Manitoba Hansard — 6 November 2025 (Sitting 83B, 43rd Legislature, 2nd Session)

43-2-83b

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Second Session – Forty-Third Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Tom Lindsey Speaker Vol. LXXIX No. 83B - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, November 6, 2025 ISSN 0542-5492

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Third Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ASAGWARA, Uzoma, Hon. Union Station NDP BALCAEN, Wayne Brandon West PC BEREZA, Jeff Portage la Prairie PC BLASHKO, Tyler Lagimodière NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian, Hon. Keewatinook NDP BYRAM, Jodie Agassiz PC CABLE, Renée, Hon. Southdale NDP CHEN, Jennifer Fort Richmond NDP COMPTON, Carla Tuxedo NDP COOK, Kathleen Roblin PC CORBETT, Shannon Transcona NDP CROSS, Billie Seine River NDP DELA CRUZ, Jelynn Radisson NDP DEVGAN, JD McPhillips NDP EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FONTAINE, Nahanni, Hon. St.

Johns NDP GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC HIEBERT, Carrie Morden-Winkler PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake-Gimli PC KENNEDY, Nellie, Hon. Assiniboia NDP KHAN, Obby Fort Whyte PC KINEW, Wab, Hon. Fort Rouge NDP KING, Trevor Lakeside PC KOSTYSHYN, Ron, Hon. Dauphin NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom, Hon. Flin Flon NDP LOISELLE, Robert St. Boniface NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya, Hon. Notre Dame NDP MOROZ, Mike, Hon. River Heights NDP MOSES, Jamie, Hon. St. Vital NDP MOYES, Mike, Hon.

Riel NDP NARTH, Konrad La Vérendrye PC NAYLOR, Lisa, Hon. Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC OXENHAM, Logan Kirkfield Park NDP PANKRATZ, David Waverley NDP PERCHOTTE, Richard Selkirk PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REDHEAD, Eric Thompson NDP ROBBINS, Colleen Spruce Woods PC SALA, Adrien, Hon. St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu, Hon. The Maples NDP SCHMIDT, Tracy, Hon. Rossmere NDP SCHOTT, Rachelle Kildonan-River East NDP SCHULER, Ron Springfield-Ritchot PC SIMARD, Glen, Hon. Brandon East NDP SMITH, Bernadette, Hon. Point Douglas NDP STONE, Lauren Midland PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry Ind.

WHARTON, Jeff Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt, Hon. Concordia NDP WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC

3455 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, November 6, 2025 The House met at 1:30 p.m. The Speaker: Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS The Speaker: Introduction of bills? Committee Reports? TABLING OF REPORTS Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Minister of Families): I'm pleased to table the following annual reports for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025: Annual Report on the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, Annual Report for Manitoba's Poverty Reduction Strategy and Annual Report for the Social Services Appeal Board. The Speaker: Further tabling of reports? Ministerial statements?

MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Remembrance Day MLA David Pankratz (Waverley): We're getting closer to November 11 and this time of year feels different in Manitoba. The air cools down, the pro- vince starts to settle in. And the military is part of daily life here; it' s families we know, people we work beside, neighbours we see on ordinary days. At 17 Wing, crews guide aerospace operations and NORAD missions that guard our skies. Training continues every day: steady, disciplined and focused.

Out in Shilo, the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Princess Patricia 's Canadian Light Infantry and the signals teams refine their skills with patience and precision. Their work is constant and it's done without applause most of the time. And here in the heart of Winnipeg, we have a naval presence too: HMCS Chippawa, sailors who train in the middle of the prairies, ready to serve on coasts and oceans far from where they grew up. And there 's something quietly powerful about that.

And then there are the reservists across the 38 Canadian Brigade Group; people balancing uniforms with everyday responsibilities: teachers, construction workers, students, paramedics. They train at all hours. They report when they're needed. They carry two roles because here duty lives close to the surface. And this is what service looks like in Manitoba. It's steady and it's grounded and it's present. And when we remember, we remember people who walked the same streets we walk now. The Camerons at Dieppe. The rifles on Juno Beach. Aircrew trained here who crossed oceans and didn't return.

Their legacy is not distant history. So, on November 11, we pause. We stand still for a moment. We remember with humility, with gratitude. And here in Manitoba, remembrance is rooted and lived and real. We remember who they are. And we remember who we are because of them. Thank you to the members of 17 Wing and 38 Brigade who join us here today in the Chamber. I ask for a moment of silence for all who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. The Speaker: Is there leave for a moment of silence? [Agreed] A moment of silence was observed. The Speaker: Thank you. Lloyd Atchison Mrs.

Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods): Today I rise to recognize and congratulate Lloyd Atchison, who was recently inducted into the Manitoba agriculture hall of fame, an honour that reflects a lifetime of dedication, leadership and innovation in agriculture over five decades. Lloyd has been a respected leader in the agriculture community for decades. A proud farmer from the community of Findlay in the RM of Sifton, he has always demonstrated a strong commitment to framing excellence and environmental stewardship.

Lloyd's work with the Limousin cattle began in the '60s when he enrolled in crossbreeding experiments with Canadian Department of Agriculture. His commit- ment to breed improvements led to recognition as a founding member of the Manitoba Limousin Association. His cattle received national recog nition: Top indexing percentage bull at the National Bull Test in Alberta; Manitoba Performance Testing Premiere Commercial Beef Producer award in 1986.

3456 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 Beyond his own farm gate, Lloyd has been deeply involved in the com munity: Served 35 years as a councillor on the RM of Sifton; 30 years, conservation boards; founding member of the Souris River Watershed District and later chairman. He championed sustain - able and agriculture practices and water conservation initiatives that benefit the region. His farm popular stock farm, nomination of Grazer of the Year , 2004; Conservation Family of the Year, 2006.

His community involvement extends to Pipestone United Church, Pool Elevators, Manitoba Cattle Producers–now Manitoba Beef Producers –and the Findlay Community Club. And we know that his love for his family in all these– The Speaker: Honourable member's time is expired. Some Honourable Members: Leave. The Speaker: Is there leave for the member to finish her statement? [Agreed] Mrs. Robbins: We know that his love for his family in all his 'complishments' has his biggest reward.

Lloyd's induction into the Manitoba agriculture hall of fame is a well-deserved recognition of his tire- less efforts, his innovation and his passion for framing. On behalf of the House and the constituents of Spruce Woods, I extend an heartfelt congratulations to Lloyd, his wife and his family on this outstanding achievement. And can I ask that we all stand to congratulate Lloyd and his family in the gallery, and may I have all these names entered into Hansard? Lloyd Ellice Atchison, Joan Irene Atchison, Trevor Lloyd Atchison, Angela Dawn Scott, Stephen Robert Scott, Ronald Glen Willson, Mavis Lee Willson.

Ian Fillingham Hon. Mike Moroz (Minister of Innovation and New Technology): Honourable Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honour Ian Fillingham, a beloved educator, volunteer and friend whose passing on September 25 has left a profound void in our community. Ian's life was a testament to service, creativity and kindness. Born in Chorley, England, he came to Winnipeg in 1956. After losing his father, Crescent Fort Rouge United Church became his sanctuary, and a place where he began a lifetime of service.

For more than six decades, Ian sang in the choir, cared for the sanctuary and managed the property, ensuring the church remained welcoming to all. Professionally, Ian devoted 30 years to teaching at the Manitoba Youth Centre, Elmwood High, Tec-Voc, and Isaac Newton junior high. He championed perform- ing arts programs and appeared on homework hotline, helping students succeed beyond the classroom. After retiring in 2003, Ian began a second career as the overall handyman, generously lending his skills to countless families, helping build homes for Habitat for Humanity.

And for five years, rain or shine, Ian walked every Friday with Mama Bear Clan. Ian was a devoted husband to Donna for 56 years, a proud father to Alan and Kristin, and an adoring grandfather to Louis and Felix, and countless friend- ships spanned generations. Honourable Speaker, Ian lived fully and gave generously to his family and his community. Please join me in extending heartfelt condolences to Donna, Alan, Kristin and the entire Fillingham family. May we honour Ian's memory by carrying forward his spirit of service and love for community.

His family joins us in the gallery today, and I ask that their names be entered into Hansard. Alan Fillingham, Donna Fillingham, Felix Stoezel, Kristin Stoezel, Louis Stoezel. Business Climate in Manitoba Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Each and every day, I hear from Manitobans–business owners, farmers and investors –who are deeply concerned about the direction of this NDP government. They tell me about the uncertainty they feel.

They tell me about the fear that exists around investing in Manitoba today. * (13:40) These are people who want to grow, to hire, to innovate, but instead of encouragement, they' re met with red tape, indecision and a government that is more interested in photo ops than in fostering real economic opportunity. Honourable Speaker, the business climate in this province has cooled dramatically. While other provinces are attracting new value- added agriculture projects, new mining exploration and manufacturing invest - ment, Manitoba is being passed by.

This NDP govern- ment has done nothing to instill confidence, and their so-called net zero plan has only made things worse. It's a plan that is long in slogans but short on science,

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3457 one that scares away investors without achieving a single meaningful environmental goal. The people of La Vérendrye–hard-working farmers, entrepreneurs and families–deserve a government that believes in them, not one that punishes ambition or burdens progress. Manitoba should be a place where investment feels welcome, where businesses can grow and com - munities can thrive. But that won 't happen until this government stops chasing ideology and starts focusing on outcomes, on jobs, competitiveness and confidence in our economy once again.

I strive for a better Manitoba, and I ask this government to get on board. Thank you, Honourable Speaker. Dr. Anju Bajaj MLA Robert Loiselle (St. Boniface): Honourable Speaker, is it with immense pride that I rise today to recognize Dr. Anju Bajaj, an extraordinary Manitoban whose passion for science and education continues to inspire not only our province, but the world. Quelle fierté pour nous tous. [What a source of pride for all of us.] Dr.

Bajaj has recently been selected as chair - person for team Canada at the MILSET Expo-Sciences International 2025, taking place in Abu Dhabi from September 27 to October 3. This prestigious event will unite over 1,000 youth from more than 50 countries, showcasing 600 innovative STEM projects. It is truly a global celebration of creativity, collaboration and intercultural exchange–values that resonate deeply with Manitoba's spirit. Beyond this remarkable honour, Dr.

Bajaj is the founder and chair of the national accelerated Bison Regional Science Fair, a transformative initiative that has opened doors for countless youth and Manitobans. Through her leadership, students from our province have excelled at the Canada -Wide Science Fair and earned recognition on international stages. C 'est incroyable. [That's incredible.] What sets Dr. Bajaj apart is her unwavering com- mitment to mentorship and inclusion. She has built networks that empower students and teachers alike, ensuring that young innovators, regardless of back- ground, can reach their highest potential.

Her work has positioned Manitoba as a leader in STEM education, and for that, we owe her immense gratitude. Dr. Bajaj's vision reflects the very best of who we are: innovative, collaborative and determined to create opportunities for the next generation. On behalf of the Manitoba legislator, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Bajaj and team Canada. Merci pour votre dévouement et votre passion. [Thank you for your dedication and passion.] You remind us that when we invest in youth and science, we invest in a brighter future for all. I ask all my colleagues to rise to recognize Dr.

