Manitoba Hansard — 25 May 2015 (Sitting 35, 40th Legislature, 4th Session)

40-4-35

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Fourth Session - Fortieth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Daryl Reid Speaker Vol. LXVII No. 35 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, May 25, 2015 ISSN 0542-5492

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Fortieth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital NDP ALLUM, James, Hon. Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson NDP BJORNSON, Peter Gimli NDP BLADY, Sharon, Hon. Kirkfield Park NDP BRAUN, Erna, Hon. Rossmere NDP BRIESE, Stuart Agassiz PC CALDWELL, Drew, Hon. Brandon East NDP CHIEF, Kevin, Hon. Point Douglas NDP CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan NDP CROTHERS, Deanne, Hon. St. James NDP CULLEN, Cliff Spruce Woods PC DEWAR, Greg, Hon.

Selkirk NDP DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FRIESEN, Cameron Morden-Winkler PC GAUDREAU, Dave St. Norbert NDP GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Liberal GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge NDP IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Richmond NDP JHA, Bidhu Radisson NDP KOSTYSHYN, Ron, Hon. Swan River NDP LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas NDP LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. Dawson Trail NDP MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor, Hon.

Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MELNICK, Christine Riel NDP MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East PC NEVAKSHONOFF, Thomas, Hon. Interlake NDP OSWALD, Theresa Seine River NDP PALLISTER, Brian Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine Midland PC PETTERSEN, Clarence Flin Flon NDP PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REID, Daryl, Hon. Transcona NDP ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Kewatinook NDP RONDEAU, Jim Assiniboia NDP ROWAT, Leanne Riding Mountain PC SARAN, Mohinder, Hon. The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron St. Paul PC SELBY, Erin Southdale NDP SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St.

Boniface NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo PC STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin NDP SWAN, Andrew Minto NDP WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WIGHT, Melanie, Hon. Burrows NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC

1017 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, May 25, 2015 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 28–The Personal Property Security Amendment Act Hon. Ron Lemieux (Minister of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection): I move, seconded by the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General (Mr. Mackintosh), that Bill 28, The Personal Property Security Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les sûretés relatives aux biens personnels, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Lemieux: This bill amends The Personal Property Security Act to deal with vexatious registrations. Mr. Speaker, these amendments provide the registrar with the power to reject or discharge a vexatious registration which occurs on a financing statement submitted by a person without a valid interest for the purpose of annoying or harassing the person named as the debtor in the statement. The approach is streamlining and fair, with the appeal processes to the registrar general and to the court provided.

Dealing with vexatious or potentially vexatious registrations will alleviate the burden on victims and ensure the integrity of the Personal Property Registry. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Any further introduction of bills? PETITIONS Mr. Speaker: Seeing none, we'll move on to petitions. Bipole III Land Expropriation– Collective Bargaining Request Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Midland): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

The background to this petition is as follows: On November 19th, 2014, the Premier author - ized an order -in-council enabling Manitoba Hydro to take valuable and productive farmland for its controversial Bipole III transmission line project without due process of law. On November 24th, 2014, the minister responsible for the administration of T he Manitoba Hydro Act signed a confirming order for the province of Manitoba declar ing that no notice to landowners is required for the seizure of property.

This waiver of notice represents an at tack on rural families and their property rights in a modern democratic society. There was not even an opportunity provided for debate in the Manitoba Legislature. In many cases, the private property seized has been part of a family farm for generations. Manitoba Hydro has claimed that it has never ever–that it has only ever expropriated one landowner in its entire history of operation. The provincial government has now gone ahead and instituted expropriation procedures against more than 200 landowners impacted by Bipole III.

Since November 2013, the Manitoba Bipole III Landowner Committee, MBLC, in association with the Canadian Association of Energy and Pipeline Landowners' Associations, CAEPLA, have been trying to engage Manitoba Hydro to negotiate a fair business agreement. For over 14 months, the provincial government and Manitoba Hydro have acted in bad faith in their dealings with Manitob a landowners or their duly authorized agents. Those actions have denied farmers their right to bargain collectively to protect their property and their businesses from Bipole III.

1018 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 MBLC, CAEPLA has not formed an association to stop the Bipole III project a nd they are not antidevelopment. MBLC, CAEPLA has simply come together, as a group of people, as Manitobans, to stand up for property rights and the right to collectively bargain for a fair business agreement that protects the future well- being of their businesses. MBLC, CAEPLA are duly authorized agents for Manitoba landowners who wish to exercise their freedom to associate and negotiate in good faith.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge that the provincial government immediately direct Manitoba Hydro to engage with MBLC, CAEPLA in order to negotiate a fair business agreement that addresses the many legit - imate concerns of farm families affected by the Bipole III transmission line. And this petition is signed by D. Fow ler, D. Buxton, R. Kehler and many more fine Manitobans. Mr. Speaker: In keeping with our rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to have been received by the House. Further petitions?

Province-Wide Long-Term Care– Review Need and Increase Spaces Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. The background to this petition is as follows: There are currently 125 licensed personal -care homes, PCHs, across Manitoba, consis ting of less than 10,000 beds. All trends point to an increasingly aging population who will require additional personal-care- home facilities. By some estimates, Manitoba will require an increase of more than 5,100 personal-care-home beds by 2036.

The number of Manitobans with Alzheimer 's disease or another dementia -related illness who will require personal -care-home services are steadily increasing and are threatening to double within the current generation. The last personal -care-home review in many areas, including the Swan River Valley area currently under administration of the Prairie Mountain regional health authority, was conducted in 2008. Average occupancy rates for personal -care homes across the province are exceeding 97 per cent, with some r egions, such as Swan River Valley, witnessing 100 per cent occupancy rates.

These high occupancy rates are creating the conditions where many individuals requiring long-term care are being displaced far away from their families and home community. We pet ition the Legislative Assembly as follows: To urge the provincial government to consider immediately enacting a provin ce-wide review of the long-term-care needs of residents of Manitoba.

And t o urge the provincial government to recognize the stresses placed upon the health- care system by the current and continuous aging popu- lation and consider increasing the availability of long-term-care spaces, PCH beds, in communities across the province. And this is signed by L. Hunt, V. Verhaek, R. Wowchuk and many others, Mr. Speaker. Beausejour District Hospital– Weekend and Holiday Physician Availability Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. And these are the reasons for this petition:

(1) The Beausejour District Hospital is a 30-bed, acute-care facility that serves the communities of Beausejour and Brokenhead.

(2) The hospital and the primary-care centre have had no doctor available on weekends and holidays for many months, jeopardizing the health and livelihoods of those in the northeast region of the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. * (13:40)

(3) During the 2011 election, the provincial government promised to provide every Manitoban with access to a family doctor by 2015.

(4) This promise is far from being realized, and Manitobans are witnessing many emergency rooms

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1019 limiting services or closing temporarily, with the majority of these reductions taking place in rural Manitoba.

(5) According to the Health Council of Canada, only 25 per cent of doctors in Manitoba reported that their patients had access to care on evenings and weekends. We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows: To urge the provincial government and the Minister of Health to ensure that the Beausejour District Hospital and primary -care centre have a primary-care physician available on weekends and holidays to better provide area residents with this essential service. This petition is signed by I. Potoruki, R. Ozioba, S. Vincent -Franklin and many, many more fine Manitobans, Mr. Speaker.

Province-Wide Long-Term Care– Review Need and Increase Spaces Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present the following petit ion to the Legislative Assembly. And this is the background to that –to this petition:

(1) There are currently 125 licensed personal - care homes, PCHs, across Manitoba, consisting of less than 10,000 beds.

(2) All trends point to an increasingly aging population who will require additional personal-care- home facilities.

(3) By some estimates, Manitoba will require an increase of more than 5,100 personal-care-home beds by 2036.

(4) The number of Manitobans with Alzheimer 's disease or an y other dementia -related illness who will require personal-care-home services are steadily increasing and are threatening to double within the current generation.

(5) The last personal -care-home review in many areas, including the Swan River Valley area currently under administration of the Prairie Mountain regional health authority, was conducted in 2008.

(6) Average occupancy rates for personal -care homes across the province are exceeding 97 per cent, with the–some regions, such as the Swan River Valley, witnessing 100 per cent occupancy rates.

(7) These high occupancy rates are creating a condition where many individuals requiring long-term care are being displaced far away from their families and their home communities. We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to consider immediately enacting a province- wide review of the long- term-care needs of residents of Manitoba. And (2) t o urge the provincial government to recognize the stresses placed upon the health- care system by the current and continu ous aging population and consider increasing the availability of long-term-care spaces, PCH beds, in communities across the province. And this petition is signed by D. Kowal, L. Timmerman, V. Gaouette and many, many more fine Manitobans. Government Record–Apology Request Mr.

Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. These are the reasons for this petition: Government members have been quoted as stating that Manitobans no longer trust the current government. Sadly, these same members have reportedly stated that since 2014 the government has been focused on its own narrow political interests, ahead of what was once a government plan and what would be indeed the priorities of Manitobans, and the Premier is driven by his desire to hold on to his leadership rather than by the best interests of Manitobans.

According to comments from government members, their caucus is divided by fundamental differences and animosity and that deep divisions are not just amongst the MLAs and caucus, but they exist at the staff level as well. Regretfully, the dysfunction and infighting within the provincial government has nothing to do with addressing the fact Manitobans are paying more and getting less. A Winnipeg family pays $3,200 more in sales and income tax than they would in

1020 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 Regina but receives some of the worst results in health care and education in the country. Government members have said in the media that caucus dysfunction is entirely related to internal polls and indicate they are in annihilation territory, saying that, our numbers are down and the status quo is not good enough anymore; our own party pollsters have told us we are facing oblivion.

Little has been done by government members to end the infighting with the Premier, claiming retaliation is justified because of public comments such as, people have rights, but we also have an organization to run. Government members acting on behalf of the Premier have said publicly, we are not on a witch hunt, and ha ve also said, we have to look at who caused this and who are the ones that have damaged us the most.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the Premier to take responsibility and apologize to the people of Manitoba for the social and economic damage created by his failed leadership and the disgraceful conduct of government members that has destabilized the provincial government and hurt Manitoba businesses and families. This petition is signed by K. Taft, D. Coleman, D. Biles and many other fine Manitobans. Minnesota-Manitoba Transmission Line Route– Information Request Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye): Mr.

Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) The Minnesota-Manitoba transmission line is a 500- kilovolt alternating -current transmission line set to be located in southeastern Manitoba that will cross into the US border south of Piney, Manitoba.

(2) The line has an in -service date of 2020 and will run approximately 150 kilometres with tower heights expected to reach more than –between 40 to 60 metres and will be located every four to five hundred metres.

(3) The preferred route designated for the line will see hydro towers come in close proximity to the community of La Broquerie and many other communities in Manitoba's southeast rather than an alternate route that was also considered.

(4) The alternate route would've seen the line run further east, avoid densely populated are as and eventually terminate at the same spot at the US border.

