Manitoba Hansard — Sitting 7B (32nd Legislature, 3rd Session)

32-3-7b

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

ISSN 0542-5492 Third Session - Thirty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS 33 Elizabeth 11 Published under the authority of The Honourable D. James Walding Speaker VOL. XXXI No. 78 - 8:00 p.m., MONDAY, 23 April, 1984. Printed by the Office of the Queens Printer. Province of Manitoba

MANI TOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Second Legislature Members, Constituencies and Political Affiliation Name ADAM, Hon. A.R. (Pete) ANSTETT, Hon. Andy ASHTON, Sieve BANMAN, Robert (Bob) BLAKB, Da�ld R. (Dave) BROWN, Arnold BUCKLASCHUK, Hon. John M. CARROLL, Q.C., Henry N. CORRIN, Q.C., 8rian COWAN, Hon. Jay DESJARDINS, Hon. Laurent DODICK, Doreen DOERN, Ruasell DOLIN, Hon. Mary Beth DOWNEV. Jamea E. DRIEDGER, Albert ENNS, Harry EVANS, Hon. Leonard S. EYLER, Phil FILMON, Gary FOX, Peter GOURLAV. D.M. (Doug) GRAHAM, Harry HAMMOND, Gerrie HARAPIAK, Harry M. HARPER, Elijah HEMPHILL, Hon.

Maureen HYDE, Lloyd JOHNSTON, J. Frank KOSTYRA,Hon. Eugene KOVNATS, Abe LECUYER, Hon. Gerard LYON, Q.C., Hon. Sterling MACKLING, Q.C., Hon. AI MALINOWSKI, Donald M. MANNESS, Clayton McKENZIE, J. Wally MERCIER, Q.C., G.W.J. (Gerry) NORDMAN, Rurik (Ric) OLESON, Charlotte ORCHARD, Donald PAWLEV. Q.C., Hon. Howard R. PARASIUK, Hon. Wilaon PENNER, Q.C., Hon. Roland PHILLJPS, Myrna A. PLOHMAN, Hon. John RANSOM, A. Brian SANTOS, Conrad. SCHROEDER,Hon.V� SCOTT, Don SHERMAN, L.R. (Bud) SMITH, Hon. Muriel STEEN, Warren STORIE, Hon. Jerry T. URUSKI, Hon. Bill USKIY( Hon. Samuel WALDING, Hon. D. Jamea Constituency Ste.

Rose Springtield Thompson La Verendrye Minnedosa Rhineland Gimli Brandon West Ellice Churchill St. Boniface Riel Elmwood Kildonan Arthur Emerson Lakeside Brandon East . River East Tuxedo Concordia Swan River Vir den Kirkfield Park The Pas Rupertsland Logan Portage la Prairie Sturgeon Creek Seven Oaks Niakwa Radisson Charleswood St. James St. Johns Morris Roblin-Russell St. Norbert Assiniboia Gladstone Pembina Selkirk Transcona Fort Rouge Wolseley Dauphin Turtle Mountain Burrows Rossmere lnkster Fort Garry Osborne River Heights Flin Flon lnterlake Lac du Bonnet St.

Vital Party NDP NDP NDP PC PC PC NDP IND NDP NDP NDP NDP IND NDP PC PC PC NDP NDP PC NDP PC PC PC NDP NDP NDP PC PC NDP PC NDP PC NDP NDP PC PC PC PC PC PC NDP NDP NDP NDP NDP PC NDP NDP NDP PC NDP PC NDP NDP NDP NDP

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, 23 April, 1984. Time - 8:00 p.m. THRONE SPEECH DEBATE MR. SPEAKER, Hon. J. Walding: On the proposed motion of the Honourable Member for Wolseley, a motion thereto by the Honourable Leader of the Opposition. The Honourable First Minister. HON. H. PAWLEY: Mr. Speaker, I would like to first initiate my remarks this evening by extending to you my best wishes in respect to your presiding during this sitting. Mr.

Speaker, we look forward, of course, to your continued fairness and equity in relationship to the members of the House, presiding over the House, ensuring appropriate decorum. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my appreciation and thanks to the Honourable Member for Wolseley, the Mover of the Throne Speech; the Honourable Member for Rupertsland, Seconder, for the excellent presentation that they undertook in regard to the moving and seconding of the Throne Speech. The insight, the foresight, that they brought to the presentation of the Throne Speech. Thirdly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr.

Justice Gordon Hall for introducing the Throne Speech and having done an admirable job, and I believe that, in fact, he deserves a hearty expression of thanks. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to honourable members, prior to commencing my remarks, the importance of this week. I think this week does, indeed, tell a great deal about Manitoba, the makings of Manitoba, this being Volunteer Week in the Province of Manitoba.

The service of Manitobans, whether it be in urban areas, rural areas, northern areas, working together without expectation of reward in order to achieve a better commun ity, a better province, and a better country. This is indeed a fitting time, I believe, Mr. Speaker , for recognition of the work of the volunteers in the province. I would also like to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition, who is present with us and, Mr. Speaker, to indeed extend to him congratulations on his new office as Leader of the Opposition, has been Leader of the Opposition now, I believe, since the early part of December. Mr.

Speaker, from the depths of my heart, and the fondness for the Leader of the Opposition, I wish him longevity in his present position as Leader of the Opposition and, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that - and maybe this will ease the mind of the Leader of the Opposition - we on this side have every confidence that the Leader of the Opposition, as long as he can fend off two or three members in his caucus, will indeed enjoy longevity as Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Speaker, during the past few weeks I have been listening with attentiveness to the remarks that have been made by honourable members opposite. Mr.

Speaker, I have been struck by the fact that there is 169 a near desperation on the part of honourable members across the way, a desperation on their part to discolour, an attempt to discredit all that indeed is being undertaken by this government. Mr. Speaker, it is very much like someone that is grasping at a straw in a final effort to try to discredit all that this government is doing. Mr.

Speaker, we have listened to reckless and irresponsibl e comments, accusations that have been made on the flimsiest of fact, accusations that have been made on the basis of imagination, a comment on the part of honourable members across the way, one by one, that does not reflect the current reality in the Province of Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, I understand the difficult position that honourable members of the oppositon are In because they are caught between a rock and a hard place.

They are caught behind the rock of their own previous record while they were in government and against that rock, that is a heavy burdern indeed for honourable members to carry because during that period of time - 1977 to 1981 - we indeed had an opportunity in the Province of Manitoba to witness and to feel the effects of their policies; policies that were referred to, and referred to accurately, as acute protracted restraint during that period of time. Manitobans recall, Mr. Speaker, the fact that the Manitoba economy indeed plunged to zero growth in the year 1980.

They remember their sons and daughters leaving the Province of Manitoba, in numbers that were never before matched, in search of jobs elsewhere in other parts of Canada. Manitobans also recall the bankruptcies that were occurring in Manitoba. They recall, indeed, the suffering of their neighbours during a period of time in the Province of Manitoba prior to the impact of the international recession! Manitobans were suffering from bankruptcies and the impact of a provincial recession prior to the international recession. Mr.

Speaker, it was a record of neglect, therefore the honourable members do have a difficult job, a shaky record for them to build any comparison upon. lt would be like comparing quicksand to limestone. Mr. Speaker, unless of course you are tied to a rigid dogma, that dogma of acute protracted restraint that was a disaster in this province, that was a cornerstone of Conservative party policy while they were in government in Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, I noted something of significance in the Leader of the Opposition's address to this House.

He was declaring to all and sundry that Manitoba was not like other provinces, in that unlike other provinces we did not head into valleys and peaks, but suggested that this was a relatively even kind of economy. Mr. Speaker, it behooves me to say this evening that the Member for Tuxedo is wrong in his observation, wrong, wrong, wrong, because Manitobans know what economic valleys exist in this province because they walked through those valleys when the Conservatives formed the government in the Province of Manitoba. Mr.

Speaker, as well, the Leader of the Opposition counselled my government during his address, and he

MondaJ, 23 April, 1984 counselled us with such deep earnestness during his ad dress, to follow the hallmark of Conservative philosophy, but he dressed it up by making reference to some address that was given by the President of the Investor Dealers Association of Canada; and the President of the Investor Dealers Association had apparently advised members of that association to ask government to do nothing, to do nothing. Then the Honourable Leader of the Opposition grabbed hold of those remarks and suggested that we here should follow this kind of advice and do nothing as a government. Well, Mr.

