Manitoba Hansard — 22 June 2015 (Sitting 50, 40th Legislature, 4th Session)

40-4-50

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Fourth Session - Fortieth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Daryl Reid Speaker Vol. LXVII No. 50 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, June 22, 2015 ISSN 0542-5492

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

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

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

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

2033 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, June 22, 2015 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfec tly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Mr.

Speaker: Introduction of bills? PETITIONS Mr. Speaker: Seeing no bills, we'll move on to petitions. Province-Wide Long-Term Care–Review Need and Increase Spaces Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. And this is the background to the petition: There are currently 125 licensed personal -care homes, PCHs, across Manitoba, consisting of less than 10,000 beds.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(1) To urge the provincial government to consider immediately enacting a province -wide review of the long- term-care needs of residents of Manitoba. And (2) t o urge the provincial government to recognize the stresses placed upon the health- care system by the current and continuous aging population and consider increasing the availability of long-term-care spaces, PCH beds, in communities across the province. And this petition has been signed by C. Terry, C. Penner and J. Kullrory and many, many more fine Manitobans. Mr.

Speaker: In keeping with our rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to have been received by the House. Provincial Trunk Highway 206 and Cedar Avenue in Oakbank–Pedestrian Safety Mr. Ron Schuler (St. Paul): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. And the background to this petition is as follows:

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

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

(3) Law enforcement officials have identified this intersection as a hot spot of concern for the

2034 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 safety of schoolchildren, drivers and emergency responders. We petition the Legislative Assem bly of Manitoba as follows: To urge that the provincial government improve the safety at the pedestrian corridor at the intersection of PTH 206 and Cedar Avenue in Oakbank by considering such steps as highlighting pavement markings to better indicate the location of the shoulders and crosswalk, as well as installing a lighted crosswalk structure. This is signed by A. Harmatiuk, G. Walker, A. Harmatiuk and many other fine Manitobans.

Beausejour District Hospital–Weekend and Holiday Physician Availability Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. And these are the reasons for this petition:

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

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

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

(4) This promise is far from being realized, and Manitobans are witnessing many emergency rooms limiting service s or closing temporarily, with the majority of these reductions taking place in rural Manitoba.

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

Minnesota-Manitoba Transmission Line Route– Information Request Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye) : I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The background to this petition is as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anne, Stuartburn, Piney and La Broquerie. * (13:40) This petition is signed by K. Cipriano, K. Wiebe, E. Adnom and many more fine Manitobans.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2035 COMMITTEE REPORTS Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development Third Report Mr. Bidhu Jha (Chairperson): I wish to present the Third Report of the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development. Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development– An Honourable Member: Dispense. Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense. Your Standing Committee on SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT presents the following as its Third Report. Meetings Your Committee met on June 18, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration • Bill (No. 3) – The Manitoba Floodway and East Side Road Authority Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la Commission manitobaine d'aménagement du canal de dérivation et de la route située du côté est • Bill (No. 8) – The Conservation Officers Act/Loi sur les agents de conservation • Bill (No. 12) – The Water Protection Amendment Act (Aquatic Invasive Sp ecies)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la protection des eaux (espèces aquatiques envahissantes) • Bill (No. 35) – The Workers Compensation Amendment Act (Presumption re Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Amendments)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les accidents du travail (présomption relative au trouble de stress post - traumatique et autres modifications) • Bill (No. 200) – The Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les armoiries, les emblèmes et le tartan du Manitoba • Bill (No. 212) – The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Gift Card Inactivity Fees)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la protection du consommateur (frais d'inactivité applicables aux cartes-cadeaux) Committee Membership • Mr. B JORNSON • Hon. Ms. BRAUN • Mr. BRIESE • Hon. Mr. DEWAR • Mr. FRIESEN • Mr. JHA • Mr. MARTIN • Hon. Mr. NEVAKSHONOFF • Hon. Mr. ROBINSON • Mr. SMOOK • Mr. SWAN Your Committee elected Mr. JHA as the Chairperson Your Committee elected Mr.

B JORNSON as the Vice-Chairperson Public Presentations Your Committee heard the following presentation on Bill (No. 8) – The Conservation Officers Act/Loi sur les agents de conservation: Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU – Manitoba Government and General Employees Union Your Committee heard the following seven presentations on Bill (No. 35) – The Workers Compensation Amendment Act (Presumption re Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Amendments)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les accidents du travail (présomption relative au trouble de stress post-traumatique et autres modifications): Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU – Manitoba Government and General Employees Union Kevin Rebeck, Manitoba Federation of Labour Cameron Abrey , Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs Sandi Mowat, Manitoba Nurses Union Loren Remillard, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Curt Martel, UFCW 832 Eric Glass, Paramedic Association of Manitoba Your Committee heard the following two presentations on Bill (No. 200) – The Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les armoiries, les emblèmes et le tartan du Manitoba: Peter Cantelon, Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre James Bamburak, Geological Survey of Manitoba Your Committee heard the following presentation on Bill (No. 212) – The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Gift Card Inactivity Fees)/Loi

2036 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 modifiant la

Loi sur la protection du consommateur (frais d'inactivité applicables aux cartes-cadeaux): Gloria Desorcy, Consumers Association of Canada - Manitoba Branch Written Submissions Your Committee received the following written submission on Bill (No. 35) – The Workers Compensation Amendment Act (Presumption re Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Amendments)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les accidents du travail (présomption relative au trouble de stress post-traumatique et autres modifications): Alex Forrest, United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg Bills Considered and Reported • Bill (No. 3) – The Manitoba Floodway and East Side Road Authority Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la Commission manitobaine d'aménagement du canal de dérivation et de la route située du côté est Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment. • Bill (No. 8) – The Conservation Officers Act/Loi sur les agents de conservation Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment. • Bill (No. 12) – The Water Protection Amendment Act (Aquatic Invasive Species)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la protection des eaux (espèces aquatiques envahissantes) Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment. • Bill (No. 35) – The Workers Compensation Amendment Act (Presumption re Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Amendments)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les accidents du travail (présomption relative au trouble de stress post - traumatique et autres modifications) Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment. • Bill (No. 200) – The Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les armoiries, les emblèmes et le tartan du Manitoba Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment. • Bill (No. 212) – The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Gift Card Inactivity Fees)/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la protection du consommateur (frais d'inactivité applicables aux cartes-cadeaux) Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment. Mr. Jha: I move, seconded by the honourable member from St. Norbert, that the report of the committee be received. Motion agreed to. Mr. Speaker: Any further committee reports? TABLING OF REPORTS Mr. Speaker: Seeing none, tabling of reports. Hon. Gord Mackintosh (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I have the latest Discriminatory Business Practices Act report for the House. Mr. Speaker: Any further tabling of reports? Ministerial statements?

ORAL QUESTIONS Mr. Speaker: Seeing none, I have no guests to introduce, so we'll proceed right to oral questions. Tiger Dam Contract Equipment Order Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate those who participated in the marathon this weekend. I believe we have a number of colleagues who did. It's–I hope they're recovering well. Last week we asked a number of questions about the tale of the Tiger Dam contract, the $5 -million photo opportunity that the government presided over last July. Within a few days an invoice was issued.

We've asked the Premier a number of questions on the issue. I want to encourage him to answer one today. Obviously, someone in the government gave the go-ahead and placed the order for this $5 million of Tiger Dam equipment, since the invoice was issued. So I want the Premier to tell us today: Who placed the order? Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, the process tha t we followed was a tendered process. The process has not resulted in the awarding of any contract at this stage of the game.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2037 The member has many questions he wishes to ask. The money that was made available for the purchase of tiger 'dumes' came from th e federal government. He may wish to ask his questions there because that's where the action occurred. In Manitoba we followed a proper tendering process as required, and that process resulted in items being –the information being put forward online. Tenders were received, and no tender has been awarded to this date, Mr. Speaker, so there was no ordering of Tiger Dam tubes on behalf of anybody in our government. Tender Date Mr.

Pallister: Well, this is a company that's in business, Mr. Speaker, to provide services and to make money and they don't issue invoices, surely, without an order being placed. So I think the Premier's covering something up here or missing something entirely. The issue of the $5- million order was discussed; in fact, it was photo op 'd in July. The invoice went out right away for $5 million. Four months elapsed before the Premier claims he was converted to the idea of shopping around. Treasury Board was being told to get 'er done for four months. So I'm curious.

The Premier's talking points issued last Friday say that he supported the idea of going to tender and expressed it in October. Now, exactly when did he communicate the desire to go to tender in October? On what date in October? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, I supported Treasury Board having a fulsome review of this matter. They did their job. They made recommendations. They were discussed in Cabinet, and directly after that discussion, we–I directed that we move towards the tendering process, which was the recommendation that we had, and that would be early October.

Former NDP Ministers Reason for Leaving Cabinet Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): That's kind of like the member for Riel (Ms. Melnick). He forgets when he knew for the first time she misled this House and the people of Manitoba, spring, summer, fall. October 9th is what his talking points say. I encourage him to review them for accuracy. The rebellion of five of his front -bench members, three of whom were Treasury Board members, became public with a press conference on November 3rd of 2014.

The Premier now claims that he addressed this issue prior to that time, on October 9th of 2014, so almost a month prior. So I'm going to ask the Premier today: To what does he attribute, then, the defection of five of his front-bench members a month later? If it wasn't the tale of the Tiger Dam and the untendered contract we've been discussing, what was it? Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, anybody that makes a decision is more than capable of answering for themselves on that decision. I can tell you what we've been focused on, Mr. Speaker, is growing the economy in Manitoba. We've been focused on that.

We've been focused on ensuring that with our infrastructure program there are good job opportunities for young people, and we've followed through on that. We're seeing really good indications of economic growth in this province. This Friday I was with, actually, the Leader of the Opposition where we made a very significant announcement with Sport Manitoba for a new life-sport centre down in the Exchange District, Mr.

Speaker, which will provide not only immediate jobs for construction in the community but a long-term facility that will serve athletes training for the highest levels of competition in this country and internationally but also have a third of its time available for people in the neighbourhoods, in the inner city, in the North End, to use that facility. So we're co ntinuing on a mission to make Manitoba a better place to live, Mr. Speaker, and that's what Manitobans have asked us to do and that's what we are doing. Mr. Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question. Mr.

