Manitoba Hansard — 8 April 2025 (Sitting 38B, 43rd Legislature, 2nd Session)

43-2-38b

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Second Session – Forty-Third Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Tom Lindsey Speaker Vol. LXXIX No. 38B - 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, 2025 ISSN 0542-5492

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

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

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

Concordia NDP WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC Vacant Spruce Woods

1097 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, April 8, 2025 The House met at 1:30 p.m. The Speaker: Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS The Speaker: Introduction of bills? Committee reports? Tabling of reports? Ministerial statements? MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Larry Baillie MLA Billie Cross (Seine River): I rise today to honour an incredible constituent from Seine River, Larry Baillie. Larry has spent his entire life giving back to our province, both as a social worker and civil servant, and through his extensive volunteer work, fundraising and disability advocacy.

I first met Larry at the Manitoba Marathon where he was volunteering on his bike as a course marshal a few months before I was elected. He has always been an avid marathoner and cyclist and someone who loves physical activity, especially when it's for a good cause. About a year later, he was suddenly hospitalized with a brain injury, and the many activities he enjoyed would become much more difficult. However, Larry would not let a wheelchair stop him from his work nor from his love of keeping active.

On his 65th birthday, Larry spent his day raising money for the Victoria Hospital Foundation in an effort to give back to the hospital that treated his illness. Fundraising is nothing new for Larry; he's been doing it his whole life. In 2020, to honour his father's memory, he shaved his beard and ran a half-marathon trek across Winnipeg to raise funds for CancerCare, far surpassing his initial goal of $946.88. His volunteer work doesn't stop there. He has spent years volunteering for Diabetes Canada, serving on their lace up for diabetes committee and raising thou- sands of dollars by running in their marathons.

It's no surprise that he received their volunteer of the year award for his hard work. He also served as Wes Lee Coyote, the Wesmen mascot for over 20 years. While Larry may be facing new challenges, he isn't letting them slow down –slow him down for a moment. While he was still in hospital, he purchased a handcycle bike, which he will be using next month– or, in the next few months in a marathon. Larry, I commend you for your tireless advocacy, hard work and relentless volunteerism. Our province is a better place because of you, and I wish you all the best.

I ask that my colleagues rise in congratulating Larry and wish him well in his new

chapter of his life. Thank you. Elder Ruth Christie Mr. Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): I rise today to honour an extraordinary individual from my constituency, Elder Ruth Christie, a mother, wife and a community leader. She is a distinguished community-based scholar, knowledge keeper and storyteller from Selkirk whose life's work has preserved and shared the rich history of our province. Ruth is joined in the gallery with her daughter, Leesa Christie, and her friend, David Thorne. Over the years, she has been a nurse, historian, storyteller and mentor and has worked as an activity co-ordinator and public educator.

Ruth's role in preserving history extended to her time at Lower Fort Garry national park, where she portrayed her ancestor's wife, Isabella Monkman. She was instrumental in renaming Monkman Creek [phonetic] , restoring a vital piece of our heritage. Ruth was named Selkirk & District Community Foundation Citizen of the Year in 2024, to the Order of Manitoba, and she is a Member of the Order of Canada. She has received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and honorary doctor of laws from the University of Winnipeg.

Ruth's dedication is also reflected in her published works and film appearances, most notably Loon Straits Through the Years: The Monkman Ancestry. Ruth's continued work with the University of Winnipeg, Selkirk Friendship Centre and the Lord Selkirk School Division ensures that her legacy will inspire future generations. Thank you, Ruth, for your invaluable contribu- tions to preserving our shared history. Please join me as we recog nize the accom plish- ments of this fantastic lady.

1098 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 St. James-Assiniboia Norman Art Group Mr. Logan Oxenham (Kirkfield Park): Honourable Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the creative work of the St. James-Assiniboia Norman Art Group, which gathered primarily at Woodhaven Community Club in Kirkfield Park. Established in 1979, and home to more than 40 artists in west Winnipeg, the group was founded as a place for artists to share, practice and progress in their personal study of visual art. Its goal is to encourage potential artists to challenge their creat ive instincts.

Several of the group's artists contribute to the Canada Connects Love & Family Mural Mosaic in 2024, installed at 1797 Portage Ave. The members of the Norman Art Group have exhibited and sold their paintings in various venues, including the Assiniboine clinic, the St. James - Assiniboia Library, St. James Kiwanis Village, the Assiniboine Park Conservatory, Great-West Life, the Western Canadian aviation museum, St. James Anglican Church and the Sir William Stephenson Library.

In addition to taking an active role in art displays at the Red River Exhibition, members of the group have exhibited throughout Manitoba in Wasagaming, Selkirk, Carberry and Portage la Prairie. The group also serves as a community outlet for their retired neighbours to come together and hone their artistic craft with one another. The St. James -Assiniboia Norman Art Group is hosting an art show and sale on Friday, May 2, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and again on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. 'til 4 p.m., both hosted at Woodhaven com - munity club in Kirkfield Park.

Admission is free, and the show will feature over 30 local artists. I would ask that my guests be added into Hansard. And I would also ask my colleagues to join me in welcoming members of the St. James Assiniboia Norman Art Group. Sid Balland, Joyce Clark, Patricia Dubuc, Nadine Hallgrimson, Brij Khatter, Eunice McKay , Michelle Paterson, Darren Raine . Shindico's 50th Anniversary in Real Estate MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): Honourable Speaker, I am honoured today to congratulate Shindico on their 50th anniversary in the real estate business.

I am even more proud to call Sandy and Robert Shindleman my friends. Their guidance and advice is one of the reasons why I'm standing here today. They got their start in the agriculture and grocery business in Portage la Prairie. Their story –store was run by Sandy and Robert's dad Ed, who made sure that if you couldn't afford groceries, you still went home with food to feed your family. This is where Shindico's motto, succeeding by help- ing others succeed, was born and it could 'mot'–not be more true of these two. Sandy and Robert ventured into real estate business, but have never forgotten their hometown.

From their philanthropy, the Shindleman Aquatic Centre was born. They have given gifts to local foundations and organi- zations throughout Canada. And they have contributed– continued to invest in our community of Portage la Prairie as well as throughout Manitoba and Canada. They have built a billion- dollar empire through- out this world but they have never forgotten where home is. Anyone who knows Robert and Sandy knows they are never too busy to take a phone call or get together for lunch.

Their headquarters on Taylor Avenue is just like a family, with dogs running around–sometimes biting– and the staff truly enjoying their work. Their company has truly been a difference maker because of these two gentlemen. Sandy and Robert, thank you so much for helping so many others succeed. Thanks for contributing so much to the commerce of our province and this great country, Canada. And thank you for being wonderful friends and mentors to me, my family and so many others. Please join me in wishing Shindico a very happy 50th anniversary. * (13:40) Acknowledging Local Businesses Hon.

Mike Moyes (Minister of Environment and Climate Change): Manitoba has had to face a changing landscape, with unpredictable tariffs and attacks on our country. This is why we're siding with Manitoba and standing up against Trump. We're protecting jobs, strengthening our economy and making life more affordable be cause we care about Manitobans.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1099 My constituency of Riel has so many amazing local businesses that epitomize that work ethic we see across our great province. Local businesses are the backbone of our economy. When you go to a local business, owners and workers greet you with Manitoba warmth. These shops are not just important to our economy, but their uniqueness make up our identity. While Manitobans are feeling the effects of tariffs and uncertainty, the members opposite can't make up their minds on if they would rather support Trump or thank him.

On this side of the House, we know that we'll always stand with Manitoba businesses. Wh en the core of our community is under attack, we show strength. We side with the family -run fixtures of our community. Manitobans can be assured that we are working to safeguard our economy against the impacts of the US tariffs. Local businesses can feel secure in knowing that we are taking action. Manitobans are doing their part by shopping local. On our side of the House, we're doing the same.

We will continue to prioritize Manitoba while we wait for the members opposite to figure out their priorities because we will always put Manitoba first and we will always be the true north, strong and free. The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. I would remind members that if they are a minister, to make sure their comments don't stray too far into government policy. The honour able minister for the environment and climate was dangerously close to me calling him to order, so just, in future, for all ministers, just keep an eye on how close you get to that line.

Introduction of Guests The Speaker: And at this point in time, there's some guests in the gallery I'd like to introduce. We have seated in the public gallery, from Valley Gardens Middle School, 75 students under the direction of Alanna Stromberg, and they are guests of the hon- ourable member for Concordia, the honourable Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe). We welcome you here today. And now it's time for oral questions. ORAL QUESTIONS Crime and Public Safety Government Record Mr.

Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): Honourable Speaker, just yesterday, the Premier said he would work to stop violent crime. And just yesterday, he patted–[interjection]–his failed Justice Minister on the head and told him that he was doing a good job. But since then, Hon ourable Speaker–and I hope the Premier is listening to this–since then, there's been two more murders right here in Winnipeg. I guess criminals aren't getting the NDP's message, and it's unfortunate that they clap for such a thing.

Cameras, gates, neighbourhood watches, but the NDP's safer communities promise doesn't extend beyond the Premier's personal armoured limo, Honour able Speaker. When will Manitobans receive the same level of protection as the NDP have given their leader, Honourable Speaker? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): I want to welcome the kids from Valley Gardens to your building, the Manitoba Legislative Building. And I want to say this: we're making Valley Gardens safer; we're making Transcona safer; we're making Winnipeg safer; we're making communities right across this great province safer.

Earlier today, the Minister of Justice announced $3.3 million in additional support for the Manitoba RCMP's Emergency Response Team. This is an im- portant investment. It's a very impor tant investment that sees highly trained officers, specialists, snipers even, to respond to very serious threats to safety right across this great province. The member opposite, one of the things that he neglected to mention is that, under their time in office, they cut the number of police officers inside the Perimeter by 55. We're repairing the damage.

We're hiring more police, more specialists and we're making every community in Manitoba– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question. Mr. Ewasko: Honourable Speaker, to the students in the gallery: Do you feel safer than you did a year and a half ago?

1100 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. Order. The honourable member will remember that he's supposed to direct his questions through the Chair, not to the opposition, not to people in the public gallery. Mr. Ewasko: Well, Honourable Speaker, to the hundreds and thousands of Manitobans watching today, in- cluding possibly those in the gallery: Do you feel safer today in Manitoba than you did a year and a half ago? And the answer is no. It's because crime in Manitoba has gone sig - nificantly up.

