Manitoba Hansard — 21 November 2022 (Sitting 5, 42nd Legislature, 5th Session)

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Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Fifth Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXVII No. 5 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, November 21, 2022 ISSN 0542-5492

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne, Hon. Lac du Bonnet PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey, Hon.

Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek, Hon. Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott, Hon. Assiniboia PC KHAN, Obby Fort Whyte PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan, Hon. Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib.

LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg, Hon. Riding Mountain PC PEDERSEN, Blaine Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle, Hon. Turtle Mountain PC REDHEAD, Eric Thompson NDP REYES, Jon, Hon. Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew, Hon.

Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC Vacant Kirkfield Park

107 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, November 21, 2022 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Deputy Clerk (Mr. Rick Yarish): It is my duty to inform the House that the Speaker is unavoidably absent. Therefore, in accordance with the statutes, I would ask the Deputy Speaker to please take the Chair. Mr. Deputy Speaker (Andrew Micklefield): O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province.

Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. We acknowl edge we are gathered on Treaty 1 territory and that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk nations. We acknowl edge Manitoba is located on the Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We acknowledge northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit. We respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partner- ship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration. Good afternoon, everybody. Please be seated. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 204–The Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act (Licence Plates for MMIWG2S Awareness) Mrs.

Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): I wish to present the following bill 204, the drivers and vehicles amendment–[interjection]–oh, sorry. I move, seconded by the member from Keewatinook, that Bill 204, The Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act, the plates for MMIWG2S awareness, now be read a first time. Mr. Deputy Speaker: If I may, I don't believe the member for Keewatinook (Mr. Bushie) is in there – [interjection]–I'm sorry. Thank you– [interjection] Okay, then we're good to go.

It has been moved by the honourable member for Point Douglas, seconded by the honour able member for Keewatinook, that Bill 204, The Drivers and Vehicles Amend ment Act (Licence Plates for MMIWG2S Awareness), be now read a first time. Mrs. Smith: I move, seconded by the member from Keewatinook, that Bill 204, The Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act (Licence Plates for MMIWG2S Awareness), now be read a first time. It's clear that more needs to be done to protect Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people here in Manitoba.

This bill would allow for a specialty licence plate to be purchased that has a graphic of a red hand or a red dress, and the abbrevia - tions MMIWG2S, meaning missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit. This licence plate would help to raise awareness, educate and possibly bring someone forward with information that could bring someone's loved one home or possibly solve a case. The money collected will benefit the children left behind of these women and girls and two -spirited people who have been murdered or have gone missing in Manitoba.

I look forward to the unanimous support of this House and showing the MMIWG2S families that we stand in solidarity with them here in this House. Miigwech. MLA Uz oma Asagwara (Union Station): I move, seconded by the MLA for St. Johns, that Bill 205– [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: My apologies; that's my bad. The previous motion is in order. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Agreed –the first reading motion for Bill 204 is in order. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Okay, we're good to go. Now we'll move on to the honourable member for Union Station.

Thanks everyone for your graciousness here.

108 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 Bill 205–The Restricting Mandatory Overtime for Nurses Act (Various Acts Amended) MLA Uzoma Asagwara (Union Station): I move, seconded by the member for St. Johns (Ms. Fontaine), that Bill 205, The Restricting Mandatory Overtime for Nurses Act (Various Acts Amended), be now read a first time. Motion presented. MLA Asagwara: I'm proud to present to the House Bill 205, The Restricting Mandatory Overtime for Nurses Act.

Prior to the pandemic, our health system strug- gled due to lack of capacity, exacerbated by the go v- ernment's unwillingness to address nurse vacancies. Sadly, COVID -19 has only exposed and increased challenges where these gaps exist. Staffing vacancies have led to employers relying on mandating overtime to levels that put both the employee and patient safety at risk. Bill 205 will end the practice of using mandatory overtime to fill vacancies and vacation, and allow nurses the right to refuse overtime and not be in breach of their duty of care. Thank you. Mr.

Deputy Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] The honour able member for –the hon ourable Leader for the Official Opposition. Bill 206–The Louis Riel Act Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): I move, seconded by the member for Keewatinook (Mr. Bushie), that Bill 206, The Louis Riel Act;

Loi sur Louis Riel, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Kinew: Je suis très content de présenter ce projet de loi aujourd'hui, qui va reconnaître M. Riel comme le premier premier ministre du Manitoba. Translation I am very happy to introduce this bill today, which will recognize Mr. Riel as the first Premier of Manitoba. English We all recognize Mr. Riel as father of Manitoba and as a father of Confederation. However we should also recognize that he carried a political title as the president of the legis lative council of Assiniboia.

Today, the Premier of Manitoba is known as the presi- dent of the Executive Council of Manitoba. Therefore, this bill would recognize Louis Riel as the first Premier of Manitoba. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 207–The Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): I move, seconded by the member for St. James (Mr. Sala), that Bill 207, The Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act, be now read a first time. Motion presented. * (13:40) Ms.

Fontaine: I'm proud to introduce Bill 207 today, promoting safer and more inclusive com munities by directing monies obtained by criminal forfeiture to non-profit community organizations. Community organizations are on the front lines of the addiction crisis, mental health, harm reduction services, housing, gender-based violence, community patrol and safety and restorative justice. More often than not, this work is done with the bare minimum of financial resources and rely heavily on volunteer labour.

Bill 7 would see criminal forfeiture dollars redirect- ed to those community agencies on the front lines and desperate for resources. I look forward to the unanimous consent of the House on Bill 207. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Committee reports? Tabling of reports? MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honour able Minister of Education, and I would advise the House the required 90 minutes prior to routine proceedings was provided in accordance with rule 26(2). Would the honour able minister please proceed with the statement.

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 109 Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week Hon. Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I am pleased to rise today to acknowledge that the week of November 13th to 19th had been proclaimed as bullying awareness and pre - vention week. Bullying occurs in many environments like in schools, online and in workplaces. Safe Canada's stat- istics state that 47 per cent of Canadian parents have at least one child that has been a victim of bullying.

Around one third of the population has experienced bullying as a child and around one third of teenagers have been bullied recently. Those who deal with bullying and see its effects first-hand, such as students, teachers, parents and others in the community are instrumental in develop- ing solutions to this problem, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Education and Early Childhood Learning Department would like to stress that all Manitoba school divisions must provide a safe and caring school environment that fosters and maintains respectful and responsibl e behaviours.

In addition, school divisions are required to have policies that incorporate a continuum of supports, in- cluding positive and preventative approaches and strategies, as well as consequences corresponding to the nature, severity and frequency of the behaviours or infractions. Policies regarding disciplinary measures are to be established and enforced at the local school division level. These policies must include the school's proto - cols for notifying parents or guardians of a pupil who has be come subject to a discipline or behaviour - management response or intervention.

I would also like to take this opportunity to talk about Cool 2Be Kind, a campaign that our Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) and government has supported over the years. This campaign is an initiative with the Winnipeg Police Association that helps teach students in kindergarten to grade 8 the value of being kind to others and making positive choices in school and in life. Students and educators are invited to submit a Kindness project proposal for their school with the opportunity to receive funding in the amount of $500 to see their project come to life.

I wanted to take this time to commend all those who have spoken out against bullying or taken action in any other way. I'd like to recognize the teachers for all that they do with this very important issue. It is through their efforts that we can stop bullying in our schools and create a safe and respectful environment in our classrooms, our schools and our communities. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Nello Altomare (Transcona): National bullying awareness and prevention week aims to promote safer and healthier learning environments for all students.

It is important that all students, regardless of back- ground and identities, are able to attend school free from bullying and other forms of intimidation. We all know of situations when a child or children have become targets of bullies. Be it verbal, online, social media or physical forms of abuse, students and their families, caregivers can experience unbelievable amounts of stress due to these occurrences. When bullying occurs, this can lead to students missing classes as they become less confident and comfortable attending school. This is completely un- acceptable, Deputy Speaker.

Bullying in all of its manifestations should never be tolerated in our schools. Deputy Speaker, I would like to take this oppor - tunity to thank all of those working within our schools to eradicate bullying. Every adult working in our schools plays an important role in ensuring students feel safe, secure and supported while attending classes. I would also like to thank those students who go out of their way to ensure that they are doing their part as responsible citizens to ensure bullying does not take place in their learning environments.

When all stakeholders–kids, families, staff, community mem - bers–work in partnership, safe, secure, support ive learning environments are the result. Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Ms. Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Mr. Deputy Speaker, I ask for leave to respond to the minister's statement. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the member have leave to respond to the minister's statement? [Agreed] Ms. Lamoureux: I rise this afternoon to speak to bullying awareness week. Yesterday was Transgender Day of Remembrance, which annually marks the murders of hundreds of trans- gender people around the world.

It is important to recognize that trans and gender- variant people are among the highest percentage of persons who are bullied in schools and workplaces. In

110 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 schools, over 50 per cent of children who report being bullied are 2SLGBTTQ and are four times more likely to commit suicide. Mr. Deputy Speaker, bullying can happen in any relationship. It can occur between friends, colleagues, family members, even strangers and can take place in many different contexts including face to face, behind one's back, over social media platforms, so forth.

There are even times a bully will not realize their own actions, however, will leave a person feeling with - drawn, physically ill, unable to sleep and can even have a big effect on learning and further violence. If you're a victim, use the resources that we have here in Canada. If you're a bystander, speak up. And if you are a bully or think you may be a bully, re - consider your behaviour. Unfortunately, bullying takes place nearly every- where, even in these very Chambers. Every time someone intentionally spreads inaccurate information about someone else –in other words, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, a rumour–this is bullying. Every time someone puts someone else down to make themselves feel better, even in a form of heckling, this is bullying. Every time a person mumbles to their seatmate a mean comment or a personal cheap shot about another membe r, this is bullying. Mr. Deputy Speaker, regularly, MLAs bash one another for the way we may speak, what we may wear, what we might post on social media and these are just a few examples. And it's not to say we can't have these conversations, but they can be done in a respectful manner.

Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you is a myth. And as elected officials, we are leaders and, as such, we have a responsibility to set a better example. Thank you. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honour able Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness, and I would indicate to the House the required 90 minutes notice prior to routine proceedings was provided in accord- ance with rule 26(2). Would the honour able minister please proceed with their statement. Substance Use and Addictions Awareness Week Hon.

Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness): I rise today to proclaim November 20th to the 26th as Manitoba's Substance Use and Addictions Awareness Week. Each year, Manitoba Substance Use and Addictions Awareness Week provides an opportunity for Manitobans to engage in meaningful discussions and explore solutions for addressing the harms that are caused by substance use and addictions. This year's theme, A Community of Caring, re - cognizes communities for their role in creating safe, healthy, respectful and supportive environments for individuals to thrive.