Speaker , we know that their record, while they were in government, indeed was a do-nothing record. We know that during the four years that they governed in the Province of Manitoba they were not indeed following policies, initiating policies, developing policies in order to ensure that there would be a vital and healthy Manitoba economy. And, Mr.

Speaker , when the Leader of the Opposition counsels members across the way to do nothing I want to know, from the Leader of the Opposition, whether he is proposing that my Minister of Energy and Mines cancel the power sale to the Northern States Power, and should we turn our backs on the $3.2 billion power sale to the Northern States Power? Is that what the Leader of the Opposition is counselling mem bers. on this side of the House? Is the Leader of the Opposition counselling members on this side of the Chamber to cancel the federal-pro vincial agreement to develop the Port of Churchill?

Is the Leader of the Opposition counselling my Minister of Agriculture to cancel the recently signed agricultural agreement with the Federal Government? Are we being counselled to cancel the mining agreement that was just entered into between the Federal and Provincial Governments? Well, Mr. Speaker, if we took the Leader of the Opposition's advice, we would indeed just sit back and do nothing at all.

Follow that old theory of government that we should provide law and order and fight fires - well, we certainly have some fires to fight - I guess there would no problem with the Leader of the Opposition; that's a nineteenth century government. We'd fight the fires, we'd provide the police services, and we would collect taxes but, In fact, it's very much like 18 02- 1803 in England. When the estimates are of the total population of 9 million, there was some 1. 3 million that were on public relief in England and this was well before pensions and medicare, it was during the period of a do-nothing attitude, Mr.

Speak er, insofar as governments are concerned. Mr. Speaker , I want to assure Manitobans tonight that we do not - we will not - we do not intend to listen to the counsel of the Leader of the Opposition. We have no Intention of seeing the economy slip. Wr3 have no intention of falling back into the deplorable state in which it was, un der the Idle hands of the Conservatives In the Province of Manitoba under the former Tory Gover nment. We are, Mr. Speaker , going to continue to take an active role insofar as stimulating the economy and we have no intention of undertaking any other direction, any other path. Mr.

Spea ker , we have also taken the initia ti ve thr oughout, and the ind icators have demonstrated the wisdom of this approach. We prepared the ground. The ground was prepared, in fact we have pursued a 170 delib erate, calculated policy of ensuring that during the period of the depth of the international economic recession that affected Canada and as a result spilled into Manitoba, that certain economic dir ections would be pursued in order to ensure that we carry ourselves through that stage. Now, Mr.

Speaker, we are embarking upon a new major economic thrust - a new economic thrust to ensure long-term development in Manitoba - and we are going to ensure at the same time as we maintain that thrust to more economic development in building upon the strengths of Manitoba and to assure greater creation of long-term jobs in the Province of Manitoba. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, this social democratic government is going to ensure that there is a continued enhancement in the preservation of the health care system and the social service system in the Province of Man itoba. Mr.

Speaker, I recall, and honourable members may very well recall the remarks I made in the spring of 1981 when I spoke on the Throne Speech while indeed I was sitting as Leader of the Opposition and honourable member s were then sitting as government, and I commented - and I quote because it's quite interesting, I think, for honourable members to reflect on this - "We are going to have difficulty :.ecause there's been such a great deal of damage that has been done In the preceding three-and-a-half years to the economy of the Province of Manitoba." I'm sure you can recall those words, Mr.

Speaker , during the spring of 1981. Mr. Speaker, I forecast in the spring of 1981 that indeed we would win the election whenever honourable members called that election, but at the same time I forecast that there would be difficulty because of the severe damage that honourable members across the way when, they were in government, had done severe damage to the economy of this province and to the quality of life In this province while they were in government. Mr.

Speaker , despite the fact that since the spring of 1981 we have been inflicted with the impact of international recession that this government has had to carry with it, despite the fact we had a record cutback per capita - I guess the highest per capita of any province under the fiscal transfer arrangements - despite all this I'm happy to say tonight that my predictions were wrong.

Not that my assessment of the damage that was done by the previous admin istration was wrong, but the time that it took to ensure a substantial beginning and the rebuilding of the Manitoba economy was wrong, because we have been able to bring back greater vitality and greater health in two-and-a-half years of government in this province than I would thought possible two-and-a-half years ago. Mr. Speaker, I say this with all measurement because the ind icators unde rscore this. Mr.

Speaker , when 1· talked about valleys, and I'm not going to go into this, but I could have discussed with honourable members - in fact, I will later on some of the indicators during their term in office - but the economic indicators underscore. I know indicators that are questioned constantly and generally in a nit- pick ing way by honourable members across the way, but I would like to point out to the members opposite that these indicators are not of my government's making, that

Monday, 23 April, 1984 the indicators that I will be relying upon insofar as presentation this evening are those of well-respected bodies, such as the Conference Board of Canada, such as Statistics Canada, such as the Bank of Montreal Mr. Speak er, if hono urable mem bers have any problems with the statistics that I'm going to provide them tonight, then I would suggest that they take up their questions with the bodies that I have just mentioned. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, Mr. Speaker , we recognize that, there are thousands, particularly young people in the province, that remain unemployed.

That is the reason that we are incr easing our thrust and initiative, rather than pursuing a know nothing, do nothing, approach as the Leader of the Opposition proposed. I am pleased to review our record. Manitoba has continued to enjoy the second lowest rate of unemployment in the country, and in March it was the lowest. I think, as Manitobans, we ought to take some pride in the fact that in March we achieved the lowest rate of une mployment in this province which, I believe, is the first time in 20 years in Manitoba. Second ly, Mr.

Speaker, this means that there was a 3.7 percent employment growt h, or 17,000 jobs developed in Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, a rate, and I emphasize this so there need be no misunderstanding of honourable friends across the way, a rate which exceeds the Canadian average, and exceeds that of any other province in Western Canada. In addition, Mr. Speake r, we are leading the west in retail sales with an 8 percent increase - a record that surpassed the Canadian total increase for the third straight year. Also Manitobans are suffering fewer bankruptcies, unlike the other western provinces.

Last year there were 17.9 percent decrease In business bank ruptcies in Manitoba and that was the best record in Canada. Housing starts in Manitoba increased by more than three times the national average, the largest number in five years of housing starts.

Investment in Manitoba, honourable members like to discuss investment - again not my figures, the Honourable Member for Minnedosa can check these figures out, in fact, with his own bank, it might be rather interesting if he would confirm these figures with his own bank - he will find that investment in Manitoba increased by 10.5 percent in 1983, unlike that that occurred in the other western provinces. In 1984 investment is forcast to increase a futher 11.8 percent, the strongest growth forecast for any province in Canada; the highest increase investment percentage of any province in Canada forecast for 1984.

I don't know what is the matter with honourable members across the way because honourable members have di scussed many times the importance of mor e investment and we agree more investment is important. Then when I provide honourable members calculations, not based upon my own calculation or New Democratic Party Caucus research calculations, but based upon respectable monitoring bodies outside the Province of Manitoba, they turn just about as white as they did the other day when the Honourable Minister of Energy presented his statement to the House on energy sales to Northern States Power. Why is it, Mr. Speaker?

I ask you, Mr. Speaker, why is it that honoura ble members across the way, rather than take pride, rather than be positive, rather than be pleased, continue an attitude 171 of cynicism, of negativism? They are such a grumpy bunch across the way, Mr. Speak er, such a grump y bunch. I don't know why they don't get out the back seat of the car and get into the front seat of what's happening in the Province of Manitoba. Mr. Speaker , rather than listen to hono urable members say, well, investment, that's total public and private, that doesn't mean private.

I would point out to honourable members that private sector investment growth is predicted to be 7.9 percent greater than last year arid that will be the third highest of any province projected for 1984; 7.9 percent private investment. Surely that must make honourable mem bers pleased across the way. Mr. Speaker , I suspect that I could announce tonight that there'll be a 200 perce nt increase in private investment in the Provinc e of Manitoba this year according to Conference Board and StatsCan. There would be such a look of grief across the way and such mourning, Mr.

Speaker, that we would want to recess the House for a few minutes so we could collect our crying towels. Mr. Speaker, almost a year ago the Tories hauled out in this House . . . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. HON. H. PAWLEY: . . . their crystal ball which became somewhat cracked - and I kno w the Honourable Member for Turtle Mountain won't want to be reminded about this - but they blew the dust off that ball and made certain pronouncements on the Budget deficit that was going to occur. Mind you, I think leading the way was one Mr.