And it's because of this failed Justice Minister and this failed Premier. Every single initiative that they talk about, every single idea, every single promise has done nothing, Honourable Speaker, to stop the invasion by armed intruders of rural properties this weekend. And I table the photos for the Premier to check out. The date on these pictures is April 6, literally just days ago. When can Manitobans expect real action to address the crime sweeping through our communities because nothing they have done to date is working, Honour - able Speaker? Mr. Kinew: Well, that's not true at all.

What we're doing in com munities is hiring more police officers. When did the PCs start to oppose police? I know that their interim leader just attacked the RCMP officers that work with me on a daily basis, but I would remind them that Heather Stefanson is the one who started the security detail here in Manitoba. And when it comes to the officers that we've hired through the Winnipeg Police Service and the RCMP, why do they criticize? These are people who put their lives on the line each and every single day. They don't need PC MLAs who put in 80 days of work a ye ar to come in here and try and call them down.

Again, we're working with communities in schools, as well. We've brought in a school food program so that no kid in Manitoba has to go to school on an empty stomach. That's how you keep Manitoba safer, not just today, but 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now. The members opposite can continue to do their chirping on Facebook, but when it comes to law– The Speaker: Member's time is expired. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary question. Mr.

Ewasko: Honourable Speaker, again, to the many Manitobans that are watching and are actually taking these questions in–and situation seriously: It was the NDP government–this Premier and his Cabinet minis- ters–that actually walked to defund the police. In the MacGregor property invasion, Honourable Speaker, there are two firearms. And I will be tabling the picture of the masked identities for the Premier to check out. These pictures are not from a Hollywood movie; these occurred just 120 kilometres fr om this very building. The NDP solution is encouraging Manitobans to barricade their homes and properties.

Rural Manitobans have to hurry up and wait. The NDP are creating a two-tiered justice system, Honourable Speaker. Every Justice announcement the NDP have made to date did nothing to prevent what these homeowners have experienced. Can the Premier look at these photos and tell the victims exactly how he has made them safer, Honour- able Speaker? Mr. Kinew: Honourable Speaker, $3.3 million more for the RCMP's emergency response team. That's an investment that we've made to date. We're talking about highly trained, specialized law enforcement officers. Some of them are snipers.

It doesn't get more strong than that when it comes to responding to rural crime. What did the PCs do during their time in office, though? What happened 40 kilometres away from MacGregor? Well, they closed the Agassiz Youth Centre. What happened in Dauphin, not too far north from MacGregor? They closed the Dauphin jail. They cut hundreds of policing positions across the province during their time in office. So again, we are here today working with you to make our province safer.

It's tough to repair the damage overnight that was caused by seven and a half years of cuts and closures of justice facilities and jails in Manitoba. But we're up to the task. We're making real investments. We're listening– The Speaker: Member's time is expired. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question. * (13:50)

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1101 Manitoba Industries Carbon Tax Inquiry Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): Honourable Speaker, and this Premier stood up in front of the cameras, in 2023, as he usually does and promised that things would be getting better. Crime has gotten extremely worse. Honourable Speaker, yesterday, the Premier's environ- ment minister admitted in this Chamber that this gov- ernment, this NDP gov ernment, is spending millions to create a brand new Manitoba carbon tax on industry and on jobs.

But there are very–there's no details on this tax in the Premier's budget. Why is this NDP govern ment secretly designing a new tax on industry and ultimately on you, the con- sumer in the middle of an affordability crisis and trade uncertainty with the United States? And will the Premier explain why he's hiding this new carbon tax on Manitoba jobs from the very people who will be paying for it, Honourable Speaker? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Oh no, no, no, no. I'm the guy who cut the gas tax. I cut the gas tax for our first year in government to save you money.

And then at the end of that year, which was our election com - mitment, we promised we'd cut it for six to 12 months and we made that gas tax cut for 12 beautiful months. You know what we decided? We looked around and you said, You know what? Let's make it permanent. So we brought in permanent relief on the provincial gas tax. And you know what happened on April 1st of this year? On April 1st of this year, the carbon tax: poof, gone. Just like the member opposite's political career and his time in government: poof, it's not there any more.

And you know who the federal government pointed to when they said we now know that there's a pro- gressive approach to cutting emissions without charging people money? They said it was the Premier of Manitoba. The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question. Mr. Ewasko: Honourable Speaker, and to those Manitobans watching from home and those in the gallery, this is the Premier that increased the gas tax by the largest amount in the history of Manitoba. This new NDP carbon tax targets industry.

The more they grow, the more they hire, the more they'll be taxed. Let's call this what it is. It is a tax on jobs and the economic growth. So Manitobans deserve to know: how high will the new NDP carbon tax be? What will it cost a saw mill? A trucking company? A grain dryer? Steel manufacturers? This Premier owes Manitobans straight answers. How much will this new NDP carbon tax add to the cost of doing business right here in the great province of Manitoba, Honourable Speaker? Mr. Kinew: This is such a bad issue for the PCs.

Again, we cut the provincial gas tax to zero; to ab - solutely nothing for one year to save you money. And then you know what we did, after we heard from Manitobans that that was really making a difference? We said, you know what? Why don't we make these savings permanent? Why don't we bring about perma- nent relief to the gas tax? And so, what I would say to the members opposite is this: Pull out the calculators, do a little math and you tell me this, is the gas tax less today than it was during your entire time in office? Yes, it is.

And not only did the federal government point to our administration and say that you can reduce emis - sions without charging a consumer-facing carbon tax, I want to point out the members who were here in the PC gov ernment days, each and every single one of them voted in favour of a carbon tax, not once, not twice. I'm going to table an

article from the Lac –from the Beausejour Clipper about the PC government's– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. [interjection] Order. Order. Order. Order. I'd just remind the First Minister that when the Speaker stands up and says your time's up, your time's up. Your mic gets shut off. Nobody can hear you anyway. Mr. Ewasko: Thank you for your guidance and as we saw yesterday, this Premier doesn't play by any rules. He walks to his own beat of his own drum.

Let's be clear, Honourable Speaker, while President Trump is actively working to undermine our economy to steal Manitoba jobs, this Premier's finding a new and creative ways to tax our industries and raise the cost of living right here in Manitoba. The federal government has walked back its own carbon tax on consumers. Premier Scott Moe is moving to scrap Saskatchewan's industrial carbon tax. So let me ask: Who in their right mind launches a new

1102 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 carbon tax scheme at a time when we need to increase our competitiveness, not just nationally but in a global economy under threat? How does this Premier expect Manitoba to compete with our neighbours when his answer is more taxes on industry? Will he get up today, apologize, and scrap the tax that his minister had said from yesterday, Honourable Speaker? Mr. Kinew: He can't even get the slogan right. What are you talking about, scrap the tax? It's axe the tax. Even I know that. Part of the reason I know that is because I met with Mr.

Poilievre, and I'm very sorry to say that after that meeting, Mr. Poilievre went into the hallway of this esteemed building and he said some very nice things about me. And now the member opposite has to go and vote for Mr. Poilievre, knowing full well that Mr. Poilievre is very complimentary about things that we're doing in government. So, just to review, Honour able Speaker. We cut the provincial gas tax. We made sure that the federal government removed the carbon tax from consumers in Canada. And the one question that's still remaining unresolved: this

article about the PC govern ment's carbon tax that these members voted in favour of twice that was published in the Beausejour Clipper. Who wrote it? It sure looks like the member for Lac du Bonnet who tried to make it a political issue. But again, I'll leave the member opposite to tell me whether he still– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Interlake School Division Funding Property Tax Increase Concerns Mr.

Trevor King (Lakeside): Honourable Speaker, this minister and their government is great at inflating their accomplishments while deflecting blame and passing the buck on to their all-too-frequent mistakes. They claim their education funding increases but, in reality, they amount to less than inflation. Interlake School Division received a 1 per cent funding increase this year from the government, which is no increase at all. Can the minister explain why Interlake School Division has received a de facto funding cut this year? Hon.

Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I want to thank the member opposite for their question. It's been a full two weeks since the op position Education critic vacated his seat and left this failed party behind. They have yet to name an Education critic. I'm not sure if it's the member opposite; if it is, I congratulate him. The fact is, Honourable Speaker, where they cut, we will build. That's what we announced in Budget 2025. Manitobans know who they can rely on when it comes to the funding of education in our province, and that's the Manitoba NDP.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Lakeside, on a supplementary question. Mr. King: Honourable Speaker, diving deeper into Interlake's budget reveals something that is more shock- ing than the funding cut. It's the increased burden being placed on taxpayers. The munici pal portion of Interlake School Division's budget indicates a 19.5 per cent increase. This means that real out-of-pocket property taxes have increased dramatically under this gov ern- ment. Will the minister take responsibility for the finan- cial strain their government has put on taxpayers?

MLA Schmidt: I do take my role as minister incred- ibly seriously, which is why we are so proud of the funding we've been able to provide school division: $170-million increase in just our first two budgets, Honourable Speaker. This is funding–the reality is we are playing catch-up. School divisions were underfunded year after year after year after year after year under the previous failed PC government under the leadership of Heather Stefanson, Brian Pallister. Manitobans know and school divisions know who they can count on.

And what we won't do, which the members opposite love to do, is to tax school divisions and create further division in this province. We are here to work with school divisions. We are here to fund our school divisions, ultimately to support students– The Speaker: The member's time has expired. The honourable member for Lakeside, on a final supplementary question. * (14:00) Mr. King: Honourable Speaker, this is all par for the course for this NDP gov ernment. They're wilfully blind to their actions. They know that when they cut funding to school divisions that the shortfall will have to be made up elsewhere.

But they throw up their hands and say, we didn't do it.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1103 They blame school divisions, they blame munici- palities and the economy, but never themselves. This government has two budgets under their belt. The time for passing the buck is over. Will the–when will this minister and their govern- ment start taking respon sibility for their actions and stop blaming the very people dependent on them? MLA Schmidt: What the member opposite has said could not be further than the truth.