(5) The Progressive Conservative caucus has repeatedly asked for the information about the routing of the line and its proximity to densely populated areas and has yet to receive any response.

(6) The landowners across– all across Manitoba are concerned about the impact hydro line routing could have on land values. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro to immediately provide a written explanation to all members of the Legislative Assembly regarding what criteria were used and the reasons for selecting the preferred routing for the Minnesota-Manitoba transmission line, including whether or not the –this routing represented the least intrusive option to residents of Taché, Springfield, Ste.

Anne, Stuartburn, Piney and La Broquerie. This petition is signed by A. Fournier, B. Fournier, M. Fournier and many more fine Manitobans. Province-Wide Long-Term Care– Review Need and Increase Spaces Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) There are currently 12 5 licensed personal - care homes across Manitoba, consisting of less than 10,000 beds.

(2) All trends point to an increasingly aging population who will require additional personal-care- home facilities.

(3) By some estimates, Manitoba will require an increase of more than 5,100 personal-care-home beds by 2036.

(4) The number of Manitobans with Alzheimer 's disease or other dementia- related illnesses who will require personal -care-home services are steadily increasing and are threatening to double within the current generation.

(5) The last personal -care-home review in many areas, including the Swan River area currently under

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1021 administration by the Prairie Mountain regional health authority, was conducted in 2008.

(6) Average occupancy rates for personal -care homes across the province are exceeding 97 per cent, with some regions, such as the Swan River Valley, witnessing 100 per cent occupancy rates.

(7) These high occupancy rates are creating conditions where many individuals requiring long-term care are being displaced far away from their families and home community. We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to consider immediately enacting a province- wide review of long- term-care needs of residents of Manitoba.

(2) T o urge the provincial government to recognize the stresses placed upon the health- care system by the current and continuous ly aging population and consider increasing the availability of long-term-care spaces in communities across the province. This petition's signed by G. Quon, A. Quon, B. Fawcett and many, many more fine Manitobans. Provincial Trunk Highway 206 and Cedar Avenue in Oakbank–Pedestrian Safety Mr. Ron Schuler ( St. Paul): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. * (13:50) The background for this petition is as follows:

(1) Every day, hundreds of Manitoba children walk to school in Oakbank and must cross PTH 206 at the intersection with Cedar Avenue.

(2) There have been many dangerous incidents where drivers use the right shoulder to pass vehicles that have stopped at the traffic light waiting to turn left at this intersection.

(3) Law enforcement officials have identified this intersection as a hot spot of concern for the safety of schoolchildren, drivers and emergency responders. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge that the provincial government improve the safety at the pedestrian corridor at the intersection of PTH 206 and Cedar Avenue in Oakbank by considering such steps as highlighting pavement markings to better indicate the location of the shoulders and crosswalk, as well as installing a lighted crosswalk structure. This is signed by J. DeVisser, B. Askew, M.

Black and many, many other fine Manitobans. Province-Wide Long-Term Care– Review Need and Increase Spaces Mr. Stuart Briese (Agassiz): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. And this is the background for this petition: There are currently 125 licensed personal -care homes, PCHs, acros s Manitoba, consisting of less than 10,000 beds. All trends point to an increasingly aging population who will require additional personal-care- in-home facilities. By some estimates, Manitoba will require an increase of more than 5,100 personal-care-home beds by 2036.

The number of Manitobans with Alzheimer 's disease or another dementia -related illness who will require personal -care-home services are steadily increasing and are threatening to double within the current generation. The last personal -care-home review in many areas, including the Swan River Valley area currently under the administration of Prairie Mountain regional health authority, was conducted in 2008. Average occupancy rates for personal -care homes across the province are exceeding 97 per cent, with some regions, such as Swan River Valley, witnessing 100 per cent occupancy rates.

These high occupancy rates are creating the conditions with many individuals requiring long-term care are being displaced far away from their families and home communities. We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows: To urge the provincial government to consider immediately enacting a provin ce-wide review of the long-term-care needs of residents of Manitoba.

1022 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 And t o urge the provincial government to recognize the stresses placed upon health -care system–the health -care system by the current and continuous aging population and consider increasing the availability of long -term-care spaces, PCH beds, in communities across the province. This petition is signed by M. Slack, C. Cook, W. Genaille and many, many other fine Manitobans. COMMITTEE REPORTS Standing Committee on Public Accounts Third Report Mr. Reg Helwer (Chairperson): Mr.

Speaker, I wish to present the Third Report on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Public Accounts– Some Honourable Members: Dispense. Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense. Your Standing Com mittee on Public Accounts presents the following as its Third Report. Meetings Your Committee met on the following occasions: • January 13, 2014 (3rd Session, 40th Legislature) • May 21, 2015 (4th Session, 40th Legislature) Matters under Consideration • Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature – dated January 2013 o

Chapter 2 – Citizen Concerns – "Part 4 – North Portage Development Corporation" • Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature – dated March 2014 o

Chapter 2 – Citizen Concerns • Auditor General 's Report – Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations – dated May 2014 o

Section 1 – Assessment Services Branch o

Section 4 – The Province' s Management of Contaminated Sites and Landfills o

Section 10 – Special Audit: Rural Municipality of La Broquerie o

Section 18 – Report on the Rural Municipality of St. Clements o

Section 19 – Special Audit: Rural Municipality of St. Laurent • Auditor General 's Report – Rural Municipality of St. Clements – dated June 2012 • Auditor General 's Repor t – Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet – dated August 2013 Committee Membership Committee Membership for the January 13, 2014 meeting: • Mr. DEWAR (Vice-Chairperson) • Mr. FRIESEN • Hon. Mr. GERRARD • Mr. HELWER (Chairperson) • Hon. Ms. HOWARD • Mr. JHA • Mr. PEDERSEN • Mr. SCHULER • Mr. WHITEHEAD • Mr. WIEBE • Ms. WIGHT Committee Membership for the May 21, 2015 meeting: • Hon. Mr. DEWAR • Mr. FRIESEN • Hon. Mr. GERRARD • Mr. GRAYDON • Mr.

HELWER (Chairperson) • Mr. JHA • Ms. LATHLIN • Mr. MALOWAY • Mr. MARCELINO • Mr. PEDERSEN • Mr. WIEBE (Vice-Chairperson) Substitution received prior to committee proceedings on May 21, 2015: • Mr. GRAYDON for Mr. SCHULER Officials Speaking on Record Officials speaking on record at the January 13, 2014 meeting: • Ms. Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba • Hon. Mr. STRUTHERS, Minister of Finance • Mr. Fred Meier, Deputy Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1023 Officials speaking on record at the May 21, 2015 meeting: • Mr. Norm Ricard, Acting Auditor General of Manitoba • Hon. Mr. C ALDWELL, Minister of Munic ipal Government • Mr. Fred Meier, Deputy Minister of Municipal Government Agreements: Your Committee agreed to conclude consideration of

Chapter 2 – Citizen Concerns – "Part 4 – North Portage Development Corporation" of the Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature dated January 2013 at the May 21, 2015 meeting. Your Committee agreed to conclude consideration of

Chapter 2 – Citizen Concerns of the Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature – dated March 2014 at the May 21, 2015 meeting. Your Committee agreed to conclude consideration of the following sections of the Auditor General 's Report – Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recom - mendations – dated May 2014 at the May 21, 2015 meeting: •

Section 1 – Assessment Services Branch •

Section 4 – The Province 's Management of Contaminated Sites and Landfills •

Section 10 – Special Audit: Rural Municipality of La Broquerie •

Section 18 – Report on the Rural Municipality of St. Clements •

Section 19 – Special Audit: Rural Municipality of St. Laurent Report Considered and Adopted: Your Committee has considered the following reports and has adopted the same as presented: • Auditor General 's Report – Rural Municipality of St. Clements – dated June 2012 • Auditor General 's Report – Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet – dated August 2013 Reports Considered but not Passed: Your Committee has considered the following reports but did not pass it: • Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature dated January 2013 (Part 4 of

Chapter 2 – concluded consideration of) • Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature – dated March 2014 (Chapter 2 – concluded consideration of) • Auditor General 's Report – Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations – dated May 2014 (Sections 1, 4, 10, 18 and 19 – concluded consideration of) Mr. Helwer: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Morden- Winkler (Mr. Friesen), that the report of the committee be received. Motion agreed to. Mr. Speaker: Any further committee reports? Seeing none, we'll move on to tabling of reports. Ministerial statements?

Introduction of Guests Mr. Speaker: Prior to oral questions, I'd like to draw the attention of honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us today members from the East Kildonan Kiwanis Club, who are the guests of the honourable Minister of Labour and Immigration (Ms. Braun). And also seated in the public gallery, we have with us this afternoon from Technical -Vocational High School 80 grade 9 students under the direction of Frank Harms, and this group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Minto (Mr. Swan).

On behalf of all honourable members, we welcome you here this afternoon. ORAL QUESTIONS NDP Severance Packages Compensation Disclosure Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): Well, we know that as the result of the fallout from the NDP leadership race, Mr. Speaker, a number of staffers were unceremoniously let go by the government opposite , despite promises from the Premier (Mr. Selinger) that that would not be the case.

And we expect that that is at least in part the reason for the inflated amounts of severance which we are led to believe were paid; however, the Premier has refused to come clean on what the actual amounts were. It's puzzling enough that the government would pay perfectly good staffers to

1024 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 leave and go to work in Alberta, but the amounts seem exorbitant. Would the Premier agree today to make those amounts public so that the people who really pay the severance amounts know what they were, the people of Manitoba? Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, the member again advances another double standard. There were severance payments when the previous government left office, of which he was a member, over $1.7 million in today's money. The member doesn't want to discuss that.

It's the old story: one set of rules for him, a different set of rules for everybody else. It's an example of hypocrisy in action. Mr. Speaker, today we have some good news coming out again about the economy in Manitoba. Retail sales in the month of March were up 2.2 per cent, leading the country 2 per cent. And that's just another good example. More jobs being created in Manitoba, retail sales being up, infrastructure being invested in to create good jobs for young people: These are the stories that allow us to stay motivated to provide a good quality of life in Manitoba. Identity of Legal Adviser Mr.

Pallister: That's nice news, Mr. Speaker, for everyone. Six years of being ninth, close to the bottom of the barrel, closer to 10th under the NDP than they were to eighth. One month doesn't make up for that record of incompetence, not even close. Now, back to the secrecy surrounding these payments, Mr. Speaker. When asked about who made the deal, the Premier said it wasn't him, it was somebody else. Somebody else was in charge of those negotiations, a lawyer, a secret lawyer, nameless, faceless lawyer. He also went on to say that this was a normal part of doing business.

But there is nothing normal about these severance payments, nothing normal at all. There's also no precedent for the outrageous level of severance that was paid. Now, the fact of the matter is that the Premier doesn't seem to want to be accountable or transparent on this issue at all. He quotes figures but doesn't actually understand that the difference between the figures he quotes and these he's hiding is that he's hiding these figures. So I want to ask him: What's the name of the person who was accountable for making the generous payments, the secret lawyer? What's the secret lawyer's name?

