A new session of the Manitoba Legislature will begin Tuesday with the reading of the Speech from the Throne. Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen, who is the minister of Education, Immigration and Training, says he looks forward to his government setting out its plans for the coming year.

"It's always exciting to start a new session. As a government, you set out new priorities for the year ahead. It really is an opportunity to set another agenda for the coming year. There 

Kelvin Goertzen    always is a lot of pomp and circumstance around a Throne Speech which is exciting for those who are into those sort of things. But I find the more exciting part is that we get to set out an agenda for the year ahead and then work toward completing that."

Goertzen says there are a couple of big items in his department for the coming year.

"There will be legislation that will be needed in the spring of 2019 for provincewide bargaining (for teachers) which has been requested by the Manitoba Teachers' Society for a number of years. We will be working to have that legislation come forward in the spring. More importantly, I would say, for the longer-term success of students, we will have the K-12-review launched early in 2019. That's a review that hasn't been done for about 30 years so it's important to have that. I'm looking forward to announcing those who will be involved in the review and then getting the feedback of Manitobans. We need to hear from everyone who has an interest in the education system."

Goertzen says the Throne Speech will also outline more of the government's ongoing plans to work towards a balanced budget where they are not spending more than they are taking in.