Manitoba Hansard — 11 May 2015 (Sitting 28, 40th Legislature, 4th Session)

40-4-28

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. 28 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, May 11, 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

649 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, May 11, 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 20–The Architects Amendment Act Hon. Erna Braun (Minister of Labour and Immigration): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship (Mr. Nevakshonoff), that Bill 20, The Architects Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les architectes, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Ms. Braun: I am pleas ed to introduce Bill 20, The Architects Amendment Act. I want to recognize the Manitoba Association of Architects, who have joined us here today, and thank them personally for all their help and assistance and co -operation of their organization in putting forward this legislation. This bill re -establishes architects' scope of practice in the act by setting out detailed restrictions on who is authorized to perform architectural work for a given type of building.

For some buildings, only registered architects can perform this work, while for other buildings, professional engineers and/or the general public may do so. Since 2005, architects' scope of practice has been contained in the Manitoba Building Code regulations under The Buildings and Mobile Homes Act where it was placed in a–in – as a temporary measure. Over the last decade, both architects and engineers have advised us that these temporary provisions have been working well and resolve the issues that existed with the previous legislation.

Given this, it is proposed to move the scope- of-practice provisions back into The Architects Act, which is a more appropriate place for them to be located. In addition, a number of administrative improvements are being made to better allow the Manitoba Association of Architects to carry out its mandate. We have worked closely with the Manitoba Association of Architects in developing this– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. I think the minister, perhaps, would want to save some of those comments for debate on second reading of the bill.

Just–is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Any further introduction of bills? Bill 21–The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Amendment Act Hon. Erna Braun (Minister of Labour and Immigration): Mr. Speak er, I move, seconded by the Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship, that Bill 21, The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les ingénieurs et les géoscientifiques, now be read a first time. Motion presented. Ms. Braun: I am pleased to introduce Bill 21, The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Amendment Act. Again, I would like to recognize members of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba, who have put tireless ene rgy into their consultations and ideas for this bill. I'd like to thank them for being here today.

And this bill makes a number of changes to the act that will improve the ability of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba to issue specified scope-of-practice licences to individuals who do not meet the requirements for full membership but who are qualified to practise engineering or geosciences within a limited scope. The association has been consulted carefully in the development of this bill and both architects and engineers fully support it.

650 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 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. Rights of Manitoba Children Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Riding Mountain): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

And the background to this petition is as follows: The provincial government should uphold the rights of children set forth by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by Canada over 20 years ago, to better protect and promote children and their rights to ensure the voices of children are heard. Instead, many children in Manitoba, especially those in the child -welfare system, reveal they sometimes feel they have no say in what happens to them.

Under this provincial government, Manitoba's children and youth are falling behind on several indicators of well -being and in areas that would prepare them for better outcomes in life. This year, the provincial government's education system was ranked last of all Canadian provinces in science, reading and math. Under this provincial government, Manitoba has also–has the second highest percentage of children using food banks of all Canadian provinces and the highest child poverty rate.

We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows: To urge the provincial government and the minister of child –Children and Youth Opp ortunities to ensure that the rights of all Manitoba children are respected and that the opinions of children are taken into consideration when decisions that affect them are made. To urge the provincial government and the Minister of Children and Youth O pportunities to correct the tragic systemic flaws that have failed Manitoba children in the recent past. This petition's signed by P. Burns, K. Cuff, A. Hildebrandt and many more concerned 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? PTH 206 and Cedar Avenue in Oakbank–Pedestrian Safety Mr. Ron Schuler (St. Paul): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to 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 and 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 em ergency 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 a s 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 S. Plaza, R. Owens, H.

Penner and many, many other fine Manitobans. Thank you. * (13:40) 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:

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 651

(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.

(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 r ealized, and Manitobans are witnessing many emergency rooms 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 of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government and the Minister of Health to ensure that the Beausejour District Hospital and prima ry-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 K. Wilgosh, B. Frith, B. Grant and many, many more fine Manitobans. Mr. Speaker: Committee reports?

TABLING OF REPORTS Hon. Greg Dewar (Minister of Finance): I'm pleased to table the Supplementary Information for Legislative Review for the Department of Finance, 2015-2016 Departmental Expenditure Estimates. Mr. Speaker: Further tabling of reports? Hon. Kerri Irvin -Ross (Minister of Family Services): I'm pleased to table the Supple - mentary Information for Legislative Review for the Department of Manitoba Family Services, 2015-2016 Departmental Expenditure Estimates. Mr. Speaker: Any f urther tabling of reports? Ministerial statements? Introduction of Guests Mr. Speaker: Seeing none, we'll move on to guests.

I'd just like to draw the attention of honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us today the Hindu Society of Manitoba and the Nepali Cultural Society of Manitoba, who are the guests of the honourable member for Radisson (Mr. Jha). On b ehalf of all honourable members, we welcome you here this afternoon. And also seated in the public gallery we have with us from St. John's -Ravenscourt School 20 grade 9 students under the direction of Diane Brueton, and this group is located in the constituency of the honourable Minister of Education and Advanced Learning (Mr. Allum).

On behalf of honourable members, we welcome you here today. ORAL QUESTIONS Former NDP Political Staff Reasons for Leaving Positions Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Offi cial Opposition): Two thirds of a million dollars, Mr. Speaker, a considerable amount of money and a better example of NDP waste the Premier couldn't come up with the other day. Two thirds of a million dollars to pay former staffers to become present -day staffers in the province of Alberta, it seems. A simple question for the Premier: Were these staffers fired or did they want to leave? Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr.

Speaker, I gave the member an example last week of an expenditure of $4 million for a consultant from the United States to come here and make recommendations to lay off hundreds of nurses. That was a very concrete example of $4 million that was spent that wound up with less nurses in Manitoba. Today we're celebrating Nursing Week, Mr. Speaker, and we've had, since 2011, over 2,400 more nurses hired in Manitoba. That is a very, very significant increase in the number of people working in Manitoba. Mutual separation agreements were negotiated with the advice of lawyers and professional HR people, Mr.

Speaker, and that has been reported to the Legislature in terms of the amount of money that was put into those mutual separation agreements. Mr. Pallister: So we've got to find an anonymous lawyer to make the anonymous lawyer accountable for a decision to clean house. Is that the deal,

652 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 Mr. Speaker? It seems a strange way to represent accountability to Manitobans. Interestingly, these seven staffers have some - thing in common: none of them supported the Premier in the NDP leadership race. So would he tell the House: Was the reason that these people were fired and that they're now out of the province working somewhere else that they failed to support him in the NDP leadership race? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, mutual separation agreements have been negotiated.

I also indicated that there are examples of a very egregious amount of money that has been spent, such as $4 million for an American health consultant which resulted in hundreds of nurses losing their employment in Manitoba. If the member wants to talk and explain rationales for why staff have left staffs, perhaps he could explain why so many staff have left his office in the last year and a half. Mr. Pallister: HR is the hardest part of running any business. The Premier knows that, Mr. Speaker, that's for sure.

But not a dollar went to severance payments from the people of Manitoba as a result of any staffer leaving our employ. We're talking about something that happened in this millennium right now, and I'd encourage the Premier to get into this thousand years. Manitobans are asking and they deserve answers, and he's not giving answers. Now, what did he say? He said, quote, we believe–this he said before Christmas last year –we believe everybody should be able to exercise their civil rights as citizens to participate in an electoral leadership contest and they will be respected. So much for respect, Mr.

Speaker, so much for keeping promises. Would the Premier admit that these statements he made before Christmas last year were totally false and that he broke his word to these staffers? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, mutual separation agreements have been negotiated. All parties have signed off on them. And when he refers to this century, Mr. Speaker, the several staff members that have left the Leader of the Opposition's staff are all very recent, within the last couple of years. So if he wants to explain why personnel have left the Legislature, perhaps he could start with his own members. Mr.

Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question. NDP Leadership Race Pre-Election Comments Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): That is truly a pathetic and arrogant response. Zero tax dollars involved in those staffers he represents –of our party, yet three quarters –or two thirds, I'm sorry, of a million–maybe it's going to be more, I don't know–two thirds of a million dollars. I'm aski ng him to be accountable. He's dodging it, Mr. Speaker, and it's embarrassing, I think, for even his colleagues to see that. Now, the member for St. Boniface (Mr.

Selinger) before the leadership issued a statement saying that all government staff are free to volunteer for any leadership candidate. Now, Mr. Speaker, I emphasize that was the MLA for St. Boniface who did that. No premier would ever do that. No premier has ever done that. No premier would ever encourage staff disloyalty. That would be an admis sion of total dysfunction. So that statement was issued by the MLA for St. Boniface.

Will he admit that the statement he issued guaranteeing impunity for all staff to support members other than himself in a leadership race was a statement that was not iss ued by a premier at all? It was issued by an NDP leadership candidate. Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, the member asks a question about a statement that was put out in terms of the leadership contest. Those statements were put out to allow people to participate if they wished. If somebody leaves and they do it by a mutual separation agreement where all parties have signed off on it, that is another matter. And, Mr.

Speaker, the member himself has indicated very clearly that he has lost several staff members in the last while. I count six that have left his office during the term of his leadership. Mr. Pallister: People go on to better opportunities, and clearly the Premier has lost a number of people, but the problem isn't that they went on to new opportunities in Alberta. The problem is Manitobans paid them to leave. That's the problem here. Now, when the MLA for St. Boniface issued that statement guaranteeing impunity of his staff, which he then went back on later, NDP delegates were the only thing he really cared about.

They were key to

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 653 him, key to him hanging on to his job. He was desperate to appeal to them. And before the vote, he wanted to appear kind, considerate, thoughtful. After the razor -thin victory, he could return to his customary way of doing business, Mr. Speaker, and he could clean house. And the problem for Manitobans was that the promise he made assured people that they wouldn't have to leave the House.

Now, would he admit that this ridiculous, obscene departure tax of two thirds of a million dollars that he used taxpayers' money to pay to his former staffers was made necessary by him breaking the promise he made to those same staffers as the MLA for St. Boniface? * (13:50) Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, when somebody leaves the public service, there's a severance policy that attaches to that. That is a part of the normal proceedings that go 'ron' in the Legislature. When a mutual agreement is arrived at, that ensures that all parties have signed off on that agreement, and that is what has happened in this case.

NDP Political Staff Severance Packages Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): What passes for standard practice in the mind of that desperate member of the Legislature is not standard practice in any government elsewhere in our country, Mr. Speaker. First of all, let's recap. The MLA for St. Boniface makes a promise. No retribution, he says to staff, safe in your jobs, he says. And then, right after his leadership –successful leadership battle, six figures, two thirds of a million so far, and then last week, he goes into hiding. And now he says severance a normal part of government.