If the Premier's not going to be accountable, maybe the secret– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition's time on this question has elapsed. Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, we discussed this in Estimates and made it very clear that Labour Relations handles these matters with the advice from the Civil Service Commission and Civil Legal Services. They get the advice they need to make these kinds of decisions and come to a settlement where all parties agree to it.

I do have to inform him that the reality is he spent over $1.7 million on severances when his government was in office, Mr. Speaker. He himself has received just shy of $100,000 of severance payments himself, both from the federal government and the provincial government. It's the old story, a double standard all over again: doesn't want t o agree to severance for anybody else, willing to accept it for himself. Compensation Disclosure Mr. Pallister: Well, the double standard here, Mr.

Speaker, is that he cites severance which was paid transparently, that all Canadians could see, paid to Judy Wasylycia -Leis, Bill Blaikie –I don't know if the member for Elmwood (Mr. Maloway) got any or not. That's not the issue–and me–and me. And, of course, the real –[interjection] Even 18-year backbenchers who have moved to the front bench out of desperation should listen to this answer and should understand that the issue here should concern all of them, and it's an issue of secrecy; it's an issue of disclosure.

It's an issue of the people who pay the bills deserve to know what they're paying for, and they don't. Now, I asked the Premier last week, how was the amount determined, and again he referred to the nameless, faceless lawyer. * (14:00) Would he today make public the formula that was used to determine the amounts of severance that were paid to these former friends of his? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, we've put the amount of money on the record; it's about $670,000. Now, between 1998 and 1999 there were severance payments made in the government that the

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1025 member opposite was a Cabinet minister in: secretary to Treasury Board, in today's dollars $78,800; chief of staff, severance payments in today's dollars of $129,000; another chief of staff, in today's dollars of $60,000. Seven people in total in today's dollars: $649,987, $650,000. Six hundred and seventy thousand dollars for seven staff in this government, $650,000 in today's dollars for seven staff during his government; same practice, same severance payments, very similar amounts, Mr. Speaker, very similar amounts. Mr.

Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Opposition, on a new question. NDP Political Staff Future Severance Packages Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): Well, just a subtle difference the Premier seems to have missed is that he just read off the transparent numbers and amounts and the people attached to them, and he is higher than this number from us, two thirds of a million and growing, it seems. Mr. Speaker, there was an

article in a noted publication on Friday which referred to a sinking-ship situation and people of the NDP staff preparing CVs for distribution to apply to jobs elsewhere. So I have to ask the Premier: How many more of these generous, six- figure secret deals is his government planning to make, and how many more times will we have to see him dodge an answer to an honest, straightforward question? I am asking him again: How many more of these payments does the Premier expect to be making, and how long will Manitobans have to wait to determine how much they are and how he arriv ed at those numbers? Hon.

Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, let the record be clear. The severance payments the member received were disclosed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, not by himself. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, the amounts I read into the re cord earlier were taken out of the public accounts. We all have to be a public –accountable to the public accounts. We've made it very clear all the amounts will be reported in the public accounts just like they were in '98 -99. There was no exceptional disclosure by the members opposite then either for himself or for the seven members that left government in '98-99.

We're following the exact same practices they followed. The member opposite practises a double standard; he has one set of rules for everybody else and a different set of rules for himself. We're following the rules he followed. That's consistent, he's the hypocrite. Mr. Speaker, if– Mr. Speaker: Honourable First Minister. Mr. Selinger: –used that word appropriately, I would withdraw it without qualification. Mr. Speaker: I thank the honourable First Minister for the withdrawal. NDP Severance Packages Compensation Disclosure Mr.

Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): I appreciate the fact that the Premier is anxious to protect his best interests, I do. No, I do. But the fact remains that the figures that he fails to disclose are rightfully the property of the people of Manitoba who pay the bills.

The money used by the gove rnment was paid by the NDP to NDP staffers as a consequence of an NDP leadership race, and the Premier of Manitoba, who was a candidate for the leadership, decided that he would assure those same staffers they didn't have to worry, that they could keep the ir jobs, and now he's running away from disclosing the results of that broken promise. Now, Manitobans pay this bill and Manitobans deserve to know. So what right does the Premier have to refuse to tell Manitobans who pay the bill how much the bill was in detail and how much it's going to be as the sinking ship continues to sink? Hon.

Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, all governments have a responsibility to report severance as part of the salary compensation to the public accounts; that's part of the public accountability transparency act. That's what the members opposite did when they were in office. They never made any exceptional disclosures. They followed the legislation in place at the time, which is the same legislation which applies today. We will be fully transparent according to that legislation in the same manner that the members opposite did.

And, by the way, the member never ever disclosed this information at any time, at any place

1026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 or anywhere. It was only because we went to the public accounts ourselves that we were able to glean this information. So don't let him stand here and pretend he's meeting a higher standard. It's been, what, '98-99, 16 years? They never disclosed at any time during that period of office. It was only because we went to the public accounts and gleaned that information for ourselves. That is a quintessential example of a double standard followed by the Leader of the Opposition. Mr.

Pallister: Well, it took us four years to find out he actually took Jets tickets to o, Mr. Speaker, so it's been a while. So let's get it figured out here. So the Premier of Manitoba says he didn't make the decision to pay the severance. He says somebody else did that. He says he doesn't have to disclose who that was. He says it's a secret. He says it's a secret as to the formula that was used in determining this. He says it's a secret. The employment contract is a secret. He says that the severance contract that was negotiated is a secret. He says it's all a secret. None of it should be a secret, Mr. Speaker.

It should all be on the public record. Just as the Premier quotes other severance arrangements made elsewhere, it is necessary and right that he put on the record today the accurate details as to the severance paid to these other staffers. Just as Liam Martin's severance was made public in December, so, too, the other six staffers' severance should be made public now. Why the double standard? Mr. Selinger: I appreciate the carefully prepared question by the member opposite, Mr.

Speaker, but let me again –a question in search of an answer for why he waited 16 years and has still never disclosed the severance payments to the secretary of the Treasury Board, chi efs of staff twice, senior managers, secretary to Cabinet communications, special assistants to the premier and professional officers. Never any disclosure of that in 16 years, only discovered when we did the research ourselves and found the number was ver y comparable to the severance paid out in this case. That is the double standard, a refusal to disclose on his part.

Even his own severance had to be disclosed by the Taxpayers Federation, a refusal to disclose severance paid out in '98 -99, Mr. Speaker. We came forward. We put the number on the record, and we will be fully accountable to the public accountability and transparency act, and it'll be disclosed in the same manner that they did and never told the public about it. Hydro Rate Increases Manitoba's Credit Rating Mr. Cameron Friesen (Morden -Winkler): If the Premier (Mr. Selinger) wanted to be accountable, he'd table those numbers today in this House, Mr. Speaker. Mr.

Speaker, in documents filed at the Public Utilities Board, Manitoba Hydro is saying it has to hike hydro rates again. And, of course, rate increases under this NDP are not new. As a matter of fact, Hydro has hiked the rate six times in just the past five years, under this Premier, on Manitobans who have to pay more and more. What is ne w is a warning by Manitoba Hydro in the documents that unless there is this new rate increase and others to follow, Manitoba's credit rating is at risk of being downgraded.

Now, last week I reminded the Finance Minister that Moody's Investors Service cha nged their economic outlook on Manitoba to negative and they noted that a credit rating downgrade could follow. Will the minister now admit that this NDP's high-debt and high- deficit policies are putting Manitoba at risk? Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member's time for this question has elapsed. Hon. Greg Dewar (Minister of Finance): Mr.

Speaker, we've had a good, healthy debate over – about this topic over the last couple of weeks in this Chamber, and I remind the member that our credit rating is two points higher than it was when we came into office. I'll remind the member that both Dominion Bond and Standard & Poor's has affirmed our credit rating as one of the highest in the nation. And, you know, I also remind the member that, you know, we have a job ahead of us. That job ahead of us is to have one of the strongest –to create one of the strongest economies in Canada. We do that. As the Premier mentioned earlier on, Mr.

Speaker, there was a story in this week's paper; Manitoba posted the biggest percentage increase in retail sales in the country, sales up nearly 2 per cent. * (14:10) I know members opposite don't like good news, Mr. Speaker. I know the gloom -and-doom party

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1027 across the way would like to see the negative. Our job is to grow the economy, and that's what we're doing. Mr. Friesen: I'm glad that the minister mentioned the Standard & Poor's and Dominion Bond Rating Service, because what he failed to also mention is that when they reviewed Manitoba's financials, they expressed an opinion that the budgetary results would strengthen. But under this NDP, the budgetary results have weakened; budget isn't balanced; deficit projection is up, not down; debt has skyrocketed; GDP growth is lower than expected by half.

While this Finance Minister is whistling in the dark, bond rating agencies are growing increasingly skittish. Now it's not just the bond rating agencies, but Manitoba Hydro is sounding the alarm about a possible credit downgrade. What does this Finance Minister have to say about Manitoba Hydro joining those who are talking about a risk of a debt credit downgrade? Hon. Eric Robinson (Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro): Mr. Speaker, what we're doing is making the right investments today so that Manitobans can have a low -cost, reliable source of homegrown energy for decades to come.

And this party, unlike the people across the way, we think about our future and we think about future generations, and we believe that the projects that are being invested in and the application that has been to the PUB for a –the rate increase still puts us among the lowest in North America. Mr. Friesen: Mr. Speaker, in 2011 the NDP claimed that the Bipole III project was not going to cost Manitobans a single cent. Now Manitoba Hydro is saying Manitoba families will pay for these massive hydro expansion plans.

They will pay with massive hydro rate hikes that will at least double their bills, and they will pay with a hydro -debt-driven downgrade to the province's credit rating that will suck reve nues away from front -line services and push them towards ballooning debt servicing payments. Will this Finance Minister just admit that the NDP's financial mismanagement is hurting services on the front line and hurting Manitobans in the pocketbook? Mr. Dewar: Well, Mr.

Speaker, I'll again remind the members and the –all members of this Chamber and Manitobans, when we came into power we were spending 13 cents on the dollar of revenue to service the debt. Now that's down to 5.6 cents on the dollar, one of the lowest. Mr. Speaker, I'll –again I'll remind the members that our net-debt-to-GDP ratio is lower, significantly lower than it was when the members opposite were running the economy. Our job is to grow the economy. Their job is to criticize us and put at risk a plan that's going to create 70,000 jobs in this economy. Our plan is to grow the economy. Theirs is to kill it.

We reject that. Hydro Rate Increases Manitoba's Credit Rating Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): Mr. Speaker, it's those sides on that side of the House that's causing Manitobans' debt to rise, not this side of the House. Mr. Speaker, today Manitoba Hydro is going before the PUB to beg for another rate increase because an NDP system expansion plan t hat will at least double the rates for Manitoba Hydro customers. A 3.95 per cent rate is being requested that Hydro says if it isn't granted that the province's credit rating is at risk of another credit downgrade.