John McCallum, who is economic advisor to the Conservative Party not only of Manitoba but also of Canada, that apparently provided them some initiative for some of the forecasting that they made a year ago last year. The former Leader of the Opposition, not the present Leader of the Opposition, stated and I give him credit - he was too wise last year to get out an amendment and make a forecast - now listen to this from the former Leader of the Opposition - "I'll make a conservative estimate again, Mr.

Speaker, I think the deficit is going to be approximately $700 million before the year is out." This from the former Leader of the Opposition who now sits in the back row as the Member for Charleswood , a con servative estimate, it's going to be at least $700 million.

From the Honourable Member for Turtle Mountain - I'm going to read this slowly so honourable members can properly digest these words - "There is little confidence," said the Member for Turtle Mountain, "that indeed he will achieve that kind of revenue increase, and there is every expectation that the deficit will rise higher than the projection." Members have so little confidence in Manitoba, in the economy of Manitoba, in Manitobans and their ability to work together and to achieve economic success. But, Mr.

Speaker, like those other predictions, the opposition were wrong again and it must be indeed tiresome for members opposite to be making so many predictions and projections as they have done over the past while. I could be counting them one by one this evening, and each and every time be proved wrong. Mr. Speak er, it must be very much like Chicken Little - honourable mem bers know about Chicken Little,

lllond ay. 23 April, 1984 honourable members remind me of the Chicken Littles of this world • they always are raising cries of alarm without any substance to those cries. Chicken Little ran around saying the sky is falling, the sky is falling! Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives last year had no substance to their cries of a soaring Budget deficit for 1983-1985. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to reiterate that the current operating Budget for 1983-84 fiscal year will be approximately 20 percent, approximately $59.9 million lower than the Budget Estimate. In addition, Mr.

Speaker, the overall budgetary requirements for 1983-84 is 15 percent, or $87 million lower than was estimated, but total spending is down by $64 million or 2 percent. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the revenue for the same period is up by 1 percent, some $23 million. I think also, Mr. Speaker, that honourable members must note the pleasure on the part of Manitobans . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. HON. H. PAWLEY: . . . that we're enjoying a current population growth, a growth that exceeds the population increase during the past 20 years. I heard an honourable member this afternoon, the Honourable Member for St.

Norbert, talk about a one-quarter figure that. he had for one quarter of last year, and proclaimed well, people are going to where the jobs are. He said he really wasn't really much concerned about interprovincial migration, covered his tracks well because he remembered very well what happened in the period 1977-1981, so he was going to cover him self. But, Mr.

Speaker, the facts are indeed that there has been record increase in population, and despite that record increase in population in the Province of Manitoba, we have been able to achieve the lowest rate of unemployment that I mentioned a few moments ago and we've been able to increase employment in the province.

In fact, as the Honourable Minister of Rnance pointed out to honourable members the other night that Manitoba's annual population growth has exceeded the Canadian total which is the first time that this has occurred in Manitoba, Honourable Member for Minnedosa, since the year 1919, the year of the Great Strike in the Province of Manitoba. Mr. Speaker , Manitobans are coming home. They are coming home to Manitoba after years of exile imposed upon ttlem because of years of economic mismanagement under the previous Conservative administration in this province.

Clearly, if we are to look at these calculations in an objective fashion, any objective observer would have to concur that indeed the achievements that have been arrived at are genuine achievements. But instead, Mr. Speaker, what we've had from honourable members across the way is their reaction in the House and the distribution of a pamphlet - I gather not only to their constituents but to Manitobans - I just happen to have the one that has been distributed by the Honourable Member for River Heights.

On the back we see the Leader of the Opposition's smiling face, accompanied by the Member for River Heights, and I gather this is being distributed widely throughout the Province of Manitoba because I believe that I saw one the other day being distributed in the constituency of Em erson. 172 Mr. Speaker, well, I am going to talk about truth. Let me say to the Leader of the Opposition, I am going to be talking about truth. I am going to be talking about the half-truths, the lack of truth in this document that he distributed in the Province of Manitoba. Mr.

Speaker, the kind of misstatements and half-truths in this statement unfortunately are not too distant from some of the stat.,rnents that were made during the honourable member's leadership campaign. So, Mr. Speaker, we have a simplistic publication, one that is geared deliberately and In a calculated fashion, to distort the economic indicators in the Province of Manitoba, that is set out to misinform Manitobans. Well, if this is an example of what is going to come next, I hope the sooner they get it out the better because Manitobans are not stupid. Manitobans are well-i nformed.

If this is the kind of literature honourable members are going to distribute in the Province of Manitoba, I hope they send one out every month, Mr. Speaker. Every month. Maybe we can even raise some funding to help them. Mr. Speaker, what we have indeed seen is the lengths that honourable members will proceed to. I would like to turn to Page 2 of the document which reads "New capital." lt refers to economic n.:smanagement. They have the audacity to talk about t>conomic mismanagement after their four years In government. No.

I item is "New capital investment in manufacturing is down 44 .5 percent from 170 .7 million in 1982 to 94.8 million in 1983. " That's point 1 that they have raised, Mr. Spea l<er, under the heading "Economic mismanagement ." What they fail to point out, Mr. Speaker, is that all provinces in Canada, except for Saskatchewan, experienced a decline in manufacturing investment in 1983.

Perhaps if they had pointed that out, it would have been embarrassing for them because it would embarrass their friends to note that in this propaganda that their friends in B.C. and Alberta suffered even more drastic declines than existed in Manitoba. In addition, Mr. Speaker , the forecasts coming from Statistics Canada for manufacturing investment indicate that Manitoba experienced the best performance in the west .. . A MEMBER: lt is a forecast, Howard. HON. H.

PAWLEY: . . . forecast the best performance in 1984 which is unlike the expected decline nationally throughout Canada as a whole and the decline that is forecast to be experienced in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Point 5 - "Private investment has dropped 10. 9 percent since 1981 when compared to 1983." Just ignore the fa-::t there has been a recession and a decline in private investment throughollt Canada. Once again,. Mr. Speaker, no effort to make any comparison. Mr. Speaker, we compare. We did not hesitate to compare the performance of Manitoba in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 with other provinces, Mr.

Speaker, in our literature. The Honourable Minister of Employment did it over and over and over again. Why? Yes, because Manitoba was showing No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, No. 10 position by way of econonic indicators. Honourable members are afraid, in their literature, to compare the status of Manitoba

Monday, 23 April, 1984 with other provinces in this country because they know where we would stand in relationship to other provinces. This decline must be compared, as I indicated, with a national decline in private investment throughout Canada as a whole and with the other western provinces. Private investment in Alberta, for example, sunk 28 percent in 1983 when compared to the 1981 performance, and in British Columbia private investment dropped by 35 percent.

What else do the doomsayers across the way have to say about Manitoba and about Manitobans in their literature because they are talking about Manitobans when they talk about economic performance? They are downgrading the effort and work and achievements of Manitobans of this province. They are reflecting on decent men and women in this province that have come through difficult times. They tell Manitobans that Manitoba ranked third lowest of all provinces for a percentage change in . . . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. HON. H. PAWLEY: ...

Manitoba ranked third lowest of all the provinces per percentage change in department store sales as of December, 1983. You know, Mr. Speaker, they don't use the term "retail sales." That wouldn't assist them. That would not assist them in being able to portray factual information to Manitobans so they choose department sales. Somebody is pretty tricky, I think, across the way. I am just not sure who it is, or maybe it is not somebody in the House. Maybe it is somebody advising honourable members across the way because the fact is, Mr.

Speaker, that they so politely left out of their statistics the fact that department store sales account for only 15 percent of the total sales in the Province of Manitoba. Why would honourable members only talk about department store sales when it represents only 15 percent of the total retail sales? 1 hear the Leader of the Opposition's reponse. Something about gloves and something about Saturday night, Mr.

Speaker, but his response isn't as it should be, that Manitobans are not being told about a retail sales performance not only that surpassed the national average, the national increase, for the third straight year, but a performance that was the best in Western Canada. I wonder why honourable members didn't proudly tell Manitobans that Manitoba retail sales- 100 percent of sales, not 15 percent of sales- exceeded the Canada average and exceeded the average of each and every one of the western provinces. Why would they not proudly have told Manitobans?

What sort of tricky nonsense is going on in this publication being distributed to Manitobans? What sort of untruth, what sort of half-truth, what sort of misrepresentation, what sort of con job is being fed to Manitobans courtesy of the Conservative caucus in Manitoba? Finally, Mr. Speaker, let me assure the honourable member across the way that I am delighted because if the honourable member wants to carry on with these con jobs and these quick tricks and these easy-fix jobs, there will be no problem as to who is going to win the next election in the Province of Manitoba.