Well, under the NDP, it may be nor mal for people to leave Manitoba and go to look for work in Alberta, but there's nothing normal about ripping taxpayers off – working families, seniors –taking their money and then paying it to people to leave, nothing normal about that. Will the Premier admit that today, Mr. Speaker? Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): The member expresses a great deal of indignity about severance payments with respect to this Legislature.

At the federal level, the National Post has reported that in the federal Prime Minister's o ffice, $4.1 million in severance was paid out for departing political staff. I wonder if he's as indignant about that when it's in the order of seven times more than any severance that was paid out in this Legislature, Mr. Speaker. Government Election Promises Severance Package Costs Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): Mr.

Speaker, this whole mess, this whole mess that's going to cost Manitoba families nearly $700,000 at least, is because the Premier made a promise as a leadership candidate and then failed to keep that promise. Now, it's questionable whether any staff should've believed his promise, given his track record with promises, but nonetheless, they relied upon it. And as a result of this Premier breaking his promise, now Manitoba families are going to have to pay at least–and it could be more than–$670,000.

All we're asking for is this Premier to take some responsibility in this century, in this promise, and admit that his broken promise is costing Manitoba taxpayers more than $670,000, Mr. Speaker. Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, it's been very clear that a mutual agreement was arrived at with all parties that allowed for the severance to be paid out. There is –there are severance payments that are made when people leave government. The member full well knows that.

And if he wants to be indignant about these things, I ask him to make his comments on the $4.1 million that was paid out at the federal level. That seems to be completely okay with him. And on the other hand, he has a concern of what's happening here in Manitoba when mutual agreements are arrived at. Mr. Goertzen: Yes, I actually do have concerns about what's happening in Manitoba because this is the Manitoba Legislature, Mr. Speaker, and he's the Premier of Manitoba. The fa ct is these were extraordinary severance payments, and there's no doubt that they were negotiated.

They were probably negotiated right off the desk of the Premier's office. And the reason that they were extraordinary is because the Premier made a promise a nd then broke it. And had he not given them extraordinary severance pay, he would've ended up, probably, in court, and he needed them to go away and go away quietly. Won't he admit that the reason he had to pay extraordinary severance pay going- away packages is because he made a promise and broke it and he

654 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 needed these staff members to go away quietly and not end up with this in court, Mr. Speaker? Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation): Well, first of all, Mr. Speaker, let's put on the record that severance pay, when people leave employment, is a standard practice. It is standard in terms of legislation. In fact, every member of the Legislature is eligible for severance pay. So let's start with that point. The second point is e ven Stephen Harper has provided severance pay to departing political staff: $4.1 million.

In Alberta, prior to the election, Mr. Speaker, more than $2 million was paid in terms of severance pay. There may be some further changes in Alberta with the election that took place last week. So for members opposite to suggest that there's something unusual about paying severance pay when people depart positions, I suggest to the member opposite, I know he's a lawyer by background, but he might want to check legal precedents in this country, because it's standard practice. Mr. Goertzen: And I thought that member was running to be premier of Manitoba, not the prime minister of Canada.

And he would have been no more successful at that than he was at the recent leadership, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that at the end of the last session, the end of the last day, this Premier (Mr. Selinger) had a choice. He decided to scurry out the side door and avoid the media. That was not transparent. In fact, media had to run down the hall and try to catch him so he could answer some questions about a very important thing in Manitoba in this Manitoba Legislature. So today he's going to have another chance.

He can choose to be transparent and go out that door and actually talk to the media, or he can go out that door and try to run and hide again from his responsibility as the Premier of Manitoba. I want to ask him: Which door is he going to choose today, the one that leads to some trans - parency or the one that leads to him running down the hall and hiding from media again? Mr. Ashton : Mr. Speaker, there's one thing that's unique about the parliamentary system, and that is that the First Minister and ministers stand in this House and are transparent and accountable every single day we're in session.

And to the Leader of the Opposition, the MLA for St. Boniface is the Premier of this province and I do believe that members opposite should respect that. And I'd add, Mr. Speaker, that before the member opposite continues to rant and rave, I point out again that severance pay is standard w hen one leaves employment. In fact, the day that member leaves as member of the Legislature, he'll be receiving severance pay. So members opposite should perhaps huff and puff a little less and focus in on the real issues facing this province. Manitoba Affordability Saskatchewan Comparison Mr.

Cameron Friesen (Morden -Winkler): Mr. Speaker, it's clear that they are a long, long way from standard practice when they talk about $700,000 of taxpayer money to severance payments. Mr. Speaker, in this province t he Canadian Federation of Independent Business is issuing a note entitled Manitoba's affordability myth debunked in which they state that a two -income Manitoba family of five pays $3,200 more in taxes and utilities than the same family living in Saskatchew an. And they state that Manitoba has lost its competitive edge because of high income taxes and high provincial taxes.

In fact, they say that the affordability gap with Saskatchewan is getting wider. Mr. Speaker, will the Finance Minister just admit that under his NDP government, hard-working Manitoba families are just paying more? Hon. Greg Dewar (Minister of Finance): I just want to remind the member and all members of this House that our economy is posed to outperform Saskatchewan both in 2015, Mr. Spe aker, and 2016. We are one of the strongest economies in Canada. We're creating jobs, and those people are paid more. In fact, four out of five new jobs created in the private sector.

I want to remind the member that if he was to look into the–our budget document and compare it to the one that was put out by the province of Saskatchewan, you would see, Mr. Speaker, that Manitoba does very, very well when it comes to affordability in this country. Mr. Friesen: Mr. Speaker, we are looking exactly at those comparisons in the budget, and it's very clear that the family –Manitoba families have to pay their

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 655 whole tax bill, not just the particular measures that this government picks on. Mr. S peaker, according to StatsCan, a two-parent family in Manitoba has the second lowest after-tax income in all of Canada. Now, the Finance Minister doesn't seem to recognize the struggles of hard-working Manitoba families to make ends meet. Imagine what Mani toba families could do with the money if they weren't having to pay for this government's high -tax, high- deficit, high -debt environment. Mr.

Speaker, will the Finance Minister just admit that he's not focused on Manitobans and creating the conditions in w hich families can pay their bills and raise their kids? Mr. Dewar: Mr. Speaker, again, as I tell the member opposite, I'll explain it again that Manitoba is a much more affordable place to live than Saskatchewan. I want to talk–refer him to page C38 of The Manitoba Advantage: single parent, one child, $30,000 income, here in Manitoba your cost of living is $13,134; province of Saskatchewan, $15,667. When you look at affordability, you just don't look at taxes, you look at the whole package.

As I said, you could go to the Saskatchewan budget and they'll confirm my numbers. Mr. Friesen: Last weekend, I spoke with Scott. Scott's an accountant. He's frustrated with the high- tax and high-spend policies of this NDP government. Scott and his wife have two kids; one lives in BC, one lives in Brandon and studies at BU. He told me he has a new retirement plan. He's going to move to Moosomin, Saskatchewan; he's going to quit paying more, pocket the tax savings and use the money to pay for trips to visit his kids. * (14:00) And, Mr.

Speaker, I'm not content to hear stories like Scott's and hear about a –hard-working families who are contemplating moving to Saskatchewan for affordability reasons. What does this Finance Minister have to say to Scott and his family about his family having to pay $3,200 more each year just to live here and pay his tax bill? Mr. Dewar : Again, Manitoba is one of the most affordable places to live in the country, and the member referenced the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Th ey've called upon the government of Saskatchewan to do what this government has done, Mr.

Speaker, and that is to eliminate the small -business tax. And not only did we eliminate it here in Manitoba, we've also taken another 2,000 businesses off the payroll. I think Manitoba –or Saskatchewan would look to us for an example to how to lead the province in affordability, Mr. Speaker. Funding for Education Severance Package Costs Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Mr. Speaker, this NDP government has spent $670,000 on seven NDP staffers. At the same time, Manitoba students, under this minister, ranked the worst in Canada in reading, math and science.

Will the present Minister of Education admit that the $670,000 paid in severance would be better spent on providing essential resources to our students? Hon. James Allum (Minister of Education and Advanced Learning): I thank the member across the way for the question. You know, since we've been in government, we've invested in our education system in any number of w ays. We have smaller class sizes now from kindergarten to grade 3 so that we can create that important one -on-one time between a teacher and a student. We are also focusing on improving fundamental skills in math and English and science.

We're providing supports for parents, and we're creating skill- building opportunities for our young people so they can go on and get a good job after their academic career is finished. You know, Mr. Speaker, if the member really wants to improve the educational quality in Manitoba, he should vote for the budget. Mr. Ewasko: On March 27, 2015, the previous minister of Education, the member from Gimli, stated there is no cap on special needs funding.

As a teacher myself, who had worked within student services for many, many years, the reality is that our number of students requiring special needs resourcing has gone up. Will the Minister of Education admit that the – this NDP government's wasteful $670,000 paid in severance to NDP staff would be better spent on providing esse ntial resources to our special needs students, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Allum: You know, special needs are a very important part of our schools. Every kid–every child

656 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 deserves our support and, of course, we give it to them, Mr. Speaker, that's for sure. The member, however, is quite misinformed, Mr. Speaker. There are no caps. There have been no cuts on special education funding. We continue to invest in that very important program in our schools and will continue to do so into the future. Mr. Ewasko: T he rankings show that under this minister, Manitoba students are last in Canada in reading, science and math.

Special needs funding has been capped, but according to the old minister of Education it hasn't, but in reality it has. Mr. Speaker, t his NDP gove rnment feels that $670,000 severance is a well -spent Band- Aid to a wound it has created itself. Will the minister admit that his NDP govern - ment's wasteful spending of $670,000 in severance would have been better spent on our most precious assets, Mr. Speaker, our students? Mr. Allum: Well, our students are our most precious assets, Mr. Speaker. That's why we've continued to invest at the rate of economic growth every year since we were first elected in 1999.

As I said, we've focused on small class sizes. We've hired more teachers. We've renovated science labs. We built more gyms. We've built 35 more schools across the province. In every conceivable way, this government has been there for students and their families. On the opposite side of the House, they have one plan and one plan only, and that's to cut a half a billion dollars from the budget and send our –make classes bigger, fire teachers and leave our education system in tatters. Mr. Speaker, I quite prefer our approach to education.

Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry Recommendations Social Worker Education Requirements Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Speaker, recently the Minister of Family Services, in defence of her department's placement of children in hotels, referenced her department's profes sionalism, and we certainly want to recognize the staff for their professionalism in increasingly difficult situations.

The minister, on the other hand, failed to implement the recommendations from the Phoenix Sinclair inquiry that states that, at a minim um, a bachelor of social work or equivalent degree recognized by the Manitoba College of Social Workers be hired by the department of agency –and agencies to deliver services under the act. Despite openly supporting the recommendations, the minister changed all of her department's job descriptions to avoid complying with the act. Exactly how is this 'perforting' –supporting, rather, the professionalism for social workers? Hon. Kerri Irvin -Ross (Minister of Family Services): Mr.