The member opposite–I challenge the member opposite to find a situation in which we have blamed school divisions or that we have blamed municipalities. We are–on this side of the House we're here to work with school divisions, we're here to work with municipalities and we're here to fund schools. I take this very seriously. And, again, I wonder where the education critic for the Tories is? Grant Jackson up and quit. My only question is, who's next? Is it the member opposite? All the member opposite has to do is look to his right and see the member for Fort Whyte (Mr. Khan) thanking Donald Trump.

Maybe he can look further to the right and see Wally riding a polar bear, which I will table for this House, because I believe this is of im portant record for the province of Manitoba. Who does the member opposite stand with? The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. Order. I would remind all members that when they're tabling documents, they shouldn't be waving them around like props. Just go ahead and table them. Provincial Economic Forecast–Recession Concerns Financial Impact on Businesses and Manitobans Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Leading economists are clear that a Canadian recession is now inevitable.

The only questions are how long it will last and how deep it will cut. The Bank of Canada Q1 Business Outlook Survey and Survey of Consumer Expectations released yester- day shows business sentiment has fallen to its lowest level in years, while consumers are more worried about job security and inflation. I table that for the minister. Forty per cent of Canadians are saying they are worse off than they were a year ago, and one in five cite housing costs as a top financial strain affecting their spending decisions.

Yet this minister claims Manitobans will spend more into the economy whil e increasing their taxes and property taxes. Will this minister release his department's econo- mic analysis as other provinces such as BC have done? Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): Honour- able Speaker, there's no question we're facing chal - lenges due to the Trump tariffs, but all I can say is thank God we do not have a Conservative government right now in Manitoba navigating that.

We were very proud recently to release our Budget 2025 where we announced the way we're going to Trump-proof our economy with, first of all, $3.7 billion in capital invest ments. We are going to build, build, build this province: 11 schools, 3 PCHs, the Vic ER; we're going to build new energy infra - structure. We're getting the job done that the members opposite didn't do for seven and a half years. We know that that's the best way to grow our economy, protect jobs. We're going to create 18,000 jobs in Manitoba over the next year through those investments.

We're going to keep focusing on protecting our economy, protecting jobs, and we're not going– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable member for Midland, on a supple- mentary question. Mrs. Stone: This minister's budget failed to actually have the economic realities that Manitobans are facing. Economists for months have been warning about a possible economic recession, and they painted a rosy, in-the-clouds picture as to what's to come. According to Stats Canada, under this minister's watch, since October of 2023 when he took office, almost 10,000 more Manitobans are unemployed.

In addition, economists are forecasting a 10 per cent of Manitoba jobs will be directly impacted and vul ner- able to the ongoing economic fallout. The BOS indicator fell in Q1, and the Bank of Canada survey has shown business confidence is down, and the worse may still be ahead with a third of busi nesses antici- pating an economic recession within the next 12 months. Investment plans, hiring intentions are all falling. I table– The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

MLA Sala: Honourable Speaker, Manitobans can always count on this govern ment to be trans parent, and they know that that's very different than what they received for seven and a half years under the members opposite. They left Manitobans, as we've spoken about

1104 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 in this House many times, with a $2-billion hole. And we know that before they left, prior to the election, they misled Manitobans with their update, July 28, prior to the last election. And they did that, of course, to mischaracterize our fiscal position in the hopes that they could mislead Manitobans into somehow finding another path into government. They tried to fool Manitobans. They were dishonest. We've spoken to that. We had an i n- dependent accounting firm, MNP. This wasn't the NDP analysis that showed that out.

It was an indepen- dent accounting firm that proved that they misled Manitobans. We will– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable member for Midland, on a final supplementary question. Mrs. Stone: It is so clear that this minister and this NDP govern ment have no grasp on the economic realities that are facing Manitoba and Canadians today. It's now even more apparent that this NDP failed to address the economic storm that experts have been warning about for months.

Economists are predicting massive impacts on hiring, waging, busi - ness investment, mortgage costs, yet this minister is still proposing to collect more in income taxes and more on housing property taxes. Manitobans are concerned they won't be able to make their mortgage payments and maybe not even afford their house. This NDP is completely out of touch with the economic realities that are facing Manitobans. This was not a tariff-proof budget.

It was not a recession-proof 'budeg.' What is the minister going to do to support those Manitobans that are going to lose their homes and their jobs in the next coming months? MLA Sala: Honourable Speaker, we've brought forward a budget that, again, is a $3.7-billion capital plan that's going to create 18,000 jobs in Manitoba. What are they talking about? We invested in NFI, Magellan. Oh, a new gold mine is opening up in Manitoba– Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. MLA Sala: [inaudible]. A gold mine. We are creating jobs– An Honourable Member: It's a literal gold mine. MLA Sala: –and this budget will support that.

It's a literal gold mine. A payroll tax cut going to create a more investable Manitoba. We brought in, of course, a permanent gas tax cut. We brought in foreign investments in tourism to bring more people in Manitoba to see our beautiful province. We're getting the job done. Manitoba Emergency Rooms Wait Times and Violent Incidents Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): The Manitoba Nurses Union is again raising the alarm after yet another nurse was violently assaulted at work, this time at the Grace Hospital emergency depart ment. I will table their social media post from this morning.

The NDP govern ment's response was to reward the attacker by fast -tracking their care, giving them priority over law-abiding patients waiting hours in the ER only to be cut in line by a violent criminal. I'll quote straight from the post and ask the ques- tions the nurses asked today to this minister: How is this an ap propriate response? How does this protect staff from future harm? Hon.

Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long -Term Care): Honourable Speaker, that member should probably stand up at some point in her place and apologize to nurses and health-care workers across this province, because for seven and a half years, the PC government, when they were in power, did less than nothing to keep nurses and front -line health-care workers safe. In fact, they did the oppo- site. They closed emergency rooms, they cut services and they fired front -line health -care workers. That member and members opposite are the reason why our health-care system is where it is today.

But on this side of the House, we're focused on solutions, which is why we are taking very real action to improve safety and security across the province. I'll share more about that in my next response. The Speaker: The honourable member for Roblin, on a supplementary question. Mrs. Cook: Well, that answer provided no comfort to nurses at Grace Hospital today. And while we're talking about ER wait times at the Grace, let's have a look at the most up-to-date data available, which I will also table. ER wait times at the–[interjection] The Speaker: Order.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1105 Mrs. Cook: –Grace Hospital have spiraled out of control. The median wait time has increased by almost two hours compared to this time last year, and one out of 10 patients are now waiting an additional five hours before receiving care than they were a year ago. These are some of the worst wait times we've ever seen. How much worse does it have to get before the NDP take respon sibility for their failures and stop making excuses?

MLA Asagwara: Honourable Speaker, I have a ques- tion for that member: What did she think would happen to the health- care system when she was advocating to close three major emergency rooms in Winnipeg? What did she think would happen when she was saying: You know what we should do in Manitoba? We should close 23 EMS stations across rural Manitoba. What was she thinking when she said: You know what we should do? We should fire hundreds of nurses and freeze the wages of health-care workers. That member opposite has no credibility on health care because she is part of the reason our health -care system struggles.

That member on that side of the House would do better to stand up and apologize to Manitobans. On this side of the House, we're going to keep fixing the damage that she did. The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honour able member for Roblin, on a final supplementary question. * (14:10) Mrs. Cook: They'd do better to take responsibility for their own record and put forward some solutions, because it's not just at the Grace. ER wait times have hit near 10-year highs all across Winnipeg. Wait times are up at HSC, St.

Boniface, Children's, Victoria urgent care, putting patients at risk and overwhelming health-care workers. And the NDP's solution? You assault a nurse, you get to cut the line. This is completely unacceptable. The NDP campaigned solely on health care. The NDP promised to lower ER wait times in their Throne speech in two budgets, and they are completely failing to deliver. When will the NDP actually do some thing about the crisis in Winnipeg ERs? MLA Asagwara: Honourable Speaker, our govern - ment has added nearly 300 new beds fully staffed to the health -care system.

We've added well over 1,255 net-new health-care workers. We have reopened emergency rooms closed by that member opposite and members in that caucus, whose only focus was to cut and close and damage health care. On this side of the House we are doing the very real work that Manitobans sent us here to do, and that is to fix the generational damage done to health care by that member and members on that side of the House. We are focused on fixing health care, repairing relationships that they damaged and making sure that health care in our future is stronger than its ever been.

We're going to keep doing that work– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Brandon Correctional Centre Death Family's Letter to Justice Minister Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Yesterday this minister stood in the House and discussed com - municating with the family of a man who died under this minister's watch. Except he hasn't. The letter from a grieving mother and father lay unanswered on the minister's desk, and we know that because I t abled a fresh copy for him yesterday. The minister's staff had a very brief conversation with a different family member, but the mother and father have yet been ignored.

When the minister finds the time to answer this letter, I hope he finds the time to talk to the parents as well, since he wanted to pretend that yesterday he already had. Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Well, once again, Honourable Speaker, our heart goes out to all victims of crime and, in this case, specifically this family.

Our office, as I said yesterday, our office has been in touch with the family, and not only were we able to connect with them to talk about their grief and their loss, but also talk about solutions, about a path forward, about supporting that family, but, of course, supporting all families of victims of crime in our province. That has been a focus of our govern ment. It is in our public safety strategy, which we developed and released last fall. The member opposite should take a look.

1106 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 The Speaker: The honourable member for Brandon West, on a supplementary question. Crime in Rural Manitoba RCMP Staffing Levels Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Yesterday, I gave this minister a new copy of the letter, but he couldn't even be bothered to read it. It's a common thread for this minister, since he wouldn't give any assurances to the constituents of my colleagues from Agassiz yesterday either. The minister's half measures aren't working.

This weekend, farmers chased armed thieves off properties and tailed them for 30 minutes, and I table that article. Vigilant justice is not a solution, but Manitobans are feeling unserved and vulnerable. When will the minister act to bring real safety for Manitobans, rather than headlining nine more Manitoba RCMP positions that will remain vacant under this NDP government? Hon.

Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Well, as I said, Honourable Speaker, we've talked with the family and we're committed to con - tinuing that dialogue, learning from them about steps we can take to further support, again, their specific circumstance, but for all Manitobans. But it's all about listening, Hon ourable Speaker, and that's what our govern ment is all about. That's why when we went out across the province we talked to communities, all different corners of this province, about public safety. We heard great idea s and great ways that we can support law enforcement.