Bajaj, who is here present in the gallery. Introduction of Guests The Speaker: Prior to oral questions, there are several guests in the gallery that I'd like to introduce. First, we have seated in the public gallery, from St. John's High School, four grade 12 students under the direction of Amy Wilkinson, and they are guests of the honourable member for St. Johns, the honour- able Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine). We welcome you here today. Next, we have seated in the public gallery guests Jin Wang Jung [phonetic], Carlos Sousa, Christopher Forfar.

And they're guests of the honourable member for Radisson (MLA Dela Cruz). And we welcome you here today. And next I'd like to draw the attention of all hon- ourable members to the public gallery, where we have with us today Lloyd Ellice Atchison, Joan Irene Atchison, Trevor Lloyd Atchison, Ronald Glen Willson, Mavis Lee Willson, Angela Dawn Scott and Stephen Robert Scott, who are guests of the honour - able member for Spruce Woods (Mrs. Robbins). And on behalf of all honour able members, we welcome you here today. ORAL QUESTIONS BITSA Legislation Tax Increase Concerns Mrs.

Lauren Stone (Midland): Honourable Speaker, this Premier is so afraid of transparency, he is ramming through sneaky tax hikes buried in his rushed budget bill. While Manitobans are struggling to make ends meet, he is hiking income taxes, edu cation property taxes and PST on small busi nesses. The sneaky tax hikes will take more than $400 million out of the pockets of Manitobans. This is a bigger tax increase than his predecessor, Greg Selinger, did when he

3458 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 increased the PST. But like his predecessor, this Premier has broken his promise to not raise taxes on Manitobans. Is this Premier so out of touch with reality that he thinks Manitobans won't notice his sneaky tactics? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Honourable Speaker, since day one, we've been making your life more affordable. The first thing that we did when we took office was that we cut the prov incial gas tax so that you save money every time you fill up, and then we made that cut permanent.

We followed that up by cutting personal income taxes, we cut cor porate taxes, we cut the payroll tax. Just today, I was very happy to be with the Minister of Housing to announce that we're taking the PST off of new rental unit construction because we know that we need to build more housing to keep your life affordable. They charged the gas tax every single day that they were in office. They didn't care about you then, they don't care about you now. On this side of the House, we want to work with you so that you can afford to live and afford to dream.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Midland, on a supplementary question. Mrs. Stone: Honourable Speaker, $400 million in additional taxes is not affordable for Manitobans. Clearly, this Premier hasn't read his Finance Minister's budget, because this minister is increasing income taxes by $82 million this year. He is removing the indexation of income taxes and the basic personal amount, which protects Manitoba workers' wages from inflation and helps low -income Manitobans keep more money in their pockets. It protects our small-business owners and entrepreneurs from financial burden.

Will this Premier admit that he is just no better than his predecessor Greg Selinger, and is increasing taxes on Manitobans? Mr. Kinew: I come from the school of Gary Doer politics, and we all know what Gary Doer said: Don't raise the price of beer. So we haven't. In fact, we went and made life more affordable so you can afford to buy an extra six-pack.

And when the weekend comes around, with the money that you save from our cut on the gas tax–I had parents at the rink telling me: you know what, I was able to take the kids to McDonald's on the way here with the money that we saved, which is really, really what it's all about. On that side of the House, they charged that tax every single day that they were in office. They only care about the rich. That's why Heather Stefanson, this very sitting, was fined, because she broke the law to advance a private interest. On this side of the House, we care about you.

We've cut the gas tax, we cut personal taxes, we cut corporate taxes, we cut the payroll tax and we're going to keep giving you more relief. The Speaker: The honourable member for Midland, on a final supplementary question. Mrs. Stone: Honourable Speaker, 90 cents every time you fill up at the pump does not even buy someone a can of soup or a box of Kraft Dinner. That is not a long-term sus tainable tax savings measure for Manitobans. So let's just go through all the broken promises and tax increases that this NDP government is putting on Manitobans.

They promised to keep the 50 per cent education property tax rebate, saving Manitobans hundreds and thousands of dollars; they broke that promise and they removed it, putting 55 per cent of Winnipeg property owners in a worse-off position. They promised to keep indexing income taxes; they broke that promise, they've eliminated that. Now they've–they then promised to keep taxes low for busi- nesses, and have now increased the PST by 7 per cent on cloud computing software. Why is this Premier ignoring his own promises and ramming through sneaky tax hikes on– * (13:50) The Speaker: Member's time is expired. Mr.

Kinew: Honourable Speaker, why is this member ignoring her own constituents? In her own constit- uency, pretty much nobody pays property taxes on the provincial portion because of the changes that the best Finance Minister in Canada has brought into place. She's here in the House complaining about the cut to the gas tax. Let's go to Morden. Let's go to Winkler. How do people feel about cutting the gas tax? Pretty sure we know the answer to that, but that's what you get with the PCs. They claim rural at election time, but they all live in the city the rest of the year.

I know, because I'm their MLA for the rest of the year.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3459 But when it comes to saving you money, we know that there's more work to do. A cut to the gas tax, a freeze to your hydro rates. We're just getting started. We're building Manitoba better. Health-Care System Wait Times Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): Under the NDP, health care in Manitoba is only getting worse. Diagnos tic wait times are up. Surgical wait times are up. HSC has been greylisted for three months ongoing, and this failing Health Minister received a grade of D - from Manitoba nurses. And now, ER wait times in Winnipeg are at a record high.

This is not what the NDP promised Manitobans. Health care is getting worse, not better. Why, under this Premier, are Manitobans waiting longer than ever to see a doctor? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Reality check: You want to see a doctor? Pick up your phone, use your new plastic health card, book an ap pointment at a clinic that's convenient to you right now. You can do that in Winnipeg. You can do that in Steinbach. You can do that in Selkirk. You can do that in Brandon. And the list goes on. We're talking about fixing health care, which was our core election commitment.

Here's what we've done so far: we've hired 3,400 new front -line health-care workers; we've reopened emergency rooms that they closed. She was a staffer to Heather Stefanson when they closed the emergency room in Carberry; we reopened it. Of course, they don't want to acknowledge that these are all good things because, time after time, whether it's on affordability, whether it's on health care, they're offside with you, the people of Manitoba. We'll let them do them. We'll keep focusing on your priorities–reopening emergency rooms, the new Victoria ER coming in the new year.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Roblin, on a supplementary question. Home-Care Services Wait Time for Visits Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): The numbers don't lie. Under this NDP govern ment, if you go to the emergency room right now, you will be waiting longer than ever before to see a doctor. Every day, their failures in health care compound.

Earlier this year, the NDP centralized home- care scheduling services against the advice on frontline home-care staff, resulting in chaos, missed visits, can- cellations, forcing this minister to go out and do a press conference apologizing for their error and pro - mising to fix it. Yet, home -care scheduling still has not been repatriated to community offices. I asked the minister this question on Tuesday; they didn't answer. So I'll ask the Premier: How many Manitobans are still waiting for a visit from a home -care worker and how many months have they been waiting? Hon.

Wab Kinew (Premier): Honourable Speaker, time was, Manitoba was the envy of all of Canada when it came to home care. This wonderful program was started in this province, the keystone province. It was started by the great Ed Schreyer. Now, what have they done during their time in office? Well, Sterling Lyon tried to cut it. Gary Filmon cut it. Heather Stefanson, Brian Pallister both cut home care. They come in here crying wolf. They're asking for us to put out the fire while they're hiding the match behind their back.

Here's what we're doing: We've hired hundreds and hundreds of new home-care workers; we're fixing the long-standing systemic and structural issues that they caused with their cuts. And the best part about all of it: you can get a doctor appointment right now using your new plastic health card, booked on the phone at a clinic that's convenient to you. Under them, it was health care when they wanted it; with us, health care when you want it. The Speaker: The honourable member for Roblin, on a final supplementary question. Long-Term Care System Management Concerns Mrs.

Kathleen Cook (Roblin): The Premier gets up and directly contradicts the word of front-line home-care workers and home -care clients who know full well that the chaos was created under this NDP gov ern- ment earlier this year. Across the health-care system, the NDP record is one of not only failing to make any actual im prove- ments, but actually making things worse. And the long-term-care sector is no different. I'll table a letter the Premier received this week from Lions personal -care home. It says: How much

3460 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 longer will your govern ment continue to ignore the growing crisis? It's time to stop delivering speeches and start delivering on promises. I have requested meetings to discuss these concerns and have been ignored. Enough is enough. It's time to act. Unquote. This Premier's track record is dismal, and Manitobans have had enough. Is this, too, going to be just another broken promise under the NDP? Hon.

Wab Kinew (Premier): When we're talking about seniors and people who enter a stage in their life where they need that long-term care, for me it's about dignity, it's about compassion and it's about showing respect for the people who gave us the wonderful lives that we enjoy today. There was such a tragic ex perience during the pandemic under the former PCs. We had seniors who just–without wanting to say it –went through some very, very difficult things. The reason why? Fewer nurses in the system working in personal-care homes, no beds made –in fact, a loss of personal -care-home beds during their time in office.

For us, we're building. We're building personal - care homes in Lac du Bonnet, we're 'builking'–building personal-care homes in Transcona. We're building personal-care homes in Arborg and in so many places around the province. I know the good seniors of Manitoba want to see a government that puts in work, not a backbench opposi tion that sits on the sidelines and heckles. Concern for Taxes and Red Tape in BITSA Impact on Attracting Investment to Manitoba Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): It's now seven months later and we still haven't been given the oppor- tunity to debate the budget bill.

With no transparency, investors are left with more uncertainty. It's no wonder we're being left in the dust by our neighbouring provinces to the west: invest ment dollars are leaving our province in droves. Our GDP grew by a meagre 1.1 per cent, opposed to Saskatchewan that grew 3.4 per cent. I-B-I-S now ranks us dead last out of 10 provinces. The reason: government's burden- some taxes and endless red tape. Now, with this budget bill, they're just adding more. Why are they doubling down on what's been failing? Hon.

Jamie Moses (Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation): Honourable Speaker, we are investing in the busi ness community by making sure that we create a strong and economic environ- ment for businesses to invest here. Proof of that is the $1-billion investment in a new gold mine in northern Manitoba. This is a strong indicator of economic success right here in Manitoba. But we didn't stop there; we went further, Honourable Speaker. Manitobans should know, and manufacturers should know, that we are taking the PST off of manufacturing equipment.

So we give manufacturers opportunity to invest right here in Manitoba and support more workers. That's how you grow an economy, not the misguided approach of members opposite that failed during their time in govern ment. We will take an approach that focuses on businesses, focuses on invest- ment and focuses on workers for more good jobs right here– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Mr. Narth: I'd like to thank the minister for bringing up the gold mine that this PC government brought forward. It's not just com mercial and agri business that's going in this province.

We've seen mineral exploration abandoned in this province as well: nearly 1,000 jobs in August alone. Out of 83 jurisdictions, we've dropped from sixth to 34th desirable location for mineral exploration in just two years. That's two years of this failed NDP government. And why? Red tape and taxes hidden in an undebated, irresponsible, last-minute legislation like this budget bill. Honourable Speaker, how many more jobs will this budget chase away? Mr. Moses: Well, Honourable Speaker, Manitobans should know that the critical mineral sector –mining sector in Manitoba is very im portant to us.

