Manitoba Hansard — 25 May 2016 (Sitting 7, 41st Legislature, 1st Session)

41-1-7

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

First Session – Forty-First Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXIX No. 7 - 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 25, 2016 ISSN 0542-5492

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-First Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP BINDLE, Kelly Thompson PC CHIEF, Kevin Point Douglas NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC CURRY, Nic Kildonan PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FLETCHER, Steven, Hon. Assiniboia PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon.

River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Clifford Emerson PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake PC JOHNSTON, Scott St. James PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP KLASSEN, Judy Kewatinook Lib. LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMOUREUX, Cindy Burrows Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MAYER, Colleen St.

Vital PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REYES, Jon St. Norbert PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. St. Paul PC SELINGER, Greg St. Boniface NDP SMITH, Andrew Southdale PC SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC SWAN, Andrew Minto NDP TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WHARTON, Jeff Gimli PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian, Hon.

Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC YAKIMOSKI, Blair Transcona PC

179 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, May 25, 2016 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, and know it with certainty an d accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. Please be seated.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Madam Speaker: Introduction of bills? Committee reports? TABLING OF REPORTS Hon. Heather Stefanson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table the Annual Report of the Manitoba Office of the Commissioner, Law Enforcement Review Agency for 2014 and the Annual Report of the Provincial Court of Manitoba for 2013-14. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Madam Speaker: T he required 90- minutes' notice prior to routine proceedings was provided in accordance with rule 26(2). Would the honourable Minister of Families please proceed with the ministerial statement.

National Missing Children's Day Hon. Scott Fielding (Minister of Families): Madam Speaker, I'm honoured to rise today in the House to recognize National Missing Children's Day in Canada. Declared in 1986 by the Solicitor General of Canada, National Missing Children's Day i s com - memorated internationally on May 25th every year. This special day serves as an important opportunity to raise public awareness about the plight of missing children and their families.

It's also an important opportunity, Madam Speaker, for governments and communities to renew their efforts in finding missing children, honouring those still missing and take action to improve child safety and strengthening efforts to locate and unite missing children with their families. As a parent myself, I can only imagine how the time during which a child is missing must seem like an eternity to parents and families regarding of its duration. I can only imagine the deep feelings of emptiness and despair that these parents feel with their families must face.

Madam Speaker, this is why I am –extremely important and we're pleased as a government to introduce–will be introducing the protecting children act to make it easier for government departments, child and family service authorities, community service providers and law enforcement agencies to share information and collaborate while dealing with victimization and at-risk children.

On National Missing Children's Day, I would also like to remind the parents and families of missing children that they are not alone, to pay–and I want to pay tribute to the work and service that service providers, community members and law enforcement officers and officials working tirelessly to find missing children and reunite families and to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening t he information-sharing tools and resources that are available to support these important issues. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St.

Johns ): Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark International Missing Children's Day, an opportunity to reflect on how we as a nation work to make child protection a priority, and, what's more, to acknowledge the thousands of families left devastated owing to the traumatic and sorrowful disappearance of their children. Of the hundreds of children who go mis sing across Canada each year, a disproportionate number of them are young indigenous children.

A 2015 United Nations report found that young indigenous women and girls are more than five times likely to die under violent circumstances or to go missing; th is compared to their nonindigenous counterparts.

180 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 Today is an opportunity to honour the thousands of sons and daughters who have never returned home to their families. Madam Speaker, children like Sunshine Wood, a typical 16 -year-old girl with an exuberant sense of humour who moved to Winnipeg to attend high school. Sunshine disappeared from the downtown Winnipeg on February 20th, 2004 and has never been seen again.

Sunshine's father, Anthony Wood, is a loving, caring father who is very active within the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls movement, attending countless vigils, memorials and gatherings as his health permits. Anthony has never stopped looking for his daughter. Or like Lucas Degerness, who slept over at a friend's house on June 7th, 2007 in Prince George, BC, and, like, Sunshine, has never been seen again. His mother, Gina, and his baby sister are also very active in bringing attention to missing and murdered indigenous men and boys.

Each year on Lucas's birthday, Gina organizes a vigil in honour of his memorial, annually rededicating her life to bringing him home, while highlighting for all Canadians the devastating impacts and trauma these disappearances leave on their families– Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired. Some Honourable Members: Leave. Madam Speaker: Is there leave of the House to allow her to continue? [Agreed] Ms. Fontaine: Or children like Jennifer Catcheway, who went missing the day before her 18th birthday on June 19th, 2008.

Jennifer was expected back home for her 18th birthday party that her parents, Bernice and Wilfred Catcheway, organized for her. She never returned home and has never been seen since. Bernice and Wilfred are also incredibly active in bringing attention to their daughter's disappearance through media interviews, docu- mentary presentations and speaking engagements.

Every spring and fall, Jennifer's parents search all over Manitoba for their daughter, searching in garbage dumps, along rivers, deep in the bush, all the while raising dolla rs towards a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of their beloved daughter. They have and will never stop looking for their daughter. Too many families across Canada tragically have children who are missing. Indeed, they are left confronting an unimaginable nightmare with no answers as to where their sons or daughters are.

And yet these families provide an example of the spirit of perseverance, resiliency and unconditional love as they continue to fight to bring home their children. These families became leaders in the call for a national inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. They launched local initiatives to protect marginalized and vulnerable indigenous girls and have built a network of support for other grieving families. And with the launch of the national inquiry, we will finally have a com - prehensive understanding of how and why a disproportionate number of indigenous children go missing each year.

Still, there is more work to be done in safeguarding our children. For instance, we must ensure the safety of children with the development of a 24-7 drop-in centre for indigenous women and girls and provide additional supports for families living through such trauma. * (13:40) And so, Madam Speaker, let t oday be yet another reminder of how many families are affected by this crisis and how many lives might be saved if we continue to invest in and commit to the safety of our children. Miigwech.

Madam Speaker: Prior to proceeding, I would just like to remind members that documents or pictures should not be held up because they could be construed as exhibits, so I would ask all honourable members to remember that in the future. So thank you. Mrs. Judy Klassen (Kewatinook): I'd like to ask leave to respond to the minister's statement. Madam Speaker: Is there leave? [Agreed] Mrs. Klassen: I thank the minister for his statement on International Missing Children's Day. I am proud that Canada is one of 22 countries that are actively participating in the global Missing Children's Network.

My hope is that we never relax on our duties to protect our most vulnerable, our children. We can all reflect upon the most recent case of Chase Martens, the toddler that went missing from h is home in Austin. We were all equally overcome with grief as we heard of the tragic outcome in this situation.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 181 Chase Martens is, unfortunately, only one of many stories. I remember while living in Brandon my parents took all five of us kids to the local community hall. A two -year-old had gone missing, and my parents wanted us to all participate in the search-and-rescue efforts. Sadly, this young child was found face down in an uncovered pool. It was a sad time in my young life, and I learned early on to be fearful of children going missing. I have met many people along my campaign trail that are living daily with this type of perpetual grief.

Manitoba has the highest rate of missing children. In this great city of Winnipeg, 83 per cent of the missing c hildren are in CFS care, with a total of 8,684 cases reported in Manitoba alone. I want to thank all the people in this room that have dedicated their lives to helping those afflicted with the loss of a child, but I especially want to thank our indigenous advocates, our families of these children who are missing today.

When each of you return to your homes today take a long look into your child's eyes, or your nieces' and nephews', and share a hug with them on behalf of myself because I care equally for the safety of all your children as I do for the ones I cannot hug. Thank you. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Paramedic Services Week–Aid to Fort McMurray Mr. James Teitsma (Radisson): Madam Speaker, I'm honoured to rise in this House today during Paramedic Services Week. Our paramedics are dedicated, caring, compassionate and professional.

They're ordinary people who do extraordinary things, and that's why we take time to honour these women and men who are saving lives and working with integrity every day in their service to Manitobans. But, Madam Speaker, I can tell you that sometimes our paramedics go above and beyond our already high expectations for them. Earlier this month Canadians watched in horror as wildfires raged throughout Fort McMurray, destroying the homes and livelihoods of tens of thousands. Manitobans wanted to help, but to make that happen, leadership was needed. Radisson resident and paramedic Kevin Martin stepped forward.

He, together with his father Mel and his paramedic friends remembered that the assistance that the entire country gave to us here in Manitoba in the flood of 1997 should now be returned, and it was Manitoba's turn to help. They arranged for a semi-trailer to be filled with baby wipes, diapers, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, blankets, bottled water and so much more to go to the Edmonton emergency relief society. Kevin received extensive support through social media, newspaper articles, TV interviews and radio.

In just a few short days the trailer was completely filled, thanks to the generosity of Manitoban businesses and individuals. Kevin and his truck-driving father then drove the rig out to Edmonton so that it could directly benefit those who needed it as soon as possible. Paramedic Kevin Martin is in the gallery today, together with his family and another paramedic, a member of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba, and I ask that the House honour his efforts in showing love to the –our neighbours in Fort McMurray and bringing out the best in us as Manitobans. Thank you. Stittco Energy Propane Explosion Mr.

Tom Lindsey (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, a propane explosion levelled a Stittco Energy building in Flin Flon this morning, injuring at least one person. Our thoughts are with all of those that are affected and their fa milies as they deal with their injuries and the shock of this incident. So far, the company has confirmed that one person was injured and is in the hospital. We are waiting more details on who the injured is, whether it was more than one person, and how s evere those injuries might be.

According to Flin Flon's chief administrative officer Mark Kolt, as reported by CBC this morning, employees at the propane supply company, Stittco Energy, were doing repair work at 7:30 and they did not realize that apparently there was a propane leak. The explosion knocked out power to parts of Flin Flon, including many homes. The city closed Third Avenue, which essentially cuts the city in half. Ruth Betts Community School temporarily cancelled classes as many students ha d no way to get through to get to school.

I expect that Stittco Energy and Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health will conduct thorough investigations that provide answers for those injured

182 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 and their families and a way forward to protect workers and the community. It pains me to be talking in this House about another workplace accident so soon after the metal worker's death that occurred May 5th in Winnipeg. It is worth repeating that anytime someone is injured in a workplace accident it is an injury to a ll of us. Our caucus will work to do its part to make sure that Manitoba government is doing everything it can to protect workers' health and safety. Madam Speaker, we extend our sympathy to everyone who has been affected by this accident.

Our thoughts a re with them and their families. Thank you. 1994-1995 Manitoba Alliance Teams Mr. Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): Good afternoon to my fellow members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, and thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to address the Chamber. Today, I rise in the House with great pride and enthusiasm to commend the 1994 and 1995 Manitoba Alliance Junior Men's teams as the first softball teams inducted into the Manitoba hall of fame on May 7, 2016. The 1994 team captured many successful moments, including bringing home silver medals from the Canadian national championships in St.

Catharines. The success of the team continued, and in 1995, John Peters, an avid athlete himself, led the 23 -man team to win Manitoba's first gold medal at the Canadian Junior Men's national championships. Although the team founded Alliance in its name through having players from other parts of Canada, including Saskatchewan, Flin Flon and Ontario, it was founded in Landmark by Fran Giesbrecht. Many talented pla yers from the great constituency of Dawson Trail made lasting impressions in the hearts and minds of many athletes and other –and baseball enthusiasts alike.