Will the minister admit that political interference and NDP mismanagement is threatening front -line services and will lead to another credit downgrade for all Manitobans? Hon. Eric Robinson (Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro): Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate what I just said. These regular , smaller increases keep rates stable and they provide necessary revenue to fund Hydro projects that'll mean a strong and reliable profit for Manitoba's future, simple as that. Now, if we make the right investments today, we believe Manitoba can have a low -cost, reliable source of homegrown energy for decades to come.

NDP Election Promise Mr. Eichler: Mr. Speaker, six rate increases since this First Minister has been in power; that's the NDP legacy to Manitoba. In its application to raise rates once again, Hydro's reference point was increased borrowing requirements and other financial cost to build Keeyask and Bipole III. I'd like to table a mailer that was sent out by every NDP member opposite before the last election that reads, and as I quote, Bi pole line will not cost Manitobans a single cent, end of quote.

1028 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 Who is misleading Manitobans, Mr. Speaker? Who is telling the truth? Is it Manitoba Hydro said they need higher rates to pay for a line, or what the NDP said before the last election, it wou ldn't cost Manitobans a single cent? Mr. Robinson: Let me compare this to other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker, where they're seeing rate increases as high as 26 per cent over the next three years while customers in the northern Midwest pay twice as much as M anitoba.

In spite of the increase that's being asked of the Public Utilities Board, we still pay among the lowest rates of hydroelectricity anywhere in North America. Mr. Eichler: Mr. Speaker, this government cannot keep a promise no matter what they do. They have nothing to be credible about at all. Mr. Speaker, according to Manitoba Hydro's own numbers, Manitoba can expect at least doubling of the rates over the next 20 years. Independent experts say that a number is likely on the low side, and we could see tripling of rates.

Will the government admit they failed Manitobans, that at least doubling of hydro rates have been brought on by this NDP government's mismanagement and failure to deliver on their campaign promise? Mr. Robinson: In 2001, we passed legislation–and many members were here –to ensure that rural and northern Manitobans were benefiting from hydro export revenues. Everybody here should remember that. Let me repeat myself, Mr. Speaker. By doing the opposite of what the member is saying would be putting our economy at risk by exposing it to failure and on top of that by killing about 10,000 jobs and hurting the economy.

What we are doing, I believe, is responsible. These smaller increases keep rates stable, provide necessary revenue to fund hydro projects. At the same time– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. Access to Information Requests Government Spending Record Mr. Reg Helwer (Brandon West): Mr. Speaker, the NDP used to say we were th e lowest in hydro rates. Now this –today this minister has said we're among the lowest. And so what is it going to be tomorrow? Maybe we'll hear the real truth. In addition, Mr.

Speaker, public money has been spent on signs, opinion polls and focus groups, but the NDP won't tell the public what their money bought. It bought an NDP re-election campaign. To–access to information requests are being refused, sent back with no information. What are the NDP hiding? Hon. Kevin Chief (Minister of Jobs and the Economy): Mr. Speaker, there's a –there's been a strong message from private sector forecasters, but BuildForce Canada has said it's been clear there's going to be 12,000 jobs created over the next 10 years in the trades. From a strong economy comes a demand for jobs, Mr.

Speaker, and we want to make sure that when people are driving through our construction zones, when they're seeing our cranes and all the investments in infrastructure, we want to make sure that people know there's a potential career for them, there's a potential job for them, and we want to make sure that those people know that we need them in those jobs. Mr. Helwer: The NDP promised that every dime of the PST increase would be spent on core infrastructure. Now the NDP admit that the PST increase is being spent on other things, not just on core infrastructure.

Manitobans have been lied to about the true use of the NDP PST increase. Is this what the NDP is hiding? Is this what they think is secret, that the NDP have lied to Manitobans yet again? Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation): Mr.

Speaker, it's a –it is great to be able to talk about what is happening with infrastructure, and I can assure the member opposite, with the amount of construction we're doing this year and the amount of construction we did last year, it's pretty hard to hide $700 -million investment in highway capital. * (14:20) And in case the member hasn't noticed when he drives back and forth between here and his home constituency, which I'm sure he does on a regular basis, he may want to check out what's happened on Highway 1. One other thing we haven't hid, Mr.

Speaker, we've increased the speed limit to 110 kilometres because it's fully upgraded, again, because of the NDP investment in core infrastructure.

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1029 Mr. Helwer: Mr. Speaker, another access to information request was turned down because, quote, the record does not exist, end quote. The record in question is the tender for the new speed limit signs on No. 1 Highway. There's no record of a tender for new signs because there was no tender issued. The Auditor General has blasted the NDP for their overuse of sole -source contracts. Mr. Speaker, the former premier announced the increased speed limit in 2 009, but six years is not enough time to issue a tender for the NDP. Why the secrecy? What are they hiding?

Manitobans are tired of this NDP government's waste and mismanagement would–continues to threaten our front-line sources–services. Mr. Ashton: It's increasingly obvious, Mr. Speaker, that the member opposite –in fact, members opposite–wouldn't recognize core infrastructure and investments in core infrastructure if they tripped over it. You know, I know they probably think that the moon landing was, you know, filmed on a backlot in Hollywood.

But actually, of all the conspiracy theories I've heard from members opposite, and there've been quite a few, I just can't believe that they would actually get up and say there's something lacking in transparency in terms of core infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, we have historic investment. We've gone from $90 million under the Tories to $700 million. We've increased the amount going into highway capital this year by about 45 per cent year over year. Anywhere you go in the province, you see the results of the NDP investment in core infrastructure. That's delivering, because we're the get-'er-done party.

Paramedic Profession Self-Regulation of Service Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, the purpose of regulating paramedics is to ensure the public is protected when they receive health services. It is about patient safety and it is about putting patients first. Does the Minister of Health agree with this? Hon. Sharon Blady (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, the self -regulation of health professions is very important, and it's why we have the Health Professions Advisory Council.

And I have to say that I'm so pleased with our first responders because they do make a different in –difference in the lives of Manitobans each and every day. And I look forward to the work that the Health Professions Advisory Council has been doing and will continue to do because I know their priority is the safety and the best interests of all Manitobans. Mrs. Driedger: Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health received a report recommending that the profession of paramedicine proceed to regulation under the registered health professions act pending further consultation.

Considering this is a public safety issue, can the Minister of Health tell us when those further consultations will begin? Ms. Blady: I can assure members opposite that the Health Professions Advisory Council is working with the Paramedics Association of Manitoba because, again, the counci l makes a qualified recommendation that the profession proceed to regulation under the RHPA only after PAM provides the Minister of Health with evidence of a satisfactory level of support among Manitoba paramedics with self-regulation.

This evidence should be based on a dialogue and consensus-building process that PAM organizes for the purposes of exchanging information and opinions with practitioners, stakeholders about self -regulation and its implications for paramedics, including cost and responsibilities, and I look forward to that. Mrs. Driedger: And the Minister of Health did not answer the question, and I do hope that the Paramedic Association of Manitoba is involved in further consultations, because that is important. Mr. Speaker, this Minister of Health has committed only to studying a move toward paramedic self -regulation.

Will she commit today that this further consultation will lead to self-regulation of paramedics? Ms. Blady: I reiterate that, again, the council did make the qualified recom mendation that the 'prospession' proceed, and I –and that more work needed to be done, and I look forward to that work being done and the second stage being presented and we see where it goes, because self -regulation can provide a wonderful place for the–ensuring the safety for all Manitobans. And, again, I look forward to the work that PAM and HPAC do together.

1030 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 Emergency Medical Services Report Implementation of Recommendations Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, emergency medical services are v ital to all Manitobans. The EMS report was released over two years ago, and yet the government has wasted time, stalled and bafflegabbed rather than paying attention to what the MGEU president has said is dangerous EMS working conditions. Will the Premier tell us today why the implementation of this report has proceeded so slowly? On whose desk is this important report lingering, buried and collecting cobwebs? Hon.

Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, when we came into office, there were about 290 paramedics full- time in Manitoba, and over 70 per cent of the service was delivered by excellent volunteers. Now we have 1,500 full-time paramedics in Manitoba, and 80 per cent of the service is delivered by full-time staffers. And as the paramedic and EMS syst em has grown, it has required constant review to make sure that we can improve it. That has resulted in investments in new ambulances.

That has resulted in new investments in dispatch equipment and technology to ensure that we can get people as close to wh ere they need to be as quickly as possible to provide that service. So it is true that the EMS system is critically important, and there have been a number of recommendations that are brought forward and those recommendations are being acted on. Nineteen are already considered complete, and the rest are being acted on. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, about the same as the answer given last week and not good enough when this was labelled a quiet crisis in 2007.

It's now more than two years after the review, and what was supposed to be done in the first year has been ignored. The office of the medical director was to be fully established. IT plans were to be developed and implemented. A request for proposals was supposed to be issued and a decision made and performance contracts awarded for the fixed-wing air ambulance service. Why is it, I ask the Premier, why is it that even the most basic of steps have not been completed even after an urgent letter and public comments from the current MGEU president? Mr. Selinger: Mr.

Speaker, we have now in Manitoba fixed- wing air ambulance services, two jets. We've invested in those jets; we've upgraded them; we've refitted them so that they can provide service to Manitobans. They're very high -quality, and I can tell you the people that work on those jets do a tremendous job. They're very well -trained individuals, and they're on call 24- 7 to meet the needs of Manitobans. We have an air–we have a helicopter ambulance service in Manitoba now, Mr. Speaker, since 2009, the STARS system, and we've improved service there. We've got advanced paramedic training going on in Manitoba.

We have paramedics that are actually located in the community to keep people out of the ERs and provide service right in the community when people need it. We are making very significant improvements, and we will continue to do that as we develop one of the better systems for EMS across the country. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, more than two years ago, the former minister of Health, the MLA for Seine River , said action was imminent, but since then there's been no progress. Since then, the esteemed chair of the task force who was to implement the changes, Mr.

Reg Toews, has been removed, and the implementation group has been disbanded. All action has halted, even as the MGEU president said the whole system is on life support. I ask the Premier why Reg Toews, someone his minister's own press release called a recognized leader in the province's health -care system, was removed and progress halted on the change s so urgently needed to improve our emergency medical services system. Mr. Selinger: We appreciate the work that Reg Toews did; that's why we appointed him to the job.

We had a lot of confidence in his abilities, and he did a lot of good work for Manitobans as a public servant and in retirement by serving on this committee. And 19 of his recommendations have been worked on and brought into implementation, Mr. Speaker. * (14:30) One of the items that was recommended was the office of the medical di rector. The office of the medical director has now been fortified and

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1031 strengthened, Mr. Speaker. It's in place with centralized medical oversight responsibilities. We've made very significant investments in the medical transportation co -ordinated–co-ordination centre out of Brandon.

I remember seeing it years ago when it was being run by a couple of civic officials in the firefighters and –department, and now it has a fully trained complement of staff with modern equipment and modern technology to go along with modern ambulances which have GPS technology on them where they can locate them as close to where people need the service as possible. We have the STARS helico pter service. We have fixed -wing jet service. And instead of 290 paramedics, we have 1,500 paramedics working in Manitoba. Rent Assist Program Timeline for Increase Mr. Rob Altemeyer (Wolseley): Mr.

