemed sustaining members, and the first $10.00 donated every year shall be applied to a membership in the Party, unless the individual making the auto-donation declares otherwise.”
11. That Clause 9 of the By-Laws (Election and Duties of Officers other than Leader) be amended such that the following section is repealed:
“Youth Representative
The youth representative shall be responsible for advocating for youth on all governance decisions made by the Executive Council. They shall be responsible for organizing initiatives to organize and mobilize youth. They shall also engage the youth membership (members under 30) in activities within the party and encourage youth members to be active on committees within the party. The youth representative shall be less than 30 years of age at the time of their election to council.”
12. That the following new Clause (Support from Council to the Manitoba Young Greens) be added to the By-Laws between current Clause 17 (Support from Council to Constituencies) and Clause 18 (Caucuses):
“The executive council shall provide reasonable administrative and financial support to the Manitoba Young Greens for initiatives relating to engaging Manitoba Youth as voters, volunteers, members, donors, or candidates with the GPM. the Manitoba Young Greens shall, conversely, make reasonable efforts to encourage and aid its members to assist with the operational and fundraising initiatives of the party.“
MOTION TO AMEND: C04: CREATE AND EMPOWER THE MANITOBA YOUNG GREENS
WHEREAS:
- The Youth Development Committee has recommended that the minimum age for membership be lowered to 12, which was included in the original resolution C04; and
- The consensus of the Committee of the Whole was that members should vote separately on lowering the membership age to 12 and the rest of resolution C04;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
That any instances of the age “14” within resolution C04 be amended to age “12,” effectively lowering the minimum age for membership in the GPM to 12 years of age, should both this amendment and resolution C04 be passed.
B01: ADD NEW 3-YEAR YOUTH MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY
Sponsor: Dennis Bayomi
WHEREAS:
- the GPM has a 3-year membership category for members older than 30;
- The 1-year free membership for youth has been very successful over the past two years; and
- 3-year memberships reduce administration and processing work of new and renewing memberships.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA:
That Clause 1 (Membership Fees), Sub-Clause 2 (Youth Membership) of the By-Laws of the Green Party of Manitoba be amended to add the words “or tri-annually,” as follows:
“Youth Membership Free-of-charge, issued annually or tri-annually for an individual between the ages of 14 and 29.“
P01: REDUCE ANNUAL POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
Sponsor: Dennis Bayomi
WHEREAS:
- Presently (Jan 2021) Elections Manitoba limits total annual political contributions by any Manitoba resident to $5,000 ;
- The current limit favors contributors from higher income groups; and
- “Campaign finance legislation is based on the premise that money is a significant factor in electoral success” (Elections Manitoba)
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA THAT:
The GPM advocates reducing the annual political contribution limit by any Manitoba resident as follows:
- An annual limit of $500 in total to political parties, plus
- An annual limit of $500 in total to candidates/constituency associations
P03: CONSULTATION ON THE IMPACT OF PANDEMICS ON MANITOBA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Sponsor: Dennis Bayomi
WHEREAS:
- COVID-19 has had a significant detrimental impact on Manitoba’s health care system; and
- The Manitoba government has included minimal engagement of those working in the health care system in its COVID-19 strategy.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA THAT:
The GPM advocates for:
- A wide-sweeping consultation with front-line workers in the health care system to directly address shortcomings in Manitoba’s pandemic response plans.
- Consultation with professional associations and unions to facilitate participation of all front-line health care workers.
Provisions for an ongoing process to ensure continued engagement of the health care community.
P05: ENVIRONMENT - SPRING BEAR HUNT AND ANIMAL TRAPS
Sponsor: Kristen Lauhn-Jensen
WHEREAS:
- It is estimated that there are between 25-30,000 black bears in Manitoba.
- MB doesn’t actively monitor black bear populations.
- Bears have their litters in spring, and bear cubs need to remain with their mother for approximately 16-17 months to ensure survival of the cubs.
- Banning the killing of female bears accompanied by cubs is, for practical purposes, unenforceable.
- Approximately 4000 bears are legally killed in MB each year, about 50% of which is normally conducted by foreign-based hunters.
- The government of Manitoba does not track the number of female bears killed during the spring bear hunt.
- In Ontario, approximately one third of the bears killed during the Ontario spring bear hunt are female.
- There is no ceiling on the number of black bear hunting licences available to purchase in a given year.
- Bears lose considerable weight during hibernation and are in a weakened state when they emerge from hibernation in the spring.
- Bear hunting typically involves using food bait, often human food containing sugar, to attract bears.