Today, I would also like to touch on the word teamwork in this speech –oh, sorry –by the word teamwork in the speech by echoing what Mr. Peters said in a recent interview, which was: Not everyone on the squad was equally talented, but it was just the right combination of talent and character for them to be awarded. I believe this statement reflects what a team needs to be to succeed, and I will take that with me on my journey as a member in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. Madam Speaker, I ask leave to have the names of the players and the coaching staff added to Hansard. Thank you.

Madam Speaker: Is there leave to add the names into Hansard? [Agreed] 1994: Rob Giesbrecht, centre field; Kelly Peters, pitcher; Darryn Thiessen, third base; Brad Bouchard, catcher; Shannon Nepinak, pitcher; Randy Reimer, first base; Mike Nigh, infield; Nathan Giesbrecht, first base/catcher; Adrian Brown, first and third base; Thor Barkman, left field; Curtis Rouse, pitcher; Chris Taylor, outfield; Matt Funk, infield; Dan Daneault, infield; John Peters, manager; Fran Giesbrecht, coach; Ralph Nespor, coach; John Weier, manager. 1995: Rob Giesbrecht, centre field; Barry Zerbin, left field; Thor Barkman, left field; Randy Reimer, first base; Shannon Nepinak, pitcher; Tim Nichols, outfield; Trevor Salamandra, pitcher; Richie Thorvardson, pitcher; Kelly Peters, pitcher; Darren Rosenberger, second base; Cur tis Rouse, pitcher; Darryn Thie seen, third base; Dougall Dubinak, outfield; Jamie McCloy, catcher; Nathan Plett, infield; Mike Skene, shortstop; Rod Peters, coach; Fran Giesbrecht, coach; John Peters, manager.

Everybody Has the Right Program Mr. Andrew Swan (Minto): Madam Speaker, the Winnipeg School Division is remarkably diverse in its students, staff and the communities it serves. For the past two years, Winnipeg School Division has been teaching students about Canada's hum an rights journey through the Everybody Has the Right program. The program kicked off last October with a student summit address by Winnipeg's mayor, Brian Bowman. Mayor Bowman challenged students to find ways to celebrate the many wonderful cultures in Manitoba and work toward ending racism.

Throughout the year, students shared their own stories of diversity and brainstormed how to promote acceptance within schools and society. * (13:50) All this work and learning culminated in a day-long celebrating diversity event at The Forks last week. More than 2,000 students marched in a circle

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 183 around the Canadian museum of human rights as a symbolic tribute to everything they had shared and learned over the year. They carried silk banners painted with images of equity and diversity and watched performances from different school dance troupes and choirs. If you visit the Winnipeg School Division website you can see pictures from the celebration taken by students from the photography program at Tech Voc High school. Madam Speaker, it's never too early to teach young people about diversity.

Education is the key to building citizens who respect their peers and consciously push for equality in their schools, workplaces and homes. I am proud that my children and the c hildren of so many of my constituents attend schools in the Winnipeg School Division. Programs like Everybody Has the Right are, without question, key investments in Manitoba's future as we continue to pursue reconciliation, welcome newcomers and celebrate human rights and diversity. I congratulate the Winnipeg School Division on its efforts to make its students the best citizens they can be. Thank you. Shooters Family Golf Centre Mr.

Nic Curry (Kildonan): I rise today to share with my colleagues a hidden gem located in my constituency, Shooters Family Golf Centre. I would like to thank the Cerasani family who own and operate Shooters Family Golf Centre. In attendance today are Guido Cerasani, Sue Cerasani, Amy Cerasani and Eason Cerasani. A staple of our community, Shooters Family Golf Centre is the only privately owned, family - operated publicly accessed golf course in the city of Winnipeg.

Starting out as a humble driving range off Main Street at the city limits, Shooters is now considered to be a premier beginner -friendly facility which offers a wide range of golf services. Whether people want to come and enjoy a friendly game of minigolf, improve their swings on the driving range or test their skills on the 18 -hole par 57 executive course, Shooters Family Golf Centre has it all. Their services extend beyond golf with their restaurant and event centre.

Excellent dining and lounging options await any who work up an appetite during their golfing activities or who wish to hold events such as wedding receptions, fundraisers or good old- fashioned Sunday brunch. There's even a small camping site for those who wish to get away from the city without actually leaving. In addition to all the sporting and leisure activities Shooters provides, it als o plays an important role for young people in the community.

Many local youths get their first summer job at the golf course, and this opportunity provides them with more than their first paycheque; it provides them life skills and character building that will serve them later in life. Personal note, a young corporal from the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada once purchased his first set of full golf clubs there some eight years ago. I continue to be a proud supporter of this institution in my constituency. Shooters Family Golf Centre is a shining example that hard work, prudent management and a dream can grow into something wonderful in our community.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Introduction of Guests Madam Speaker: Prior to oral questions, I w ould like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have with us today Emmett and Christel Hildebrandt. Emmett has been spending the day at the Legislative Building with the Assembly's director of the teachers instit ute and the classroom in the Legislature to gain a greater understanding of our democratic system. On behalf of all honourable members, I'd like to welcome you here this afternoon.

I would also like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us today Graham and Margaret Garnett, who are from England, and Keith and Pauline Miners from Winnipeg, who are the guests of the honourable member for Rossmere (Mr. Micklefield). On behalf of all honourable, members we we lcome you here today. And also in the public gallery, from Grant Park High school, 32 grade 9 students under the direction of Reshal Stein. The group is–this group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for River Heights (Mr.

Gerrard), a nd we welcome you here today as well.

184 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 ORAL QUESTIONS MTS Capital Investment Cellphone Rate Increase Ms. Flor Marcelino (Leader of the Official Opposition): Madam Speaker, every phone company has to constantly invest to compete. MTS spent $1 billion for service investments over five years. Bell is promising more of the same. The Premier has endorsed the deal and increased rates, saying you get what you pay for. What a dismissive attitude. Can the Premier actually explain why he is pushing for so much higher cell rates for similar investments in cellular service? Hon.

Brian Pallister (Premier): I thank my colleague for the question and the opportunity it gives me to respond that our party has great concern about making sure that Manitobans get value for money from their taxes and in every respect.

And this is a concern that we saw –that we demonstrated while in opposition: As an example, when we stood against the government of the day's attempts to raise taxes on Manitobans, to raise the PST, to put the PST on workers' benefits, to put it on people's home insurance and to erode the purchasing power of Manitobans, to take hard- earned money away from Manitobans who were promised that they would not see their taxes increase.

This was the record of the p revious government, and their demonstrated lack of concern for Manitobans' take -home pay is well understood by Manitobans who chose not to support them at the ballot box in the last election. Madam Speaker: The honourable interim Official Opposition Leader, on a supplementary question. Sale of MTS to Bell Competitive Environment Ms. Flor Marcelino (Leader of the Official Opposition): The Premier is saying value for money, but we all know the same amount will be invested by Bell, no difference with what MTS has spent already over five years. So where's the value there?

MTS spent $1 billion to upgrade and improve their service. Bell is promising more of the same. If we lose MTS–well, we lost it to the privatization last time–we lose one competitor, and co nsumers lose out. Can the Premier please explain why he has failed to serve the public interest? Hon.

Brian Pallister (Premier): Well, thank you again to my colleague for the opportunity to say, Madam Speaker, that serving the public interest is what we're about over here and, in fact, that was not what the previous administration was about when they chose to Americanize our Manitoba Hydro, when they chose to expend hundreds of millions of dollars unnecessarily in a hydro line that goes 500 kilometres around precious land in Manitoba, destroys beautiful green space and infringes on Metis and First Nations people's homelands, interrupts their ability to do their harvesting and to engage in the quality of life that they want to create for themselves and their families.

And to see the results of that is –it saddens one who cares about the beauty of our natural resources in this province. The acceleration of hydro rates under the previous administration as a result of the total disrespect that that administr ation showed to Manitobans' pocketbooks and to giving them value for money is well understood by Manitobans who, again, Madam Speaker, rejected that agenda of paying more and getting less that the previous administration became known for. Madam Speaker: The honourable interim Official Opposition Leader, on a final supplementary question. Opposition to Sale Ms.

Marcelino: Madam Speaker, a lot of Manitobans–and I've spoken to some of them on the doorstep–has–this Premier has a hidden agenda. These last few days perfectly illustrate why. Only days after the election, he endorses a deal that will lead to dramatic increases in costs for consumers without increased investment for services. Manitobans are concerned: Will the Premier stand up for Manitoba consume rs and oppose the sale at the Competition Bureau and CRTC? Mr.

Pallister: Well, no, Madam Speaker, you see, what the opposition doesn't seem to understand is that the coverage will be improved for Manitoba consumers along a major trade artery, Highway 75. Opportunities for job creation and additional wealth creation by Manitobans and by those who travel to our country will be enhanced. We will have additional opportunities for tourism, and encouraging people to come back here is easier to do when they can get cell reception along Highway 75.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 185 And we believe there is more to come. In fact, the best interests of Manitobans will continue to be served by this administration in every respect. * (14:00) Sale of MTS to Bell Government Support Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood): To the Premier (Mr. Pallister) I would say that MTS is already doing what he has been–what he's talking about. The Premier said he's fine with paying more for cellphone service.

And regarding Bell's $1- billion promise of new infrastructure over five years, that is $200 million per year, exactly what MTS has been spending in each of the last five years. The–can th e Premier explain why he's supporting a deal that will mean Manitoba families will pay much higher rates and lose their unlimited data? Hon. Cliff Cullen (Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade ): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for this important question. I do, first of all, want to thank the minister – sorry–the member for Flin Flon (Mr. Lindsey) for his statement in the House today.

Clearly, all of our thoughts are with the people that were impacted by the–that situation this morning in Flin Flon. W e are hopeful the injuries or injury is not too serious. Clearly, this is a case where it could have been much worse. I will advise the House that the Office of the Fire Commissioner will be arriving in Flin Flon soon. Workplace health and safety people are on scene right now. And we certainly will work with the community of Flin Flon. Thank you. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Elmwood, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Maloway: Thank you, Madam Speaker, though the government is totally ducking i ts answers to questions on the Bell takeover of MTS. The Globe and Mail recently pointed out that MTS's own investments and projected investments compare either favourably to or better than Bell offers. This means that no added investment is coming for Manitoba families. Can the Premier tell Manitobans why his government is so keen to welcome Bell's $1 -billion investment but not MTS's? It's the same amount of money over five years.

Even though having a fourth cellphone company helps keep rates low for families who can't afford the $100 or more per month for their phone bill –and, by the way, contrary to what their own federal government, the Harper government, tried to do over 10 years: promote a fourth provider. Mr. Cullen : Madam Speaker, again, I tha nk the member for the question. And in terms of safety, I think we should–we can address this issue in terms of safety. Clearly, we're going to work with any private enterprise that wants to invest money in Manitoba, and we certainly applaud that investment in Manitoba.