We shouldn't be taking lessons from the failed former PC government. Their record is that they had three gold–three mines close under their time in gov ern- ment. That is not a record that we want to repeat, where we saw job losses in the critical mineral sector. The reality is, is that we're investing in the critical mineral space; $1.2 -million investment that we announced last month goes to six exploration com - panies to find the next set of great projects.

Including this week, a $1- million investment partner ship with the Canadian Infra structure Bank to study infra - structure projects that will enable our critical mineral sector to exceed well into the future. * (14:00)

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3461 This is our record of working together, working in partnership and collaboration– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable member for La Vérendrye, on a final supplementary question. Mr. Narth: Sixth place under us, 34th place under them for mineral exploration. This isn't a serious govern - ment. TikTok and Instagram posts are all fun and games until you blink and the economy's disappeared in front of your eyes.

Honourable Speaker, I ask the minister to get serious and get to work so that in two years, when our PC team takes back government, there's something for hard-working Manitobans and our govern ment to make from the failures of this government. Thank you, Honourable Speaker. Mr. Moses: Honourable Speaker, we are so serious about growing the economy. What we saw from members opposite was –not serious question from a not serious opposition, who proceeded a not serious, former, failed PC government. What we want to do, Honourable Speaker, is grow our economy.

And we're doing it step by step by working with First Nations, by working with industry to set our critical minerals space ahead. The only thing that our busi ness industry is con- cerned about is the kowtowing that members opposite are doing to Donald Trump, the greatest threat to our economy with their tariffs. By thanking Donald Trump, by thanking him for his tariffs, that is the greatest threat to our economy. And Manitobans never want to go back to that, never want to see the PC government bring that approach to growing our economy. So, instead, we'll– The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

BITSA Legislation Concern for Job Losses and Tax Increases Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): Honourable Speaker, under this NDP government, Manitobans are spending more and getting less. Now with this eleventh -hour budget bill, the NDP want to take even more from Manitoba paycheques. How many more jobs and oppor tunities is this NDP government intending to chase away with their latest budget failure? Hon.

Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): Honourable Speaker, for many years, Manitobans did not have a government that was focused on their needs and ensuring that they were responding to the affordability challenges that they were facing. Finally, two years ago, Manitobans voted in a gov- ernment that cares about affordability and is focused on that every single day. We started out, of course, by bringing a cut to the gas tax. We froze hydro rates. We brought in a broad middle-class tax cut and, of course, our education property tax changes that are saving Manitobans money across the province.

For years, Manitobans had a government that made life more expensive. Finally, they've got a government that's doing the work of making life more affordable, each and every day. The Speaker: The honourable member for Borderland, on a supplementary question. Mr. Guenter: Honourable Speaker, only an NDP gov- ernment would expect Manitobans to thank them for policies that are making them poorer. This govern - ment takes –keeps taking more and doing less. Manitobans are spending more and they're getting less. Now, with this latest budget bill, they keep coming back for more, skimming back on Manitoba pay- cheques.

In fact, $82 million more when it comes to personal income taxes. The question is: How many new taxes have they snuck into their latest budget bill? MLA Sala: Again, Honourable Speaker, I'll stand up here–we want to talk about sneaky, we could talk about what the members opposite did to ram through hydro rate increases for the first time in this province's history through legislation, ensuring that Manitobans will never know if that hydro rate increase was required.

That's their record: a record of sneakiness, ramming cost increases through, trying to work around the edges to find new and creative ways of raising costs on Manitobans. Finally, Manitobans have a gov ern- ment that's focused on their needs: we're focused on making life more affordable, we're focused on fixing health care, we're focused on fixing education, which they had cut. We are moving the province ahead and we're going to keep doing that work proudly for Manitobans, each and every day. The Speaker: The honourable member for Borderland, on a final supplementary question.

3462 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 Mr. Guenter: Honourable Speaker, in this NDP economy, taxes are up, govern ment revenues are up, grocery prices are up, violent crime is up, health care is up –record health-care wait times. The only thing that's not growing in Manitoba, in this failed NDP economy, are the bank accounts of Manitobans. Why does this greedy government think Manitoba workers should pay for their failed economic policies? MLA Sala: Honourable Speaker, under our govern - ment, taxes are down, park passes were free this year, hydro rates are down, payroll taxes are down.

We're making life more affordable for all families by ensuring every child in this province can get access to universal school nutrition. We made birth control free. We're making life more affordable on nearly every single front. They made life more expensive for years. They made life harder by, again, cutting health care, cutting child care, cutting education, cutting municipalities. They made the province into a much worse place and, finally, Manitobans have a govern - ment that's focused on them, focused on their needs.

And, again, we will continue every single day to proudly do that work in service of Manitobans. Change of Name Amendment Act Timeline to Complete Regulations Ms. Jodie Byram (Agassiz): Honourable Speaker, Manitobans have a lot of questions that the Minister of Public Service Delivery has to answer to. On Tuesday, he stated that consul tations were ongoing and I quote: We intend to have a spring of 2026 proclamation. But just yesterday, he and this Premier (Mr. Kinew) said the work was done. Can the minister tell us why the con sultations were cancelled when the media called him out? Hon.

Mintu Sandhu (Minister of Public Service Delivery): I want to thank the member for the question. Our priority is protecting the kids. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to this family for what they are going through. I think this story impacted all parents in Manitoba. I'm pleased to share that the regula tions are now in place to prevent this from happening to other families in this province. I want to assure Manitobans that we are working hard to protect children here in Manitoba. And we are looking forward to the answer–giving answer to the next question. Thank you, Honourable Speaker.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Agassiz, on a supplementary question. Ms. Byram: I, too, am looking for an answer. Before entering the Chamber, I checked the consolidated regulations and orders -in-council, and there is still nothing listed in change of name regulations. So I ask the member opposite: Will the minister table these regulations today, here in the House? Thank you. MLA Sandhu: I want to make sure we are protecting Manitoba kids here in Manitoba and across Canada. Honourable Speaker, the PCs had a chance to do this since 2020; they ignored the advice from Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Out here on this side of the House, we will every day protect the kids, and wherever we have to take the action–if I have to take the action tomorrow on some- thing–I will do it to protect the kids here in Manitoba. Thank you, Honourable Speaker. The Speaker: The honourable member for Agassiz, on a final supplementary question. Ms. Byram: For a year and a half, this minister did nothing, but when confronted by the media, he said, another six months, and then, suspiciously and suddenly, regulations were completed the next morning.

If the minister could do it so quickly, why did he sit for a year and a half, and how many more child predators were allowed to change their name while this minister did nothing? MLA Sandhu: As I said, they had a chance to change this law since 2020 when Alberta and Saskatchewan asked all the provinces to change to protect the kids here in Manitoba and across Canada. What did they do? They did nothing during that time, Honour able Speaker. On this side of the House, if I have to take any action today to protect the kids, I will do it.

If I have to do anything tomorrow, I will do it, and I – [interjection]–thank you, Honourable Speaker. And this other side of the House, they are not serious about the kids and then protection of their kids. And on the other side of the House–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. MLA Sandhu: –other side of the House, we will take no lessons from them when it's come to protecting kids in Manitoba.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3463 Point Douglas Constituents Minister's Availability to Residents MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): We know that this Minister of Housing, Homelessness and Addictions doesn't respect her own constituents. * (14:10) I table a letter from her own residents' association showing that not only will the minister not meet with them, she has actively blocked them from contacting her office. This is shameful. These are her constituents who are blocked by the minister's off ice, a public office that any Manitoban should be able to contact.

Honourable Speaker, why is this minister hiding from her own constituents? Thank you. Hon. Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): I know that member likes to create divisiveness, whether it's, you know, with the feds, with the Province, with the City and now with constituents. I have a great relationship with constituents, with Point Douglas. I have grown up in that constituency. We've, in fact, not blocked any emails. We've been in contact, they can contact our office, I have no issues with meeting with them; I've met with them several times and I'll continue to meet.

My office is an open door. I go to lots of organizations in my constituency and everyone knows that I'm available to them. The Speaker: The honourable member for Portage la Prairie, on a supplementary question. MLA Bereza: I think the letter speaks for itself. This is common thread with the NDP. The Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine) blocked an entire Indigenous news organization for showing Manitobans who she really is, and foster parents for advocating.

This minister had to be embarrassed into attend - ing a community meeting for her failed drug-injection site, and now–it seems as retribution for getting in the way of that program–the minister has decided the area residents have no voice and aren't worth her time. Honourable Speaker, who are area residents sup- posed to come forward to if this minister, their own MLA, is block– The Speaker: Member's time is expired. Ms. Smith: You know what, I am so proud of this side of the bench because every single one of our members has an open door to every single Manitoban here in our province.

And everywhere I go, that's what every single person says. They are so thankful to every member on this side. What I will say to that member on that side is when I go to Portage la Prairie and I meet with con- stituents in his constituency, they're so happy to see a member from any party come and visit, to hear them out, to meet with them. I don't know where that mem- ber is; I know that member likes to send other people on his behalf, but I'm more than happy to come and meet with people in his constituency. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. The Speaker: Order.

The honourable member for Portage la Prairie, on a final supplementary question. MLA Bereza: As this letter says, after months of con- cern, that the com munity cor respondence has been ignored. Residents have come to this Chamber before; this minister would not meet with them. Residents shouldn't need media cameras watching to have their MLA listen. It's undemo cratic, but not surprising with this failed minister. They are worried about consolidation of services in their neighbour - hood, they're scared of a lot of things. Why do they have to be scared of this minister as well? Ms.

Smith: You know what Manitobans are scared of? Manitobans are scared of the PCs blocking Bill 48. Manitobans have spoken. They are concerned for – [interjection] The Speaker: Order. Ms. Smith: –folks that are under the influence other than alcohol getting the supports that they need. That's exactly why this bill came forward. We've listened, we've come to the table. They were asking for six years for that failed PC gov ernment to act. They didn't act. We're taking a different approach. We're listening; we're going to get the supports; we're going to help bring safety to our community.

Unlike members opposite who live to create divisiveness, we have an open door, we're listening, we're able to meet with people. We'll meet with anybody in any of their constituency any day.

3464 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 Homeless Encampments Housing Plan for Winter MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Honour- able Speaker, all over Manitoba–including 500 metres from this building–are homeless encampments. Residents have been reaching out as more continue to pop up, in part because they are becoming more visible as leaves fall off trees. I understand the govern ment has been trying to work with the City in managing these camps and finding compassionate means of housing for people who live in them.

However, with winter coming and with the recent departure of Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud from the gov- ernment's Your Way Home strategy, what is the plan for those living in encampments to find proper shelter by this winter? Hon. Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): I want to thank that member for that very important question. It gives me an op portunity to let the House know that we've housed over 100 folks from encampments. Like, that's a great number to celebrate. These are folks that have been unhoused for a very, very long time.