Pallister: And you don't do that by dis - respecting a tendering process and wasting millions of dollars. Now, the Premier says that his colleagues are more than capable of coming clean with the facts around his tale of the Tiger Dam, but they're unwilling to come forward. But they weren't so unwilling last November when, at a press conference, the MLA for Fort Rouge gave her reasons for departing. She said, quote: It is

2038 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 because we can no longer work with a premier who refuses to hear us. Now, if the Premier is accurate in his assertion that he answered the objections of his colleagues and supported an open tendering process before they left, if the former Finance minister was not referring to the issue of the $5-million untendered contract in her comments, then what was she referring to? What issue caused the rebel five to rebel? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, that question was just asked; it was just answered. And, Mr.

Speaker, what all of us on this side of the House are focused on since we all voted for the Throne Spee ch was an agenda to ensure that we provide good job opportunities for Manitobans. It builds on our previous announcements that we're going to have a major infrastructure program in Manitoba: 5 and a half billion dollars over five years.

This current Throne Speech said that we're going to take that experience of infrastructure and leverage it into more opportunities for people to get trades, more opportunities for people in high school to get access to a trade, a first -year apprenticeship or a college education or university courses. We're calling that first year now. We're moving forward on that. And then we brought in a budget, Mr. Speaker, which did very significant things to invest in the future of Manitobans. We brought in Rent Assist. We brought in another major investment in infrastructure.

We moved forward on health care, including CancerCare hub in the city of Winnipeg. We moved forward on things to improve the child-welfare system with additional investments there. And in the midst of all of that, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite voted against it. No surprise. They weren't focused on the priorities of Manitobans then; they are not focused on the priorities of Manitobans now. Mr. Pallister: I see four of his members agree with his assertion, Mr. Speaker. I think that states the case well.

The Premier's agenda is to raise taxes, to push the Province into perpetual debt and to politicize transactional processes. The former Auditor General –former Attorney General and Justice minister declared at t he rebel press conference, quote: We noticed a definite change in the way things were being done; the Premier has become more concerned about remaining leader than necessarily doing things in the interest of the province.

Now, if the Attorney General was not referring to the issues that we've been discussing here in the last few days, this tale of the Tiger Dam, the $5-million untendered contract, what was he referring to? What issue caused the NDP rebels to become rebels? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, I'v e answered that question trice–twice, but I can tell you what we are all concerned about on this side of the House is the plan of the Leader of the Opposition to privatize daycare in Manitoba. We're also concerned about his plan to privatize social services in Manitoba.

We'd like to know what other hidden agenda items he has not yet put on the table, Mr. Speaker. He should start coming clean with what his true agenda is for Manitoba. The last time he was in government, he attempted to privatize the home -care system, and he failed. Regrettably, he did–was able to push through the privatization of the telephone system, which now leaves us with among the higher rates in this country. * (13:50) We're clear. We're here to serve the interests of Manitobans. Every single member on this side of the House wants to see economic growth in this province.

We want to do it in a sustainable way. We want good opportunities for young people. We want to provide education and health care to the people who need it. That's why we brought forward the budget we did. Members opposite voted against it. They need to be accountable for that and their agenda of privatization. Mr. Pallister: That's a textbook illustration: When you have a record you can't possibly run on, and that's what this Premier has, then you incite fear. That's all he has left: fear. Because he's afraid, he wants to project it on Manitobans. Well, his own colleagues were afraid.

Annihilation territory, I believe, his pollster called it. And the MLA for Seine River at a press conference said this: In recent months, it's become clear that if you were in a position where you support the point of view of the Premier, then your priorities move up the queue. Sounds familiar, Mr. Speaker. Ahead of the priorities of Manitobans, that member said.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2039 Now, this sounds like the issue under consideration. The Premier backed the Infrastructure Minister in pushing forward a $5- million expense without tender. The Treasury Board pushed back. The Premier now claims he listened, but that was in October. Four months had passed, four months of pushing and Treasury Board resisting. Now, he says in October, before the rebellion began. The rebellion was in November. To what was the MLA for Seine River referring to, then, if it wasn't this? Why did she leave? Why did the rebels leave?

What was the issue that caused the rebellion? Come clean. Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, the member has repeated the same question three times. I've given him an answer three times. It's very clear that the member wants to focus on everything except his own hidden agenda for the future of Manitoba. We've now been able–after we made a very major announcement, Mr.

Speaker, of another 900 daycare spaces in Manitoba, with another close to $3 million of investment in daycare facilities, followed up by a $25- million plan over five years of daycares to be built in schools, we then found out from the members of the opposition they don't support that approach. They would like to privatize daycare; that was the approach they put out. After we made significant investments in things like Rent Assist and social services, including in the child-welfare system, we then found out that the Leader of t he Opposition wants to privatize the social services, Mr. Speaker.

What else is he hiding? He wants to stand there and pretend the double standard does not apply. The double standard is very clear for the member opposite. He does not want to be accountabl e for his own policies, but he wants to nitpick everybody else's policies. Tiger Dam Equipment Approval of Contract Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): This is a very serious issue. It speaks to the integrity or lack thereof of this NDP government when it comes to tendering practices in our province. And Manitobans deserve to find the answers to these questions which the Premier (Mr. Selinger) is not providing them. Now, Mr.

Speaker, as a member of Treasury Board, was the Minister for Jobs and the Economy urged at any point in time to approve the awarding of a sole -source contract for $5 million for the Tiger Dam equipment? Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister responsible for Emergency Measures): Mr. Speaker, I think it's important to note in recent years we've worked with municipalities; we've worked with First Nations to provide support in terms of flood mitigation, both permanent and in terms of flood equipment. The north of the –north of Winnipeg, Red River communities, the consortium, we've worked with them.

They now operate two Amphibexes. They have various types of equipment. We also received an –a proposal, Mr. Speaker, from the Interlake regional tribal council in the spring of last year which reflected the fact that they represent many of the most–hardest hit communities. At that time, we did not proceed with the proposal that they put forward. It was a $45- million proposal, which they did take to the federal government as well. And when the flooding hit in the summer in July of 2014, I'd remind members opposite the fact that First Nations– Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. Mrs. Stefanson: Again, this is a very serious issue. It goes to the integrity of this government with respect to the tendering pract ices that they do in this province, Mr. Speaker. And I would think a Minister for Jobs and the Economy would have every concern for providing the best value for money for Manitobans, and if he does, I would urge him to stand in his place and answer the question today. He was a member of Treasury Board at the time.

Was the Minister for Jobs and the Economy urged at any point in time to approve the awarding of the sole -source contract for the $5 million for the Tiger Dam equipment? Mr. Ashton: Mr. Speaker, in July of 2014, we were hit with a major flood. We opened the emergency outlet, again proving the value of that investment in 2014. There was a protest by every single First Nation in that area, supported by the Interlake regional tribal council, supported by the grand chief of AMC, that very much called into question our ability to operate

2040 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 something that was critical for Lake Manitoba and critical for Lake St. Martin. And, Mr. Speaker, they asked for two things. They came forward proposals for great er flood mitigation. In fact, there's a Free Press

article I'd refer members to, July the 11th, written by Larry Kusch, the headline states: First Nations call for greater flood mitigation. And the second thing they asked for was in terms of fisheries. We engaged in discussion with them, committed to both the fisheries compensation– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's on this–time on this question has elapsed. Mrs. Stefanson: We know that the member for Thompson (Mr. Ashton) has been pushing for the sole-sourcing contract for the Tiger Dam equipment, Mr.

Speaker, but the question is who else in Cabinet and who else in Treasury Board also pushed for that, the sole sourcing of this contract. And that's why I'm asking the Minister responsible for Jobs and the Economy in the province of Manitoba: Did– was he urged by anyone to approve the sole sourcing of this Tiger Dam equipment, yes or no, and if he was, who urged him to do so? Mr. Ashton: And this–Mr. Speaker, we did, in fact, work with the Interlake regional tribal council. We're–represents all of the First Nations there. We worked with the First Nations directly.

Over the subsequent two months, we resolved the fisheries issues that recognized that there were impacts from the operation of the emergency outlet. When it came to the equipment, we made it very clear that it was going to be provincially owned equipment. That was communicated directly on September 2nd. Obviously, if it was provincially owned equipment, it would have to go through our processes in terms of Treasury Board. That's exactly what we did. And I want to reiterate what the Premier (Mr. Selinger) said earlier. To this date, Mr.

Speaker, the Interlake tribal council does have equipment now through federal processes and w e have not awarded any contract whatsoever. So it did go to tender and no contract has been awarded, period. Tiger Dam Equipment Approval of Contract Mr. Cameron Friesen (Morden -Winkler): The member for Selkirk (Mr. Dewar), the current Finance Minister, was a member of the Treasury Board in October of 2014 when the request for $5 million in funding for the Tiger Dam untendered contract was heard.

My question for the member for Selkirk: Was the member of Selkirk urged at any time to approve this $5-million Tiger Dam untendered contract? Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister responsible for Emergency Measures): It's been very clear on the public record that certainly the First Nations felt that they should own the equipment and certainly expressed their view that it should go through their procurement processes. But, Mr.

Speaker, I'd remind members opposite that we were dealing with a very real situation in terms of flooding, two major issues that were raised by the First Nations, one being the need for flood equipment, recognizing that we are working on the permanent outlets that will protect Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, also the fisheries issues. I point out again, Mr. Speaker, we did resolve the fisheries issues. Payments have gone to fishers in that area. And when it came to the equipment, we went through our normal internal processes. A tender was issued. No tender has been awarded.

In fact, the equipment, I believe, has been purchased now through the federal government, Mr. Speaker. So, again, it was tendered and no equipment was sent to the Interlake regional tribal council for on– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. Mr. Friesen: The Minister for Infrastructure publicly announced this funding, $5 million for Tiger Dam flood equipment, in July. Now, it's obvious he had a cozy relationship with the company that sells Tiger Dam. It is obvious that he had a relationship with the purchaser.

We know that his pal had the exclusive rights to sell Tiger Dam in Manitoba. He was pushing this agenda; he was lobbying. As a matter of fact, the Free Press said that he was always trying to get us to buy Tiger Dam. It was a constant thing with him. It was clear he was urging.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2041 My question, again, for the member of –for Selkirk is: Was he urged at any time to approve this $5-million Tiger Dam untendered contract? * (14:00) Mr. Ashton : Let's be very clear. Over the last number of years we greatly increased our purchase of flood equipment, and I'll take members back to March 25th, 2009, when we were hit by flash flooding because of ice jams north of Winnipeg. And we moved that evening, Mr. Speaker, to purchase flood equipment. But it's not just from IFC; it's also terms of Aqua Dams and, Mr.