We're particularly excited about it when it will improve access and, I think, safety in Manitoba. Certainly, I had a situation in my riding not too long ago with the lack of access to cell service. Could have been certainly a benefit in resolving a very critical situation. So we think this $1 -billion investment is an investment in safety for all Manitobans. And we support that. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Elmwood, on a final supplementary. Mr. Maloway: Madam Speaker, the gov ernment's going to extraordinary lengths to avoid answering our questions on this matter.

The government has jumped to endorse a corporate deal that will make Bell Canada share- holders very happy but only made vague promises about better service while admitting that it's probably going to cost Manitobans a lot more every month. This deal just doesn't make sense. Since the deal isn't benefiting Manitoba families, can the Premier explain what his motives are behind supporting Bell Canada? Mr. Cullen: Madam Speaker, again, I appreciate the member's concern on this issue. Clearly, the NDP are all over the map on this particular issue.

We had the previous member from Kildonan, back on March 15th of this year, say, and I quote: And now we have no cell service in rural Manitoba. Our rates of –telephone rates are amongst the highest in Canada. End quote.

186 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 Madam Speaker, we work –continue to work with private enterprise, we will build Manitoba and we will build the telephone system here in Manitoba. Madam Speaker: The honourable interim Official Opposition Leader, on a question. Sale of MTS to Bell Job Creation Promise Ms. Flor Marcelino (Leader of the Official Opposition): Madam Speaker, I just heard the Premier's response that the sale will be –will result in additional wealth creation. Just wondering: For whom? My question, Madam Speaker: The Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade (Mr.

Cullen) promised yesterday that with the Bell acquisition there is going to be job creation here in Manitoba. Has the Premier had assurances that this is, in fact, the case? Hon.

Brian Pallister (Premier): Well, the first part of the question was opportunities for who, and that would be for all Manitobans and we would expect – [interjection] The former leader of the –well, for small - business people across the province, for farmers, for people who run retail businesses, for –in fact, for civil servants who travel, the additional safety opportunities in terms of transportation safety for people offering care in rural communities, there would be innumerable advantages Manitobans would derive.

Also we have a commitment to invest not only in Manitoba, but to make Manitoba the western head office for the newly –new association of the two companies. These are all assur ances which we will follow up on and make sure that these assurances are kept. But it is –it passes strange that the government opposite now strikes itself as the defender of what was and will continue to be a massive employer in our province, when just t hree months ago their former leader said, quote, every time a young person or somebody picks up their cellphone bill they notice it's one of the higher ones in the world.

They're trying to defend something they decried for 17 years. There's no consistency, Madam Speaker, no con- sistency in the positions the members opposite are taking. Thank you. Madam Speaker: The honourable interim Official Opposition Leader, on a supplementary question. Ms. Marcelino: I'm thinking the Premier ought to let his minister in on the secret that is, in fact, the levels of investment proposed by Bell are no higher than what MTS is already doing. If you don't increase investment there won't be more jobs, and there was – there is no increase in investment.

Will the Premier addres s this fact today and correct his minister on this issue? Mr. Pallister: Attracting investment to Manitoba is critical, and I appreciate the member raising it. The fact is we are 10th out of 10 under the previous administration in doing so, and so we have nowhere to go but up at this point, and we'll continue to make every effort to make Manitoba a more attractive place to work and live and invest as well. Investment attraction is critical to creating jobs. Members opposite may not believe that, but it is a fact well understood to members on this side of the House.

Madam Speaker: The honourable interim Official Opposition Leader, on a final supplementary. Ms. Marcelino: There will be much higher rates for consumers but no increased investment in capital t o improve services, no assurances that there will be increased jobs. In fact, the loss of jobs at MTS has already started. MTS announced late last year that positions would be eliminated. Can the Premier please tell the House what assurances he received t o preserve jobs before he wholeheartedly embraced the deal? Mr. Pallister: I appreciate the member's concerns, Madam Speaker.

All of us share those concerns when people lose their jobs or are transferred to other provinces, as has been the case under the previous administration. All too often we have led this country among all the provinces in out -migration. We have lost more people than every other province for our size. So these are legitimate concerns that she raises today. But service enhancement, be tter cellphone coverage, better Internet, faster Internet for Manitobans is a good-news story for all Manitobans. We'll benefit all Manitobans.

We'll help all Manitobans to create greater job opportunities and to have more job security, and to have more sa fety here in the province they love. And we will continue to work on behalf of all Manitobans to see advances

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 187 such as this continue and better opportunities for a better future to be created here in Manitoba. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, on a question. Sale of MTS to Bell Employment Loss Concerns Mr. Kevin Chief (Point Douglas): Yesterday the minister quoted a survey done by innovation and research in the Globe and Mail, and he said that they found that jobs and economy –and economic growth were the highest priority for Canadians. On this side of the House, Madam Speaker, we agree with that survey. Manitobans agree with that survey.

Jobs are important to Manitobans. * (14:10) So I ask the Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade: If he thinks that jobs are important then he should be able to clearly indicate today what assurances he has received that there will be no job losses in the sale of MTS. Hon. Cliff Cullen (Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade ): I appreciate the question from the member opposite. And, you know, I would concur with the interim Leader of the Opposit ion. We have suffered job losses previously under this –under the previous government across Manitoba. We've also lost headquarter offices here in Manitoba as well.

We've seen headquartered offices move outside of Manitoba. We think under this new partner ship with Bell, obviously, the expansion of the head office in Winnipeg should be a good thing for Manitobans, and we will continue to work with people who want to invest in Manitoba. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, on a supplementary question. Mr. Chief: I asked a similar question yesterday; he gave me an answer. I asked a similar question today; he gives me a different answer. He's a bit confused on what's going on with the sale of MTS.

He doesn't know if he's representing Bell C anada here in the House or if he's representing Manitobans. So I'm going to ask him again: Yesterday the Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade stated for the record that with the sale of MTS, he said, for the record, that there's going to be job creat ion here in Manitoba. That's what he's saying. I don't know if he's saying it on behalf of Bell Canada, he's saying it on behalf of Manitobans. But that's what he said. And if that is true, and he said it yesterday, how many of those will be permanent jobs in this deal? Mr.

Cullen: I appreciate the concern that members have. We obviously have concern about jobs in Manitoba as well, and that's why we continue to join in partnerships with free enterprise across the province. We've seen an increase in investments coming to Manitoba. We're going to continue to work with those people who invest in Manitoba, and we think great things will happen in Manitoba. There is a tremendous amount of potential, great opportunities in Manitoba, and we continue –we will co ntinue to work with Manitobans and free enterprise to deliver jobs to Manitobans.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, on a final supplementary. Mr. Chief: Madam Speaker, it's clear. The last time the Premier (Mr. Pallister) made a deal for MTS, his friends got richer. Manitobans paid more. He seems to be comfortable with that formula, hundreds of jobs gone, if not thousands of jobs gone. I've travelled to those member opposites' rural ridings, and you talk to those young people, they will tell you they're still devastated by the sale of MTS and the lack of connectivity. That is true.

We know that the sale of MTS –and the Premier sat at the table–it was a bad deal for Manitobans then; we know it's a bad deal today. When will the Premier and the minister stand up for Manitobans, stand up for young people and oppose the sale of MTS? Mr. Cullen : Again, I appreciate the question from the member. You know we're not going to debate the past here; we're focused on building Manitoba into the future. Manitobans have asked us to increase infrastructure, and infrastructure includes better cell service, better broadband across our province.

We think this is an opportunity to partner with a company like Bell to bring better se rvices to Manitoba. We stand up for better services for Manitoba, unlike the previous government.

188 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 New Child-Care Spaces Government Campaign Promise Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): During the last campaign, the Minister of Education announced that in addition to the 500 spots promised, there would be additional centre-based child-care spots for this year committed later in the campaign. Yet no further commitments were made and a child -care strategy was completely omitted from the Throne Speech. Can th e Minister of Education please tell the House when the construction will begin on those additional spaces and when he expects them to be completed? Hon.

Scott Fielding (Minister of Families): Thank the member for her question. Child care, of course, is an important piece for us, and we're absolutely committed to providing access, full access, for child -care spaces in this province; it's a really important piece. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Johns, on a supplementary question. Ms. Fontaine: I'm not entirely sure what that answer was, but recognizing this commitment addresses a mere 5 per cent on the waiting list. The press asked if there would be an additional child-care commitment.

The Minister of Education promised, and I quote: We cou ld expect more commitments in the campaign. Can the minister comment on these additional child-care promises? Mr. Fielding: Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the question. We very much are supportive of that. We made campaign commitments in terms of child care, which are extremely important. We need to consult with stakeholders. We need to consult with groups. We need consult with front -line workers to identify policies that make sense. We know right now, for the last number of years, we've had over 12,000 people on waiting lists.

That's unacceptable, in our opinion. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Johns, on a final supplementary. Ms. Fontaine: Madam Speaker, the minister concluded the announcement by telling the press, and I quote: We're not really making a large financial commitment at this point. Unquote. So, Madam Speaker, the government's child-care strategy is unclear to Manitobans. They've promised more than 500 spaces this year but have no financial plan to fund them.

Can we get some c larity from the minister on what this government will actually provide to hard- working Manitoban families who expect affordable, accessible and high-quality daycare? Mr. Fielding : Madam Speaker, and what – as mentioned, what we want to do, we want to–we're a new government. We want to consult with stakeholders, front-line workers. One thing that is for sure: After 17 years of government, having 12,000 people on a waiting list is completely unacceptable. Aboriginal Communities Mortality Rates Mrs.

Judy Klassen (Kewatinook): Madam Speaker, recently, while I was sitting in the hospital waiting room, I overheard someone say, I hope to die of natural causes. I thought to myself, how lucky. As an indigenous woman, I will likely never have that luxury. I was grateful to learn of the program held here on May 5th, Unto Every Person There is a Name. I would like to honour Precious Pascal, Teresa Robinson, Tina Fontaine, three of our murdered girls. Erabella Harper, Throne Kirkness, Kayleigh Okemow: three of our children who perished in house fires.

What measures is this government going to take so that I can stop burying my people from unnatural causes? Hon. Eileen Clarke (Minister of Indigenous and Municipal Relations ): Madam Speaker, thank you to our member opposite for that question, very heartfelt, and we experience this and see this across our province consistently, and we will certainly be aware of this and continue to do everything possible to ensure that lives are not taken early because of neglect or whatever other reason. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Kewatinook, on a supplementary question.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 189 Drug Trafficking Prevention Mrs. Klassen: Thank you for your response on record. Where there is no real market or a monopoly system exists, the black market flourishes. Gang life, prescription drug and alcohol abuse plague us. I would like to honour Scottie Mason, Eric Harper, Dakota Hunter, our murdered boys. In this city's major airport, one knows there is a possibility of being searched by a drug -sniffing canine. There are numerous measures in place to keep drug trafficking at bay.

