Manitoba Hansard — 7 May 2026 (Sitting 51B, 43rd Legislature, 3rd Session)

43-3-51b

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session – Forty-Third Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Tom Lindsey Speaker Vol. LXXX No. 51B – 1:30 p.m., Thursday, May 7, 2026 ISSN 0542-5492

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

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

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

WHARTON, Jeff Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt, Hon. Concordia NDP WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC Vacant The Pas-Kameesak

1799 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, May 7, 2026 The House met at 1:30 p.m. The Speaker: Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 53–The Budget Implementation and Tax Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): I move, seconded by Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe), that Bill 53, The Budget Implementation and Tax Statutes Amendment Act, 2026; Loi d'exécution du budget de 2026 et modifiant diverses dispositions législatives en matière de fiscalité, be now read a first time. Motion presented.

MLA Sala: This bill introduces tax amendments and changes to implement the key measures from Budget 2026; measures focused on good jobs, lower costs and better health care. Bill 53 removes the PST from all food sold at grocery stores, delivering real relief where families are feeling it most. It increases the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit to $1,700 and the Renters Affordability Tax Credit to $675, making life more affordable for Manitobans whether they rent or whether they own.

These measures deliver real, tangible relief to Manitoba families, lowering costs and keeping more money in people's pockets, while we continue to rebuild health care and grow our economy. Thank you, Honourable Speaker. The Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] The motion is accordingly passed. Committee reports? TABLING OF REPORTS The Speaker: The honour able Minister of Finance (MLA Sala). An Honourable Member: No. The Speaker: The honourable Minister of Justice. Hon.

Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Pleased to table the 2023 annual reports for the human–Manitoba Human Rights Commission and Manitoba Human Rights Adjudication Panel. Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): I'm tabling two revised Estimates sequences: one for May 7, 2026 and another for May 8, 2026. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Mental Health Week Hon. Bernadette Smith (Minister responsible for Mental Health): I rise today to recognize Mental Health Week, May 4 to 10, 2026. This year's theme is Come Together, Canada: Stronger connections.

This year marks the 75th year that the Canadian Mental Health Association celebrates Mental Health Week, that was introduced across Canada in 1951 to raise awareness of mental illness. This theme speaks to something simple but powerful: We are stronger when we show up for one another. Mental health is not something we carry alone. It lives within our families, in our communities and in relationships that help us feel seen, heard and valued. Mental health is about opening doors to honest conversations, breaking down stigma and remaining– and reminding people that they don't have to struggle in silence.

Honourable Speaker, recognizing this week matters. It shines a light on the realities people are facing, it encourages folks to reach out for help sooner and it reinforces that mental health is just as important as physical health. It's also about ensuring people know where to access help. Honourable Speaker, we know that there is not one person in Manitoba that has not, at one point in their life, struggled with their mental health and needed help. This week is also about ensuring people know where to get help when they need it, because support should be there when people look for it.

Here in Manitoba, our government is working with communities, social agencies and people with lived experience to strengthen mental health and addictions supports. That is why we have invested in a range of initiatives to expand mental health workforce, crisis

1800 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 response, trauma services, suicide prevention and youth-focused service models across Manitoba. These initiatives are being implemented with multiple partners, including Manitoba Justice, Families, Education, Early Childhood Learning, service delivery organizations, Indigenous and community- based organizations, Seniors and Long-Term Care. Through–and through a shared mandate between Housing, Addictions and Homelessness and Justice, we're committed to adding 100 mental health workers across our great province.

This work is helping to build a more co- ordinated, compassionate response and bringing together front-line workers, community organizations and law enforcement to better support people in crisis while growing our mental health workforce. Honourable Speaker, our government provides $4.3 million annually to support the Assertive Com - munity Treatment, Flexible Assertive Community Treatment, FACT and ACT, teams here in Winnipeg.

ACT and FACT teams help individuals obtain and maintain tenancies by liaisoning with housing providers–non-profit, Manitoba Housing, social housing and private market –supporting life -skills develop - ment and housing to address issues that could lead to eviction if left unaddressed. In 2025, we also invested $500,000 in additional funding to the Women's Health Clinic to create Manitoba's first community -based eating disorder program for children and youth. Early intervention and accessible supports can make a life- changing difference for young people and their families.

We also increased the annual funding to Klinic's health to expand trauma counselling services, to enhance crisis line capacity. This investment helps reduce wait times, expand access to care and ensure more people can connect with supports when they need it the most. The funding helps Klinic to support more Manitobans annually through their long- term trauma therapy program.

It also improves wait times for counselling services, introduces service navigation and referral supports for individuals requiring care outside the trauma program and expands access to brief inter - vention services for those who do not require long- term therapy. Honourable Speaker, we are also investing in better supports for children and youth through integrated youth services sites, known as Huddles. These spaces provide evidence- based mental health and addiction supports, primary health care, peer support and other social services tailored to youth ages 12 to 29.

And our government is currently supporting six Huddle sites here in Winnipeg, Selkirk and in Brandon. And we're expanding into Portage la Prairie and into the North. Honourable Speaker, I want to recognize two guests who are up in the gallery: Alana Delmer [phonetic], youth service clinical manager to Huddle Broadway, who emceed our event today in the Rotunda; and Hayden Schneider, who spoke at our Mental Health week, who has accessed services. I want to thank you for sharing your story. And in 2014, we've also invested over $2 million in the virtual crisis and consultation services for children and youth.

This is a hub-and-spoke model for crisis services that creates consistency in crisis response consultation and treatment across the province and helps connect young people and their families to care more quickly, no matter where they live. Honourable Speaker, we continue to see far too many lives lost to suicide and ongoing mental health crisis in communities across our province. That's why we've invested almost $2 million to implement a province-wide Suicide Prevention Strategy, with a focus on Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA –2IA–QQIA+ youth.

This work has been guided by an advisory group of Indigenous youth, rights holders and organizations and health system partners, and we look forward to releasing the completed strategy very soon. And we are also taking important steps towards– because we know that there's more work to be done. We're going to continue to do that work because we know that mental health affects all of society and addressing it requires all of us working together.

I recently participated in the federal -provincial- territorial meeting where we discussed the develop - ment of a national men and boys' strategy–health strategy that looks at addressing the unique mental health challenges men and boys face. These con - versations are important because too many boys and men continue to suffer in silence due to stigma and harmful ideas around vulnerability and asking for help. * (13:40)

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1801 That stigma is real. We've even seen it here in this Chamber, where the member for Dawson Trail spoke openly about his own mental health struggles. That kind of honesty matters. It helps others feel less alone and reminds us all that the–of the importance of com- passion and understanding. So I want to thank the member for Dawson Trail for showing us his vulnerability and normalizing that we all need help and support and that it's okay to talk about our struggles and to seek help.

So, in addition to recognizing Mental Health Week, I also want to recognize two important days this week–or this year: Drug-Related Death Bereave- ment Day, observed on the first Sunday in May, which honour those who may have lost their lives to substance overdoses and acknowledges the grief carried by families and their loved ones; and today, May 7, which is National Child and Youth Mental Health Day. This is meant to remind us that listening, checking in, showing care, can make a lasting dif - ference in youth–young people's lives.

When we come together, we build stronger, healthier communities where more people feel con - nected and supported. So, today, I want to remind all Manitobans that you are not alone, that it's okay to talk about your mental health needs, that you don't have to suffer in silence, that we all struggle in some point in our lives and that we need to show up for one another and to take care of yourself, because you matter. Miigwech. MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): I rise today to recognize May 4 to 10, 2026, as Mental Health Week, led by Canadian Mental Health Association.

This year's theme, Come Together, Canada, reminds us of the importance of human connection and the role all play in supporting mental health in our homes, our workplaces and in our communities. Mental Health Week is an opportunity to raise awareness, encourages conversation and remind Manitobans that mental health is just as important as physical health. While many people stay connected through texts, video calls and social media, we also know that online communication alone does not always replace meaning- ful, in-person connection.

According to Stats Canada, nearly one in four Canadians who rely only on virtual communication report feeling lonely, often or always. This year's campaign encourages all of us to spark small, everyday actions of connection: inviting friends for coffee, taking a walk with a loved one, checking in on a neighbour or attending a community event. These moments may seem simple, but they can have a powerful impact on mental health well- being and help foster a stronger sense of belonging. Together we can strengthen mental health, build healthier commu- nities and help more people feel connected.

Our PC government understands that many Manitobans continue to face challenges, including the lasting pressures brought on by COVID-19 pandemic. That is why our government created the ministerial of health–Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery to help ensure Manitobans have access to care, supports and treatment they need or their journey towards wellness, recovery and healing. And in Budget 2021, our government also made an additional –initial invest- ment of $342 million in wellness and recovery pro- grams to strengthen support for Manitobans all across this great province.

Honourable Speaker, we also recognize that more must be done to reduce the stigma that is surrounding mental health and to promote an open dialogue and awareness. This continues creating workplaces and communities where people feel safe seeking help and talking openly about their mental well- being. Mental health affects us all and supporting one another must remain a shared responsibility. As we mark Mental Health Week, I encourage all Manitobans to take time to connect with one another, support those who may be struggling and continue building a province where everyone feels seen, valued and supported.

Thank you very much, Honourable Speaker. MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): I ask for leave to speak to the ministerial statement. The Speaker: Does the honour able member for Dawson Trail have leave? [Agreed] MLA Lagassé: I'm pleased to respond to the ministerial statement recognizing Mental Health Week. Thank you to the people that are in the gallery who continue to work and advocate on behalf of mental health. Your work is extremely important. Mental health affects every family and every community of Manitoba.

In any given year, one in five Canadians experiences a mental health challenge or illness and many more struggling –struggle in silence without seeking support. Young people are especially

1802 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 impacted. Recent national data shows increasingly rates–increasing rates of anxiety, depression and mental health related to physician visits among youth. This week reminds us that mental health is health. It is also a reminder that support must go beyond awareness alone. Manitoba's–Manitobans need timely access to counselling, addictions treatment, crisis services and mental health support in both urban and rural communities. Mental health conversations must also be included; psychological safety in workplaces, schools and public institutions.

Respect and com pas- sion matters. I have had mental health challenges and still continue to struggle with them, and I want to acknowl- edge everyone who faces a mental health challenge personally or through someone they love. Sometimes the greatest accomplishment is just getting up and showering in the morning. Recovery is not always easy, but no Manitoban should feel they are alone. This week lets us recommit not only awareness, but to action and meaningful support to mental health across the province and Canada. There is support available out there.

If you're wondering who to call, you can reach out to the 9 -8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline; Klinic Crisis Line at 204-786-8686 or toll-free at 1-888-322-3019. And for the kids out there that are suffering, you can reach out to 1- 800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868. I'd also like to thank the many organizations out there, from the Robb Nash program to the Samantha Mason foundation, for the great work they do as well. Remember, it's okay not to be okay. What's not okay is to go through it alone. Thank you. The Speaker: Prior to members'– An Honourable Member: Point of order.