The present government will win the election. 173 Now also, Mr. Speaker, Item No. 7 - "Industrial building permits were down 26.2 percent for 1983 over 1982." Well, Mr. Speaker, members did not feel it was wise of them to point out to Manitobans - and I don't know why, because again I think they could have taken some pride in this fact as Manitobans - that Manitoba the highest increase in value, in total value of building permits in Canada at 62.5 percent. The Canadian increase was 13.9 percent for 1983.

I could continue to point out the distortions and the discrepancies that form the substance of this report from the Legislature. One obvious one that honourable members - I'm surprised it - I'm not surprised it got past the printers; I could have been charitable and suggest that it was just a printing error. But they have here the deficit marked in red as being a New Democratic Party deficit for the year 1981 to 1982, but didn't they wrap up the largest Special Warrant in the history of the Province of Manitoba in that fiscal year'81- 82?

Was it not the Conservative Party that was responsible for the deficit in'81- 82? And yet they tell Manitobans by way of their report from the Legislature that that's an NDP deficit in the Province of Manitoba. I think, Mr. Leader of the Opposition and members of the opposition, that this kind of misinformation is a disservice to Manitobans. This kind of misinformation is an insult to the intelligence of Manitobans. lt is a deliberate and calculated attempt by honourable members across the way to flame and to fan the fears about the economy of the Province of Manitoba amongst Manitobans.

I think that its behaviour , in fact, that will be rejected by all objective, observing Manitobans. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it is not the kind of behaviour that is going to win respect. The word "respect" is rather important because in 1981 the Leader of the Opposition, in presenting his speech from the Throne made a comment, "I feel very much like Rodney Dangerfield." I was surprised when I went back reading the honourable member's speech. Well, of course, as honourable members know, the prize line of Rodney Dangerfield is, "I can't gain any respect." Well, Mr.

Speaker, how could honourable members across the way expect to get any kind of respect with the distribution of so much misinformation and untruth, misleading comments throughout the length and breadth of the Province of Manitoba? I believe that Manitobans deserve credit. In fact I notice that the Leader of the Opposition, unlike his Throne Speech in 1981 , didn't refer to his feeling very much like Rodney Dangerfield but I think he should have felt more like Rodney Dangerfield after the distribution of that kind of material than he did back in 1981 . Mr.

Speaker, Manitobans deserve credit, credit for their hard work, credit for their co-operative effort, spirit. They are being prepared to face the challenge of the recession, being prepared to face that challenge, being prepared to face the challenge to turn the economy around. Without that kind of commitment to work together, the government's economic plans would not have worked, would not have achieved. So I want the Leader of the Opposition, if he would just for a moment listen to my comments, just calm down a little, to note that this government unlike the previous govenment, doesn't take credit only for what

Monday, 23 April, 1884 is taking place in the Province of Manitoba. The credit must go to Manitobans, must go to the businesses of this province, working men and women of this province, to the farmers, to the miners, must go to the communities of this province. I know there will always be those people whose own achievements are so small that they must, in their own minds, sling mud in order to build up their own stature. The Conservatives in this House as opposition have built up the cult of complaint to a fine art. Of course, Mr.

Speaker, it's incumbent upon us, I think, to have sympathy for those across the way, to demonstrate some compassion and understanding for honourable members across the way because they've lived with bad news for so long that obviously they just can't come to grips with good news when good news begins to occur. Mr. Speaker, throughout the past two-and-a-half years Manitoba has accomplished a great deal.

The Economic Regional Development Agreements, the Capitol Projects, the Jobs Fund, the Interest Rate Relief Program - the Manitoba economy has begun to turn around and I think we are now on the road to economic recovery. But we still have many miles to travel and we acknowledge and we recognize that there are many miles to travel in the Province of Manitoba. Our job has just begun. We've just started to take those first few steps towards proper and full recovery in the province.

I think that Manitobans will not be satisfied with this government or any other government, until that task, until that trip has indeed been travelled.

That is precisely why the Throne Speech that was read to honourable members across the way - and I note their enthusiasm and pleasure on hearing that Throne Speech, I've been pleased to hear their repeated references to just how great they felt within from the contents of that Throne Speech - but that Throne Speech looks forward to the future. lt provides a road map, a road map that we need so we can travel those extra miles as Manitobans with determination, with courage and with commitment. lt lays out my government 's plans of a strategy for long-term economic development to build a vibrant and a strong economy today so that we can enjoy a stronger economy in the future of Manitoba.

During the past year my government's immediate priority was to ensure that the effects of prolonged unemployment were addressed and to this end we introduced the Jobs Fund, a plan to ensure that pay cheques were placed in the pockets of Manitobans. With the co-operation of Federal and Municipal Governments, the small business community, the labour community, community organizations, men and women in the Province of Manitoba join together to ensure that this effort would work and achievement would be accomplished. The Jobs Fund not only accomplished jobs, but more important, Mr.

Speaker , it achieved the creation of long-term, long-lasting assets that built the inventory of wealth in Manitoba. For some Manitobans - not for all and we've acknowledged this, we've always indicated this - but for some it did indeed provide permanent employment. Wh ile I was at the University of Manitoba at the site of the new Field House, I had the opportunity to speak to a steelworker recently. He had been unemployed for more than a year and because of the Jobs Fund he 174 was now working again.

I had the opportunity in the constituency of the Member for Portage la Prairie to speak to, yes, to people that were employed under what was titled short-term projects to, in fact, find that their short-term employment had become permanent employment in which employers ensured that that individual, that employee continued working on a permanent basis. Mr. Speaker, that meant for those individuals and for hundreds of other individuals the end of humiliation, frustration, despair , to be able to enjoy the dignity of labour, to be able to contribute in a way that in fact every human being wants to contribute.

The single most important aspect of the Jobs Fund is the creation and preservation of jobs for Manitobans. Now that the Manitoba economy is turning around, my government's efforts are going to be now directed toward a second stage of economic strategy, and that is to provide long-term job opportunities, long-lasting benefits for our communities. The Manitoba Jobs Fund, with its expanded mandate, is going to lead Manitoba on into the next stage of that recovery. Throughout the past two years we've laid the groundwork for long-term investment in the Manitoba economy .

One of the ways we have done this is through the economic regional development agreements.

Unlike honourable members across the way - and I .nust say I was somewhat surprised, but not overly, by the reaction of the honourable members to federal-provincial agreements - when we were elected in November'81 there was a joke that we heard around this building and down in Ottawa that phone calls would go unanswered, that the state of relationship between the Federal and Provincial Governments had deteriorated to such a low level that Ministers weren't talking to Ministers, that discussions were not under way, that the whole field of federal-provincial co-operation had declined to an irreparable state in he Province of Manitoba.

Mr. Speaker , I heard the cynicism the other day that, oh well, just because Lloyd Axworthy wants to be re elected. Isn't that a great way, Mr. Speak er, for honourable members even now to be trying to establish a closer federal-provincial relationship, to be able to - why not, Mr. Speaker, give credit where credit Is due? This is a government that is prepared to give credit where credit is due. Wh ether it be a Conservative or a New Democratic or a Liberal Government in Ottawa, we will give credit to that government if that government works in a co-operative relationship with the Province of Manitoba.

We're not so small or so petty that we will not share the opportunity to work with the Federal Government for the benefit of Manitobans as well as for the benefit of Canadians. Our approach, therefore, has been significantly different. I'm proud of the fact that our approach has been different than that of honourable members across· the way, th1t they allowed their partisan differences, their ideology, their dogma, their rigidity to intrude upon the opportunity to ensure a productive and co-operative relationship with the Federal Government.

By contrast, I think our government has been able to demonstrate that co-operative federalism, despite what the Prime Minister of Canada said two years ago, can and still does work in Canada and it can work to the benefit of Manitobans. We have, during the past

Monday. 23 Aprif, 1184 few months, succeeded in negotiating agreements and, yes, we've been amongst the first if not the first province to sign a large number of agreements in key economic sectors. In the next few months, we will continue to concentrate our efforts on developing those industries that are a source of present and future economic strength and culture in Manitoba.

Forestry, which for too long my Minister of Resources advises me, has been neglected in Manitoba; new technologies that we're very much involved in to ensure that Manitoba can indeed become a centre of a new technology, can be in the forefront of new technological development; mining exploration and development; housing, an industry that can now build affordable homes for a population even during a period of more importance, a period of population growth and our tremendous energy potential.