Why can't these same security measures, which we rightfully deserve, be in place at our airports that service the North to help us combat our ravaging drug and alcohol problems? Ms. Clarke: Madam Speaker, again, I'd like to thank the member opposite for that question. We will continue to follow these and work with the stakeholders, regardless whether it's in the North or the rest of the province of Manitoba, working to see that people are safe and that they can live lives without fear and concern about where their future lies. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Kewatinook, on a final supplementary.

Mental Health-Care Services Mrs. Klassen: I appreciate the response. Suicide has a strong hold over the North. A total of 53 children died under CFS care in the last four years, seven from suicide. Those children cannot be named. I would like to honour Marietta Wood, Nikki Harper, Miah Monias, three youth who have committed suicide. This does not mean they don't have a voice.

I refuse to let them die in vain. * (14:20) Can this government tell me what types of measures they are putting in place to counter these unnatural deaths so that when I look into the eyes of any re sident in Manitoba, I can boast that we, together, are working to be the most improved province for everyone? Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Minister of Health , Seniors and Active Living ): I want to thank the member for her question. I know it's very heartfelt and it comes from personal experience and personal understanding of many families.

Certainly, we know that in the short time that I've been minister, it's one of the issues that I've raised on behalf of our government in terms of providing support for mental health for those who are living in the North. I know that I've had officials that have visited some of the northern communities recently to talk about mental health and to talk about suicide and other things. It is a collaborative effort. There are a number of different areas that we need to work with. I look forward, as well, with working with my federal counterpart, and I hope to meet with her soon to also look at other strategies.

We know that no one answer exists, but it will only come to an answer if we all work together, and I hope to work with her as well in the years ahead. Centrallia 2016 Trade Convention Mr. Nic Curry (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, my colleagues, it is an honour and privilege for the people of Kildonan that I stand here for the m today. I'm eternally grateful for their support. Madam Speaker, Manitobans rejected the NDP campaign of fear, division, false promises and chose a new Progressive Conservative government that is determined to overcome the challenges facing our province.

We'll work together with Manitobans to ensure that our decisions reflect the values of integrity, caring, inclusion, common sense and teamwork. The values of inclusion and teamwork the people of Kildonan and our entire province are known for are on display today at Centrallia. Madam Speaker, would the Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade please tell the House the role Centrallia plays in promoting the partnerships needed to attract new businesses and assist entrepreneurs? Hon.

Cliff Cullen (Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade): I thank the member for Kildonan from his question and welcome him to the Manitoba Legislature. Centrallia 2016 will allow Manitoba companies to explore a wide spectrum of opportunities to establish new business relationships. There are over 700 business leaders attending Centrallia from over 30 different countries representing five continents. Our new government is committed to supporting Manitoba businesses and expanding trade relations

190 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 around the world. Developing new avenues to move Manitoba products and assessing new markets are important for Manitoba's economic development. By taking a team approach and developing partnerships, we will grow business and we will make Manitoba the most improved province in Canada. Minimum Wage Increase Budget 2016 Commitment Mr. James Allum (Fort Garry-Riverview): To the great shame of the government, in last week's Throne Speech there was no attempt to address poverty in this province. In fact, the word poverty didn't even exist in the Throne Speech.

And then in the very minimalist letter that the Premier (Mr. Pa llister) sent to the Finance Minister as his so -called mandate letter, the –any attempt to address poverty was not mentioned in that, nor was the word poverty even mentioned in the letter at all. In fact, what the Premier directed the Finance Minister to do was to engage in a very severe attempt to gut the programs and services that Manitobans depend on. So can the Finance Minister at least assure the House today that he will continue the fine Manitoba tradition of raising the minimum wage every year? Hon.

Scott Fielding (Minister of Families): I want to thank the opposition member for the question. Poverty is an extremely important issue that needs to be dealt with. There's a number of government programs that are part of that. We are committed to ensuring that people pull themselves up in terms of poverty to make sure they have an affordable place to live and affordable living conditions for everyone. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Fort Garry-Riverview, on a supplementary question. Mr. Allum : Well, Madam Speaker, that question was directed to the Finance Minister.

It's clear that they don't have a complete understanding of their roles and responsibilities across the floor. So I want to ask the Finance Minister very directly, yes or no: Will he raise the minimum wage in the budget next week, yes or no? Hon. Cameron Friesen (Minister of Finance): I thank the member for the question. The premise is a bit confusing, of course, because we must understand the context is that in Manitoba child poverty has grown faster than in any other province, in any other jurisdiction. This is the context that we find ourselves in.

This is the legacy that has been left by our opponents across the way, and it is the commitment of this government to address these things. Where they have failed, we will succeed. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Fort Garry-Riverview, on a final supplementary. Mr. Allum: Madam Speaker, the minister may not have liked our attempts to address poverty in the ALL Aboard stra tegy, but we had a poverty reduction strategy. And the government to date does not have a poverty reduction strategy. Now, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Families are oh for two.

So we're going to keep on pitching here today. And I want to ask the Minister of Finance very directly: In next week's budget, will he raise the minimum wage this year and every year after it like this government did every single year on behalf of the most marginalized citizens in Manitoba? Mr. Friesen: Madam Speaker, the member certainly has a lot of zeal today on this issue, but he seemed to lack that kind of zeal for the 17 years that his party presided over this very important area.

I would remind this member that on a question of finance, any gov ernment that really took these issues seriously would not be a government that held down things like the basic personal exemption, would not have been a government that held down the tax brackets, would not have taken money from those who could least afford to give it, and they did it every year. They failed. We will get it right. Privatization of the Wheat Board Impact on Grain Prices Mr. Mohinder Saran (The Maples): Madam Speaker, first of all, I congratulate the Agriculture Minister for his appointment for this position.

My question is for the Minister of Agriculture: Does the minister agree with Jan Slomp, president of the National Farmers Union, that by privatizing the Canadian Wheat Board, that the former federal Conservative government has, quote , accomplished

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 191 the biggest transfer of wealth away from farmers in the history of Canada, quote? Hon. Ralph Eichler (Minister of Agriculture): I thank the member, my critic, for the question. And quite clearly, Madam Speaker, this government was in power when the Wheat Board was supposedly taken away from farmers, but they had a clear choice. They decided not to do nothing. We will listen to all our people. And we'll make sure that they get the right answers. Mr.

Saran: Madam Speaker, does the Minis ter of Agriculture accept the analysis from Swan River grain farmer Ken Sigurdson that with the single-desk Wheat Board, farmers received over 90 per cent of the port price, and now, with the privatized Wheat Board, farmers are receiving only 40 to 60 per cent of the port price for their wheat? Mr. Eichler: Thank the member for the question. What we will see is more elevators built in Manitoba. We're going to see growth in Manitoba. Yesterday we had the opportunity to talk about TPP.

What we saw from members opposite was, put a kibosh on growing the industry, seeing that the farmers have an opportunity to create more jobs. We are for farmers. We're support farmers. This government don't have a clue about them. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for The Maples, on a final supplementary. Mr. Saran: Madam Speaker, since members of this government supported the privatization of the Canadian Wheat Board, does the minister accept that privatizing the Wheat Board undercut the ability of smaller family farms across Manitoba and Canada to push for better rail service for shipping their grain? Mr.

Eichler: Again, I want to thank the member for the question. Quite clearly, on this side of the House, we understand that markets grow, investments on return of investments. Making sure that we have access to those markets is a priority for this government. They had 17 years of mismanagement. Our department's quite excited to be–have a Conservative government that's going to be listening to all farmers and all Manitobans. Health and Wellness Programs Continued Funding Commitment Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Madam Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living.

With an aging population, we know that an active lifestyle helps reduce the severity of some medical conditions and that preventative therapies can help reduce the number of people needing medical treatment. * (14:30) Will this minister commit to funding all wellness projects previously committed to, like the incredible Concordia health and fitness centre? Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Minister of Health , Seniors and Active Living): I thank the member for the question.

It is one of the positive things tha t I believe our government has done by bringing Healthy Living back under the main Department of Health, because they truly do work closely together, and there are a number of issues that Manitoba faces related to chronic disease, and some of those solutions come from active living, so it was a wise and a prudent decision by our government to bring Healthy Living back under the Ministry of Health, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: The honourable member of Concordia, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Wiebe: Madam Speaker, the Concordia Foundation has been a rock- solid partner in developing the health campus at Concordia Hospital. I had the opportunity to meet and present the members of the board with a letter of commitment ensuring that the province was comm itted to their vision of preventative health care and that the Concordia health and fitness centre would move forward. Can the minister here and now reassure the Concordia Foundation board and to all wellness projects that the money is and will remain committed to these projects? Mr.

Goertzen : Madam Speaker, I certainly commend the Concordia Foundation board, and, in fact, there are many foundations around Manitoba who are providing support, who are raising money, who are going into their communities and asking Manitobans, who are among the most generous in all of Canada, to support worthwhile projects. We

192 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 support Manitobans, we commend Manitobans for being such generous people and we look forward to working with them in the future on many of their priorities. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Concordia, on a final supplementary. Mr. Wiebe: Once again, Madam Speaker, I didn't hear the answer in that question. I'm wondering how the member for Rossmere (Mr.

Micklefield), who's in this House today, feels about the Minister of Health clearly not being interested in continuing an agreement that the government had with the Concordia Hospital board for a wellness centre. I also wonder if the member for Rossmere's constituents, how would they feel about this minister reneging on this commitment to our community to a wellness institute that serves his constituents as –in fact, is in the constituency of Rossmere. Mr.

Goertzen : As I said in my previous two answers, we are certainly looking forward to working with the many groups that exist in Manitoba who are doing good things every day, who are going to ordinary Manitobans and asking them to be part of something special, and we appreciate that. But I do want to say for the member opposite, in the short time that I've been able to serve with the new MLA for Rossmere, I can tell you I don't know if I've met a more dedicated MLA who is more consistently standing up for his constituents and raising those concerns.

In fact, I would say it's a good thing that, finally, there's an MLA for Rossmere who's bringing a true and consistent voice for his constituents here in the Legislature. Transparency and Accountability Government Commitment Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Madam Speaker, Manitobans knew that the pre vious government was no stranger to controversy, whether it came to the awarding of untendered contracts, the breaking of promises to Manitobans or the internal divisions and conflicts between its most senior members.

Can the Attorney General please info rm the House about what the government's plan is to providing a clean, open government that will reflect the values of integrity, caring, inclusion, common sense and teamwork in everything we do? Hon. Heather Stefanson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, I want to thank my honourable friend for the question today. It's a very good question. We certainly heard several times during that last 17 years of Manitobans who were tired of the broken promises from the previous NDP government.

We heard loud and clear that they wanted an open, clean government, Madam Speaker, and that's exactly what we're going to do, and we're going to ensure that we're an open and transparent government. We know that we ha ve already issued our mandate letters. In several areas within those mandate letters it talks about how we are going to be more open and transparent. That's exactly what we're going to do. Madam Speaker: The time for oral questions has expired. Petitions?

ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS THRONE SPEECH (Fifth Day of Debate) Madam Speaker: Resuming debate on the proposed motion of the honourable member for St. Norbert (Mr. Reyes) and the amendment and subamendment thereto, standing in the name of the honourable member for The Maples, who has 14 minutes remaining. Mr. Mohinder Saran (The Maples): I will start where I left the last time, and I was talking about how I was ready to go back to India because of racial problems and I almost –I asked my dad to send me a ticket. And he was a normal ordinary farmer.

He did not have that much money so he had to borrow first money to send me over here, now he had to borrow money again to take me back. Then he told me, I told you don't go. Why did you go at that time? But then later I–then he said, okay, I'm sending you the money and you can come back if you wa nt to. But I said, okay, Dad, I will try a little harder to stay a little longer. And it happened then I was –somehow my friends moved to Manitoba. They were going to Ontario; they were going to try to find job over here. They found jobs and they wrote me a letter, so I came over here.

Since then, October 1971, I'm over here and there were not that many East Indians at that time, maybe 30 to 35 hardly. Today it could be about 30,000 to 35,000, we don't know the exact number.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 193 And I had–as president of the –first of all, we started organizing ourselves, helping people who were coming from overseas. What happened, because I was in the school –high school where there was seven or eight of my villages were around there, they were attending that school, they knew I'm over here, and those people were coming over here and I was helping them and guiding them, filling out their applications free of charge and making arrangement for their stay over here and renting house for them.

So that way I helped the –those people the same way MLA from Tyndall Park, MLA from Logan. So, slowly, slowly we organized the organi - zation Sikh Society of Manitoba, and as the president of Sikh Society of Manitoba, I worked with others to establish our province's first gurdwara. And many people may not know what a gurdwara is; gurdwara is equivalent to church in the Sikh religion.

And the Sikh religion is one of the religions who believes in pray to God, have fear of God, so do whatever compatible and what is acceptable to God, but work hard–work hard–and, if you have extra, pay to the help to the–help the needy ones. And that's what I think when I came over here in Manitoba. There was an NDP government at that time. And I felt like this is the government which has the same values I have whil e I was brought up. So that's where I start liking going to NDP meetings and that's where I became involved in the NDP.

I was born in Punjab, India, a country which has struggled with the corruption and economic inequality for many years. I came to Manit oba because of its dedication to the democratic process and the belief that every person, no matter the income level, deserves to have a voice. Because of my experience in a country where corruption is in the top, I am very wary of the proposed elimination of subsidies to political parties. I have been first -hand–I have seen first -hand what happens if people need deep pockets to run and win the election.

I know that it could put our entire democratic process in jeopardy. * (14:40) What happens if you don 't have money to run in the democratic system? It will set in the process of corruption, because if you run this time and you don't have enough funds next time, you are likely to get funds from somebody whom you have to pay back through corruption. So this is not a matter of political philosophy; it's a matter of keeping democracy going down and affordable for everybody. We–health system, we care about everybody can get proper services, does not matter how deep their pocket is, irrespective of their pocket.

Similarly, we care about everybody can get education irrespective of their depth of the pocket. Similarly, we should keep in mind that participation in democracy should be available to everybody, irrespective of depths of their pocket. So I think every member in this House must think about that when they call vote tax. It's not vote tax; it's democracy advancement fund. And, without such situation, only 1 per cent –rich people –will be able to fight the election to sit in this Chamber, and they will be representing only 1 per cent. So that won't be democracy.

As an MLA, I have seen how the combination of so many programs and services work to sustain this democracy: affordable housing, strong public health care, inclusive schools with manageable class sizes, accessible and affordable child care ensure that every Manitoban has an equal opportunity for success. I will work to protect these services and promote democracy and equality in our Legislature. Manitobans deserve it. As an official opposition, I will ensure that the values and priorities that Maples families voted for in this election are accounted for here in the Legislature.

As the opposition critic for Agriculture, I will be [inaudible] Manitoba farmers who are a key part of our province's economy. In opposition I will demand the government honour the NDP's commitment to funding water infrastructure projects which provide economic development in agricultural industries. I will advocate for the protection of vital agriculture insurance pro grams. I will push the government to keep growing our economy and creating new jobs in agriculture by investing in innovation, research and targeted on farm infrastructure.

I wanted to be the critic for immigration, both for my experience working with the families and the Provincial Nominee Program, and my work making Manitoba a destination for skilled, educated immigrants. As the critic, I will ensure the government continues supporting the local organizations who

194 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 make newcomers feel welcome and support ed, especially the settlement organizations helping incoming immigrants access health care, housing and educational services. Further, I will also hope that the minister of immigration will listen to some of the suggestions. I was discussing with the depa rtment before that EOI, Expression of Interest program, is keeping people in the dark.

Maybe it's better we go, better go back to the old system, although we can make some changes by raising the English requirement to IELTS' 6.5 or higher and so we will re duce the number of applications in that area. And also let the tradespeople come over here on the same level they used to come at before, because, in this way, we will have a lower number of the applications and, at the same time, we have a reasonable and a predictable time frame to bringing the immigrants over here. So I hope there –I will be keeping –bring those suggestions continuously.

Other thing I think I will– I was working on, that was when immigrants come over here, they are not being employed in the same skill what were–they were doing back over there. So what we have to do– we have to do –give them two months –two weeks a kind of an orientation. After that those people should be sent to the –for three months to the same trade which they claimed and government should pay minimum wages on that one.

And that way they will be in their own trade, because otherwise two countries lose: one country who trained them, they lost because they spent money on them; other country, Canada, did not take advantage of them. Similarly, I was working on housing, social housing. Those people who stayed in those social housing, we should encourage them get some kind of trade. We don't need the one -year course; we don't need them in the two-year course. We need 40 hours instructions, then maybe three months send them to the proper trade so they can get experience and they can get –have exposure.

So we can work further innovatively to improve those conditions. Other thing: I think there are also–we need some services for the seniors. Seniors should be able to go in drop- in centres where they can socialize each other. That's why I was pushing for that because we need, in every corner of the city and every corner in every city, that there should be drop- in centres. Seniors can go there and they can have a social gathering and that way they won't get bored, and I think it would be healthy and it will save some money on the health side too. Other thing which I noted, that was personal care homes.

Sometimes people don't speak E nglish, and, on the other hand they don't have common culture. Their death comes before they really die. Why? I can give you an example: My aunt, she was in the personal-care home and was not able to English at all, and there's nobody else who was from the same culture, and after two years she died. So this kind of isolation–we should avoid this kind of isolation. So we should have culturally appropriate personal -care homes. I know the older culture German or Ukrainian, they have those kind of personal -care homes.

But a new community like Filipino, East Indian and other communities from Africa, they don't have those kinds of personal-care homes available. So we have to invest all in these programs. These programs does not have any political philosophy atta ched to it. It's just to the needs of those people who have come over here and who are in the minority, otherwise they won't have a chance and they won't have another source to provide those services. So to make available those services, we have to work on that and we have to make sure people, all people are included and nobody left out. Thank you very much.

An Honourable Member: Madam Speaker, I congratulate you on your new role as well. It's great to see– Madam Speaker: Pardon me, the honourable Minister of Finance. Hon. Cameron Friesen (Minister of Finance ): Thank you, Madam Speaker. I congratulate you on your new role as you learn to work the controls behind your new desk, and we wish you every success in that and every other aspect of your new work.

We know that the Legislature will be well guided under your leadership in that Chair. * (14:50) Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise, as so many of my colleagues have, to put some words on the record in respect of the recent Speech from the Throne. And I've enjoyed hearing the comments of especially the new members in this House on all sides of this Chamber.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 195 But it's such an overwhelming thing as we came across the line as government and took our seats on this very first day on this side of the Chamber, and I was thinking to myself about how it is that individuals can come to this place to do this work. And, you know, you can–I've said it before in this House, you can have an interest in this work, and you can have some acumen, and you can have some training that could lend itself to this. But this work is so dependent of the –of opportunity.

And so all of us in this place, we have this shared opportunity on both sides of the Chamber. And I can recall coming down and sitting in this chair the first time and thinking about those colleagues of mine who had serve d in this place for years and years who will not have that opportunity to ever descend to these benches on this side. So we're humbled by the opportunity that we have, humbled by the trust that has been placed in us by all Manitobans and, of course, humble d by those teams of ours who have worked to get us here. It reminds me of a statement made by a guy named Michael Pinball Clemons.

And I'm not much of a football aficionado, and I know that the member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen) is, and maybe others are as well. But I remember I always liked Pinball Clemons because he makes me look tall. He's 5'6 ", played for 12 years for the Toronto Argonauts. I once heard him speak in Winnipeg, and he made this comment. He said many times in football, he felt like a turtle on a fence pole. And I thought about that for a while. He let that sink in. He said, I feel like a turtle on a fence post.

And after everyone was scratching their heads, he turned back to the people, and he said, because you know one thing about a turtle on a fence post: He did not get there by himself. And I thought about that statement, thinking about my campaign. And all of us have this. We go– we leave this place on the day when the writ is issued, and we go back into our constituencies, and we form these teams of willing volunteers, people who line up behind us because they believe in the ideals and, you know, perhaps they believe in the candidate, perhaps they've been connected to the enterprise for a long time.

But we are all humbled by those who do this work alongside with us, and we have been so well served by those who do.

On my campaign team, that means my co-campaign managers, Liz Hildebrand and Bill Potter; my brother Robert continues to act as my official agent, and so we appreciate his wor k during tax season to take that on; Derrick Klassen, who was my candidate assistant; Al Wirth, who was a new recruit of ours doing our sign captain role; Tara Braun, taking on the office management; and, of course, my wife, Shelley, who is an IT specialist who comes on and assists us and does IT for the campaign, and she does it very, very well, and she didn't force me to say that; as well as the many, many volunteers who come alongside.

And, you know, I know that my other members would agree with me when I say, when you go out into stormy weather and you're going up and down streets, and the wind is whistling, and it's cold, and it's dark, and you know that you're connected to the effort, you want to win. But you look around at these, you know, other people who are there with you, and they've got their ponchos on, and they've got their literature in their hand, and they're engaging people at the door. That's the part of this that I'll never tire of, that commitment by the people of Manitoba to do that volunteer, grassroots democracy.

And, truly, there is no more exciting place to be than to see those ideas being exchanged in real time. One of my favourite moments of the –or the favourite memories that I have are those chances that I have to go into seniors' complexes and assisted livings, and we have these coffee meetings. And, I'll tell you, the kind of conversation we have, the important questions that are asked, the real debate around policy and principle, those are exciting times. And so I was –I'm very thankful to my com- munity of Morden and Winkler for putting their trust in me once again and to put their faith in me.

We increased the margin of our victory this time around, and we did it because we ran a weal –a real campaign, taking nothing for granted, like so many of my colleagues did whether they are returning members or whether they are new members to this House. You do that work, you put every effort into it, and how rewarding it is to be across that line. And, the same time, you remember all those candidates who do that work and never get to see the inside of this Chamber. And those people work no less hard and have no less the strength of their convictions.