Speaker, we know the vital role that social workers play with –throughout many systems in our society, whether it's health care, education, family services or the justice system. We have been working since 2009 with many partners to implement the social work professional act, and we were extremely pleased when we were able to proclaim the entire act last spring, and on April 1st we were able to fully implement that act. We continue to work with all of our partners. We respect Commissioner Hughes' recom - mendations.

We respect the wor kforce in Family Services that work every day to ensure the safety of Manitoba children. Mr. Wishart: Well, Mr. Speaker, since 2010, this government has had three different untendered contracts totalling $67,000 with new NDP party president Ovide Mercredi to consult on draft regulations and bylaws to move The Social Work Profession Act forward. Despite all this work and expense, it appears that the minister wants to ignore Judge Hughes' recommendations to bring professionalism standards up in this public service. Why is this minister acting on –acting against – sorry.

Why is this minister against acting on this very clear recommendation from the Phoenix Sinclair inquiry? Ms. Irvin -Ross: Mr. Speaker, we received 62 recommendations from Commissioner Hughes. We have been able to make progress on 23 of them, and we continue to work on the further implemen - tation of all the rest of the recommendations, I am very proud to say. We have been in contact with Commissioner Hughes; we have discussed The Social Work Profession Act.

We are working together to ensure that we are able to have a workforce across this province in the rural and the northern areas that are able to support families, ensure that they have the supports they need to support their children and

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 657 continue to grow and flourish. We will work with all partners as we implement this act. Mr. Wishart: Well, that's little progress 10 years after the incident. In case of my–sorry. In response to my colleague from River East's question the other day, the minister stated very proudly, we've hired 500 more social workers. By the minister's own admission, these are no longer social workers. The minister can designate her staff as she sees fit, but by taking away the recognition of these professionals, she hardly s eems to respect her own staff.

The minister is avoiding the Phoenix Sinclair recommendations. Is she, too, avoiding her obligation to make children in her care safer? Ms. Irvin-Ross: Mr. Speaker, I, like every member in this House, we take our responsibilities very, very seriously, and we want the best for all Manitoba children no matter where they live. So we will continue to make those important investments to this budget that support families with affordable housing, good child care, prenatal benefits for mothers. We will continue to do that. Mr. Speaker, I have the utmost respect for Commissioner Hughes.

I speak with him on a regular basis as we work towards implementing his 62 recommendations. He recognizes the chal - lenges that we face in the rural and the northern areas around hiring professionals to work within the system. We are working with the authorities and with the agencies to ensure that we have a strong workforce that can meet the needs of all Manitoba families. Manufacturing Industry Saskatchewan Comparison Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, since January 2008 the increase in manufacturing output in Manitoba has been 3 per cent. Compare this with Saskatchewan's 49 per cent increase.

One has to scratch their head at what today's NDP must be doing wrong for Manitoba to struggle while Saskatchewan's manufacturing sector has done so well. The Premier has an excuse a day for the issues of Manitoba. * (14:10) Can the Premier tell us what today's excuse is for why he let Manitoba's manufacturing fare so poorly as to fall behind Saskatchewan's? And I table these. Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): The member from River Heights' question asks to compare Manitoba's performance versus Saskatchewan. The forecast shows the following, Mr.

Speaker, that the Manitoba economy will outperform the Saskatchewan economy in both this year and next year. It show s that Manitoba has –had the best job creation record over the last 12 months, the best in Canada. It shows that Manitoba has seen wage increases, leading the country, of over $40 a week and $2,000 a year. It shows that Manitoba has had very significant population increase, a net increase of over 16,000 people, leading the nation on a per capita basis. Mr. Speaker, the Manitoba economy is performing very well.

Our manufacturing sector is the largest in western Canada and shows a very significant increase in exports in the forecast budget this year. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, the Premier should stop trying to be a fortune teller and stick to the facts. Mr. Premier–Mr. Speaker, the Premier should know that what was in his budget fell far short of an adequate economic strategy to address the needs of Manitoba's manufacturing sector to be competitive with Saskatchewan. Today's NDP started in 1999 with Manitoba far ahead of Saskatchewan, but now Saskatchewan has caught up, has passed Manitoba and is continuing to gain.

Why has the Premier been asleep at the switch when it comes to ensuring Manitoba's manufacturing sector is successfully competitive? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, manufacturing in Manitoba is the largest manufacturing sector in western Canada. It has done very well. It's–it went up 9 per cent just over the last month. We have the–for example, we have the largest intercity bus manufacturing company in North America. New Flyer Industries produces and manufactures 40 per cent of all the buses in North America. They have leading -edge technology on hybrid buses.

They brought out one of the first electric buses in Canada. We have Price Industries, which is expanding in Manitoba as well as the rest of North America. Motor Coach is expanding. Our aerospace sector has continued to expand, and moving into the field of composites, and we have other announcements that will be forthcoming about new jobs being created in Manitoba.

658 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 Best job creation record, best economic growth forecast, one of the top performing ec onomies in the country over the last 10 years, in the top three: Any time you can have a record like that looking backwards and a forecast like that looking forward, you know the Manitoba economy is doing well. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, the Premier's clai ms of economic improvements are also not reflected in Manitoba's export numbers compared to Saskatchewan, and more exports means more jobs. I table this data.

In February 2013 the Premier travelled to India, saying he was going to improve trade between Manitoba and India, and yet the information I table today shows that Saskatchewan has a whopping 12 times larger export of goods to India than Manitoba. Under today's NDP, Manitoba is falling drastically short of Saskatchewan in all exports and in particular exports to India. Can the Premier explain why he is steering business in this province backwards while Saskatchewan moves forward? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, in the end of 2014 Manitoba's manufacturing sector ended on a high note.

It sold $1.37 billion of goods in December. That was a 6 per–6.2 per cent increase. The manufacturing sector of Manitoba sells all over the world. It sells farm equipment all over the world. It sells value-added food products all over the world. And I can tell you, whe n I was in countries like India and China, our food security system, our value-added food products in Manitoba are considered among the finest in the world, and that technology is being adopted in those countries in a very significant way. So the reality is every province has its own markets where it sells products.

Manitoba's manu- facturing sector does well throughout the world, particularly in areas where it has a competitive advantage, such as farm equipment manufacturing, such as value- added food products, such as services in the area of hydro development, Mr. Speaker. We make a real difference around the world, and our manufacturing sector will continue to do that with one of the strongest economies in the country, with one of the best job creation records in the country, with an increase in wages– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable First Minister's time on this question has expired.

Nursing Professions Manitoba Numbers Mr. Ted Marcelino (Tyndall Park): Mr. Speaker, on this–I'll say that ag ain. On this side of the House we recognize the importance of nurses to our health- care system. When I was a patient at the St. Boniface hospital, my interaction was more with the nurses than with the doctors. And more nurses at the bedside means better an d faster care for patients when they need it. We have made real progress since the 1990s when the Conservatives fired 1,000 nurses. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Health please update the House on today's good news about nurses in– Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. Hon. Sharon Blady (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the member for the question. He and I and other members on this side of the House know the value of nurses to Manitobans. They're the folks that are there wh en families need them most. And during National Nursing Week, I would like to acknowledge and thank the province's thousands of dedicated nurses for the care that they provide.

And I'm proud to say that our –the investments that this side of the House has made in training, recruitment and retention of nurses means there are more nurses working and training in our province than ever before, which is good for patients, good for nurses and good for our health- care system. The newly released statistics from Manitoba's independent nursing colleges indicate that the number of nurses has reached an all -time high of 17,806 nurses, a net gain of 3,714 since 1999. And, again, in our commitment in 2011 to hire 2,000 new nurses, well, it turns out we've exceeded that– Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

The honourable minister's time on this question has expired. Illegal Moose Hunting Aerial Night Surveillance Mr. Shannon Martin (Morris): Mr. Speaker, this winter, conservation officers discovered the remains of 15 moose that'd been killed from provincial trunk highways and within protected wildlife corridors in

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 659 the region. I had previously brought the issue of big- game crisis in the province of Manitoba to the NDP and, not surprisingly, they've treated the situation as a joke. Mr. Speaker, I'm tabling pictures of the remains of one female and her two fetuses. Aerial night surveillance is very helpful in identifying illegal night hunting. Can the minister advise how many flights occurred in 2014? Hon. Thomas Nevakshon off (Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship): I thank the member for the question.

Our natural resources are of great importance to all Manitobans, urban and rural combined, in particular the big -game species, such as the woodland caribou; such a s our moose; the elk in the Interlake, a unique subspecies, I might add, Mr. Speaker, manitobensis, a very rare species unique only to Manitoba; and, of course, our white -tailed deer. All of them experience pressures. Extreme winters, for example, have reduced our white -tail population by almost a third a couple of years ago.

So management, good manageme nt techniques, are critical to the survival of these species, something that we take near and dear to– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has expired. Mr. Martin: Since the minister is unable or unwilling to tell the House, I can tell them. The answer is zero. Mr. Speaker, the NDP can find $670,000 for political payouts stemming from their family feud. But, quote, aerial surveillance was not undertaken in 2014, e nd quote, according to the director of the Wildlife Branch, due to a lack of resources.

Can the minister explain to Manitobans how we can find $670,000 for political payouts but not a single dollar to deal with illegal night hunting activity? Mr. Nevakshonoff: You know, all departments are under financial stress–sorry –all departments are under financial strain.

And I'm a little surprised that the member opposite, former member of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, an organization so keen on austerity, on governments managing their finances in a fiscally responsible way, should take such umbrage when departments such as the one that I represent have to look carefully at the resources that they have. * (14:20) So we will do our utmost in focusing on this issue, and we will ensure that our wild game population survive so that future generations can benefit from them as well. Thank you. Conservation Department Funding Reduction Mr.

Shannon Martin (Morris): The Manitoba

chapter of the Safari Cl ub International donated– donated, Mr. Speaker –a very expensive mechanical moose decoy to the department more than a year ago. The decoy was used twice in 2014–twice. Conservation officers advised that the NDP budget reductions, 10 per cent in conservation alone since the last election, is the reason. Can the minister explain why the wildlife associations and Manitobans are paying more but in– getting less results from this NDP government? Hon. Thomas Nevakshonoff (Minister of Conservation and Water Stewar dship): Well, Mr. Speaker, once again I thank the member for the question.

In terms of spending on resources, if you look at the record of members opposite, what they invested in parks in the last five years that they were in office, less than $10 millio n compared to the 60-plus million dollars that we've invested in the last–and our commitment to $100 million over the period going forward. And just as a matter of a case in point, the announcement that I made last week, a correction I want to put on the record.