Speaker, my constituency office is located at Crossways in the West Broadway neighbourhood, and on the main floor there's a community drop- in centre where lots of folks who are working these days and other folks who are working towards work and some folks who are probably not going to be able to work again in their life, they all congregate and come together and form a really wonderful community.

And after our budget was announced, I can share with the House a spontaneous celebration broke out in that space amongst all of those people because of an historic in vestment in affordable housing, the largest investment in social assistance rates in a generation. And I'm so proud of our government and what we did, and I'd like to ask our hard- working minister to provide more details on how the Rent Assist program is making a fundamental difference in thousands of people's lives. Hon.

Kevin Chief (Minister of Jobs and the Economy): It's been said there's going to be 12,000 jobs in the next 10 years in the trades alone, Mr. Speaker. We have a dynamic demo - graphic of people, the youngest and fastest growing indigenous population in the nation. We have an incredibly strong new Canadian refugee community, and the first time, more now than ever before, women are now looking at the trades more now than they ever have before. We were proud to join hundreds of people on Friday, Mr. Speaker.

The message was clear in this budget that we're going to provide stability to those families when they're transitioning into that critical first job, when they're transitioning into upgrading to get that specialized job, and we're going to make sure our government is standing with those families when they're going through one of the most exciting and biggest changes to provide stability for their children and loved ones. Thank you. Altona Health Centre Suspension of Services Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Mr.

Speaker, on May 14th, 2015, the Minister of Health assured this House that closing the Altona OR was temporary and this would have no impact on the Altona ER. I would like to ask the m inister: Why was the Altona ER closed Sunday 8 a.m. to Monday 8 a.m.? Hon. Sharon Blady (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the member for the question. Any time a suspension of service is indicated for an emergency room, it is at the di scretion of the medical professionals involved.

And if the member opposite has any specific information that he feels is valuable or cogent to the situation, I would appreciate that. But, again, those decisions are made by the medical professionals at Altona. Mr. Graydon: Mr. Speaker, it's clear the NDP government can't be trusted to keep their word. With 30 ERs closed at any given time, it's impossible to believe anything this minister has to say and when she claims to, quote, we have more doctors practising in rural Manitoba and northern areas than ever before. Mr. Speaker, why has the ER closed?

What is this minister hiding and what is her secret agenda in closing the Altona OR and the ER? Shame on her. Ms. Blady : I'd like to thank the member for t he question, though I do believe Fox Mulder wants his questioning agenda back. Mr. Speaker, we do have more doctors practising in this province. We do have –in fact, 77 of the 107 new graduates this year are going to be staying in Manitoba, and 34 are movi ng towards studies in family medicine, 19 doing family medicine in rural and northern Manitoba, including young

1032 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 Kyle Conrad, who will be completing the Family Medicine Rural Stream Residency Program in Boundary Trails Health Centre. And it is a far cr y from health care in the '90s, where Morden-Winkler saw the Morden hospital and Tabor Home and PCH cut by $1.3 million. We saw the Portage hospital cut by $1.6 million. Minnedosa hospital had a $1.5-million cut. Arthur-Virden– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. Mr. Graydon: Mr. Speaker –[interjection] Whenever the minister is finished. Mrs. Reimer, Mrs. Friesen, Mrs.

Heinrichs had a shock when they made the rush trip to the ER in Altona only to find a notice on the door indicating the ER is closed. What does this minister have to say to these fine Manitobans who expect timely front -line services in their community that's being destroyed by this NDP mismanagement and their waste and waste? And Manitoba's getting a lot less for what they're paying for. Ms. Blady: Mr. Speaker, again, we know there is more to do and we believe that all ERs in Manitoba should be open 100 per cent of the time.

We also recognize that physician recruitment and retention in rural hospitals is an ongoing challenge throughout the country. And when there isn't a physician available at a rural emergency room, our pr ovincial EMS dispatch centre is made aware and adjusts land and air ambulance resource times. And we are also making other investments in rural residencies, new doctor seats. We are investing, and as I said, a sharp contrast to the cuts and the doctors fleeing under members opposite. Mr. Speaker: Time for oral questions has expired. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Mr. Speaker: It is now time for members' statements.

U-18 Women’s Provincial Curling Champions Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Mr. Speaker, it's always my pleasure to rise and address this Assembly on a matter of praise for both my constituency and my constituents. Fortunately for me, this statement will allow me to give credit to both. Over the course of March 5th to 8th, the Melita Curling Club hosted the Asham under -18 men's and women's provincial curling championships. The facility staff and volunteers and officials from CurlManitoba deserve to be commended for hosting and running an amazing event which saw some local talent fare very well.

In the under-18 women's championship, the team from Altona, consisting of skip, Mackenzie Zacharias; third, Hayley Bergman; second, Emily Zacharias; and lead, Peyton Bergman; and coach, Sheldon Za charias hit the ice with guns a blazing and won t he gold medal with a score of 8 -2 over their Winnipeg competitors. Their victory won them a spot representing Team 'Toba at the 2015 international under -18 curling championship in Edmonton, Alberta , and–from April 1 to the 5th.

At the international championship, Team Manitoba finished with a record of two wins and three losses, competing against teams from across Canada, United States and also facing off against Japan. As the team from Altona is still very young, there is no question in my mind that this is not the last we will see or hear from them as they carry the torch solidifying Manitoba's reputation on the world stage as a curling powerhouse. Ladies, you have made me, Altona and all your friends and family very proud.

Most importantly, as amazing ambassadors of Manit oba, you have made all Manitobans thrilled with your accomplishments. Mr. Speaker, I would like to publicly acknow - ledge and thank the team for their wonderful thank - you card, and ask all honourable members to join me in congratulating the team on their s uccesses and wish them all the best in the future. East Kildonan Kiwanis Club Hon. Erna Braun (Minister of Labour and Immigration): Kiwanis International recently celebrated an exciting milestone: 100 years.

Kiwanis International is an outstanding organiz ation that celebrates and promotes both community service and fellowship. In over 80 countries, individuals gather in their respective Kiwanis clubs to volunteer on local projects and fundraise money for various causes. Members of the East Kildonan Kiwani s Club have joined us in the gallery today. Recently, I

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1033 attended their annual fundraising dinner where we celebrated together and learned about the good work of the East Kildonan Kiwanis and, in particular, Kiwanis International which is currently working to fund neonatal tetanus shots for expecting mothers in developing countries. Closer to home, the East Kildonan club encourages volunteerism by sponsoring many smaller Kiwanis clubs in schools throughout River East Transcona School Division. Mentors from the EK clubs support students to develop their skills in a variety of areas.

They offer a helping hand where needed, then step back and let the students and their teachers run the show. These students work hard to raise money and donate their own time to different projects that they choose themselves. Not only do these students learn the value of contributing to their communities and schools, but they have great fun while they are doing it. In addition to facilitating the school clubs, the East Kildonan Kiwanis Club operates two apartment blocks in East Kildonan that provide affordable housing for seniors.

They are run by a volunteer board made up of club members and offer a warm, friendly community for our seniors. Kiwanis clubs across the province and ar ound the world do great work just like the club in East Kildonan, serving individuals and communities. Together, they accomplish an impressive amount of work. Thank you, East Kildonan Kiwanis Club and congratulations to Kiwanis International for 100 years of service. * (14:40) Krista Hildebrand Mr. Cameron Friesen (Morden -Winkler): Mr.

Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today and congratulate Krista Hildebrand, a young constituent who won the gold medal in target shooting at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, BC, this past February. Krista's versatility and competiveness reaped dividends as she came from behind and clinched the top spot in the target shooting air pistol event. In the lead-up to this winter's games, Krista decided against competing in the rifle target shooting event due to the cumbersome training regimen and decided instead to train using an air pistol.

Despite nine years of practice with a rifle and only five months of training on an air pistol, Krista not only took gold in the event but she also set a national record. Krista began her target shooting career with the Winkler junior rifle shooting program when she was just nine years old, taking inspiration from her older brothers who enjoyed the sport, and has continued with it ever since. Krista's win deserves the pride and admiration of our community. Krista's gold medal is the culmination of support, encouragement, time and resources sacrificed over the years by family, friends, team and coaches.

This win is a tribute to their efforts, and the win is accentuated by the many months of training Krista undertook to compete in the Canada Winter Games and reflects the quality and calibre of our students in the community. The Canada Winter Games saw a remarkable number of young constituents from Morden- Winkler participating in a variety of events, including judo, cross-country skiing and hockey. Martin Russo, Alex Loeppky, Levi Warkentine, Logan Christensen and Zachary Peters demonstrated strong sportsmanship and skill.

The athletes were guided and supported by coaches Sloan Reid–Reid Sloan and Ryan Hutton of Morden and Lorne Warkentine of Winkler. I congratulate all participants on their exemplary effort and congratulate Krista on her well -deserved gold medal. I w ish her all the best in future competitions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Court Family Ms. Jennifer Howard (Fort Rouge): Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Court family from my constituency for giving their time to volunteer for organizations across W innipeg.

Our community is lucky to have people like the Court family who are willing to donate their talents to make our community a better place for everyone. Last month, Karen, Jamie and Jessica all received the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Family IMPACT Award for their commitment to volunteering. This award recognizes the work of dedicated volunteers that often goes unnoticed. For over 30 years, Karen has given back to her community. She started volunteering with her late husband Alan for the Winnipeg Folk Festival. They used volunteering as a way to bond and spend time with the family.

Karen and Alan both volunteered for the parent councils at Earl Grey and Grant Park

1034 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 schools. They also helped out at the Early Grey Community Centre coaching basketball. Volunteering became a family tradition for the Courts. The whole family would volunteer for events together, including Folk Fest, the International Children's Festival and with the Canadian Cancer Society. Congratulations to Karen and her daughters Jamie and Jessica for all the amazing volunteer work they do. They've made the tradition of giving back to their community a family affair and ensured that this value will be alive in generations to come.

It's truly families like this that make Winnipeg a vibrant place to live and Manitoba a province known for its caring and community spirit. Thank you. Flinty's Fishing Derby Mr. Clarence Pettersen (Flin Flon): Mr. Speaker, on a warm Sunday in April, 570 anglers descended on Sally's Beach for the first e ver Flinty's Fishing Derby. In Bakers Narrows Provincial Park the thick ice on lake Athapap was covered with anglers all day long as they competed for different prizes. More were trying to catch one of the three previously tagged jackfish that were worth $25,000.

It seems that those fish really didn't want to be caught again, because nobody managed to reel them in. But the anglers didn't walk away empty -handed. Darren Whitbread took home the $21,000 grand prize for the largest fish of the day, a 75.25-centimetre-long trout. With anglers travelling to Flin Flon from communities all over Manitoba and even places like Calgary and Fort Frances, the event was a great success. Flinty's Fishing Derby demonstrates how dedicated the people of Flin Flon are to our community.