But our system is strong, and we should not take for granted the freedoms that we have to be able to elect a government. I was –I made this remark to someone, that we live in a society whereby the transition from one group to the other group into government and the transition out from government to opposition is done in a manner that is complete ly peaceful, and we

196 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 know that that is not shared by people throughout the world. We have so many new people in our communities, and the member who spoke just before me was talking about so many new members –new citizens, new –and new members of our communit y who come here and are not yet even citizens. And as I've engaged some in my community, and, of course, in Morden and Winkler, we have many new faces, many new residents brought here through the PNP program and other programs.

And to see their excitement in the democratic process both at the federal and provincial level is something to behold. People who cannot vote but will still come out to meetings just because they're so excited and telling me, yes, I cannot vote for you but next time I can vote. And t hey're so thrilled for that opportunity to put a ballot into that box. And so, coming back to my point, Madam Speaker, we are pleased for this opportunity we have. Le 19 avril, les Manitobains et les Manitobaines ont rejeté la politique de la peur et de la division.

Ils ont choisi à la place un chemin de travail d'équipe, le chemin de la responsabilité fiscale – un chemin qui mènera à un meilleur Manitoba, une route qui reconnaît les défis, répond à ces défis avec un plan et avec des actions concrètes, et apporte une amélioration. Translation On April 19th, Manitobans rejected the politics of fear and division. Instead, they chose a path of teamwork, the path of fiscal responsibility, a path that will lead us to a better Manitoba, a path that acknowledges the challenges, responds to those challenges with a plan and concrete actions and brings about improvement.

English We will improve. We will go down this road. And we will be true to our word when we say that we'll bring a better era to Manitoba, an era that the member for Tuxedo (Mrs. Stefanson) spoke about just recently in her remarks in question period, saying we will bring a new ope nness to government, because this province has been challenged when it comes to a government that has been open enough. We will bring prosperity to this province through measures and a comprehensive plan. And we will bring investments in front -line services.

It's important that we get this right, because it is exactly the quality of the services we provide that are–that hang in the balance. If we do not get the fiscal fundamentals right, then the threat comes to the front-line services. I suggest to my colleagues across the way, when we are spending $840 million a year toward debt service charges, that is money that then cannot be put towards health -care improvements, child -care improvements, immigration improvements, the very issues that they raised in th e 40 minutes earlier in question period.

I received a card during the campaign, Madam Speaker, from my mother -in-law. And on the card was a really neat little thing; you could take this card and you can pull off this sticky note and then you can just stic k it wherever you want to. So the problem with cards like that is they're always the ones that cost $6. I can still remember when a good greeting card only cost $1.25. But that's dating me a bit. The card said, behind every success is effort, behind every effort is passion and behind every passion is someone with the courage to try.

And I think that can apply to anyone and all of us in this Chamber today. Behind us, of course, are families, and I would acknowledge my family today: my wife, Shelley, and my children, Maddy, Evan and Gwendolyn. And, you know, it gets different because when I first ran for this office, like other colleagues of mine did, the member for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Ewasko), the member for Portage la Prairie (Mr. Wishart), member for Brando n West (Mr. Helwer), member for La Verendrye (Mr. Smook) in the same year. We're all that class of the 40th Legislature.

But when we ran for this job, you know, my kids were younger, and I can say that I was still pleased that each–I had an opportunity to do campaigning with each one of my children. You cannot force them when they're 18 years old to come door knocking with you. But, you know, to see each of them engage in the manner in which they're comfortable, coming to this enterprise differently, and y ou know, for those across the way and on this side who have children still in the household, you know, it's interesting to have conversations around policy and around ideas.

You cannot impose ideas from the top down when they're your children. They will co me to these ideas. They have strong understandings on issues, and we always promote that they should hold strong views, but then more than hold strong views, they should put their views to action. They should engage. And it, you know, it took too long for me to engage on

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 197 issues that were important to me, and I hope that they will come to that earlier in whatever manner and form they do. I hope they will engage sooner. * (15:00) So it was so special to me, as a returning member, to have family around with m e on the 19th of April in that celebration. Truly, some moments we'll never forget: to have family around us at the swearing-in ceremony. I do want to welcome all the new members to the Chamber.

I recall, when I was first elected, I can recall the first time I sat in this Chamber and I was right there in the back row on the other side, and there's just something about being in this place for the first time when you're not in the upper gallery, and I can recall looking up and seeing that, the Latin inscription that's above, that –Madam Speaker, you cannot see from your vantage point, but you faced it many times: Si qvid patimini propter jvstitiam beati. Blessed be the one who does anything in the name of justice. That's a loose translation.

But it–I saw it the first day and I thought, you know, we should be here for the right reasons. We should all test our ideas. We should constantly test our conduct. We should test the degree of engagement we are doing against this. We are inspired by those works of art, those statements that we debate under every single day. I used to face, from that vantage point, the sculpture of the horned Moses delivering the Ten Commandments. I now face the Greek philosopher Solon, who was a reformer and a philosophe r who brought great changes in Ancient Greece.

My niece brought me to a better understanding of these sculptures because she was an art major at the University of Manitoba, and the former Speaker of the House gave her access to the House to study these pieces and to present them for a work that she did.

But we should be inspired by our surroundings, and the reason I mention it is because I feel like we have an opportunity as legislators –yes, we are politicians, and yes, this will always be a place of disagreement and strong disagreement –but I believe that we have an opportunity, at this time and this place, at this juncture in Manitoba, we have so many members who are new, that we have the ability to modernize our conduct in this place. I think too often we have allowed our disagreement to bleed over into interpersonal areas, and I would challenge my colleagues to let us all go on a new course.

I would challenge them to, when they believe that my conduct has not been in concert with those same values that I say today, that they come and remind me of the things I said on this day. I would invite that. I've said often to the member for Tyndall Park (Mr. Marcelino), there exists in this place too few opportunities for members on opposite sides to find points of agreement. I got my first good lesson in that when I brought my first private member's bill, and I needed buy -in on the other side of the benches. I needed that and I did not know how to get it.

And the Chamber isn't well set up so that I can take another member aside. And only a year later, and I was pleased to say that that bill that was designed to increase safety around schools for pedestrians after the tragic loss of life at a new school that opened in Winkler, I was pleased to learn how some of those probably clumsy efforts of mine did actually bear fruit and there was agreement on the other side. There were advocates that I had, unbeknownst to me, who are working to say, you know what, this isn't the worst idea in the world. Actually, there's a lot of merit in here.

And, you know what, for all of those of you who were on the other side in any way promoting that idea on the basis only of it being a valuable idea, I thank you. And I would commit to you that I plan to do the same. A good idea is a good idea no matter where it's found. And we should constantly reflect that. So this place is dedicated –the art in this Chamber is dedicated to religious and moral values, to inspiration and instruction. And it should set our deliberations in this place in context. A little secret for you: I keep in my desk an

interpretation that comes from the tour office of what the artworks mean. And, from time to time, I'll reflect on it and think about what the artist or the sculptor might have had in mind. And we should do the same. This will always be a place, like I said, Madam Speaker, of opposing ideas and ideologies, but we can still decide what kinds of relationships we will have in this place. We are politicians, but we are legislators. So I say to new members here: Seek to learn your role by asking your colleagues. You will be well serviced by that. I was well served by my

198 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 colleagues before who taught me many things. Seek opportunities to get to know your colleagues on all sides of the Legislature. Seek opportunities to improve your skills in opportunities like the Midwest legislative conference and the Canadian parliamentary groups. And there are places where you can go and learn more about your role. Those of you who will end up on the Public Accounts committee, I encourage you to get special training to understand the scope and the role of that committee.

That is arguably the most important committee in a Legislature, and there are so many improvements that could be made to assist that group. Those improvements were commenced and started into by the member of Concordia and the member for Brandon West (Mr. Helwer) on a key committee studying those rules, looking at other jurisdictions and seeking to improve the practice and the operation of that group. Whoever inherits that trust, I challenge you to go down that road, see what other provinces are doing, adopt best practice, understand the watch -dog nature of that committee's mandate and get it done.

And that will serve all Manitobans because we shoul d all care about that–constantly looking at the way we deliver services, constantly looking at the big picture, constantly measuring performance. There are all these things that we want to do, and at the end of the day our ability to do them depends on getting it right. Fundamentally, structurally, getting these things right to ensure that these services will be there for us, for our children, for our children's children. I'm honoured to have the role placed in me to join Cabinet.

Not since Don Orchard wa s in this place would –has a member from the Morden - Winkler area had the opportunity to be in Cabinet. And I'll say this: I'll always remember, colleagues, I'll leave you with this: On the first day I ever spoke in the House and I had the opportunity to– you respond to the Speech from the Throne, and what is that first speech you do? You respond after the leader to the Speech from the Throne. It's a response. And in that response speech I had the pleasure and the honour of having my father here who was a good supporter of Don Orchard's.

And so I gave my speech and I was overwhelmed by my surroundings and I don't know what I said–I've got the notes at my desk still somewhere, and I finished my speech and went into the hall and I said, well, Dad, how did that go? And he said, well, I'll tell you one thing: You're no Donny Orchard. But I turned back to him. I said, you know, I said, you knew Donny Orchard at the end and perhaps not at the beginning. Of course, Don Orchard had –was, you know, a minister of Health and a minister of other portfolios as well, and he distinguished himself in his place as so many former members did.

So I will allow other members to speak, but Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to put these comments on the record, certainly in respect of the Throne Speech. We are so delighted to be indicating that we believe in partnerships. We believe that partnerships will lead to prosperity. We believe that means partnerships with front -line workers, partnerships with public servants, with entrepreneurs, and with community leaders. We plan to get this done; we plan to make these investments in Manitoba.

We look forward to the budget that'll be delivered in just less than a week's time, and we thank Her Honour for the path she set us on when she delivered her Throne Speech just a week ago. Thank you. Mr. Rob Altemeyer (Wolseley): Madam Speaker, it's my pleasure to stand in the Chamber today and offer a few thoughts on the government's Throne Speech and, like my fellow colleagues, do offer a few reflections and words of thanks on the election campaign, hard fought and just completed. Mr.

Doyle Piwniuk, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair It goes without saying that all of us rely on a lot of different people in order to be the ever-so-fortunate one of only 57 to sit in this Chamber and have a chance to do our very best for the people that sent us here, and in my own experience I'll offer these words of advice for the new MLAs on all sides of the House. You find that, I think, that the –your family members become more important rather than less as you go through.

This is the start of my fourth term here and I certainly want to begin by offering my very deep thanks and just indescribable gratitude to my partner Kim and to our children and our wonderful blended family: Caleb, Oliver, Molly, and our baby Freya, who separated–celebrated her fist birthday a year and a day ago –or a week and a day ago–she's one year old. * (15:10) I was –it's tough to not be around as much as you're used to. It's tough on everybody, but they

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 199 were complete troopers and they made it possible for me to go out and make the case that Wolseley should remain progressive, that their MLA should be a New Democrat, and I was very, very grateful for all that they did to make that possible. A huge thanks as well to all the kid's grand - parents on both sides of the family, Bob and Jean, my parents, Bruce and Linda, my partner's folks, and our entire campaign team was just remarkable.