I said it was a $7 -million investment in the regional forest centre in Lac du Bonnet; actually it was a $9.3 -million investment, something that will go to serve to protect our natural resources for all people in our parks, our cottagers, everybody that– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. OR Services (Altona) Hours of Operation Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Health why the Altona OR is closed.

660 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 Hon. Sharon Blady (Minister of Health): I'd like to thank the member for the question. I can assure the members opposite that we are in fact investing in rural health care. In fact, I was pleased to be joining the Premier (Mr. Selinger) today where –as we turn ed the sod for the Notre Dame de Lourdes health -care facility, and it is nice to see the community out there. I can assure members opposite that we are making investments in rural Manitoba and partnering with all of our partners in the rural health regional authorities.

It's these kinds of investments that are being made, and I can assure members opposite that, unlike them, we will not fire nurses, we will not freeze health-care capital projects, we will not introduce user fees, we will not privatize hom e care and we will not cut the number of medical school spaces that are available or– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. Mr. Graydon: Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health confirm that the Altona operating office is closed–operating procedure is closed in Altona?

Can she confirm that today to this House and give us a reason why? Ms. Blady: Again, I'd like to thank the member for the question. Again, I'm happy to see that the number –the increased number of nurses we have in the province, and especially like to thank all of the OR nurses for the work that they do throughout the province. And so, again, thank the member for the question and like to thank nurses for all the hard work they do in our province. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The time for oral questions has expired. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Mr. Speaker: It is now time for members' statements. Earthquake in Nepal Mr.

Bidhu Jha (Ra disson): I'd like to ask for the leave of the House to attach a letter from the Hindu Society regarding the fundraiser for the Nepal disaster. Mr. Speaker: Is there leave of the House to attach the letter that the honourable member for Radisson has referenced? [Agreed] Mr. Jha: Today I share the devastating story of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the village of Barpak, the Gorkha district of Nepal, on April 25th. This earthquake has affected hundreds of thousands of people. Over 7,600 people have died either in the earthquake or aftershocks that have followed.

Many more have been injured and lost their lives. Many people are now in urgent need of food, shelter and medical supplies. Today I would like to express the grief and sympathy for the Nepalese c ommunity of Winnipeg, Manitoba, some of whom are sitting in the gallery along with the members of the Indo- Canadian community. We are all equally saddened by this tragic event. Given the vast amount of recovery work that must take place now, I'm happy to see that so many are offering assistance, Mr. Speaker.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries is currently collecting donations for the red –Canadian Red Cross Nepal Region Earthquake Fund. They will be matching all customers' and employee donations up to a maximum of $50,000, and I'd also like to thank our Premier, for $200,000 that our government has been donating to the –for the immediate humanitarian assistance. The Nepal cultural society is working hard to collect donations for the relief effort.

The Nepali Cultural Society has been –preserved Nepali culture here in Manitoba, and the Hindu Society of Manitoba is having a fundraiser at the Hindu Temple on Saturday, May the 30th. Details are attached herewith. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask all the members here–join me in recognizing the work of the Nepali Cultural Society and the Hindu Society of Manitoba. Nepal is a beautiful country that has a tourist heaven; thousands are homeless now. We wish for a swift recovery in Nepal. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker: Before I recognize the honourable member for Charleswood (Mrs.

Driedger), I want to ask our guests in the galleries to understand that no photography is permitted, and I'm asking for your co-operation.

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 661 National Nursing Week Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, it is with great honour that I rise before the Manitoba Legislative Assembly today to recognize National Nursing Week this May 11th to 17th. Florence Nightingale's birthday was May 12th, and the week is an opportunity to reflec t on the value of the work nurses do every day in hospitals, clinics, workplaces and social agencies.

National Nursing Week provides us with an opportunity to celebrate nurses for their provision of patient-centered care and their dedication to ensuring the health and wellness of individuals, families and communities. Nurses are an integral part of our health -care system here in Manitoba and are truly there for patients every step of the way, as this year's theme so accurately captures. I am proud and honoured that I was part of that for 23 years as a registered nurse.

Through countless hours day and night, nurses form truly special relationships with the patients they care for and work hard to get to the heart of a person's struggle and journey to recovery. Our nurses in Manitoba provide care diligently, all the while unfortunately facing obstacles and challenges in the front lines of health care. Earlier this year we learned that Manitoba has the longest ER waits in Canada, and today we hear that the Altona operating room is closed due to a nursing shortage. Mr. Speaker, our nurses come to work every day committed to providing the best possible care to their patients.

It is not fair for them or their patients that this NDP government has failed to find the solutions to fix this problem as well as many other problems. Not only does it affect patients, it affects the nursing staff that are there trying so hard to do their jobs. Mr. Speaker, the PC caucus recognizes the essential role of nurses and acknowledges the contributions and leadership nurses make in our communities and for our families, for our patients, every minute and every day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ms. Nancy All an (St. Vital): Mr.

Speaker, nurses are some of the hardest working individuals in the health-care field. They provide quality care at the bedside so many of our loved ones during some of our most challenging times –some of our most challenging times. Nu rses work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, QuickCare clinics and in many other environments. Their work touches so many lives in our families and our communities. Today marks the start of national nurses week. It's a time to recognize and celebrate the crucial work that nurses do every day. In St. Vital, we have an amazing QuickCare clinic on Dakota Street.

Like other QuickCare clinics in Manitoba, it is staffed by registered nurses and nurse practitioners who assess patients' needs and provide t he best possible remedy. This clinic is an indispensable resource for community members, and it is entirely due to its staff. The nurses are skilled, efficient and attentive. They help families get the care that they need in the easiest way possible. * (14:30) Our government has worked diligently to grow our nursing workforce to where it is today. As a result, there are over 3,700 more nurses working in Manitoba today than there were 15 years ago.

We are continuing to build on that growth by hiring more nurses, training more nurses, and we're taking new steps to make sure nurses are happier and safer in their workplace. Having nurse practitioners working in our province also greatly increases our ability to provide quality care. Our practitioners fulfill a unique role in our system, and their ability to identify illnesses and prescribe certain medication is helping families all across this province. I'd like to thank the nurses of St.

Vital and nurses all over Manitoba who work so hard to make sure that we get the care that we need, and the care that we need closer to home. Thank you. United Way of Winnipeg 50th Anniversary Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): Part of what makes our province so special is the willingness of Manitobans to volunteer their tim e and money to make their communities stronger. One organization that has been leading the way in Manitoba has been the United Way of Winnipeg, and I rise today to congratulate them on their 50th anniversary.

Fifty years ago today, the United Way of Winnipeg was formed through a partnership between the Winnipeg Labour Council and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. In its first year of operation, the United Way raised $2.8 million in support of

662 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 50 agencies. This past year, the United Way raised a record-breaking $20.1 million in support of 126 agencies. These agencies provide a variety of programs that last year saw over 291,000 participants. These programs include after-school programs that last year provided over 90,000 children and youth a safe place to go. Almost 40,000 seniors are assisted by programs and services that deliver meals, companionship and recreation that help them remain independent.

As well, over 3,000 Winnipeggers receive job readiness training and employment counselling through progra ms the United Way supports. All these programs would not be possible without the contributions of volunteers. Over 5,000 people volunteer with the United Way and the amount of hours they put in is simply staggering. Last year the number reached 50,000 -plus community-volunteer hours. The commitment these volunteers have to making their community stronger is an inspiration for all of us. The contributions the United Way has made in our community over the past 50 years are immeasurable.

I think I speak for all Winnipeggers when I–and all Manitobans when I say that we are all very appreciative of the work they have done and continue to do. Congratulations again on 50–on the 50th anni - versary to the United Way, and best wishes on the next 50 years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Statement of Friendship Ms. Amanda Lathlin (The Pas): Last month something very special happened in my constituency.

The student councils from Oscar Lathlin Collegiate representing the youth of Opaskwayak Cree Nation and the student counci l from Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute representing the youth of the town of The Pas came together to sign a statement of friendship. I was honoured to be invited by Dion Sanderson, OLC student council president, to witness the event. This historic accord was also signed by OCN’s junior chief in council, which is a much- needed first step to building new relationships between OCN and the town of The Pas.

It's also an excellent example of how to bring different communities closer together and of how young people can lead the way. As signatories of the statement, the students have set important goals for themselves and our communities. These include fostering sustained communication, building stronger and more positive relationships between the two co mmunities, pro- moting cultu ral awareness and understanding, eradicating negative stereotyping, promoting student leadership and empowering youth to take positive action.

As a symbol of the communities coming together, the two student councils met in the m iddle of the Chief Cornelius Bignell b ridge so that they could take a photo on the bridge that connects OCN and The Pas. Young people are our future, and it's inspiring to see them take action and work towards a better tomorrow. And it's not just up to t hem, but w e all need members of both communities to recognize the similarities that bring us together and respect the differences that make our society diverse.

A huge thank you to the students of Oscar Lathlin Collegiate, of Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute and the OCN junior chief in council. Y ou are helping us all build a better future. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: That concludes members' statements. ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS BUDGET DEBATE (Seventh Day of Debate) Mr. Speaker: We'll now proceed to orders of the day, government business. And to resume the adjourned debate on the proposed motion of the honourable Minister of Finance (Mr.

Dewar), and the amendment thereto, standing in the name of the honourable member for La Verendrye, who has 28 minutes remaining. Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye): I believe I left off the other day in welcoming the new member from The Pas here. I wish her the best in her new career. There are a number of MLAs who have announced that they won't be seeking re -election in the next election. I would like to thank them for all their years of service that they've done for the people of Manitoba. It's an important job and I'd like to thank them for everything that they have done.

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 663 But I do wonder how many more ND P MLAs will be calling it quits. After all, it's got to be tough to work with a group that doesn't trust each other. I mean, this is very clear when you read some of the quotes made by the NDP MLAs during the leadership rate–race. These divisions will not be fixed easily. I believe there are a number of NDP MLAs across that are tired of their own broken promises and have had enough and are looking to pull the pin because they just can't handle any more of it themselves. Mr.

Speaker, in Budget 2015–it's not a budget to help Manitobans. It is one that was crafted to try to get the NDP re-elected. It does not have the interests of Manitobans in mind, only the self -centred interests of the NDP and wanting to stay in power. I have done a lot of travelling acro ss this great province of Manitoba in the last year listening to many concerned Manitobans. Mr. Speaker, Manitobans are tired of the same NDP broken promises. They want a change for the better. They are tired of paying more and getting less. This is the seventh consecutive deficit budget delivered by this NDP.

Budget 2015 projects a deficit of $422 million, up from the $357 million projected last year which –we know that they –this is going to be higher than what they did. This will bring the Province's to tal debt to $36 billion, or $30,000 for every man, woman and child in this province, and who knows if that $422-million number is right? The NDP's forecasting has not been very accurate, and according to the Minister of Finance (Mr. Dewar), budget numbers are arbitrary. That is not what I want to see my children, grandchildren and their children saddled with.