The most recent example of our efforts, in fact, was the signing of the agreement on the Port of Churchill and on transportation development. What does this mean for Manitobans? lt means jobs, it means developing the economic base of Manitoba. These industries are the foundation of our province. We are developing them by working with Manitobans, working with farmers, business working men and women and labour, to determine the needs of our communities and ensure jobs for ourselves and for our children. But, Mr.

Speaker, I want to make it clear and perhaps pass on a few lessons to the members opposite, that they co-operate with the Federal Government to the benefit of Manitobans does not mean that we endorse Liberal Party Government policies. The Liberal Government In Ottawa deserves criticism and we're prepared to provide that criticism to the Liberal Government in Ottawa, particularly for its cavalier attitude towards the unemployed, for its approach to the Crow rate and the impact that it had upon the incomes of Western farmers and for its failure to come to grips with The Tax Act.

And I don't know how many honourable members read this but I was shocked indeed that this could not be No. 1 issue in Canada today - on the front page of the Globe and Mail Saturday, that there are such tax loopholes that exist at the present time that 239 people with incomes of more than $250,000 get away without paying a penny of tax. Mr. Speaker, our view, of course, is that The Tax Act should be changed and should be changed so that taxation is fair and equitable insofar as all Canadians are concerned. Mr.

Speaker, my government along with Manitoba farm organizations have called upon the Federal Government to introduce immediate changes to the Western Grain Stabilization Program so that a program is more sensitive to producers' cash needs. I think it's sad and it's ironic that grain producers who are faced with a most difficult situation, of a situation that does not benefit the farmers of Western Canada, is not helping the farmers of Western Canada when they need help the most.

What is so ironic, is that these producers have been paying into this plan, but they don't have money - many of these same producers - to put a crop in this spring. There's almost $900 million in the Western Grain Stabilization Program. But, Mr. Speaker, not one penny has been paid out of this plan to the producers. I just have questions for the Federal Government, where is this money? What is it for, if not to help grain 17$ producers when they need that help most in Western Canada?

In 1982, when my government introduced the Capital Projects Proposals which was commonly known as the "wish" list in this House, the members opposite hooted - oh, they had a great time, they chortled, shrieked and jeered - and one of the honourable members said, well, they have a wish list, a fantasyland concept and that was the Honourable Member for St. Norbert. I want to read that again so it's clear on record. "Well, they have a wish list, a fantasyland concert," the Honourable Member for St.

Norbert referred to it as; and the Member for Arthur shouted from his seat, "it's time for a new book, "Schroeder in Wonderland." lt gives me great pleasure, Mr. Speaker, to tell the honourable members across the way that this was just one more misguided misrepresentation and projection by honourable members, because I have the pleasure of telling Manitobans that to date fully half of these wish list projects are under way in Manitoba. Mr.

Speaker, there's been a comment made on this side that goes back to the early part of my comment, a statement made by the Leader of the Opposition when he introduced his remarks, they would not have presented a list of projects to Ottawa. They would not have asked for joint funding with Ottawa. No, they would have turned their backs, they would have done nothing because that's their philosophy , a do-nothing philosophy. The difference between the opposition and this government is that we believe that ideas and visions can become reality. We don't believe that a vision or an idea is a fantasy or a wonderland.

We believe that visions and ideas can become real, can become goals, can become facts, can become concrete and as a result we can have improvement of the human condition. Through joint federal-provincial funding, Mr. Speaker, these projects are now under way. They are creating jobs for Manitobans. They are providing long-term benefits for communities in our province.

Some of these projects are - and I would like to read those projects to honourable members - these are the wonderland projects, the fantasyland projects : Red River Community College, Auto Diesel Shop expansion of $5.6 million; the Manitoba Fire College at Brar.don, $1.8 million. The honourable member says, all scheduled, they scheduled them for years and years but they never got around to doing anything about them. That was the problem, they sat on them, they did nothing. A MEMBER: A bunch of phonies. HON. H.

PAWLEY: Selkirk Mental Health renovations, $1.7 million; Southern Sewer and Water, 1.5 million; acceleration of the University of Winnipeg Field House, 7.1 million - if I remember correctly, that was frozen by honourable members across the way in 1977 and remained frozen, the Field House at the University of Winnipeg, and I believe it remained frozen during the entire four-years-plus of their administration. If I recall correctly, they set up a task force or a committee to look into it and then I believe they had a task force look into the task force.

They couldn't make up their minds as to whether to proceed or not on that Field House.

Monday, 23 April, 1884 A MEMBER: Tweedle-dum and tweedle-dummers. HON. H. PAWLEY: The National Research Council Institute for manufacturing of science and production, that was on our wish list that we submitted to the Federal Government, the Minister of Finance to Mr. LaLonde, a year-plus ago; and isn't the National Research Council building now under construction? Some fantasyland. Of course, honourable members wouldn't have gone for that because after all, it might help Mr. Axworthy out, Winnipeg Fort Garry. it might hurt the present Member for Fort Garry's opportunity to defeat Mr.

Axworthy in the upcoming election and that wouldn't be good for Manitoba, so forget the National Research Council building - that would have been the attitude of honourable members across the way - partisan, jurisd ictional differences ahead of the welfare of Manitobans. If I have ever seen such an expedient, opportunistic lot, it is the honourable members across the way. South Winnipeg Vocational Sc hool - oh, but Axworthy's hand is in that. We shouldn't have anything to do with that because Axworthy - bad, bad - we should have just turned our backs on that.

That's Liberal money; we don't want any Liberal money; Liberal money is not good for Manitoba. That would have been the reaction of Conservatives across the way. The Brandon University Music Facility, long-sought - (Interje ction) - honourable members across the way laugh, but what did they do from 1977 to 1981? They laughed and they did nothing. They laughed at the music students. Mr. Speaker, I'm not exaggerating here because I think you can remember when students from the musi c build ing came in from Brando n University - I think it was 1980 and '8 1 - and demonstrated in front of the Legislature.

And what did honourable members do? Nothing. And I suppose they laughed in their offices. Churchill hydro line, $35.6 million. Of course, we know where honourable members stand about the future of ChurchilL I don't expect them to support this because they will feel that a $35 million hydro transmission to Churchill is a waste of public funds. They would do nothing rather than expend such money on a hydro transmi ssion line to Churchill. They would follow the path of the Honourable Member for Lisgar.

By the way, I'm sure he'll be renominated with the splendid unity that presently exists in the Conservative Party in the Province of Manitoba. New Administ rative Studies Building, Transportation; Research Institute at the University of Manitoba, $1 1. 6 million. A pretty significant sum of money. I don't think that should be scoffed at or laughed at. Forestry initiatives, $27 million - that was included in that fantasyland wish list that honourable members made reference to. Throughout the - (Interjection) - it's interesting, Mr.

Speaker, I've noticed in the last little while that all honourable members are really interested in, is election, election whenever it comes; they're not interested in the welfare of Manitobans; they're not interested in jobs; they can't talk about economic development; they can't talk about the federal-provincial co-operation; they have nothing to offer but straight political expediency 176 and opportunism, that's all that exists across the way.

You know, I must even say this, that the members across the way don't even uphold the traditional Conservative values that a lot of people respect in Manitoba and in Canada. I don't believe that they uphold any values, except the value of trying to gain power at any price. They have long since given up the fine principles of MacDonald and Cartier and all the others. They have no base that exists insofar as this particular group across the way to their philosophic aspirations in the Province of Manitoba.

Throughout the past year my government has worked together with farmers to develop programs that have aided agriculture in our province. The Interest Rate Relief Program that has benefited some 1,4 00 farmers; that, again, was a program that honourable members laughed about and jeered, but, Mr. Speaker, there are 1, 400 Manitoba farmers that were aided under that program that are still carrying on agriculture in the Province of Manitoba partly , at least, due to the assistance under that program.

If honourable members were still in government, would those 1, 400 farmers be still operating their family farms in the Province of Manitoba? Their farms would likely have been swallowed up by the banks and the lending institutions because they believe in doing nothing as a government. In addition, Mr. Speaker, we have the $40 million invested in the beef and the hog stabilization program that has provided support for Manitoba's farmers and meat packing industr y. And, Mr.

Speaker, this program is going to provide growth and potential, financial strength of our livestock producers, viability to the beef and hog stabilization industry in the province. And I remember when the Beef Stabilization Program was introduced; you know, this is just one more. The Honourable Member for Glad stone, I think she is a very honourable lady of integrity, I really do, and 1 am just going to look straight toward the Honourable Member for Gladstone because I believe she is an honourable and decent lady.