Under the PCs, they sold off housing–hundreds of housing units. We've brought, you know, hundreds of housing, thousands of housing units online. We're going to continue that work. We're going to continue to support people. We know that people have complex needs, and we're going to continue to make sure that they get their supports that they need so that they can get on a path of recovery, get into jobs, and get the supports that they need to get into a suc cessful life that they envision. The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable member for Tyndall Park, on a supplementary question.

Managed Encampment Approach MLA Lamoureux: Honourable Speaker, Manitobans and constituents shared that these encampments are too close to homes, schools and busi nesses, that they are growing in size, that there has been drug use and criminal activity spotted, and that there is a lack of feeling safe in one's own community. It has been suggested to city council that managed encampments–not a new idea–could be a way forward. This is an idea supported by Marion Willis of St.

Boniface Street Links, who was quoted in the Winnipeg Free Press yesterday saying that they would protect the public while, at the same time, protect the interests of those living unsheltered. What has this govern ment done to explore this option? Ms. Smith: I want to take this oppor tunity to thank Tessa for all of her work. She's going to go on to continue great work in building up more housing here in the province. And we're going to continue to work with the sector, including, you know, the City of Winnipeg, municipalities, our federal partners.

That's what this is about –growing, building, creating more housing. Housing has been the biggest barrier to getting folks supported. We know, under the previous gov ernment, they didn't provide the proper supports to keep people housed. That's why we saw encampments grow. We're taking a different approach. We want to make sure people are getting the proper supports and we're going to continue to work with the City and other partners to ensure people get proper supports onto a path of success. The Speaker: The honourable member for Tyndall Park, on a final supplementary question.

Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Tiny Home Community Model MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Honour- able Speaker, the topic of tiny home communities has been raised in the past in this House, even by members of this government while in opposition. We have only one tiny home project near Thunderbird House in Point Douglas that continues to do well. A group called Schweitzer Village [phonetic] brought forward the concept of managed tiny home communities to all levels of gov ernment in recent years. I table their infor mation.

Their model was based on the successful model of a better tent city in Kitchener, Ontario. Why has this government not built more tiny home communities to provide better shelter for people experiencing homelessness? Hon. Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): What I could say to that member is we've started –we've taken the boards off of our Manitoba Housing. We've taken 20 per cent of our Manitoba Housing units. We've made them Housing First. Members opposite, when they were in government, slashed maintenance by 87 per cent.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3465 We're taking a different approach. We are actually putting in supports into our Manitoba Housing to ensure that people are staying suc cessfully housed. Folks that are coming out of hospital, out of incarcer- ation, kids coming out of care, kids coming out of encampment, we're taking a whole -of-government approach. We're working with the sector.

We're ensuring that people are staying suc cessfully housed, that they're getting the supports that they need to get into the sector, to get into jobs, to get to the supports that they need to live a suc cessful life, whether that's getting addiction support– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Temporary Detention of Intoxicated Individuals Passage of Bill 48 Mr. Logan Oxenham (Kirkfield Park): Yesterday, our government voted to make Manitoba safer and to get people the medical care that they need.

After days of political games and delays from the PC party, we passed Bill 48, a critical piece of legis lation that will get people who are in danger to them selves and to others off the street and into medical care. * (14:20) Manitobans asked for safer streets and we delivered. Manitobans asked us to get people medical care and we delivered. Manitobans asked us to take action to stamp out meth addiction in our province and we are delivering. Can the minister please tell the House more about the importance of Bill 48? Hon.

Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): I want to thank my colleague for that very important question. Safer streets, compassionate care; that's what Bill 48 is about. Yesterday our govern ment was joined by Winnipeg's mayor, police, paramedics, firefighters and community organizations on the front lines of the addictions crisis to call on the PCs to imme diately pass Bill 48. And thanks to the perseverance of front- line workers and the local leaders who have been advocating for change, we got it done and Bill 48 is becoming law.

Together as one Manitoba we are building a safer tomorrow where people can get the care that they need. Miigwech. Vandalism in River Heights Community Request for Action on Public Safety Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): River Heights residents woke up this morning to row upon row upon row of damaged windows smashed out in this area, and I table photos of this for this House. This is an all too common event in this area. The residents are screaming for justice, but what is this gov ernment doing? Absolutely nothing.

What is the Minister of Innovation and New Tech- nology, the MLA for River Heights (MLA Moroz), doing to ensure that his constituents are not subject to this violence and vandalism again? Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): You know, Hon ourable Speaker, I think most Manitobans know about our very suc cessful retail-crime initiative that directed money to WPS immediately to ensure that busi nesses felt safe and that they could continue to operate.

But what most people maybe don't realize is that was really about com munity policing, about getting officers into –onto the streets, into com munity, and building those relationships. That was a big success, and so that's why we built off of that and we made it permanent: 36 new Winnipeg police officers are on our streets doing this im portant community building. They're going to protect our com munities; they're going to make our streets safer. Our province is better because of the work of our government. The Speaker: The honourable member for Brandon West, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Balcaen: Whatever plan this minister is talking about, it certainly isn't working, and I would ask him to talk to the residents of River Heights about this. This government has been in power for over two years and for over two years the criminals have been running the justice system. Matter of fact, if a person was caught doing this, he would be out faster than people calling the MPI tip line could get any action from this government. So my question is, what is the MLA for River Heights doing for his constituents to make sure this does not happen again? Mr.

Wiebe: You know, I'm not surprised, Honourable Speaker, that the member opposite would be critical of WPS. Why would I not be surprised by that? Because in their actions as the previous govern ment,

3466 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 they showed what they thought of law enforcement in this province. Under their watch, there was a net loss of 55 officers in the City of Winnipeg, and that's shameful, Honour- able Speaker. But beyond that, they also froze funding for police across this province. We've taken a different approach: 36 new officers here in the city of Winnipeg; across the province a 30 per cent increase to funding for law enforcement. We know that if we partner with law enforcement, our communities are going to be safer. We're doing our part. They failed at their job.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Brandon West, on a final supplementary question. Mr. Balcaen: This is going to keep happening until this government takes real action and actually works to protect Manitobans. It will keep happening until the next election when this party is in–willing to stand up against criminals. We know that the NDP are all talk and no action. This Premier stands in his place and tries to act tough with the empty bravado and big claims to get people's attention, but under his watch the only thing getting buried is this Premier's head in the sand.

Pedophiles and predators are being released by his justice system, so why can't he admit he isn't the tough guy he plays to the TV cameras? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Honourable Speaker, the PCs are soft on crime and they're soft in QP. I'll table for the House the regulations that they requested earlier in question period and I will thank them for folding yesterday when it came to Bill 48. This being the last sitting day before Remembrance Day, I want to take this time to thank our veterans. Freedom has never been free. It has been paid for with the blood of your comrades.

It has been paid for by the sweat that you've poured on the battlefield. It has been paid for by the tears of parents ge tting some awful news back here on the home front. Every single day that we come to serve people in our democracy, we owe it to you. Every future gen- eration of Manitoban and Canadian who gets to grow up strong and free owes it to you for Remembrance Week, for Remembrance Day, for Indigenous Veterans Day and every single day of the year, we say thank you for your service, thank you for our freedom. We can never do enough to repay you. The Speaker: The time for oral questions has expired.

PETITIONS MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield-Ritchot): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative services plan, construction for the new Portage regional health facility is well under way. The facility and surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of an MRI machine.

(2) An MRI machine is a non -invasive medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the human body. It is used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

(3) Portage la Prairie is centrally located in Manitoba and is on the No. 1 Highway in the Southern Health/Santé Sud Health Authority. Currently there is only one MRI machine in the RHA.

(4) An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will reduce transportation costs for patients as well as reduce the burden on stretcher service and ambulance use. It will bring care closer to home and reduce wait times for MRI scans across the province.

(5) Located around Portage la Prairie are the Dakota Tipi, Dakota Plains, Sandy Bay and Long Plain First Nations reserves. Indigenous peoples in Canada disproportionately face barriers in access to services and medical care. An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will bring care closer to their home communities and provide greater access to diagnostic testing.

(6) Located close proximity to the new Portage regional health facility is the Southport airport. This aerodrome has a runway length that is more than adequate to support medical air ambulance services. This would provide the opportunity to transport patients by air from more remote communities to access MRI image services.

(7) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive an MRI scan is currently six to eight months. Having an MRI machine in the Portage regional

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3467 health facility will help reduce these wait times for patients and provide better care sooner. * (14:30) We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. And this is signed by Barry Glanville, George Mazurat, Cliff McKay and many, many other Manitobans. Thank you. Provincial Trunk Highway 45 Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): I wish to present the following petition.

To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, these are the reasons for this petition: Upgrading Provincial Trunk Highway 45 will accelerate economic development as it will enhance connectivity, facilitate efficient transportation and promote economic growth in the region. MLA Carla Compton, Acting Speaker, in the Chair

(2) Economic development will be further enhanced as improved road infrastructure attracts businesses, encourages investment and creates job opportunities.

(3) Roads meeting the Roads and Transportation Association of Canada, RTAC, standards improve both safety and efficiency, as they can handle heavier loads, reducing the number of trips required for goods transportation.

(4) Safer roads further benefit both commuters and commercial vehicles, minimizing accidents and damage.

(5) Upgrading to RTAC standards ensures resilience to challenges caused by climate change, such as thaw- ing and flooding, which negatively impact road conditions.

(6) Efficient transportation networks contribute to Manitoba's economic competitiveness, as upgraded roads support interprovincial and international goods movement, benefiting both trade and commerce. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to take the necessary steps to upgrade Provincial Trunk Highway 45 from Russell to Provincial Trunk Highway 10 to meet RTAC standards. This petition has been signed by many, many, many, many, many Manitobans. Thank you. MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility Mr.

Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative services plan, construction for the new Portage regional health facility is well under way. The facility and surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of an MRI machine.

(2) An MRI machine is a non -invasive medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the human body. It is used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

(3) Portage la Prairie is centrally located in Manitoba and is on the No. 1 Highway in the Southern Health/Santé Sud Health Authority. Currently there is only one MRI machine in the RHA.

(4) An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will reduce transportation costs for patients as well as reduce the burden on stretcher service and ambulance use. It will bring care closer to home and reduce wait times for MRI scans across the province.

(5) Located around Portage la Prairie are the Dakota Tipi, Dakota Plains, Sandy Bay and Long Plain First Nations reserves. Indigenous peoples in Canada disproportionately face barriers in access to services and medical care. An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will bring care closer to their home communities and provide greater access to diagnostic testing.

(6) Located in close proximity to the new Portage regional health facility is the Southport airport. This aerodrome has a runway length that is more than adequate to support medical air ambulance services.

3468 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 This would provide the opportunity to transport patients by air from more remote communities to access MRI imaging services.

(7) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive an MRI scan is currently six to eight months. Having an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility will help reduce these wait times for patients and provide better care sooner. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Honourable deputy Speaker, this petition has been signed by Leonora Heppner, Sabrina Cousins, Kevin Way and many, many, many other fine Manitobans.

Thank you. Provincial Trunk Highway 34 Mrs. Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods): Honourable deputy Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Provincial Trunk Highway 34, PTH 34, is a two-lane provincially –provincial primary highway that runs from the US border where it meets with ND 20 to PTH 16 at the town of Gladstone.