Of course, we increased our budget 28 per cent last year, a 2 per cent escalator going forward, but now we're giving additional resources like our additional $3.3 million for the RCMP emergency response team. That's in Budget 2025, and it's just one of the many measures we're taking to listen to Manitobans– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable member for Brandon West, on a final supplementary question. Mr. Balcaen: So let's be clear as to what is actually happening here.

The minister is once again single-handedly ensuring rural Manitoba is left void of the few boots on the ground that are presently serving our rural com munities. The minister is stealing nine members that could be the first respon- ders to the se violent incidents and just to satisfy his hunger for headlines. So I ask again: Will this minister provide the 30 per cent staff the RCMP are already short so they can stop calling in members from other provinces to fill these shifts? Mr.

Wiebe: I'm surprised, honestly, Honourable Speaker, that the member opposite would advocate for defund- ing the police in this province. In fact, what we're talking about is adding additional resources, addi - tional boots on the ground. And, as the Premier (Mr. Kinew) mentioned earlier, this is a highly trained, highly skilled response team, a group of individuals that will support local law enforcement. Again, I'm surprised the member opposite doesn't realize the impact that this can have in supporting law enforcement across this province.

We know that it starts with stable, predictable funding and part ner- ships with law en forcement, but it goes fur ther. It continues to listen to communities, build on successes, and in this case support directly the RCMP and the needs that they have. This emergency response team will go a long way making our communities safer.

Waste Water Lagoon Project in Armstrong Environmental Assessment and Consultations MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Lake Winnipeg commercial fishers are concerned about the provincial gov ernment's recent decision to forgo a recommendation to have the Manitoba Clean Environ- ment Commission conduct an environmental assess- ment and hearing of a proposed new waste water lagoon in the RM of Armstrong. Since the project was announced, signi ficant concerns have been raised by stakeholders, including Indigenous groups, local community members, environ- mental organizations and fisheries experts.

Can the minister address some of the concerns that have been shared with this government? Hon. Mike Moyes (Minister of Environment and Climate Change): Well, I want to thank the member for bringing up im portant issues like water. For two terms in gov ernment, there was nothing done on water, and that's why we are coming at it with a new approach where we are consulting with munici- palities, where we are working with all different types of stakeholders. We're having those regular meetings to ensure that we're doing that good work. [interjection] Members opposite like to chirp.

They want to heckle right now but, instead, we are just going to get

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1107 down to business and ensure that we're doing the good work and ensuring that the water in Manitoba is clean. The Speaker: The honourable member for Tyndall Park, on a supplementary question. MLA Lamoureux: I've been told that local com mu- nities have written letters to the minister respon sible just this past December.

These letters outlined three major environmental impacts of approving the lagoon, including how these pollutants, animal by- products, can kill fish populations, how it can contribute further to phosphate and nitrogen loading into Lake Winnipeg and how it could further cause cumulative effects on the environment from the pollutants it will release. I table an

article with these details. Honourable Speaker, who did this govern ment consult with for this project? MLA Moyes: We have a number of initiatives that are working on the issue of water. It's –we're have incredible work done. We are very proud of the new Clean Environment Commission, which we recently announced, led by the incredible Aimée Craft. We are so–we are going to be so excited to let her do that good work on water, and we are going to continue to work with stakeholders across the province. So we have no issue with that.

We are going to criss-cross the province and ensure that we're working with all municipalities to get these decisions right. The Speaker: The honourable member for Tyndall Park, on a final supplementary question. MLA Lamoureux: Honourable Speaker, concerned citizens have requested halting the approval of this project until further consultation has taken place with Indigenous groups, local communities, environmental organizations and fisheries experts. Will this gov ernment agree to hold off on ap- proving the lagoon until these appro priate consulta- tions have taken place?

MLA Moyes: One of the things that I can say is that consultation and actually listening, unlike members opposite, to different stake holders, to different com - munity groups, to those people that are in those communities, is incredibly important and that's exactly what we are going to do. We are always willing to listen to those people that are going to be affected, including First Nations, including different communities. And we will listen to experts and scientists, unlike members opposite for two terms. Winnipeg Jets Return of Whiteout Street Party MLA Robert Loiselle (St.

Boniface): Honourable Speaker, great news. Whiteout street parties are coming back to downtown Winnipeg. With the Jets at the top of their game, Manitobans are ready to get together to celebrate and to cheer on the best team in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets. * (14:20) Manitobans are ready. The Jets are ready. It's time to show our pride in our team, our city, our province and our country. Can the Premier please share more about this exciting news and invite all Manitobans to join us as we cheer on the Winnipeg Jets at the Whiteout street parties? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): I want to thank my col- league from St.

Boniface for this timely, hockey-loving question. Thank you so much. The Winnipeg Jets are the best team in hockey, and Winnipeg is the best hockey town in the league, and Manitoba is the No. 1 hockey juris diction, bar none, anywhere in the entire world. This year, we get another chance to prove it. Every single Winnipegger, every single Manitoban is invited to come to downtown Winnipeg for the Whiteout street parties.

I was very, very proud to be there with Mayor Scott Gillingham, with the Winnipeg Jets organization and many Winnipeg Jets superfans, including Dancing Gabe, to invite you all downtown to cheer on our Winnipeg Jets as they go on a long, illustrious, amazing run through the NHL playoffs. This is one thing that unites every single Manitoban, except of course for the PCs– The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Processing Industrial Carbon Tax Exemption Request MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): Honourable Speaker, Saskatchewan has indicated that they're removing the industrial carbon tax. On the other hand, this govern ment just recently announced that they're spending $7.3 million finding ways to increase the carbon tax, drive away invest - ment and kill agriculture. And I'll table that. Minister and I both know the value of agriculture and agri-food processing.

1108 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 Can you confirm that agri culture and agri -food processing are exempt from this new tax? The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. I just remind the member once again that you cannot say you. You cannot direct your questions directly across the way. You have to direct them through the Chair. The honourable Minister of Agriculture–oh, sorry about that–the honourable First Minister. Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): I couldn't contain myself. I had to leap to my feet to say we have the best Minister of Agriculture (Mr.

Kostyshyn) in the entire country right here in the MLA for Dauphin. Now, of course, there is no carbon tax in Manitoba. We brought in relief when it comes to the gas tax because we are on a path to net zero while saving you money. I do, however, want to educate my colleague from Portage la Prairie. Again, if you look to his right, the member for Swan River (Mr. Wowchuk), in the Star and Times in 2018, voted twice for a PC bill. He was quoted in the Stars and Times in saying, he was quoted: I feel very confident with this plan, $25-per-ton carbon tax–that was applied by him.

He can look ahead to the minister for –former minister from Riding Mountain, who again, on the PC caucus website in 2018 said he was voting for what? A $25-a-ton carbon tax. He can look to the front row, to the member for Turtle– The Speaker: Member's time is expired. [interjection] Order. Once again remind the Premier that when the Speaker stands up and says your time is done, you're supposed to sit down. The time for question period has expired. PETITIONS Opposition to Releasing Repeat Offenders Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): I wish to present the following petition.

To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Kellie Verwey, a beloved young woman from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was tragically killed in a car crash caused by a repeat violent offender with a long criminal history.

(2) Despite repeated violations of his bail conditions, the offender was free to roam the streets and to ultimately claim Kellie's life. This tragedy was entire- ly preventable.

(3) While the Criminal Code falls under federal jurisdiction, provinces have been given the respon- sibility for the administration of justice, allowing for meaningful provincial action on bail reform to ensure public safety.

(4) Other provinces have taken proactive steps to strengthen bail enforcement, but Manitoba has not used all of the available tools to address this issue effectively.

(5) The provincial government has the ability and the responsibility to advocate for and 'implemate' – implement measures that protect its citizens by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are not released into our communities without proper safeguards.

(6) Immediate action is required to close gaps in the justice system that allow dangerous criminals to remain free, which puts innocent Manitobans at risk. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to take immediate and decisive action on bail reform to address serious deficits in enforcement by utilizing all available provincial mechanisms to strengthen warrant enforcement, increase bail supervision and opposing release of offenders, thus ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable and that public safety is prioritized over leniency; and

(2) To urge the provincial government to lobby the federal government to immediately repeal pro - visions of the Criminal Code that allow for the continued victimization of law -abiding Manitobans while granting repeat offenders additional rights. This petition has been signed by Francine Nelson, Kevin Nelson, Kim Skor and many, many other fine Manitobans. House Business Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): On House business. The Speaker: The honour able Gov ernment House Leader, on House business. MLA Fontaine: Pursuant to rule 34(11), I am announcing that the private member's resolution to be considered on the next Tuesday of private members'

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1109 business will be one put forward by the honour able member for Tyndall Park (MLA Lamoureux). The title of the reso lution is Calling on the Prov incial Government to Recognize the Valuable Role That the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Plays in Manitoba Communities. The Speaker: It has been announced that, pursuant to rule 34(11), that the private member's resolution to be considered on the next Tuesday of private members' business will be the one put forward by the honourable member for Tyndall Park.

The title of the resolution is Calling on the Provincial Gov ernment to Recog nize the Valuable Role that the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Plays in Manitoba Communities. * * * The Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, resuming petitions. Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Kellie Verwey, a beloved young woman from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was tragically killed in a car crash caused by a repeat violent offender with a long criminal history.

(2) Despite repeated violations of his bail conditions, the offender was free to roam the streets and to ultimately claim Kellie's life. This tragedy was entirely preventable. * (14:30)

(3) While the Criminal Code falls under federal jurisdiction, provinces have been given the respon- sibility for the administration of justice, allowing for meaningful provincial action on bail reform to ensure public safety.

(4) Other provinces have taken proactive steps to strengthen bail enforcement, but Manitoba has not used all the available tools to address this issue effectively.

(5) The provincial government has the ability and the responsibility to advocate for and implement measures that protect its citizens by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are not released into our communities without proper safeguards.