The impact that addictions can have on individ- uals, families and communities is significant. Equally significant is creating opportunities to have meaning- ful discussions about prevention and treatment while working together to reduce stigma and promote recovery.

That is why I'm pleased that so many Manitobans with diverse backgrounds will have the opportunity to gather and share perspectives and ideas this week: addictions workers, mental health workers, health- care professionals, researchers, policy makers, know- ledge keepers, as well as individuals who have lived and are living with the impacts of su bstance use and their families and supporters. * (13:50) Our government recognizes that a strong mental health and addictions system is a key component of our health-care system.

We know there are a number of harms associated with substance use, including the onset or the worsen- ing of mental health problems, family and inter - personal conflicts, physical health problems, over - doses and, sadly, death. That's why in February of this year, I was proud to announce our department's five -year road map, A Pathway to Mental Health and Community Wellness, that speaks to the areas that will be prioritized over the next five years. Key priorities for this first year include increasing capacity of mental health and addictions services and investing in core service s across Manitoba.

We have invested an additional $17.1 million into mental health and addiction services just this past year.

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 111 We want everyone seeking treatment to have the opportunity to be healthy, so our government is making significant investments to increase and sup - port up to 1,000 new publicly funded treatment spaces. We understand that addressing the harms related to substance use and addictions cannot be done by one organization or one department alone. It requires a whole-of-government approach, working across de - partments, service delivery organizations and our valued community partners to ensure help is available to all who need it.

I wish to thank all of the addictions service pro- viders across the province for your dedication and for the invaluable role that you play in Manitoba's health- care system. Thank you, as well, to all the guests who have joined me today in the gallery: Ela Partyka from the Mental Health and Addictions in Shared Health; from Tamarack Recovery we have Lisa Cowan; fr om the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg, Executive Director Damon Johnson; and from the Behavioural Health Foundation, Marla Somersall.

I believe that together we can make a difference and collectively shape a brighter future for Manitobans im- pacted by substance use and addictions. In honour of the Manitoba Substance Use and Addictions Awareness Week, I encourage all Manitobans to work together to raise awareness about substance use and addictions. Together we can find paths to restore lives and reunite families. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mrs. Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): This week is Manitoba Substance Use and Addictions Awareness Week. Manitoba is in an overdose crisis.

Last year alone, more than 400 Manitobans lost their lives due to an overdose, and this year we are on pace to break that horrible record. This is not just numbers ; these are actual human beings that are losing their lives here in our province of Manitoba, and their families and communities are being irreversibly impacted. It is beyond the time to address the addictions crisis here in Manitoba. Manitobans are struggling with addictions. They deserve support from this gov- ernment. But the PCs' approach continues to be ideo- logical and out of touch with the needs of Manitobans.

The most obvious example of this is supervised con- sumption sites. We all know that they save lives. The PCs refuse to allow them. The member from Rossmore [phonetic] recently summarized the government's position in oppo- sition to supervised consumption sites when he pro - posed, get people back to work, end of quote. What the member and the entire PC caucus have been unwilling to come to grips with is this: the supply of drugs is poisoning people and taking their lives here in Manitoba. Knowledge kee per Leslie Spillett was quoted in a CBC

article last week saying that this gov- ernment, and I quote, has blood on their hands because of their lack of inaction. It doesn't have to be that way. Overdose deaths are preventable, and if the right supports ar e put in place, if this gov ernment would just listen to those 80 front-line workers or organi zations who've sent letters. We recognize on this side of the House and are prepared to deal with this like the public health crisis it is. We will provide sup ervised consumption sites and accurate, up-to-date reporting, something that this government has refused to do.

We will also reduce the stigma around substance use so that anyone struggling can feel confident in accessing supports and accessing anything available. How do we know this will work? Well, recently, like I said, over 80 front -line community organiza - tions signed an open letter calling on this government to address the opioid crisis and stop taking lives and that they're preventable. Their solutions included asking this government to provide more timely infor- mation, provide drug testing machines and establish safe consumption sites.

These are the organizations that are on the front lines dealing–and supporting people who are experi - encing these struggles in their lives. They are united in their approach to this crisis, and it is critical that we listen to them and swiftly act on their advice. The choice here is clear: the government can support Manitobans by taking action, which will save lives. Or they can simply continue down their ideological path, which, tragically, will result in further loss of life. I urge this PC government to change course of action.

Today I want to say thank you to all of those front-line workers and I want to send our support, our love. To all of those that are struggling, know that we

112 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 are advocating for them and for those families who have lost their loved ones and are struggling to keep them alive. We will continue to advocate in this House for this PC government to do the right thing and help prevent these deaths in our province. Miigwech. Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Deputy Speaker, I ask leave to speak to the minister's statement. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Is there leave for the member to speak to the minister's statement? [Agreed] Mr. Gerrard: Let me first recognize those who have come during the gallery today.

Thank you for being here and thank you for the work that you do each and every day on the front lines of the effort to help those who are suffering from substance use or addictions. I speak today to call for much better action to help those with substance use and addictions. The action needs to be both in the area of preven- tion and in the area of treatment. Too little is being done in M anitoba now to prevent substance use and addictions.

We need to much more effectively address bullying, discrimination and harassment of children and adults, as the trauma associated with such actions can be a reason for substance use and addictions. As a n example, I have recently heard very stressing stories of children with learning disabilities being targeted. This should not be happening, but it is here in Manitoba. We also need to address factors which may pro - mote substance use and addictions, including, as an example, exposure to lead.

The Province hasn't moved to screen children between the ages of one and three to detect lead exposure and to mitigate its effects. Far too many in Manitoba are experiencing over- doses. Far too many have died. We n eed to do far better. Too little has been done to date to ensure quick access to addictions treatment when it is needed. As an example, as I have raised previously, this is not just about the number, but it is also about the quality of the care and the help that's provided.

I have raised the need to ensure that individuals who are seen in RAAM clinics can get opioid agonist therapy as soon as possible, and where it is appropriate. Such OAT therapy is the standard of care and needs to be available quickly when an individual with an opioid addiction is ready to start, rather than too many, as is happening now, having to wait quite some time before being able to access the treatment. It is a fairly simple problem that the gov ernment should solve, but they have not yet done so.

It is also clear that individuals need continued support for some consid erable length of time, par - ticularly in today's world where people may have received or taken more than one substance. And various organizations, including Morberg House and Two Ten Recovery have found that a multistep, many- month program is usually needed for long- term suc- cess. It is essential that we ensure that there's pro - vincial support for this length of time, which is so badly needed if success is to be achieved. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Merci. Miigwech. * (14:00) Introduction of Guests Mr.

Deputy Speaker: We have some guests with us today. I would like to draw the attention of all members to the public gallery. We have guests from Gordon Bell High School; 20 students ages 16 through 21–you guys are welcome to stand if you'd like to–under the direction of Mark Dewar. This group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Wolseley (Ms. Naylor). We welcome you to the Legislature. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Assiniboine Community College Nursing Program Mr.

Dennis Smook (La Vérendrye): Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Providence university college located in Otterburne, Manitoba, which happens to be located in the constituency of La Vérendrye. I was there to celebrate the opening of the rural rotating site for the practical nursing program, which is being offered by Assiniboine Community College, at Providence university college. It was an honour to meet with many of the 20 stu- dents enrolled in this program, who come from communities in southeastern Manitoba such as Kleefeld, La Broquerie, Mitchell and New Bothwell, just to name a few.

They all had interesting stories, but the two things that were clear for many of them was that offering this program close to where many of them live made it possible for them to be able to enrol , as there were many reasons, from travel costs to the availability of

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 113 child care and to the time away from home, that all must be conside red if they would have taken this course in Winnipeg. The second thing for many of them was that they would like to find jobs close to home, in local hos - pitals like Ste. Anne, St. Pierre -Jolys, Steinbach and Vita, since many of them have established roots in the communities where they live. The credits that are received from this two -year practical nursing program can be used to further their education, and with another two years of study they can become RNs.

This program is part of our gov ernment's com - mitment to add 400 new nursing spots. This will not only help add nurses to our health- care system, but will give rural Manitobans the opportunity to enhance their lives. I would like to thank Assiniboine Community College, Providence university col lege and our pro- vincial government for working together and offering these programs in rural areas of the province. Thank you.

Manitoba Theatre for Young People MLA Uzoma Asagwara (Union Station): Deputy Speaker, the Manitoba Theatre for Young People has been creating and presenting professional theatre pro- ductions for children and families since 1982. It is the second largest theatre company in Canada to produce and present work exclusively for children and youth, and the only theater doing so in Manitoba; and the largest centre for recreational theatre education for children in the country. MTYP has grown to become one of the most respected professional theatre companies in Canada for children and youth.

Located at The Forks, MTYP also plays a key role in the development and delivery of theatre-in-education programs that concentrate on using theatre as an educational tool to illustrate and express ideas about social issues. The company also operates a theatre school where over 1,500 children and teens learn the art and craft of theatre and related disciplines, and hosts Native Youth Theatre, which offers free classes in theatre and re- lated disciplines to Winnipeg's Indigenous youth.

I was recently at MTYP, not for a play or produc- tion but for my first in-person citizenship ceremony as the MLA for Union Station. Highlighting just how dynamic and welcoming their space is and the creative ways they foster relationship building and memory making in our communities. As this year marks their 40th anni versary, it's important we celebrate their hard work and dedication that they have shown in hosting and presenting 347 productions since 1982. In celebration of MTYP's 40th birthday, they put a call out on social media and other platforms asking folks to share their own MTYP stories.

You can read these stories and submit your own on their website. And, good grief, A Charlie Brown Double Bill runs on the MTYP Mainstage from December 2nd to 23rd. Make sure to get your tickets. We're joined today by MTYP's general manager, Debra Zoerb; artistic director, Pablo Felices -Luna; and Greg Klassen, Sarah Flynn, Louise Pujo, Vern Thiessen and Suzanne Munroe. Please join me in congratulating the Manitoba Theatre for Young people on 40 years of connecting children to the joy of theatre. Thank you. Congratulations. Scleroderma Awareness Hon.

Alan Lagimodiere (Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations): Today I bring awareness of scleroderma, a complicated, ag - gressive autoimmune disease, and to acknowledge the bravery of individuals who live with scleroderma. There is no known cause of scleroderma and no two cases will present alike, making diagnosis dif - ficult and the need for many specialists to be involved in the diagnosis and treatment. Each person's journey living with scleroderma is unique. Women are affected five to six times more than men.

Scleroderma refers to all types of sclerosis, both skin changes and changes to other tissues and organs of the body. Raynaud's, stiffness in hands, joint pain, fatigue, trouble sleeping are all early symptoms. Systemic sclerosis causes the most severe outcomes. As scleroderma progresses, it leads to an overproduction of collagen in connective tissue. Scleroderma is cruel, and since connective tissue is everywhere in the body, no organ is immune from the devastating effects of scleroderma.