Point of Order The Speaker: The hon ourable First Minister, on a point of order. Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Yes, I just wanted to say to our colleague from Dawson Trail, on behalf of all of us: We've got your back. It really tears us up to see you affected, but maybe in sharing your story, you're getting that empathy and that compassion, so we support you and we want to see you thriving. So all the best, my friend, and maybe we'll see you at Bass Pro Shops soon. The Speaker: I thank the honourable First Minister. Not a point of order, but well-spoken words.

Introduction of Guests The Speaker: Before we move on to members' state- ments, there's some guests in the gallery. We have seated in the public gallery from Woodlawn School 47 grade 7 students under the direction of Simmy Gandhi, and this group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen). We welcome you all here today. * (13:50) MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Sisler High School's Quiz Team Mr.

Diljeet Brar (Burrows): Honourable Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding Sisler High School quiz team, a group that exemplifies academic excellence, dedication and community spirit. For four years, its grade 12 members have competed together, building a legacy that has reached remarkable heights in Manitoba. Their journey began with consecutive provincial titles at the intermediate level, reflecting early strength in teamwork and scholarship. Like many students, they faced setbacks during the pandemic, but showed resilience in rebuilding.

Under coach Heather Johnson, who has led the team since 2019, alongside Sage Pereira, these students committed to rigorous twice-weekly practices from October to May. Their hard work has delivered exceptional results. After finishing second at provincials for the Reach for the Top academic quiz competition last year, the team captured the senior provincial title this spring, Sisler's first senior championship since 1972. Nationally, they have twice qualified for the championships. In Calgary last year, they placed an impressive 11th in their debut against top teams from across Canada.

This year, they returned with determination and confidence. I commend Sipara Berhe, Ethan Blackburn, Adeleine Collins, Raine Dexter, Herryward Lozada, Cole Laforte and Tyron Sison. Their achievements inspire young Manitobans to pursue excellence with passion and perseverance. I invite my colleagues to join me in celebrating their success and wishing them continued excellence at the Reach for the Top national championship.

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1803 La Broquerie Habs Junior B Hockey Champions Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Honourable Speaker, I rise today to recognize the La Broquerie Habs, winners of the 2025-26 CRJHL Junior B hockey championship. Just two years ago, the Habs came into existence, bringing junior hockey back to La Broquerie. Since then, this homegrown effort has taken the community by storm. From school kids to seniors, the whole community rallied behind this team throughout the entire season and especially during an unforgettable playoff run.

President and owner, Ken Tallaire, said that every time the team stepped onto the ice, they did so know- ing they carried the support of the entire community behind them. That is what makes this championship so meaningful. Throughout the year, the coaches, volunteers, billets and fans knew there was something special about this group–a team built on character, heart, determination. And they proved it, becoming league champions in only their second season. What makes this playoff run even more impres - sive is that, along the way, they defeated another proud La Vérendrye team, the St.

Malo Warriors, who entered the playoffs as back -to-back defending champions. And, Honourable Speaker, that says something important about our region. Whether it's the La Broquerie or St. Malo teams, southeastern Manitoba continues to produce strong communities, strong leaders and strong teams. I would also like to recognize the coaches and staff: Dan Taillefer, Rejean Carriere, Jean Moquin, Manon Lafreniere, General Manager Steve Hildebrand and President Ken Tallaire and his wife Tracey.

Most importantly, congratulations to the players, including Conner Tallaire, Carson Tallaire, Yanik Gagnon, Grayson Plett, Mario Gagnon and Charleaux Lafreniere, who are here with us in the gallery today. Please join me in congratulating the La Broquerie Habs on a dream season and a championship that the entire community can be proud of. Canadian Friends of Hockey in Ukraine Hon. Ron Kostyshyn (Minister of Agriculture): I rise today to recognize an important work of Canadian friends of the hockey of Ukraine.

Founded in Winnipeg in 2018, a group of hockey enthusiasts, including many retired NHL players, joined –players of the Ukrainian heritage came together with their shared commitment to support the development of youth hockey in Ukraine. Their efforts reflected the deep connections between Manitoba and Ukraine, and one that continues to grow even in the face of war. Through hockey, young people in Ukraine are finding opportunity to hope during these difficult times.

Over the past eight years, the CFHU group has set aside more than 350 sets of hockey equipment to be shipped to 17 minor hockey clubs across in Ukraine. The organization has also delivered training camps, supported Ukrainian youth pursuing hockey in Canada and advancing opportunities through par hockey. Most recently, Canadian-made para hockey sleds were delivered to Kyiv supporting CFHU -sponsored team. In Ukraine, one of the most popular Canadian teams in Ukraine is the Dauphin Kings of Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The first Ukrainian Night that went virtual was featured in major –in Ukrainian networks.

Manitoba has become –they welcomed many players in the last few years, and just to show the support from the city of Dauphin and the Dauphin Kings, there's no surprise that born junior H player, Dmytro Kubrytskyi and Havryil Simchuk came to Dauphin from Ukraine to play with the Dauphin Kings. And I would also like to recognize the distin - guished guests in the gallery today who have con- tributed to this valuable cause and support. I would ask Ross [phonetic] Romaniuk, Winnipeg Jets player, many Manitoba hall of fame member, would please stand; also Cole Babych, son of 50-career father who scored–with the St.

Louis Blues, became and NHL player, Wayne Babych; Ken Plustwa from Dauphin, who's quite involved with the organi zation in Dauphin; and Vern Zanwatnicki [phonetic], chair of the CFHU. Please rise. And thank you. I want to thank you on behalf of everyone here. Thank you for your leadership and commitment. Even during war, hockey continues to bring people together, inspiring hope and highlighting the strong ties between Manitoba and Ukraine. So I ask everyone in the gallery to please stand and rise. PR 227 Bridge Construction–Detour Disruption Mr.

Trevor King (Lakeside): Honourable Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the residents of Lakeside regarding prolonged detour caused by the PR 227 bridge construction.

1804 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 We all understand the importance of investing in infrastructure. Safe and reliable roads and bridges are essential for rural communities, for trade, for agri - culture and for the families who rely on these routes every single day. During construction, municipal roads have carried the burden of redirected traffic, particularly heavy truck traffic.

That has meant excessive dust for nearby residents, growing safety concerns due to speeding vehicles and accelerated wear and tear on local infra- structure that was never intended to handle this volume and type of traffic for such an extended period of time. As rural municipalities always do, the RM of Woodlands has stepped up to support its residents and keep people moving safely. The RM has invested significant funds into gravel, grading and ongoing maintenance simply to keep these roads passable and safe.

They have done their part responsibly and professionally, but they should not be expected to shoulder these costs alone and without meaningful provincial support. Travellers, producers, local businesses and families see what appears to be a completed project, yet they continue to face detours, delays and deteriorating municipal roads. If there is a legitimate technical or engineering reason for the delay in reopening PR 227, then the government should clearly communicate that to the RM and to the public. Municipalities across Manitoba are already being asked to do more with less.

Every successive NDP budget has borne that reality out. Rural municipalities are stretching every tax dollar further while facing increasing infrastructure demands, rising maintenance costs and growing pressure on local services. Down- loading the financial burden of provincial detours onto local governments is simply not sustainable. The RM of Woodlands has supported the prov- ince throughout this project. Now the province must support the RM in supporting its residents. I urge the government to act swiftly to reopen the route as soon as possible.

Thank you, Honourable Speaker. * (14:00) Bourkevale Community Clean Up and BBQ Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): This Saturday, I'm proud to invite the residents of St. James to come together and take pride in the community we call home. On May 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., we're hosting the Bourkevale Community Clean Up and BBQ at Bruce Park. Together we'll be cleaning up the Bourkevale neighbourhood, Bruce Park, Truro Creek, Douglas Park Road and Deer Lodge Place, some of the beloved green spaces, pathways and streets that make St. James one of the finest communities in this province.

Events like this one remind us of what community is all about. It's not complicated. It's neighbours showing up for neighbours. It's people who care about where they live, deciding to do something about it together. It's the quiet, unglamorous work of looking after the places we share so that they remain places worth sharing. The parks and green spaces of St. James are more than just patches of grass and trees. They're where our children take their first steps on a soccer field. They're where families gather on summer evenings. And they're where friendships are built and where commu- nity is felt.

When we take care of those spaces, we're saying something about who we are and what we value. And when the hard work is done, we'll fire up the grill for a free barbecue because, in St. James, we believe that good work deserves a good meal and that there's no better way to end a morning of community service than with your neighbours, sharing food and conversation in the sunshine. I want to sincerely thank everyone who's already committed to joining us and I want to extend an open invitation to any resident of St. James who wants to get involved. No experience required; just a willing- ness to show up.

Honourable Speaker, this Saturday, St. James is going to show up, clean up and come together. I hope to see as many of our neighbours there as possible. Thanks, Honourable Speaker. ORAL QUESTIONS Education Property Tax Concern for Winnipeg Families Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): For the second year in a row, Winnipeg families are opening their tax bills today and are shocked to see skyrocketing education taxes under the NDP. One bill, two very different decisions.

The City of Winnipeg is so embarrassed by the NDP's double -digit tax increases, they are inserting explanations into every single tax bill just to separate

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1805 themselves from the damage caused by the NDP govern- ment. School tax increases as high as 43 per cent in Louis Riel, 38 per cent in Seven Oaks and 37 per cent in Pembina Trails in just the two and a half years since this NDP came into office. The NDP have had a year to fix the problem. Why have then again –they again failed to keep school taxes under control for Winnipeg families? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Folks in Manitoba ought to know that everyone in this province has received their highest property tax rebate under our govern- ment.

That's something that we're very proud of. If you got a huge property that's very, very expensive and you're really rich like Brian Pallister or Heather Stefanson, congratulations, you got your biggest property tax rebate from us in 2024. And for everyone else in Manitoba, your highest property tax rebate is happening this year –$1,700 thanks to our Minister of Finance (MLA Sala). When I look across the way, I see a sneak preview of what it's going to be like here in late June. The choice i s easy. More affordable groceries with us; more expen- sive groceries with them. Mrs.

Stone: The property tax bills tell a very different story, and Manitoba families are opening them up today and discovering tax shock because 54 per cent of Winnipeg property tax bills are going straight to this NDP government's tax grab. The NDP removed all the guardrails protecting homeowners and Manitoba families from uncontrolled tax hikes, and now families are directly paying the price. In fact, the NDP has hiked taxes two and a half times faster than the City of Winnipeg –and an inadequate tax credit that doesn't even cover the increase in taxes that Manitoba and Winnipeg families are seeing today.

The NDP have had two years to fix the problem that they created. When will– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Mr. Kinew: Everyone in Manitoba has received their highest property tax rebate ever under our govern - ment. In the member's own constituency, more than 90 per cent of people are better off this year as opposed to last year. That's because our tax rebate is progressive, meaning it provides the most help to those who need the help the very most. Now, here's the interesting thing: We don't set property taxes; we set the rebates.