(2) PTH 34 runs north-south in the south-central region of the province. It is the main highway for the towns of Crystal City, Pilot Mound and Holland, serving as a main corridor for the semi -trailers, farm equipment, daily drivers and local school bus routes. A new bridge is currently being constructed over the Assiniboine River at PTH 34, north of Holland, in the RM of Victoria. The bridge serves as an important north-south link over the Assiniboine River between the Trans-Canada Highway and PTH 2.

(4) The deterioration of PTH 34 has raised major concerns due to its narrow shoulders and numer ous deep potholes that pose serious safety risks consid - ering farmers often need to use the highway to transport heavy equipment. * (14:40)

(5) Construction of the new bridge in accordance– current design codes and the RTAC standard, located on the PTH 34 crossing the Assiniboine River, will support trade and commerce and improve public safety in the area and also accommodate flood events on the Assiniboine River. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to address the conditions of Provincial Trunk Highway 34, making the necessary upgrades to RTAC standard and to resurface the road once the new bridge has been completed.

This petition has been signed by Philip Weselowski, Lovell Stone and Ti Kipplit [phonetic] and many, many more Manitobans. Thank you. Medical Assistance in Dying Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Honourable Speaker, I wish to present the following petition. These are the reasons for this petition–oh, sorry– to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, these are the reasons for this petition:

(1) Persons struggling with mental health as their sole condition may access medical assistance in dying unless Parliament intervenes.

(2) Suicidality is often a symptom of mental illness, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 19.

(3) There have been reports of the unsolicited introduction of medical assistance in dying to non-seeking persons, including Canadian veterans, as a solution for the –their medical and mental health issues.

(4) Legal and medical experts are deeply concerned that permitting Canadians suffering from depression and other mental illnesses to access euthanasia would undermine suicide prevention efforts and risk normalizing suicide as a solution for those suffering from mental illness.

(5) The federal gov ernment is bound by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to advance and protect the life, liberty and security of its citizens.

(6) Manitobans consider it a priority to ensure that adequate supports are in place for the mental health of all Canadians.

(7) Vulnerable Manitobans must be given suicide prevention counselling instead of suicide assistance.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3469

(8) The federal gov ernment should focus on increasing mental health supports to provinces and improve access to these supports, instead of offering medical assistance in dying for those with mental illness. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial gov ernment to lobby the federal gov ernment to stop the expansion of medical assistance in dying to those for whom mental illness is the sole condition.

(2) To urge the provincial gov ernment to lobby the federal government to protect Canadians struggling with mental illness by facilitating treatment, recovery and medical assistance in living, not death. This is signed by Don Wiebe, Ken Rutter, Cor Lodder and many, many more Manitobans. Provincial Road 210 Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): I wish to present the following petition. To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Provincial Road 210, PR 210, is a 117.3 kilometre– 72.8 mile–highway in the Eastman region of Manitoba that connects the towns and communities of Woodridge, Marchand, La Broquerie, Ste. Anne, Landmark, Linden, Île des Chênes and St. Adolphe.

(2) A significant portion of PR 210 also runs through the constituency of La Vérendrye.

(3) PR 210 is a significant commuting route for Eastman families and is also notably used by those in the agriculture, tourism, trade and commerce industries.

(4) The condition of PR 210 from Woodridge to Highway 12 is in an unacceptable state of disrepair.

(5) The planned pavement upgrade was promised more than 20 years ago when it was constructed with a flat surface suitable for pavement but has yet to be completed.

(6) The condition of PR 210 from Woodridge to Highway 12 is in such bad shape that firefighters, police and paramedic services are severely delayed when responding to emergencies.

(7) The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Premier have a duty to respond to infrastructure needs identified by rural communities. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to prioritize the reconstruction of Provincial Road 210; and

(2) To urge the provincial government to include the stretch of Provincial Road 210 from Woodridge to Highway 12 in its reconstruction plans. This petition has been signed by Gerald Delorme, Linda Ducharme, Gil Gauthier and many, many other Manitobans. MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative service plans, construction for the new Portage regional health facility is well under way. The facility and surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of an MRI machine.

(2) An MRI machine is a non -invasive medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the human body. It is used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring. * (14:50)

(3) Portage la Prairie is centrally located in Manitoba and is on the No. 1 Highway in Southern Health/Santé Sud Health Authority. Currently there is only one MRI machine in the RHA.

(4) An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will reduce transportation costs for patients as well as reduce the burden on stretcher services and ambulance use. It will bring care closer to home and reduce wait times for MRI scans across the province.

(5) Located around Portage la Prairie are the Dakota Tipi, Dakota Plains, Sandy Bay and Long Plain First Nations reserves. Indigenous peoples in Canada disproportionately face barriers in access to services and medical care. An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will bring care

3470 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 closer to their home communities and provide greater access to diagnostic testing.

(6) Located in close proximity to the new Portage regional health facility is the Southport airport. This aerodrome has a runway length that is more than adequate to support medical air ambulance services. This would provide the opportunity to transport patients by air from more remote communities to access MRI imaging services.

(7) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive an MRI scan is currently six to eight months. Having an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility will help reduce these wait times for patients and provide better care sooner. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. This petition has been signed by Gerry Dell, Allen den–Dell, Mona Miller and many, many other Manitobans. Removal of Federal Carbon Tax Mr.

Trevor King (Lakeside): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) The federal gov ernment has mandated a consumption-based carbon tax, with the stated goal of financially pressuring Canadians to make decisions to reduce their carbon emissions.

(2) Manitoba Hydro estimates that, even with high-efficiency furnace, the carbon tax is costing the average family over $200 annually, even more for those with older furnaces.

(3) Home heating in Manitoba is not a choice or a decision for Manitobans to make; it is a necessity of life, with an average of almost 200 days below 0°C annually.

(4) The federal government has selectively removed the carbon tax off of home heating oil in the Atlantic provinces of Canada, but has indicated they have no intention to provide the same relief to Manitobans heating their homes.

(5) Manitoba Hydro indicates that natural gas heating is one of the most affordable options available to Manitobans, and it can be cost prohibitive for households to replace their heating source.

(6) Premiers across Canada, including in the Atlantic provinces that benefit from this decision, have collectively sent a letter to the federal gov ern- ment, calling on it to extend the carbon tax exemption to all forms of home heating, with the exception of Manitoba.

(7) Manitoba is one of the only provincial juris - dictions to have not agreed with the stance that all Canadians' home heating bills should be exempt from the carbon tax.

(8) Provincial leadership in other juris dictions have already committed to removing the federal carbon tax from their home heating bills. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to remove the federal carbon tax on home heating bills for all Manitobans to provide them much-needed relief. And this petition has been signed by Trevor Barnes, Rhonda Cameron, Allan Robertson and many, many Manitobans. Thank you. Provincial Trunk Highway 34 Mr. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli): I wish to present the following petition to the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba. The background of this petition is as follows:

(1) Provincial Trunk Highway 34, PTH 34, is a two-lane provincial primary highway that runs from the US border where it meets with ND 20 to PTH 16 at the town of Gladstone.

(2) PTH 34 runs north-south in the south-central region of the province. It is the main highway for the towns of Crystal City, Pilot Mound and Holland, serving as a main corridor for semi -trailers, farm equipment, daily drivers and local school bus routes.

(3) A new bridge is currently being constructed over the Assiniboine River at PTH 34, north of Holland, in the RM of Victoria. The bridge serves as an important north-south link over the Assiniboine River between the Trans-Canada Highway and PTH 2.

(4) The 'teriation' –the deterioration of PTH 34 has raised major concerns due to its narrow shoulders and numerous deep potholes that pose serious safety

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3471 risks considering farmers often need to use the highway to transport heavy equipment.

(5) Construction of a new bridge in accordance with current design codes and the RTAC standard, located on PTH 34 crossing the Assiniboine River, will support trade and commerce and improve public safety in the area, and also accommodate flood events on the Assiniboine River. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to address the conditions of Provincial Trunk Highway 34, making the necessary upgrades to RTAC standard and resurface the road once the new bridge has been completed.

This petition has been signed by Jerry Sawatzky, Ron and Rick Rivers and many, many, many other fine Manitobans. Breast Screening Mrs. Carrie Hiebert (Morden-Winkler): Honour- able Speaker–deputy Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Due to the evolving scientific evidence, the Canadian Cancer Society is now urging all provinces and territories to lower their starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.

(2) Based off 2023 treatment standards, it is esti- mated that screening women annually for breast cancer starting at age 40 will save the Canadian health-care system $460 million annually.

(3) After non-'melanona'–melanoma skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among Canadian women. One in eight Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, and one in 36 will die from it. This is three–sorry, this is 30,500 diagnoses and 5,500 deaths every year, and 84 diagnoses and 15 deaths every day. * (15:00)

(4) Early detection of breast cancer will lead to better outcomes in patients, with better odds of survival and less severe cases. Women in their 40s who have access to mammograms have a 44 per cent lower mortality rate from breast cancer than those who don't receive screening.

(5) Every other province and territory in Canada has already lowered the breast cancer screening age or announced their intention to do so. Other provinces in Canada have already commenced the work of explaining– sorry–expanding screening programs and hiring additional technologists into their public health -care system.

(6) Manitoba is currently behind the rest of the country and has no formal plan to increase its screening capacity or lower the breast cancer screening age.

(7) Lowering the breast cancer screening age to 40 in Manitoba will reduce long-term costs to health- care systems because cancers that are caught earlier are typically less complicated to treat. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial gov ernment to imme - diately put forward a plan to increase breast screening–cancer screening capacity and lower breast screening age to 40. This petition has been signed by Tara Braun, Emily Steinke and Tina Bergen and many, many other Manitobans. MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility Mr.

Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. And the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative services plan, construction for the new Portage regional health facility is well under way. The facility and the surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of an MRI machine.

(2) An MRI machine is a non -invasive medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the human body. It is used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

(3) Portage la Prairie is centrally located in Manitoba and is on the No. 1 Highway in the Southern Health/Santé Sud RHA Health Authority. Currently there is only one MRI machine in the RHA.

3472 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025

(4) An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will reduce transportation costs for patients as well as reduce the burden on stretcher service and ambulance use. It will bring care closer to home and reduce wait times for MRI scans across the province.

(5) Located around Portage la Prairie are the Dakota Tipi, Dakota Plains, Sandy Bay and Long Plain First Nations reserves. Indigenous peoples in Canada disproportionately face barriers in access to services and medical care. An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will bring care closer to their home communities and provide greater access to diagnostic testing.

(6) Located in close proximity to the new Portage regional health facility is the Southport airport. This aerodrome has a runway length that is more than adequate to support medical air ambulance services. This would provide the opportunity to transport patients by air from more remote communities to access MRI imaging services.

(7) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive an MRI scan is currently six to eight months. Having an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility will help reduce these wait times for patients and provide better care sooner. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. And honour able acting Speaker, this petition is signed by Heather Warman, Melanie Moran, Debbe Copeland and many other fine Manitobans.

The Acting Speaker (Carla Compton): So any–seeing no further petitions, we will move on to grievances. GRIEVANCES Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Ten minutes probably will not be enough time for this, but I will try and pack it in as quick as I can. And I would implore the Premier (Mr.

