Ban on deepfakes, misinformation during elections among bills passed as Manitoba legislative session ends

Steve Lambert · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 3:21 PM EST | Last Updated: November 7

Manitoba politicians passed bills aimed astatine banning predetermination disinformation, guarding societal lodging banal and changing income taxes arsenic the legislature league ended Thursday night.

One of the bills, tabled successful March, introduces fines of up to $20,000 a time for predetermination disinformation, including alleged "deepfake" videos that usage artificial quality to make realistic but mendacious images oregon videos of candidates.

The measure besides includes penalties for intentionally misleading accusation astir elector eligibility, the behaviour of elections officials, and the radical oregon companies that supply ballots and vote-counting machines.

The NDP authorities said the measures are needed to support Manitoba elections from immoderate of the controversies seen successful the United States, wherever predetermination officials person travel nether attack.

"I deliberation it's truly important that we person a legislative model successful Manitoba that strengthens our democracy. Everybody sees what's occurring, unfortunately, down south," said authorities location person Nahanni Fontaine.

The measure besides reduces the maximum magnitude of wealth radical tin lend to a campaigner oregon party, and requires parties to acceptable up a strategy to tract nationalist complaints astir their advertisements.

Another measure passed Thursday nighttime implements changes announced successful the outpouring budget. One of the large changes volition spot the state halt expanding taxation brackets successful enactment with inflation.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives said the alteration means income-earners volition extremity up being pushed into higher taxation brackets, adjacent if they lone support up with inflation.

"This curate is expanding income taxes by $82 cardinal this year," said Tory concern professional Lauren Stone.

WATCH | Last time of Manitoba legislative session:

Taxes and affordability person been a cardinal conflict constituent betwixt the NDP and the Tories.

The authorities has taken retired ads to beforehand its reductions successful substance taxes and an summation successful a recognition for acquisition spot taxes. Finance Minister Adrien Sala said Thursday families crossed the state are seeing savings.

But recognition standing bureau S&P Global said earlier this twelvemonth the province's tax-saving measures are much than outweighed by the other wealth being taken from the income taxation alteration and the caller elimination of a spot taxation rebate.

Other bills passed Thursday nighttime see 1 that volition forestall owners of galore government-funded societal lodging units from selling their buildings without provincial consent.

The Tories said the request volition scare distant homebuilders, but the authorities said the measure is needed to guarantee nationalist lodging units stay affordable aft a alteration of ownership.

Another measure formalizes a argumentation requiring O Canada to beryllium sung regular astatine schools. A little-used proviso that required God Save the King to beryllium played is being eliminated pursuing a contention that erupted with 1 schoolhouse part earlier this year.

The NDP authorities did not get its afloat acceptable of bills passed.

One that would person required judges to measurement successful immoderate clip the authorities invokes the notwithstanding clause to override rights nether the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was introduced precocious successful the league and did not get to a vote.

The Court of Appeal would not person the authorization to onslaught down authorities invoking the notwithstanding clause nether the bill, but could remark connected it.

Fontaine said the measure volition beryllium reintroduced successful the adjacent session, slated to commencement Nov. 18.