What they're talking about on that side of the House is cutting education. So the minister needs to stand up in the –or–well, the member opposite needs to stand up in the House and explain which school do they want to close, which teaching positions do they want to erase, which EAs do they want to fire. On this side we're investing in education, plus we're saving you money. The Speaker: The honourable member for Midland, on a final supplementary question. Mrs.

Stone: The NDP has become so toxic on taxa - tion that municipalities like the City of Winnipeg are having to distance themselves from the decisions that the NDP government has made. The City of Winnipeg has included an insert in every single tax bill explaining the increases that are the direct result of the NDP government: 43 per cent increase in Louis Riel, 38 per cent increase in Seven Oaks, and 37 per cent increase in Pembina Trails, all under their gov ern- ment. They removed the guardrails. F amilies are paying the price. When will they finally realize their mistake and fix it for Manitoba families? Mr.

Kinew: Well, the member opposite should consult the Member for Parliament for Transcona - Elmwood, Colin Reynolds, who's a Conservative and he's mailing out all his constituents saying, you know how to save money? Use the Homeowner's Afford- ability Tax Credit. And this will be the only time that we agree with Colin Reynolds. Now when it comes to the members opposite, you know what they mailed out with everybody's property taxes? A signed love letter for Brian Pallister. It didn't work. He still got chased out of town. People were not happy with the cuts to health care.

They w ere not happy with the cuts to education. Instead, they wanted our government to make sure that you save money on your property taxes, make sure you have a strong health-care system, and also this year's budget deliver- ing the lowest deficit in all of Canada. Education Property Tax Impact on Charleswood and Tuxedo Residents Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): Under this NDP gov- ernment, families and homeowners in Charleswood and Tuxedo are worse off and this NDP govern ment isn't, in fact, investing in education. And that's why homeowners in Charleswood are now facing double - digit property tax increases.

This year, Pembina Trails will be collecting 15.7 million more dollars from homeowners in order to pay for education that this NDP government refuses

1806 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 to budget for and fund properly. Those tax bills will begin hitting mailboxes this week. Why is this NDP govern ment hiking taxes on homeowners in the middle of an affordability crisis? Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): Open up this year's budget; it's right there on page 144: Tax Measures. Taxes are going down by $50 million in Manitoba this year. And, at the same time, we've got the lowest deficit in all of the land.

So, when I think about constituents in Tuxedo and in Roblin, I know that the folks in Tuxedo are very happy to have an MLA who's investing in health care and saving you money. Meanwhile, next door in Roblin, they're looking longingly towards the next fixed election date. We're going to keep investing in health care. We're going to keep saving you money and guess what? We're not going to cut schools, which is exactly what the member opposite is advocating. The Speaker: The honourable member for Roblin, on a supplementary question. Mrs.

Cook: Homeowners in Charleswood and Tuxedo are not better off under the NDP, and I know that because the homeowners in Tuxedo call my office. Since they took office , this NDP gov ernment has jacked property taxes in Pembina Trails by over 37 per cent. They hide behind municipalities , they hide behind school trustees, but the NDP's failure to properly fund education is the reason homeowners in Charleswood are seeing double -digit property tax increases again this year, all because the NDP's funding i ncrease to Pembina Trails –0.9 per cent– amounts to a de facto cut.

Why has the NDP increased property taxes in Charleswood by 37 per cent? * (14:10) Mr. Kinew: Honourable Speaker, the best Education Minister in all of Canada, sitting to my left, has seen fit to make sure that we're investing more money in Manitoba education in our children than ever before and, as a result, there are more teachers. There ar e more educational assistants working in Manitoba than ever before. When the members opposite get up and they attack school divisions and school trustees, what they're really saying is they want to go back to underfunded positions.

They want to go back to cutting teachers in educational systems. They want to go to less clinical resources in the classroom to help our kids grow and learn. We're not going to allow it. We're going to keep working together with you to make life more afford- able, but also to invest in the next generation. The Speaker: The honourable member for Roblin, on a final supplementary question. Mrs. Cook: This Premier might want to check in with school division superintendents.

Pembina Trails super- intendent Shelley Amos told media that it's this government's decisions that are going to result in program cuts in Pembina Trails or/and property tax increases. Families are feeling the pressure. Income taxes, gas, hydro rates, Pharmacare deductibles: Everyone's household bills are increasing under the NDP. Will the NDP stop hiding behind the City of Winnipeg, stop hiding behind school divisions and take responsibility for how they are making the afford- ability crisis even worse for homeowners in Charleswood and Tuxedo? The Speaker: The hon ourable First Minister. [interjection] Order. Mr.

Kinew: I cut the gas tax when I came into office. This year I'm cutting grocery taxes, and we're saving you money on your property taxes too. People in Charleswood, people in Tuxedo, $1,700 off your property tax bill, plus everyone in this province is better off as a result of more funding for our kids in the K-to-12 education system. Now, on the other side of the House, they're nominating candidates like Michael Zwaagstra, who we heard yesterday said Roe v. Wade should be over- turned; he's against abortion.

But we also see that this candidate is in favour of Alberta's bill 25, which, on the subject of education, it's like a walk down memory lane to the PC bill 64. He said it's disappointing bill 25 is receiving push- back. So I'd like the members opposite to stand up and tell us, does this represent their education policy? Do they– The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1807 Education System Funding Timeline for New Model Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): Taxpayers, Manitoba school boards, Association of Manitoba Municipalities are all feeling the pressure by the cuts by this Kinew govern ment to our edu cation system. This Kinew govern ment is downloading onto Manitoba taxpayers. When will this minister let Manitobans know, when is he going to announce the new funding model? Hon.

Wab Kinew (Premier): Yes, the member oppo- site is on thin ice when he gets up in this Chamber these days, and that's why I think it's probably beneath the Education Minister to respond to the sort of hate- spewing rhetoric that we see coming from the member opposite. I do want to get to the bottom of this bill 25 posi- tion, so I'm going to table this for the member opposite as well as for all the members asking questions today, again, written by Zwaagstra: Schools are sacrificing our kids' education for political activism, in which he outlines his support for Alberta's bill 25.

So is this what we're campaigning on? A return to bill 64 and school cuts versus investments in our kids, more schools in Manitoba and higher education? Because if that's the next election, bring it on. The Speaker: The honourable member for Lac du Bonnet, on a supplementary question. Mr. Ewasko: Once again, Honourable Speaker, more of a showman than a statesman. Won't even allow his Education Minister to stand up and answer a question. Well, what does Louis Riel School Division have to say, Honourable Speaker? [interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr.

Ewasko: They say that their fixed–their financial positions have eroded. What does the Manitoba Teachers' Society say? Manitoba Teachers' Society says education funding announce ment fails students yet again. Will the Minister of Edu cation reverse course, lower property taxes and introduce a new, fair funding model, yes or no? Mr. Kinew: It's interesting to hear the member oppo- site stand up and ask our wonderful nation- leading Education minister to do something he was unable to do when he was face- planting day after day in the hold-down-the-fort era of Brian Pallister's govern - ment here in Manitoba.

And it was not too long after he was sent to the opposition benches that I think this member compared me to Adam Beach. Now, why would his thought pro- cess go there? I mean, I've never portrayed Ira Hayes in a movie. I've never been a character in a DC comic book series. I've never appeared in any science fiction. Maybe the member opposite wants to talk today, on the record, about what about me reminds him of Adam Beach. [interjection] The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. Stop the clock. Order, please. During the honourable member for Lac du Bonnet's last question, he was quoting from something.

Was it a public or private document? Mr. Ewasko: Public. The Speaker: Thank you. Mr. Ewasko: Well, maybe, Honourable Speaker, the Kinew government is so confident that the Premier can go out and hand deliver those bigger tax bills to his colleagues who own cabins –well, some of whom own cabins; some own property out in my constit- uency. I'm sure they're going to be thrilled. Would this minister stand up–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr.

Ewasko: –will the Premier allow his minister to stand up, commit today to reverse course, listen to educators, families and taxpayers and finally intro - duce a sustainable funding model for education in this province, yes or no, Honourable Speaker? Mr. Kinew: So, I don't know if we're supposed to tell Protective Services to look out for the member opposite outside of people's cabins and cottages. It was a little bizarre. I'm not sure what the point of all that was, but I do want to correct the record. Apparently, what he actually said was, that I was, and I quote, no Adam Beach. End quote.

So, again, you know, these are verbatim things on the record, which, you know, very mindful of how we talk about other people–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –in the Chamber. But I would say this: I am no Adam Beach. Instead I am a humble servant of you, the people of Manitoba, working hard to–[interjection]

1808 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 The Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –invest in your schools, working hard on behalf of our children, and working hard to set a precedent of respect and inclusion for all. Let's see the Tories match that. Education Property Tax Impact on Municipalities Mr. Trevor King (Lakeside): Honourable Speaker, this government loves to make other people do their dirty work. They've been hiding behind municipalities for a lot of their tax increases, making municipal staff and leaders not only take the brunt of Manitobans' frustrations but also cover the administrative burden.

Why is the m inister downloading the cost of his property tax increases on municipalities, and why has he refused to cover the added costs? Hon. Glen Simard (Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations): Honourable Speaker, this is the ABCs of me: I show up for municipalities; I engage with municipalities and I work with municipalities to make our province better. Full stop. Ask any of those reeves, any of those mayors if I show up and the answer will be a resounding yes. Our door is not closed. We don't work in silos in the shadows.

Need I remind you, Honourable Speaker, that when there was a caretaker convention, they showed Manitobans how they're going to act: in the shadows. Cliff Cullen, Heather Stefanson, did we get it done? Secrets, secrets, secrets. We show up, the ABCs of us. We're here for you. The Speaker: The honourable member for Lakeside, on a supplementary question. Mr. King: Honourable Speaker, the RM of Woodlands still awaits the minister's arrival. When the NDP lowered the education property tax rebate, they passed the burden on to municipalities.

Instead of supporting municipal partners side by side, the minister hides in the back and denies any responsi bility for his destructive tax regime. If you own your home, the government demands more of you. If you put in a hard day's work, the gov- ernment demands more of you. If you're just trying to support your family, this govern ment demands more of you. * (14:20) Why does this minister demand more from every- one except himself? Mr. Simard: Wow, we're in desperation stage over there. [interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr.

Simard: I mean, maybe the leader's–is supposed to be here to keep them in line, but I'll continue to tell them this: You can go to any person in the municipal world and ask them whether or not I show up and whether or not I work for them, and they will tell you that nobody–nobody–in the last 10 years has shown up like this government for municipalities. The member opposite is completely off base – completely off base –on who shows up for munici - palities. You go into Stonewall and ask them who shows up for Stonewall. It's not the member opposite; it's this– The Speaker: The member's time has expired. Mr.