It was a night –and this was fairly typical whe re I was looking at the group of us going out, and it was, you know, typical weather in Winnipeg this spring. It was below zero and it was snowing and it was windy and it was miserable, and we had, you know, well over half a dozen of us all working full ti me on the Wolseley campaign head out. And the diversity of our team just really struck me, and at one particular moment I realized that we had–going out with me was a woman who three years ago was in Uganda; she is a refugee and came to Canada not many y ears ago.

There was a woman who had immigrated, again not very many years ago from the Philippines. We had a member from the LGBTQ community. There was a woman, an indigenous woman in the community, coming out with us, and a young environmentalist, a fanta stic young activist and a woman from the francophone community, and then me. So the diversity kind of stopped with me.

But, to just look at the amazing people that our campaign attracted, the folks that we were able to engage, it was just a really powerful moment because you realize that whatever questions came up on the doorstep we had a good chance of having someone with personal experience being able to speak to those issues. The support that we received in the community was humbling. We knew this was going to be a very, very tough campaign, tougher than anything we had seen before and, of course, we weren't wrong in that.

But it took all of the support from everybody, whether they were folks who were kind enough to make a financial donation or they wer e kind enough to give us some of their volunteer time, whether they were kind enough to let us put a sign on the lawn and, ultimately and most fundamentally of all, went into the ballot box and cast a ballot for a progressive vision for Manitoba. We could not have accomplished what we did without all of that support, and one of the comments that I was particularly proud of is a number of people remarked that the local campaign in Wolseley was very civil.

And there were, of course, a number of public forums where some or all of the candidates attended, and in each one of these all of the candidates gave their point of view but did so in a really respectful manner, and we just left it for the audience to make their decisions and their evaluations on what we had said and how we had said it. And I want to thank all of the members, all the other candidates who participated in the Wolseley election.

It takes a lot of courage to put your name on a ballot, as all of us in this Chamber know, and the other candidates and their teams certainly conducted themselves honourably throughout. I want to say to all of the constituents of Wolseley that I have heard loud and clear before the election, during the election and after the election that our values in Wolseley have not changed. The government may have changed, but they do not want any attention diverted from the massive issues that are facing our planet and our society. The environment is in very dire straits, in many ways.

I'm exceptionally proud of the progress t hat our government made on a number of very, very important fronts. There are initiatives under way in this province right now, which I hope the new government honours and continues which nobody else in the world is doing, and these are making a very important difference.

Of course, there is always more work to be done, and I will be standing side by side with my supporters and with my non- supporters in Wolseley, all of whom support the work for a cleaner planet and a better, healthier future, to do that work with them and for them to the best of my capacity here at the Legislature. And very similarly, a singular focus has to remain on reducing poverty. Not everyone realizes the Wolseley constituency is as diverse as it actually is. The Wolseley neighbourhood is a key part of it, obviously.

But the constituency includes the vibrant neighbourhoods of West Broadway, Armstrong's Point, a piece of Assiniboine and large pieces of the Spence and St. Matthews neighbourhoods as well. The Neighbourhoods Alive! program which my predecessor, Jean Friesen, brought into effect as she was deputy premier in this government's first term in office, has made an incredible difference not just on the ground with specific projects that you can see have improved in all of these neighbourhoods, but in the empowerment of the community to be able to

200 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 make decisions for themselves. Again, I hope the new government learns from that very important lesson that we have established that that really lies at the heart of a lot of these chal lenges. And you need to be able to honourably and honestly work with people even when they come to you with ideas you haven't contemplated before or priorities that are not your own. They probably know what's best in their neighbourhood way better than you do.

And when you learn that very important lesson, you've taken a very important and big step forward in making a difference for all people, vulnerable people in particular. The focus on poverty, as well, Mr. Acting Speaker, I should mention that our gov ernment's track record on that from the year 2000 to 2008 was that child poverty was cut in half, and that's something that we should all be incredibly proud of.

Of course, in 2008, we had a number of people on Wall Street and elsewhere conduct some quite appalling behaviour and the global economy went into a recession, the great recession as they called it, the single greatest economic collapse since before World War II. And, understandably, Manitoba was no different from any other place, and thousands and thousands of people and families were then, again, shoved below the poverty line.

When members opposite or anyone else quotes data starting in 2008 or starting in 2009, they are deliberately ignoring the progress that was made throughout all the years l eading up to it and are deliberately painting a worse -case scenario. There were a lot of things that our government did to reduce poverty which made a fantastic difference. And, when you look at the most recent numbers available, 5,000 individuals were again able to climb out of poverty and the –last year that's available here in Manitoba.

So the new initiatives that we brought in, again, were helping people and families recover from the truly appalling behaviour of the 1 per cent. And it's that same 1 per cent that this new government seems to be completely beholden to and infatuated with based on the very early days of this government and the decisions that they have made.

So I again say to every single resident in Wolseley, I will be here with you and for you to fight for poverty reduction and social inclusion efforts from my new position here in opposition, and I very much look forward to working with all of the fantastic organizations our government was proud to partner with over the years to help bri ng that case and those arguments forward. I also want to say, Mr.

Acting Speaker, that grateful though I am to be in this Chamber, I want to offer my words of condolence and deep thanks to all of my now-former colleagues, both those who chose not to run prior to this election and those who did run and were not successful. Every single one of them made so many sacrifices for the betterment of Manitobans and for their own constituents.

They have an enormous amount to be proud of, and same also to the many people who worked for us and with us here at the Legislature as our political staff. * (15:20) We may have lost a lot of really great people in terms of titles or positions, but every single one of them, I know, is out there actively trying to find ways to continue to make the world a better place, because that's what New Democrats do no matter where we may happen to be at one particular point in time or another. Mr.

Acting Speaking, I also want to comment on just how incredibly proud I am and inspired I am by every single one of the MLAs in our ne w caucus. Special congratulations to our new interim leader, first woman of ethnic diversity to have led –from an elected position to have led a political party in Manitoba, a truly impressive life story.

For those that have, you know, heard what she has al ready accomplished, the path that she was forced to take through no small amount of adversity to arrive at the place that she's been, and she knows full well the tens of thousands of people that she has directly helped already through her advocacy both ins ide her community and outside of it. It's an honour to serve with you, ma'am. Thank you for stepping up. And, really, Mr. Acting Speaker, our diversity in this caucus, to which I contribute almost nothing, I acknowledge, but the diversity in our caucus is inspiring and it is a source of immense strength.

When we have our meetings, we have so many valuable different perspectives available to us. And four years from now, after the next election, I look forward to having even more perspectives available around our table when we increase the number of MLAs sitting in the NDP caucus. My own particular roles have changed a little bit, Mr. Acting Speaker. I want to thank all of my caucus colleagues for asking me to serve as caucus chair. It is a real honour and I 'm very much enjoying that

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 201 process. I also want to thank the official acting–or interim leader of our party and our caucus for appointing me as our environment critic. We have some concerns about some of the titles and the reorganization of government that 's happened on the other side, so my title officially is critic for the environment and green jobs. We think that's a much better reflection of the priorities of Manitobans and the direction that this government, new government, needs to be going in.

But I will be very glad and, in fact, I am extremely enthusiastic to be putting my 25 years of environmental activist work both inside and outside of this building, holding this government to account, raising awareness of the crucial issues of the day that need to be addressed and trying to get absolutely as much action from this new government as we possibly can because, quite simply, the way things are going, the Earth is not going to be able to withstand this level of damage for that many more years.

We will all end up having some very, very difficult conversations with our grandchildren if we do not take far more serious action in this area than has been the case so far. Mr. Acting Speaker, there's much more that I could say. We have a few more weeks and mo nths and years ahead for me to do that. So I will close off here and just say once again, huge thanks to everyone who helped make it possible for me to be an MLA. I think of you every single day, whether you were heavily involved or not in the specifics of my campaign. Enormous thanks to my family and incredible inspiration from all of my colleagues.

I'm looking forward to the years ahead with all the challenges that may come. Thank you very much. Mr. Blair Yakimoski (Transcona): Thank you very much, Mr . Deputy Speaker, and congratulations on your appointment and on the election of Madam Speaker on her new role, please pass that along. I note that Madam Speaker and myself also have in common our predecessor. The former Speaker of the House was, as you know, the former member from Transcona. He has served this Chamber well and respectfully, and I know that both of us will do our best to fill those shoes honourably.

I also extend my congratulations to those here who have either returned or, like myself, a re new. I ask patience and guidance during this time from the Speaker, clerks and veteran MLAs. We've been told the learning curve is very steep. I will do my best to keep up. Mr. Deputy Speaker, in the first week of this 41st session, I feel I've been ve ry fortunate to have a great seat to some of the most inspiring speeches I have heard in quite some time. I look to some of the inaugural speeches, and I'm overwhelmed of the quality of people we have sitting in this Chamber.

The new members impress me wit h their personal stories and commitment. The veteran members impress me with their amazing ability to talk at length with nary a note in front of them. I will do my best to fit in. I am proud of my Ukrainian heritage. I am a proud Manitoban. I am a proud Canadian. And I now rise here proudly as the first -ever Progressive Conservative member of the Legislature to represent Transcona. Growing up in Transcona, the thought of there ever being a Progressive Conservative -elected MLA was unthinkable.

But here I stand in the Manitoba Legislature to respectfully represent the community that has given me so much. I must give thanks to so many for this opportunity. Although it's my name on the signs and my face on the literature, it's a team effort that is able to bring together a plan of action and carry it out. I was very fortunate to have an amazing team. They made sure that I focused on getting to the door, engaging in–with voters.

My three -headed campaign manager, as it were, consisting of Shawn Nason, former Member of Parliament Lawrence Toet and his son, Travis, their attention to detail, organization and commitment came together to produce a campaign where I was able to do the one thing I've always been told to be: just be yourself. Lawrence and I went to high school together, and although we followed our own paths into very different family enterprises, those paths converged when he became our Member of Parliament for our neighbourhood.

He constantly encouraged me, guided me and mentored me, then walked with me through the streets we had just walked a mere four months earlier in his federal campaign. I am proud to call him my friend. And his mentorship helped me to this awesome job –no, not job, not career, this amazing opportunity to serve my community in some way to try and make it better. That's the reason we all do this.

202 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 To Mike Watson, who paid the bills; and Troy McLennan, who was the king of volunteer organization.

And that team of volunteers: Taras Monastyrski; the Pats, Cairns, Kuzyk, Sinclair; my sister Cori Gnutel and her husband Tom; Gary Luby, the sign guy, the same kind of guy we all had, always ready with his truck, ready to go out and put a new list up, who would always come back and say, some signs are knocked down or the ground's frozen a nd you can't do it; Morgan Shipley, who was always smiling even though her fingers were frozen–thank you; the minister of Crown corporations; and yourself, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, you came out and helped me; my cousins, Dave Jones and Debbie Jones Huntrods; and, of course, the Toet family, who seem to take campaigning kind of like a family picnic sort of thing–it's the thing they do. My thanks to Lawrence doesn't end with him but must extend to his wife Marilyn and the others who helped me, his children, Brittany, Megan, Shayna and brother John and his daughter -in-law, Jaisa. Thank you to all of them. Special thanks to my afternoon pair, my walking pair: Diane and Richard Turcan, who were there every single afternoon.