Advancing stages of scleroderma result in dam - age to the heart and lungs, circulatory problems, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, heart failure,

114 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 kidney failure and digestive problems and malnutri - tion. This leads to a significant decrease in quality of life and life expectancy. No cure is available, so symptomatic treatments are employed to help cope with daily functions and try to slow the progression. Life-altering decisions for individuals and their families need to be made as conditions develop and evolve. Those diagnosed know the road is not easy, but choose to not let scleroderma define who they are.

They should be admired for their courage to live each day doing the things they love despite the obstacles they face. I ask my colleagues to please rise and recognize those living with scleroderma, including my wife Judy and members of Scleroderma Manitoba. Thank you for your ongoing work and your support. I now table their names for Hansard. Scleroderma Manitoba: Jo- Ann Lapointe McKenzie, president; Helen Goertzen, past secretary; Crystal Smith, member at large; Debbie Robitaille, member at large; Linda Cassell, support group team member ; Judith Lagimodiere Northern Manitoba in Throne Speech Mr.

Eric Redhead (Thompson): On November 15th, the government shared their Speech from the Throne in the Legislature. The speech doubled down on the poor decisions and neglect of northern communities. Unfortunately, northern Manitoba received very little attention in the Throne Speech, just as it has received very little attention over the past several years. The provincial government has offered far too little attention and support across the board for man y years, and the Throne Speech is proof of that.

The Throne Speech is meant to lay out priorities of govern during the legislative session, and it is obvious that the government has no interest in prior itizing northern Manitoba families. There is a mount ain of issues affecting northern Manitoba that should have been addressed. The vacancy rate of northern highway maintenance sits at 40 per cent. The Throne Speech made no commitment to address that. The emergency room at Thompson General Hospital is running at half vacant. The PCs have not addressed this.

Our foot-care clinic closed four years ago and the Throne Speech mentioned nothing of re - storing that preventative service in Thompson. This provincial government cut support programs like Communities Economic Development Fund, which help businesses. They also cut support for com- munities that are dealing with mine slowdowns or shutdowns. By this government's own admission, thousands of jobs are being lost. This slowed the development of northern c ommunities by so much, and many are struggling just to get by while costs are skyrocketing.

Northern Manitoba has been left to struggle for so long that communities need desperate attention now to address the issues that have arisen over the past several years. Northern Manitoba deserves attention of this government, and the longer the government goes without investing significantly in the North, northern families and communities will continue to struggle to make ends meet. Thank you. Fall Fundraisers and Banquets Mr. James Teitsma (Radisson): Earlier this month I attended the Alpha House fundraiser gala and I was joined by the Minister of Families (Ms.

Squires) as well as the PC candidate for Kirkfield Park, Kevin Klein. * (14:10) Alpha House is a s afe place for women that are seeking to rebuild their lives after leaving an abusive environment. They provide secure housing along with a structured program of counselling and workshops. Ultimately, their goal is to help those who come to them break the c ycle of violence, build their self - confidence and move on to independent living and to flourish as examples to themselves, their children and other women.

There were two keynote speakers that evening, one of whom was a young woman who shared her own story of abuse at the hands of her partner –not just physical abuse, but emotional and financial as well. The other speaker was Kevin Klein himself, who shared his family's tragic story that resulted in the murder of his mother by her husband. A few weeks ago, I also attended the YFC Fall Banquet. YFC believes that each young person, what- ever their background, beliefs or situation, has hope, potential and purpose. They believe in them so that these young people can believe in themselves.

Tomorrow, I hope to attend the Adult & Teen Challenge fall banquet. Adult & Teen Challenge seeks

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 115 to provide individuals, families and communities free- dom from life-controlling addictions. They operate a holistic model of recovery that involves body, mind and spirit of those who attend their programs. I'm happy to support all these organizations not just by purchasing tickets to their fundraising events, but also by donating to their causes. And while it's always nice to have a meal served to you, I think it's even better to be the one doing the serving, especially when you're able to give to those in need in our city.

So I want to encourage all of my MLA colleagues on all sides of this House to take time this holiday season to help out at Salvation Army or Siloam Mission or Agape Table or at one of the other great organizations who help the hurting in our city. Being generous with our time and talents and trea- sure helps us set a good example to our communities and our province. ORAL QUESTIONS Health-Care System Capital Spending Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): Manitobans don't believe the PCs when it comes to health care. They might make announcements, but we all know that they don't get the job done.

Just take, for example, health-care infrastructure. This is the budget for hospitals and for clinics. Here are the facts: the PCs promised to spend $294 million on health-care infrastructure, but the PCs underspent that amount by $150 million. That's more than half. That's what the PCs do. Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) tell the House why her government refuses to spend more than half of the budget for health-care capital? Hon. Cliff Cullen (Deputy Premier): I will say to members opposite that our commitment to the health of Manito bans has never been higher.

In terms of health-care budget, we've allocated over $1 billion more than the NDP ever did during their time in office. Mr. Deputy Speaker, we recog nize that addic - tions and mental health are important for Manitobans. That's why we've created a separate depart ment to deal with that. We also recognize the health of seniors is important. That's why we've created a Depart ment of Health–of Seniors to look after seniors. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I will assure Manitobans our commitment to the health of Manitobans has never been higher. Mr.

Deputy Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question. Mr. Kinew: Well, the commit ment just is not matched by action, which leads you to under–I guess– stand, where the PCs are coming from. There's an election next year and now they want to come out with all these an nouncements. But let's see what actually happens when they make an announcement. Again, I'll table the docu ments produced by t his government. It shows that even though they announ- ced spending of $290 million, more than $150 million of that never actually made it out the door.

Those are investments that should be made to help Manitobans better be able to access health care in their commu- nities–communities in the Interlake, com munities in Westman, communities in the Parkland region. Now, this is why projects get delayed or sometimes even cancelled, like what happened to CancerCare. It's because of choices made by the PCs at the Cabinet table. Will the Premier tell the House why her government refused to spend $150 million on health-care capital? Mr. Cullen: Well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we made commitments to over $800 million for redevelop- ments for hospitals in rural Manitoba.

We've got work going on in Neepawa, work will be under way in Brandon and Portage la Prairie in the near future. We're currently–major undertaking in the emergency area around St. Boniface Hospital, that work is under way. And there's been recent upgrades at the Grace Hospital as well. So when it comes to capital invest ments, we've heard what Manitobans have said and we're delivering on what Manitobans have asked us to deliver on. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary. Mr. Kinew: A commitment without action is just an announcement.

And that's all the PCs ever do. And if you need the historical context, here it is, because this is not the first year that this has taken place. Just like Brian Pallister, this Premier refuses to invest–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –in health-care cuts.

116 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 In 2017, for example, Mr. Pallister –whose name they can't say anymore, by the way–promised to invest $360 million in health-care capital. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: What did he end up spending? Well, these documents, which I'll table today, show that he didn't even spend half. Once again, now the Premier is trying to mislead– [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –Manitobans. They're making announce- ments that they know full well they will not be follow- ing through on.

Why did the Premier cut $150 million from health capital spending? Mr. Cullen: Well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we made another commitment in our Throne Speech just this past week of ad ditional invest ments for the –for Winnipeg and area. Let me just remind the member what we have done in the last couple of years: $32 million for 23 beds in Steinbach's hospital; $64 million for 24 beds, Boundary Trails; $31 million, work under way at Selkirk Regional Health Centre; $5 million for a new ER in Dauphin; $11 million for beds at the Lakeshore general hospital in Ashern.

That is just some of the capital invest ments that we've made in Manitoba and we're going to continue to make here in Manitoba for Manitobans. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question. Personal-Care Homes Number of Beds Available Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): These announcements were made in previous throne speeches, and then nothing ever happened.

The documents that I tabled show that every single year, whether it was under Brian Pallister or whether it's under the Stefanson government, this gov- ernment announces things in health care and then they just don't build them. We saw it in personal-care homes as well. When we talk about personal-care-home beds, in 2016, they went out and promised 1,200 new beds. Here we are, six years later. Did they build even one? No, they did not. In fact, we lost 216 beds from the personal-care-home system.

They make announcements; not only do they not fulfill them, but often they move things in the com - pletely wrong direction. Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) tell this House why she cut the number of personal -care-home beds in Manitoba? Hon. Scott Johnston (Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care): The Leader of the Op position is incorrect. This government is committed to ensuring that the needs of Manitobans are met. With personal-care-home facilities, we have ini - tiated our seniors strategy.

We have talked to stake- holders, we have talked to seniors, we have talked to all of the people who are interested in exactly – [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Johnston: –supporting seniors in this province. And you've got t o plan to do this, Mr. Deputy Speaker. You can't just do it off the seat of your pants and create programs that are flawed, which the– [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Johnston: –NDP did for home care. We're pur - suing it– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The member's time has expired. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Kinew: They broke their promise to build 1,200 beds and, in fact, cut 216 personal -care-home beds for the system. We had this argument last week, and the case was settled. Even the Minister of Health (Ms. Gordon) would not deny the fact that they cut 216 personal-care-home beds. * (14:20) Now, we know one of the reasons that's contribu- ted to the loss of personal -care-home beds is the fact that they've put an arbitrary cap on the funding per bed in the long-term-care system. All of us looked at the exper ience of seniors in long-term care d uring the pandemic and I thought we'd all agreed to do better.

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 117 Well, apparently, not this PC Cabinet, because they continue to be part of an organi zation that not only broke the promise of 1,200 new beds but actually reduced the number of long- term beds by more than 200 in our province. Why did the Premier cut the number of personal- care-home beds in Manitoba? Mr. Johnston: As I'd indicated to the House on sever- al occasions, this gov ernment has under taken a sen - iors strategy and part of that senio rs strategy is to accommodate the needs of the people of Manitoba.

It is very clear that the people of Manitoba have indicated that they want support so they can age at home, and this gov ernment is going to present a seniors strategy which will accommodate that. As well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have made a commitment that we are going to ensure that the needs of Manitobans are met with personal-care homes and the seniors strategy. When I bring it forward, I'm sure that the Leader of the Opposition will be the first one to stand up to– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The member's time has expired. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary. Mr.

Kinew: I just want to show, for the record, that after raising this issue f or a couple of days now, neither the Health Minister nor the Seniors Minister can deny the fact that they broke the 1,200- bed promise and cut beds by 216. We all know that there are invest ments needed. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: These investments are sorely needed in Lac du Bonnet–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –which has never seen the investment of personal-care-home beds that the PCs–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –have made to the Minister for Edu ca- tion.

And he continues to try to heckle because he knows he's not going to get anywhere–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –raising this issue at the PC Cabinet table. The same is true in Radisson. The same is true in Rossmere. There are invest ments needed, and yet things continue to move in the wrong direction. Why did the Premier cut the number of personal- care-home beds by more than 200 in Manitoba? Mr. Johnston: I would correct the member. We–this government has initiated over 500 new care beds in the province of Manitoba, and, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as I had indicated, that's only the beginning.