It's a great showcase of the abundance of wildlife and recreational opportunities we are lucky to have in northern Manitoba. I have to commend the organizers of the derby for putting together it so professionally. Members of the Flin Flon Rotary Club worked tirelessly to make sure the event went off without a hitch. They enlisted the help of the Flin Flon Fire Department to drill 900 holes in the lake, secured some fantastic prizes for the winners, including a 14- foot boat, airfare from F lin Flon and Winnipeg and vacation packages from Bakers Narrows Lodge.

In the end, they managed to raise $16,000 for the Flin Flon Rotary Club. Congratulations to the Rotarians, volunteers and participants who made the first -ever Flinty's Fishing Derby such a success. I look forward to seeing this even happen for many years to come. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: Grievances? ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Mr. Speaker: Seeing no grievances, we'll move on to orders of the day, government business. Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I wonder if we might move into Committee of Supply in three sites, the Legislative Chamber, room 254 and room 255. Mr.

Speaker: We'll now resolve into the Committee of Supply. Madam Deputy Chairperson, will you please take the Chair and the various committee Chairs in the committee rooms. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY (Concurrent Sections) FAMILY SERVICES * (14:50) Mr. Chairperson (Rob Altemeyer): Will the Committee of Supply please come to some semblance of order. This

section of the Committee of Supply will now resume consideration of the ever-exciting Estimates for the Department of Family Services. As previously agreed, questioning for this department will proceed in a global manner. And I believe the mi nister has some information to put on the record stemming from the previous section. So, honourable Minister. Hon. Kerri Irvin -Ross (Minister of Family Services): All right, I will read the question that I took under advisement and then our answer. What are the qualifications for people who work with high -risk kids?

Preference to Youth Care Certificate; prior experience as support workers; they require Non- violent Crisis Intervention Training; first aid; they need to clear the checks of the Child Abuse Registry, the Adult Abuse Registry, criminal record checks and prior contact checks; agency -

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1035 specific orientation and training; also, specialized training if they are working with sexually exploited youth. What are the qualifications for people who work in group homes?

Regulation requires that any person who works directly with the resident or who may have unsupervised access to residents must be medically, physically and emotionally able to do the required work; provide character references; provide a crim inal record check and Child Abuse Registry check within three months prior; consent to the release of information about his or her previous employment and volunteer work; complete a first-aid course that includes CPR training relevant to the age group being cared for that is approved by the director and maintains recertification of the first- aid course and CPR training as required.

There was a question, what is the regional distribution of capital projects under Family Choices Building Fund? Under the fiv e-year Family Choices program started in 2008, 117 total projects are supported by the Province of Manitoba; 72 were community-based projects and 45 school -based projects. In the community-based, 31 were outside of Winnipeg and 41 in Winnipeg; school -based was 31 outside of Winnipeg and 14 in Winnipeg. And they are broken down into the particular regions. In terms of residential -care facilities and group homes, what policies have changed since 1999?

There have been very –there have been no regulatory or policy changes since proclamation of the regulation on March 15th, 1999. The entire child-care facility standards manual was originally drafted in 1999 and was updated and fully available online in the spring of 2012. Do residential- care facilities and group homes monitor prescription drug usage and how?

The child-care facilities standards manual has a written medication policy that includes detailed instructions on storage of medication; dispensing of medication; administration of medication; maintainin g a record of all medications, prescription and non-prescription; management of medication during planned absences, day programs or social leave; disposal of medication; responding to medical errors and handling of narcotic or controlled drugs. Prescribed medications shall be administered only on the order of a qualified physician or licensed health -care professional.

Non-prescription medications may be administered, providing that approval has been received from a qualified physician, licensed prescriber or dispensing pharmacist. Written standing orders and docu- mentation of verbal approval shall be maintained on the child's file and updated and revised as necessary. The licensee shall maintain a monthly medication administration record, documenting the tim e and dosage. Children may self -administer their medi - cation only if their care plan includes in writing the required authorization from the attending physician or supervising agency.

There was a question around education tracking. So we had answered at that time that in our new development of our technology, Cúram, we are going to add that as one of our indicators to track. So I think that'll be really important and will help us further develop our policies, but also I'd like the record to just remind t he members that the Department of Education also tracks education rates. There were questions on tracking graduation rates and attendance of kids in care. I think I've already – we are–that Manitoba has made significant invest - ment over the years to improve Child and Family Services.

Further investments are being considered to improve educational outcomes for children in care, including school readiness, support through high school and further education and training and post - high school. There were questions around the centralized placement desk: what is the timeline for launching the centralized placement desk; what has been done and what needs to be done. The first phase of the centralized placement desk is under way. It's currently managing and co- ordinating approximately 1,100 foster -care-bed spaces and 350 residential - care-bed spaces across the province.

In the next phase of the project, we are scoping in beds from agencies across the province, streamlining processes and working on more efficient manageme nt of resources. The centralized placement desk works closely with the hotel reduction team, EPR and the authorities to co-ordinate both resources and children in care requiring resources. Primary focus on eliminating children and youth placed in hotels and reducing the children and youth in other emergency placement resources, shelters and emergency foster homes awaiting long-term placements. Okay. Then we had a question on the training of new hires.

So there is a five -day training program that includes a n overview of EPR and CFS policies and procedures, safe work training, everything from working alone to WHMIS. And staff have to–are tested on the procedures. Learning relationships and developmental stages and how they impact

1036 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 behaviour management, consequences and power struggles are also reviewed. Participants spend a half day with the pharmacist reviewing medication policies and administration. Staff learn to understand and can complete medical administration records. Staff attend a shelter for two days for hands -on training. They are placed with mentors who can help guide them and give them first -hand advice. And on the last day they have a CUPE orientation, human resource information and forms and, finally, questions and tours.

There was a lengthy con versation about the breakdown of new beds and where were they added. So there have been 71 new beds since November. They're all emergency foster -home beds. There are 61 in place. There are 10 in the final stages. There have been an additional 35 beds since April 1st: nine lone shelter beds, 13 emergency foster beds and 13 shelter beds. That concludes my responding to the questions and answers. I apologize about the length of time that I've taken, but I think I've fully answered the questions. Mr. Chairp erson: Thank you very much for that, Minister. The floor is now open for questions.

Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): I thank the minister for responding. I'm going to have to look through some of those numbers and align them with the questions, as she probably appreciates, and we may have some further follow -up tomorrow, but did have one question regarding group homes, and if there's an accident or some type of crisis situation, what is the policy in group homes in terms of taking residents to emergency? When would they decide to do that and when would they wait and see? Ms. Irvin -Ross: I have that answer for you.

It is: residential care facilities are required to 'ahere' – adhere to health and safety standards, and child- care support workers are required to be trained in first aid and CPR. We have a reporting strategy that is in place. * (15:00) One of the questions that we received last week that I didn't respond to was the licensee of a residential-care facility reports the incidents to the director and the placing agency or the organization or jurisdiction which placed the resident or child as stated in the child-care facility's licensing regulation.

Similarly, the licensee of a foster home reports the incident to the licensing agency and the placi ng agency of the foster child concerned in accordance with the foster home. If there is a serious injury to a child in care, the reporting agency, when applicable and agreed to by both parties, the placing or guardian agency notifies the child's parent or next of kin within 24 of hours or soon thereafter. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister.

She –you certainly touched on what I'm looking for here, but if there was an accident, say, a child fell off a bicycle and a head injury, who makes the decision as to whether they go to emergency or not? Ms. Irvin-Ross: The children are placed in the care of, in some cases, in foster homes with foster parents that are well trained, and in the residential centres there are also staff that are well trained to care for them. They will have –we have standards in place that give them direction about when they need to take action.

But I am–I have full faith and confidence that if there's an issue, that it is reported immediately and the necessary action is taken. If there is a particular case that you are familiar with and you'd like us to follow up on it, I encourage you to share the specifics and we will look at what happened in that circumstance and evaluate the actions taken. Mr. Wishart: I appreciate that from the minister. So it would not be standard practice, then, for the resident supervisor to call the parents of the child and ask them to take them to emergency. That would not be standard practice, right? Ms.

Irvin -Ross: I think I need to clarify. Are we talking child-care facility or are we talking Child and Family Services? Mr. Wishart: Sorry, CFS. Ms. Irvin-Ross: I just needed to clarify that because we have to –but depends on if there –depends on– there's lots of circumstances about under what circumstance the child is in care, whether it's a voluntary placement or whether it's an apprehension. It depends on what the type of the injury is.

I know that parents have a right to know and deserve to know and you heard me speak in that standard that it is an expectation th at parents are notified with 24 hours or sooner of an incident that has occurred. So, at the time when that child is in a group- home

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1037 setting, we are responsible for their care so we need to take those actions. And I just –it's–I'm assuming that there's a particular situation that the member may be referring to so rather than having the debate here where we cannot talk about the specifics at all out of privacy concerns, if you'd like to have a conversation and to share with some of the details, I can have t he department staff follow up and give you the answers that you seek. Mr. Wishart: Well, certainly this is driven by casework.

I think it's more or less resolved at this point but it seemed well outside of scope that a child would have a head -injury accide nt, riding bicycle without helmet, by the way, which I'm not sure who's responsible for that, but that's another issue. And, rather than take the preventative measure of taking them to emergency themselves, they waited to call a parent–this is involving qu ite a bit of time –and a concussion was the resulting injury. So I am quite concerned that someone some - where is not following the codes very carefully, and, yes, I'll be happy to share the specifics.

But I think you have a policy issue here too. And that's my question. Is there a policy issue here that needs to be clarified? Ms. Irvin-Ross: I had shared the policy earlier with the member. I guess what we need to start with is evaluating the circumstance which you speak about and then look at a comparison with our policy to evaluate it. When we're making policy and standard changes, we have to move very cautiously and carefully and make sure that we're working always in the best interest of the child, and that the situation that's described isn't an anomaly.

And making–one of the other key things that need to happen within the department is ensuring that agencies and the providers of care for the children are familiar with what expectations regarding policies and standards and critical incidents. So we will –I will wait to get your information and we will review the file that you refer to. Mr. Wishart: Thank you very much, Madam Minister, and we will follow up with that particular case so it, as I said, has been resolved. I would also like to thank the minister for her indication earlier today that she will follow up with the family of Matias de Antoni o.

I am sure they will greatly appreciate the issue around the marker being resolved. But I did have a question related to that and it, too, is a bit of a policy issue. Has there been any changes in the protocols around transporting children while in the care of CFS, especially young children? Ms. Irvin -Ross: There has been reviews that have been completed, as the member is aware of. To date, there hasn't been any policy change around transportation of children. There's been education and references to what the standards are to ensure the safety of children. Mr. Wishart: Well, I certainly appreciate that.

Is there a process by which will lead to a change in recommendations and, in particular, the training of CPR when it comes to baby, very young children? Ms. Irvin-Ross: As we've stated earlier that people that are caring for our children that they need to have CPR and first aid. We continue to–whenever there is a critical incident we continue to review the circumstances and to evaluate our policies and m ake decisions on what we can do to improve the policies in which we operate to protect children.