Kinew), the Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine), the Minister of housing, homelessness and addictions and the MLA for Brandon East to take note of this request, but more so all of Cabinet, because the request is going to come down to one of their pillars, is that feeding the people in our communities and making sure that food stability is there for not only people in Winnipeg, but for people in Brandon and all rural areas as well. Honourable Speaker, Brandon has seen an influx and an increase in the number of homelessness and addictions happening within our city, and with this comes food insecurity.

I would like to thank Helping Hands in Brandon for stepping up to the plate and making sure that those individuals are served hot, fresh meals every single day during the week and making sure that bagged lunches are provided for individuals who can't make it there –or even provide it to Seventh Street Health Access Centre, where this go vernment, the present government, funds some of the organi zation there. So they're taking the pressure off of Seventh Street Health Access Centre.

And I would like to shout out to the board as well as to the individuals that are involved with Helping Hands: Andrea Epp, who is the chair of the board of directors; and their executive director, Angela Braun; fellow board members Gillian Leech, Aida Tahhan Harrison, Chris Sobchuk, Jordan Sisson, Jason Wilson, Kori Gordon, Melissa Rushton, Lisa Andrew, Dan Lange. Thank you, each and every one of you, for stepping up to the plate and making sure that Brandon is well-served when it comes to hot meals for those needing meals in our communities and that are suffering food insecurity.

Helping Hands delivers this through 117 on 7th St in Brandon, and serves lunches between 11:30 and 1 p.m. daily. They have a staff of only four dedicated individuals that make sure that these hot meals and bagged lunches are brought forward each and every day for these people that need it within our community. And we've seen this growing number of people requiring these services, because as encampments here in Winnipeg get shut down, people have been shuttered to Brandon and moved on to Brandon, and they're dealing with the issues there.

So I thank them for the ir service and for making sure that on this limited staff and on their limited budget, they're able to deliver these services. Honourable deputy Speaker, over 46,000 hot meals were served last year by Helping Hands in Brandon, and this year they're on track to be over 51,000 –an increase of 5,000 over last year; and year after year after year, these numbers continue to grow. Also, they started a bagged-lunch program to help individuals in the com munity, and they so far have served, in 2025, 4,250 bagged lunches and they still have to tally up November and December for this

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3473 number. So they are filling a huge gap within the Brandon area and the Brandon district. So, you know, I certainly thank the work that's being done, but we have to move into some of the costs that this organization is facing, and their funding comes from the City of Brandon, where they get – I believe it's approximately $23,000 to $30,000, and they get some thing similar from the United Way of Brandon & District, renamed now to the United Way that serves Brandon and Portage area.

However, we all know that these funds have to be requested each year, and it's not stable, ongoing, predictable funding to help feed the individuals in our community that require it. * (15:10) So having served on the board of directors for the United Way of Brandon & District at that time, I spent six years there and I know that each time we looked at funding request –and they continue year after year after year for the United Way, and they have to prioritize these donations.

So the funding from the United Way could end up not being provided to Helping Hands if there's other critical areas that keep surfacing within Brandon. The same application has to go through to the City of Brandon each year for this funding. So, honourable deputy Speaker, my ask is that, coming up to the Throne Speech here, I certainly hope that Helping Hands in Brandon is on the Throne Speech list of somewhere that can help out with a promise for future funding and future dollars that come to this organization. Just this past year, Helping Hands had to replace the roof on their building.

This is the place that serves 50,000 people each year in the city of Brandon a hot meal and provides 5,000 bagged lunches. That roof repair was over $225,000. That absolutely depleted their reserve funds for anything that they can do. They are one crisis away –one crisis away from having to decide on their future and how they can con- tinue this much-needed service in the city of Brandon. Honourable deputy Speaker, $225,000 in repairs this year, and I know in previous years from my volunteer time at Helping Hands that they had a com mercial oven that went down, and they had to replace that as well.

What's impor tant to realize, hon ourable deputy Speaker, and for members of the Cabinet and members of gov ernment, is that this is all from commu nity funds, people that are philanthropic that step forward that want to see the betterment of Brandon–again, with some funding from the City and from the United Way, but zero funding from this govern ment. This government has provided zero dollars to Helping Hands in Brandon.

Expecting 5,000 more hot meals to be served this year expanded to 5,000 bagged lunches that are going out, and when we look just down the way, our food hamper use has gone up by over 600 in the city of Brandon. All of this with zero funding from this government. So I would implore the Premier (Mr. Kinew), the Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine), the Minister of homelessness, addictions and housing, as well as the MLA for Brandon East, the minister for Munici pal Relations to come together and collaborate on this. It is really a non -partisan issue.

It's an issue of serving all Manitobans, people that have come from all dif - ferent communities to Brandon to make Brandon their home. They're also suffering this food insecurity. So we need to have stable and predictable funding, not only to hear this in the upcoming Throne Speech, but to see in our next budget dollars for Helping Hands in Brandon. A good start would be $225,000 to replenish their contingency on their infrastructure; but on a side note, that could be a one -time fix.

They need stable funding, predictable funding, ongoing funding that is going to ensure that they don't have to close the doors, so that this Brandon proud community can continue to serve everybody that is there. The food donations that come into the Helping Hands have unfortunately seen a considerable drop over this past year because of an app that came on where grocery stores are able to put together an app called helping heroes, I believe it is, where they show reduced costs and people can go to the stores and purchase.

This obviously is a good thing for con- sumers, but it's impacting the donations that come into Helping Hands. So once again, honourable deputy Speaker, I would implore this government to sit together at their caucus table and to discuss this and make sure that there is sustainable funding for Helping Hands. Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): I am pleased to rise today to debate BITSA. But wait, I'm not actually debating BITSA because this NDP govern ment is refusing to debate their own budget bill.

So instead, today, I rise on a grievance because this NDP government has shown once again that when the time comes to be accountable to Manitobans,

3474 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 they hide. They are avoiding accountability, they're dodging debate and they're ramming through sneaky tax hikes on Manitobans. The NDP have refused to debate their own budget implementation bills. Bill 46, BITSA, was 'instroduced' months ago in the spring, but they have waited until the last possible moments of this session as we hit today's backstop, and are avoiding debate and ques - tions from our side of the House altogether. They are refusing to go through the com prehensive committee process and Q & A.

And as the NDP continues to try to ram through sneaky tax hikes on Manitobans, the NDP are refusing the public the oppor tunity to voice their concerns through public presentations. Budget bills are the most important piece of legis- lation that a gov ernment brings forward. It outlines spending priorities, it outlines how hard- working Manitobans' tax dollars are utilized and it outlines the financial operations of gov ernment and the public sector. However, instead of standing in the House to defend their own budget, they have shut down debate and accountability altogether.

This is exactly why last year our team brought forward a private member's bill, the budget bill and accountability act, to ensure transparency and account- ability to Manitobans on all financial matters and budget bills. It would have ensured trans parency and accountability on taxpayer dollars by following the process that is set out for every other bill that comes forward to this Manitoba Legislature. Government needs to be accountable in how they spend Manitobans' hard-earned dollars and they need to be trans parent in the ways that they are doing it.

Manitobans, they expect–Manitobans from across the province, from all corners, expect their elected officials to face tough questions, especially as it relates to tax dollars, and especially at a time when families are struggling to make ends meet. With almost half of Manitobans reporting that they are within $200 of insolvency, now is not the time to ram through tax hikes. Manitobans cannot afford to pay their bills, they are struggling to pay their mortgages, they're struggling to pay to heat their homes and they cannot afford to put food on the table for their families.

And yet, this minister is ignoring all that. This minister and this NDP government are trying to ram through tax hikes, $400 million since they came into office which is equivalent to the PST hike that predecessor Greg Selinger did a number of years ago. Manitobans are struggling, yet this government is saddling them with those sneaky tax hikes, back- to- back deficits, borrowing, increased debt, all on the backs of Manitobans, our children, our grandchildren and future generations. We now have $80 billion of gross debt within this province, yet this NDP government has added $8.6 billion in additional spending.

They're running back-to-back deficits and adding generations of debt. The minister is failing to balance the books, he's failed to control his spending and he's failing to keep taxes low as we are seeing in the budget bill that we will be voting on later today. In fact, C.D. Howe, a reputable institution, gave this minister and this government a D - on fiscal account- ability and transparency, which was dead last in the entire country. The Auditor General last year stated in last year's financial statements that there was an un - precedented number of errors in financial accounting.

So that's this record of this Finance Minis ter and this NDP gov ernment: wrong projections, back- to-back deficits, un precedented errors and a D - in financial accountability and transparency. * (15:20) Experts are saying that this minister can't balance the books. They don't believe that he can balance the books in a year or two years or even beyond that. Credible institutes are ranking this govern ment dead last in finances. And the AG, the Auditor Ge neral, is finding unpre cedented errors in his accounting and transparency. But yet, what's this NDP govern ment doing?

They're collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in sneaky tax hikes on the backs of Manitobans, which in his budget, is making it harder for families to make ends meet. Last week, Meyers Norris Penny consumer index reported–Manitobans reported 43 per cent were $200 away from insolvency –$200 away. Every single tax hike puts Manitobans closer to the brink of bank- ruptcy and not being able to afford their bills and put food on their tables for their families.

That report also noted that 26 per cent of Manitobans have reduced utility consumption, yet this minister is hiking hydro rates by 12 per cent; 21 per cent say they're eating less to save money and one in five are delaying and skipping important medical, dental and prescription needs.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3475 This NDP is making it harder to make ends meet for working Manitobans, who will now pay more in taxes under this NDP government. So let's just go through what some of those sneaky tax hikes are that we are seeing in the budget bill that we will be voting on later today. They're removing indexation of income taxes; in other words, a sneaky tax hike on Manitobans. This brings us back to the old days of the former NDP gov- ernment of bracket creep. By removing indexation, this NDP gov ernment is pushing Manitobans into a higher tax bracket.

So any sort of wage increases will not be felt by the –by a Manitoban because they will not have as much money in their pockets because they are now having to pay taxes in a higher income tax bracket. This is $82 million of revenue, of a tax hike that this NDP is now taking from Manitobans. What else have they done? Well, $350 million in additional education property taxes on the backs of Manitobans. We saw this in last year's budget bill when they removed the former PC govern ment's 50 per cent education property tax rebate.

Well, we all saw how that worked out for this NDP earlier this year: a sloppy roll -out; Manitobans missing their $1,500 credit; 55 per cent of Winnipeg properties that are worse off under this NDP gov ernment's new property tax scheme, which was confirmed by the City of Winnipeg taxation and assessment branch. They didn't account for the general assessment that happens every two years. You'd think the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) would have known that a general assessment on property taxes happens every two years.

You'd also think that the Minister of Finance would know that property values are in fact increasing in the province of Manitoba. You also think that he would know that school divisions would be hiking their taxes and their mill rates across the entire province. This is exactly the position that this NDP govern- ment has put Manitobans in as a result of their sloppy tax roll-out and their sneaky tax hikes. What else have they done?