(6) Immediate action is required to close gaps in the justice system that allow dangerous criminals to remain free, which puts innocent Manitobans at risk. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to take immediate and decisive action on bail reform to address serious deficits in enforcement by utilizing all available provincial mechanisms to strengthen warrant enforcement, increasing bail supervision, and opposing release of offenders, thus ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable and that public safety is prioritized over leniency; and

(2) To urge the provincial government to lobby the federal government to immediately repeal provisions of the Criminal Code that allow for the continued victimization of law -abiding Manitobans while granting repeat offenders additional rights. Honourable Speaker, this petition is signed by A. Schirp, A. Vandine, K. Vivier, and many other fine Manitobans. Phoenix School Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): I wish to present the following petition.

The background to this petition is as follows: Phoenix School, a kindergarten to grade 5 school located in Headingley, has experienced consistent enrolment growth over the last several years. Enrolment is expected to reach 275 students in the next two years. Mr. Diljeet Brar, Acting Speaker, in the Chair Because the school is now over capacity, the school division has had to install portable classrooms on site as of fall 2024. For several consecutive years, the top capital priority of the St. James -Assiniboia School Division has been the renovation and expansion of Phoenix School.

In 2022, the Phoenix School expansion and renovation project was approved to proceed to the design phase. The project included, among other amenities, a new gymnasium, two new classrooms, a multi-purpose room and room for 74 child-care spaces. In June 2024, the school division received notice from the provincial government that the project has been deferred. There is no guarantee if, or when, the project will move forward. There are currently hundreds of children on a wait-list for child care in Headingley. The daycare operator in Phoenix School has been told that they will

1110 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 continue to have space within the school for the 2024-2025 school year only, that further expansion of child-care space within the school is not possible and that space may be reduced moving forward due to the shortage of classrooms. If new space is not co n- structed as planned, many families may be left without child care. It is critical that the expansion and renovation of Phoenix School proceed as planned in order to support the needs of students, teachers and families in the growing community of Headingley.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to proceed with the planned renovation and expansion of Phoenix School without further delay. And this petition is signed by Marian Craig, Blaine Clapham, Todd Martin, and many, many other Manitobans. Amending The Winnipeg Foundation Act MLA Robert Loiselle (St. Boniface): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

The background to this petition is as follows: The Winnipeg Foundation Act was amended by the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2011, but in the ensuing years, changes in the method of governance of The Winnipeg Foundation board have necessitated an update to the act. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To amend The Winnipeg Foundation Act by: (

a) Removing the requirement that the mayor of the City of Winnipeg be a director of The Winnipeg Foundation; and (

b) Removing a requirement that copies of the audited financial statement be provided to the public on request, and that information respecting the financial statement be published in a newspaper; and (

c) Ensuring that the infor mation respecting the audit of the financial statement of The Winnipeg Foundation be published on its website. Signed by director of the Winnipeg Foundation, Sky Bridges. Thank you. Carbon Tax and Rising Food Prices Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Honourable Speaker, I wish to present the following petition. The background to this petition is as follows: In 2022, according to Statistics Canada, there was an 11.4 per cent increase in food prices.

(2) Staple food products such as baked goods, margarine and other oils, dairy products and eggs have seen some of the largest price increases.

(3) Agri culture and agri -food sectors contribute close to 10 per cent of Manitoba's GDP.

(4) There are increased costs added at every step of the process for Manitoba's agriculture producers. In order to make 18 cents from one bread of loaf worth of wheat, farmers are paying carbon tax at every stage of production to grow the crop and get it to market.

(5) Grain drying, fertilizer and chemical production, mushroom farming, hog operations, the cost of heating a livestock barn, machine shops and utility buildings are all examples of how the carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels cost farmers and consumers more each year.

(6) In food production. there are currently no viable alternatives to natural gas and propane. The carbon tax takes money away from farmers, making them less profitable and hindering rural agri cultural producers' ability to invest in upgrades and improve efficiency while reducing emissions.

(7) The provincial government neglected farmers in the six-month fuel tax holiday until the opposi tion critic and local stake holder groups called for their inclusion.

(8) Other provincial juris dictions and leaders have taken action on calling on the federal govern - ment to remove the punishing carbon tax and/or stop collecting the carbon tax altogether. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to call on the federal government to remove the punishing carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels and farm inputs for Manitoba agri culture producers and the agri -food sector to decrease the costs of putting food on the table for Manitoba consumers. This is signed by Ernest Doell, Crystal Malenko, Lori Schroeder and many, many more Manitobans.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1111 Death of Jordyn Reimer–Judicial Review Request MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): I wish to present the following petition. The background to this petition is as follows: On May 1, 2022, Jordyn Reimer, 24 years of age, was killed by an impaired driver while she was acting as a designated driver.

(2) There are two people legally culpable for her death: the impaired driver and the accomplice. The driver was charged, but the second criminal, the accomplice, has not been held accountable.

(3) A concerned citizen took the keys from the impaired driver earlier in the evening to ensure he could not drive impaired. The accomplice retrieved the keys from this citizen under false pretenses and knowingly provided the impaired driver with access to the vehicle.

(4) The Winnipeg Police Service in vestigation provided adequate evidence to meet the charging standard and recom mended charges be laid against this accomplice. The Crown prosecutor declined to prosecute the accomplice.

(5) The family of Jordyn Reimer has called for the prosecution of the accomplice and that decision to not prosecute be reviewed independently.

(6) As recently as 2022, there is a precedent to refer criminal files of decisions to not proceed with prosecution to extra-provincial departments of justice for review. This was done with Peter –the Peter Nygård file, which ultimately led to a reversal in the decision to not prosecute, and charges were laid.

(7) An out -of-province review is supported by MADD Canada, MADD Manitoba, and by Manitobans. * (14:40)

(8) The family has exhausted every avenue within the existing system and, in the absence of prescribed process when a disagreement exists on charging standards, the only option is to request an independent out-of-province review.

(9) In 20 –December 2024, the Winnipeg Police Service reported an alarming number of impaired drivers in the holiday Check Stop program. Extending criminal culpability beyond the driver to those who engage in overt actions to facilitate impaired driving will save lives.

(10) Manitoba deserves to have confidence in the provincial gov ernment and the justice systems to make decisions that achieve true justice for victims and their families. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial gov ernment to order an out-of-province review of the prosecutor's decision to not prosecute the accomplice in the death of Jordyn Reimer. This is signed by Jessica Gusperchuk [phonetic], Michelle Hildebrand, Tracey Moore and many, many more Manitobans. Thank you. Provincial Trunk Highway 34 Ms.

Jodie Byram (Agassiz): Honourable Speaker, I wish to present the following petition. To the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba, the background to this petition is as follows: Provincial Trunk Highway 34, PTH 34, is a two-lane provincial primary highway that runs from the US border where it meets with ND 20 to PTH 16 at the town of Gladstone.

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

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

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

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

1112 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 resurface the road once the new bridge has been completed. This petition has been signed by Rod Bornn, Tim Reimer and Wayne Early and many more Manitobans. Thank you. Funding Crime Cost Mitigation for Small Business Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): Honourable Speaker, I wish to present the following petition. To the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba, the background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Small businesses are vital in supporting their local economy and the prov incial government has a responsibility to act and support them.

(2) The recent increase in vigilantism shows that Manitobans do not trust this provincial government to fulfill its responsibility.

(3) More than half –54 per cent–of small busi- nesses in Manitoba are impacted by crime. Property damage, theft, littering and public intoxication are some of the crimes that affect most businesses. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business there has been a 44 per cent increase in shoplifting incidents over the last year.

(4) In order to combat this rise in crime, small businesses try unaided to implement various out -of- pocket security measures and safety training for their staff and they face increasing costs when they incur property damage or theft.

(5) Vandalism, break-ins and other senseless acts cannot be accepted as a cost of doing busi ness for businesses throughout Manitoba, and the provincial government must do more to ease the burdens small businesses are carrying with its catch -and-release justice system.

(6) Failing to support small businesses is failing the Manitoba economy, failing Manitoba families and failing Manitobans' dreams.

(7) The security rebate program in place for home- owners and small businesses does not cover the real costs impacting businesses such as vandalism, property damage and repairs. We urge the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to support Manitoba small businesses through specific funding to reimburse the expenses and insurance deductibles that they incur as a result of crime. And this petition has been signed by Ann Wolfe, Tina Hildebrandt, Susan Peters and many, many Manitobans.

Little Mountain Park MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I wish to present the following petition. The background to this petition is as follows: The Manitoba Highways department has expressed a desire to have the CentrePort Canada Way to Chief Peguis Trail extension developed to follow Klimpke Road with a termination point on CentrePort Canada Way.

(2) The proposed path would eliminate a portion of Little Mountain Park, which abuts Kimpkle [phonetic] Road, private residences and the neighbouring Little Mountain Sportsplex.

(3) Although located in the RM of Rosser, Little Mountain Park is one of Winnipeg's valuable green spaces, located within the Perimeter Highway boundary, and is the only signi ficant green space in the north - western sector of the city.

(4) Little Mountain Park has been provi ding recreational opportunities and natural habitat for local wildlife since it was established in 1965. It contains a tall grass prairie ecosystem on sensitive land, com - plete with flora and fauna, and is a destination for tourists from all over.

(5) The impact of the growing industrial port and the 'resolent' redirective –redirected traffic through this area would not only disrupt access to the nearby Sportsplex and golf course with an additional heavy traffic, but would also pose environmental threats, and disrupt local wildlife in the nearby Little Mountain Park.

(6) The Province of Manitoba has a stated respon- sibility to protect the environ ment and green spaces for the benefit of all Manitobans with policies and legislation that support economic development, invest- ment, trade and natural resources and the conservation of species and ecosystems to conserve these precious resources for future generations.

(7) The encroachment of the proposed highway must be considered a threat to the Little Mountain Park designated ecosystem.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1113

(8) An earlier proposal utilized a different route that followed the existing old Sturgeon Road foot - print, circumventing Little Mountain Park and the Sportsplex, while still providing suitable access to the industrial area for the termination point between Mollard Road and Jefferson Avenue. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial gov ernment to recog nize Little Mountain Park as an at-risk ecosystem and as a potential ecosystem preservation zone.