Richard, who, in early February, we went to one door, slipped, fell and decided to take a nap right there on the sidewalk, only to wake up and say, which house next? Well, we got Richard to the hospital, and, after a few weeks of recovery, he was back at it. I'm thankful for their help and I'm glad to call them my friends. The Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble was a major part of my life a s a young man. I performed the world. I performed before Pope John Paul II and Castel Gandolfo. I performed before Queen Elizabeth at the Winnipeg Arena. I made many friends and met the love of my life there.

So I was very proud to have Rusalka assist me w ith this campaign. I will represent them and the entire Ukrainian community with honour. * (15:30) And, finally, to thank a little spitfire of a man, Ray Buors, who I met while helping in last fall's federal campaign. He didn't know I had my nomination pa pers sitting at home on my –in my office, and I had them ready for a few months, but I knew this life that we've pursued is neither for the faint of heart nor for those who wish to take the easy road.

But after a few weeks of –he was–as he would say, door ba nging, he mentioned that he thought I should be considering a run. His voice was one of many who told me that they felt that I was someone they could trust and do them proud. He taught me very much about his Metis heritage and issues regarding First Nations, an education I very much intend to continue in this place. Mr. Deputy Speaker, sincere thanks also to the people of Transcona who have put their trust and their faith in me.

It truly was a special campaign for me, knocking on doors and being able to thank former customers who helped me earn a living and become–became my friends. They made me love working for Transcona. On so many days there would be a surprise package, is what I would call waiting at the doors, and they were good surprises. And by that I mean they're –I reconnected with old neighbours that I grew up near, co- workers, employees, high school friends, old dates and family. [interjection] Honesty and openness.

The seniors teas and their very, very direct questions: They would ask about hea lth care, taxes and promises that we're making, and those events proved to myself that I was ready to stand up for the party and the platform I believed in. We see in the Throne Speech those promises form the base of what we wish to do for all Manitobans. They were great fun and great discussions. It was wonderful to see my great aunt Lena, who kept telling me how proud she was of me, and that is special. My maternal grandmother's sister, as well as Cathy Schultz, or as I knew her, Mrs.

Schultz, the mother of my childhood friend Richard whose life was cut short by a workplace accident. As the member from Flin Flon referenced in his speech, no family should have a loved one killed at work and not come home. I hadn't seen her since his funeral over 30 years earlier, and seeing her brought me to tears, as it does today. I was delighted to learn that although Richard had never met his own daughter, I hope that I will be able to and to tell her stories about her dad as a young boy. I refer to myself as the reluct ant candidate, as there were plenty of encouraging people who told me I should do this.

I was very well aware that politicians are ranked somewhere between pond scum and root canal. I wondered aloud, do I want a job where even if I stay true to myself and work hard for the voters–[interjection] It's true. You know that. Perhaps half will consider me an idiot or a crook; it's the nature of this game, and I nor anyone in this House is either. We're here to improve the lives of all Manitobans.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 203 Other members a nd friends who tried to persuade me or, in some cases, dissuade me, were many. Thanks to yourself, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for talking to me a little bit about it and the Minister of Crown Services (Mr. Schuler) who had a few conversations with me, and the mem ber from Radisson who kept saying, let's go. They all encouraged me to jump in.

My friend Belinda up there, Belinda Squance, who mentioned to me that I was like the kid on the diving board who was afraid to jump, well, I jumped, and perhaps my trepidation was due to the fact that I didn't know, really, what I was jumping into. The friends and family who were there to catch me when I jumped were right. This is what I should be doing. Dear Mr. Deputy Speaker, I was born and raised in Transcona playing hockey at the old barn at East End, baseball and football at Transcona Stadium, attending liturgy at St. Michael's and graduating from Murdock MacKay.

My wife and I bought our first house in the neighbourhood, and I would ride my bike to work at my father's IGA store on Concordia. I passed through the lot where a new Penner Foods store was being built. I was fortunate to be able to become the owner of that store in 2001 and serve and give back to my community. Perhaps it was providence, but two of the owners of that little store in Transcona have come to serve in this Chamber. I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Jim Penner, who served as the MLA for Steinbach for a time.

My father, who, like Jim Penner, was felled by cancer, taught me much abou t service, hard work, giving back and respect. When I purchased the store, I would tell people it's your store I'll just take care of it for a while. And what did I want out of it? I wanted to earn a living, of course, but I wanted respect, respect of my customers, my employees, my family. In exchange, I respected the work they did for me and that they spent their hard- earned dollars in my store. I never took that for granted. If people would ask me now why would I want to run, I would say the same reason, respect.

I will respect the taxpayer dollars we are entrusted with. I will respect the members of the House opposite. I definitely may not agree with you sometimes but I will respect you to have that opinion, and I hope you respect my time my opinion and my efforts. Transcona, the Park City, Flamingoville, whatever you call it, is a wonderful community. It has its own attitude from its humble origins back in 1912 when it was named for a combination of the Transcontinental Railway and Lord Strathcona. We all know that Transcona's history is tied to the railway.

The CN shops and the employees who work there live and love their community. But Transcona is changing. The young people who grew up there are also staying in the community, buying homes and sending their children to the schools they once attended. They are buying older homes and investing again in the community.

There are new large employers in Transcona, such as New Flyer or Granny's Poultry that are major employers, and if you walk down the main strip in Transcona, which is still constantly transforming, it's a one-block area where you're sure to find a place for a haircut as there are three barbers within one block and they've all been there for quite some time.

The Hi Neighbour Festival, which is taking place next week, is an annual pilgrimage for those who have left to return and perhaps have a cone at the Dairy Queen or fries and chili at the Whistle Pig or share a beverage at one of our watering holes that are all within a couple of blocks of each other, Transcona's been represented honourably by the former Speaker Daryl Reid in this House, and although we may have disagreed on–in issues I was always very proud when he shopped in my store. I was fortunate to chat with him before the House began one evening and I wish to publicly thank him for that evening of advice.

Perhaps the most important was reiterated today by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Friesen). He told me cultivate relationships here. You can learn a great deal from those who disagr ee with you, but you will also find much you agree on. He mentioned that, whether by osmosis or, as my daughter, Laryssa, said, diffusion is the proper thing, you will become more knowledgeable here by the issues and discussions around you. My faith, whi ch is a part of my essence as it is for all of us, I know will serve to guide me when dealing with issues in this House and in my constituency.

This journey of mine has been quite a roller coaster. The biggest lesson perhaps has been that anything is possi ble, but the most impactful has been that mental health, specifically anxiety, can and is a real problem for many people around me, including myself, and can be very, very debilitating.

204 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2016 I know that the phrase just get over it doesn't work and is not the answer. We need in society to support and help. I know many friends and family who suffer and my hope is that we can all get to a better place. * (15:40) Finally, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and this is left for last for reasons apparent: Thank you to my mom, who taught me to care, love and respect, especially the women who will be in my life; her husband Johnny; and my mother -in-law, Julie, for the time, the food and the support.

My children, who have inspired me to do this thing that terrifies me: Scott, my son, who is a better dancer and smarter than me – needs a haircut, for the record–my daughter, Michaella, who is studying at University of Victoria– I carry this rock to remind me of your journey; and Laryssa, my biggest cheerleader, you are my inspiration to do better for Manitoba. And, of course, the person who agreed to share my life with me through better or for worse, and this journey may have been a bit of both, my wife, Amy. Thank you, and I love you. Mr.

Deputy Speaker, I wish to end here by stating that I pledge to work hard for my constituency and for all Manitobans and to deliver on making Manitoba, as stated in the Throne Speech, the most improved province in Canada. Thank you, merci beaucoup, miigwech, dyakoyu. Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Mr. Deputy Speaker, it's an honour to rise in the House once again to address the Speech from the Throne, and to do so in the 41st Legislature, which is a unique one.

It's a unique one for a lot of reasons, but, of course, primarily because there's so many new members here, there's so many new folks and so many new roles that those people are taking on. So it's quite exciting to rise here and to stand. I have to say that it's been an interesting experience having so many people listening so attentively in th is Chamber and, you know, I guess maybe we're not supposed to comment on this, but in previous legislatures, I can just say that the level of attentiveness hasn't been quite as thorough as it has been lately, and so I've got an audience and this is unique.

People are actually listening to my words and I'm getting applause, and it's quite a unique experience, I've got to say. But it is a pleasure to be here and to be returned to this Legislature and one that I'm very humble –humbly appreciate and appreciate the opportunity to be here. I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in your role. You look fantastic in that spot. You always look fantastic, but especially sitting in that chair. It just– it suits you. It fits you perfect ly. So I think that's a great role for you. Congratulations.

I also did want to take the opportunity to thank our new Speaker, our Madam Speaker. And she is somebody that I've gotten to know over the years and she is somebody I think that suits this role very well. I think somebody had said in a previous debate that it's a thankless job. I'm not so sure that's the case, seeing as I think almost everybody in this Chamber has now thanked her for taking on the role. But I did want to put my words on the recor d, because when my first opportunity to rise in this House I neglected to honour her and to thank her for taking on the role.

As I said, I think she's perfectly suited for this role in the sense that she is somebody who has –she understands this institution and appreciates it, I believe. But she's also somebody who has a national experience in her work with the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and her work as chair of that organization. So I've met her at different conferences. I understand she's been a great chair. I can't say first -hand that I know that because they won't let me in to hear exactly what she's had to say, but I understand that she's–she does very well in that role and I know she'll do well in this role.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank the clerks and the table officers. Again, something that I know others have done, but I, on a personal level, just wanted to thank them for all the work that they do in the roles that I've taken on as former caucus chair, as the former vice- chair and now chairperson of Public Accounts. And, of course, in all of the opportunities that we have to travel to different jurisdictions to learn, I've gotten to know many of the table officers and the clerks, and it is an amazing role that they play in this place.

And I've been very appreciative of their guidance and their wisdom, and I appreciate the fact that they're here doing this. I also understand that they tend to switch up their roles and take on different responsibilities here in the Legislatu re, so I do hope that I'll get an opportunity to work with all of the table officers and get to know them a little bit better as well.

May 25, 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 205 I didn't actually plan to have words of wisdom for the new members because I'm not so sure I'm the one to do that, but I did want to just say that I haven't had a chance to say hello to each and every person. I'm still using my handy seating chart here to figure out exactly who everybody is. Hello, hello, everyone–but, no, it is an opportunity for me to just welcome you he re.

Welcome to probably one of the most bizarre workplaces in the world, I would say, you know, and I say that because it was a shock to me that you can be in a place where you can put in so much work and it seems like nothing's getting done for days and days and days, and it seems like nothing is getting done. And then what you'll find, or I'm assuming will find at some point in this legislative session, is that all of a sudden a lot will happen very quickly

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	41-1-7
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	41st 1st hansardpdf 7.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	9644f57fa36cb0b6b4a1702b25aa23fe87afa995

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