Well, in this budget bill that we're going to be voting on later today, they're actually increasing the PST on small businesses through the retail sales tax, another sneaky tax intro- duced through BITSA is a tax on small busi ness and entrepreneurs despite ongoing trade wars, which is crushing busi ness and consumer confi dence and an embarrassing 1.1 real GDP growth, the worst in the country. Businesses can't afford more tax hikes. Yet they're putting a PST on cloud-computing software. It's 2025. We all use cloud-computing software. Businesses are using cloud- computing software.

Yet this NDP is capitalizing on that fact and charging a PST on those cloud-computing software. The move is expected to tax businesses and generate for this NDP government $4 million annually, but this was quietly snuck in to the budget bill that they refuse to defend and that they refuse to debate. This NDP's budget and budget bill, as we've seen, is filled with sneaky tax hikes, sloppy planning and generations and genera tions of debt –$80 billion of gross debt on Manitobans, tax hikes that are hurting Manitoba families, sneaky tax hikes that are hurting Manitoba businesses. Manitobans are struggling.

They are living in a cost-of-living crisis. They are struggling to put food on the table for their families. Yet this NDP has chosen that now is the time to intro duce sneaky tax hikes that are hurting Manitobans across the board. Manitobans are, unfor tunately, paying the price for this NDP's sloppy fiscal planning and sneaky tax hikes. Thank you, deputy honourable Speaker. The Acting Speaker (Carla Compton): So seeing no further grievances, we will move on with orders of the day. ORDERS OF THE DAY (Continued) GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Hon.

Nahanni Fontaine (Minister of Families): Can you please call the start of concurrence and third reading of Bill 40,

An Act Respecting "O Canada" and Other Observances and Land and Treaty Acknowledge- ments in Schools (Education Administration Act and Public Schools Act Amended); followed by Bill 12, the housing and renewal corporation amendment; followed by Bill 8, The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment Act; followed by Bill 23, The Public Interest Expression Defence Act; followed by Bill 30, The Election Financing Amendment and Elections Amendment Act. The Acting Speaker (Carla Compton): So it has been announced that the House will now consider concurrence and third reading of the following bills: 40, 12, 8, 23 and 30.

3476 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 CONCURRENCE AND THIRD READINGS– AMENDED BILLS Bill 40–An Act respecting "O Canada" and Other Observances and Land and Treaty Acknowledgements in Schools (Education Administration Act and Public Schools Act Amended) The Acting Speaker (Carla Compton): Therefore, we will now begin concurrence and third reading of Bill 40,

An Act Respecting "O Canada" and Other Observances and Land and Treaty Acknowledge - ments in Schools (Education Administration Act and Public Schools Act Amended). Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I move, seconded by the Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine), that Bill 40,

An Act Respecting "O Canada" and Other Observances and Land and Treaty Acknowledge ments in Schools (Education Administration Act and Public Schools Act Amended);

Loi sur les activités scolaires soulignant notamment l'« O Canada » et la reconnaissance des territoires et des traités (modification de la

Loi sur l'administration scolaire et de la

Loi sur les écoles publiques), as amended and reported from the Standing Committee on Justice, be concurred in and now read for a third time and passed. Motion presented. MLA Schmidt: It's my honour and privilege to speak to rise to Bill 40. Bill 40 is intended to modernize our observances in schools, to bring them into 2025 and to ensure that our observances in our public schools reflect and respect every child and who we all are as Manitobans. Firstly, Bill 40 removes the part of the act that mandates religious exercise in the classroom.

The courts here in Manitoba decided that was uncon stitutional back in 1992. We are finally taking it out. Secondly, Bill 40 affirms and legislates patriotic observances, including O Canada, Remembrance Day and citizenship exercises. Bill 40 will enshrine into legislation that every day in every public school, O Canada will be played and respected because perhaps now more than ever, our youth need to be united and take pride in their country and everything that it stands for. Furthermore, previous regula tions provided that Remembrance Day must be observed on only the last day of school before November 11.

Schools, veterans alike have been asking gov ernment for a change to this regulation to allow greater flexibility on which day Remembrance Day is observed to allow for the co-ordination of veterans and legions to partici pate meaningfully in as many schools as they can. They've asked, our govern ment is listening and we will enshrine it into law. Bill 40 also requires that school boards esta blish policies regarding land and treaty acknowledgements, like so many school and school divisions have done already, and like many schools are practising.

In fact, honourable deputy Speaker, there is maybe no space where we see the work of truth and reconciliation under the guidance of the late Justice Murray Sinclair more clearly and abundantly than in Manitoba schools. This goes well beyond land and treaty acknowledgements. * (15:30) We see in schools across Manitoba: land -based learning, powwow clubs, Indigenous language courses, and we are on the precipice of seeing the very first Indigenous immersion language programs here in Manitoba.

I want to take a moment to thank all school leaders, educators and, most importantly, the kids for their leadership on–and their work on reconciliation. We're going to make sure this good work does not slide backwards, and we're going to make sure that treaty and land acknowledgments are the law here in Manitoba in our schools. And finally, yes, honourable deputy Speaker, Bill 40 removes the require ment to sing God Save the King every day. Manitobans know that this fell out of com- mon practice decades ago.

Schools have in depen- dently made and affirmed those decisions for years, year after year, for a variety of reasons, some of which are important for this Chamber and all Manitobans to consider. But first let's be clear, honourable deputy Speaker: nothing about Bill 40 bans God Save the King. That's just a vision being sowed by the opposi tion, who would prefer if Manitobans would just fight with each other so they don't notice the other corruption and failures plaguing their party.

We've heard them mischaracterize this bill and mislead Manitobans that this is some attempt to ban the song or to discount the monarchy. Nothing could be further from the truth. If a school com munity or classroom teacher decides it makes sense for their students, please, by all means, sing God Save the King.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3477 But, honourable deputy Speaker, I'd like to bring us back quickly to the work of reconciliation being done in our classrooms across our province, why we do that work and why we do land and treaty acknowledgments.

I said this at committee, honourable deputy Speaker, but it is impor tant for me to say this again in this Chamber: treaty and land acknowledgements are a powerful tool to bring to light the terrible history of colonialism, including the racist policy of resi dential schools and the impacts that that histo ry has on Indigenous people of this land that we now call Manitoba. Those impacts are still felt today, hon ourable deputy Speaker. We can see them and we can hear them all around us.

If we are listening and if we are committed to that truth and reconciling that truth so that Canadians and Manitobans can walk together on a brighter path towards the future, if we are going to acknowledge that and acknowledge the real and ongoing inter generational harms of those colonial policies, including the policy of residential schools where kids were stolen from their families, forced to abandon their culture, their language, their ceremonies, their ways of seeing and knowing the world, stolen from their commu nities, from their nations and forced to pledge allegiance to a Crown that inflicted harm upon them, if we are going to acknowledge this truth and the harms that flow from it, then we can absolutely understand why some schools in some school com munities for some class - rooms, they deserve the freedom to choose against that as a daily practice.

Bill 40 gives them the freedom to choose, and we expect that those choices will always be guided– always–with the best interests of children at the heart of those decisions so that every day each and every child in Manitoba knows that they matter, that the y belong, that they are safe and included and respected in their schools. That is at the cornerstone of all of our work as a government, all of my work as minister. It is at the heart of Bill 40. I look forward to the unanimous support of the community–of this House. Thank you very much, honourable deputy Speaker. Mr.

Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Thank you, honourable acting deputy Speaker, for that wonderful introduction, and it gives me great pleasure today to stand. I appreciate our Opposition House Leader for nego- tiating Bill 40 to get up prior to the deadline of 4 o'clock because it gives me a few extra minutes to put on the record in regards to Bill 40 and also the proposed amendments.

It's reassuring, actually, today, acting deputy Speaker, which is –I should abbreviate that a little bit, but anyways that's what we'll go for the afternoon–it's all good–to hear the minister stand up and speak from some new talking messages that she's been given from the De partment of Education and Early Chi ldhood Learning, because that was not necessarily the case going into this bill when she brought this bill forward earlier on in regards to allowing God Save the King to be sung.

They're taking it out of the act, but as the minister put forward, for those school divisions, schools, parents, guardians, that are out there watching this afternoon and into the future, you still absolutely can put forward God Save the King and sing it as you wish. So you've heard it here second, first from the Education Minister today which was a corrected record from her past speeches that she's done. But this isn't the first time, hon ourable acting deputy Speaker.

We've heard the minister say one thing in com mittee and then come back and talk to whoever is directing traffic over there in the Kinew government, and then they've asked her to soften the tone–you know, change the tune a little bit. And so that's what we've heard today, so I thank the minister for putting additional words on the record. It is –you know, unfor tunately, it was upsetting that the few amend ments, friendly amend ments that were brought forward for Bill 40 were rejected by this minister.

But, again, what we've seen day in and day out, now including with Bill 40, including other bills that have come through, you know, as most recently as the Bill 225 put forward by the MLA for Tyndall Park, the minister's all about getting the credit. And we've seen that time and time again on many an - nouncements that's come forward.

And so, what we've also witnessed here, honour- able acting deputy Speaker, is that we've also asked– since we're talking about land acknowledgements, we're talking about O Canada, we're talking about God Save the King –we've seen initiatives brought forward by our side, the op position party –for now, I mean we're still about two years away from forming government again–but we've put forward to the gov- ernment the idea of singing O Canada here in the Chamber.

3478 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 Many of us have gone to public school system – through the public school system, or the school system here in Manitoba or other provinces within the great country of Canada, and I don't know of any school that does not sing O Canada. So I think that some of what the minister's putting forward is a little redundant, trying to cover up for some of her missteps over the last little bit that she's, you know, inherited the portfolio. And so what we've done is we've asked for O Canada to be sung sometime throughout the day when we're here in session.

And so what we've watched, realized, seen first-hand on a day-to-day basis here, we on this side of the House have stood up and sang O Canada, and many of the members opposite on the government benches would get up and walk out of the Chamber after the Speaker is gone. And that's fine for me to say because it's after the Speaker is gone, and so that's okay because, of course, everybody could technically ask the Speaker to release those tapes–those videotapes showing that. It's just most recently in the last few days that the Premier (Mr.

Kinew) has all of a sudden found his love of the monarchy again and the country and has stuck around after session, and it–you know, and sung O Canada with us; I think he's singing, anyways.

So with that point, what I will do is I will table – and this is for the House and this is for all members within the Chamber and spe cifically the government side who–you know, including the Education Minister, who's bringing forward Bill 40, talking about land acknowledgments, singing O Canada and God Save the King, who is absolutely one of the ones who actually stands up when we're started the singing of the anthem, O Canada, and walks out the Chamber after the Speaker is gone during the singing of O Canada. Not all the members on the government side does that, honourable acting deputy Speaker.

Some of them hang out and actually join in the singing with us, and then after we're done singing O Canada, our national anthem of Canada–and then we do a round of applause. So for the House, I'm tabling a copy of the lyrics to O Canada and also God Save the King. It's double- sided, saving those wonderful trees in Manitoba, honourable acting deputy Speaker. And that will be hopefully photocopied by the govern ment benches and shared with their members because, I mean, we on this side of the House, we know both of them. * (15:40) So back to it.