Speak er, quite frankly, Aqua Dam is not a Manitoba-based company. I don't think they've got any involvement here. But we've purchased a significant number of Aqua Dams. Why? Because they work. We've also purchased a significant number of HESCO dams, Mr. Speake r. I think we purchased in the range of $5 million in the middle of a flood situation. Mr. Speaker, we've purchased from a variety of companies. I want to stress again, these products work. We're seen as a model throughout the –North America and the world. These products are used internationally. And we make no apology for investing in flood– Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time on this question has elapsed. Mr. Friesen: Well, Mr. Speaker, this is an issue about transparency. It is an issue about account - ability. It is an issue about value for money. This is an issue about taxpayers getting the best value for their dollar, and it guards against waste. Mr. Speaker, my question, then, again, for the member for Selkirk (Mr. Dewar), who was part of that Treasury Board deliberation when that proposal came up, is: Was he told to get 'er done? Was he urged at any time to give approval for an untendered $5-million Tiger Dam contract? Mr.

Ashton : Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm glad the member opposit e referenced value for money, because investing $1 billion, as we have over the last 10 years, in flood mitigation, that's value for money. Building the emergency outlet in 2011 and opening it in 2014, that's value for money. Moving ahead on the construction of a permanent outlet from Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, which is going to bring the flood protection levels to as high as one in 200 years on Lake Manitoba.

And, for the first time, we will have relocated on flood- protected areas; we'll have–communities that have been chronically affected by flooding for the last 50 years. We on this side make no apologies for the value-for-money investments we have made in terms of flood mitigation. Management and Administration Practices Auditor General's Recommendations Mr. Reg Helwer (Brandon West): Mr. Speaker, in a March 2014 report to this Assembly, the Auditor General recommended that the Province's manage- ment and administrative practices needed to be stronger.

The Auditor General further identified that management and administrative weakness is resulting in a number of problems, including incomplete filing documentation, no compliance monitoring, limited communication. Can the minister please outline today what steps have been taken to address the se significant deficiencies in NDP tendering practices? Hon. Greg Dewar (Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I'm thrilled to be able to stand today and talk about the issue of contracts. As a member mentioned, there was a report.

The–we put forward a number of amendments the other–just the other day in the BITSA legislation, 2015. It calls for the –a new online registry. It calls for, as well, a streamlined administrative process to ensure that reports are comprehensive, timely, be more effectively delivered. And the members opposite voted against it. Mr. Helwer: Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General went further, saying that the Province maintained an inefficient and error -prone process to enter information into the public access da tabase.

That inefficiency referred to –resulted in more than $180 million in untendered contracts that were not disclosed. How many more $5- million contracts to NDP best friends is the public on the hook for? Mr. Dewar : Well, Mr. Speaker, I reject that question. We're concerned about getting value for money. And the member should realize that the – more than 67 per cent of all the contracts that are let by the Province go through a competitive process. There is only –the remainder of the ones that aren't, the majority of those who–there's only one

2042 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 provider, such as Microsoft: proprietary suppliers. This government purchased a number of water bombers from Bombardier, Mr. Speaker. They're the only ones that can provide that service. And we're proud that we did that. Mr. Helwer: Mr. Speaker, according to the Auditor General, untendered contracts increase the risk of procurement improprieties, and ensuring compliance with strong policies to mitigate that risk is essential.

Just months after the AG recommended policies to mitigate risk to the public, the NDP moved ahead with a $5 -million untendered contract to an NDP donor. This is clear proof that the minister ignored the Auditor General's recommendations around transparency, accountability and openness. Will he admit that today? Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister responsible for Emergency Measures): Mr. Speaker, once again, a tender was put out and that tender has not been issued, so the member is wrong. Complete Care Agency Service Provision Complaints Mr.

Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): When asked in January of 2014 about services being provided by Complete Care for children in hotels –excuse me–the minister said she was not aware of Complete Care. Perhaps she should've been. Besides paying them over $5 mill ion, a recent FIPPA shows a steady increase in the number of complaints to her department regarding poor service from this agency. Does the minister pay no attention to complaints received on service providers to her department? Hon.

Kerri Irvin -Ross (Mi nister of Family Services): We've worked diligently with the authorities and the agencies and also community - based organizations across this province to ensure that we're providing a good quality service to families and children, making sure that children can thrive in their family and stay in their communities. We continue to work with these service providers. We take all issues that are presented to the department very seriously, and we investigate. What I want to remind the member opposite today is that we are eliminating the use of hotels across this province. Mr. Wishart: Mr.

Speaker, clearly that wasn't soon enough. I table information received from the department requested on October 15, 2014, and not received until June 17, 2015. Besides taking an undue period of time to reply, the information shows a steady increase in complaints received about Complete Care over the last five years with a sudden surge in the last two years. Shouldn't a sudden increase in complaints indicate to the minister that there was a problem with the agency providing services to children in the government care in hotels? Ms.

Irvin-Ross: Today, what's important to focus on is the elimination of hotel use across this province for children in care, and we're going to continue to do that. All of our partners are working together to ensure that we're hiring more staff to provide the care that's necessary. We've hired over 80 more staff. We've increased the number of EPR beds across this province to 90 more beds. We're continuing to work with all of our partners to address the issue of children and safety. That's our No. 1 priority. But we're not stopping there. Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to invest in prevention.

We are continuing to make those investments. We are not threatening to privatize, and we certainly are not cutting any services to Manitoba families. Mr. Wishart: Well, Mr. Speaker, what we have seen from this government is action only when there is a crisis in care. Shouldn't a sudden increase in complaints about services provided by CFS to at -risk children been enough of a red flag for this minister to take action, perhaps before someone died? Ms.

Irvin -Ross: This government has continually taken action to increase the services available to Manitoba families, from prevention services to child care to education services and, when a family is in crisis, ensuring that we have adequate supports for them within the child -welfare system. We continue to make those investments. We are seeing the benefits from them. We hav e more work to do and we're committed to doing that work. We recently have been able to say that we've eliminated the use of hotels across this province.

We have done that by working with the agencies and the authorities across this province, dedicating more funds to hiring more staff and creating more resources. We are making those investments. We're seeing those changes.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2043 We're celebrating with Manitoba families; we are not threatening them by privatization and unnecessary cuts. Tiger Dam Equipment Emergency Operations Centre Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr.

Speaker, we have learned of the activities of today's NDP government with respect to the purchase of Tiger Dams for First Nations communities. * (14:10) Today's NDP government issued a press release last year on July 25th that highlighted the creation of, and I quote, "the first emergency operations centre for First Nations in Canada." It said initial plans for the centre include, again I quote, "rapid- response flood equipment stationed centrally in the Lake St.

Martin area." Will the Premier today tell us exactly where the centre is located and if the Tiger Dams purchased for flood protection were intended for floodfighting around Lake St. Martin? Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question. We did more tha n that on that July 25th announcement. We talked about the need to provide a compensation program for fishers who had lost their livelihood because of the flooding that occurred in the Lake St. Martin area, and we provided that to them and have followed through on that program.

We also were working with the First Nations at that time to make sure that the emergency channel was open to allow the water to flow. The–my understanding is that the Interlake regional tribal council is part of a solution where they work with Peguis, who has equipment, extra equipment and special equipment to fight flood protection, and as it turns out they have even more equipment now that they've received federal money to purchase additional equipment. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, in July 2014, water flowing into Lake Manitoba through the Portage Diversion caused concern about the rising water level of Lake St.

Martin. The Minister of Infrastructure was apparently involved in an attempt to purchase $5 million of Tiger Dams, and he is alleged to have reported – resorted to, and I quote, trying to bully his Cabinet colleagues into doing something they knew was wrong. Mr. Speaker, this question is not a difficult level of transparency to achieve. Quite simply, again: Precisely where is the flood centre, and were any of the water -filled Tiger Dams to be used to protect people around Lake St. Martin? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, the most important thing to protect the people around Lake St.

Martin was to get the emergency channel flowing because that lowered the level of the lake by a very significant amount of water, which is why we built it in the first place, and we did it after consulting the First Nations in the area. So that was the most important thing to do, was to get the channel open and to have the water flowing through that channel on a renewed emergency basis because of the high waters. The second thing to do was to give some comfort to the fishers who had lost their livelihood because of all the flooding disruption in their traditional territory where they were making a living.

That program rolled forward. We also committed to working with First Nations on providing them with extra equipment. Peguis had additional equipment. It has additional equipment right now. It got additional equipment from the federal government. I understand the federal government is reviewing the acquisition process that we followed. We followed a tendering process in Manitoba, a tendering process under the management of the Department of Infrastruct ure, who looks after those matters, and to date no tender has been awarded.

But we always were able to make available additional equipment and support to First Nations in the Interlake on a timely basis. We have a large stockpile of existing equipment, a nd we've always said if an emergency comes up, our existing equipment can be made available to you on an emergency basis as we build long-term capacity– Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable First Minister's time on this question has elapsed. Effectiveness of Equipment Mr. Gerrard: Mr.

Speaker, the Free Press reported that the minister's actions were so abundantly, obviously offside of standard tendering rules and that today's NDP government operates in a way that ministers are personally making deal s with third parties to buy goods.

2044 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 On January 19th, 2011, Barry Prentice wrote in the Free Press that Tiger Dams are the least reliable system and that a product testing report supplied by the minister would not qualify for an elementary school science p roject, a finding confirmed in the 2011 Flood Review Task Force report, which I table. Did the Premier have good scientific evidence that the Tiger Dams would be effective in the terrain around Lake St. Martin, and if so, will he table that evidence today? Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, the member raises an important question.

In my view, and this was the process that we followed in the tendering process, our officials consulted with the people of –that were looking after the flood protection measures for the Interlake regional tribal council. We always said we want to get the right mix of equipment. Nobody s hould be able to dictate one specific product. We have to get the right mix of equipment. That includes Aqua Dam. That includes HESCO Barriers. There are uses for Tiger Dams as well, but you need the appropriate equipment in the appropriate place at the ap propriate time.

And we have all of those types of equipment in our arsenal right now, including traditional sandbags, including super sandbags. All of those tools were available to us, and we deploy those tools as necessary in appropriate and specific circumstances, and we can make those available on an emergency basis. The tendering process went through, a proper procedure. No award has been made at this point. The member knows full well that his question is completely specious because he knows we haven' t awarded the contract. University of Winnipeg Campus New Student Housing Complex Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Mr.