(2) To urge the provincial gov ernment to recog - nize the impact of the proposed route on Little Mountain Park, The Players Course, the neighbouring Little Mountain Sportsplex and the citizens and tourists who use and visit them. And,

(3) To urge the provincial gov ernment to seek an alternate route that would avoid the area while still providing adequate ingress and egress to the CentrePort Canada Way, such as the old Sturgeon route–road route, to 'avord' –avoid expropriating land unnecessarily. This petition has been signed by many Manitobans. MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility Mrs. Carrie Hiebert (Morden-Winkler): Honour- able Speaker, I wish to present the following petition. To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the background of this petition is as follows: * (14:50)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(7) The average wait time for Manitobans to receive an MRI scan is currently six to eight months. Having an MRI machine in the regional –the Portage regional health facility would help reduce these wait times for patients by providing better care sooner. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. This petition has been signed by Diana McIntyre– McIndyre [phonetic], Christine Tremblay and Rebecca Blake, and many other Manitobans.

Medical Assistance in Dying Mr. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli): Thank you, honourable Deputy Chair, and I think I've forgotten to congratulate you. So congratulation on your appoint- ment. But I do wish to petition the following. The legis lative–to the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba, these are the reasons for the petition:

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

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

1114 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(2) To urge the provincial gov ernment to lobby the federal government to protect Canadians struggling with mental illness by facilitating treatment, recovery, and medical assistance in living, not death. This petition is signed by Kaylie Specula, Julianna Roberts, Brett Johnson, and many, many other fine Manitobans. Thank you, honourable Chair. Provincial Road 227 Mr. Trevor King (Lakeside): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) As part of ongoing strategic infrastructure investments to the provincial highway network, it was announced in August 2022 that almost $70 million would be spent on upgrades to provincial road 227.

(2) Over 72 kilometres of PR 227 were to be paved, along with the repair or replacement of three bridges and multiple drainage works.

(3) Reeves, mayors, councillors and residents of the surrounding municipalities, cities, towns and villages were ecstatic and overwhelmingly supportive of this plan.

(4) The planned PR 227 was to connect Highway 16 with Highway 6, thus creating an alternative route to Highway 1.

(5) PR 227 was to be part of Manitoba's trade and commerce grid initiative, an expanded grid of high- ways that can accommodate heavy commercial loading that will attract new industrial activity, reduce transportation costs and optimize supply chain efficiency, which will benefit all Manitobans.

(6) The 2023 multi-year infrastructure investment strategy is a five -year, $4.1- billion investment in Manitoba's roads, highways, bridges, airports and flood protection. The paving of PR 227 was part of this strategy.

(7) The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure has cut the PR 227 project, notwithstanding that the project appears in the multi- year infrastructure investment strategy and listed on the Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure website as an active project.

(8) Additional keystone projects in the 2023 multi-year infrastructure investment strategy were the Winnipeg One Million Perimeter Freeway Initiative, the Lake St. Martin and Lake Manitoba outlet channels, and the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway to the Ontario border. The actions of the NDP government now bring into question whether any of these projects will be completed as planned. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to immediately restore funding to the PR 227 paving project.

(2) To urge the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to commit to Manitobans to carry out all of the projects as outlined in the 2023 multi -year infrastructure investment strategy in their totality, to the same scope and in accordance with already stated timelines.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1115 This petition has been signed by Josef Upgang, Henry Hueging and Tom Rouse, and many, many other Manitobans. Thank you, honourable Deputy Speaker. * (15:00) Carbon Tax and Rising Food Prices Mr. Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows: In 2022, according to Statistics Canada, there was an 11.4 per cent increase in food prices.

(2) Staple food prices such as baked goods, margarine and other oils, dairy products and eggs have seen some of the largest price increases.

(3) Agri culture and agri -food sectors combine – contribute close to 10 per cent of Manitoba's GDP.

(4) There are increased costs added at every step of the process for Manitoba's agriculture producers. In order to make just 18 cents from one loaf worth of wheat, farmers are paying carbon tax at every stage of production to grow the crop and to get it to market.

(5) Grain drying, fertilizer and chemical production, mushroom farming, hog operations, the cost of heating a livestock barn, machine shops and utility buildings are all examples of how carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels cost farmers and consumers more each year.

(6) In food production there are currently no viable alternatives to natural gas and propane. The carbon tax takes money away from farmers, making them less profitable and hindering rural agri cultural producers' ability to invest in upgrades and improve efficiency while reducing emissions.

(7) The provincial government neglected farmers in the six-month fuel tax holiday until the opposi tion critic and local stake holder groups called for their inclusion.

(8) Other provincial juris dictions and leaders have taken action on calling on the federal govern - ment to remove the punishing carbon tax and/or stop collecting the carbon tax altogether. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to call on the federal government to remove the punishing carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels from farm inputs and Manitoba agriculture producers and the agri-food sector to decrease the costs of putting food on the table for Manitoba consumers.

This petition has been signed by Barry Hawrysh, Rick Rivers, Bill Mollard and many other fine Manitobans. Removal of Federal Carbon Tax Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Honourable Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(8) Provincial leadership in other juris dictions have already committed to removing the federal carbon tax from home heating bills. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

1116 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 To urge the provincial government to remove the federal carbon tax on home heating bills for all Manitobans to provide them much-needed relief. This petition has been signed by Candice Narth, Landon Hudson, Charlene Nikkel and many, many other Manitobans. Opposition to Releasing Repeat Offenders Mr. Jeff Wharton (Red River North): I wish to present the following petition to the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Kellie Verwey, a beloved young woman from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was tragically killed in a car crash caused by a repeat violent offender with a long criminal history.

(2) Despite repeated violations of his bail con- ditions, the offender was free to roam the streets and to ultimately claim Kellie's life. This 'tradegy'–tragedy was entirely preventable.

(3) While the Criminal Code falls under federal jurisdiction, provinces have been given the respon- sibility for the administration of justice, allowing for meaningful provincial action on bail reform to ensure public safety.

(4) Other provinces have taken proactive steps to strengthen bail enforcement, but Manitoba has not used all the available tools to address this issue effectively.

(5) The provincial government has the ability and the responsibility to advocate for and implement measures that protect its citizens by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are not released into our communities without proper safeguards.

(6) Immediate action is required to close gaps in the justice system that allow dangerous criminals to remain free, which puts innocent Manitobans at risk. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to take immediate and decisive action on bail reform to address serious defects in enforcement by utilizing all available provincial mechanisms to strengthen warrant enforcement, increasing bail supervision and op- posing release of offenders, thus ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable and that public safety is prioritized over leniency; and

(2) To urge the provincial government to lobby the federal government to immediately repeal provisions of the Criminal Code that allow for continued victim- ization of law -abiding Manitobans while granting repeat offenders additional rights. This petition is signed by Shelly Best, Madison Zurwich [phonetic], Brighton Webb and many, many more Manitobans. Carbon Tax and Rising Food Prices Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) In 2022, according to Statistics Canada, there was an 11.4 per cent increase in food prices. * (15:10)

(2) Staple food products such as baked goods, margarine and other oils, dairy products and eggs have seen some of the largest price increases.

(3) Agriculture and the agri-food sectors contribute close to 10 per cent of Manitoba's GDP.

(4) There are increased costs added at every step of the process for Manitoba's agriculture producers. In order to make 18 cents from one bread loaf worth of wheat, farmers are paying carbon tax at every stage of production to grow the crop and get it to market.

(5) Grain drying, fertilizer and chemical production, mushroom farming, hog operations, the cost of heating a livestock barn, machine shops and utility buildings are all examples of how the carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels cost farmers and consumers more each year.

(6) In food production there are currently no viable alternatives to natural gas and propane. The carbon tax takes money away from farmers, making them less profitable and hindering rural agri culture producers' ability to invest in upgrades and improve efficiency while reducing emissions.

(7) The provincial government neglected farmers in the six-month fuel tax holiday until the opposi tion critic and local stake holder groups called for their inclusion.

(8) Other provincial juris dictions and leaders have taken action on calling on the federal govern - ment to improve the punishing carbon tax and/or stop collecting the carbon tax altogether.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1117 We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to call on the federal government to remove the punishing carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels and farm inputs for Manitoba agri culture producers and the agri -food sector to decrease the costs of putting food on the table for Manitoba consumers. This petition is signed by Sandra Bancraft [phonetic], Isabelle Adams, Bonito Goertz and many, many other Manitobans. Support for Border Communities Mr.

Doyle Piwniuk (Turtle Mountain): I petition the following petition for the –with the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba. The background of this petition is as follows:

(1) Illegal border crossing into Manitoba has increased by 14 per cent in 2024, raising signi ficant public safety and security concerns, particular in border communities.

(2) Changes to the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement have driven migrants deeper into hiding to avoid apprehension, making law enforce ment efforts more difficult.

(3) Border patrol officials believe that the criminal organizations, including Mexican cartels, are involved in smuggling operations at the border, posing serious security threats to Manitoba.

(4) Human smuggling networks are abandoning valuable immigrants, including families, in isolated and dangerous locations, exposing them to severe risks, especially during Manitoba's harsh winters.

(5) Border communities are preparing for a pos - sible surge of illegal border crossings, which could overwhelm local resources and emergency search - and-rescue services.

(6) Despite the challenges, there are–has been little communication or support from the provincial and federal governments regarding this plan to assist border com munities, leaving them under -resourced and unprepared for managing this escalating crisis. We petition the Manitoba Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge provincial gov ernment to lobby a federal gov ernment to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to assist border communities in managing the rise in illegal border crossings into Manitoba; and

(2) To urge the provincial gov ernment to work closely with the federal and local authorities to ensure adequate resources, including funding and support for emergency services, are available to protect local communities, and that immediate measures are taken to dismantle and destroy any human smuggling net - works operating in Manitoba. This petition has been signed by Scott Sambrook, Garry Serruys, Darryll Breemersch and many other Manitobans. Removal of Federal Carbon Tax Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

(7) Manitoba is one of the only provincial juris - dictions to have not agreed with the stance that all

1118 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 Canadian home heating bills should be exempt from the carbon tax.

(8) Prov incial leadership in other juris dictions have already committed to removing the federal carbon tax from home heating bills. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to remove the federal carbon tax on home heating bills for all Manitobans to provide them with much-needed relief. Honourable acting deputy Speaker, this petition has been signed by many, many, many, many fine Manitobans. The Acting Speaker (Diljeet Brar): No more petitions? Grievances? ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Hon.

Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): Can you please call second reading of Bill 17, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Nutrition Equality for Lasting Learning Outcomes); followed by Bill 25, The Public -Private Part nerships Transpar ency and Accountability Act; followed by Bill 10, The Resi - dential Tenancies Amendment Act (2). The Acting Speaker (Diljeet Brar): As announced, we will consider second readings of bills 17, 25 and 10.

SECOND READINGS Bill 17–The Public Schools Amendment Act (Nutrition Equality for Lasting Learning Outcomes) The Acting Speaker (Diljeet Brar): Second reading for Bill 17. * (15:20) Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I move, seconded by the honourable Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine), that Bill 17, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Nutrition Equality for Lasting Learning Out comes); Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les écoles publiques (équité alimentaire pour un apprentissage durable ), now be read a second time and be referred to a com mittee of this House. Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been advised of the bill, and I table the message. The Acting Speaker (Diljeet Brar): It's been moved by Minister of Education and Early Child hood Learning, seconded by Minister of Families, that Bill 17, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Nutrition Equality for Lasting Learning Outcomes), be now read a second time and be referred to committee of this House.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been advised of the bill, and the message has been tabled. MLA Schmidt: It is my privilege to rise today to do the second reading of Bill 17, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Nutrition Equality for Lasting Learning Outcomes), or Nello's Law. So I want to start my remarks today by acknowl- edging our dear friend, our colleague, the former minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning and the MLA for Transcona, Nello Altomare. And, honourable deputy Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to serve in this role and to introduce this bill.

But I wish that it was Nello that was here today to introduce this bill and to enshrine the legacy that was his work, which is the universal nutrition program. And I know that I–certainly, I know that everyone on our team and, in fact, everyone in this Chamber has and had a great deal of respect for Nello Altomare, and I hope that we can respect his legacy and that we can come together as an Assembly and have 'u nanisous'– unanimous support for this bill, which is ultimately about feeding children.

The Speaker in the Chair Nello's life work as an educator impacted the lives of so many students and educators in the River East Transcona School Division and across the province. As opposition critic, Nello championed an accessible and equitable learning ex perience for all M anitoba children; and as minister responsible, he spearheaded many important initiatives, including our government's $30-million universal nutrition program.

And I want to thank the Minister of Families for being my sister in this work and for seconding this bill and for championing this work and for being such a good friend and, I know, a mentor to our mutual friend, Nello. I know how much this means to you and how much it means to our team and I want to lift you up. And I'm so proud to do this work alongside you, and I know that Nello would be so proud to be here with us today. Nello cared so deeply about all kids and their edu- cation. He knew that a uni versal nutrition program was so much more than provi ding kids with the food

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1119 they need. He often spoke about how a nutrition program is about creating a com munity that looks out for each other, a com munity where children are supported to be the best they can be, a community that prioritizes education. And already, we've heard from so many schools and school divisions about the amazing impact this program is having. Park West School Division has noted that not only are more students attending school consistently, they are showing up on time and ready to learn since the implementation of their breakfast program.

Mystery Lake and Frontier school divisions have both seen an increase in attendance and in-class engagement since the inception of universal school meal programs. In Portage la Prairie, we've heard that on a day when buses were cancelled due to cold weather, at one school, 77 per cent of students still attended school that day, up from 30 per cent who would have traditionally attended school on a day like that prior to the school nutrition program. Metro divisions here in the city have told us that this funding has been transformational and that the number of students being served continues to grow.

This proves what Nello already knew and what Nello taught all of us: that food is not only essential for students' health and well -being, but also their success in the classroom. When we talk about the uni- versal nutrition program, that's why we talk about it as generational change. And we heard our Premier (Mr. Kinew) talk about that just today in question period. The universal nutrition program, Nello's Law, is and will continue to create generational change for years to come. And I'm so very proud to stand here and bring this bill forward today.

For far too long, food insecurity has been a barrier for many Manitoba children as –and has prevented many students from succeeding in their studies. Our government believes that no child should have to learn on an empty stomach. Research has long shown that well-fed students show an increase in life skills and are better focused in the class and they're more on - track for high school graduation. Nello was a life-long educator. His willingness to learn from not just experts but also children is what made him such an amazing person. And that's why the universal nutrition program is a quintessential Nello policy.

It listens to experts but it puts kids first. Manitoba's universal nutrition program is the first of its kind in Canada and even inspired the federal government to follow suit and fund a national school food program, Honourable Speaker. So not only has Nello's leadership made a difference here in our province, the beautiful province of Manitoba, but Nello's uni versal nutrition program is changing the lives of children across our beautiful country. It's a profound legacy that Nello has left us with. And our government is continuing on with Nello's legacy in education.

We know he would have been proud of Budget 2025, which includes more than $67 million of an increase for school funding. We've announced 11 new schools, including one in his home division of River East Transcona School Division, in the beautiful riding of Radisson. Budget 2025 also includes a five -year extension to the Canada- wide child -care agreement providing Manitoba with $1.9 billion of funding that will help our government expand access to child care across the province. And, of course, Budget 2025 invests another $30 million into the universal nutrition program.

The benefits of the uni versal nutrition program are clear. And that's why we are protecting it with Bill 17, Nello's Law. Nello's Law amends The Public Schools Act to make univer sal school nutrition programs mandatory across the province and ensures the pro- grams in each public school are tailored to meet the specific needs of the students that they serve. At the heart of our nutrition program are four principles: access, accommodation, equality and quality. Access means every student can partici pate without stigma and without barriers.

Accommodation ensures that we meet the needs of students with food allergies as well as religious or cultural dietary restric- tions. Equality ensures that all students, regardless of their socio -economic back ground, can benefit from these programs. And quality will ensure that these programs must adhere to nutritional standards so that students receive healthy and balanced meals, beverages and snacks. Guided by those four principles, schools will be required to respond to the needs of the local com mu- nity and to use food that is locally sourced wherever possible.

Unfortunately, despite all of these clear benefits, we know that there are members in this House that have opposed the uni versal nutrition program and feeding kids.

1120 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 Just this last fall, the Leader of the Op position said in this very Chamber that sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, milk and more are, quote, not a real meal for kids, unquote.

That's why Nello's Law stipulates that Cabinet ministers will be subject to a 20 per cent cut in minis- terial salary if a bill is passed to reduce or repeal the legal obligation to provide kids with free nutrition in schools. * (15:30) This measure is important to ensure that the right of every child to have access to nutritious food at school and have the same oppor tunities to learn and succeed is not reduced or eliminated by any future backward government. In our November 2024 Throne Speech, we pledged that we would continue to help kids focus on learning, giving them the freedom to be just kids.

With Nello's Law, Manitoba will become the first province in Canada to make universally accessible school nutrition programs mandatory, setting a precedent for all other jurisdictions to follow. With that, Hon ourable Speaker, I will conclude my marks on this very important bill. Thank you very much. Merci. Miigwech. Questions The Speaker: A question period of up to 15 minutes will be held.

Questions may be addressed to the minister by any opposition or independent member in the following sequence: first question by the official opposition critic or designate; subsequent questions asked by critics or designates from other recognized opposition parties; subsequent questions asked by each independent member; remaining questions asked by any opposi tion member. No question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds. The floor is now open for questions. Mr.

Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): With the facing– rising costs of food right now, what is the contingency plan if food inflation or supply chain issues cause program costs to outpace the current $30- million budget? Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): Thank you to the mem- ber opposite for the question, and that's one of the reasons why Bill 17 is so important. It's to protect and enshrine the right of every child here in Manitoba to have access to healthy and nutritious food every single day.

And again, you know, in my opening remarks, I talked about the four guiding principles of access - ibility and equality and quality, and so Bill 17 is designed to do exactly what the member is talking about, which is to ensure that no matter what, that all students here in Manitoba will have equal access to nutritious, quality food. Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): To the minister –almost came close to even attempting to answer that question from my colleague. To the minister: Does the minister believe that the school nutrition program is fully costed and fully funded?

MLA Schmidt: When it comes to supporting kids in our classroom, that is our utmost priority, which is why we have brought forward a record, historic, transformational $30- million annualized investment in a school nutrition program here in Manitoba, to fill the gaps l eft by the member opposite and his failed government during their –I'm sorry, his failed party during their time in government. The amount of money that the member opposite invested into feeding children here in Manitoba was zero dollars. On this side of the House, $30 million; and that $30 million is going to– The Speaker: Time has expired. Mr.

Perchotte: How will the gov ernment ensure transparency and accountability for out comes? Will the reporting obligation in the act include audited financial statements, performance targets, benchmarks? MLA Schmidt: Yes, thank you for the question. And again, there are already annual reporting requirements required here in Manitoba, where school divisions have to report on the universal nutrition program. And while that data is still being collected, it's –it will be reported to us in October and will be released in the next report.

We're already hearing, again, from school adminis- trators, from school trustees about the incred ible im- pacts that this univer sal nutrition 'progret' is already having. I would urge the member opposite to get out into the schools in his com munity and ask them how their students are being supported and the amazing outcomes that are already happening in schools– The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1121 Mr. Ewasko: I see that the minister doesn't really want to take that jovial, come together, Kumbaya type of moment here in the Leg. on Bill 17, Nello's Law. [interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr. Ewasko: Has the NDP truly created a universal– [interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr. Ewasko: –school food program? Then how come, in the December 2024 report, only 32 per cent of Manitoba's children–students have actually accessed the program? MLA Schmidt: The report that the member opposite is referencing is–concerns a time in which his party was in government.

That's the truth. So thank goodness that 33 per cent of those chil- dren were receiving food, thanks to the good work of organizations around Manitoba: philanthropic, not - for-profit, com munity-based organizations that are committed to delivering food for kids in the class - room. That's what children were relying on prior to the election. They were relying on the goodness and the goodwill of the non-profit sector here in Manitoba. Thank goodness there's new leadership here in Manitoba. We have a govern ment now that sees the value in feeding children.

I would love to know if the member opposite sees value– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Mr. Perchotte: What is the projected number of students that will be receiving the much-needed nutrition under this program? MLA Schmidt: Our uni versal nutrition program ensures that every child in Manitoba who needs access to food during their school day will have access to that food. That's exactly what is was designed to do. It's designed to help the children most in need. That is what our govern ment is focused on, is helping Manitobans that–if you are in Manitoba, the Premier (Mr.

