Bill 208 - Grandparents Access Bill

In May of 2005, the PC MLA for Minnedosa, Leanne Rowat, introduced Provincial Bill 208, to amend Sect. 78 of the Child and Family Services Act, and is intended to ease access issues with grandparents in cases of messy divorces.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/hansard/3rd-38th/vol_50a/h50a.html

The following MLAs spoke in favour of the Grandparents Access Bill:

• Andrew Swan (PC - Minto), practiced family law at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman for 14 years before becoming an MLA in 2004.
• Mavis Taillieu (PC - Morris)
• Kevin Lamoureux (Liberal - Inkster)
• Drew Caldwell (NDP - Brandon East)
• Len Derkach (PC - Russell)
• Leanne Rowat (PC - Minnedosa) - Bill 208 was her first that was introduced into the Manitoba Legislature.
  

Also present in the Gallery at the time, were members of the GRAND Society of Manitoba, a grandparents rights group, who helped design the amendment.

Christine Melnick (NDP - Riel) was the Minister of Family Services at the time the Bill was introduced.

Yes, it is truly sad when a grandparent has to fill out an application form just to spend time with his or her grandchildren. This situation is a double-edged sword, in that on the one hand grandparents now have it easier to see their grandkids, but at the same time why should this be necessary at all. Wouldn't it be better to make divorce much more difficult to begin with?

What caught my eye, was near the end of debate on May 19th, 2005, that this Bill seemed to have non-partisan support. However, the NDP government wanted to close debate because it would allow it to go to Committee, and then Third Reading. Quite impressive, I might add.

Bill 208 was indeed passed into Law on December 7th, 2oo6, and remains in effect today.