March 14, 2023
Manitoba Government Presents Legislative Amendments to Enhance Fairness of Registration Practices in Regulated Professions, Reduce Barriers to Labour Mobility
The Manitoba government has introduced amendments to The Fair Registration Practices in Regulated Professions Act that would reduce barriers to labour mobility and improve Manitoba’s competitiveness to recruit and retain skilled workers, Labour and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes announced today.
“Recognizing that the health, safety and quality of life of Manitobans depend on services provided by a wide range of professionals, the Manitoba government is committed to ensuring regulated professions uphold high standards of professional practice,” said Reyes. “Manitoba was one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to implement fairness legislation, and we continue to build on that achievement, making measured, strategic changes that allow more qualified applicants to work to their fullest potential faster.”
The new act would support Manitoba’s Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy by attracting talent to Manitoba through quick labour mobility licensing and improved qualification recognition. The proposed amendments also support the Health Human Resource Action Plan by increasing the number of regulated health professionals licensed to work in the province.
“To retain, train and recruit health professionals are the pillars of our Health Human Resource Action Plan,” said Health Minister Audrey Gordon. “Attracting health professionals from all classifications is essential to strengthening Manitoba’s health-care system. This legislation will assist our current efforts with regulatory bodies to modernize and streamline pathways for health-care professionals allowing them to practise sooner while upholding high quality and patient-safety standards.”
The proposed amendments seek to enhance expectations around labour mobility and registration processes by:
- adding the definition of “domestic labour mobility applicant” as an individual who applies for registration to a regulated profession in Manitoba, who is currently registered in that profession in another province or territory;
- establishing timelines for regulated professions to respond to registration applications from domestic labour mobility applicants; and
- requiring regulated professions to comply with any regulations respecting English or French language proficiency testing requirements.
Currently, labour mobility obligations under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) prohibit jurisdictions from requiring domestic labour mobility applicants to undergo additional training, experience requirements, examinations or assessments — a process referred to as licence-to-licence recognition, noted Reyes.
The amendments will enhance the Manitoba government’s compliance powers related to domestic trade agreements to ensure that qualified applicants can register in a regulated profession in Manitoba through a quick process grounded in principles of transparency, objectivity, impartiality and fairness, added the minister.
The Fair Registration Practices in Regulated Professions Act ensures the registration processes of the 31 designated self-regulating professions are transparent, objective, impartial and fair while maintaining a high standard of professional practice. Under the act, the professions must also comply with domestic trade agreements including the labour mobility obligations of the CFTA and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement.
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