King: Honourable Speaker, municipalities are doing the work fixing the minister's failed rebate program to ensure that families get what they're owed. When people fell through the cracks during this program's implementation, the NDP were apathetic. If someone wasn't enrolled properly, it wasn't a concern to this minister; they could just get a rebate at tax time. Because the NDP Cabinet is so far removed from everyday Manitobans, how does this minister not realize that families cannot afford to front his govern- ment thousands of dollars and hope to get it back at tax time? Mr.

Simard: You know, I work with a bunch of col- leagues who care about Manitoba. On this govern- ment side, we've made women safer. We're building schools. We're protecting people. We have the best Health Minister in the country who's hired thousands– thousands–of health-care staff. We have the lowest deficit in the country. We have the king of Crown lands. We're building sup- portive housing instead of selling them off. And now we have the members opposite with the gall to show up in this House and say that we don't care about Manitobans. That is completely off base.

We will put our offer in front of Manitobans and we'll see– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. [interjection] Order, please. Order, please. Order. I would ask all members to take it down a couple of notches so that I can hear what's being said.

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1809 Basic Personal Income Tax–Exemption Increase Request for Government to Support Resolution Mr. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli): This NDP government fails to make life more affordable for Manitobans, and yet it continues to refuse to support the PC proposal to raise the basic personal exemption to $30,000, a change which would leave roughly $3,000 a year more in Manitoba–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Mr. Johnson: –families' pockets.

Why is this government more interested in giving people a couple of dollars back at checkout lines instead of simply letting them keep more of their own money in the first place? The NDP are waving a toonie around in the front and taking twenties out of your pocket in the back. Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): Honour- able Speaker, the members opposite do not sound serious in this Chamber. We don't know if they're coming or going or what offer they're putting on the table, but here's what we do know.

We know under years under them, we saw cuts across the board: cuts to education, cuts to health care, cuts to child care, cuts to municipalities. That's the reality that Manitobans endured for seven and half years. We're doing the work of ensuring we fund health care properly. We make sure our kids have what they need in our divisions. And while we do all that important work, we're also ensuring we make life more affordable. We've lowered taxes for everyone in Manitoba. We lowered your school tax bill. We're putting more money in the pockets of renters.

We're putting more money in the pockets of everyone who drives a car. This team is going to keep doing the work every single day of making life more affordable, including by taking the PST off all groceries– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. If I could get the clock stopped for a minute. Order. Stop the clock. Introduction of Guests The Speaker: There's some guests in the gallery that have to leave right away, so I'd like to introduce in the public gallery from Steinbach Christian School 20 grade 9 students under the direction of Curtis Plett.

And this group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen). We welcome you here today. * * * The Speaker: The honourable member for Interlake- Gimli, on a supplementary question. Mr. Johnson: Families in Interlake -Gimli are not asking for symbolic changes on snack foods; they're asking for real relief from rising costs, higher taxes and shrinking paycheques. Why won't this NDP government support the PC plan to raise the basic personal exemption to $30,000 and leave thousands of dollars in Manitobans' pockets instead of nickel-and-diming you to death?

MLA Sala: Honourable Speaker, the answer to that question is because it's not serious. What it results in is a billion -dollar hole, more cuts to education and health care. That's the reality that we ex perienced for seven and a half years under the members opposit e. The proposal isn't serious. That's why we were left with a $2-billion hole to climb out of. Now, what are we doing? We're not only making life more affordable, but now we have the lowest deficit in the entire country. This team knows how to walk and chew gum at the same time.

We're making life more affordable while we're ensuring we work towards balance. This team is getting it done. The Speaker: The honourable member for Interlake- Gimli, on a final supplementary question. Mr. Johnson: Well, in all seriousness, the average household income in Interlake-Gimli earns a little bit over $60,000 a year and is struggling with higher grocery bills, fuel costs, mortgages and utilities. This government is handing you pennies upfront while taking twenties out of your back pocket. Why would this minister insist upon denying Manitobans truly impactful inflation relief?

MLA Sala: Manitobans are struggling with higher grocery bills, and we've got a plan for you. Why won't the member get on board? We're proposing to take the PST off all food and grocery stores. Not only that, we froze the price of a one-litre jug of milk. We're going after predatory pricing on food. We're going to make sure there's more competition in grocery stores in community to help bring prices down. This team is doing the work of going after lower grocery prices. We're going to keep doing that work because we're focused on the needs of Manitobans.

For years, Manitobans had a government that wasn't listening to them. Finally, they've got a government that cares. We're showing that each and every day.

1810 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 And I ask the member opposite, if he cares about the struggles people in his community are facing when it comes to grocery prices, will he support our move to take the PST off all groceries? Yes or no? The Speaker: Member's time has expired. Strengthening Local Economies Call for Tax Relief for Manitobans Ms. Jodie Byram (Agassiz): It's amazing the length this government will go to to avoid giving Manitobans real tax relief. Since taking office, the NDP have budgeted to collect over $800 million more in income taxes from Manitoba families.

That's over 15 per cent increase in tax rev enue, all while the economy grew by less than 5 per cent in that same time period. There's no economic growth, so why is the minister taking more than ever before from hard- working Manitoba families? Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): Honour- able Speaker, the member that just stood up, in her community, nine out of 10 people are better off under our plan than under their plan. That's a big plurality.

And, of course, not only are we reducing educa - tion and property taxes, we're going to take the PST all–off all groceries, but we're also bringing in free child care for the lowest income families in the province, free transit for youth. This is targeted relief that counts. We're doing the work to ensure that families that need help are getting it. Again, for years, what hap- pened? We had a government that was not focused on helping Manitobans where they were experiencing those pressures. Now, this government is providing relief across the board. We're going to keep doing that. We're proud to be doing that.

But– The Speaker: Member's time is expired. The honourable member for Agassiz, on a supple- mentary question. Ms. Byram: That's simply not what I'm hearing in my communities. That's–but it is the NDP way to tax, tax, tax and more tax. It's all they seem to know how to do, and it's honestly pathetic that this Premier (Mr. Kinew) would stand in his place and say he will pull out every stop. He will do whatever he can to deny families real tax relief here in our province.

Families need support today, so why is this minister content with offering pennies when families deserve real relief? * (14:30) MLA Sala: Honourable Speaker, this team is cutting taxes for Manitobans. We cut the gas tax, one of the first things we did, for an entire year; gas tax holiday. And now that tax has been permanently cut by 10 per cent. We froze your hydro rates. We cut your education and property taxes. We lowered taxes for renters, a tax that was increased by the members oppo- site during their tenure. They made life more expensive for folks in Manitoba who often need the most help.

That's their record. Manitobans know what their record is because they experienced it. They saw their prices, their costs go up and up and up. I ask that member, if they are serious about want- ing to support people in their community, will they stand up today and say that they will support taking the PST off all groceries in Manitoba? The Speaker: The honourable member for Agassiz, on a final supplementary question. Ms. Byram: This is what they do, the NDP. They tax, they tax, they tax.

They're convinced that families would waste their paycheques on frivolous things, like activities for their children, visits to local restaurants or a family night out supporting local arts. Money spent in the local economy has a multiplied–or, a multiplied impact and grows the economy, which this government clearly doesn't understand. Why are they supposed to –opposed to giving families hundreds–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Ms. Byram: –and thousands of dollars in tax relief so that they can grow their local economies?

MLA Sala: Honourable Speaker, there's only one team in this province that wants to raise taxes on Manitobans: it's the members opposite. We know if they had their way, they would lift gas taxes back up. We know they would increase taxes on renters again. We know they'd increase education property taxes in Manitobans. And while they do all that, we know they'd once again take a chainsaw to everything that matters to

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1811 Manitobans, whether it's education, health care, whatever. We know what they did for seven and a half years. It doesn't matter how many times they say it, it doesn't make it true. This team is reducing taxes for Manitobans and we're proud of that. And we're going to keep doing that work each and every day. Grocery Price Affordability Removal of PST From Food Items MLA Eric Redhead (Thompson): Honourable Speaker, after seven and a half years of rising costs, Manitoba families are finally seeing relief because of our government.

For example, we cut the gas tax, we froze hydro rates and now we're taking steps to curb rising food costs with the freeze to the price of milk and legislation to increase competition in the grocery sector. Would Canada's best Finance Minister–in Canadian history–please tell the House what our government is doing to help Manitobans at the grocery store? Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): I want to thank my amazing colleague from Thompson. Honourable Speaker, it's very simple. No PST on grocery means more money back in the pockets of Manitobans.

We are removing the PST on essential food items like rotisserie chickens, prepared salads, fruit and vegetable trays, granola and the list goes on. Members opposite allowed grocery prices to rise over 32 per cent, while our team is saving Manitobans money in the grocery aisle on July 1. On this side of the House, we're focused on making sure families can afford to fill their carts. The PCs would rath er block real savings and have Manitobans pay more at the grocery store. Our team will continue to stand up for Manitoba families and deliver real action on afford - ability.

Rural Ambulance Services Paramedic Shortage Concerns Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): Rural ambulance service is at a crisis point. Altona police chief, Dan Defer, says that while responding to an accident seen recently where two people needed to get to hospital, we requested two ambulances and then we were advised that only one ambulance would be responding and the ETA was one hour. He went on to say that this cannot continue; some- one is going to die.

According to Shared Health, there's been a net loss of 34 rural paramedics in Manitoba since this NDP government took office in 2023, with about 25 per cent of positions now vacant. Why has this government allowed this situation to 'deteriate' into a full-blown crisis, and where's the plan to fix it? Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long -Term Care): Honourable Speaker, the member for Borderland should be ashamed of himself. He sat in the PC caucus while members of his caucus who sat around the Cabinet table were cutting services to rural Manitoba.

He was in that caucus when they were cutting services that saw us lose 90 paramedics from rural Manitoba. He sat in that caucus when they wouldn't allow advanced care para- medics to practice in rural communities. We have a net -new 41 paramedics here in Manitoba, and you know what, Honourable Speaker? We know it's not enough. We know there's more work to do, so we're going to keep doing that work to fix the damage that he did on that side of the House when they were in government. The Speaker: The honourable member for Borderland, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Guenter: That, coming from a minister who claimed last fall that they'd hired 241 net- new para- medics and then they had to revise that and apologize weeks later and say they'd only hired 18. And it turns out that number's also wrong. The shortage of paramedics in rural Manitoba is bad and getting worse, according to the MAHCP. Vacancies of advanced, intermediate and primary - care paramedic positions hit 25 per cent last December, up 15 per cent since this NDP government took office.

