March 13, 2023
Manitoba Government Introduces Legislation to Remove Red Tape, Modernize Rules on Ticket Reselling
– – –Changes Reflect Evolving Online Marketplace, Align Manitoba with Other Jurisdictions in North America: Teitsma
The Manitoba government is making changes to several regulations as part of the Reducing Red Tape and Improving Services Act, including changes to the Amusements Act to repeal the prohibition on reselling of tickets at a markup, Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister James Teitsma announced today.
“Manitoba is the only jurisdiction in North America where it is still technically illegal for sport or concert fans to sell their tickets for above list price,” said Teitsma. “We also know that many Manitobans use online sites in the grey market to sell their tickets when there is demand. These changes would bring Manitoba in line with the rest of the continent and allow for the safe buying and selling of tickets.”
The Red Tape and Improving Services Act would allow Manitoba companies to provide secondary ticket services in the province, no longer forcing Manitobans to use out-of-province firms to buy or sell tickets.
“The Amusements Act, as it currently exists, is outdated and out of step with modern consumer experiences in ticket buying and selling,” said Teitsma. “It is important that consumers are protected. We are doing what we can to ensure tickets are sold through local resellers that are subject to provincial consumer protection laws and not through third-party offshore vendors.”
Additional changes to the Red Tape and Improving Services Act include:
- Permitting planning notices to be sent electronically by the City of Winnipeg through the City of Winnipeg Charter, City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment and Planning Amendment Act.
- Allowing paramedics and emergency medical responders the same authority under the Highway Traffic Act as firefighters to direct traffic and removing outdated legislative exemptions that allowed vehicles other than emergency vehicles to disregard speed limits, stop signals, and other traffic control devices if carrying first aid or rescue equipment.
- Updating the Teacher Pensions Act to allow the Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund (TRAF) board to set its procedures and adopt forms to be used for the administration of the Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund.
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