Speaker, we know that housing is central to lives and well -being and the health of all Manitoba families. And that's why our government has c ommitted to add 500 new affordably housing units and over 500 new social housing units over the next number of years. We also know that a priority of our government is provide housing with–for students for safe and affordable housing so that they can focus on their studies and that they can succeed. Can the Minister of Housing and Community Development update the House on a great announcement that was made right here in the heart of downtown Winnipeg today? Hon.

Mohinder Saran (Minister of Housing and Community Development ): Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for the question. Today we were proud to announce the construction of what will become the brand new student housing, the U of W commons on the University of Winnipeg's downtown campus. The University of Winnipeg commons will house a vibrant, multigenerational community and provide a variety of housing options for people with diverse needs. This new 14-storey high-rise building will add 102 new suites of mixed house –or use housing.

Forty-six of these suites will be affordable housing which will provide safe, supportive housing for students and families while attending the University of Winnipeg. With projects like these, we can continue to provide families and students with safe, affordable housing in the heart of downtown. Altona Health Centre Nurse Staffing Levels Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Mr. Speaker, the minister's mismanagement has caused the OR in Altona to close because of the lack of nurses. The ER's also sporadically closed, and we now know that the patients in the hospital are suffering.

What does the minister have to say to Mrs. Krahn, an MS patient who says she doesn't know whether she will receive a weekly bath or not? Hon. Sharon Blady (Minister of Health): I'd like to thank the member for the question. Manitoba families, regardless of where they live throughout the province, do deserve access to safe, high-quality care close to home, and that's why we have continued to invest in those facilities and invest in doctors and nurses for those facilities, as well as bringing in nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants, things that did not exist under members opposite.

So I can tell the members opposite and assure all Manitobans that we are continuing to work with our regional health authority partners and faciliti es to ensure that facilities are operational to the best of their capacity and to full capacity at every opportunity.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2045 Mr. Graydon: Well, Mr. Speaker, the minister has repeatedly stated that our money is on the table. Yet despite this claim, Manitobans a re getting less service, obviously due to the mismanagement by this minister. Mrs. Krahn goes on to say that she has to wait up to 45 minutes to be put on or taken off a commode. Why are Manitobans paying more and getting less? Ms. Blady: Mr.

Speaker , I'd like to thank the member for the question and remind him that while we cannot discuss the particulars of any given individual's case for privacy reasons, if he has any information that he or anyone else would like to bring to my office, I would gladl y meet with them and, again, pursue an individual case. But I can assure members opposite and all Manitobans that, again, we are working together, we are making investments, and, again, it's one of those things where we've hired and trained more doctors and nurses, replacing each and every one of the ones that they fired and said–sent running.

And, again, our numbers are up. So we will continue to work with our regional health authority partners. Mr. Graydon: Well, Mr. Speaker, the ratio of nurses is more than 11 patients per nurse. Due to this heavy workload, nurses are stressed and not able to provide the quality of care to each patient that is deserved and that the nurses themselves want to provide. Mrs. K rahn says she has to often wait up to 50 minutes to receive pain medication. Mr. Speaker, why are the Manitobas paying more and getting substantially less health care? And this minister does know of this case. * (14:20) Ms.

Blady: I thank the member fo r the question and again remind him that we cannot discuss the particulars of the case in this Chamber. I would also remind him that for all the critiques that are provided, members opposite still don't have a plan. I guess he hasn't talked to the member from Morden-Winkler recently, because, again, and I will put on the record yet again, after five times being asked what their health plan was, the member for Morden-Winkler (Mr. Friesen) didn't respond to Mr. Adler, and, again, Mr. Adler's

summary of the conversation was: I have no idea what they are going to do. He also said, you're disappointing me. He followed by adding, the PC party is often accused of beating the dead horse, dwelling on the obvious but not offering solutions. And he closed with, you 've spent five minutes doing exactly what the PCs are accused of doing. You're fulfilling every stereotype that the NDP puts out there. We're continuing to work with partners. They're beating dead horses. Children in Care Graduation Rates Mr. Wayne Ewask o (Lac du Bonnet): Mr. Speaker, I'm not quite sure what the minister has against horses. Mr.

Speaker, we have more than 11,000 kids in care. We have less than two thirds of the kids graduating from high school and less than 50 per cent of them are even ready for school. Today we heard that the minister for CFS doesn't track attendance for the kids she is supposed to be in care of. She admits today that she wasn't aware of service provider that her department has paid more than $5 million to. Mr. Speak er, will the minister for Child and Family Services stand up today and admit that her government is failing Manitobans because Manitobans are tired of getting more–or paying more and getting less? Hon.

James Allum (Minister of Education and Advanced Learning): Actually, Mr. Speaker, I think the member had it right. Manitobans are getting more and they are paying less. But, Mr. Speaker, we have established a task force to deal with the educational challenges facing kids in care. That task force will be chaired by Tammy Christensen from Ndinawe and by Kevin Lamoureux, who is a well -known instructor at the University of Winnipeg. And Mr.

Lamoureux, in talking about the task force, says, and I quote: I am grateful for the authors of the report for giving voice to the experience of some of Manitoba's most vulnerable citizens. It is in the spirit of care of our children in care and a deep respect for the professionals who work tirelessly to provide the best possible supports for them that we begin this task force.

2046 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 Mr. Speaker, we work with community every day. I don't know why the members think that that's a bad idea. Mr. Speaker: Time for oral questions has expired. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Mr. Speaker: It is now time for members' statements. Crescent Drive Park Hon. James Allum (Minister of Education and Advanced Learning): Everyone has a favourite park, whether it's the Assiniboine, St. Vital or Kildonan parks. These spaces have special meaning to the people who use them.

They give us a place to relax, let our children play and enjoy the outdoors, all while staying close to home. One of my favourite parks is Crescent Drive Park. It's located in the south end of Fort Garry-Riverview. It is a beautiful green space to explore. I am certainly not the only one who has a soft spot for Crescent Drive Park. It's cherished by man y of my constituents, and a group of them have formed a team called Crescent Park Rescue to advocate on its behalf.

We are very fortunate to have this active and engaged group in our community which originated as part of a campaign to protect golf course s and green spaces in Winnipeg. Through their volunteer efforts, we have learned about the high quality of the park's urban forest and about the many opportunities for recreation available in summer and winter. Among their accomplishments, Crescent Park Rescue can count projects that involve stabilizing the riverbank, tree planting and fighting invasive species that choke indigenous plants on the forest floor.

The group is to be congratulated on their latest effort to enhance ecological balance in the par k, the recently designated Monarch Meadows. This garden is now a no- mow area so that milkweed can grow and attract Monarch butterflies. Crescent Park Rescue plans to add nectar plants and other wild - flowers to increase biodiversity in the area. To enable their success, Crescent Park Rescue reaches out to the community by hosting public events, conducting surveys on potential projects and drawing volunteers. This is truly a homegrown initiative.

We are joined today by members of Crescent Park Rescue's steering committee. I ask all members of the House to join me in recognizing their truly amazing efforts to protect our city's natural beauty for generations to come. 2015 Farm Family of the Year Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): Mr. Speaker, it was my honour to be in the presence on Monday, June 15th, of many of Manitoba's agricultural leaders and future leaders in the Farm Family of the Year Agriculture and Agri-Food Scholarships.

In particular, it was a great pleasure to witness Ed and Kathy Friesen of Kl eefeld, Manitoba, being awarded the 2015 family –Farm Family of the Year recognition. Since 1999, the Friesens have operated Friecrest Holsteins and have grown and improved the farm significantly over the years. In their acceptance speech the Friesens paid tribute to the many people who have supported them along the way and in particular recognized their family: Jocelyn, Loralie, Janelle, Justin and Alyssa.

Friecrest is in every way a family farm, and the Friesens stress how they made sure that it was not just a place of work but one that would leave good memories and strong values for their children. Through the years Ed has taken on respon- sibilities on several boards related to the dairy industry, and Kathy has also helped prepare the finances for both their farm and others'. They have also made it a priority to give back to the local community and farming industry by opening their farm to tours and visitors.

They have also been active in their local church, and their faith is evident in their life, values and attitude. Members of this Assembly know that farm families contribute far more to their communities and province than simply through their farm operations. They remain the foundation of many of our communities, and Ed and Kathy are examples of the many ways that farm families contribute to the province. The Farm Family of the Year award has been awarded since 1966 and is sponsored by the Red River Exhibition Association and the Red River Exhibition Foundation.

Ed and Kathy join a long history of distinguished winners and they are very worthy of joining this select group.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2047 Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all members of the Legislative Assembly, I congratulate Ed and Kathy Friesen and their entire family on being honoured as the 2015 Farm Family of the Year. Bike Week and Bike to Work Day Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Mr. Speaker, cycling enthusiasts, beginner cyclists and everyone in between came together last week to celebrate Bike Week in Winnipeg. Different events and celebrations took place throughout the week including group rides and how -to workshops, and it was capped off with the 8th annual Bike to Work Day last Friday.

That day, over 50 different pit stops were set up to encourage cyclists on their way to work. Various organizations and community groups offered snacks, drinks and even prizes to the morning cyclists. Most pit stops were–also served as mini bike tune-up stops to pump up tires or oil bike chains as necessary. I had a great time helping out at the pit stop by Elmwood High School on t he Northeast Pioneers Greenway. We handed out water to over 100 cyclists, both regular 'commuteters' –commuters and those who were biking to work for the first time. Cycling is a great way to get to work.

It reduces carbon emissions and helps keep you ac tive. People who cycle regularly also know it's important to feel safe while you're riding. Bike lanes and pathways like the Northeast Pioneers Greenway help make active transportation easier and much safer. That's why I'm excited that this year construction will begin on a new state -of-art interchange and active trans - portation corridor around the Perimeter and Highway 59. Once this multi -year project is finished, families will be able to bike safely all the way down the Northeast Pioneers Greenway to Bird s Hill and beyond.

Together with fantastic organizations like Bike Week Winnipeg and the River East Neighbourhood Network, our province continues to invest in active transportation, making it safer for everyone. Bike Week may be over, but I encourage everyone to get on their bikes in the coming weeks and go for a spin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tom Yandeau Mr. Stuart Briese (Agassiz): Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to recognize a resident of my constituency who was recently inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tom Yandeau of Plumas was one of the 13 distinguished individuals honoured at the annual induction ceremony on June 6th, 2015, at the Morden access centre. Tom's playing career started in his home community of Plumas in 1979 and continued strong for 32 years as a switch-hitting cleanup batter for the Plumas Pirates. Here, Yandeau's stats included 247 home runs and a .440 lifetime batting average. To put things into perspective, over the course of his career, the great Babe Ruth achieved a batting average of .343. Hence, Tom's .440 is worthy of recognition.