Jason Linklater says paramedics are burned out and frustrated and that the paramedic staffing crisis – his words–is a profound failure by this government to keep one of their signature health-care promises. People across rural Manitoba in communities like Altona, Schanzenfeld, Dominion City or Emerson deserve to know why–deserve to know– The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

MLA Asagwara: Honourable Speaker, on this side of the House we believe that rural Manitobans deserve the highest quality health care and that is why we have worked across government to make sure that, for the first time ever in Manitoba's history, we have

1812 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 advanced-care paramedics working in rural commu- nities across Manitoba, for the first time ever. For the first time in years, all of our paramedic training seats are full. For the first time in years, we have EMRs training and being hired in rural commu- nities. This work has been done in conjunction, hand- in-hand, with municipalities, with AMM, with rural providers who've been asking for this help for years. Their answers–their calls for help went unanswered for years under the PCs. He should stand up and– The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

The honourable member for Borderland, on a final supplementary question. Mr. Guenter: Altona Police Chief Dan Defer asked the question: are we transporting people in the back of our pickup truck, and says this is the kind of thing responders worry about when paramedics don't arrive quickly. In no way are we criticizing our local paramedics. They work hard; they are dedi cated. There's just not enough of them. This comes as Wayne Chacun, a rural paramedic and director with the MAHCP, says the province is not posting positions in the east zone or in the south zone unless absolutely necessary.

This NDP government told Manitobans they would hire 200 paramedics in their first year in office. And the situation, just like health-care wait-times, has gotten worse. If this was happening in Winnipeg, the minister would be ringing alarm bells, so why should my con- stituents have to accept this? MLA Asagwara: Honourable Speaker, what the member for Borderland's constituents no longer have to accept is a failed PC government that cuts their services, cuts their resources and turns their backs on rural Manitobans. We have a net-new 41 paramedics compared to a net loss of 90 under them.

We have EMRs practicing in rural Manitoba that weren't even allowed to have the oppor tunity under them. We have folks across rural Manitoba who have oppor tunities to work in health care that they didn't have under them. We're fixing their damage. We're fixing the culture in health care in rural Manitoba and we will take no lessons from a member of that caucus who supported his colleagues in cutting rural health care for seven and a half years.

Seniors Living at Power Street Apartment Update on Restoring Home-Care Services MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): Yesterday, the Families Minister said home care at 145 Powers was restored as of 1:30 p.m. Hours later, her own office media told–her own office told media services were still being re-established. Which is it? Are seniors getting care in their homes at 145 Powers, yes or no? Hon.

Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): Honourable Speaker, I want to take this opportunity just to lift up all those members at 145 Powers who are doing amazing work at supporting all of those individuals that are tenants at 145 Powers.

Whether it's N'Dinawemak, Winnipeg regional rehabilitation, home-care services, you know, they're doing amazing work in terms of supporting and meeting people where they're at. * (14:40) Unlike members opposite who like to point fingers, we're working collaboratively in supporting and meeting people where they're at and we're going to continue to do that. The Speaker: The honourable member for Portage la Prairie, on a supplementary question. MLA Bereza: So unless I'm missing something here, the people at 145 Powers are or aren't getting– [interjection] The Speaker: Order. MLA Bereza: –any service back at home.

The minister claims she stopped moving high-risk individuals into senior housing. Then why are services at 145 Powers and many, many facilities across Manitoba being cancelled again because of ongoing criminal activity? If the practice is stopped, why is this chaos getting worse? Ms. Smith: What I will say is we take zero tolerance when it comes to any criminal activity in our build - ings. Safety and security is our No. 1 priority. Unlike members opposite who changed the practice around seniors housing, we reversed that and we are making sure that seniors housing is true seniors housing.

We've instituted and brought back staffing, unlike members opposite, who fired staffing. They didn't, you know, care about the safety and security of members who were living–residents who were living in these buildings.

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1813 We take that very seriously on this side of the House. We're going to continue to ensure that our residents are safe in our housing and work alongside and ensure that members that are living in these residences– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The honourable member for Portage la Prairie, on a final supplementary question. MLA Bereza: Across Manitoba, people are waiting for answers. We're waiting for answers at 145 Powers. Seniors are locking themselves inside their apart - ments, afraid to pick up medication because of crime in their buildings.

The minister says everything is fixed. Seniors know better. When will this government stop, stop defending its talking points and start to protect our seniors that deserve it so much? Thank you. Ms. Smith: We'll take no lessons from members opposite who left residents in, like, 'disammay' with no supports, no services, no security, no housing, left them in tents with no supports. On this side of the House, we're getting people supports; 223 people have been supported out of tents with supports. Seniors are getting the supports that they need with support ive housing.

We are –we got over 2,183 boards off of housing that they left on Manitoba Housing. Shame on those folks. We're going to continue to support Manitobans, get safe and supportive housing online, unlike mem - bers opposite–[interjection] The Speaker: Order. Ms. Smith: – who didn't give a care about any Manitoban in this– The Speaker: Member's time has expired. The time for oral questions has expired. Petitions? No petitions, grievances? ORDERS OF THE DAY (Continued) GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): Can you please call Committee of Supply?

The Speaker: It has been announced that we will now resolve into Committee of Supply to consider Estimates. And, just as a reminder, there's also Committee of Supply Friday. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY (Concurrent Sections) ROOM 254 HOUSING, ADDICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS * (15:50) The Chairperson (Rachelle Schott): Will the Com- mittee of Supply please come to order. This

section of the Committee of Supply will now resume consideration of the Estimates for the Depart- ment of Housing, Addictions and Homeless ness. Questioning for this de partment will proceed in a global manner. The floor is now open for questions. MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): I just want to point out, first of all, that we're 10 to 4 here today. We've been waiting over 45 minutes for the minister to get here. We're hoping to close out today, but we do have a number of questions that we'd like to continue asking.

So I'll start right away here: The minister has tried to tell Manitoba that– The Chairperson: Order. Just a general reminder to all folks, the Estimates room is an extension of the Chamber, and we are not permitted to comment on one's absence or presence. So please remain–don't do that again. Thank you. MLA Bereza: I withdraw that comment. The minister has tried to tell Manitoba that youth won't be able to access the drug consumption site, but internal documents from Aboriginal Health and Well- ness show why no one believes a thing that's being said.

Her department is funding this site, so if she's planning on helping youth shoot up, why did she have Aboriginal Health and Wellness generate a youth intake form? Hon. Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): So that member, you know, continues to use rhetoric around discrediting

1814 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 the incredible work that Aboriginal Health and Wellness has been doing for decades and in the com- munity around health care. They have a proven track record and–you know, in the com munity, trusted in the health-care field by health -care experts, whether that's in the addictions field or the health -care field– primary health -care. They operate a clinic in the Neeginan Centre. They also offer a prime–or, a RAAM clinic in the Neeginan Centre, a mobile primary health- care clinic as well. They do such amazing work.

So I would, you know, say to the member that that member should maybe go for a visit instead of, you know, throwing stones at them. And that member continues to throw stones at folks and services that they've never actually gone to visit and actually, you know, have a conversation with and actually get to know what kind of services and supports that these organizations offer. So, as far as the youth accessing the supervised consumption site, youth will not be able to access the supervised consumption site.

I've been very clear about that from the very start–that if a youth presents at the supervised consumption site, that they wil l be redirected to appropriate services. There is an intake form, yes, and that is to redirect to the appropriate service. If someone presents there, you want to know who they're being redirected to. RaY is a great example–and, again, I would invite that member–he's the critic for addictions, housing and mental health. I don't know how many of these service providers that he's actually gone and visited. Has he actually gone and met with RaY?

Has he gone and met with the overdose prevention site Sunshine House, you know, or is he just going and doing the lookie -loo like his predecessor did, the former minister of mental health and wellness, Sarah Guillemard did. Apparently went to Vancouver and visited a supervised consumption site but just took pictures and didn't actually go inside and actually look at and talk to the service providers at the site.

So, you know, I would invite that member to actually go and get to know what those service providers actually provide, maybe go and meet with Aboriginal Health and Wellness and talk to them about what services they provide and what the super- vised consumption site is going to provide. Maybe that's a starting point for that member. He's been at every supervised –or every con sultation. Is he not listening to what members are talking about? I've outlined no youth will be accessing those services several times at the con sultations, several times in the House.

Aboriginal Health and Wellness has also said that no youth will be accessing services at the supervised consumption site, and if a youth does present there, that they will be referred to the appro- priate service, not the supervised consumption site. So, I would invite, again, that member to look at what appropriate services are out there for youth that are seeking addiction support services. You know, we had several service providers that were in the Rotunda today. Huddles are an amazing service provider that offer mental health, addiction support, primary health care.

That member is going to have one in their very constituency, so I'd invite that member to maybe go and visit and get to know what Huddles have to offer. Such amazing resources, such amazing folks that offer a plethora of services to youth, and, you know, those are the services that will be provided to youth who present at the supervised consumption site, if a youth presents there.

So, again, that member can, you know, try to mislead members of the public, but– The Chairperson: Before introducing the next member, we just want to remind all members that here during Estimates it's an extension of the Chamber and we can't imply whether someone was being truthful or not. So I'll just ask that minister to withdraw those comments. Ms. Smith: Withdrawn. MLA Bereza: First of all, I'd like to say that the last time I tried to go into a government building in Portage la Prairie, the new Portage hospital, I was actually thrown out and told that I wasn't allowed in that building.

So, my next question, honour able–it's not just a form; there's a whole youth service policy in the internal documents. The plans for helping youth take drugs come right after the

section on pregnant women, and I will quote: Youth appearing to look between the age of 16 and 18 will access the supervised consump- tion site, end quote, and goes on to qualify this access. Not youth with–not to be–not with–will not be permitted to access the site, not ID will be checked, just if the person at the front desk thinks you might look 16. Is this minister going to force this policy to change, and why was it found alongside a personal letter of support for this project? Did the minister not read the operating procedures before signing off? * (16:00)

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1815 Ms. Smith: Again, I want to reiterate that no one under the age of 18 will be allowed into the supervised consumption site. We are working very closely on policies and procedures with Aboriginal Health and Wellness, and they are in line with the policies and have reiterated that they will not be allowing youth under the age of 18. They will be referring youth under the age of 18 to the appropriate services. And I'm not sure what the member, you know, is not hearing about this. Again, they can have a con- versation with Aboriginal Health and Wellness.

The policy is youth under 18 will not be accessing services at the supervised consumption site. They will be meeting the federal requirements and, again, the exemption will be coming through the Province. And our expect ation, which is the same expectation of Aboriginal Health and Wellness, that youth that are 18 and–or that are under 18 will be referred to the appro- priate services. Mr. Logan Oxenham, Acting Chairperson, in the Chair And, again, I would invite that member to set up a meeting if they would like with Aboriginal Health and Wellness.

Go for a visit, visit the RAAM clinic, visit their primary health clinic, maybe go on a ride with their primary health-care mobile unit. Like, they are doing amazing work. They are doing the work. They have the trusted work reputation of the com - munity and, again, decades of work from the commu- nity–in the community. And what I would say to that member is, you know, we–there is a public health emergency issued today around the increase of HIV in our province. This is why it's so important that we get a supervised consumption site opened up in our province.

We have a rise in HIV and people need a safe place to use and get connected to primary health care. They need to, you know, ensure that they are aware of PrEP, that they can have access to a primary health-care provider that can get them connected to PrEP. And, again, that they're not spreading HIV, that they can get tested for STBBIs, and this is a place that will do that. And, again, primary health care is, you know, a place where this will be provided at the supervised consumption site.