Kinew) has talked about this–if you live in Manitoba and if you're willing to commit your life, if you're a student that wants to do well in t he class- room and succeed in your life, we're going to give you that hand up and that hand up includes the uni versal school nutrition program. Mr. Ewasko: Well, I see, Hon ourable Speaker, that the minister has one cheerleader over there in regards to her answers, but it's unfor tunate she continues to put misinformation on the record. Honourable–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr.

Ewasko: –Speaker, the obligation to report on the school nutrition program was actually established in May of–[interjection] The Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine) will come to order. Mr. Ewasko: So the obligation to–the–for schools to report on the program was esta blished in May 2023 under our govern ment, and so the minister had not answered my previous question on the fact that only 32 per cent of students, reported in December 2024, which is actually under their govern ment, has accessed the program.

So what types of things is she doing– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. MLA Schmidt: Honourable Speaker, it's unfortunate that the member opposite, who is currently the interim leader of this party, would get up and put those words on the record, which he knows to be misleading. The previous government required school divisions to report on a universe –apologies–on a nutrition pro- gram that was not delivered by them–not a dollar. Not one dollar was provided to school divisions for school nutrition under the previous government.

Again, schools and school divisions were left to rely on the goodwill and the fantastic folks in Manitoba, folks like Harvest Manitoba, folks like the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, that were work- ing hard to make sure that students here in Manitoba– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Just before we move on, I caution the member that suggesting that he –that a member knows to be misleading, is very dangerously close to being unparliamentary, so just choose your words a little more carefully in the future. * (15:40) Mr.

Perchotte: Can the minister let the House know what is the investment that's been done for infra - structure for the schools to deliver this: for the freezers, refrigerators and the other items required to deliver? Isn't that important? [interjection]

1122 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 The Speaker: Order, please. MLA Schmidt: Yes. Thank you to the member oppo- site for the question, and I'm glad to–I'm surprised that he's not aware. But I'm glad to share with all members of this House that care to pay attention that as part of our universal nutrition funding, a signi ficant portion of that funding, especiall y in these first couple years as we roll it out, is spe cifically earmarked for divi - sions to invest into the infrastructure that he's talking about. Many schools do have infrastructure.

Many schools, again, were already delivering meals for their students. But those schools who need to invest in infrastructure like fridges, like staff, are absolutely provided funds to do that and, again, are having fantastic, great success and in credible outcomes in feeding kids in their schools. Mr. Ewasko: It sounds like it was a very good question from the member from Selkirk, because the minister got up and actually put some answers on the record. So the question to the minister is: How many dollars that is based in this $30- million school nutrition program is actually coming from the federal government?

MLA Schmidt: Zero. So we do absolutely, thanks to the leadership of Nello Altomare –introducing a $30-million provincial investment–an annual $30-million provincial univer sal nutrition program –we inspired the federal gov ernment to come up –they thought, what a great idea that they had there in Manitoba. What fantastic leadership of Nello Altomare. Perhaps, as a federal government, we should invest. So absolutely. Have there been dollars invested here in Manitoba thanks to the leadership of Nello Altomare? Absolutely.

The $30- million investment here in Manitoba is a $30-million provincial– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Mr. Perchotte: With the importance of purchasing local in Nello's Law, can the minister give us a dollar value of what's actually being spent in the local com- munities to support this nutrition program? MLA Schmidt: It is fantastic to know that the mem- bers opposite are so intrigued about our universal nutrition program that –although it's been rolled out for a year, that they're finally asking some questions about it. They're concerned about feeding kids.

But that hasn't always been the case, Honourable Speaker. The members opposite have put some very interesting words on the record, both in this House and also in the local media. So let's remind Manitobans about what the members opposite think about feeding children: If children are going to school hungry, parents aren't fulfilling their responsibilities. That was former premier, failed premier, Brian Pallister in this House on March 4, 2020. So I ask members opposite if they agree with the former premier. Mr.

Ewasko: The Minister of Education will have an opportunity shortly, within the next year and a half or so, to get on the opposition side and actually ask some questions. So I ask the minister today, in clause 2, subsection 1(1), who did she–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr. Ewasko: –collaborate with to come up with that particular clause in the bill? MLA Schmidt: It's a very important clause, Honour- able Speaker, although I'm sure Manitobans like me would scratch their head and really have to dig deep to try to think about someone that might disagree with feeding hungry kids in school.

But, unfortunately, that is the reality for members opposite. So again, let's get back into our time machine. James Teitsma, former PC MLA who was defeated, said in the CTV News on February 27 of 2020: This is a bad idea. Kids need to eat breakfast in their own home. So, again, Manitobans: I, like you, believe in feeding kids. Unfortunately, members opposite think that feeding kids– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Mr. Perchotte: Can the minister let me know –let us know in the House if this is fully imple mented in all the schools in Manitoba at this stage?

MLA Schmidt: Thank you to the leadership of former Minister of Education, Nello Altomare, every child in Manitoba who needs access to a healthy meal in school has that access today. Mr. Ewasko: So Hon ourable Speaker, it's obvious that the minister doesn't know the answers to the ques- tions that we're trying to put forward. It's unfortunate that the–[interjection] The Speaker: Order.

April 8, 2025 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1123 Mr. Ewasko: –you know, the clause that I mentioned, she dodged the question. It's okay. She'll have the oppor tunity over this second reading, plus committee, plus third reading, to educate herself on the bill that she brought forward, Honourable Speaker. [interjection] And it's unfortunate– The Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine) will come to order. Mr.

Ewasko: So I guess, really, in the big picture, Honourable Speaker, the 70 cents a day for students, is that to go to those infra structure components that the minister mentioned earlier in her answer to my good friend and colleague, the member from Selkirk? MLA Schmidt: Again, the member opposite, while he stands in his place and feigns some sort of interest in caring for children or feeding them, what he's doing right now, Honourable Speaker, is heckling our mem- bers. He's mansplaining education to me. He won't stand in his place and apologize to kids in Manitoba that he refused to feed.

Under his watch, Honourable Speaker, the children that we were feeding, that we are feeding today, sat in their desks hungry every day while this failed Educa- tion Minister defended a government that said feeding kids was a bad idea. Will he stand in his place today and apologize– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. And the time for question period has expired. Debate The Speaker: The floor is open for debate. Mr.

Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): It gives me great pleasure to stand today and put a few words on the record in regards to Bill 17, The Public Schools Amendment Act, also known as Nello's Law.

And it's unfor tunate that this minister –and Manitobans today witnessed the sheer anger coming from this minister–Education Minister–Education and Early Child hood Learning Minister, Honour able Speaker, who, unfortunately, I take a look across all their benches –the NDP's benches –and there's many people there that I think–I personally think–and I've got to know a few of them –would've made a good Education minister–[interjection]. And not one to take partisan shots, when they get up on such an im portant bill, to not only Manitobans but also to students, themselves.

We on this side of the House, Honourable Speaker, despite–despite–what the member for St. Johns or the Minister of Education has to say, absolutely believes that feeding kids, feeding students, is an im portant thing to do. As a teacher, myself, of over 17 years, we know that students, on a day-to-day basis, learn better when their tummies are full. And so I know that the member for St. Johns, Honourable Speaker, wants to get up and put a few words on the record.

But, you know, much like the Education Minister, who I believe put on this very important bill–I would like to actually talk a little b it about the original sponsor of this bill, Nello Altomare, who was a teacher and he was a great advocate for education, both in opposition and in government. * (15:50) And, again, Honourable Speaker, it's unfor tunate that I'm getting heckled from the Minister for Families, who has her own de partment issues and the Minister for Education, who has her own department issues.

But the fact is that over the time under the Progressive Conservative govern ment and as the Minister of Education, we had worked collaboratively not only with our com munity partners, stakeholders, but also school boards, schools, com munity centres, absolutely to bring in various different funds. And it was actually our government that had more than doubled the grant to the Canadian council for food and nutrition right here in Manitoba, Honourable Speaker, September 1st of 2022.

So when the Educa- tion Minister, who by profession is a lawyer, gets up and absolutely puts false infor mation on the record, it's deplorable, Honourable Speaker. The Speaker: Order, please. I do believe I just heard the honourable Leader of the Official Op position suggest that someone was knowingly putting false infor mation on the record. I could be mistaken, but if one says that there's been misinformation, that's different than suggesting some- one has put misinformation on, on purpose. That would be wrong. Mr.

Ewasko: Honourable Speaker, if I did say what you're accusing me of, I do apologize because –but I don't think I did.

1124 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2025 But that being said, we'll have to check Hansard and you'll check Hansard and we'll all be happy moving forward with the fact that, again, it doesn't stop the fact that this Minister of Edu cation, who by lawyer of a –as a profession, puts misinformation on the record, because we more than doubled the –to the food and nutrition council of Manitoba–to the tune of a total of $2.5 million. We more than doubled. So the NDP sat on their hands in 17 years of gov ernment, failed. They failed, Honourable Speaker.

I know that the Minister for Environment and Climate Change wants to put some words on the record, but we're getting away from the bill. He's happy to have announced yesterday–I think there's going to be probably a Cabinet shuffle, so for those educators back there, there might be a spot. But he announced yesterday about the new carbon tax that they're going to bring in, but we're here to talk–[interjection] The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. I've called the Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine) to order several times. The language she is using in her heckles needs to stop. Mr.

Ewasko: And, Honourable Speaker, once again, I appreciate your guidance. I mean, again we, on this side of the House, absolutely believe that kids should be going to school with a full tummy. And we know that, even myself being an educator and many educators across the way in the NDP benches, know the benefits of having those snacks or meals, or both, as the definition. So I'm actually answering my question to the minister, so the minister knows for future that the actual clause in No. 2 is the question that I asked. And the Minister of Families is saying how gross. Well, I–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr.

Ewasko: Honourable Speaker, I agree with her. I think her Premier (Mr. Kinew) has said and put things on–many times on the record, gross things. But these are his words. And whatever sh

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	43-2-38b
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	43rd 2nd hansardpdf 38b.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	93bee09a783150326a7f28c7e6798a214413b289

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