And I'm –again, I remind–I'll be reminding the Leader of the Opposition, when we present our seniors strategy and we bring forward further support for the people of Manitoba, I'll be looking for him to stand up and support us. Health-Care System Privatization Concerns MLA Uzoma Asagwara (Union Station): Deputy Speaker, Manitobans want public health car e that works for Manitobans. Brian Pallister cut health care, and so did the current Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) when she was minister of Health. The college of nurses reports hundreds less regis- tered nurses in our province.

As a result, this govern- ment has already deeply expanded private health, spending $40 million per year on private, for -profit agencies. It's the wrong approach and one that erodes our public health system. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. MLA Asagwara: Will the minister r econsider and abandon their plans for private health in Manitoba? Hon. Audrey Gordon (Minister of Health): I can see that the member for Union Station is continuing the narrative that their leader has set for fake news and fear mongering, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

But I'm going to table, for the member's review, an article–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Ms. Gordon: –out today: Use of private clinics is not the end of public health care. And in that article, it states, once again, as I've said befo re, that the mem- bers opposite rely on fear mongering. But here in the article, it says: That is not exactly what she said. Stefanson said the Province plans to build more capacity in the system in part–

118 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Ms. Gordon: –by using–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Ms. Gordon: –more private providers–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. [interjection] Order. Can you pause the clocks, please. And–okay, you cannot–a member cannot refer to an–a sitting member of this Chamber, including the Premier, by their last name, including if they're quoting from another source. So, that was the point that I wanted to get clarity on.

And that rule, apparently, does include if you're quoting from another source. So, friendly reminder to all parties. The honourable member for Union Station–and if we can restart the clock, that would be great as well. [interjection] Order, please. I've given the floor to the honour - able member for Union Station. I believe the time was within seconds of finishing, if it–not already over, so we'll proceed as I previously announced. MLA Asagwara: Deputy Speaker, the current Premier sat on Treasury Board as she cut and privatized out - patient physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

She also contracted out medical aviation, an approach that means slower planes and less reliable service. That's what the PC approach means. Their reli - ance on private health has not made things better. In fact, things have gotten muc h worse under their watch. A new approach is needed. Will the minister abandon their plans for private health in Manitoba? Ms. Gordon: I'll just finish this one sentence in the quote: The NDP, when it was in government, used the same blend of private and public health care; it's not new. Mr. Deputy Speaker, our gov ernment is com- mitted to strengthening the public health system.

That is why I'm so pleased that our government announced $200 million–the largest single invest ment in our public health system in the province's history–to bring online 2,000 additional health professionals. That is bolstering the public health system. That is strengthening the health system right here in Manitoba. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable member for Union Station, on a final supplementary. MLA Asagwara: Manitobans do not believe a single word that comes out of that minister's mouth when it comes to their health care. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. MLA Asagwara: And why is that?

It's because – [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. MLA Asagwara: –wait times are at a record high at emergency rooms. It's because Manitobans cannot get timely access to primary care in their communities. Manitoba has lost hundreds of registered nurses because of the PCs' cuts. Meanwhile, this government is spending $40 million per year on private, for-profit agencies. Simply put: their approach has meant things have gotten worse, not better. Will the minister change paths and abandon their plan for private health and invest in public health care in Manitoba, and will she do so today? Ms.

Gordon: We're still digging out of the dark days of the NDP, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask the member for Union Station: Has the member asked the NDP why they didn't do what they needed to do in 17 years to help inter - nationally educated nurses to gain licensure in this province, Mr. Deputy Speaker? They're asking us what we are doing to help nurses. Well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Ms. Sigua was an– is an internationally educated nurse who received her education in the Philippines. In 2013, under the dark days of the NDP, she applied to the CRNM for registration. What did the NDP do? They sent her packing.

That is why– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The minister's time has expired. PC Party Candidate for Kirkfield Park Concerns Regarding Peter Nygård Connection Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): Kevin Klein is the PC candidate for Kirkfield Park. Klein has stated he worked for Peter Nygård in 2012 and 2014. And he says he stopped working for

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 119 Nygård after that. Those are the statements that Klein has made to the public. * (14:30) But new information 'showns' that Klein worked as a public relations executive for Nygård in 2015. That's according to new court documents I table today. Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) tell the House why her candidate in Kirkfield Park has not been honest with Manitobans about his time with Peter Nygård? Hon. Jeff Wharton (Minister of Environment, Climate and Parks): Certainly, working with Mr. Klein in Kirkfield Park has been an ultimate joy, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

We know that Kevin is getting out to every single door in Kirkfield Park. We're there to help Mr. Klein. And I can tell the members opposite that it's going to be a really ch illy night come election day in Kirkfield Park for the NDP. Ms. Fontaine: New information is coming out about Kevin Klein's relationship with Peter Nygård. Not only did Klein work with Nygård in 2015, he is listed as an investor, as a private sector par tner, with Peter Nygård in 2016. I'll table the docu ments for the Premier to examine. Klein has been lying to Manitobans about when he worked for Peter Nygård.

Does the Premier think it's okay for Kevin Klein to mislead Manitobans about when he worked with Peter Nygård? [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order, please. Mr. Wharton: Certainly, if the member from St. Johns wants to learn a little bit more about misleading, she can look to her left, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and ask that question of her leader. We know that Mr. Klein is continuing to work out in Kirkfield Park, Mr. Deputy Speaker. We know there's a host of volunteers –as a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to getting out there again on Wednesday with my wife to knock on those doors in Kirkfield Park.

We know the work it takes to serve Manitobans. We're going to get that work right. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honour able member for St. Johns, on a final supplementary. Ms. Fontaine: Kevin Klein wants to be the MLA for Kirkfield Park, and voters are being asked– Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Order. Ms. Fontaine: Voters are being asked to judge Klein on his statements. Klein said he stopped working for Nygård in 2014, but court documents show he worked as a pub- lic relations executive for Nygård in 2015. Klein is 'listin' as a private sector partner in 2016.

That means Klein was not only an employee but also an investor with Peter Nygård. Those are the facts. Will the Premier tell the House if she thinks – [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Ms. Fontaine: –it's okay for her candidate to lie to Manitobans in seeking a job to be the MLA for Kirkfield Park? Mr. Deputy Speaker: The member's time has expired. Mr. Wharton: Certainly, we know Mr. Klein's record when it comes to serving Manitobans as a city counsellor. We know that his goals and values are very shared with this side of the House, Mr. Deputy Speaker, un- like members opposite.

We know that he's focused on affordability. He's focused on crime. He's a great volunteer in his com munity and will make the next MLA for Kirkfield Park. He will continue to carry the message that our government is working for Manitobans, not the NDP. Manitoba Municipalities Operating Funding Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Mr. Speaker, over the past several years, a lot of things have changed. We've had two failed PC premiers, we've ex perienced a global pandemic and we've seen a major cost -of- living crisis.

However, one thing has remained the same: for the seventh straight budget, the PCs have frozen funding for municipalities across this province. That is a cut. These cuts have made it harder for municipalities to deliver on the services and programming that their residents and their ratepayers rely on. So, will the minister simply do the right thing and–[interjection]

120 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Wiebe: –commit to ending the funding freeze to municipalities today? Hon. Derek Johnson (Acting Minister of Municipal Relations): My first op portunity to rise on behalf of the Minister for Municipal Relations. I want to thank all of the elected officials that put their name forward in this last election. Whether you're acclaimed or you went through the voting process, it's your service that you do to the grassroots for Manitobans that we appreciate on this side of the House. And I want to thank them all for their hard work. Mr.

Wiebe: For seven budgets in a row, the PCs have frozen operating funding for Manitoba's municipali- ties. That is a fact. This freeze means that municipalities have to tackle those 2022 issues with–such as high inflation and the COVID -19 pandemic –with 2016 dollars. Municipalities have been forced to cut services and cut back in many ways. The PCs–they could make things right by ending the operating funding freeze. Will the minister simply commit to working with municipalities and ending the freeze today? Mr.

Johnson: As you're well aware, we had our Throne Speech the other day, and I want to give a personal thanks to Kam Blight and Denys Volkov that attended here, and their words of encouragement and satisfaction from the Throne Speech. That never, ever happened with an NDP gov ern- ment. They were displeased with them. Forced amal- gamation, you name it, the NDP fought municipalities all the way. And it's nice to see support from our leadership, from AMM in this Chamber at the Throne Speech. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable member for Concordia, on a final supplementary. Mr.

Wiebe: I would encourage the minister to spend some time with municipalities over the next couple of days at their convention, because what he'll hear is that municipalities across–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Wiebe: –this province are united on one thing, and that is that the PC gov ernment needs to end the operating funding freeze. Municipalities have been calling for an end to this freeze over the past seven budgets, and yet this minister and others have refused to listen. Munici - palities are dealing with 2022 iss ues with 2016 dollars.

It's time for the PCs to do the right thing and start to listen to Manitoba municipalities. Will the minister simply commit to sitting down, working with municipalities at ending the munici pal funding freeze today? Mr. Johnson: Yes, what the member forgets to recall in this House: his party–his party–called the municipal leaders of this province howling coyotes after their forced amalgamation. They have zero respect for AMM and the members of their board. On this side of the House, we respect the AMM. We thank them for all their hard work.

They appre - ciate the unprecedented investments through Building Sustainable Com munities. Just this past year, this spring, we had $15- million invest ment in potholes from the years of underfunding from the NDP govern- ment. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. [interjection] Order. [interjection] Order. Safe Consumption Sites Government Position Mrs. Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): Just yester- day, the Minister of Ment al Health and Com munity Wellness advocated for Alberta's approach to ad dic- tions treatment, which has managed to cut over dose deaths by almost half.

Yet, one key detail the minister failed to mention is that Alberta's approach included safe con sumption sites–five of them, in fact. Calgary, Alberta, Grand Prairie, Lethbridge and Red Deer all have safe con - sumption sites. The minister knows this. So, will the minister–why–can the minister tell us today why she's trying to deliberately mislead Manitobans about safe consumption sites? * (14:40) Hon.

Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness): If the member opposite had actually written–or read the reports that are recently released by Alberta, they have stated a number of unintended consequences for these opened consumption sites. And two have closed so far. I don't know what the others are going to face in future, but they have decided to move towards a recovery - oriented system of care.

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 121 We are learning from the mistakes of other juris- dictions. We are going to invest with what we know works and saves lives. Mr. Deputy Speaker: I'm going to ask the clerks to stop the clock, please. I need to caution the member who used language that insinuated there was a deliberat e intent to mis - lead, and that is actually unparliamentary, and so I'm– I need to caution the member on that particular point. The member does have the floor, and if we could restart the clocks, that would be great. The honourable member for Point Douglas. Mrs.