They are our future, and they should not have to pay for this NDP's mismanagement today. In 2011, the NDP's platform was a five-year plan to bring the budget back to balance by 2014. In 2012, the Finance Minister committed that in this budget we are on track –we are on track –to balance this budget by 2014. Suddenly, in 2014, it all changed when the Minister of Finance announced we are on track to retur n to balance in 2016- 2017. Now, in Budget 2015, it seems they have no clue as to when or how they will balance the budget.

The Minister of Finance says –now says we've decided that rather than meet this arbitrary target the budget will remain in deficit until 2018. Since when are budgets arbitrary? Mr. Speaker, Budget 2015 demonstrates that the NDP is a government that Manitobans can't trust. This government's inability to reduce waste and balance the budget is one of the reasons why the NDP can't be truste d. Missing their target of balancing the budget as many times as they have shows that they don't have the ability to balance the budget or they are being careless with their truth to Manitobans.

I would like to remind all the members opposite that it was them who went door to door, told Manitobans that they would balance the budget by 2014. They were the same ones that went door to door and promised no tax increases in election 2011. We all know what a lie that turned out to be. Nonsense, said the Premier (Mr. Selinger). We won't raise the taxes. Right after promising not to raise the taxes, what does the Premier do? Saddles Manitobans with some of the highest tax increases in decades. Why should Manitobans trust this NDP government? * (14:40) Mr.

Speaker, Budget 2015 is projecting a deficit of $422 million. But that is not the only bad news. With all the increases in fees and taxes in Budget 2015, and raining–raiding the rainy day fund, that is close to $1 billion that this NDP government is overspending. This government does not have a revenue problem. They have a spending problem that is out of control. Mr. Speaker, last year, the NDP spent $872 million to service the province's debt. That's more money than was spent on infrastructure, housing and conservation combined.

Just think all the good that could be done with $872 million extra in health care or education. Servicing the province's debt is Manitoba's fourth largest department. Just think what would happen should interest rates go up one, two or three points. And this is going to happen. Could servicing the provincial debt get to be Manitoba's largest department? When will the NDP governmen t wake up and start listening to experts?

Last year, Moody's reviewed Manitoba's fiscal position and concluded that a loss of fiscal discipline leading to a continued and sustained increase in debt and debt service ratios beyond projections could exert dow nward pressure on the rating if nothing happens. It is only a matter of time until Manitoba's credit rating begins to fall.

664 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 This budget shows no fiscal discipline. This target is one that does not have Manitobans' best interests in mind, only that of the NDP and their self-centred interest in themselves and getting re-elected, no matter the cost. No wonder Greg Selinger retained the title of least popular premier in Canada–oh–the Premier (Mr. Selinger) retained the least popular premier in Canada. It to ok Manitoba 137 years to accumulate $18.1 billion of debt, but it only took the Premier eight years to double that to $36 billion. How can Manitobans trust the NDP with their future?

The NDP have lost all credibility with Manitobans. The ballooning debt in Manitoba is threatening the ability of government to deliver front -line services. And, as a result, Manitobans are paying more and getting less. Small business is important to Manitoba's economy. Over the last number of years, I have talked to a lot of small businesses. They all feel that this NDP government is nickel -and-diming them to death.

In the budgets that have been brought forward since I've been an MLA, not one of them have been small business friendly, adding PST to insurance, increases in the tax on gas, increases to all kinds of fees and then increasing the PST from 7 to 8, which is actually a 14 per cent increase. This government tries to justifying itself by saying they have lowered the tax on small business. Mr. Speaker, it doesn't matte r what the tax is on the end when all the other taxes and fees on small businesses keep taking every penny of profit they make and there's no profit left at the end to pay the tax.

You can have a zero rate or whatever you want, there's still nothing to pay because it's been stoled during–before they have a chance to pay any tax. We've travelled to all parts of this province and have met with hundreds of groups, organizations and individual Manitobans. We've had some great discussions on areas that Manitoba ns feel are important to Manitoba. One thing that was loud and clear was that they are tired of all the NDP broken promises. Manitobans feel that honesty, integrity and transparency are important in government. They feel the NDP government is lacking these qualities. Mr.

Speaker, Manitobans are concerned about the state of our health-care system, education system, family services and justice. These are all areas that Manitobans have been paying more in taxes and fees and getting less services. Health care, Mr. Speaker –when the NDP were elected 16 years ago, they promised to eliminate hallway medicine. Well, hallway medicine is still alive and getting worse. We have hallway medicine, highway medicine and now parking lot medicine, where paramedics are waiting in ambulances outside ERs to unload patients.

These wait times have increased from 66 minutes in 2011 to 78 minutes in 2014. Time is very critical in emergencies; even that extra 12 minutes could make the difference between life and death. In Manitoba , we have 20 rural ERs that are currently closed or operating under reduced services. The ER in my town has been closed since October 2012, and that's a long time, Mr. Speaker. What was going to be a temporary closure lasting only a few weeks has lasted more than two and a half years and three Health ministers. According to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's own official, we failed on ER fixes.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Manitoba consistently has the worst ER wait times in the country. In 2000, the NDP budgeted $2.35 million for health care; in Budget 2015 a little more than $6 billion for health care, and yet Manitobans aren't reaping the benefits of the extra spending. Again, spend more, get less. Manitobans have the worst access to after -hours, primary -physician care in Canada. The Premier and his revolving door of health ministers have broken their promise to ensure that every Manitoban would have access to a family doctor by 2015.

The Premier stated that all Manitobans should have access to health care no matter where they live–another broken promise. According to the Canadian institute for health -care information, Manitoba has one of the lowest doctor retention rates in Canada. In the last five years 640 licensed doctors left Manitoba for other jurisdictions. Since the NDP took power, 2,300 doctors have left Manitoba to practise in other areas. Mr.

Speaker, the bottom line is the NDP have had 15 years to address the shortage of family doctors, 15 years to end hallw ay medicine, 15 years to make changes for the better, but all we hear is how hard they're working while our health- care system is deteriorating and Manitoba is losing ground to other provinces. They should let someone else work hard and fix the problem so we can have something better in Manitoba. Education–we all know how important education is for the future of our youth. It is also important to

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 665 the future of this province. We need highly educated workers to fill the jobs needed for the future. Unfortunately, under this NDP government, Manitoba's quality of education is falling behind other provinces. The 2013 Pan-Canadian Assessment Program–which measures the performance of grade 8 students in math, science and reading–ranked Manitoba last amongst all Can adian provinces in science, reading and math. Ms.

Jennifer Howard, Acting Speaker, in the Chair In 2012, the Program for International Student Assessment released this past year places Manitoba second lowest in reading and science scores in Canada. In addition to being some of the lowest in Canada, Manitoba's scores in reading, math and science have–fell lower than in previous years. Manitoba's PISA scores in reading have declined while the Canadian average has gone up. Manitoba students are now reading below the international average while Canadian student is well above the international average.

Every time these negative results are brought forward to the minister we get the same answer, that they're working hard to fix the situation. But it seems the harder the minister works, the worse it gets. While we are talking about the future of our youth, let's take a look at Family Services. The number of children in care continues to rise in Manitoba at an alarming rate with close to 11,000 kids currently i n care. Manitoba holds a number of other Canadian records this government can take credit for. In 2012, Manitoba had the highest child -poverty rate of all the provinces.

In 2014, Manitoba had the second highest rate of children using food banks, and Manitoba has witnessed the highest increase in food bank usage in Canada between 2008 and 2013, double the national average. There are kinds of mismanagement examples all over the place. * (14:50) Time and time again the Premier (Mr. Selinger) and the Finance 'miniter' keep saying Manitoba has the fastest growing economy when they're looking for a positive spin. But, when they're looking–but when you ask a question about their wasteful spending, they blame the world recession for the falling oil prices.

But w ait, did the Conference Board of Canada not say that Manitoba would be one of the provinces that would benefit by the falling oil prices? Lower oil prices would help our manufacturing sector. Has Captain Asphalt calculated how much money Manitoba will save with falling oil prices or is the NDP government locked into last year's oil prices? Manitoba's roads and bridges need a lot of repair, but who is at fault for that? The NDP's mismanagement is to blame. Where was their road maintenance program over the l ast 15 years? Why did they wait so long to do repairs?

Since 2009, the NDP have underspent by $2.2 billion on capital and infrastructure. Mr. Speaker–sorry, Deputy Speaker, my apologies. The only thing that is important to this government is a photo op . That's why they can't –can keep reannouncing the same project over and over again. During the member from Burrows' rant the other day, she mentioned more than once, and I quote, because there is a difference in philosophy.

Well, Madam Deputy Speaker, I agree there is a difference, but I would ask her if her philosophy that made her – if it was her philosophy that made her go door to door in the election of 2011 and promise no tax increases, then break that promise. Was it her philosophy that, shortly after she made that promise, the NDP introduced some of the highest tax increases in decades? Was it her philosophy that agreed to increase the PST without a referendum? No wonder Manitobans feel that this NDP government has no integrity, no credibility, and wi ll say anything to get elected.

If the NDP are looking for ways to put more money into front -line services, they should quit fighting amongst each other. This last battle royal they had to see who would be the leader is going to cost Manitobans close to $700,000 in bonus bucks – again, money that could go into front -line services. Why should Manitobans be paying for the NDP and their fighting? They could eliminate the vote tax – more money for front-line services. The list goes on. No matter how hard I look at this budget, I cannot find a reason to vote for it. This budget is not made for Manitobans; it is made for the NDP.

It is a vote-buying budget and it will hurt Manitobans. A deficit today is a tax tomorrow. This NDP budget and their reckless spending will hurt front -line services. I will not be supporting this budget but will be supporting the amendment brought forward by the Leader of the Opposition, the member from Fort Whyte, and I look forward to April 2016. Thank you.

666 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 Mr. Dave Gaudreau (St. Norbert): I'm very proud to be standing here today to talk about this budget –a budget that's not about cutting; a budget that's about investing and building. And I reject the Leader of the Opposition's motion that we're going to be goi ng down the road of cuts. In other jurisdictions right now across the country, we see that deep cuts are going on to education, health care, infrastructure. Happily, though, the experts said that Manitoba are –is bucking the trend.

We are there for the people and we are continuing to protect for the future of Manitoba. Investments like the floodway and the new $9.3 million regional fire operations centre in Lac du Bonnet that's going to enhance our first response – protection for firefighters, for all of ou r lovely parks and all the cabin owners in the Whiteshell and Nopiming provincial parks. Now, across the way, we hear the Conservatives talk a big game about balancing, but let's look at their record. When they were in, they used up the fiscal stabilization fund. That was the surplus that was left to them.