Another service that will be provided there is housing, and we know that housing is a social deter - minant of how well people do. And under the former failed PC government, you know, they were selling off housing. We're making sure that folks are able to access as much housing as we can. We put 2,183 units online of our Manitoba Housing that were boarded up under the former failed PC government. We're making sure that folks are getting wrap- around supports; 223 people from encampments are getting wrap-around supports.

That means that they're getting access to mental health supports, to addiction supports, getting reunified with their families, br eak- ing cycles, going back to school, getting into the jobs field. These are folks that were, you know, left to their own accord, just abandoned by the former PC govern- ment, that were left to–just in tents without anything.

And our government is saying, you know, you have value, you're sacred, your lives matter and we're going to help you, we're going to support you, we're going to help you get back on your feet and we're going give you the supports you need because we know that this isn't the life you choose; that you need a stable place, you need someone who's going to believe in you, and we're going to provide that, and that's a basic necessity that –human right that we can offer. And, you know, the failed PC government failed to do any of that.

MLA Bereza: I just–you know, just to mention to the minister: I had the opportunity to spend a number of hours at a RAAM clinic last week during constituency week. And something that really broke my heart when I went in there was a wall. And it was a wall full of people–or full of names of people that had died. They had died because there was no opportunity for any recovery or treatment for those people. The Chairperson in the Chair We're seeing recovery–movement to recovery in treatment in BC. We're seeing it in Alberta. We're seeing it in Ontario.

And, again, when I read things like this Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre, appendix S, participant visitor form, and see the things on there – and one of the things that I want to point out on this form is, are you currently interested in addiction treatment options: there's one place for yes, but there's four other boxes there that have the word no in it. So are we trying to provide help for these people in the form of recovery and treatment?

It is showing in the budget that there is a–that the amount of money being spent on the drug consump- tion site –the mobile drug consumption site and the proposed consumption site at 366 Henry far outweigh what is going into the–is far outweighing what could be going into recovery and treatment.

1816 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 As I've said before –and I missed this week's graduation at the Bruce Oake centre, but I can remember Scott Oake saying to me when I was there one day, when I said to him, I said, what do we need here, Scott? And he said, we need 10 to 15 more of these places. And I agree with him on that. So, again, some of the things that are being asked from this participant form–and where I get into this is, what drugs were brought today. And the minister mentioned–and I have spent some time at 631 Main St.

You know, the minister said that I was a lookie -loo; no, I spent time with a businessperson there. That businessperson actually took quite a beating. And she took a beating because all she asked was the four or five dealers that were standing on her doorstep–because they 've got a crowd right there. The crowd is right there. You've got somebody, a captive audience. And all she asked was them–for them to move off of her doorstep. * (16:10) And what ended up happening was, like I said, she took a beating.

But the other side of this, too, was when I talked to her, I mentioned to her–I said, is there not security there? Because my understanding was, at the drug consumption sites, there's supposed to be security, as well, there for instances like this. And there was not, not that she saw. I asked her if the police were called. Yes, they were, but they had not shown in the time that she said. So, again, you know, I haven't been–and I'll say that–I haven't been to every drug consumption site. But 631 Main is operating right beside the Red Road recovery centre. In fact, it's at the same address.

We did have some staff that were there because there was an announcement a couple weeks ago, and– The Chairperson: Member's time has expired. Is there leave for the member to have an extension on his five-minute allotment for questioning? Some Honourable Members: Agreed. An Honourable Member: No. The Chairperson: Leave has been denied. Ms. Smith: So, first of all, I just wanted to go back to that application that–which isn't really an application. So, that member is really doing a disservice by referencing that application; that was never a true application.

So– and then, you know, referencing himself as if he's a medical expert and putting himself over the credible experts of Aboriginal Health and Wellness who have years and decades of experience in this field, who, you know, have, like I've said, ran a RAAM clinic, have provided primary health- care service for decades, who are leading experts in this area, I might add, who have experts in addiction services that are helping to advise and do this work alongside them. So, you know, that member is referencing a non -application. So, I just want to put that on the record.

Second thing I want to reference is that we take a balanced approach on this side of the aisle, in our term of government, unlike the failed PC government who took one approach, which was not a harm reduction approach. We believe in meeting people where they're at because you can't treat someone who isn't alive.

And we–and, you know, meet people where they're at and–to ensure that if today's the day that they decide to get into recovery that that recovery is there for them, which is why we're spending up to $90 million annually in addictions treatment, which is way more than the previous failed PC government ever spent in their time of government. So when they're talking about, you know, treat - ment, treatment, treatment, they spent way less money than our government is spending today. So for them to even talk about our government and our spending on treatment, we're taking a balanced approach.

We're spending more money on treatment than they've ever spent, but we're also taking a balanced approach in terms of educa tion, ensuring that we're making sure kids are getting to school, reaching their 18th birthday, putting things in place so that kids ar e enjoying recreation, families are enjoying time together, families are having food on their table in terms of affordability measures we're putting in place.

We're also ensuring that we're working alongside policing, so enforcement, the meth task force ensuring that we are getting drugs off the street, that we are tough on crime and tough on the proceeds of crime. And then again, a harm reduction approach be cause you can't treat people who aren't alive and lead them to recovery. So when that member's talking about addictions treatment, we are investing more money than the previous failed government ever did. I wanted to go back to that form that that member is talking about.

Of course we would want to know if someone would want to get into treatment and we would want to make sure that they would get into treatment and they had access to treatment, which is

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1817 why Aboriginal Health and Wellness would want to ask that question. Why wouldn't we want to ask anyone that question? And it –that member would know with Bruce Oake that that is a question –or Scott Oake–that they, you know, ask often: Is today the day and that you want to get into treatment? And if that's the day their door is open and they aren't a place where they ask, do you have the money to be able to access our services, because that isn't what it's about for them.

For them it's about life -saving supportive treatment and that's exactly what our government is about: ensuring that the supports are there when folks need them. I want to go back to that wall.

I visited that Portage RAAM Clinic as well, and, you know, it's very concerning whenever we see names added to that wall, which is why we need to get that supervised consumption site open so we can get people to the supports and services that they need, which is why we've added more supports and services into the system, which is why we've invested up to $90 million into more support so people can get into treatment and recovery. MLA Bereza: I just–I want to go back to the form again, the appendix asks the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre.

So I just want to get on the record that–because this form was filed with the federal gov- ernment, but the minister is saying no; this was not. I just want to check on that. Number 2: Did I just hear also that there will be a drug consumption site in Portage la Prairie? That was my second question. But I also want to go over this form somewhat as well, too, because we talked about, you know, the minister talked about treatment. It says here, and this is one of the questions on this form that the minister said has not been filed with the feds.

So, are you currently interested in addiction treatment options: there's one place for yes; but there's not at this time, no, no and not applicable. So, again, that's on this form that was given to the federal government unless, as the minister said, it wasn't. So if she could say that on the record that this wasn't there. And the second thing is to ask, are–is there a plan for a drug consumption site in Portage la Prairie? Thank you. * (16:20) Ms.

Smith: Again, I will ask that member where they got their medical degree in addictions medicine, why they think that they could be referencing, you know, this application. And, again, we have taken over the class exemption and we are working very closely with Aboriginal Health and Wellness on the exemption. And, again, we are taking a balanced approach.

It's a four-pillared approach which is enforcement, so ensuring that we are tough on crime, proceeds of crime, getting drugs off the street; ensuring that we are taking a harm reduction approach so we can m eet people where they're at–we can't treat people who are not alive. We're leading them to the supervised consumption site, which will be in Winnipeg at 366 Henry, with our partner, Aboriginal Health and Wellness, who will be leading that work, who is a leading health expert, who is working with Dr. Camisha, who is a addiction specialist health expert, along with many other health experts in the field.

And then we are also working from an education perspective. That is a balanced approach. Again, we are investing up to $90 million annually in addictions treatments, way more than the previous failed PC government ever did. We are ensuring that we are getting housing online so that we can support people in–you know, whether they're –substance use disorders, whether they have mental health issues and they need supports there, whether they need housing and need to be stabilized. Whatever it is that they need to stabilize in their housing, we are doing that work.

We are building housing, something that the pre- vious government never did. And, again, a genera - tional investment. Former government never built one single social housing unit in their seven and a half failed years in government. We are ensuring that we are meeting people where they're at. Today we, you know, proclaimed Mental Health Week. We had several amazing health– mental health providers who were in the Rotunda that are doing amazing work supporting people and meeting them where they're at. Whether that's from a harm reduction lens, a mental health lens, they are, you know, doing life-saving work.

We announced the investments to Klinic; that is life -saving work, and bringing down the wait times. And I want to go back to the RAAM clinic. You know, under the former PC government–we've brought down the RAAM wait clinics by almost 50 per cent. And that's a testament to the investments that this government is making because we believe in, again,

1818 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 meeting people where they're at, providing the sup- ports that they need. We've brought over 1,200 new support services online. Anywhere in Manitoba, people can access RAAM digital–virtual services online, and we brought in mobile withdraw services in the North so people can access those services as well. We're working with Indigenous providers right across our great province. We're working on our suicide prevention strategy.

Again, we've done extensive consultations right across our province, listening to Manitobans to address, you know, the high suicide rates and look at what needs to be supported from folks in the communities. And, again, we're making huge investments based on what communities are telling us. It's not our work; it's their work. We're not going to take credit for it because it's what they're telling us; they're the experts. We're just, you know, basically doing the work of what they're telling us to do.

So, again, the supervised consumption site is going to be filled with primary health care, mental health supports, housing supports, and it's a medical-led model. MLA Bereza: So, again, this form from the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre is not my form. This was a form that was filed in the package to the federal government. It is not my form here. I do want to again ask the question, because it's very important to my com munity: Will the minister admit today, yes or no, whether there is a drug consumption site going in Portage la Prairie?

The other question I have, or the other comment I have is, we have one detox bed in Portage la Prairie. Is there plans for more detox beds in Portage la Prairie? And when and where will they be? Ms. Smith: So, again, I will go back to that form that that member keeps referencing and will bring that member back to focus on Manitoba taking over the class exemption. We are taking on the class exemp - tion, so that form is irrelevant. I just want to point that out. And that member is not a medical expert and, you know, you're–so we are, again, taking that over. That is irrelevant, that form that you are referencing.

So I want to bring you back to the conversation of the consultation at Pampanga when you referenced MDC and maybe opening up a supervised consump- tion site at MDC. We –our government is focused on Winnipeg and opening up a supervised consumption site here in Winnipeg at 366 Henry. We will not be opening up a supervised consumption site in Portage la Prairie. So a supervised consumption site will be opening up in Winnipeg at 366 Henry, not in Portage la Prairie.