Smith: The minister can justify or can't justify her position on safe consumption sites. On one hand, she's advocating against them, despite 80 front-line organizations calling on her gov- ernment. These are organizations that are working on the front lines supporting and know exactly what's needed to save lives, but yet they won't listen. The minister is ignoring key facts that have made Alberta's approach suc cessful and has allowed them to nearly cut overdose deaths in half. Can the minister explain why she refuses to admit that safe consumption sites will save lives, and invest here in Manitoba? Mrs.

Guillemard: It's not surprising that the member opposite can't even apologize for unparliamentary language used in this House, considering some of the comments that she also made during a minis terial statement, when she claims that blood is on the hands of governments. I'm wondering how much accountability she will take personally for the 17 years that the NDP govern- ment did not open a RAAM clinic, neither did they open any supervised consump tion sites. How much blood is on the NDP's hands? Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, on a final supplementary. Mrs.

Smith: The minister is taking an ideological approach to safe consumption sites. Eighty front-line organizations–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mrs. Smith: –have called on this minister to invest in safe consumption sites. They save lives. They're pro- ven. Alberta is even doing it. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mrs. Smith: And this minister says that she's looking to Alberta, so why doesn't this minister want to sup- port safe consumption sites? We're on track to beat last year's overdose deaths in this province. These are preventable deaths, yet this minister refuses to do anything.

Will the minister finally listen to the experts and open a safe con sumption site here in Manitoba and help save lives? Mrs. Guillemard: And the only people who are talking about ideology are the members opposite. Our government has made every decision based in data. I would encourage the member opposite to read the 2022–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mrs. Guillemard: –Lancet com mission report – [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mrs.

Guillemard: –where they state that the research on supervised drug consump tion sites is methodo - logically weak, and there is no evidence that accessing a site lowers an individual's risk of fatal overdose – [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mrs. Guillemard: –over time or that sites lower com- munity overdose rates. Those are the numbers and that's the data we're seeing in Alberta and other juris- dictions. Even BC is now announcing they're in - vesting in treatment and recovery. Thank you. [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Sick Leave for Manitoba's Workforce Request for Expanded Coverage Mr.

Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): We're hearing from nurses that HSC and St. Boniface are over - flowing with cases of CO VID, RSV and the flu. People are missing work in droves, either caring for themselves or a loved one. We need to make sure masks are being worn by people who work with at -risk and vul nerable folks, child-care centres, seniors' residences, hospitals an d clinics; and we also need adequate paid prov incial sick leave so people can pay their bills when they can't work.

122 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 Two years ago, we were the only party that held up a sick pay bill the NDP and PCs want fast-tracked because the coverage was terrible and the Province was putting in nothing. They still are. If this government is going to let COVID spread unchecked, as they seem to want to do, they need to step up to make sure that sick Manitobans can pay their bills. Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) expand sick day coverage with extra days in compensation for workers? Hon.

Reg Helwer (Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services): We were the first province –among the first provinces that intro - duced sick days that people could ta ke leave, and worked with the health sector to make sure that that was available to them as well as the other public sectors in Manitoba. We're there for our front -line staff. And I know the minister's been working hard with them to make sure that we have all the proper supports in place, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable member for St. Boniface, on a follow-up question.

Long-Term Pandemic Costs for Business Sector Requests for Supports for Small Operators Mr. Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): Still on the topic of economic supports, we're also hearing that many long–local, long-time Manitoba businesses are struggling badly or folding because they're still carry- ing pandemic costs. KUB Bakery's just closed, or is closing, and then s o did Quest Musique. These are local institutions that have served our community and supported employees' families for decades.

We're hearing from other busi nesses that the situation is worse now than it was during the pan- demic, and the western lumber retail association told us that independents in Manitoba are being scooped up by equity companies from outside the province. That's not going to work for our long-term future. We need targeted relief for independently owned Manitoba businesses. What new measures this–is this government planning to introduce to ensure that inde- pendent Manitoba busi nesses stay afloat and stay Manitoban? Hon.

Cliff Cullen (Minister of Economic Development, Investment and Trade): Our govern- ment is committed to supporting Manitoba's small busi- nesses. We were there to support them to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars through the–COVID. We recognize there's still busi ness challenges out there related to supply chain and other issues, and we're going to continue to support the small-business sector. I do point to a recent report from the Canadian Federation of Inde pendent Busi ness looking at the average debt of small businesses by province.

According to this report, Manitoba small busi nesses had the lowest debt, in terms of comparing them to other jurisdictions. We think that's partially because of the support that we provided to small business. Children with Learning Disabilities Arrowsmith Program for Students Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Deputy Speaker, as Maggie Macintosh has so eloquently described, Manitoba schools are failing children with learning disabilities. Far too many–for too many, there is not access to effective learning approaches, and these children are falling through the cracks.

To add to this, too many elementary students are failing to meet Manitoba's reading goals by age three– by grade 3. One approach which has been widely and successfully used for children with learning dis abil- ities is the Arrowsmith, as I table. When will the Minister of Education act to ensure that the Arrowsmith Program is publicly available to Manitoba students with learning disabilities who need it? Hon.

Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I'd like to thank the member from River Heights for the question in regards to talking about –speaking about any type of advancements or increasing literacy and numeracy rates here in this great province of ours. As the member knows, and all members through- out the–this House, we embarked on a K -to-12 com- mission–the first one on educa tion, Mr. Deputy Speaker, since 1959; far long overdue. Unfortunately, unlike the NDP, for 17 years of the dark days, we've come forward with a plan, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, a living, breathing document: the K-to-12 action plan, which we have partnered with our education partners all across this great province– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable minister's time has expired. [interjection]

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 123 The honourable–[interjection] Time has expired. That means the time has expired. Mining and Mineral Exploration Permitting and Regulatory Improvements Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): Natural Resources Canada's reported exploration expenditure intentions for 2022 at $154.6 million, an increase of 28 per cent over last year. Can the Minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development explain what this gov ernment has done to ensure our gov ernment is prepared for this unpre - cedented level of investment in mining exploration in the province of Manitoba? Hon.

Greg Nesbitt (Minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development): I'd like to thank the honourable member from Swan River for that great question. * (14:50) Mr. Deputy Speaker, our Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) has signified that our gov ernment is focusing on the enormous opportunities we have in the mining sector here in Manitoba, which is why, last week, our govern- ment invested an addi tional $5 million to support mineral exploration and mining in Manitoba. This ad- ditional financial invest ment will reduce application backlogs and further enhance timely decisions on permit applications. Mr.

Deputy Speaker, while the NDP and their leader have committed to leaving our resources in the ground, our government has a plan that will benefit all Manitobans moving forward. Under this gov ernment and our Premier, we will continue to collaborate with industry and First Nations to develop Manitoba as a top destination– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable minister's time has expired. Education System Funding Concerns Mr. Nello Altomare (Transcona): When it comes to our classrooms, our kids are not getting what they need.

Over the last three years, the Province's core oper- ating funding– or the day -to-day school operations – has been cut by $36 million. The Province's share of education has fallen from 62.4 per cent to 56.4 per cent. That means hard choices for schools and less sup- port for our kids. Will the minister change his approach and s top making cuts to education? Hon. Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): Mr. Deputy Speaker, in school year of '22 -23, which is –we are within right now, we have increased funding by more than $460 million. Mr.

Altomare: The Throne Speech was a missed op- portunity. It should have communicated nor more cuts to education. Instead, it's more of the same. The Province's share of the cost of education con- tinues to drop. Brandon was forced to cut 10 teaching positions. They even cut speech language pathology– [interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Altomare: –psychology and reading recovery. Seven Oaks had to cut 28 educators. I'll ask again: When will the minister stop the cuts to our schools? Mr.

Ewasko: I appreciate the question from the mem- ber from Transcona, because it gives me an opportun- ity to stand up and put some factual information on the record. Unfortunately, the member continues to go along the veins of fear mongering all over this great pr o- vince of ours, Mr. Deputy Speaker. So, if the member would take a actual look at the FRAME report, it actually shows that, Mr. Deputy Speaker, when it takes into consideration some of the transfers that we have made over the last couple years, the funding to our public education is over 75 per cent coming from the government.

There's more good news to come, Mr. Deputy Speaker. On top of the $460 million– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable minister's time has expired. Mr. Altomare: The Winnipeg School Divison was forced to cut programs such as all -day kindergarten. Seven Oaks announced a cut to 28 educators; Brandon, 11. The result is less supports for students in class. We need a different approach, focused on what kids need in the classroom.

124 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 Will the minister finally change your approach and commit to stop making these cuts that are harming our kids in their classrooms? Mr. Ewasko: Again, the member stands up in his place, and instead of apologizing, doubles down on the misinformation, Mr. Deputy Speaker. So, this year –Seven Oaks School Division has received 9.7 per cent increase over the last two years, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Brandon School Division re - ceived 12.1 per cent funding over the last two years. And River East Transcona has received 12.2 per cent increase over the last two years. Mr.

Deputy Speaker, I know, and the–[interjection] Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Mr. Ewasko: –member knows, that these school divi- sions are hiring. They're got signs and they've got postings all over the place. So that counter –his fear mongering is counter - intuitive to the success– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable minister's time has expired. Well, the time for oral questions has ended. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Deputy Speaker: We'll have another one tomorrow. PETITIONS Disability Services Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

The background to this petition is as follows: Currently, adults with specific or non-specific disabilities, or a combination of dis abilities, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory or language processing disorders and/or non- verbal learning disabilities, will be denied access to services under the Province of Manitoba's community living and disability services, if their IQ is above 80. People with these or other borderline cognitive functioning issues also have extremely low adaptive skills and are not able to live in dependently without supports.

Recently, it's become widely recog nized that ac- cess to CLDS should not be based solely on IQ, which is only a measure of a person's ability to answer ques- tions verbally or in writing in relation to mathematics, science or material which is read. Very often, persons with specific or non-specific disabilities or a combination of those disabilities have specific needs related to their executive function for support when they are adults or are transitioning to adulthood, which are not necessarily connected to their IQ.

Executive function is the learned ability to do the normal activities of life, including being organized, being able to plan and to carry out plans and adapt to changing conditions. Those who have major defects in executive func- tion have a learning dis ability requiring assist ance under CLDS to be able to make a contribution to society and to be self-sustaining.

Provision of CLDS services to individuals with specific or non-specific disabilities or a combination of those disabilities or executive function dis ability, would free them from being dependent on Em ploy- ment and Income Assistance and have the potential to make an important change in the person's life. Newfoundland and Labrador have now recog- nized that access to services should be based on the nature of the dis ability and the person's need, rather than on IQ.