Then they sold off MTS to create another Fiscal Stabilization Fund, but they burned through that before they finally got voted out. They tied up MTS workers' pensions in court for almost 20 years before a judge finally ruled that they could have them back. Is that how their vision of Manitoba is? To mistreat employees and take their pensions? We see their priorities loud and clear: sell off assets, 'puniss' the–punish the pensions of workers. All we have to do is look at other provinces and we see teachers that are being fired or laid off, just like the Leader of the Opposition did when he was in charge.

Seven hundred teachers were fired. He put on record he would do this if he had his hands on the whe el again–big cuts, over $600 million worth of cuts. Look at the Conservative government that's in Newfoundland right now, and Labrador. They are paying higher taxes and fees, and despite those measures, the government there is still projecting a $1.1-billion deficit for this year, and plans to return to surplus in about five years. And yet the Conservatives here complain about our plan which is actually a lot less than that.

The Conservatives also would cut the public workforce, and they're shrinking it by 1,400 in Newfoundland and Labrador. Is that what their plan would be, more cuts, more people being fired and laid off? Well, what else would they do? How about the harmonized sales tax in Newfoundland and Labrador? They jumped it by 2 per cent. And, because it's an HST, it actually encompasses way more than what a PST does. So it's more like having a 3 per cent jump in the PST. How about New Brunswick; let's look at New Brunswick.

They have higher rates on fuel, taxes, gasoline, diesel, and they're elim inating 249 teacher positions and increasing premiums for the seniors who use the prescription drug program. Is that the kind of change that the members opposite are talking about bringing to Manitoba? I sure hope not, because we won't allow that to happen, on our side of the House. How about the former Conservatives–luckily not anymore–in Alberta –how about their budget? Madam Speaker, $1.5 billion in hikes and new levies that outlined a new tax model. Fuel taxes went up and they also did the escalating ba sis for health-care costs.

They charge you for your health-care card with a cap of about $1,000 a year per family. So those families who are making minimum wage had to pay $1,000 a year for their health- care card. Now, you'll hear them say they won't raise taxes. You're right, they'll do what all Conservatives do: backdoor fees and levies on those people who can least afford them, like a levy on health- care cards when you cannot afford to have it. The Province says that the average Alberta family with two working parents makes a combined $120,000, will pay an estimated $288 more this year and $480 more next year in tax.

In 2015- 16 the budget tabled, with all the tax increases virtually across the board, and it's still going to run a $5-billion deficit. And yet they don't think that that's a bad thing in Alberta. But in Manitoba we decided to do it a different way and we're running a much smaller deficit and we're investing in services and not cutting, and all they can do is complain. Now, we invest here in Manitoba at the rate of inflation or greater.

In fact, we've hired over 200 more teachers to commit to our lower class sizes for K -to-3 initiative, something the Leader of the Opposition says he would cut–he would cut–with his $600-million across-the-board cuts. My constituents have told me they want new schools and expansions of daycares. Underneath the opposition they would get neither. In fact, they would see higher class sizes due to all the schools being closed, just like the last

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 667 time the Leader of the Opposition was in power. He likes to say that past performance dictates future; that is what he did, those are his words, and that's what he would do again. On May 8th, in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Brian – sorry, the Leader of the Opposition sang the federal government's 'praijes' –praises, applauding the government's ability to balance the budget. He said, this is the budget that they should do here in Manitoba. He applauded a budget that raids people's unemployment insurance to balance the books.

Really? That's what he applauded. A backdoor tax, once again, fees and levies that were not meant for that, that's what they would do. They raided unemployment. They made it harder for people to collect unemployment and then they raided that fund which is supposed to be an unemployment insurance for those people who need it the most. They literally took from the poor and gave it to the rich with a tax break for the richest 15 per cent in Canada.

That's what the Leader of the Opposition called for in this budget. * (15:00) The Leader of the Opposition also applauded the fact that the federal government underinvested in young people. They underspent $97 million on the disabled, literacy and youth unemployment –the largest lapse of spending in the five years since the 2008 economic meltdown. So you would see the Leader of the Opposition's approach during his budget. He would abandon the people who needs the most to save a buck or two during tough times. Not us; invest.

The biggest shortfall, $30 million, was for the Youth Employment Strategy or about 17 per cent of that budget for the year. This total underspending comes at a time when Canada's youth jobless rate is 13 per cent. This is what the Leader of the Opposition touted as a good budget, allowing youth to have 13 per cent unemployment and not investing money that was set aside to help those very youth obtain skills and jobs. Not us; we have invested in the youth and we're investing in jobs and we're investing in skilled trades. Shame on them for even suggesting so.

The Leader of the Opposition said he would balance the books. How would he do it? He would balance it on the backs of our grandchildren. Much like the Finance minister federally said, Joe Oliver said he would balance it on Harper's grandchildren; they can worry about it. This budget –this is the budget speech that the Leader of the Opposition applauded, in his own words. That's exactly what he said, that he thinks that that's a budget Manitoba needs to put the costs onto the–our grandchildren. How about the fact that the federal Conservatives underspent $1.1 billion on the budget for veterans?

This hurts the very men and women in need when they have PTSD from returning from missions abroad. The Leader of the Opposition said he would glad–he applauds that and he would gladly make those cuts, too. That is unbelievable. This budget also saw the RCMP not deliver $2 million for the National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre last year. This is exactly how the Leader of the Opposition would balance the books here in Manitoba, by putting our children and policing at risk–his words.

On May 8th, the CBC reported there was a water security expert, Bob Sandford, who says climate change will have dire conseq uences on Manitoba's infrastructure and consequently its economy unless something changes. You see, there are larger changes to the hydraulic cycle causing more frequent flooding, greater storms, greater infrastructure damage. We are in –of the view that th is could have serious economic consequences for the province, so in our meeting today we're talking about how to deal with those matters. Well, what would the Leader of the Opposition do?

He would cut the funding needed to fund flood mitigation and flood preparations like we've done in Brandon, like we're doing with the outlet for the lakes. That would all be cut underneath him because you know what? In his words, he would balance on the backs of our grandchildren. It doesn't matter; we'll save a buck now . We're going to cut right now and our grandchildren will pay for that when this economy is under water. And you can't have a good economy when the province is under water.

Without action, Sandford said, that some development in Manitoba will be reversed, and he said you might want to–you–we now realize that you might want to enjoy it, what we have in the future, we are going to have to rethink how we manage these events, which means we're going to have to rethink how we plan for it now, how we design and how we finance and how we think about sustainability of infrastructure in the future.

668 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 So would the Leader of the Opposition invest in that? No, he would cut $600 million across the board just to pay –just to balance the books right now. Let our children and grandchildren worry about it. He wouldn't–wouldn't matter to him. He would cut right across the board. He would abandon these municipalities just like he did in the flood of 1997. When Grand Forks and Fargo were burning, he quit his post as EMO minister and ran away and left as an MLA in this Legislature. The day he quit, Grand Forks and Fargo were literally under water and on fire.

His reckless cuts of $600 million would surely see cuts to flood protection. He will say, oh, no, I won't cut that and I won't cut that and I won't cut that. Well, then what will he cut? Let's hear his plan for cuts. He hasn't laid them out. He just says he's the government for everybody. He will cut here and he will cut there, but he's –he doesn't have an actual plan; $600 million across the board is going to be something that we notice somewhere, whether it's in infrastructure, education or health care. Well, not us.

We're investing in record rates and partnering with municipalities to fix infrastructure, to build and add flood protection. We are building now for future generations, because we care about our children and our grandchildren. It will only become more expensive in the future to build; we all know that. The cost of everything goes up–costs of construction–so we are investing now. You know what else that means? That means more jobs now, more retail activity, more homes purchased, higher incomes.

Investments in infrastructure and commitment to the front line has aided Manitoba to be ranked one of the top three provincial economies in Canada. Our projected growth is 2.5 per cent above the Canadian average. The Conference Board and the Royal Bank have touted Manitoba as one of the strongest economies. Nonetheless, the media and the opposition will continue to fixate on deficits without putting any sort of context to it at all, and context does change the whole story. Debt figures don't mean anything unless they're measured next to GDP, the amount of cost to service the debt.

And Manitoba's debt ratio is projecte d to be 30.9 per cent or fourth best in Canada of all the non-oil-producing provinces in the country. Yes, the ratio is higher than it was before the great depression–or recession, sorry –but that number is still one of the healthiest in the developed wor ld. Debt servicing costs are far lower now at 5.6 per cent of every dollar of revenue than they were underneath the Leader of the Opposition when they were 13.2 cents on every dollar of revenue.

He seems to conveniently forget that fact that our economy ha s more than doubled underneath our government and our debt-to-GDP ratio has actually dropped. Not only are we in fine economic shape, but historically low interest rates make it a good time to borrow and invest in the future. If you look at David Dodge, who was the former bank of governor –head of the Bank of Canada, sorry –recommends that the government borrow now and invest on infrastructure to stimulate the economy. That's what we're doing.

In fact, deterring the costs of unrepaired infrastructure and co nstruction makes it even lower when you figure in the factor that everything goes up in the future because higher pouring costs and higher cost to do the job. Now, I know all these reports and science and statistics are like pixie dust and fairy tales to the members opposite. But those are the facts. The facts are that my constituents will be better off with better roads so they don't have to replace their shocks and struts as often and their front -end damage doesn't need to be looked after.

The facts are that with the recent announcement in infrastructure spending our commutes may be a little bit shorter and maybe we can spend a little more time at home with our families. The facts are that flood protections like we did when we doubled the floodway to one-in-hundred-seven-year floods, people saved thousands in not having to make flood claims. I know it's not important to the opposition. They're worried about cutting corporate tax rates or allowing financial industries to take more money offshore.

But, for the rest of us normal folks, we need this protection and we need this help and that's what our government is doing. We're delivering protection and help to those who need it the most. The spinoff argument for increased infra - structure spending is sound. The proof is that we enjoy the second lowest unemployment rate in the country right now, and we're well below the national average. Regardless of the type of project, it's simply the best way for governments to inspire economic activity.

For the opposition to say otherwise is absolutely ridiculous because their federal counter - parts said –and they're trying to do the same thing, but they're spending less across the entire country in

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 669 their infrastructure plan that starts next year than we are in our plan. The difference is the federal government is not investing the amount of GDP that all the experts are saying it should into infrastructure in Canada. In Manitoba we're investing like never before, record amounts of infrastructure being invested in.

All these things are an example of people living in Manitoba can know our government is here for them and that we're committed to jobs, committed to building the economy, committed to front -line services and all the things that we've come to know and expect in Mani toba. It's not just a given. Underneath the Leader of the Opposition and his reckless cuts that he calls for, all of these things would disappear. Unemployment rate was 10 per cent underneath them in the end of their term when they–before we took office. It is now just over 5 per cent, almost half.