Tom may also hold the unofficial Manitoba senior career home run record, clearing the bases 182 times in only 480 games. Tom represented Manitoba in the western Canadian baseball championships in '95, 1996 and 1998, and in 2007, Tom was awarded the Manitoba Baseball Association's Volunteer of the Year award for his various achievements and unwavering dedication.

As coach of minor ball, and as an executive fundraiser for Plumas ball diamond, which included upgrades such as a red clay infield, dugouts, a batting cage and an outfield fence, it's no surprise that Tom was the 2007 award recipient. * (14:30) In 2012, Tom was honoured by the Santa Clara league for his dedication to baseball and his commit- ment to coaching. As skillful with a playbook as he is on the field, Tom coached his Gladstone high school team to back -to-back Manitoba high school titles in 2010 and 2011. Mr.

Speaker, I ask that all the honourable members join me in congratulating Tom for his recent induction in the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and for his past and continuous contributions to the sport. A humble gentleman and a staunch supporter of Plumas, Tom deserves much credit. As a coach, men tor, gifted athlete, community advocate, selfless volunteer, it gives me great pride to formally honour Tom Yandeau today in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Thank you. National Aboriginal Day Ms. Amanda Lathlin (The Pas): Mr. Speaker, this past Su nday, June 21st, was National Aboriginal Day.

All across the country, we celebrated

2048 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 indigenous history, culture and identity. Here in Manitoba we were proud to showcase the contributions that Aboriginal people make to our province. Our families at Opaskw ayak Cree Nation and The Pas celebrated National Aboriginal Day this year. It was a great weekend with lots of children's activities and a community feast. We also took this opportunity to honour the 2015 graduating students of Opaskwayak Cree Nation. I hope they're all very proud of their accomplishments.

National Aboriginal Day is an important time to reflect on where we have come from, where we are and where we are going. As Aboriginal people and as Canadians, it's a time to tell our stories and successes as Aboriginal Canadians and it's a time to demonstrate the strength and the resiliency of our people. This year is particularly significant as we proudly mark the 25th anniversary of Elijah Harper's historic no which put an end to the Meech Lake Accord. Elijah Harper stood up for Aboriginal people and forced the Canadian government to recognize our voices.

We are still seeing the results of his heroic choice today. I truly believe that this year is also a year of hope. With the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report and our Premier's (Mr. Selinger) apology for the 'tradegy' of the '60s scoop, I am hopeful that all Canadians can finally tear down the stereotypes that divide us and that we can move forward with our non- Aboriginal counterparts on the path to reconciliation. I have never been more proud of our province than today as we look ahead to a much better future.

Aboriginal people in Canada have been subjected to many hardships and trials: colonization, displacement, racism, systemic discrimination and so much more, and yet, we are here. We are proud, we are thriving and we celebrate our place at the heart of Canadian society. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: That concludes members' statements. Grievances? ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Mr. Speaker: Seeing no grievances, orders of the day, government business. Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Yes, Mr.

Speaker, we would like to call for debate on second reading of Bill 17 and second reading on Bill 26, then debate on second reading on Bill 14, then second reading on Bill 15, and I will have more information for the House subsequently. Mr. Speaker: Has been announced that we'll be calling bills in the following order: starting with debate on second readings of Bill 17, and then we'll move to second reading of Bill 26, and then back to debate on second readings of Bill 14 and second readings of Bill 15. DEBATE ON SECOND READINGS Bill 17–The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act Mr.

Speaker: We'll begin by calling Bill 17, The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act, standing in the name of the honourable member for Brandon West (Mr. Helwer). Is there leave for this matter to remain standing in the name of the hono urable member for Brandon West? An Honourable Member: No. Mr. Speaker: No? Leave has been denied. Is there further debate? Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): Mr. Speaker, I want to put a few words on the record regarding this bill, and we look forward to it going to committee for a f urther discussion.

I think this is something that came up a couple of years ago under the former minister of Justice, also responsible for Manitoba Public Insurance, and it came up in a committee hearing during presentations on another bill that was related to Manitoba Public Insurance.

And at that time a presenter came forward who was involved in the industry and was speaking about a case that he had a client for, and indicated that a caregiver who had been killed in an automobile accident, they didn't have indemnity, and the hardship that resulted for the individual who remained who was the beneficiary of the care was significant, and it was difficult to place a value, essentially, on the work of the caregiver.

And so, in many ways, it punished or it c aused for there to be a hardship for an individual who is killed in a car accident, who's a caregiver; the person who remains found themselves in a difficult position because they lost the assistance of that individual.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2049 Now, I recognize that this would li kely affect a relatively small group of people, Mr. Speaker, but for those that are impacted, it would impact them greatly, I would say. And so when the amendment came forward to the committee that evening, we sought assurance from the government that they would be bringing forward either an amendment to the bill that was being debated at that time, or an amendment in the future that would resolve this situation. And so I suspect this is the fulfillment of that commitment that happened at that committee a couple of years ago.

I do know that there are questions, perhaps, about retroactivity and how far back this particular legislation can go. For the individual who presented that night, I think for the client that they were referring to, they would not be c aptured under this bill because it doesn't reach back in time that far, and you know those are the kind of discussions, perhaps, that can happen at committee, about how far back individuals should be able to make claim for these sort of causes, Mr. Speaker.

And certainly we know that bills that have an impact financially on individuals, it is always difficult to set a date because you ultimately end up cutting somebody off, and then the argument should be that the date should go back even further. Now, I recognize that that is the case and that makes it difficult to set a date, but that doesn't mean the discussion shouldn't happen, Mr. Speaker. It doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a discussion about what that date should be when this law comes into effect. So, we are certainly willing to see this go to committee and see further discussion.

I look forward to further discussion from the Minister of Justice at that time, the Minister responsible for MPI, Mr. Speaker. I gave him my assurance this morning that we would move the bill to committee so that we could have that discussion of public presentations on the bill. Any sort of concerns or questions can be raised there, and then we can make a decision about whether or not it moves for a third reading duri ng this current session or whether it moves to third reading during another sitting of the House, and those discussions can certainly happen in the time ahead.

I certainly would, while I have the floor, Mr. Speaker, encourage the government to look at other issues around Manitoba Public Insurance. We know that there's been discussions more recently about a rebate–or, sorry, not a rebate, but a reduction in some of the rates for Manitoba Public Insurance. That follows on a significant increase from Manitoba Public Insurance just a year ago, and I think there is some uncertainty in the minds of Manitobans, and justifiably so, about how rates are necessarily being set.

I remember at the last Crown corporation committee with Manitoba Public Insurance I had the opportunity to question the president of Manitoba Public Insurance, or the CEO and, at that time, there was quite a strong, strong indication that they would need the rate increase to ensure that there was a stabilization.

They pointed to a difficult winte r from the winter previous, and they gave an assurance to the committee and, through that, they gave an assurance to all Manitobans that there would–it was necessary to have that increase. * (14:40) We questioned that because there were others questioning that, certainly those who were more knowledgeable in the insurance business, Mr. Speaker, about whether or not a one -year variation on bad weather which caused a higher increase of claims was enough to have a significant increase in rates with MPI.

And now we see, a year later, that they seem to not need the increase anymore, and there's going to be a reduction in many of the rates. So I think there's a question among Manitobans' minds, and a legitimate one, about how the rates are being set and the va riability of them, Mr. Speaker, and whether or not it is simply a reaction from year to year which causes uncertainty for the rates. And that is a problem. Not to extend the debate too far, Mr. Speaker, but we do know that that same issue is relevant in Manitoba Hydro, the question of rates and how rates are being set.

Now, in that case, of course, there isn't really variability. The issue in Manitoba Hydro is that the rates are continually going up and never going down, and the projections are that they'r e going to be going up for at least the next decade, as the corporation, even with the increases, sustains significant losses from 2018 and beyond. So that is a little bit of a different scenario but still within the ballpark, I think, because it still goe s to the issue of rate predictability and how rates are set.

With Manitoba Public Insurance, I do think that there are legitimate questions about whether or not the forecast for rates is reliable, when you go from one year suggesting that you need a forev er-time

2050 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 increase to the rates because of a one- time situation with the weather, to the next year saying, well, we're going to be reducing the rates because of favourable weather or at least favourable accident claims, Mr. Speaker; that does cause questions about predictability.

So we would certainly ask the minister, not in relation to this particular bill, but more generally, in terms of his responsibility of being responsible for the MPI act, to inquire about that and why it is that the predictability of rates seems to be so difficult within the corporation, causing that uncertainty for Manitobans as well, Mr. Speaker. So I would leave those questions with the minister, having committed to him to move this committee–to committee today. We will, in fact, move it to committee today.

In terms of the specifics around caregivers and ensuring that individuals are given some assurance that, when they lose a caregiver through an accident, that there'll be some compensation to make up for that loss, Mr. Speaker, I think that that is appropriate. I know that these are difficult issues when you deal with trying to determine loss and determining value of a loss. I remember, for many years, the Member of Parliament for St.

James -Charleswood-Assiniboia was involve d with a dispute regarding Manitoba Public Insurance and trying to determine his future earnings and what kind of indemnity he should receive at the time. For those–I know most members are familiar with his situation, Mr. Speaker, but he was involved in a very significant accident that caused him to be paralyzed from the neck down and he at the time was, I believe, a student, an engineering student. He was travelling up north, and, if my memory serves me correctly, he struck a moose.

And, obviously, his fut ure earnings–and this was before he had any indication that he was going to go into politics –his future earnings would have been significant as an engineer and in the occupation that he was planning to do, but it didn't–the act didn't contemplate his futur e earnings; it only really contemplated his earnings as a student, which were, of course, much more diminished than he would have as a professional engineer, which he was nearly completed or perhaps just had completed.

And so he brought that issue forward, and I think that there's been significant and positive changes to the act in terms of how compensation is –or future income is determined, Mr. Speaker, and looking forward now, it's not simply what the income is at that time, but it can be determined, I understand, for what the potential income is, based on a particular career stream. And I think that is important because it recognizes that an individual would not be within that particular situation they were in for the rest of their lives.