We petition the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to change the requirements for accessing community living and dis- ability services so that these require ments are based on the needs of individuals with specific or non- specific disabilities, including executive function or a combination of disabilities, rather than solely on the basis of their IQ. Signed by Christine Zimmerman, Andrea McCrea, Chris Zapototsky and many others. Hearing Aids Ms. Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) A hearing aid is a battery -powered electronic device designed to improve an individual's ability to perceive sound. Worn in or behind a person's ear, they make some sounds louder, helping people hear better when it's quiet and when it's noisy.

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 125

(2) People who suffer hearing loss, whether due to aging, illness, employment or accident, not only lose the ability to communicate effectively with friends, family or colleagues, they can also experience unemployment, social isolation and struggles with mental health.

(3) Hearing loss can also impact the safety of an individual with hearing loss, as it affects the ability to hear cars coming, safety alarms, call 911, et cetera.

(4) A global commission on the state of the research for dementia care and prevention released an update consensus report in July 2020, identifying 12 key risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline. The strongest risk factor that was indicated was hearing loss. It was calculated that up to 8 per cent of the total number of dementi a cases could potentially be avoided with management of hearing loss.

(5) Hearing aids are therefore essential to the mental health and well -being of Manitobans, espe - cially to those at significant risk of dementia, Alzheimer's, a disorder of the brain af fecting cogni- tion in the ever-growing senior population. * (15:00)

(6) Audiologists are health- care professionals who help patients decide which kind of hearing aid will work best for them, based on the type of hearing loss, patient's age and ability to manage small devices, lifestyle and ability to afford.

(7) The cost of hearing aids can be prohibitive to many Manitobans, depending on the income and circumstances. Hearing aids cost on average $995 to $4,000 per ear, and many professionals say the hearing aids only work at their best for five years.

(8) Manitoba residents under the age of 18 who require a hearing aid, as prescribed by an 'otilargologist' or audiologist, will receive either an 80 per cent reimbursement from Manitoba Health of a fixed amount for an analog device, up to a maximum of $500 per ear, or 80 per cent of a fixed amount for a digital or analog programmable device, up to a max - imum of $1,800. However, this reimbursement is not available to Manitobans who need the device who are over the age of 18, which will result in financial hardship for many young people entering the work- force, students and families.

In addition, seniors representing 14.3 per cent of Manitoba's population are not eligible for reimbursement, despite being the group most likely in need of a hearing aid.

(9) Most insurance companies only provide a minimal partial cost of a hearing aid, and many Manitobans, especially retired persons, old- age pen- sioners and other low -income earners do not have access to health insurance plans.

(10) The Province of Quebec's hearing devices program covers all costs related to hearing aids and assistive listening devices, including the purchase, repair and replacement.

(11) Alberta offers subsidies to all seniors 65 and over and low-income adults age 18 to 64 once every five years.

(12) New Brunswick provides coverage for the purchase and maintenance not covered by other agencies or private health insurance plans, as well as assistance for those whom the purchase would cause financial hardship.

(13) Manitobans over age 18 are only eligible for support for hearing aids if they are receiving Employment and Income Assist ance, and the re- imbursement only provides a maximum of $500 an ear. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to consider hearing loss as a medical treatment under Manitoba Health. And,

(2) To urge the provincial government to provide income-based coverage for hearing aids to all who need them, as hearing has been proven to be essential to Manitobans' cognitive, mental and social health and well-being. This petition has been signed by many Manitobans. Thank you. Mr. Deputy Speaker: Are there any other petitions? ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Hon. Cliff Cullen (Acting Govern ment House Leader): Would you resume debate on the Throne Speech? THRONE SPEECH (Fourth Day of Debate) Mr. Deputy Speaker: Okay, it has been announced by the honourable Acting Government House Leader that debate on the Throne Speech will resume.

126 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 So we will resume the adjourned debate on the proposed motion of the honour able member for Borderland (Mr. Guenter), and amend ments thereto, standing in the name of the member for Wolseley, who has three minutes remaining. Ms.

Lisa Naylor (Wolseley): On Friday, I was speak- ing about new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Infor mation that shows that the pandemic has taken a sig nificant toll on the mental health of children and youth, with hospitalizations for children aged 10 to 17 with eating disorders increasing by nearly 60 per cent since March 2020. Manitoba's services for children and youth mental health cannot keep up with this increase. There was nothing in the Throne Speech about children and youth mental health or about eating dis- orders.

More pre vention and early inter vention ser - vices are required locally in the urban community, but especially in rural and northern Manitoba. And finally, in my last couple of minutes, I want to speak about what was missing from the Throne Speech about climate. The PCs' climate plan is and has been embarras - sing. Six years in office and the most notable thing they've done regarding climate change is fight the carbon levy and let our CO 2 emissions increase b y 10 per cent. That was just between 2016 and 2020.

There was only one reference to Manitoba's GHG emissions in the entire Throne Speech, and it provided no details on how the PCs plan to reduce Manitoba's emissions. The PC gov ernment refuses to show l eadership. Instead, they blame the federal gov ernment and released a plan that doesn't include any meaning - ful targets, timetables or any plans to meet the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's object- ives. They didn't even follow their own plan or legis- lation on climate change. The climate and green plan imple mentation act states that the minister is to reduce –produce a report annually.

There was no report released for three years until we raised a matter of privilege in this House and they were compelled to release it. Instead of working with and for Manitobans to fight climate change, the PC gov ernment has spent millions of taxpayer dollars and two years of fighting with the federal government in court. When the PC gov ernment lost that fight, within his written decision Justice Mosley questioned the effectiveness of Manitoba's plan. The PCs have done little and flip-flopped when it comes to climate action.

This creates uncertainty for Manitobans and wastes precious time that we coul d be spending fighting climate change. The minister also refuses to release his parks privatization plan. We asked for that again last week. They're probably intending to keep it hidden until after Manitobans go to the polls next year. Mr. Brad Michaleski, Acting Speaker, in the Chair For all these reasons and more, the PCs continue to disappoint Manitobans. To turn this around, I urge the government to adopt all amend ments introduced by the Leader of the Official Opposition (Mr. Kinew) last week. Thank you. Hon.

Jeff Wharton (Minister of Environment, Climate and Parks): Certainly a privilege and an honour to stand up in the House today to talk about our government's Throne Speech and some highlights from that Throne Speech, put it on the record. Of course, we just heard members opposite, some fiction. Well, it's time to put facts on the record, Acting Deputy Speaker. First and foremost, though, I just wanted to ensure that I put on the record how thankful I am to serve the constituents of Red River North, which include the municipalities of East St. Paul and St. Clements. Mr.

Acting Deputy Speaker, certainly, truly an honour to continue to advocate for their concerns, the munici- palities' concerns and the constituents' concerns on a regular basis, and we'll continue to do that, as it's truly an honour. Our Throne Speech, Acting Deputy Speaker, our government has committed to ensuring that we make communities safer, help families make ends meet, strengthen the health- care system and address diag- nostic backlogs, make Manitoba more competitive, build stronger com munities, invest environmental protection and conservation, and advance reconcilia- tion.

And that's exactly what our government has been doing and will continue to do as we move forward through '23. A couple of areas I'd like to touch on and get on the record, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, again, is helping make com munities safer. Our gov ernment will work collab oratively with all police agencies along all levels of government to ensure communities are safe and resources are made available. We will

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 127 continue to focus our efforts on underlying issues such as homelessness, addictions and mental health, by providing increased support to front-line law enforce- ment officers. For the first time in more than two decades, our government properly addressed the funding and modernization of our shelters, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, with a recent announcement of $15 million.

Violence against women and girls , and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls continue to be a priority for this govern ment and we plan to update the gender -based violence framework in the coming months. We recently announced more than $3.2 million to invest in the intensive bail supervision and high- risk warrant units to ensure that the most violent criminals do not remain on our streets. Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, helping families make ends meet –a real focus for our gov ernment– aims to make Manitoba more affordable for families, despite the rising cost of living.

We intro duced new taxation measures and an $87-million family affordability package to help dampen the impact on all Manitobans and Manitoba families. Families with children under the age of 18 with a househol d income of $175,000 will receive a cheque for $250 for the first child and another $200 for each additional child in the home. Eligible seniors will receive $300 senior afford- ability cheque, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker.

We'll be raising the minimum wa ge in Manitoba to $15 an hour. * (15:10) In 2023, the educa tion property tax rebate will provide further assistance, as it will include an–and an increase for residential and farm property to 50 per cent from 37.5 in 2022. This increase –the average rebate from $581 in 2022 to $774 in fiscal 2023. In 2023–pardon me. Manitoba Public Insurance has also, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, issued rebates which average $700 over the past two years, and more announcements to come in the weeks ahead. Strengthening our health care. We are solution focused, Mr.

Acting Deputy Speaker, and open to new ideas and innovation as we work with front -line health-care workers to make sig nificant and long - lasting changes for the betterment of our health- care system. We continue to call on the Canadian federal government to restore our fair share of health -care funding, so that this may be put towards building a stronger health-care system for all Manitobans. We have committed to recruiting, training and re- taining nurse s and health- care pro fessionals in this province with an aggressive $200 million multi -year health human 'resourshes' –resources initiative.

We continue to address the surgical and diagnos tic back- logs and the surgical and diagnos tic backlogs task force continues to make noticeable progress through innovation and ideas. We continue to further investment in health-care facilities as we recognize the critical importance that modern health-care facilities have on the system and the ability to provide the best possible care to all Manitobans. Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, mental health and addictions are another primary concern for our gov - ernment, as we work to provide increased support and services for those who are struggling with addictions.

Plans f or the ad ditional 1,000 addictions treatment spaces and more support for suicide pre vention in Manitoba are already in the works. We will build on our existing five-year road map for mental health, as we complete and implement a provincially co-ordinated strategy for suicide prevention focused on youth and at- risk communities. Turning to education, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, our government understands the importance of afford- able–affordability, access, high- quality early child education, es pecially in rural areas in Manitoba.

A recent invest ment of $70 million will fund up to 17 new facilities and create more than 1,200 new day- care spaces. We are focused on strengthening the sector as we encourage more individuals to pursue a career in early years education by supporting increased wages in the new year. We're on track to deliver $1.6 billion in four-year funding guarantee agreement , Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker. Our gov ernment will be creating a teacher registry and an in dependent body to improve teacher trans parency and account ability in K -to-12 schools.

We will continue to strengthen our col laboration with post-secondary institutions, and continue to fos- ter strategies which aim to address labour shortages right here in Manitoba. Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, we are also launch - ing a new income -support program to address the

128 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 unique needs of people with severe and prolonged dis- abilities. And, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker: Environment, Climate and Parks. Had the pleasure of working in this department and I certainly ap preciate the Premier's (Mrs. Stefanson) confi dence in the abilities that we have in the de partment, and again, working with her and the rest of our colleagues to ensure our parks are sustainable, our climate and environmental issues are addressed, and that's exactly what this government is doing.