So the minister's talking about land acknowledgement and making sure that school divisions are setting up policy to make sure that there's land acknowledgments in our schools and I think, being a former Education minister, I don't think i t would have been a bad thing to necessarily not recreate the wheel and send the school divisions –the education partners–a copy of the land acknowledgments, ones either that we say here in the Manitoba Legislature or others and of course talk to the various areas within this great province of ours, north, east, south and west, talk to the various First Nations, Manitoba Red River Métis Federation, the Inuit Association, of course, and get their two cents on what they'd like to see for their area schools i n regards to land acknowledgements.

I know that we brought forward, when we still were in gov ernment, many of the land acknowl - edgments, and I remember when they first started, of course, you couldn't just do that, you of course, I'd like to think that we worked quite closely with our Indigenous partners and came up with land acknowledg- ments and then over time, you know, we adjusted them at certain levels, different words and deferent – definitely pronunciations. And so I think that's definitely a great move, that we're moving forward on that.

But again, I think you could send the–as the Education Minister, and I know that, you know, she's copied many things that not only myself and my predecessors on the Progre ssive Conservative side, when we were Education ministers, she's copied many of those things, so that's good.

So I'm–know that she's listening at times, so she'll take this sug gestion and maybe get some land acknowl - edgements templates, I guess, sent t o the various school divisions so that she doesn't continue down- loading things onto the backs of school divisions like they did on the education property tax, hon ourable acting deputy Speaker.

Another topic, of course, that we on this side of the House came up with was the document Mamàhtawisiwin to make sure that all schools were working towards truth and reconciliation, checking off many of the recom mendations coming from the Truth and Reconciliation council and committee. Definitely it was a step in the right in right direction. Is there more work to do? Absolutely there's more work to do. Am I confident that this minister's going to be able to do some of that work? No. Not entirely. But the nice thing is, is that we've this Edu cation Minister copy a lot of the things from the past, so

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3479 hopefully that some of the good things that she'll con- tinue going. From what I do understand is that the work on the early child hood educa tion document, which is just going to be basically pretty much copied of the Mamàhtawisiwin, which I'm sure the minister will be taking credit for that, which she will deservedly s o, because it's, of course, was not completed by the time we had left government. So I'm glad to see that she's carrying on with that and that the early childhood edu- cation, the Manitoba Child Care Association is on board with that.

I look forward to seeing additional things coming forward in education, many of the things, again, that were copied on the good an nouncements that we've done. Honourable acting deputy Speaker, I've shared the tabling of the documents. I know that sounds like some of the current ministers, they're running out of a little bit of steam here. But that probably comes from the fact that I noticed yesterday, and it's on Hansard and the record, where the Premier (Mr. Kinew) was grandstanding a little bit again and basically taking on all the questions from his ministers.

So yesterday the Manitoba tax- payers paid quite a few dollars and cents in regards to the ministers' salaries and saw the Premier answer all the questions and didn't allow his ministers to get up. And another thing, honour able acting deputy Speaker, it's interesting that when we talk about private members' time. So today we're talking about Bill 40, and that's what we're doing, we're talking about, you know, the protecting the Royal Anthem.

And the minister put on the record that she, in fact, is protecting the anthem and that people can sing it and do–use it as much as they want in their schools and school divisions if they so choose. So that's great that she clarified that from her notes from the spring. So,

An Act respecting "O Canada" and Other Observances and Land and Treaty Acknowledgements in Schools (The Education Adminis- tration Act and Public Schools Act Amended), Bill 40. So as I was mentioning that in this great Chamber of ours, we do have times of private members' time. And this morning when we were talking about private members' busi ness, you know, not unlike Bill 40, where Bill 40 and other bills, govern ment bills, are brought forward to the Chamber by ministers.

The Speaker in the Chair And when we talk about private members' time when bills and resolu tions are brought forward, private members' time is private members' business. And so it's interesting, and if I was a backbenching MLA on the govern ment side, I would feel a little slighted because it seems that just because the Premier grandstanded yesterday and continues to be a show - man instead of a statesman –takes all the questions, doesn't allow the ministers to get up and answer the questions–so what do they do? They–the ministers take it out on their backbench MLAs.

And the ministers stand up during private members' time and goes on these diatribes of totally off topic, on bills. Unlike Bill 40, where, I mean, it will be interesting when I do sit down if there's other members that will stand and put a few words on the record. Mr. Tyler Blashko, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair I'm actually thinking, honour able Speaker, now honourable Deputy Speaker –holy moly, you guys – you people–people, people, government people, I don't know. Who's in the Chair? It's good–hon ourable Deputy Speaker, that's who's in the Chair; we're moving forward.

Okay, need one of those GPSs or those navigators or the same navigator and GPS that the govern ment side needs to know when they're leaving the Perimeter of Winnipeg, because they don't know where they're going once they hit the–hit outside the Perimeter. It's interesting. Anyways, back to the govern ment bills and spe - cifically Bill 40: govern ment members, ministers, bring forward the legislation and we debate it. We're into third reading of Bill 40.

Much like what I was saying earlier, it's sort of a bit of a slap in the back- bench MLAs on the govern ment side's faces where they're not allowed–I'm assuming–by the direction of either the failed Families Minister or the Premier himself, that basically says, okay, well, Ministers, you know what? The Premier took all the time to go on his diatribe during question period and other times. He's not allowing the ministers to get up and talk at the appropriate times, so then that trickles down. I think that's what's happening, honourable Deputy Speaker. I think that's what's happening.

I think the toxic environment that we've heard many times from the member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw) that hap - pens in the NDP caucus and on their team, I think this is–

3480 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 6, 2025 The Deputy Speaker: Order. I'd invite the member to bring his comments back to Bill 40, which is

An Act respecting "O Canada" and Other Observances and Land and Treaty Acknowl - edgements in Schools (Education Administration Act and Public Schools Act Amended). Mr. Ewasko: Thank you, honourable Deputy Speaker, for that advice, and I'm definitely not challenging the words of the acting Deputy Speaker. * (15:50) I've been talking now to Bill 40, talking about O Canada, talking about God Save the King, talking about land acknowledgements. I've been doing that for almost 17 minutes now, and I will continue putting a few words on the record in regards to this very important debate on third reading.

So we on this side of the House are absolutely in support of this bill moving forward, especially because this Edu cation Minister finally put it on the record that schools, school divisions, can create their own policies and do what they want with God S ave the King. Of course they're going to work on their land acknowledgements, and now the minister, patting herself on the back, is saying to the schools, oh, you have to sing O Canada. Well, okay, I mean, schools have been singing O Canada for many, many, many, many years.

The first, second and third renditions of O Canada, and as Deputy Speaker may or may not be aware, I've also tabled the docu ment of the lyrics to both God Save the King and O Canada. And so back to a little bit of talking about how government business and specifically Bill 40 comes about, but then also that private members' time. We've seen what's been happening on the government benches, where the Premier (Mr. Kinew) talks down to his ministers, the ministers talk down to their MLAs and so forth. And I think that's exactly what has been happening, that toxic environment that the member for Fort Garry (Mr.

Wasyliw) has mentioned many, many times. We're seeing it on a day-to-day basis here, hon- ourable–oh, well, there you go. The Speaker in the Chair Honourable Speaker, there we go. Welcome, that's good. Thank you, Hon ourable Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to put a few words on the record on Bill 40 here this afternoon. I'd almost–as a couple of my colleagues have suggested, maybe I should start over, but I know that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker and the a cting deputy Speaker will all, when they're interested in seeing what I've said, they'll pick up Hansard.

They can either take a look on YouTube or they can pick up Hansard to see the debate on Bill 40, which is

An Act respecting "O Canada" and Other Obser vances and Land and Treaty Acknowledgements in Schools (Education Administration Act and Public Schools Act Amen ded), where the minister, when she first brought this bill forward, was talking about getting rid of God Save the King. I think then, at that time, that was about the same time that the Premier was going around patting himself on the back on how he loves the King, and matter of fact, I think the Premier even received one of the King's medals, and then we as repre sentatives here had the pleasure to give out a couple medals, as well, to constituents.

And so it is sort of interesting, Honourable Speaker, when we talk about singing O Canada, when we talk about singing God Save the King, Bill 40, which is all pertinent to Bill 40, I'm just watching to see who's advising who. But anyway, so, staying on topic –and so that's why I've tabled the documents, the lyrics. Because as I've shared, when we talk about mandating O Canada– that's what Bill 40's doing, mandating O Canada, which, again, nobody on the opposition side is against that whatsoever. Why is that? Well, because we already sing O Canada in schools.

Whether it's public school, private school, we sing O Canada. Why? Because we love this country, Honourable Speaker. We on this side of the House, Honourable Speaker, in regards to O Canada, had brought forward a sug- gestion that we sing O Canada here in the Chamber. It was a reso lution talking about various different, you know, bills brought forward by govern ment, bills brought forward by op position.

A resolu tion so that we in this Chamber sing O Canada on a day -to-day basis, and I've just had to point out the fact that on one hand, the Education Minister, using Bill 40, has mandated schools to sing O Canada, yet here in the Chamber, once the –at the end of session, when the Speaker leaves the Chamber, we on this side of the House stand up and sing O Canada. What happens to the gov ernment benches? And the Speaker has actually the tape of this, the govern - ment benches clear out, until the last few days.

November 6, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3481 All of a sudden the Premier (Mr. Kinew) has found some kind of love with the monarchy again and Canada and has started to sing. That's great. We want to see that spread throughout the government benches, multiply and more of you join in singing O Canada and to be showing your true allegiance to this gr eat country of ours: O Canada. And maybe–maybe–I mean, I know we sang God Save the King a couple times; we probably will be doing it shortly. You know, sometime between now and the future when these bills pass, we'll be singing God Save the King.

It's a good thing, Honourable Speaker, that because of Bill 40–and we're talking about O Canada, God Save the King and land acknowledgements –that I brought forward and tabled the lyrics so that everybody in this great Chamber of ours, later on, when we bring in the Lieutenant Governor to assent to the bills that are passing, including Bill 40–of course this is going to pass –we will sing not only O Canada, all of us will sing O Canada. I'm seeing a comme ci, comme ça from a couple members in here, but we'll see how that works out, and also God Save the King.

I think, you know, it's one of those moments where we're near the end of session and I think this is one of those we're-coming-together moments– An Honourable Member: Kumbaya. Mr. Ewasko: –and I think maybe–maybe–a Kumbaya moment, as one of the members had said. Either way, I look forward to singing O Canada all together and God Save the King. And, just in case you missed it, those people watching at home and those people here in the Chamber, I've tabled the lyrics so that there's no excuse from the government benches to not sing and not know the words.

Land acknowledgements, of course: I've mentioned previously, and for the benefit of not only the Speaker but others in this Chamber, that we had brought forward the various land acknowledgements, you know, in our seven and a half years of being in gov- ernment, and then working closely with our partners in education but specifically our Indigenous partners, to make sure that we get it right. As the Education Minister can attest, and I don't think anybody would argue with this, in regards to truth and recon ciliation, we've come a long way but we've got so much

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	43-2-83b
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	43rd 2nd hansardpdf 83b.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	18f75352ecf196f650d76ef8fd3118889e78a472

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