So this is, I think, not exactly akin to that, but it's also, I think, another change within the MPI system where we tried to recognize a deficiency, recognize a flaw, and see where there's something isn't working, Mr. Speaker, and how is it that we can go forward and make sure that it does work. I'm a little disappointed, not in the act itself, but disappointed that it took two years, Mr. Speaker, for this to come forward.

We were prepared, I think, even on the night of committee two years ago, when the presenter came forward and made his case, we were prepared to make an amendment, maybe not exactly at committee that night, because it's difficult sometimes to write up an amendment to a complex act on the floor, not impossible, but di fficult. But we were prepared to see an amendment come back at report stage that would have addressed this issue and that it would have been in place for the past two years. And I think that that would have probably been an effective and efficient way to d eal with it.

For whatever reasons that the minister may want to speak about in committee, it took two years for this to come forward. I recognize he was not the minister at the time when the concern was raised at committee. It was his predecessor or a coup le predecessors, I suppose, who heard that particular presentation. So I would hope that he might be able to explain because it's not an unimportant issue to why it is that this legislation took two years to come forward and how many of those individuals m ight have been affected that weren't protected by the legislation because it took them so long to bring it forward.

I know that the government has been trying to prioritize this bill and I understand that and I'm sympathetic to that but, you know, it is sometimes difficult to wonder how it is that something has become an emergency when two –over two years nothing was changed, Mr. Speaker. We've been in this Legislature not as often as I would like, and perhaps not as often as we will be in the future, but I do know that there's been ample opportunity for the government to have brought this legislation forward. It's not complex legislation. It's not difficult to draft. I don't think it's the –it's not the weightiest piece of

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2051 legislation that we have before us in this session. It's nothing like the amendments of the family law act, which we look forward to debating perhaps not before the completion of this sitting of the House, because it's quite comprehensive and quite in- depth but it is –this particular piece of legislation could have been brought forward much more quickly, I would say, to help those who were impacted. So we do look forward to seeing who will come forward to committee and who will maybe have suggestions again.

Our committee process has been mentioned by members of all sides of the House including the independent member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard), that the committee process in Manitoba is both unique and instructive. At its best, it does bring forward good ideas, and this would be one examp le of an idea that came forward from a committee hearing, Mr. Speaker. At its worst, it can sometimes devolve into something that isn't quite as eloquent or isn't quite as instructive.

But, regardless, we think that it is something that should always be looked at in its best possible light; it could be something that is something that can be improved upon and made stronger in the province of Manitoba. So I'm looking forwarding to hearing those presentations at committee on this bill. We're prepared to see it go to committee. My understanding it'll probably come to committee sometime later this week, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to hearing the presentations when we're there. Mr. Speaker: Is there any further debate on this matter? Is the House ready for the question?

An Honourable Member: Question. Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is debate and second readings, Bill 17, The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] SECOND READINGS Bill 26–The Adult Abuse Registry Amendment Act Mr. Speaker: We'll now proceed to call Bill 26, under second readings, The Adult Abuse Registry Amendment Act. Hon.

Kerri Irvin -Ross (Minister of Family Services): I move, seconded by the Minister of Education and advanced education, that Bill 26 , The Adult Abuse Registry Amendment Act, be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House. Motion presented. Ms. Irvin-Ross: Mr. Speaker, it is truly a privilege to stand here before my honourable colleagues to speak to Bill 26, The Adult Abuse Registry Amendment Act.

Honourable members on both sides of this Chamber have acknowledged the problematic reality that some segments of the Manitoba population, through no fault of their own, are more susceptible to abuse, neglect and exploitation. For this reason, we can all agree that government has a moral responsibility to work diligently to ensure that vulnerable Manitobans receive the protection to which they are entitled. Mr. Speaker, in 2013, we introduced the Adult Abuse Registry, the first of its kind in Canada to help protect this vulnerable population.

The registry holds the protection of adults with intellectual disabilities and patients receiving care in health facilities, throughout the province, as its primary aim. * (14:50) The bill before us today will enhance the registry's ability to function as a protective mechanism by requiring the Adult Abuse Registry committee to proactively report the names of individuals referred for placement on the registry to employers and regulatory bodies.

This will ultimately enable employers to make more informed and defensible decisions regarding who works in facilities and agencies providing care to patient s and vulnerable adults. The creation of the registry specifically relates to an incident in 2009 where two workers employed by a not -for-profit agency funded by the Community Living disABILITY Services program abandoned vulnerable persons in a vehicle while they attended a movie. Existing legislation at the time of this incident did not allow for the individuals to be charged.

Agency raised extremely important concerns that staff may leave one employer after concerns of abuse and neglect of vulnerable pe rsons have been identified and go on to secure employment at another agency serving vulnerable adults. Government responded by establishing Canada's first Adult Abuse Registry and introducing important amendments to The Vulnerable Persons Living with a Me ntal

2052 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 Disability Act related to the abuse or neglect of vulnerable persons.

Specifically, the amendments to The Vulnerable Persons Living with a Mental Disability Act that were proclaimed and came into force on August 15th, 2011, included new offences for abusing or neglecting a vulnerable person, a duty for all persons to report the abuse and neglect of a vulnerable person, a duty for service providers and substitute decision makers to take all reasonable steps to protect vulnerable persons from abuse and neglect and an increase in the penalties for committing an offence under the vulnerable persons act.

Considered together, this makes the protection of vulnerable persons a responsibility of all Manitobans. The Adult Abuse Registry was created on January 15th, 2013, to record and track the identity of individuals found to have abused or neglected a vulnerable adult defined under the vulnerable persons act. Amendments to The Protection for Persons in Care Act and its regulation came into force on Ma rch 15th, 2013, expanding the scope of the registry to include not only vulnerable adults under the vulnerable persons act but also patients as defined under The Protection for Persons in Care Act.

The Adult Abuse Registry Act was drafted in such a way that use of the registry could be expanded in the future to cover other vulnerable populations. The registry committee investigates complaints and determines if the employee abused, neglected or exploited an individual. Law enforcement bodies are notified to determine whether charges should be laid.

The registry is used extensively by employers throughout the province to screen potential employees or volunteers to ensure that individuals have–who have abused vulnerable persons and patients in the past are not able to gain employment caring for any vulnerable Manitobans in the future. It acts as a safeguard to prevent access to vulnerable adults and patients by known offenders. From its inception, the registry has conducted over 40,000 checks for potential employees and volunteers.

The Adult Abuse Registry Act as it was originally drafted did not provide the ability for the registry committee or others in the departments of Health, Healthy Living and Seniors or Family Services to advise employers or regulat ory bodies that an individual has been placed on the registry other than if a specific request was made by the employer to the registry.

The bill puts the onus on the Adult Abuse Registry committee to proactively advise employers and regulatory bodies whe n they form an opinion that a person's name should be entered in the Adult Abuse Registry because they have been found to have abused or neglected a vulnerable adult or a patient in Manitoba. Before proclaiming the new legislation in effect, the committee will be advised and trained regarding their new reporting responsibilities. By way of conclusion, I'd like to reiterate that Manitoba's legislation will effectively strengthen the protective capacity of Canada's first Adult Abuse Registry.

Thank you. Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): It's a pleasure to rise to put a few words on the record regarding The Adult Abuse Registry Amendment Act. The amendments, we think, are a positive effort to ensure that those found responsible for the abuse or neglect o f a person in care is held –is absolutely held accountable, and we're always onside when we're trying to protect those who are vulnerable and the elderly in particular. In fact, the honourable member for –or the member for Emerson (Mr.

Graydon) had a bill not too long ago on elder abuse registry, which, unfortunately, was talked out rather than dealt with, that we thought was a valuable addition to protection. All persons deserve to be protected from abuse, and this is especially pertinent when we're talki ng about seniors and vulnerable persons. And there are many different kinds of vulnerable persons, as we have come to recognize, whether they are elderly or whether they are impacted by any one of a number of limitations, including mental -health issues, Mr.

Speaker, and there–a number of them are in very vulnerable positions and are very subject to the care of their workers. And, certainly, it's important that workers be kept track of and make sure that there is no one in that field that is –has a history that leaves anyone particularly vulnerable when they're in the workplace –when they're subject to these workers.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2053 And a central registry that would inform employers and regulatory bodies about any abuses or alleged abuses would be certainly valuable and I think is something that would be appreciated by a number of different groups that are out there that are working with these vulnerable people to make sure these amendments–make sure that employers and the regulatory bodies are aware of these abuses, becaus e a number of the workers, of course, can–could belong to different regulatory bodies, depending on the nature of their employ, and take the necessary step to make sure that these vulnerable persons are not in the care of anyone who has a history of abuse or 'eglect.' Employers and professional bodies whose employees care for vulnerable persons must be informed of abuses by their employer so they can intervene and prevent any further a 'usic.' And there is, in fact, a criminal responsibility to do that.

I f this isn't done, it would be very critical. Manitobans, we believe, have–absolutely have to know, if someone–if they have someone in care, that this person is being looked after by people that are responsible and accountable for their actions. We hear, fairly frequently, from people either with elderly parents or relatives or vulnerable persons who, in fact, are more and more often are actually not even resident in the province, so it's very, very difficult for them to check on their seniors.

I recall a case where I got a call from a lady who's lived in Toronto, been there –had family down there, and so was not able to come back and check on elderly parents that were actually in my constituency, and her biggest concern, really, was: How do I keep track of what's going on? How do I know whether my mother is doing well or not doing well? You know, she didn't have the family collections left in the community. We put her in touch with a group that –actually, their service that they provide in the community is actually visitation.

They just come by to visit the elderly seniors to make sure that they're not lonely, that they have everything in place that they need, and it seemed to help a little bit and certainly gained her a number of years when she was able to stay in her own home. Eventually, of course, as often is the case with seniors, their condition deteriorates to the point where they have to get into personal-care homes, and that did happen in this case.

And, unfortunately, the personal-care home that this one–this lady was put in actually was not in the immediate community, and so it made it more difficult for the few people that were still in the community that could come to visit her, it made it more difficult for them, so that I suspect that she is still feeling rather lonely in that facility. And certainly that is sad, that they have to move out of the community that they have been in for so many years. But she was looked after, and there certainly was no issue of abuse.