- Bear habituation to human food is a common cause of bear-human conflict.
- There are human, non-lethal methods to minimize bear-human conflict.
- The spring bear hunt is not an effective strategy for addressing bear-human conflict.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA THAT:
The GPM will:
- work to improve the wildlife existence in this province by increasing protection for critical habitat.
- Ban logging and mining in provincial parks, and increase the percentage of Manitoba’s forests which remain undisturbed.
- Call for a ban on the spring bear hunt which leaves so many orphaned bear cubs each spring.
- Work with those who depend on trapping in order to feed their families, (including respecting indigenous & Inuit rights.)
- Raise awareness and support the use of humane methods which reduce animal suffering.
P06: EDUCATION - IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE SEX-ED
Sponsor: Samantha Machado
WHEREAS:
- Manitoba’s sexual health education aims to promote safety, personal and social management, and healthy lifestyle practices;
- Abortion has been the most common outcome of teen pregnancy in most years since 1993;
- Manitoba’s sexual health curriculum is primarily focused on sexual activities between heterosexual cisgender people and health relating to those relationships including but not limited to pregnancy and STI-transmission;
- In 2014 1.7% and 1.3% of people aged 18-59 respectively identified as homosexual (gay or lesbian) and bisexual;
- 2SLGBTQIA+ youth have a limited number of trusted adults with whom they feel they can safely discuss their sexual health and behaviour;
- Student-on-student sexualized violence is common among Canadian students with 26% of women and girls aged 14-21 reporting having received experienced unwanted sexual contact at school;
- Victims and survivors of sexualized violence are unlikely to report it, fearing social consequences;
- Sexualized violence is largely preventable through education.
- intersex individuals face social stigma and potential social isolation when revealing their intersex status; and
- such negative social outcomes are preventable through education.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA THAT:
That the Green Party of Manitoba supports implementing a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum including:
- the addition of content about abortion, including different types of abortions and how to access abortion, lessons on contraception, consequences and implications of sexual behaviour, and healthy pregnancy;
- the addition of content about same-sex relationships including sex between same-sex individuals, STI and disease prevention in same-sex relationships, and sexual orientation;
- the addition of content about sexualized violence and prevention including topics such as consent, reporting sexualized violence, and supporting peers who have disclosed experiencing sexualized violence;
- the addition of intersex individuals to the curriculum in modules on reproductive anatomy
P07: PROHIBIT SEX-“NORMALIZATION” PROCEDURES
Sponsor: Samantha Machado
WHEREAS:
- Subjecting intersex children (also refered to as persons with DSDs – disorders or differences in sex development) to unnecessary surgical and medical intervention is a common practice affecting between 30-80% of intersex children;
- these procedures often result in irreversible and life-altering damage;
- many intersex adults who have undergone such medical interventions have expressed significant mental and physical suffering as a result including perpetuated anti-intersex stigma;
- these procedures are often performed on individuals without their consent because the child is too young to be properly informed and/or because parents and medical professionals deem it best not to inform the child;
- some medical professionals have mislead intersex children and/or their parents into thinking that these so-called ‘sex-normalizing’ interventions are necessary or ‘best’;
- complete disclosure and informed consent result are ideal conditions for medical intervention;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA THAT:
The Green Party of Manitoba supports:
- prohibiting medically unnecessary non-consensual surgeries on intersex children;
- mandating appropriate training of medical professionals on malpractice relating to such non-consensual, so-called ‘sex-normalizing’ procedures;
- investigating past instances of unnecessary non-consensual surgeries on intersex children to make ammends and implement a patient-led response going forward.
D01: SELECT THE MANITOBA YOUNG GREENS COUNCIL
Sponsor: Nova Martin
[note: this resolution relies on the passage of resolution C04 – Create and Empower the Manitoba Young Greens. In the event that C04 is not passed, this resolution will be null and void regardless of its own passage.]
WHEREAS:
- the Young Greens Council is poised to be formed as a unit of the GPM;
- the Annual General Meeting has the ability at this time to appoint the first members of said Council; and
- the members listed below are all incredibly smart, talented, and valuable youth members of the party who were active contributors to the Youth Development Committee and who volunteered to sit as the first members of the Young Greens Council.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GREEN PARTY OF MANITOBA THAT:
The following members of the GPM are selected to serve as the founding members of the Young Greens Council of the Green Party of Manitoba:
- Madhu Chandrasekaran;
- David Lee;
- Nova Martin;
- Donovan McIntosh;
- Pearson Singbeil Montgomery; and
- Nicola Pensato