I think maybe she does reflect some of those finer Conservative traditions that the others have abandoned across the way because I am sure she can recall one more example of doom and gloom. When the Honourable Minister of Agricultun introd uced the Beef Stabilization Program what an upcry from honourable members across the way.

I can still hear their words ringing in my ears, that this was going to be a flop, a failure as a program; that farmers would not sign up - I don't know what the percentage was - that only a minority of farmers would sign up; that farmers would turn their backs on this program; that they would react with hostility towards the program. Mr. Speaker, the Beef Stabilization Program has been a success, the beef program has helped the packing house industry in this province; the Beef Stabilization Program has helped the farmers in this province, it's uplifted the livestock industry in this province, Mr.

Speaker; it's a program that should have been brought in years ago while they were in government, but tht./ did nothing. I think it's a visible example of the benefits that can be developed from a working relationship, a co operative relationship amongst ail participants in the industry; and again I war.t to make it very clear to honourable members, this is not a government that claims that it was wholly responsible for the success

MondQ. 23 April, 1884 of this program, the farmers of Manitoba made this a success; the co-operative spirit of Manitobans made this program a success. Agriculture is a cornerstone of our economy, now, for the future. We will continue work with Manitoba farmers to ensure tha t agriculture grows and is strengthened. lt cannot be denied, Mr. Speaker, that my government's commitment to long-term economic develop ment for Manitoba and it's future has, and will continue to have, real and material results. And, perhaps, Mr.

Speaker, one of the most momentuous examples of what I'm saying is a recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to export annually 500 megawatts, or 500,000 kilowatts of firm power to the Northern States Power Company of Minn eapolis, Minnesota. For a 12-year period the sale is expected to generate $3.2 billion of revenue for Manitoba. And what this means for Manitobans - and let there be no mistake about this, Mr. Speaker - this means for Manit obans, jobs, jobs in the future.

Surely on something as significant and as important as this to Manitoba and to Manitobans honourable members will surely give this government support. Surely this opposition, for once, will once cease its passion for spreading doom and gloom and express some confidence in the future of this province and the potential growth of this province, and the ability of Manitobans to develop their energy potential in this province, or are we to see more negativism, more cynicism from honourable members across the way?

Or, more likely, would we see a conformation of their do-nothing attitude that they would cancel out an agreement of this natur e and its benefits for Manitobans? - (Interjection) - 1. heard a comment, and I just want to make a comment very very quickly because it should not go unanswered because I've heard this repeated ly in this House, and it reflects on the President of Alcan.

What it is indicating is that the Honourable Member for Turtle Mountain does not believe, does not trust the President of Alcan because the President of Alcan repeatedly has said, by way of written communication, by way of verbal communication, that for anyone to suggest that \tley're not proceed ing in Manitoba was political, is wrong, wrong, wrong, but is due to world market conditions.

I find it regrett able and un fortunate that the Member for Turtle Mountain wants to continue to reflect upon the integrity and honesty of the President of Alcan of Canada; being one that claims to be a friend of Alcan it's a strange way - in fact, with friends like that, who needs enemies I would ask. More than 17, 000 person years of emplo yment will be generated by this project; 6,000 person years of employment will be directly related to the construction of the Li mestone Dam. An additional 11,000 person years of employment will be generated indi rectly.

I want to take this opportunity in this Chamber, not !iecause the Minister requires me to say this, but I want honourable members to hear that I think the Honourable Minister responsi ble for Energy, despite the repeated cries in the last two years for him to resign - resign, re sign, res ign - re quir es congratulations from honourable members for that which he has achieved on behalf of this government, on behalf of Manitobans in general. 177 A MEMBER: Give us the details. MR. SPEAKER: Order please. HON. H. PAWLEY: The honourable member says give us the details.

He will have the details in spades and I expect he'll be choking on those details when he receives them. He'll make them up as badly as he did the Budget and I hope he's a little bit more accurate than he was on the Budget projections in 1983. Investing today ·for tomorro w's future, Mr . Speak er, is the founda tion of my government's economic stategy. During this Session . . . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. HON. H. PAWLEY: . . . the members of the Assembly will be asked to approve a number of measures, measures that are designed to strengthen the product ive capacity of Manitoba. But these . MR.

SPEAKER: Order please, order please. The Honourable First Min ister. HON. H. PAWLEY: Before I proceed, I can't help but reflect. There seems to be a tremendous tenderness across the way, a sensitivity. I wonder why there is such sensitivity. In fact, when the Throne Speech was read in this Chamber I remember the Honourable Member for Pembina shouting from his seat, Mr. Speaker, you must have heard him say, where's the meat? Well, as the Honourable Minister of Energy pointed out the other day .. .. A MEMBER: He said, "Where's the beef?" HON. H.

PAWLEY: Well, beef, meat - but the fact is that they got such a huge chunk of beef from the Honou rable Mi nis ter of Energy that they've been choking on that ever since. I notice some of the honourable members are suffering from some gas pains as a result. But these measures, Mr. Speaker, are also designed to help young Manitobans enter the job market and those already in our workpla ce to take full advantage of the potential that is Manitoba.

The measures outlined in our Throne Speech will be aimed at two main source!' of growth, the traditional source of economic strength in Manitoba, agriculture, mining, forestry, transportation, manufacturing, the service sector, small businesses and energy. The other major source of growth, Mr. Speaker, is a rapid and dramatic expansion of new opportunities in technology in both the domestic and international trade. In the coming year, Mr.

Speaker, several major economic initiatives supporting economic renewal in Manitoba will be undertaken by the Depart ment of Industry, Trade and Technology with help from the Manitoba Jobs Fund. These initiatives will include the New Manitoba Investment Program to be undertaken by the Minister respon sible for Industry, Trade and Technology to assist major companies already established in Manitoba to expand their activities here. This investment program will also encourage new enterprises to locate in Manitoba.

Monday , 23 April, 1984 Mr. Speaker, my government will also be embarking upon two new trade promotion programs that will first concentrate on improving export from selected sectors within the Manitoba economy and then will concentrate on improving export trade for specific firms and a number of other sectors that have a high export potential. Another step in my government's long-term economic strategy will be to develop long-term investments in our future. Mr. Speaker, it is a new developed technology policy that will meet the economic and social needs of Manitobans during the next decade.

Specific programs will be designed to improve technology, transfer to assist in the development of new technology-oriented businesses, to increase understanding in all sectors and all benefits of this new technology, and of the importance of ensuring that these benefits from this new technology in Manitoba are shared fairly and equitably amongst all Manitobans. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that with this initiative as with others, my government will continue its commitment to ongoing consultation, business, labour to ensure effective program design implementation.

In addition, my government will be introducing a new Information Technology Program to stimulate markets for new technological advances affecting industry , education and the public sector. Part of these new initiatives in the field of technology, Mr. Speaker, will be introduced through the Department of Education, Canada's first Industry Governmental Educatio n Technology Centre will be established in Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, in many ways, small business, not only the heart of Manitoba's economy but they've continued to demonstrate throughout this recession their strength and vitality.

The small business community and its importance to Manitoba's economy has been recognized by my government through a number of measures designed to assist small business people to expand their activity area. The Manitoba Jobs Fund, in its first year, provided a great deal of support to small businesses and this year, Mr. Speaker, the small business community has been targeted for priority under the Jobs Fund Program. Mr. Speaker, we trust that honourable members will again get off the sidelines and provide support to this important undertaking. My government will also be taking steps, Mr.

Speaker, to place greater emphasis on assisting small business operators to improve their management skills. A well trained, skilled work force is not only critical to realizing Manitobas economic potential but crucial for the well being of Manitobans. In order for Manitoba to keep pace with the rapid change in technology, to be able to maintain and improve our position in national and international markets, my government is developing a provincial training strategy to improve the co-ordination of provincial activities in this vital area.

The provincial training strategy will seek to increase the flexibilit y, the responsiveness of our training institutions and be able to link institutions and job related training initiatives more closely. In addition, this strategy will be relevant to those who need it, whether they are entering the work force for the first time, re-entering the work force, or need their skills upgraded within the work force itself.

To 178 keep pace with the new technologies today can be a difficult task, but it is essential that Manitobans are in the forefront of that knowledge so their skills and their talents can be used to the fullest. Community colleges, new adult education programs will be used to provide major new thrusts in post-secondary training, to launch an attack in adult illiteracy, to improve basic adult education, to expand and provide innovative approaches to English as a second language program.

Significant increases in opportunities for part-time study and training will also be introduced in order to address the needs of Manitobans who live increasingly diverse lives. Manitoba's young people are one of our greatest resources and to ensure that they have every opportunity to be active participants in our social and economic life my government will be exploring, with youth organizations and agencies, a range of new options to build on existing governmental youth programs. In addition, Mr.