Cutting front -line services would only hurt the people that need it the most, but instead we are building on those front -line serv ices and moving forward in Manitoba and taking advantage of low interest rates to finance projects like a new school in South Pointe and to finance projects like the new ACCESS centre in south Winnipeg. Now, the doom-and-gloom party over there, they say everything, that it's all bad all the time and that things are terrible. Well, our unemployment rate is 5, just over 5 per cent, a full 2 points less than the national average, which their federal cousins manage.

So it's obviously not that bad here. I'm saying things weren't always as good as they are now with all the cuts underneath the Leader of the Opposition, when classrooms were crowded, daycares were frozen and capped, schools had lack of funding, teachers were being fired, nurses were being fired, ORs had fruit flies in them –that was what happened underneath the Leader of the Opposition. He proposed–they proposed to close the Grace Hospital, and we saved it.

We have more nurses and more doctors practising in Manitoba than ever before. * (15:10) Now, the Leader of the Opposition likes to talk about past performance. Well, let's talk about past performance when he was part of the government that made health -care cuts or the–when he was a minister and then they sold off MTS. Unemployment was higher, nurses were laid off; that's his past performance.

He likes to say that it's the best way to dictate future performance. [interjection] Well, that's–exactly his words coming right out of his mouth that his future performance would be higher unemployment, less nurses, less doctors, less teachers, higher class sizes, because that's what his past performance showed us. A hundred and thirty per cent rocketing–sky-rocketing tuition rates. That's what he did. That's what happened underneath him and his government. Past performance dictates future–his words. He also said something interesting: We all need– know we need to invest in core infrastructure.

It's interesting because when he was in power they spent less on infrastructure than they took in on the gas tax, and they doubled the gas tax and then they raked in that revenue and they didn't even spend that amount fully on the roads. Not us; we're spending more on the roads than we take in in gas tax. We're investing, and those investments are going to create 58,900 jobs. So, in his own words, the Leader of the Opposition admits that he would take in gas tax and spend less on the roads. He would spend more on core infrastructure than he did in the past? No, because his past actions didn't actually prove that.

I'm very happy that he pointed this out because he admits in his own words that his reckless cuts are going to come back. Those are his own words. He is going to bring back the failed policies and the reckless cuts. I'm personally glad that we're moving forward. Do you know why we're having to invest in rapid transit? Because Winnipeg is growing. We're a growing province; more people are coming here. Not like when they were in power and people were fleeing the province because the doctors and the nurses and the teachers being fired. People were leaving. The economy here was terrible, 10 per cent unemployment.

We didn't need to build rapid transit because there was nobody here to use it. They were leaving in droves. Well, now we're seeing a growing city, growi ng population. And we're helping–with that population, we're helping build the rapid transit system that is helping people out. Now, I've been out in the community and around the province, and I hear two things, that health care and infrastructure are ver y important to people. But the Leader of the Opposition wants to ignore both with his plan and his amendment to this budget to cut $600 million out of this budget. He wants the rich

670 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 people to be able to jump the line. We just saw this recently in Saskatchewan where they said now you can start to pay for your MRI. So the people who are rich can jump ahead and the people who are poor will have to wait longer for health care. That's what he would like, two- tier health care. He'd like to see the home care privatized, just like they tried to do when they were last in government. They tried to privatize home care. We are ensuring that we hire and train more medical professionals. We've added more doctors' seats at the universities.

We're hiring more nurses; we're training more nurses. We're investing in our youth, in their education–60 per cent tax credit for their tuition rates. What did they do? They cut bursaries and raised tuition when they were in government. They would take the short -sighted austerity measures and cut deeply into spots, driving people away from the province yet again. Our government has made it a priority to look after Manitobans and to do things for the people of Manitoba. Families in St. Norbert benefit from taking another step forwa rd and expanding high- quality, affordable–or child -care spaces.

The new South Pointe school that I was recently at the announce - ment for will employ hundreds of people during the construction and operation, and it will have a 114-seat child -care facility f or those people in my area who need child care. They're not asking for cuts. They're not asking for the $600 million of reckless cuts across the board by the opposition. They're asking for more child care; they're asking for smaller class sizes; and they'r e asking for a school in their area. And we are delivering that.

The lower class-size initiative is about providing a positive learning environment for students, and that's what we are doing. We're not ramming 30 and 40 students in like when the Leader of the Opposition was in power. We're not putting that many students in a classroom. We're creating a better learning environment for them. The Leader of the Opposition wanted to talk about past performance. Well, we all know that Hydro is in his sights.

He wants to stop the development of Hydro dead in its tracks, he said, which would make it flounder and ripe for the sell – the sale of Manitoba Hydro, just like they did with MTS, where they underfunded it, let it struggle and then sold it off. And all of the ir buddies made big bucks on that transition, and we went from the third lowest rates to the third highest rates in this country. Now, the reason I became an MLA is because I wanted to do good things for my family, not to slash and burn the budget. I want ed to make sure that my families have access to a doctor.

In my area, I see signs everywhere saying that –there's two or three clinics right now accepting new patients. Well, those clinics weren't there underneath them. Those clinics wouldn't exist underneath them, because there's more doctors now. We have an ACCESS centre that's being built in our area. Well, that wouldn't exist underneath them because they would cut that. We have a new CancerCare wing on Victoria hospital which wouldn't exist underneath them. Those are the things that the people of my area have asked for and we're delivering. The new school, we are delivering. More child care, we are delivering.

They would only deliver reckless cuts across the board all in the name of balancing. Over and over you'll hear from them again and again that it's just about balance. Well, just hope you don't get sick. You better hope your kids don't want to go to university because you won't have to– you won't be able to pay for it; you'll have to remortgage your home to help them pay for university underneath them and their 130 per cent tuition increases. Pay more for hydro? Sure, they could afford it. The rich people who have seven- car garages, they can afford to pay more for hydro.

We look after the people who need our help and need to pay the lowest hydro rates in this country. That's what we do. How about cuts to safety? You know what the Leader of the Opposition and their party stand for? They stand for self- policing of companies. You know what we did? We increased inspections. We've increased safety officers and we've increased safety in all the companies across Manitoba. They think companies should self-police. That's what they think.

And last year they had the audacity to march in the walk, and they did i t again this year on –and yet they voted against and held up a bill that was designed to protect workers on the road, and they think that they're the champions of the people? They would cut funding so deeply that we'd all have to drive in horse and buggy because there would be no roads to drive on. That's their past record. That's their past performance. We've refused to cut health care like that. Everybody should have dignity.

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 671 Now we see the CFIB saying that, oh, it's a little more–it's more expensive here. But they don't take in everything into account. They don't take in the basket. I was talking to the MLA from Flin Flon this morning, and he said I was free to use his example. He lives very close to the border of Saskatchewan, and the people come to him and they say, well, I don't get paid mileage to go get treatment; I don't get paid for my cancer -care drugs, how come you do? Because when he had to undergo treatment, it didn't cost him a thing.

He got help from our government to undergo treatment and he beat cancer, and you know what? They have to take that into account when you live in Saskatchewan because people do get sick. People need help, and that's why our government is governing the way we do. It's not about cuts. It's not about the bottom line. It's about helping people and ensuring that they have the things they need in life to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle and to have the health care that they need. I refuse to believe that my kids and your children and all the future generations of children c an't go to university because it's too expensive.

That's why we fund universities and have a 60 per cent tuition rebate. We've refused to sell Hydro and we refuse to have it at market rates. The Conservatives cry about the rates when they go up, but we're still the lowest in Canada and they still go–and they go up by less than the rate of inflation if you look at it. Has anything else remained less than the rate of inflation in Canada? Cars, houses? I think not.

They're just – they like to cry about it, but w e know what they would do when they get their hands on it because the Leader of the Opposition has said it: past performance dictates his future, and he would sell off Manitoba Hydro and our rates would go from the lowest to among the highest in Canada. In closing, it seems that I have to agree with the Leader of the Opposition on something.

He says that his past performance would dictate his future actions, and if he had a chance he would sell off Hydro, slash and cut recklessly for health care and education, hurting families, children and workers across this province. Manitobans have put their trust in us because we have a decent minimum wage, great child care, affordable education, free cancer -care drugs, low unemployment and a strong economy, all this while looking after front -line services. Our path is about services that Manitobans need and want. We look after the people of Manitoba, not just the bottom line.

Thank you very much. * (15:20) House Business Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Official Opposition Hous e Leader): Madam Acting Speaker, on House business. The Acting Speaker (Jennifer Howard): On House business. Mr. Goertzen : I'm reasonably optimistic that Estimates will start fairly soon, and in accordance with recent tradition, I'm asking for leave of t he House that when the Estimates do begin that those Estimates that are held in the Chamber, that we allow for a table and for the staff of the opposition to join those critics who are doing their Estimates in this Chamber, Mr. Speaker–Madam Speaker.

The Acting Speaker ( Jennifer Howard): Does the honourable member have leave that when Estimates begins in the Chamber they can have staff join the opposition critic for Estimates? [Agreed] * * * Mr. Stuart Briese (Agassiz): I'm pleased to rise to put a few r emarks on the record on the budget and the amendment to the budget. First, I would like to welcome everybody back that keeps this Chamber running. It's certainly a necessary chore; we need these people that work in here every day. It's what keeps this place working. I want to welcome the new member from The Pas.

I hope she enjoys her–I hope probably a lengthy stay in here, but we'll see how things go. I know she's just came through one election and has to go back into another one next spring, so she's goi ng to be election tested very quickly. But I do welcome you here. There's a number–and I won't go through the list, but there are a number, including myself, that have decided not to run in the next election and– [interjection] In my case, it's too late –and decided not to run in the next election and I wish them well.

There is, I'm sure –I'm convinced myself that there's life beyond politics and I'm quite sure there will be and I look forward to actually getting to spend a little bit more time at home, and so I wish all the ones that are leaving this place well. I'll say right off the bat that I will not be voting in favour of this budget. I can't, in all fairness, vote on a budget that is raising taxes once again. We're seeing $121 million, I think was the figure I saw, on

672 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 user fees and licence fees and things li ke that, that are–have gone up. You know, that just added another $100 per capita to every man, woman and child in this province, on top of the last two budgets which actually added probably $400 or more to every man, woman and child in this province. We see these taxes continue to escalate. We hear the NDP pick out a small little basket and say, oh, here's our competitive advantage.

Well, just this morning, I was looking at some figures from Canadian Federation of Independent Business and they talked about the advantages of tax systems in various provinces and a family of five making $75,000 in Saskatchewan would have $3,285 more in their pockets after taxes and utilities alone. And, in 2006, just nine years ago, we were ahead of them. We had more in our pockets after those taxes than they did. Now we're over $3,000 behind them. The lowest tax bracket in Saskatchewan goes up to just over $40,000.