That's an ongoing task that happens every day within our agencies and our authorities, and we'll continue to do that. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for th at. I think it would be very important and timely for those that are responsible for the transport of very young children while in the care of CFS to have–and perhaps it's already mandatory that they keep it current. But it's specialized training that relates to giving infants CPR and not always offered at every training facility, frankly, something that even many professionals are reluctant to undertake, but necessary in these cases.

And sure the minister is as concerned as I am when the transporting indiv idual, in this case, was unable to perform CPR and there was a public call for help in regards to that. So I think we can't really wait for a long approval process. Can the minister give me some assurance that this will move quickly? * (15:10) Ms. Irvin -Ross: I can assure the member opposite that we continue to work to improve our policies and our standards to ensure the safety of all children that are in our care. Mr.

Wishart: So recommendations in this regard will eventually work their way through the sy stem through the Children's Advocate. Will it be until then until any changes in policy take place? Is that the process?

1038 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 Ms. Irvin -Ross: As I said earlier, that we are constantly strengthening our system to improve better services for the children that ar e in our care and the families that welcome us into their home, and we will continue to do that. Mr. Wishart: Well, I thank the minister for that. It doesn't provide a really solid timeline, so we will continue to come back to this issue. I did want to t alk a little bit about the adoption process.

Now that we have a more open record-keeping, I wonder if the minister had any current numbers as to people that are–have asked for previous records, if that's–if there's any tracking of that done. Ms. Irvin -Ross: We do not have the exact number on us, to date, but I know that there has been a very – there's been a lot of interest in the opening up of our records pre -1999, and, as you are aware, we announced that June 15th will be the date.

I know that the staff w ithin the division of adoptions has been very, very busy preparing for this, the date of June 15th, 2015, and are willing and able and with open arms welcoming the adults that will come and seek the information they want to find out about their heritage an d where they're from and some of the information that we have. However, as you know, that if there is a veto that's applied to the file, that that information will not be shared at that time.

So we will take the number of people that are – that have –we haven't really started the registry but we do know that there have been a number of people, and I think you're familiar with them as well, who have been for a number of years advocating that we open up these records. And we know that because of the sensitivity of the information we're going to be able to provide them with the information they need. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that. And I realize that so far most of it is only indications of interest on behalf of individuals with records prior to 1999.

I guess where I'm headed, is there going to be some form of tracking here, number of requests, numbers of requests granted, nature of the request in terms to whether they're medical or nonmedical? I know you can't get too specific, so that we have some information about whether or not, you know, this has worked with the individuals involved. And we've also had an indication from, in particular, the Metis Federation that they had a backlog of several thousand in terms of people that wanted to trace their ancestry through the adoption process. Will they – will we be able to track what has happened to these? Ms.

Irvin -Ross: Regarding the Metis Federation, part of the changes that we made were to make sure that indigenous people could get their information as soon as possible so they could apply for their Metis card or their status card if that's the direction that they wanted to go. So that's going to continue to happen. We are always collecting information and data, and I don't know what the specifics are, but I do know that the folks that work within the adoption unit are extremely professional and committed to providing a quality of service to Manitobans.

I will–as long as we are getting the information around the number of people who've contacted us, we'll also get the specifics about what data will be collected. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that. I think it is very important that, because we're starting fresh here, that we do a thorough and a fulsome job of collecting what data requests come in and how we're able to deal with those. So I would certainly look for the minister's assurance in regards to that. Ms.

Irvin -Ross: I will gather the information that you've asked in your question and I will let you know as soon as I have that, hopefully by the end of this session–like this meeting today, not session. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that. I did want to step back a little bit to the earlier phases of the adoption process.

When someone in– comes to the department and indicates that they 're prepared to put a child up for adoption, what are the safeguards that the ministry must go through to make sure that both parents are agreeable to that and that the records are properly kept and the right distance in terms of whether there's a disclosu re or non- disclosure? What are the processes that are done to assure that that happens? Ms.

Irvin-Ross: It is spelled out clearly within our legislation and our regulations, and I do not have those in front of me right now, but I know that it is an expectation that both parties are informed of a adoption. But I do not want to put misinformation on the recor d, so I will wait to get the information as soon as possible and share it with you.

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1039 Mr. Wishart: Okay, if the answer's done. Thank you, Minister, for that, and I appreciate accurate information in regards to that. And I've had a look at this recently myself, and I believe the regulations state that for the father, he has 48 hours to respond, which given that most paternity tests, DNA, take five to seven days, seems like a bit of a problem. How would the minister view that? Ms. Irvin-Ross: Thank you very much for bringing that to my attention.

I have had conversations with the folks within the adoption branch, and I have not been informed of that, but I will certainly inquire about this specific question that you ask. Mr. Wishart: Well, I appreciate that and I appreciate the minister's intent to look into it. I think she'll find that most other provinces have a seven-to-10-day period, and we seem to be alone and–48 hours–and given the impossibility of getting a DNA paternity test back in that time does s eem impractical. So I'm looking for some assurance from the minister that she could bring back a report on that in the future. Ms.

Irvin-Ross: I'm not certain about a report, but I can bring back an answer for you, and we can– but thank you very much for r aising that and we will endeavour by the end of this conversation today to have an answer for you. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that, and I certainly look forward to any answer in that area because I do have casework in this area, as well, that I will bring to her attention regarding this and, hopefully, we can resolve that.

Look–turning to other areas, the minister had mentioned earlier–and I don't believe I was actually here that day, but I read it in the Hansard–the wage enhancement fund that is available to help with services in mental health delivery services. I wondered if the minister could provide me with a little more detail on how that will work. * (15:20) Ms. Irvin -Ross: Just for the member's information that, since 1999, we've increa sed the funding to adults with intellectual disabilities by 400 per cent.

We have been working with the agencies, as well, with the staff, in working with adults with intellectual disabilities and the support workers and have made improvements to their sal aries, but we also identified last spring and summer that we had a lot more work to do, and that's when we announced the $6 million over three years to increase wages for support workers.

And we believe that this new funding is going to help with the issue of retaining workers, especially in some of the smaller rural and northern communities as well as going to be able to sort of level the playing field, because I know that there are some larger agencies that are able to pay more or have made that decision to pay more, and they are slowly –folks are going to work at those agencies and the smaller agencies are really struggling.

So what we have done –and this is by memory, so if I'm wrong, I will be corrected–what we did is we established a committee, and on t hat committee included service providers; it also included department representation, and talked about how do we move forward, how do we move with that $6 million, because the commitment was that we were going to bring wages between 13 and 14 dollars an hour at the end of the three years. That was the commitment that we made, and so we sat with the service providers. I think there was also union representation 'ot' the–at the table.

And we came up with a process that –there's two phases to the process. Fir st of all was acquiring information from the agencies about what were they paying for staffing and how many staff did they have within their agencies, and then the second phase we had after we had decided that in–the first increase was in January, this January, and it was the minimum wage for residential-care worker was $12.50 an hour. After we did that, we then asked the service–or the agencies to apply, make application about where they would–if they are eligible for this and asked them to apply.

And that 's where we're in the process right now. We've received the applications. And I can probably get you some more current information. So, right now, it is the January 2015– that information will be paid retroactive to the agencies, if necessary. There were 3 2 out of the 75 agencies that applied in the first phase. So we believe that this will make somewhat of a difference. We know that we have a lot more work to do, and we're also very aware of the issue of compression of the salaries, and so there's ongoing conversations with the committee to address those issues. Mr.

Wishart: I thank the minister for that, and you said retroactive. Retroactive to when will we be looking at? Ms. Irvin -Ross: January 2015. If they haven't received approval –the application pro cess wasn't

1040 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 finalized in January of 2015, but they will be paid back retroactively when the money starts to flow. Mr. Wishart: Well, I thank the minister for that, and I am sure that will be very welcome. It has been a ongoing issue, especially in many rural areas. And just to make sure I understand, I know that payment is based on level of care of the patients in the process. Is there an evaluation of the level of care that they require that is ongoing, or is this done once and price set? Ms.

Irvin -Ross: I'm smiling because we're just in the process now of what we call SIS, which stands for Supports Intensity Scale, where we are completing our first 1,500. The first 1,500 will be done by July, I'm hoping by the beginning of July, and those assessments w ill be used to evaluate and set up scales for individuals on how much– depending on what their needs and what their abilities are–about how much support that they will require from us. Right now in our system there is lots of inequity. There are some peop le that are receiving more money than others and they may be of similar abilities.

So what we need to do is level that playing field, and so we're working with the Westman region and now across the province of doing these evaluations, and we will be in the next few years implementing a strategy that will be able to have some consistency about how we assess. And I think that also it will–the assessments will happen more frequently than what they have been recently. Because that is feedback that we've received, is that assessments happen at point A and abilities change. Sometimes it gets worse, sometimes it improves, and we need to evaluate. Just to put on the record really what is SIS.

SIS is a valid and reliable assessment tool specifically designed to measure the type and frequency and intensity of support an individual needs to participate in community life. The SIS measures support needs in the areas of home living, community living, life -long learning, employment, health, safety and social activities. It looks at how an individual protects and advocates for themselves and extra support needed to deal with exceptional medical and behavioural needs.

So we're really excited with the implementation of this tool and what it's going to be able to provide, and improve the services for some of Manitoba's most vulnerable people. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that. This is very consistent with some of the complaints that have come forward about inequities in the system and how sometimes individuals actually had to be moved before they got re-evaluated and placed at an appropriate scale. So I think that this is probably a step in the right direction. In terms of more frequent, is there a regular

schedule by which evaluations will be done in the future, because it–I'm not aware of one previously if one existed? Ms. Irvin -Ross: So they will. There will be more regular assessments that will be completed to, you know, evaluate where the resident or the client is. Today I can't tell you because I think for each client it's different depending on where they are in their life.

We can predict when we need to do more assessments and we'll –but I think what's going to happen with, or what I know is going to happen with SIS, is it's going to provide some continuity and also some consistency because it will be the same tool that continually gets applied. So there will be –I can assure you –there will be more regular assessments than what there is now in practice.

To tell you if they'll be every six months or every year , I don't think I–it would be fair for me to do that not only for the workforce in which we are working with, but also because of, you know, for some individuals they–their status may not change for a few years. But we will–that is part of the SIS.

We also need to make sure that when we're talking about SIS, because I know that there's nervousness in the community, that we're working with the agencies and that we have assured that no individual will get less than what they are today if they are in th e system, that what will happen is that when new intakes come in we will be applying the SIS and that will ensure that there is no disruption for people that have been involved for a number of years. * (15:30) Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that.

So it'll be–it–probably bottom line here, be based on need more than any regular schedule; if someone's at a point in their life where changes are occurring, then the assessment will be applied. And I think that might work, in particular, if someone else is there to flag the need for the reassessment. And certainly,

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1041 those that are working with the clients are probably in the best position to do that. Will rates under the wage enhancement fund , and you mentioned rural and northern areas, will they be the same sort of applied across the province or will there be regional differences? Ms. Irvin -Ross: There are no regional differences.

