Manitoba Law Reform Commission Paper on Parental Maintenance

The Manitoba Law Reform Commission has published a consultation paper on the provincial Parents' Maintenance Act (PMA):

"It is a well-known tenant of law that parents have a statutory duty to provide reasonably for the support, maintenance, and education of their minor children by way of child support. It is lesser known that in most Canadian jurisdictions, including Manitoba, children have a  statutory duty to provide financial support to their parents, who by reason of age, disability, or infirmity are unable to maintain themselves (“parents’ maintenance”). This Paper addresses parents’ maintenance and not child support. Parents’ maintenance legislation currently exists in all Canadian provinces and territories, except British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan."

The consultation paper examines the arguments to repealing and amending the Act.