But I think it's increasingly important, with as many people that come and go in these service agencies that do provide care for either elderly or vulnerable persons, it's that we keep track of the employees, especially in light that, as I said, many of them change fairly often and it is difficult to keep track of them all. Certainly, many agencies have a long list, a good working relationship with their employees and a number of people that they have had in their employ for some time, and know all about them and they know their histories.

But there is always a certain element of transition that goes on, and so it's useful to have a place where they can be reviewed and impacted, where we can keep track of what's going on and make sure that the interests of their loved ones living in care facilities are respected. * (15:00) And it is very important, because injuries do occur. We've started to see a little bit more, whether it's employees or sometimes even other residents that we've had issues with in terms of actions taken in the care facilities. And we don't have that problem solved either, whether they be fellow residents.

We certainly have seen a few incidents occur in the past and some that have turned out very badly, but we know that there are many more out there, that there are a number of seniors that do have incidents, and I think that we need to work more aggressively to make sure that any type of abuse is reported, whether it occurs from an employee or whether it occurs from a fellow patient. We don't have good alternatives in place if it's a fellow patient.

We do have a few facilities, and certainly we saw in some reports recently that there should be a move amongst most senior-care facilities to provide a more secure area to make sure that there is–those patients that have dementia in one form or the other or Alzheimer's are being kept secure and safe and make sure that they can't have an impact on their fellow patients because it is certainly very unnerving for many people living in these facilit ies

2054 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 to be worried about the actions not only in this case of an employee but be worried about the actions of their fellow patients, which leaves them very exposed to what might happen in the future. And we have seen incidents in that, even to the point whe re there's been a few seniors facilities that actually had to bring in security to make sure that there was no impact on the residents. So that would certainly be unfortunate if we had to see that type of thing develop here in Manitoba.

Whether seniors o r persons living with a disability, anyone that must be in the care, must feel secure at all times and certainly very unnerving for these people to be in positions where they're not really sure whether the worker that they're–that's looking after them, and often in very personal way, is someone that they can trust. And there's certainly a lot of turnover, as I said. We –one of the complaints we hear most often from home care–people receiving home care is, well, I wish I could have the same worker more and more often.

Well –and I understand that workers certainly have to have time off, but there seems to be, in many cases, a very steady rotation of workers, and people are uncomfortable with new people and–'til they get to know them. I'm sure that the workers are qualified to do their job, but they now would have an extra level of confidence that they actually had been reviewed and they had been checked against a registry to make sure that they actually have no history whatsoever in that area.

So, ultimately, i t's very empowering, I think, to have an adult abuse registry committee in place so Manitobans can feel safe and know that there are efforts in place to make sure that they are safe in their homes. Fear and worry of abuse while in the care of a care provider can heighten stress, worsen a situation for many already vulnerable people, and, in particularly, those that have mental -health issues are often somewhat paranoid about people coming into their h omes and providing the service.

And so, certainly, familiarity, a level of confidence, whether that is the person themselves or the person responsible for their care, which may be an adult in the immediate vicinity, it may be someone who is half a country away and is not really feeling completely comfortable about what's going on and the services being provided.

And that particularly applies true as many of these people that have returned home into the community from institutions in the past that–the going -home initiative –as their parents in many cases become very old and in some cases pass away, leaving them with really no one to talk to other than the people that come in as caregivers. So they are very vulnerable in that regard, and we want to make sure that these people are as protected as is–as possible, absolutely. For many, there's real and justified fear as they age that they might be subject to abuse.

And I know my colleague from Emerson who brought forward the elder abuse bill the other day was expr essing a concern that we're seeing more and more. I know that there's very little information in terms of absolute numbers on what occurs in elder abuse, but you certainly do run into situations where there has been a history of that and there is concern a bout that, and I think it's absolutely important that we do–we make every effort to provide as much protection as possible for people that are in that situation, Mr. Speaker.

Thankfully, there are some steps we can take to 'provect' seniors and vulnerabl e persons, and monitoring any form of abuse and making sure that this is recorded is key element in these steps. Members on the –on this side of the House are very concerned about the well -being and protection of seniors, in particular, as we said. Last session, there was a proposed seniors rights at, which, sadly, government had chose not to move forward on. Perhaps they'll rethink their position for that following what we have here today, which would certainly work well with that type of bill.

We consider the protection of aging segments of our population to be of the utmost importance, and safety and security of aging people should not be understated. I think it's increasingly important and, as I said earlier, whether that is actual staff situations and, of course, staff can could and go, as I said, or whether it is other people that are in the facility, other residents in the facility, we need to make sure that we have something in place to help with that.

While disciplinary actions against those who abuse and neglect vulnerable people are meaningful, preventing this abuse in the first place is the first priority. Amendments put forward in this bill will empower the Adult Abuse Registry c ommittee to take preventative actions against the repetition of abuse by employees in health -care facilities. And while this is meaningful, it– we must also ensure that measures taken to prevent the abuse in the first place and the neglect that may occur. And we do hear, unfortunately, sad situations where neglect does o ccur, whether it's in the home

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2055 and with scheduling from home care, or whether it's in facilities which are understaffed and have–are struggling to find enough, whether it's nurses or health-care aides, to fill the positions that are available. I dare say, in our situation in Portage, that many of the personal -care homes, if they did not have access to agency staff, would be in a very tough position. They, unfortunately, have to use agency staff quite a lot of the time to help keep the numbers up so that they actually have the right ratios there.

And there is a bit of a downside to that, too, Mr. Speaker, because many of the agency people are not that familiar with the residents and are not aware of particular needs of particular residents that should be serviced. And, you know, there are people in the community with the right type of structure, you would think, that we could accommodate them and get them back into the workplace helping with these people.

Amendments put forward in this bill will empower the Adult Abuse Registry to take preventative measures against repetition of abuse by employees of health care, and certainly a central registry because–so that people cannot move from employee–employer to employer while continuing their work. So this is mea ningful. It is important that we do what we can to prevent. Education about abuse is critical for all people, especially for those seeking employment with vulnerable and aging populations.

I think it's increasingly important that people understand the nee ds and the problem of the elderly or those with mental challenges. I think it's –their needs are fairly unique in many ways, and sometimes a little frustrating for employees because, especially as dementia sets in with a lot of the older people, you have the same conversation time and time again, and it can wear on some of the employees. They are very patient people. That's certainly an important part of that occupation, to have the patience to work with the elderly, and I think it's important that we continue to see more of that in the future.

Manitoba need–Manitobans really need to know that the rights of vulnerable people are protected and that there are bodies like the registry to whom they can raise concerns if they see any possible mistreatment, and I think that might be very useful. Certainly, we've all had people come forward and say, well, I don't believe so-and-so in a personal-care home, or so- and-so in a group home, is being well - looked-after.

And the options available to us right now in terms of bringing complaints forward are fairly limited, so certainly there is always some – certainly, if they're in a personal -care home there is the health-care facility, and we do take complaints to them to make sure that they are justified in nature. But, in group homes in particular, it is hard to bring forward a complaint because, very often, the resident of the group home is not in a position to make the complaint and explain the complaint properly, so certainly something like this would be very useful.

While these organizations are important for enforcing rules about abuse, all people have a responsibility to know signs of abuse and neglect and to know that the proper procedures for addressing these particular things. * (15:10) So, Mr. Speaker, it –I think it's very important that we continue to put in place bills that provide and amendments that provide protection, both to the seniors and other vulnerable people.

There is certainly a number of them in the community that we're very concerned about their long- term care and whether or not they're getting all the services that they provide that are necessary and whether or not the workers being put in place have been properly vetted. As I said, there is certainly always a bit of turnover in these positions, and sometimes the workers are there on a fairly short -term basis, and they can be from anywhere at all. In fact, there has been, certainly, a number of new immigrants, for instance, that go to this population.

And I think it's important that we properly vet t hem as much as possible to make sure that there is no opportunity and no instances of abuse, and if there are any, that appropriate actions are taken either by the agency that is responsible or the professional organization that is responsible for that wor ker to make sure that the–that they take a professional standard to this as much as possible and that we work together to make sure that this doesn't happen and that anyone out there that sees some form of abuse take place has some place to go to let this information be shared and to make sure that someone actually takes action on this.

So, with that said, Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to put a few words on record regarding these amendments. Sometimes I think they maybe don't go quite far enough, but at le ast it’s a good step in the right direction. So we continue to look forward to this and look forward to the committee process where we may hear a few ideas that are worthwhile putting in as amendments.

2056 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 So thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson ): It gives me great pleasure to rise and put a few words on the record. We as a society have an obligation to better protect seniors from any and all instances of elder abuse while establishing some basic rights that we, as Progressive Conservatives, fee l all seniors deserve.

Seniors–all people in Manitoba deserve to age with dignity, and seniors, especially as they get older, end up with different situations, some with dementia, and so on, that are–it's difficult for them to comprehend what's happening to them and it's very difficult for them to communicate, and in some instances, they just don't speak at all.

Now, it wasn't that long ago that there was a bill put forward, and it was in the last session; it was put forward by my colleague from Spruce W oods, and he brought Bill 205–that was the seniors' bill of rights–The Seniors' Rights Act, and the NDP shamefully voted against that particular bill, Mr. Speaker. And, in order to give them another opportunity at doing the right thing and to protect the people that really need to be protected, the vulnerable people of Manitoba, there was a bill brought forward by myself, Bill 213, and it was brought forward just recently.

And it outlined many of the same issues that were brought forward by Bill 205 and a number of the issues that were incorporated in this that we're speaking to today, but–Bill 26–but at the same time, it went further, and it dealt with the issues in a more direct way. And so, in November of 2014, the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of St ate (Seniors), reaffirmed in Winnipeg that age would now be considered an [inaudible] code when sentencing. This inclusion of age as a variable of sentencing was incorporated into Bill C -36,

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Elder Abuse), and was granted royal assent on December 14th, 2012. It now creates seven aggravating factors. And, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that at this point, a lot of the employees, a lot of the people that are working with the seniors, are not aware of all of the seven aggravatin g factors. And so this here needs to be taken seriously in the training for those that are going to work with the seniors as well.

As the Criminal Code now states, a sentence should be increased or reduced to account for any relative aggravating or mitiga ting circumstances relating to the offence or the offender and without limiting generality of foregoing: evidence that the offence was motivated by biased, prejudice or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, me ntal or physical disabilities, sexual orientation or any other similar factor. Mr.