To secure Manitoba's water future in advance, our environmental, economic and com munity priorities, our action plan based on our water strategy announce- ment just last week, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, recently, again, will be–framework will be set to roll out in the spring of 2023. In the coming months, our government will be announcing a long-term strategic capital investment plan in our provincial parks. This builds off our other great initiatives our gov- ernment has done to strengthen our provincially own- ed parks system.

Prov incial parks' new registration system, that the NDP left to lag for 17 years, will be replaced. This dysfunctional syste m essentially, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, will be gone, with a new system that'll help the experience while booking your families for the summer in yurts, campsites throughout this great province as we, again, embark on improving and enhancing those services available to Manitobans and Manitoba families; investing $1.1 million this year to support 64 park enhancement projects across the pro- vince, through the parks endowment fund; partnering with Trails Manitoba to invest nearly $1 million this year to suppor t recreational trail projects across our great province.

A trail strategy and action plan to enhance and support a high-quality network of accessible trails will be announced very soon. We will continue to make significant investments to achieve our environmental goals such as: $167-million investment in the second phase of the upgrade at the North End treatment plant, which should have done, Mr.–which should have been done, Acting Deputy Speaker, 15 years ago. We are getting it done. We continue to pursue further emissions reduc - tions across all sectors of the economy and we will do our share to help Canada meet its international obliga- tions.

A comprehensive provincial adaptation strategy will reduce the impact of extreme climate events such as floods, droughts, wildfires and more. And working with stakeholders, we will modern- ize the waste diversion and recycling framework to divert more materials from our landfills and create new business and job opportunities within that circu- lar economy. Manitobans, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, have great opportunity and under the leadership of Premier– our Premier and our government and our colleagues, we will get the job done.

I appreciate the opportunity to put some facts on the record and, again, I'd like to thank the fine folks at Red River North for allowing me the oppor tunity to advocate for them and help move Manitoba forward. Thank you. Mr. Nello Altomare (Transcona): Thank you, Assistant Deputy Speaker, for the oppor tunity to put some words on record regarding the Throne Speech of the Fifth session of the 42nd Manitoba Legislature.

I don't say that lightly, Assistant Deputy Speaker, because I do want to thank the constituents of Transcona and the con stituency of Transcona for allowing me to be their representative here inside this august Chamber. It's not some thing that we –all MLAs–take lightly. It is some thing that is very ser - ious. This is–we are their voice here and I continue to be privileged to do that. I want to thank the constituents, as well. They've been very supportive these past number of years.

And I do believe that we, as a con stituency office as well, have been responding to the needs of our constituents and providing the service that they–services that they require whenever they're dealing with the levels of government. And that's some thing that we take very seriously.

These past couple of months, certainly, half of this year has seen kind of a return, Assist ant Deputy Speaker, to some very im portant community events that my constituency was known for, not the least of which is the restoration of the 2747 steam engine taking place by the Transcona Museum, that is right now working on building a shelter for that parti cular steam engine. That was put in place on the corner of Kildare and Plessis there in 1960. And one of the really kind of cool things about that is that my dad was actually involved in moving that engine to that place where it

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 129 rests right now. So, being kind of involved in helping the museum establish a shelter for that is indeed an honour; and we're certainly going to support that a hundred per cent. I also would be remiss if I didn't mention the work of the Transcona Legion in getting us back and doing some things together but in a safe way as well, be - cause you'll notice that when we do get together we are taking the necessary precautions. For example, if we're ill, we're not attending. We're wearing masks if we're in large communal settings that are indoors.

I do want to thank the Legion and the members for doing things like No Stone Left Alone that was taken care of by one of the members in early November of this year; and also back to a regular Remembrance Day ceremony that included com mu- nity, one tha t was well attended and one that was greatly appreciated by my 'constits'. Now, as you know, Assist ant Deputy Speaker, Transcona is unique; very much a small town within a big city and still maintains a lot of that mentality, where people know each other and care about each other.

And we have many multigenerational families that have been living there for four genera tions and, as a matter of fact, they continue to live, work, raise their families and want to maintain those same roots. * (15:20) I will say, though, Assistant Deputy Speaker, is that this part of Winnipeg, the northeast and Transcona has taken it–taken a lot of hits since 2016, since this govern- ment was elected. And, you know, there are a number of really key government services that have been cut and have disappeared. This, despite the fact that we're one of the fastest growing areas of the city.

And we have had significant cuts to, for example, the ER at Concordia Hospital, which is acutely felt on a daily basis. This was done before capacity was even increased at the other ERs. Why would anybody engage in that type of manage ment of these really precious resources without increasing capacity in other areas? That is one question that we receive on a daily basis. The result, of course, is even before the pandemic, wait times that were putting a lot of stress on the community's health care.

But one of the biggest things that certainly, we've been impacted in northeast Winnipeg, Assist ant Deputy Speaker, is personal-care-home space. We do know that northeast Winnipeg and Transcona has the lowest per-capita PCH space in the city. As a matter of fact, a former premier stood in front of one of our PCHs in 2016 and announced 1,200 PCH beds. And what have we had? As a matter of fact, we had a plan ready to go, ready to go, and then the WRHA in 2016 said with our plan–said, you know, you need to take it back, redo it so that it reflects more of a pod- model approach.

Our com munity did that, went back, brought it forward. What happened? One of the first things cut. So, at this point, Assist ant Deputy Speaker, in Transcona, many families don't have the op portunity to have their loved one age in place. That is something that we've been working for and advocating for since before 10 years. And we have gotten to a point where we have a plan ready to go, but it is not being acted upon. And this is something that is really, really quite– you–hit the community quite hard, especially when it comes to their loved ones and where they want to have them age.

So here, we have another decision that was made before and there was a cut to the IV clinic out of ACCESS Transcona. That IV clinic was serving residents in the northeast in a very efficient manner. So what happens now is that even when you're trying to get service of this particular IV clinic that was in ACCESS Transcona, what ends up happening is that if you don't have the necessary supplies, you have to travel from further. What it results in is delay in treatment. And what, then, can subsequently happen is that they begin to then miss their ap pointments and have them re- scheduled.

And these are the type of things that have really impacted. So we have still yet to see that IV clinic at ACCESS Transcona reinstated. And what that does, when that clinic, hopefully, will get reinstated, it results in more efficient care, Deputy Speaker. And these are the type of things that our residents, our con- stituents are waiting for.

But what was particularly difficult to really un - derstand, Assistant Deputy Speaker, was the removal of CancerCare from Concordia Hospital; an absolute gem of a facility, and one that really had world- class treatment, care close to home for the residents of northeast Winnipeg. It was–what was really unique about that Concordia Hospital clinic was proximity, not only in the neigh- bourhood but also the physical act of actually getting into your chair there at chemotherapy. What was unique about Concordia, Assistant Deputy Speaker, is

130 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 that you can walk from the parking thing –which was literally right across from the treatment centre – without having to go through larger distances like you do at St. Boniface and at the McDermot station. You know, and what that does is, of course, it reduces stress. And so these a re some of the things that, when these decisions are made, these are the day -to-day impacts it has on the residents of northeast Winnipeg.

And that is some thing that, you know, we saw as an absolute jewel, one that really served our community well and we would like to see reinstated. We also continue to hear regarding child- care space in northeast Winnipeg and in Transcona, and the lack of that space. I know many of us receive com - munication regarding this. We know that we have many, many of our constituents that have children that age out of these wait -lists that don't have access to high-quality licensed child care in the com munity.

And this is something that we have to have an actual plan that results in some capital expansion in fastest growing area of the city, right in the northeast, with zero plan to deal with how we're going to knock down those wait-lists that are now hundreds deep at certain child-care facilities in the constituency of Transcona. And the good thing about these licensed facilities, Assistant Deputy Speaker, is that they provide high- quality licensed care, one that has –that is staffed by people that know what they're doing, especially when it comes to early childhood education.

So what we've witnessed in our part of the city is a steady decrease and decline in some of these very important areas in the health-care sector and the edu- cation sector and in the child- care sector, Assist ant Deputy Speaker. And what we're seeing is, right now, you know, a particular strategy that's in place where you start a fire, you watch the flames lick the house, you cover your ears when people start to scream, Assist ant Deputy Speaker, and then you wait until the house is almost reduced to ashes. You then bring a bucket of water and say you're doing more than ever. Call a press conference.

Gloat that you're doing more than you've ever done before and hope that people forget that you're the people that caused the chaos in the first place. And so what we have is we have this carrying on right now to the point where we get –we don't even know what we're going to get from this gov ernment when it comes to an nouncements. Because there doesn't seem to be any kind of co- ordination or strategy that's going to deal with the real issues that are affecting communities. In our constituency, of course, it's health care, it's education and it's child care.

Adult education is another area where this current government has failed to invest and take actions that, as a matter of fa ct, have kind of held back progress, Assistant Deputy Speaker. Their repeal of The Adult Literacy Act has actively made outcomes worse at a time when employers are actively seeking skilled em- ployees to fill many, many positions. And this is an area that is really an opportunity that we need to take because we know that we're in a labour crisis right now where employers are looking for skilled em - ployees.

And we have people that are ready to go when it comes to lining up for adult education, and people are demanding it more than ever. It's time that we have a strategy for this. The other piece that's unique about Transcona, Assistant Deputy Speaker, is that we also have a world-class trans portation facility by the name of New Flyer Industries, where its products can be found in cities throughout North America. San Francisco Bayr [phonetic] area, they're also in places like Houston, Texas. They're in eastern Canada.

And you'll –beginning to see –at least in my area–you see some of these buses being test driven throughout the–throughout our neighbourhood. And this is a tech nology that helps in the fight against climate change. And–but when we look at this government's climate plan, we see something that is really quite lacking. Six years in office, and the most notable thing, Assistant Deputy Speaker, is that when it comes to climate change, is that they fought the carbon tax. And there was only one reference to greenhouse gases, Assistant Deputy Speaker, in the entire Throne Speech.

And it provides no details on how the PCs plan to reduce Manitoban's greenhouse gas emissions. * (15:30) We also seen a refusal of any kind of leadership on this file and they blame the federal government for whatever things come to these targets. And –but we have yet to see any kind of timetable or any kind of intergovernmental co -operation when it comes to climate change with Manitoba and the federal govern- ment. It's time that we see that and time that that happens now because we are missing an opportunity.

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 131 So, instead of working with and for Manitobans to fight climate changes, gov ernment has spent mil - lions of taxpayer money on federal court lawsuit to try and strike down the carbon tax. And now after two years, the PCs' loss, with, you know, t he Justice Mosley himself questioning the effectiveness of the plan that was put forward and this lack of action on climate change, creates uncertainty for Manitobans and wastes precious time that could have been spent putting forward meaningful climate change mitigation strategies, Assistant Deputy Speaker.