I do want to bring your attention, though, to some investments that we have made in Portage la Prairie around homelessness and some of the stats that we've made. So we've funded the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation to the tune of $310,000 annually for intensive case management and rapid rehousing services, as well as the Canadian Mental Health Association for $55,000 for a homeless out - reach mentor. So, between these two agencies, they've actually housed 55 people in Portage la Prairie who were experiencing homelessness.

So I think that, you know, speaks to the great work that those folks are able to do in terms of housing people and supporting folks. Portage also has a mobile withdraw management service that, you know, is able to support people and provide services to the community in and around. And, yes, up to 75 people. And, again, meeting people where they're at, providing those services to people in and around Portage.

And, again, we're going to con- tinue to support and meet people where they're at because we believe in, you know, not just one approach but a balanced approach. * (16:30) That's why we put my services online, why we're continually, you know, ensuring that people that are housed are getting wrap- around supports, and we're continuing to put more housing online, something that the previous failed govern ment never did. They deinvested in maintenance by 87 per cent, and only in the last year, in the election year, d id they increase maintenance, trying to buy votes, increase the budget for maintenance.

But Manitobans, you know, saw through –saw past that and voted to elect a govern ment that would support Manitobans and bring housing truly online, build housing and support Manitobans in a way that would see them suc cessful, not just short term, but long term. And, you know, when we look at the generational invest ments that our govern ment has made, it's breaking cycles for families, it's creating possible generational wealth in future for families.

I think about–I was talking to Minister Chartrand, the federal minister, and they were talking about they are the first in their family to leave generational wealth.

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1819 And we were talking about this as a kind of, you know, future we want to see for future generations and the kind of work that we want to do to ensure that Manitobans are better tomorrow than they are today. And that's the kind of gov ernment that we're – what we're doing, the work that we're doing today. The Chairperson: Member's time has expired. MLA Bereza: Thank you, honourable Speaker–sorry, honourable Chair. You know, I'd really like to hear –I've heard–I've said this about the drug consumption site at MDC.

The one thing I will say about MDC is we're waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting in Portage la Prairie. This government keeps saying that they're going to do something with MDC. There was a meeting again last week; absolutely nothing was decided on MDC once again. There's a lot of beds there; it could be a great treatment centre. There is a ton of places there that people could learn trades, like carpentry or plumbing or painting. It would be a fantastic site. But, again, none of that is coming up at this time.

So, again, in our time here –so if we do get a chance to finish today, I do have some questions regarding housing. The minister has insisted she has stopped the practice of tenanting high-risk individuals in senior housing, but, clearly, from the chaos seniors are living through, that isn't true. Criminals, drug dealers and users and vandals are getting ready to access–getting ready access to homes of seniors, and this government seems indifferent. Where in this budget are the supports for the seniors this govern ment has placed at risk? We've only seen that in the media over the last little while.

I think it was the building on Kennedy where the Free Press said in the site where a person lost their life, that in that apartment it was also reported that there was butane, propane, gasoline in a jerry can. And thank goodness that wasn't any worse than what had hap- pened there. We've seen it in Oak Tree Towers. The Stephens Apartments in Portage la Prairie, again, are another place that–and, again, from what I'm hearing from the tenants when I was there again last week, and the tenants now are down less to 15 people in the Stephens Apartments.

And the minister said that the work was going to begin on there in–next year, I believe it is. But that place has been–for over two years, they've been begging for work to be done in there. I know it's run by the Friendship Centre in Portage la Prairie, but they also have told me that –the same thing, that there's not many people that are working –or, sorry, that are living in that place. * (16:40) So, again, I ask: Where in this budget are the support for the seniors that are scared–scared to open the doors in their apartments, scared to go out any- where in their apartments–where's the money for that?

Thank you. Ms. Smith: So, first of all, I just wanted to –this is probably interesting for the member for Gimli and Interlake, just wanted to let them know that there's around 400 people that are being served through the Mobile Withdrawal Management Service out in their community for addictions withdrawal management services as well. So lots of work being done right across the province to support folks around addiction services. So when that member is talking about, you know, supports for folks, it's happening right ac ross our province.

So I will go to Stephens, and, as I told the member last time we were in committee, that Stephens Apart- ments is slated for a $13.4-million upgrade. Under the former failed PC gov ernment, that member is right, that apartment was–those members were begging that failed government to upgrade their apart ment. They needed renovations, extensive renova tions, but the former failed PC government wouldn't do anything around renovations for any of government apartments at all.

So our government is–has stepped in and stepped up and we are investing $13.4 million into interior and exterior upgrades, mechanical and electrical systems. And, as I told that member, that that is slated to start this year in the fall. And, as I said to that member, why would we start tenanting people and then move them out? That's very disruptive to folks to tenant them for a couple of months or a few months and then upheave them and move them, you know, within a few months.

It's–you build an ecosystem with people in a building, so we have not tenanted people because we know that work is going to be happening in this building. As far as our policy around seniors, the failed former PC government changed the policy in 2022 around seniors buildings and allowed anyone who wasn't a senior to start tenanting these buildings. That put, you know, seniors into unsafe conditions. And, when we formed government and started to realize that this was putting seniors in these unsafe

1820 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 conditions, we reversed this practice and this policy and started to ensure that these seniors buildings went, indeed, back to seniors buildings. Because seniors should live with seniors and should enjoy a life with safe and secure living conditions with people of their age. That's what they signed up to live in, in these buildings. And, you know, for the former PC –failed PC government to change that policy without even having conversations with these seniors that were in these buildings was very callous of them.

These seniors, you know, were very scared, were very frightened, were put in very unsafe living condi- tions. Not only that, but the failed PC former govern- ment also fired security guards, the very security guards that were employed in these seniors blocks to support and provide security in these buildings. So seniors were left, you know, with people that were living in these buildings that weren't seniors, now left without security, and then also they were left without supports, because now tenant service co-ordinators were also fired from Manitoba Housing. Maintenance workers were fired as well.

So common areas were closed because they weren't maintained. And this was under the failed former PC government. So when that former PC government wants to talk about, you know, seniors, I'll stand up every day and talk about our record. MLA Bereza: I will say, if we are going to close this tonight, I do have a couple more questions but–couple things. First of all, unless the people that have just moved into Oak Tree Towers are looking very, very good for their age, I would say there is a number of younger people that are living in Oak Tree Towers.

In the past, the minister told me, and I quote: We've invested $5.2 million in Oak Tree Towers. I filled out the FIPPA; turns out it took the minister over 150 days beyond the legal time frame to find the records, and it was only $22,075.68, or 0.4 per cent of what the minister said. What's –you know, what is 99.6 per cent between friends? It's almost spot on. If this is a disagreement on facts, who does the minister want my constituents to believe: her, or her department? * (16:50) Ms.

Smith: So when that member did their FIPPA request, they did their 'frippa' requests for the time period of March 1 to May 26 of 2025, so that was a spending period for three months. So that amount that that member would have received would've reflected that amount. In fact, the amount that has been spent to date on Oak Tree Towers is $4.7 million in upgrades to security. I will go to Oak Tree Towers. I know that the member had organized a meeting in February with members at Oak Tree Towers but failed to show up.

So, you know, that's not very professional to organize a meeting with your constituents at Oak Tree Towers and then fail to show up with members; organize a coffee house, your members show up–your constit- uents, and then you don't show up to a meeting. We've done, you know, several upgrades to this building. We're going to continue to support these members. These were upgrades that these residents were asking for from the failed PC govern ment, that the failed PC government never acted on.

When we got into government, we, of course, looked at what security upgrades and what needed to happen at this building, as we did–and assessed all of our properties within our envelope of Manitoba Housing. And we prioritized what needed to be done, and we made the investments because, you know, this is a Crown jewel.

And we know that Manitobans deserve to have safe and affordable housing, and they deserve to have a government that is going to support Manitobans with affordable, safe housing, including seniors and including, you know, folks who are struggling with their mental health, including folks who are struggling with substance use, including folks who are –have affordability issues. This is a government who is going to show up each and every day and meet people where they're at and provide supports and services.

And we're not going to, you know, not provide services like the former failed PC government did and leave housing into disr epair to the point where it has to be demolished. This is a government who's going to show up each and every day and listen to residents, listen to their needs, respond to what's going on in their residence and meet the needs of the residents. We have, you know, made security upgrades, we've hired back security guards, we've hired back tenant service co -ordinators, we've hired back main- tenance workers.

And we're going to continue to sup- port our folks on the front lines because they are on the front lines supporting these folks to ensure that they are successfully tenanted. And we know that folks have needs that, sometimes, folks –you know, there's a breakdown in tenancy.

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1821 You know, it's Mental Health Week this week, and everybody–there's not one person in all of Canada who has not struggled with their mental health. And, you know, tomorrow someone might have a mental health break, and a tenant service co -ordinator is going to be there to support them through that. And they're going to be there to–you know, they might be that person that's going to help them through that to navigate to the supports that they need. Our security are there each and every day.

There's a number for someone to call if they need their supports and services. Under the former failed PC government, they were firing those security guards that are on the front lines that are helping in– to support. There were SWAT teams rappelling off of our Manitoba Housing buildings almost monthly because the failed former PC government not support- ing and ensuring that residents were supported well. And, you know, we're working closely with our policing. But we're also working in supporting our residents to making sure that they are supported well in their tenancy, and we're going to continue to do that.

MLA Bereza: Just before we close –as we are going to close–I just want to say, it's entirely inappropriate to put false personal attacks on the record. I would ask the minister to retract her baseless comments and accusations that I missed a meeting in February at Oak Tree Towers. The only time I'd missed a meeting ever at Oak Tree Towers was if the –when I was tossed out by Manitoba Housing and the–and when I was asked by Manitoba Housing to leave because they said they wouldn't conduct a fire drill meeting with the folks in the building and I–you know, because it was a safety issue, I left.

The only other time that we've ever moved a meeting was if we moved a meeting. I have never missed a meeting with that. In saying that, I will close this meeting at this time. We had a ton of questions left, but let's close. The Chairperson: The honourable minister, in response? Seeing no further questions, we'll now put the question to the resolution. Resolution 24.2: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $53,337,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Mental Health and Addictions, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to.

Resolution 24.3: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $267,782,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, The Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to. Resolution 24.4: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $104,242,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Physician Services–Psychiatry, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to.

Resolution 24.5: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $322,458,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Funding to Health Authorities, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to. Resolution 24.6: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $820,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Costs Related to Capital Assets of Other Reporting Entities, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to.

Resolution 24.7: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $21,700,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Loans and Guarantees Programs, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to. Resolution 24.8: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $78,000,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Other Reporting Entities Capital Investment, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to. The last item to be considered for the Estimates of this de partment is item 24.1(a), the minister's salary, contained in resolution 24.1.

At this point, we request that the minister's staff leave the table for the consideration of this last item. The floor is open for questions–oh, we'll wait 'til they depart. The floor is open for questions.