In Manitoba, it goes to $31,000, which means at $31,000 here we start to pay higher taxes and so we're paying a lot more a lot earlier, and then, to top it all off, the basic personal exemption here is just over $9,000. In Saskatchewan, it's well over $15,000 before you have –pay your first tax dollars on income tax. The –and besides that, we've got 5 per cent sales tax–or 8 per cent sales tax. Pardon me. Lord knows a 5 per cent sales tax has been a long way away here. And they have 5 per cent; that's about a 40 per cent higher amount on sales tax that we pay on all those items that sales tax relates to.

You know, occasionally we read little sayings and I think they're somewhat interesting. One I read a while back was, you know, when you raise the tax too much, you possibly can defeat the tax, and I think that's exactly what's happened in Manitoba with the sales tax increase to 8 per cent. You now have cross-border shopping going to the south, going to the west, and you've actually raised the tax to the point where you're getting less revenue because it's impacting the economy. You know, you can fail many times in governance–and I just heard a very arrogant speech from the member from St.

Norbert –but you can fail many times, but you're not a failure until you blame someone else, and did you notice all through that speech he was blaming someone else? It was the Tories in the '90s. It was the federal government. It's always, always somebody else's fault. It brings to mind another old saying that I heard at one time: It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you place the blame. And this is definitely a case of– with this NDP government trying to place the blame somewhere–anywhere else, desperately trying to place it anywhere else except looking in a mirror and placing it on themselves.

Taxes are high, debt is high and the results are low. We're seeing longer wai t times at our hospitals, debt servicing costs increasing, CFS over 10,000 children in care. Obviously, it's a broken system. Education: reading, writing and math skills were at the bottom, and it just goes on and on and on. You know, when you're blaming everyone else– we've seen, as I mentioned, blaming Filmon, blaming the feds. Even with the flood, the 2011 flood, the NDP government went so far as to blame the victims.

You know, one of the other things that was in this budget that–is a tax on the banks, and I heard the Minister of Finance (Mr. Dewar) comment that, well, the banks could afford it. Well, the banks don't afford it. What the banks do is pass it on to the customers. It's you and me and everyone else that uses banks that pick up whatever ex tra tax you're putting on the banks. The taxes always, always end up back at the – at our level. You know, I'm going to move on a couple other things, but I heard the Minister of Agriculture the other day, the member for Swan River (Mr.

Kostyshyn), put on a fairly long rant about the Canadian Wheat Board, and it was interesting to hear. You know, the Wheat Board is done; it's gone. There's a new company out there that's Canadian Wheat Board. It's out in a competitive market. I grew wheat for 40 years. I ma rketed my wheat to the Wheat Board. I don't have a deep feeling for the Wheat Board or not the Wheat Board. I did what I – the only option I had was to market my wheat to the Wheat Board for all those years. But the bottom line with the Wheat Board is they were an export agency. They were a marketing agency.

They weren't interested in value added on that product, and that product was wheat, and barley to a degree. So they're not interested in value added. So you're–you've got an export agency; their job is to export. I heard them talk about paying demurrage on ships. We paid demurrage on ships. We paid it in many, many years, probably almost every year and some years at really high levels. I remember four-bushel quotas. If you had 500 acres, you get a

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 673 four-bushel quota; that's 2,000 bushels, and that's what we sat at. That was under the Wheat Board. That was our marketing system at the time. * (15:30) So, when I talk to a farmer –I talked to a farmer not long ago who had marketed–and he's in the MacGregor area. He marketed 35 loads of wheat into the US. You know, I heard him talk about prices and stuff. He's conveniently leaving out some of the costs over there under the Wheat Board. But, you know, in the years that I farmed, there were years that we took less than $3 for wheat.

There were years we took up to $7 for wheat. Pick your year. Pick last year, and the wheat was selling for $9. You picked this year, so it's selling for $5–big deal. You know, like, it varies. I'm sure the member for Swan River (Mr. K ostyshyn) marketed–he probably grew canola, probably grew oats, may have grown a couple of other crops, and, certainly, beans, corn, rye, almost every other crop was sold on the open market. I don't hear anybody complaining about selling those other crops on the open market. We saw the point coming with wheat that it became a filler crop.

You only sold wheat to fill in between so that you weren't cropping every year with the same crop on the same land. In fact, the Red River Valley literally quit growing w heat. They got into growing beans and corn and all those other commodities, so they really –they quit growing wheat. We've got two –two–Wheat Board elevators going up. That's new competition; that's great. There's reasons why we have one small –one very small flour mill in the province. There's reasons why we don't have flour mills. They were an export agency. There's reasons why we don't have pasta mills.

But then there's other reasons why we don't have some of these mills, too, although canola –we do have s ome crushing plants, but the two closest new plants that went up were in Yorkton; because of our tax structure and because of government policy in this province they won't come here, and now I read the other day that there's another new one going up, I think, at Alberta, isn't it, a new canola crushing plant. Why aren't we attracting these? Take a look in a mirror; you can find out why we're not attracting them. There's lots of times that we got $4 a bushel for wheat.

There's times that –there were times th at we got–I remember times I got six, seven dollars for wheat. I even got a dollar and a quarter for wheat. You know, some of the things that are going on with the Manitoba Hydro are a little alarming, to say the least, and the most alarming thing, I thi nk, right now, in my view, is the expropriation of the land from farmers for the Bipole III line. This isn't a common practice. I was told it was done once, I think, in the history of Manitoba Hydro prior to this. A hundred and forty landowners had 3,500 acres expropriated.

Now, that might not sound like a lot, but it's, like, these farmers own that property; somebody comes in, goes to the Land Titles Office, registers new titles on it, and decides the price they're paying. Now, that's the same if your house, your home or your car –if I came along and I said your house was worth such and such; now I'm going to go change the title –the same philosophy. Like, how would you feel? How do you think these farmers feel?

Just walk in, walk over them –I wonder where the Department of Agriculture was in this, because when I was involved with planning district, if we tried to take land out of agricultural production–you know, for a subdivision, whatever you might decide to have–we tried to take it out, Agriculture was the first one there screaming, saying –opposed to it – saying that you can't remove land from agricultural production; that's a no -no.

To which I somewhat agree, but that's –they were the first one opposed to every subdivision, and now we have –the Minister of Agriculture is signing off on expropriation on land that's being taken out of agriculture. It's hard to believe. It's–it seems to be pretty well self -defeating to me. You know, over the years –[interjection] Got it. Over the years I've –that I've been in here, I've been quite frustrated with the –when I first –when I was involved with the Manitoba municipalities.

And when the NDP government first came in, on almost everything that was going on there was a fair bit of consultation, a fair bit of discussion. I've s een that erode. I've seen it erode badly now, and it's getting less and less consultation on almost everything. And, if I had any advice, it would be to go out there and talk to the people. I live beside the Whitemud River. My father lived beside the Whitemud River. I've lived there 70 years or 69 years.

My father lived there for close to 90 years, and if you wanted to know the habits of that river, what went on there, where water went when things changed, wouldn't it make sense to talk

674 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 11, 2015 to the people ther e instead of an engineer sitting in an office somewhere– [interjection] Yes, my dad only had a grade 8 education, but he darn well knew what happened on the land and he darn well knew what happened on that part of the river. It –the consultation–talk to the people out there that are on the ground out on the country and get your information from them. You know, there's been a –several things that have–just in the last couple of years that have –it really, truly affected me in lesser or greater ways.

I – because of legislation of the province I was forced to put a septic field in at my house where I had a waste water ejector before. New laws and it changed. But, in my case, my house there's two of us. My wife and I live on a half

section of land, 320 acres, and for some reason we're not allowed to have an ejector anymore. So it cost me $9,000. That's what the guy that put it in said. It cost me an extra $9,000 by a little–because of a little stroke of a pen, a little change in the regulation. And I don't think legislators think often enough about the impacts of that little stroke of the pen. It has a dramatic impact. It was $9,000 out of my pocket on that. One of the things I noticed just because I'm doing it –I'm just doing a subdivision on my house, and last year the subdivision fees –that's one of these fees that's in here.

Last year they went up 18 per cent on the provincial fee on a subdivision. This year it's a lot better; it only went up 15 per cent. But that's a total of 33 per cent in two years –33 per cent. L ike, you know, how do people keep up to that? Yes, it's a small fee, but it went up 33 per cent. A whole bunch of small fees going up 33 per cent, it's going to be pretty darn hard to keep up to. * (15:40) You know, I've often–one of the things that also in my time here that's really impacted me was the 2011 flood. A good part of my constituency is along Lake Manitoba, and, you know, that was a terrible thing.

It set that area back. They haven't recovered yet, and they're probably not going to recover for quite some time yet. And, when I saw some of the things that this government did to those people during that flood, they went out and they made promises, and I've often read part of the statement that the member for Dauphin (Mr. Struthers) made in Langruth, but I should read the whole statement into the record. The member for D auphin in Langruth that day said: We are working on a multi -year compensation package. If it is two years down the road and nothing is happening, I want to know about that.

I do want to underscore this is a compensation package that we have said very clearly is ready to come out very quickly. We are going to get cheques flowing as fast as we can, and it's going to be comprehensive. You know, that was before an election. After the election, that was forgotten. I couldn't help but notice in the media somewhere this –just in the last couple of days, there's a Peace River that had the major fire, burned quite a chunk of the town four years ago which is about the same length of time since the Lake Manitoba flood.

They had 374– [interjection] Oh, Slave Lake, pardon me, not –[interjection] Yes, it's Slave Lake, not Peace River. They had 374 houses destroyed, a number of businesses, some of the town properties were destroyed. The mayor was in the media saying they're over 90 per cent recovered. The buildings are built, the businesses are back, things are up and running, and it made me to think here –by the way, they called it a billion -dollar disaster, and I do argue the figures that the Provinc e uses, but they do say – they try to use the figure $1 billion on the Lake Manitoba flood.

Well, here's Slave Lake with pretty well total recovery four years later; here's Manitoba still dealing with the issues, still some 1,500 people out of their homes. T he people of Slave Lake are all back in their homes. Like, what's wrong with this? What's wrong with this picture? Like, it's all talk, nothing ever gets done. The same thing with the new outlet for Lake Manitoba–probably never going to happen under this government–under this NDP government. They'll have to have another couple of consultations and then a few coffee parties and a few signs up on a wall, but there's no intent to build it.

It's just talk; it's just empty rhetoric. It's reannouncements, and we hear those reannouncements over and over and over again. You know, Will Rogers said one time, never pass up a good time to–a good chance to shut up. So I think–I know there's a number of people here that want to speak to this, so I think I will take Will Rogers seriously; I'm not going to pass a good time to shut up. So thank you very much. Hon. Mohinder Saran (Minister of Housing and Community Development ): Madam Acting Speaker, I am honoured to rise on behalf of my

May 11, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 675 constituents i

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	40-4-28
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	40th 4th hansardpdf 28.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	8e5fe7442e7a5455d111501e632518f2bf402c1e

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