Deputy Speaker, as I begin to approach the end of my time and comments regarding the gov ernment's Throne Speech, I would like to reflect on the news last Friday of the out-migration the province of Manitoba has experienced in the past year. And I want to take a moment to speak directly to all the young Manitobans who are considering making a choice to leave our beautiful province. We know that this PC gov ernment has made it difficult to live in Manitoba with the minimum wage that isn't a living wage and raising the cost of your tuition.

The PCs have trampled on opportunities this province once had and was once known as the Manitoba advantage. The Manitoba NDP will make it our core priority to undo the PC attacks on young people and build our province so young people will want to stay here in- stead of move away. Ten thousand people moving out of Manitoba is unacceptable, Assistant Deputy Speaker. We have to do our very best to keep our ci tizens right here in Manitoba, making this province the great province that it is.

And we will support post- secondaries by providing funding ability so that young people can get a world-class education right here in Manitoba. There is also that unique union skills training centres that every young person who wants or even wants to learn a trade or be part of a trade can take advantage of. We know we have the carpenters union, right at the foot of the Nairn Overpass, has a wonder- ful training facility that can use ever more support to keep and help train our own tradespeople right here in this province.

And, finally, we will support a public health-care system and end the PC march to priva tization. And we'll make sure our public schools have the moder n curriculum that prepares our children for the future. And with those few words, Assist ant Deputy Speaker, again, I'd like to thank the constituents of Transcona for allowing me this opportunity and plat- form to speak here. It is indeed a privilege and one that every member I know in this House takes seriously. Thank you for the time. Mr. Shannon Martin (McPhillips): It's always a pleasure, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to be part of the demo- cratic process.

I echo some comments made by my colleague, the member for Transcona (Mr. Altomare), who did indicate, yes, indeed, it is a privilege for all of us as individuals to represent our constituencies. In my case, I want to thank the good people from McPhillips for sending me here to be their repre sen- tative in this House of democracy. Mr.

Deputy Speaker, and while we in the–here in this House seem to be, on occasion, we get tied up in, for lack of a better word, nonsense and mudslinging and unnecessary rhetoric, that's all well and good but it does make us more aware, again and echoing the last member's words, that privilege. Earlier this year, Mr.

Speaker, I had the opportun- ity to travel to Poland and Ukraine and I think now as I think back to my experiences meeting with the NGOs, the non- government organizations, that were helping refugees and meeting with refugees them - selves, again, the privilege that we have here, that the most challenging part of our day is simply mud- slinging and standing up to speak, as opposed to where currently millions of Ukrainians are without power as missiles land near a crucial nuclear generating station. And obviously, in these winter months, that lack of power is even more significant.

I'm also left wondering as I depart, Mr. Deputy Speaker–as I departed Ukraine, I'm often left wonder- ing about a young woman, Illeana, I met, who was actually travelling from Poland, at the border when I was crossing over into Ukraine, and she was also travelling and crossing over into Ukraine, with two young children in tow. And so I struck up a conversa- tion and, fortunately, I had a friend and colleague with me, Marian, who was multilingual, so he was able to provide the translation services.

But this young woman explained to us, you know, the reason she was travelling back to Ukraine, back to the, you know, obviously, a war -impacted country, Mr. Deputy Speaker, with her two children in tow, was to visit her husband and the father of her children, because we're–as many of us are aware, men between the ages, I think, of 18 and 60–my numbers might be slightly off–are not allowed to leave Ukraine; they're necessary, obviously, for the fight against the Russian

132 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2022 aggressors. And, I, as I said, I'm often–often wonder, my mind wonders –wanders to Illeana and her two young children and wonder how they are doing and, more importantly, how her husband is doing with the war effort. Mr. Deputy Speaker, we've all thanked–we thank our–obviously, we all have thanked and spoken about our constituencies and, more im portantly, we have thanked our families. We have–many of our members have shared very personal stories of their families' involvement in their lives and their political lives and their lives as a whole.

My friend and colleague, the member for Selkirk (Mr. Lagimodiere), in his me m- ber's statement earlier, obviously shared a very poig - nant situation with his own family life. And it's those conversations, and I think, to my colleague, the mem- ber for The Pas-Kinny-Tooiynak [phonetic], who has also shared a number of very personal stories in–to deal with her family and the situation when it comes to mental health services. And I think the sharing of these stories between MLAs is im portant because it allows us to see each other as individuals and as humans on this same jour- ney, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

And while we –obviously, we will always have our political differences, I have no doubt, and I don't think any member in this House has any doubt that at the end of the day, we all want and want to achieve that same thing, you know: a quality edu cation, good em ployment, safety, clean drinking water. These are necessities, and these are requirements and these are needs that we all want for our families and com munities; and oftentimes, the differences that we gauge in this House are differ- ences in–essentially, in the path that we get there, but I have no doubt that we all want to follow that path. Mr.

Deputy Speaker, there's a lot in this Throne Speech. The key that struck we–myself that I'm going to touch base on primarily is tha t–in the efforts that our government is making in relation to mental health. Mental health, and I've spoken about it on a number of occasions, is an issue near and dear to myself during the last, actually, during the last year. I've had two individuals, two friends of mine, around my age, who have succumbed to their mental health in terms of ending their lives, which is the final solution.

And, unfortunately, is a solution that some people make that determination that life, for their loved ones, for their family, for their co-workers, the people around them, that their lives would simply be better off if you weren't a part of it. And it's always a tragedy when an individual makes that choice. And it is not for lack of caring; it is not for lack of the resources. In some instances, it simply is an issue of mental health, Mr. Deputy Speaker. And it's always a challenge.

And it's a chal - lenge for anyone who deals with it, and I have no doubt that there's members in all sides of this House– and, again, many of them have shared those stories of their own challenges. But, again, as we've all noted, if I come into this Chamber, and I have a cast on my arm, you can clearly see, you know, what is wrong and the injury. However, many of us and many Manitobans have, for lack of better terminology, in - ternal injuries in terms of mental health.

And we need to look at –and the reason why I'm very proud of my colleague, the minister, and the record $58-million investment that the minister's de - partment has put in to improve mental health services is because of the connectivity of mental health ser - vices when it comes to Manitoba as a whole, Mr. Deputy Speaker. We need to take a look at, you know, how mental health services impact the educa- tion system. * (15:40) There was a time, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, back in the day, we'd refer to children as simply problem children in class, you know, the troublemakers, for lack of a better terminology; the ones that may end up in detention and that. And now, years later, we realize that there are opportunities and there need to be more opportunities to ensure that those individuals and those students have the mental health services avail - able to them so that they can achieve their educational potential, as well as ensuring that the resources they see–they need are appropriate for them, for their edu- cational journey.

But also that the services are there to support the educators that surround them, because we cannot ex- pect our educators and our teachers to fulfill that role, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It is a role, and–while many teachers do indeed provide and do a tre mendous role in terms of intervening and being part of their students' lives, we, as a government, have done and continue to need to do more when it comes to pr oviding those mental health services for our students. And we talked about the economy and the cor - relation to mental health services. I had the opportun- ity in a previous life, Mr.

Speaker, to work for a non- profit that helped people with disabilities find employ- ment. Some of those individuals, there was physical

November 21, 2022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 133 disabilities, but there was also individuals with mental health disabilities. In large number–I believe the number's about one in six Manitobans, Mr. Deputy Speaker–have a men- tal health issue, self-identify as having a mental health issue and a dis ability. But that is not to say that they cannot be part of our economy. We've heard many people talk, obviously, about the labour shortage, we see it first-hand, and that.

But we need to ensure that individuals that are ex- periencing mental health issues and that, that is part and parcel of that need to provide them with those services, so that they can become that holistic in - dividual, so that they can, you know, if need be, return to work. And a lot of us find, a lot of individuals find fulfillment in the work that they do, Mr. Speaker. And I know a lot of us in the House find fulfillment in the work that we do. In terms of health care, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we've seen, you know, obviously, record investments in health care.

We–seen the inclusion of mental health services within the health-care system. But again, we need to look at, again, that correlation in the linkages between ensuring appro priate and expanded mental health services and, obviously, the necessity and that path to proper general well-being of health. Obviously, take, for example, 'pershon' who is going through, say, a depression, Mr.

Speaker, may, as a result, stop taking care of them selves, may stop taking, you know, maybe their other medications that they need to maintain other aspects of their health and may find themselves suddenly relying on the health- care system. Where, if they had those services, if they had the ap propriate counselling services and those mental health services, they may have not gotten to that stage. And the other comment, obviously, when it comes to the issue of mental health, obviously, is the issue of justice. We see and we all saw the news this weekend: the Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub shooting.

I believe, at last reports, I think there was five persons killed and 25 injured. My comment is not to excuse, obviously, the horrendous actions of the individual that perpetuated this crime, but to indicate that hate itself is borne out of a mental health issue, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and perhaps, if this individual had had the services available, that tragedy might not have happened. Closer to home, we see just–again, just today it's being reported in the news at Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation, a young woman was murdered and an individual has been charged with first-degree murder, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

Obviously, there'll be issues tied to, obviously, the issue of colonialism and the impact that that had on the individual that 'perpretuated' the crime, but we also need to look, again, at those mental health services that may or may not have been available and will need to be available–be made available to individuals that continue on, within that community, to heal from this event, to unders tand why this event at Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation occurred and, more im portantly, how do they, as a community, help address that. And part of that, Mr.

Speaker, is when we rise in the House and we talk about mental health and we talk about services available, I think it's incumbent upon us as individuals to recognize–and it's a bit of a cliché when we say, you know, there is no one single path, and there really isn't; there are any number of paths towards improved mental health outcomes, Mr. Deputy Speaker. There's obviously–in Manitoba, we predomi- nantly see, you know, the westernized view when it comes to mental health, but that is not the only path forward.

We are very blessed as a province to have a sig - nificant number of newcomers, as well as the original inhabitants, who bring with them their own per - spectives and their own solutions when it comes to addressing mental health issues within their commu - nities. Because there are–and there is, I think, a neces- sity on all of us to take a look at some unique ap- proaches, approaches that may not generally fit with our own world view, Mr. Deputy Speaker, but that may fit and be more ap propriate to the situation at hand. And these are the things that I think we collectively need to look at, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

But in conclusion, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I just simply want to encourage all of us as legislators to do our jobs when it comes to–obviously, for an opposi - tion, obviously your role is to hold the gov ernment accountable, and for our government, our role, ob- viously, is to ensure that the blueprint that we're putting forward today, the blueprint, the Throne Speech that my Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) has brought forward to this House, is fulfilled. That the commit ments that we're mak ing to Manitoba on the issues of improving safety within communities; on the issu

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Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	42-5-5
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	42nd 5th hansardpdf 5.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
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