Speaker, that's quite a mouthful to go through, but for the people that are working with the seniors, it's imperative that they're trained to know all of this when they're dealing with them. And so, to get into step with the federal government, we felt that it was necessary to draft a bill that would stress provincially what our federal counterparts have noted, that the elder abuse is real and must be confronted. And, unfor tunately, Mr. Speaker, it's not being confronted with the –by this NDP government.

And so when we look at the stats by the university And so, when we look at the stats by the University of Manitoba Centre on Aging, it is estimated by 2026 that the proport ion of the population in Manitoba aged 65-plus will increase to 20 per cent. Due to these demographic trends, the unfortunate reality is that instances of elder abuse will increase. We would like to think it's not going to increase, but the more people tha t are in the system, more people that are working with this actually would indicate just the opposite of what we would like to see.

So we wanted to promote information sharing amongst relative authorities regarding instances of elder abuse, making the government better track the data. And, when I suggested the data needs to be better tracked, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest, at this point, it's not being tracked at all, so there's no way to measure whether you're getting better, you're staying the same or it 's getting worse. And it's a shame, knowing full well that since 2012 that this wasn't being tracked and still today we don't have a tracking system. It's not in any of this Bill 26.

The NDP government had an opportunity to vote for Bill 213, send it to committee, find out what the people of Manitoba really wanted to say, but, no, they took that away from them. They took that away from them the same as they did–took away the right to vote on the referendum whether to raise a major tax in the province, Mr. Speaker. That's unfortunate that the interests of Manitobans is not being taken into consideration when the NDP government makes decisions.

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2057 Currently, the government of Manitoba is not tracking the data and, according to their website, based on extrapolation, 4 to 10 per cent of Canadian seniors are abused. In Manitoba this would amount to between 6,000 and 16,000. That's a huge credibility gap, Mr. Speaker. This is by their own numbers. This is by their figures. Wouldn't that raise red flags in most people's line? It certainly does on our side of the House. So every instance needs to be prevented and to the best of our abilities, but in order to do so, we must know what the true number really is.

Bill 213 would've established a seniors' bill of rights, and we're giving the NDP –we were giving them an opportunity to do the right thing and stand up for seniors, unlike they did in–when Bill 206 was introduced by my colleague. It would've also established an elder abuse team which will act as a dedicated advocacy body for seniors who feel as though they have been subject to abuse.

It would've also strengthened the whistle -blower protection measures whereby no action of proceeding may be brought against a person for reopening–reporting in good faith t hat a senior or a likely–or is likely to be a victim of elder abuse. At this point you don't have those types of protections, and we know that the whistle -blowers are many times abused themselves by this particular govern - ment, like the NDP are fine at throwing civil servants under the bus for the government's failures. We, as Progressive Conservatives, believe that these public servants deserve much better protection.

It's also essential that we track –or that the government does not track or report instanc es but that needs to be done. So, Mr. Speaker, there should be penalties and they should be defined for making false reports. A

summary conviction with a fine of not more than $2,000 could have been instituted. For an individual found to be engaging in e lder abuse, a

summary conviction with a fine of not more than $2,000 will also be –would've been also instituted. And for corporations, a

summary conviction of much larger could've and would've been instituted. So this was thrown out, thrown away, discarded by this NDP government. That's–that was what their feeling was towards the seniors of our province, not protection, no protection for them, just discard anything. See, Bill 213 would've created the bill of rights for seniors and the NDP shamely voted against it. Not only this, but the NDP have shown no commitment to strengthening the whistle-blower act. Civil servants shouldn't be thrown under the bus. * (15:20) And, Mr.

Speaker, the NDP have been deceiving seniors on many, many occasions, and I can na me a couple of them that really, really stick out in the mind of the NDP–of the seniors, when the NDP went door to door knocking on the door and said, we will not raise taxes. They went door to door and knocked on the door and said, we will not raise the t axes. They went door to door and knocked on a door and said, we will not raise the PST at the same time they broadened the taxes to cover many things that the seniors need, that they have to have, and some of them are even in transportation.

It doesn't seem like a lot of money but when you're on a fixed income such as the seniors are and the taxis get charged an extra 35 bucks for this, and the hairdresser ends up charging tax for hairdressing, and it goes on and on– home insurance, Mr. Speaker. And then they falsely claim that the –they have reduced the school tax to seniors, it's –that's a false statement, Mr. Speaker.

And so it goes on and on that they deceived seniors, so why would the seniors today–they deceived them as they were aging and when they become in the care of some facility, why would they think that they have rights under this government when the government takes their rights away at a continual basis? So we feel that seniors in Manitoba, they deserve to be protected. Additionally, we believe that legislation must be crafted based on best practices and credible information and, Mr. Speaker, they don't have credible information, so how do you craft anything of–that will be credible.

So, our seniors, who have dedicated a full life to the provi nce of Manitoba to make the province better, have been excluded. They have been excluded by this particular government in every way, shape and form, and I think it's high time that the NDP started to put their priorities in the right places and protect our seniors. Thank you very much. Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise just to speak very briefly on this legislation. I look forward to it going to committee.

At this point it seems quite a reasonable and important addition to this bill, b ut I certainly am waiting to hear for comments at committee stage, and look forward to

2058 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 22, 2015 suggestions that may come forward there. Thank you. Ms. Jennifer Howard, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): It gives me great pleasure today to stand up and put a few words on the record in regards to Bill 26, The Adult Abuse Registry Amendment Act. Looking at the various amendments that are being brought forward, it is a positive effort. It looks like the amendments that are being brought forward to ensure that those found responsible for the abuse or neglect of a person in their care are being held accountable.

Also, after they form an opinion as to whether a person has abused or neglected an adult and whether the person's name should be e ntered into the Adult Abuse Registry, the committee must report its opinion to the person and to the official who referred the matter to the committee. This bill requires the committee to also report its opinion to the person's current or former employer, to his or her governing professional body if they had previously received a report after an investigation.

It seems, Mr. –or Madam Acting Speaker, that we know on this side of the House that all people deserve to be protected from abuse, and this is especially pertinent when discussing seniors and vulnerable people. Employers and professional bodies whose employers care for vulnerable people must be informed of abuses by their employees so that they can intervene and prevent further abuse. If the abuse or neglect of one person is prevented by these measures, then they are worthwhile. I know, Ms .–Madam Acting Speaker, that my colleague, the member for Emerson (Mr.

Graydon), had brought a bill recently to the House, Bill 213, The Seniors' Rights and Elder Abuse Protection Act. And it was disheartening to sit here in the House and to hear and see the government –NDP government talk this–talk his bill out. Basically his bill was put into place so that it would better protect seniors from any and all instances of elder abuse while establishing some basic rights that we, as Progressive Conservatives, feel that all vulnerable people, including–and absolutely feel that all seniors deserve as well.

It must be noted that I know that prior attempts to passing Bill 213, before that, it was also recognized as Bill 205, which was brought forward by the member from Spruce Woods. And so in my time here in the House, since 2011, we've seen it be brought forward a few times and with all the same – with the same results, Madam Acting Speaker. We've seen that the bill has been talked out or non-supported and without really good words put on the record as to why.

I know that even as yourself are –do casework within your own constituency, you get quite a few phone calls, I'm sure, as I do, in respect to –with respect to seniors and their treatment in care, whether that being within personal -care homes or just in the general population.

And I think we need to do absolutely everything in our power to make sure that those seniors are prot ected because as the member for Emerson had mentioned and the member for Portage as well, sometimes they are unable to speak or feel that it is appropriate to speak on their own behalf because sometimes they feel that as a vulnerable person, they don't want to be considered as a vulnerable person. They want to be able to stand up for themselves, speak out for themselves.

But when something along these lines happen and occur, they need that additional support so that they can feel that they can come forward and talk about those various issues. The bill brought forward today –when we talk about prevention, while disciplinary actions against those who abuse and neglect vulnerable people are meaningful, preventing abuse from happening in the first place is essen tial. The amendments put forward in this bill would empower the Adult Abuse Registry committee to take preventative actions against the repetition of abuse by employees of care facilities.

While this is meaningful, we must also ensure that measures are being taken to prevent abuse and neglect. I know, Madam Acting Speaker, that last week, the community of Beausejour and Brokenhead held the 55 Plus Games, and we had–I believe it was about 950, 960 adults 55 years of age and older participating in the various activities. And on the Tuesday of last week, I believe it was the 17th or the 16th, was the national elder abuse awareness day.

And we showed up to the opening ceremonies of the 55 Plus Games and we had many volunteers throughout the community handing out stickers, bringing awareness to elder abuse and trying to get that education key point out there to the public to make sure that everyone is aware, even though I know in this day and age that it's interesting that we still have to bring awareness to so me of those abusive situations. But the point is, I guess, we just have to continue educating the public on a daily basis

June 22, 2015 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2059 because it just–sometimes, it just takes that repetition for it to sink in. What was interesting is that it was just shortly before that that the member from Emerson brought that Bill 213 into the House and it was voted down and not allowed to pass to committee. And, as the member from Emerson put on the record today, there's been a few things that have not been allowed to proceed to c ommittee and get the public's opinion on the bill.

And if it was allowed to go to committee and the public had come out strongly against the bill that the member from Emerson brought forward, which was The Seniors' Rights and Elder Abuse Protection Act, th en I could see where the NDP government or the government of today would vote against it and then eventually squash the bill, Madam Acting Speaker. * (15:30) But I would also think that from a committee meeting that those people would bring forward potential amendments, and then the government could bring amendments and we could hear what the community, the Manitobans, various Manitobans who would come to committee, what would they have to say, so that we could incorporate some of those amendments to strengthen the bill because we know that The Seniors' Rights and Elder Abuse Protection Act would have been very worthwhile for us to bring in as legislation.

And that's why it's very interesting that the minister for Child and Family Services stands today and brings Bill 26 forward, talking about The Adult Abuse Registry Act, when I don't see anything coming in that's going to actually strengthen the ability to do some prevention, and that's key. I think within Manitoba we need to continue educating not only our adults and seniors, but we have to get all the way down to our kids.

And so, basically, birth to death, Madam Acting Speaker, I think we need to continually educate our Manitobans and for that, not only Manitobans but people across this great country of ours, Canada, and expand that throughout the world so that people are fighting against elder abuse. And what interests me also, Madam Acting Speaker, in regards to both bills, is the fact that when there is an abuse that occurs, and I know that you and I have had a couple– not debates, but small

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Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	40-4-50
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	40th 4th hansardpdf 50.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	a61aeaa99d49ebc6200c1401f48b779f0605914a

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