Scott Smith (born 1959) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as New Democratic Party from 1999 to 2007, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Doer.
Early life and career
Smith was born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba, and worked as a firefighter for twenty years before entering provincial politics. He was elected to the Brandon City Council in 1995, defeating an incumbent councillor in the city's seventh ward. He also ran for Mayor of Brandon in a by-election two years later, and finished third against Reg Atkinson in a close three-way contest. Smith continued to sit as a councillor during the mayoral campaign, and was re-elected without opposition in 1998. While on council, he served as chair of Brandon's poverty task force, grants review committee and taxi review committee.
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Government backbencher
Smith was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1999 provincial election, defeating longtime Progressive Conservative MLA and sitting Minister of Education and Training James McCrae in the division of Brandon West. The NDP won a majority government provincially, and Smith entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of Gary Doer's government. He served as Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Mines.
Cabinet minister
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
Smith was promoted to cabinet on January 17, 2001 as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, with responsibility for administration of the Liquor Control Act. In this capacity, he defended his government's support for rent control over opposition from landlord groups. He increased the maximum rent increase from 1.5% to 2% for 2002, but lowered it to 1% for 2003.
In May 2002, Smith introduced legislation giving investors the right to seek financial compensation from advisers who mismanage funds through violations of the Manitoba Securities Act. Maximum compensation was set at $100,000. This legislation was the first of its kind in Canada. Smith also introduced legislation to protect customers from negative option billing, and reformed provincial laws concerning reverse mortgages.
Liquor Control Act
As Minister responsible for the Liquor Control Act, Smith indicated that his government would not expand the number of private wine stores in the province. He oversaw a tax break for Manitoba's microbrewery industry in April 2001, when the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission reduced its mark-up rates.
In June 2001, Smith announced that Manitoba's liquor laws would be reformed to allow liquor stores, beverage rooms, vendors and private clubs to open on Sundays. Municipalities were allowed to pass by-laws exempting themselves from the legislation. Due in part to extra revenue from this change, the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission's net profits increased by $4.7 million in the 2001-02 year.
Other responsibilities
Smith was appointed to the influential Treasury Board of cabinet on March 24, 2001, replacing Oscar Lathlin. Following the September 11 attacks, he was appointed to an all-party task force on provincial security. In December 2001, he introduced steps to prevent the spread of false or forged birth certificates.
Minister of Transportation and Government Services
Premier Gary Doer shuffled his cabinet on September 25, 2002, and appointed Smith as Minister of Transportation and Government Services with responsibility for Emergency Measures and administration of the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act.
Transportation
In October 2002, Smith instructed drivers of the province's fleet vehicles to purchase environmentally friendly ethanol fuel in areas where it was reasonably available. He said that the Doer government wanted to see ethanol made more widely available across the province, and hoped his decision would provide an incentive for retailers. Provincial ethanol purchases increased dramatically in the last three months of the year. Smith also unveiled two hybrid electric cars for the provincial fleet in December 2002, and said that he planned to double the number of environmentally friendly vehicles in provincial service.
In February 2003, Smith introduced a plan to have the Trans-Canada Highway twinned as far as the Saskatchewan border over a period of four years. The plan was conditional on financial aid from the federal government. In the same year, he joined with federal cabinet minister Rey Pagtakhan to announce significant upgrades to Manitoba's highway system.