1822 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 Seeing none, r esolution 24.1: RESOLVED that there be granted to His Majesty a sum not exceeding $7,390,000 for Housing, Addictions and Homeless - ness, Finance and Cor porate Services, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. Resolution agreed to. This completes the Estimates of the De partment of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness. The next

section of Estimates to be considered by this

section of the Committee of Supply is the Depart- ment of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation. The hour being 4:59, what is the will of the committee? Some Honourable Members: Recess. The Chairperson: The committee recess. ROOM 255 BUSINESS, MINING, TRADE AND JOB CREATION * (15:00) The Chairperson (Diljeet Brar): Will the Com- mittee of Supply please come to order. This

section of the Committee of Supply will now resume con - sideration of the Estimates for the Department of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation. Questioning for the department will proceed in a global manner. The floor is now open for questions. Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): I'm glad to be back for another day of opportunity to ask the minister important questions about the future of our economy in the province, job creation and job market, along with economic growth that we've heard from the minister.

We have questions around the budget, so I'm hoping that through today we'll be able to get some more clear answers for questions that we have. And, you know, picking up from where we left off last time, we've heard a couple comments come from both this minister and the Premier (Mr. Kinew); specifically last week, the Premier doubled down again and claimed by 2030 Manitoba could be shipping LNG from Churchill.

Now, we know to do that, we'd need to build a natural gas pipeline over hundreds of kilometres of–across hundreds of kilometres of muskeg, erect an LNG terminal in Hudson's Bay, build a new breakwater to protect the pipeline, expand the port and figure out a way to move that LNG through the ice. There would also need to be a –there would also need to be significant upgrades to the railroad and the harbour itself–and somehow obtain all the engineer - ing, environmental and regulatory approvals to do so– all in less than four years.

You know, I think many Manitobans are wanting to see the clear picture on that because it's sounding less like an aspiration and more like a delusion. Yet here's what the Premier had to say the other day: if we get private-sector investment–and I quote: If we get private-sector investment and we can deliver on the Prime Minister's timeline of LNG out of Churchill by 2030. So I'm going to start by giving the minister another shot at answering something I asked him when we left during our last session here.

A simple question, and just looking for a dollar figure: How much commitment–how much committed private - sector investment has the minister raised to date to make the Premier's Churchill dream come true? The Chairperson: Thank you, Member. Hon. Jamie Moses (Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation): Thank you very much, Chair, for the opportunity.

And I appreciate the opportunity from member opposite for, again, having this time during Estimates to talk a little about the projects that we're doing, talk about how we're continuing to grow our economy here in Manitoba, make sure that those initiatives and steps we're taking are pretty clear for Manitobans and make sure that we're as–doing best we can to answer questions for the members of the opposition. As we begin today, I also just wanted to introduce a staff person who I didn't get a chance to introduce previously because they weren't here for the –joining us for the first time.

Amy Thiessen, executive director of Finance, thank you for being with us today. So, in terms of Churchill, yes, this is a significant project. Get a chance to talk about it at different events and occasions and certainly be working alongside private industry, different levels of govern ment, including First Nations, municipal, fede ral gov ern- ments, Métis governments as well, on putting forward this project. The good thing about this is that there's interest from all those levels. It's also even better to hear that there's interest from international govern - ments and players as well , who see the potential of

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1823 having LNG through the Port of Churchill really be a huge opportunity for them. You know, places in Europe who are having– perhaps view an unreliable or unstable supply of LNG or energy sources are looking for opportunities to diversify and to strengthen their own energy sovereignty and energy position. And for them, that one opportunity could be in the form of more energy and more LNG coming from Canada.

So those are some of the aspects that we're looking at in terms of international oppor tunities to ensure that we have the right market for products that will come out of Port of Churchill, including LNG. So we're working with, you know, stakeholders right across the globe. In terms of dollars that have gone into Churchill, well, certainly I can point to the amount that we funded as government, both provincially and jointly with the federal government that have combined over the–to the tune of $262.5 million over five years.

And plus, on top of it, that $10 million that we committed to in this year's budget for $10- million Churchill Catalyst Fund to really help us seize on those private- sector opportunities to advance the Port of Churchill.

So I think those are some of the funding that I would point the member to, and having said that, we're working in a really strong concrete way with private-sector partners to move forward with the project of both enhancing the rail line, improving the ports, making sure that there are reliable infrastructure assets there that meet the needs of the customer base both domestically and for global partners and, at the same time, looking at that energy project and what would it take to actually get LNG up there.

And member's highlighted a number of initiatives and steps that would take to actually have that become a reality there. I'm not sure if the member mentioned liquefication, but that would certainly be part of the process as well, at some point along the r oute, and certainly understanding what it takes to have that all out is the work that we're doing right now. And so, as we work through the projects on our side as a provincial organization working in partner - ship with AGG, who is operating the port right now and–that's Arctic Gateway Group.

We're currently shipping goods out of there and we're doing the resupply missions, for example, to our neighbours to the north in Nunavut as we continue to work side along private partners and even other western provinces who are interested, for their own economic benefit, the advancement of the Port of Churchill. * (15:10) We all align and see that there is a lot of benefit for doing this project and moving it forward.

We're making our invest ment, working with other public - sector partners to do this, and we're working very closely with private -sector partners to advance th e project, get the right types of investment in there, to make sure it can happen in a good way. The Chairperson: Thank you, Minister. Mr. Narth: This is exactly a prime example of exactly why I'm getting discouraged in this process, the Estimates process, in this committee, because it's an important process, part of our legislative engage - ment.

Together, the op position, representing the voices of Manitobans outside of the govern ment, to get answers from the government in specific de part- ments, and here again, today, we're kicking off with- out any answers. So my question specifically was around private investment. I think, you know, first of all, the Premier (Mr. Kinew) and this minister have portrayed Churchill as the silver bullet, the answer, the single largest answer, to transform Manitoba from a have - not province to a have province, a province that's receiving nearly $30 billion in federal transfer.

And when asked, this is the answer that has been given, is that Churchill is the future of our economy. Again, on our side of the House, the opposition or your business community across Manitoba and Manitobans in general–I'd say Canadians in general– aren't opposed and see value in the in the plan of building Churchill and the economic benefit that that is going to have to our entire country. But we need to see what that plan is.

And every- body is far more concerned about what that's going to look like and how it's going to come together more so than they're really interested in –they're interested; they're concerned about how much of their tax dollars will go into it. But every single Manitoban, I would say, realizes that this will not be built just on the backs of taxpayers. This isn't a build-it-and-they-will-come project. This is something that involves serious private investment.

This needs suppliers, whether it be natural gas being liquefied and shipped across the world, whether that be potash from Saskatchewan, oil from Alberta, wheat

1824 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 7, 2026 from the Red River Valley. This needs a partnership with private sector. And we, as all Manitobans, would like to know what that partnership looks like today. Who has signed up to say that: we're an oil and gas company and we're looking at building a pipeline; we are a grain terminal and we're looking to partner with the Port of Churchill to get wheat shipped to Europe; or whether it be a neighboring province saying that our resources need to be exported through that port. Without that, like I said, this is no more than a pipe dream.

So , I'll–with that clarification, I'm not really concerned about, in this question anyway, what the taxpayer dollars are that have been committed or already spent. I'm looking at what is the private investment in actual product that will be shipped out of that port, not hypotheticals, but actual examples of negotiations that are taking place. Like, if we're talking 2030 that something's going to be shipped out of Port of Churchill, time's ticking. You know, it's taking this government years to build a campaign promise addition to an emergency room, like, years.

We're talking three years of a campaign promise and it's still not open; and you're talking a nation-building project that's going to wean Canada off $30 billion, $30 billion with a B, of transfer pay- ments from the federal govern ment, and we have no examples of what those partnerships are. So, once again, I'd like to know what the private commitment is to this project. The Chairperson: Thank you, Member for La Vérendrye (Mr. Narth). Mr. Moses: I really appreciate the question from the member opposite. You know, his concern for the Port of Churchill and the progress there is –I think is important, right?

To show how interested Manitobans are in the Port of Churchill. We know from recent surveys that, you know, 80–roughly 80 per cent of Manitobans are supportive of the Port of Churchill and investment in Port of Churchill. We know that more than half of Canadians are supportive of the Port of Churchill and invest - ments in the Port of Churchill. And so we're going to take our leave from Manitobans, listen to them, and we're going to continue to invest and work up the great plans that we think will help to advance the project, meeting the quick timelines that we are trying to look at.

I also think that, when we are doing the work, we should also recognize that even though the member opposite might have–I don't know–maybe an approach that is kind of a bit of a naysayer, I would say–you know, calling into question the credibility of the work that's taking place. And I don't want to necessarily critique that approach or line of thinking or questioning; rather, to say the positive side of it: that in Manitoba, we can do big things. We know exactly how to get big things done. In fact, we've a track record of getting big things done.

We know how to tackle challenges, whether that's through flood, or last year, where we dealt with the worst wildfire season in the province's history. We know how to handle it and protect as many Manitobans as possible. You know, it wasn't too long ago, maybe 20 years ago, when Manitobans said CentrePort was a wild idea. When I remember a certain opposition Conservative government that said: CentrePort's a wild idea, you know; Premier Doer, don't do it, it's a terrible idea. But now, we've got over 1,000 businesses thriving in CentrePort, bringing in over $1 billion of economic activity.

This is a great opportunity to show that, yes, sometimes there are big ideas –when you work together, when you work hard, work with a lot of people who can roll up their sleeves, like I know Manitobans can do, you can get big things done. So, that's the same spirit that we're going in with, working together to get the Port of Churchill built and developed. The other aspect I want to bring to this is, certainly as we have the con versation, that we are absolutely seeking more private -sector dollars in investment into the Port of Churchill.

I don't want that narrative to be out there. * (15:20) We know this project is going to move forward with some public -sector support, but also definitely, a hundred per cent, with private -sector support. And so we are absolutely working with private sector along those lines to develop the port in real and meaningful ways.

I'll just give the member opposite one example, is that, you know, part of the work that our government did to shepherd the 'ordorridor' –shepherd through conversations, to open the door for more engagement– we know that the work that–our work as government led Arctic Gateway Group to build a MOU of under - standing with the port of Antwerp. This is one of Europe's largest ports. It's one of the most diversified

May 7, 2026 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1825 ports. And it also aims to establish a diversified trade corridor. At Antwerp-Bruges, the port there, they manage 300 million tons of cargo just–per year. And so not only does it make it one of Europe's largest ports, it makes it one of the largest ports globally. And so the MOU signed between Arctic Gateway Group at the Port of Churchill and the port at Antwerp now allows us to build a framework of an economic corridor in linking their significant economic partners with our port.

I think that's one of the avenues that will lead to more investments, more private -sector in vestment, into the Port of Churchill. And so as we continue to work alongside First Nations, Métis through our Crown-Indigenous corpora- tion, as we continue to work with the federal govern- ment, municipal governments, private-sector part

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	43-3-51b
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	43rd 3rd hansardpdf 51b.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	a808636e049ec410eeb9c7a51615ddf5483b423f

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