Speaker, my government is intensifying its efforts to increase job opportunities for Manitoba's young people and to facilitate their transition from an educational setting to the workplace itself. In addition, my government's commitment to long-term economic development takes on many components. One of these components is identifying, assessing new areas for joint federal-provincial action agreements. Some of these areas that are currently under review include science, technology, water development, service industries. Mr.

Speaker, my government is committed to finding ways to put Manitoba to work through long term economic development without losing sight of the greatest resource in Manitoba, and that is people. We've seized that initiative; we've undertaken that challenge; we've not backed away from that challenge, understanding that solid long-term economic growth is a base for public services, services that can enrich and enhance the human condition. Mr.

Speaker, my government is wholehe artedly committed to the preservation and the improvement of Manitoba's existing public services - health care, education, community services and so many others. Health care is cherished by Manitobans, essential to their well-being. And I take pride in knowing, Mr. Speaker, that Manitoba offers amongst the best quality health care in Canada, without resorting to premiums, without resorting to inequitable user fees.

But, in order to ensure that the long-range health care needs of Manitobans are met, my government will be embarking upon programs that emphasize prevention of lifestyle related disease and illness. Our children, our children's children, their families, deserve the best that we're able to offer in the area of social services.

To this end my government took steps to ensure that a full spectrum of services are offered, and will continue to ensure that those services are strengthened and improved in the upcoming year. · For too long women have borne the brunt of a society where their economic and social status has not been equal to men. My government not only recognized this fact but it is fully committed to using policy instruments, influence available to it, to work towards genuine economic equality and social justice for women in Manitoba.

We have already taken significant steps in the area of wife abuse, exploitation of children through

pornography. My government is committed to working towards a more just society for all Manitobans where each person will have the opportunity to aspire to a better life, a better life for the family and neighbours, have an opportunity to obtain that. lt is with this sense of justice, with the sight of the future, Mr. Speaker, that my government will continue to work also with the Native organizations in Manitoba, to advance proposals for recogn ition, for protection of Native rights in the Canadian Constitution, and to ensure economic justice for Native Canadians. Mr.

Speaker, Manitoba's future holds many wonders, much potential and great opportunity, and when we allow ourselves to glimpse into the future and see what lies ahead for Manitobans I think, Mr. Speaker, that our confidence ought not to dim ini sh, but our confidence should grow.

And I think, as we glimpse into the future, we cannot but enjoy pride as Manitobans by the nature of our province, the diversified structure of our province, the economic base from which we have to build upon, the strength that we have to build upon in the Province of Manitoba, the work that is there for us to do in order to achieve a better province. We know, Mr.

Speaker, as Manitobans what joy there Is when people everywhere, whether it be the worker in the plant, or in the office, the miner in the mine, whether it be the Native in Northern Manitoba, those barely eking out an existence in the core of the City of Winnipeg, whether it be the new immigrant, what joy there is if we can give a fuller or more meaningful opportunity to all those that have not yet reached their potential in contributing to their commun ity. Mr.

Speaker, we know what joy there can be when we can eliminate the ravages of unemployment, where our children can learn, when they can grow in a world where peace and economic security is taken for granted, rather than simply hoped for. lt is toward these ends, Mr. Speaker, that my government is committed to working, to developing long-term economic investment in Manitoba. We're committed to find ways to put Manitoba to work without losing sight of that important goal of achieving an Improved quality of life, improved human conditions for every man, woman and child in this province.

This government has seized that challenge, Mr. Speaker, because we've un derstood that solid and concrete economic growth is a base for public services that enrich and can enhance our lives. Equally we know that public services build economic growth, and that unfortunately is something that often Is not understood by some of the honourable members across the way, but they go hand in hand, economic growth and the provision of human services. The future Is unfolding for us. Manitoba is a province which has rich potential and opportunity.

We have the opportunity to develop a healthy economy, one that will provide us with resources, resources that we can move closer and closer to the point that we all seek to achieve, the point at which every man, woman and child will be able to realize the maximum of their potential and their ability to contribute to the improvement and betterment of the community as a whole. Manitobans want simply to be able to express their wants and their needs; they want to be happy, healthy, live decent lives. In conclusion, Mr.

Speaker, I would like to read a few words that a former Premier of this province read 179 to the House back in earlier years. I think it's a quotation that honourable members might want to consider, take to heart, a quotation from Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and honourable members will remember former Premier Schreyer reading this quote to honourable members - some of you were here when he read this quote. I think this quote very well exemplifies, certainly the spirit, the intent, the design of this government in every action, every program that it undertakes.

"The test of our progress is not whether we add to the abunda nce of those who have much, but on whether we provide for those who have little." I would like honourable members across the way to concentrate a little and think a little in their deliberations about the sentiments of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as were read in this Chamber by former Premier Sch reyer, the goals, the intent which is reflected in the actions of this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: Order please, order please� The Honourable Member for Portage la Prairie. MR. L. HYDE: Thank you, Mr.

Speaker, I'm sure the Premier of our province feels very embarrassed about this time after getting the standing ovation he just received from his own caucus. I'm sorry, Mr. Premier, that the galleries were not full this evening to hear this grand speech of yours. Why, Mr.

Speaker, after hearing what the Premier has just said during his speech, it seems that what has been said by the Premier, it must have pinched a nerve or something in the man's system because, my goodness, he just went rattling off, he gets carried away when he hears a bit of the truth being spoken by members on this side of the House about the contents of the Throne Speech that we just heard 6 or 7 days ago. I'm sure, Mr. Speaker, that when the truth is spoken it really does affect our Premier's position. 1t shows up the weakness, Mr.

Speaker, as a leader, it really does show up the weakness of our Premier as a leader. If he is so sure of his position today and with his government, why does he not call an election? If he's so sure of the position of his party with the people of Manitoba, why doesn't he call an election? Let the people speak. Mr. Speaker, he read off this evening, I guess it amounts to millions of dollars of expenditure that he and his government has spent in the last two years of his reign to our government. Really and truly if he'd only stop and listen and look to see that he has spent - what is it $500 million?

You've got a deficit in the province today for $500 million, thereabouts. Mr. Speaker, before I continue I would like to make mention of the fact that it's nice to have the Member for Ellice in our Chamber here tonight. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that might very well be the first . • . MR. SPEAKER: Order please, order please. The Honourable First Minister. HON. H. PAWLEY: This is certainly contrary to the Rules of this Cham ber. The honourable member must fully realize that it is contrary to the Rules of this Chamber to reflect upon attendance or non-attendance of members in this Chamber.

Monday, 23 April, 1984 MR. H. ENNS: Mr. Speaker, on th e same point of order. MR . SPEAKER: Order please. The Honourable Member for Lakeside. MR. H. ENNS: On the same point of order, Mr. Speaker, it is contrary to our Rules to com ment about th e absence of a member in th is Chamber. Surely, Mr. Speak er, if any one of us wi shes to be kind enough to acknowledge th e presence of a member, th at th at surely is not .. . MR. SPEAKER: Order please, order please. Order please . The Honourable First Minister on th e same point of order . HON. H. PAWLEY: Mr. Speaker, I wo uld like your ruling on th at point of order.

MR. SPEAKER: The point has been made several times from th e Chair in th e past th at members in th eir debates to th e House should not remark on th e presence or th e absence of any other member. The Honourable Member for Portage la Prairie. MR. L HYDE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I shall be very careful not to refer to th e member again. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take th is opport unity to congratulate you, once again, and wish you well. I wish th at your health does stay with you th roughout th e Session.

I know th at it must be very trying to you to keep us all in line, just as you had to keep me in line just a momen t ago. I'm sure th at th ere's times th at you qu estioned wh ether you appreciate your posi tion or not. Also, Mr. Speak er, it'd be right for me to congratulate th e Mover and th e Seconder of th e Throne Speech - th e Member for Wolseley and th e Member for Rupertsland. The people of Manitoba will be honoured during th e course of th e summer months by visits to our province, Mr.

Speaker, of Her Royal Highness, Qu een Elizabeth and Prince Philip and also by a visit to our province by Pope John Paul 11. I would like to make mention, if I may, just to th e Chamber here th is evening th at on June 4 in 1939 we, in Portage la Prairie, had th e honour to have th e present Qu een's mother and fath er attend church at th e Trinit y United Church in Portage la Prairie. I must say it was, indeed, an honour fo r th e people of Portage la Prairie to have th em attend our church service. Mr.