They'll–it–I think what happens, there are, as the member knows it, there are differences within regions based on agencies, and that's the agency themselves or their board of directors making those decisions and their ability to manage their budget in a way to offer higher wages. But there are no regional differences. What we've offered in January 2015 is $12.50 an hour. Why you see that there were only 32 agencies apply for this funding, you can make the assumption that the other number of agencies are already paying their starting wage at $12.50. Mr. Wishart: Well, and I thank the minister for that.

I guess that's probably a fair assumption. Certainly, if there was a high level of awareness, and there was certainly a lot of anticipation around this. In terms of the numbers of clients in this area, and the minister's made reference to they're some of the more vulnerable people that we are –that government is responsible for. Is the numbers increasing or decreasing in terms of the demand for services in this area? Ms. Irvin-Ross: Every year it's increasing. I can tell you right now that we are supporting approximately 5,904 adults with intellectual disabilities. They are living within the community.

And, for residential services, we are providing support to 3,902 adults. And so they could be in a residential setting, could be a family home, residential -care facility or supported independent living. And then we also have –what we provide is day services, and we have 3,592 adults that are participating in day services. And then we have provisions of support services to primary caregivers, which is most often family members, and that's about 1,300 adults that we provide service for. So there's a range of services that we provide, and every year we see that there are–the volume is increasing. Mr.

Wishart: I wondered if the minister would follow up a little more on the 1,300 that are assisted in the family placing. What type of supports are offered to those families? Ms. Irvin-Ross: It would be depending on what their needs are. It could be anything, such as if there was medical equipment that they required. It could also include respite workers that would provide them with some services. So it'd be a combination. And every individual is unique and every family is unique in what their needs are.

The goal within that program is to give the –an adequate–adequate support to the family so their loved one can remain within the community and within the home with their supports. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that. And I recognize, probably the most frequent we hear about are either medical or respite services. And knowing the history of places like Manitoba development centre and St.

Amant, where ther e is a longer term plan to put as many people back in the community as possible, do we have adequate places to put these in the community, whether they're either be in to individual family settings, group homes or individual settings? Are we –is that where –is there a limiting factor at that point? Ms. Irvin -Ross: When you're speaking specifically about MDC it really is working with the community groups and the service providers to provide adequate resources in the community that can be –can provide the structure, the physical needs–address the physical needs that they have.

We're confident that there will be a number of community -based agencies that will be able to welcome more MDC residents in this upcoming year because we've been able to work with them and to create the capital that we need in order to provide the support for the residents. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that. The minister knows I have a long- standing concern about the aging of these residents and, in particular, in some of the community facilities, group homes or whatever they are, and that generally increases the requirements for medical assistance.

If they get beyond the point of being able to stay in a –group home facilities, which in all reality are mostly modified private re sidences, what is the next step in the care continuum? Where would they go? Ms. Irvin-Ross: I think that has to be best answered by the professionals that make the assessments about what the options are. I know that for some individuals it’s a personal ca re home where they are provided services. But we also try and make all attempts to keep them in the community as much as possible with our home-care services that we provide as well. So it's a combination and I think that, again,

1042 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 every individual is unique and that has to be done in co-operation between Community Living as well as within the regional health authority of that area and coming up with a case plan that meets that individual's needs. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that, and you really led in to the next question here, because, yes, the next step is to involve the regional health authorities in trying to work out a long- term plan, if you want to put it there, and some of that is, of course, having home care come in. How is that assessmen t done?

Who in the regional health authorities is the interactor with these agencies? Who is responsible for them? Ms. Irvin-Ross: Well, I think that it varies, depends what regional health authority that you're working with, and I know that the departme nt staff that are working within Community Living across this province are experts of their own and are –have developed amazing relationships with the health facilities within their regions and are brokering those deals every day. So I can't tell you who so and so speaks to.

I can assure you that there are ongoing conversations around how do we best meet this adult's needs within the community and how do we work together. It's like any relationship though. You have to co -operate and sometimes there are issues that present themselves, but I know that the professionals are constantly looking what's in the best interests of the adult and will continue to do that. Mr.

Wishart: Thank you, Madam Minister, in regards to that, and, yes, I'm sure it does vary, not always clear to people that we talk to in the health - care industry itself, with regional health authorities, who is responsible to make this work. So I think, certainly, it's a bit of a discovery process in any particular region. I guess, if there's a need to do something and there's additional professional staff required like psychiatrists and psychologists, who's responsibility is it to make sure that those are available and that appropriate training is given to those in the regional health authority, for instance?

If someone was placed in a personal -care home, who would be responsible for that? * (15:40) Ms. Irvin -Ross: So, it depends on where the individual's living. In MDC, we have contracts with professionals that provide the services in the –for the residential care. In the community that is –that question is best asked to the regional health authority, so that question should be part of Health Estimates, I think.

We are constantly –there are–the one example that I can think of is, you know, for the individuals that are managing their own case plan and their ability to bring all of the stakeholders together to sit at the table and to come up with problem solving for their particular issues or needs, I have seen some amazing progress with that model and all of the service providers coming together.

We are constantly in conversation between Community Living, Health and, in some cases, with Child and Family Services as individuals are aging out of CFS and needing to go to community living as a model, so ca se conferencing is something that happens on a regular basis. There is an importance of making sure that we are training staff to support them as well as ensuring that the residents or the client or the community member has the necessary services. May I put the post -adoption information on the record now, please?

So, post -adoption, there's been 1,000 applications: 80 per cent of them are from adoptees and 20 per cent from birth parents. Mr. Wishart: Thank the minister for that, and I thank her for asking the question. That certainly indicates a pent -up level of interest, and perhaps we'll see even more as we approach the official kickoff deadline.

The reason I'm pushing–going back to the previous question about personal -care homes and those that a re aging out of care in terms of group homes, in our discussions with some of the personal- care homes–and we have a group in Portage that is looking to construct a new one, which is great, but one of their concerns is they are seeing some people aging out of group homes and coming into personal - care homes, and the nursing staff has expressed quite a lot of concern because they are not psychiatric nurses.

And they are, perhaps, fearful, I don't know; perhaps it's the lack of training or the fact that there really hasn't been a discussion regarding that and they feel kind of left out of the process. And I guess what we're looking for here is a path forward that includes everyone, and perhaps the minister would like to comment on that. Ms. Irvin -Ross: I agree with you that the level of service that –and the training that's happened over

May 25, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1043 MDC over the years–I don't know of another facility; maybe Selkirk is comparable in some ways. The professionalism that the psychiatric nurses have from that facility –and I, too, as a nurse know that the difference–as a –I'm a psychiatric nurse, so I know the difference between a psychiatric nurse and a registered nurse at the time when I was training, and there is a level of discomfort, sometimes, of working with individuals with mental health or intellectual disabilities.

So I have no issues at all of, you know, working with Health to provide them with the necessary supports and the training. I think that I would be very interested to hear from you–we don't need to do it in this forum–but around the individuals that you're talking about that are interested in the personal -care home in Portage la Prairie, I'd be very interested in what their ideas are and maybe how we could look at working together. Mr.

Wishart: Well, I appreciat e those comments from the minister, and I was not aware your nurse's training was in psychiatric nursing, so perhaps you have a greater appreciation of this particular problem. I hear from the individuals in the personal-care home who do not have that trai ning and, frankly, wish they did or they had someone on staff that does. But, of course, the hiring practice don't priorize that, so they don't seem to have that.

Now, I think I'm going to leave that alone in terms of we'll have a– perhaps a longer -term discussion and hopefully with something more concrete in terms of a proposal to the minister at some time in the future. Moving on into agency accountability, and I noted that there are –there is quite a substantial increase in the budget in terms of funding for reviewing the actions of agencies, these agencies that are contracting with the minister. And some of this, of course, is probably driven by the issue of children in hotels, but there are quite a lot of agencies that provide services to the department.

Will the level of oversight change for all of them or is this focused on perhaps those that are more front-line services in terms of the CFS side? Ms. Irvin-Ross: The increase that you see is through the not-for-profit strategy, the Red Tape Reduction . We transferred those staff from Housing into the accountability unit. That's why they're all supervised by the same person. That's why you saw the increase. Mr. Wishart: Okay. I'm not sure I understood that explanation. Perhaps the minister would have another go at it. From Housing to–from Housing they came over to Family Services? Ms. Irvin-Ross: That's correct.

Mr. Wishart: Their role in Family Services will be to provide what oversight? Ms. Irvin -Ross: The NPO strategy is one that we introduced a number of years ago. I think two–it must be three years ago we introduced it, and I was the Minister responsible at the time. I was in housing, community development, and so 35 agencies signed multi -year contracts. We created a single -point entry for them . We looked at addressing the issues of cost savings through sharing of resources such as accountants or legal fees or HR. And I was selfish and I really liked that program, and I liked what we were accomplishing.

And so I asked, when I was appointed to Family Services, if the NPO group or unit could come to Family Services, and that was granted. So that was partly –that's why you've seen the increase there. And the person who was supervising the NPO is now the supervisor of the executive director–I think is the correct title of the agency accountability unit –so it just –it made sense for everybody to be under one –under the same supervision. Mr. Wishart: I thank the minister for that explanation.

So, in terms of the agencies that you're providing this service to from that particular group, it would be housing, all aspects of family services. Does it have any role with CFS? * (15:50) Ms. Irvin -Ross: Are you referring to the agency accountability unit? Yes, agency accountability unit is throughout the Depart ment of Family Services, so–[interjection] No, no, it is specific to Family Services, the agency accountability unit –just responsible for family services and for the whole entire department.

So, whether it's Community Living, if there's a–if we need to do an evaluation in Community Living, they have been involved in those evaluations. They are involved if there's –you'll be familiar with some of the issues in Westman regarding budgets with some of the Community Living agencies. It was the–that unit–the agency accountability unit is the unit that wen t out and met

1044 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2015 with the executive directors and meets with the boards and talks about how do we–what can we do to better support you? If there's an issue within Family Services with a particular agency or a service provider, they, too, will come in and prov ide that service, so they are for the entire Department of Family Services. Mr. Wishart: Okay, thank you for that explanation. So, for example, there was an issue with the Northern Authority–and I know that there has been some changes there–were they in volved in evaluation of services in a situation like that? Ms.

Irvin -Ross: It's my understanding that the agency accountability unit was involved with reviews of all the authorities. What the agency accountability does is it has –it signs the agreements, the SPA agreements –service purchase agreements – with the authorities, and then the authorities are responsible to ensure that the agencies are following up with their responsibility. So we have ongoing relationships with the agency, so we are part of the agency accountability unit. Just–I think it would be easier if I put some information on the record about what they –what they're responsible for.

As you have mentioned, they are responsible for the NPO strategy, the ALL Aboard strategy, but then they also have responsibilities around–it

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	40-4-35
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	40th 4th hansardpdf 35.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	4f06e8a04a561845990444ac10af7a682a576cd1

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