Speaker, in th e years th at I have been sitting as a member for th e constitu ency of Portage la Prairie I believe seven Throne Speeches were presented, were read. Never have I felt, Mr. Speaker, as disturbed at wh at was read from th at speech as I was this time. There just wasn't a th ing in th e entire speech. Wh at we heard last Thursday left we, on th is side of th e Chamber , in awe. lt was th e most listless, uninspiring document one could have heard, just when our province, Mr. Speak er, is to be on th e start of an upswing in recovering from th e recent recession we have, and are still, experienc ing.

The Premier, and his government, claim th at th e province has, under th eir guidance, survived th e 180 recession and th at Manitoba is, today - and I will quo te his wo rds, Mr. Speaker - "That th e province Is in th e strong posi tion and can record one of th e best performances of any province across our nation. " That is th e end of a quo te, Mr. Speaker. I suppose, Mr.

Speaker, as long as th is governm ent can continue to borrow, and th e province' s credit rating doesn't collapse around our ears, th e government wi ll be able to continue to paint a rosy picture of th e economy of our province to th e people of Manitoba. Anyone waiting for some encour agement as to wh ere th e province sits today, and wh ere th is province is heading, was certainly left in awe after hearing wh at was in th e Throne Speech. lt must have taken a lot of courage, Mr. Spea ker, on th e part of th e Mover, and the Seconder , to get up and defend wh at was read from th at Throne Speech a few days ago.

The First Minister and his government , claim th e peo ple of Manitoba have every good reason to be proud of our economic record with low unemploymen t and with th e strongest investment outlook. I suggest he would do we ll to get out and talk to th e people th roughou t th e province and hear just wh at th ey are saying about th e conditions th roughou t our province. lt is nice to know, Mr.

Speaker, and hear th at this government finally realizes th at th e private sector is urgently needed to bolster th e position of Manitoba, and th at the private sector could help to take advantage of th e opport unities which th e provin ce, under good management, could provide. Mr. Sp eaker, it wo uld appear th at th e government now is showing some concern for th e major indus try of agriculture. They waited, Mr.

Speaker, until th e indus try is in such serious trouble to realize th is; th ey waited until th e indus try is at an all-time high rate of bankruptcies - wh at is it, some 342 percent increase? 1981 was what? 14 bankruptcies declared; 1982, 27 bankruptcies declared, and in 1983 a sum of 62 bankruptcies in th is Province of Manitoba. This increase has happened in th e two years that th e NDP party has been in power, Mr. Speaker, so now th e government says th ey will intensify th eir efforts to assist th is troubled industry. I say, Mr.

Speaker, it's a little late when so many very young farmers, and some not so young, are going dow n th e tube. The governmen t's economic mismanagemen t is driving an ever -i ncr easing number of farms and businesses into bankruptcies. In 1982 a record of 398 businesses and farms were fo rced to close th eir doors for ever. The number declined slightly in 1983, to 362. There were 95 businesses in bankruptcies in th e period of January to March of 1983. This is up to 97 for th e same period th is year. This information, Mr. Speaker, is from th e Department of Consumer and Corpora t e Affairs. Mr.

Speaker, th e First Minister says that th is Assembly will be asked to show leadership in new development efforts. I wish him we ll and I can assure him th at we, on th is side of th e House, want to see th e expansion of new oppor tunities fo r th e young people of our province. Wh ere were your concerns when you could not finalize an oppor tunity to have Alcan establish in Manitoba? There were jobs available to th e unemployed th ere by a private enterprise. You tu rned th em off and th ey, in turn, moved and built in Quebec. Mr.

Speaker, I said earlier in my remarks th at we, sitting in opposi tion, appreciate th at th e governm ent

Mond8y , 23 April, 1884 is now realizing the importance of the private sector, that they now realize that the government alone cannot be successful without the co-operation with the business world. A smart move for the government now would be to remove some of those burdens of heavy taxes on the people waiting to invest in the future of Manitoba. I would suggest the first move they should make would be the removal of that 1.5 payroll tax. Mr.

Speaker, if the government is now looking for investors to start up new industries in Manitoba it would be well to imme diately remove this 1.5 payroll tax; that should be the first move. If they should remove that foolish tax think of the feeling of relief it would give the businessmen, farmers and almost every citizen in Manitoba. That tax will, and has, put firms out of business. Mr. Speaker, on Page 7 of the Throne Speech it mentions how the government realizes the financial circumstances of so many of our farmers.

They cite many reasons why the farmers are in trouble today, including adverse weather, high inte!est rates, and low returns for their produce, lower wheat prices, high fuel prices, high fertilizer costs and, of course, the ever increasing cost of machi nery. What has the government done to relie ve some of the pressures on these people? I say nothing, Mr. Speaker. lt was the action of the Conservatives of the prairie provinces to get our Min ister of Agriculture to act and to appeal to the Federal Government to release some of the monies they, the farmers, have put into the Prairie Stabilization Fund.

I think that fund reads today something in around $900 million. I believe the figure that I've heard was something like a third or greater of that figure the farmers have put into that, the western farmers. Was it the Mini ster of Agriculture the other day, or was it the First Minis ter, who said their government has done more for the agricultural industry in this province than any previous government? What have they done? Why, they haven't even pressed the Federal Government to reduce the tax on the farm fuels. Why?

The Conservative governments of western Canada had to urge this government to request that the Federal Government make a payment from the Wes tern Stabilization Fund. This 71 .25 per gallon tax on farm fuels and they wouldn't move to urge the Federal Government to ... This government has to be prodded to take the action where action is needed. This government states that they will Intensify its efforts through special programs and expanded management . . . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. The Honourable Minister of Agriculture on a point of order. HON. B. UAUSKI: Mr.

Speaker, the honourable member made a statement about not making repres entations to Ottawa regarding gasoline tax and I rise on a point. This Chamber passed a re solution, I believe, in the last Sessio n. - (Interject ion) - Wel l, Mr. Speaker, the resolution was amended and was passed, and was forwarded on to the Federal Government. MR. SPEAKER: Order please. That was not a point of order. 181 The Honourable Member for Portage la Prairie. MR. L. HYDE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . MR. SPEAKER: Order please. MR. L. HYDE: . . .

This government states that they will intensify its efforts through special programs and expanded management, and credit assistance to assist farmers, Mr. Speaker, to recover from the effects of the adverse circumstances they have just gone through. They haven't told us what they intend to do. I expect it'll not add up to too much, Mr. Speaker. We cannot get too excited about it. We 'll have to wait and see and by that time many more farmers will have gone into bank ruptcy, Mr. Speaker. Transportation, the governme nt's agreement with the Federal Government to upgrade the Port of Churchill. 1 agree with this, Mr.

Speaker. The Port of Churchill must be considered as a major seaport. The power line is essential to the North. The rail line is essential to the province. But will all this ever happen? Mr. Speaker, I question whether it will or not. Time will tell. This is a time of elec tions and anything goes to those who are trying to retain their position with the people or be reel ected, Mr. Speaker. Forest ry. I believe in this, Mr. Speaker. This province must protect the investment it has in the forestry complex at The Pas.

We must not continue to harvest vast acres of trees and not replace the stand of trees taken from that particular area. But will it happen? Once again time will tell. Mr. Speaker, I drove out late last week to attend a funeral in Portage la Prairie. Following the service, I looked around at what is taking place on the upgrading of Saskatchewan Avenue in Portage la Prairie. I can say that I was very pleased to see that program proceeding. lt is long overdue.

The first time I spoke in this Assembly in 1978, when I seconded the Throne Speech, I asked the then Premier that my government start to include in the road programs of this province the upgrading of Saskatchewan Avenue. I worked with two different Min isters, Mr. Speaker, during our years of government, along with two different mayors and councils, and along with one previous Min ister ot the present Government of Manitoba. I can say that he appreciated very much the necessity of procee ding with that work. Mr.

Speaker, I will be supporting my Leader's motion of non-confidence in what was contained in the Throne Speech. Thank you very much. MR. SPEAKER: Order please, order please. Order please. The time of adjournment having arrived, would the Honourable Member for Portage la Prairie ki ndly indicate whether he has finished his remarks or intends to goof again? MR. L. HYDE: Ye s, Mr. Speaker, I've finished. MR. SPEAKER: The debate then will remain open. This House is adjourned and will stand adjourned until 2:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon (Tue sday).

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	32-3-7b
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	32nd 3rd hansardpdf 7b.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	c55b6ca869ff03ca694e8cb5e70ed01127213670

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