Manitoba Hansard — Sitting 5B (36th Legislature, 1st Session)

36-1-5b

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

First Session - Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Louise M. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLV No. 5B- 8 p.m., Monday, May 29,1995

Name ASHTON, Steve BARRETT, Becky CERILLI, Marianne CHOMIAK, Dave CUMMINGS, Glen, Hon. DACQUAY, Louise, Hon. DERKACH, Leonard, Hon. DEWAR, Gregory DOER, Gary DOWNEY, James, Hon. DRIEDGER, Albert, Hon. DYCK, Peter ENNS, Harry, Hon. ERNST, Jim, Hon. EVANS, Clif EVANS, Leonard S. FILMON, Gary, Hon. FINDLAY, Glen, Hon. FRIESEN, Jean GAUDRY, Neil GILLESHAMMER, Harold, Hon. HEL WER, Edward HICKES, George JENNISSEN, Gerard KOWALSKI, Gary LAMOUREUX, Kevin LATHLIN, Oscar LAURENDEAU, Marcel MACKINTOSH, Gord MALOWAY, Jim MARTINDALE, Doug McALPINE, Gerry McCRAE, James, Hon. McGIFFORD, Diane MciNTOSH, Linda, Hon.

MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. NEWMAN, David PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. PENNER, Jack PITURA, Frank PRAZNIK, Darren, Hon. RADCLIFFE, Mike REID, Daryl REIMER, Jack, Hon. RENDER, Shirley ROBINSON, Eric ROCAN, Denis SALE, Tim SANTOS, Conrad STEFANSON, Eric, Hon. STRUTHERS, Stan SVEINSON, Ben TOEWS, Vic, Hon. TWEED, Mervin VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. WOWCHUK, Rosann MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASS EMBLY Thirty-Sixth Legislature Members, Constituencies and Political Aff"iliation Constituency Thompson Wellington Radisson Kildonan Ste.

Rose Seine River Rob lin-Russell Selkirk Concordia Arthur-Virden Steinbach Pembina Lakeside Charleswood Interlake Brandon East Tuxedo Springfield Wolseley St. Boniface Minnedosa Gimli Point Douglas Flin Flon The Maples Inkster The Pas St. Norbert St. Johns Elmwood Burrows Sturgeon Creek Brandon West Osborne Assiniboia St. James River East Riel Portage Ia Prairie Emerson Morris Lac du Bonnet River Heights Transcona Niakwa St. Vital Rupertsland Gladstone Crescentwood Broadway Kirkfield Park Dauphin La Verendrye Rossmere Turtle Mountain Fort Garry Swan River E!m N.D.P. N.D.P. N.D.P. N.D.P. P.C. P.C. P.C. N.D.P.

N.D.P. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. N.D.P. N.D.P. P.C. P.C. N.D.P. Lib. P.C. P.C. N.D.P. N.D.P. Lib. Lib. N.D.P. P.C. N.D.P. N.D.P. N.D.P. P.C. P.C. N.D.P. P.C. N.D.P. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. N.D.P. P.C. P.C. N.D.P. P.C. N.D.P. N.D.P. P.C. N.D.P. P.C. P.C. P.C. P.C. N.D.P.

215 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, May 29, 1995 The House met at 8 p.m. ORDERS OF THE DAY (Continued) THRONE SPEECH DEBATE (Fifth Day of Debate) Madam Speaker: To resume debate, adjourned debate on the proposed motion of the honourable member for Riel (Mr. Newman) for an address to His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor in answer to his speech, and to the amendment of the proposed motion of the honourable member for Inkster (Mr.

Lamoureux), in further amendment thereto, and the motion of the honourable Leader of the official opposition in amendment thereto, standing in the name of the honourable member for The Pas, who has 35 minutes remaining. Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): Madam Speaker, I believe just before six o'clock I had finished congratulating you, so now I want to go on to congratulate all of the members who have been re elected and those who have been elected for the first . time. I welcome and congratulate those members first of all, and I welcome all of the returning members back to the Legislature.

I particularly want to congratulate the member for St. James (Ms. Mihychuk), the member for Osborne (Ms. McGifford), the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale), the member for Dauphin (Mr. Struthers), the member for Flin Flon (Mr. Jennissen) and also the member for Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk). I congratulate all of those members who have been appointed to cabinet by the Premier (Mr. Filmon). I congratulate those new ministers. I wish them well. I also want to congratulate our youth, our young people, those who have been appointed to be Pages in this legislative session.

I want to wish them good health and good luck while they are with us. I hope that your stay here will add to your personal growth and development. I am sure your families are all very proud of you. I know that, because I know that we are. Madam Speaker, I want to say also that I am pleased to rise once again to give my remarks in response to what I call the mini throne speech, because we ·have already had the main throne speech, and subsequent to that, we had a budget. Subsequent to the budget, we went through an election campaign, and then, of course, the mini throne speech.

I do not quite understand, Madam Speaker, why it worked out that way, but in any event, I am here this evening giving my remarks in response to the throne speech. I want to maybe, perhaps, try to focus my comments on the attitude of this government, the First Minister (Mr. Filmon) and his government as it relates to the aboriginal people of this province. Madam Speaker, I know, the aboriginal people of this province know and others know that there is contempt on the part of the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and his government.

There is a total lack of respect for aboriginal people, and, of course, there is a total lack of understanding on the part of the First Minister and his government as far as aboriginal people are concerned. Why do I say that, Madam Speaker? Well, perhaps I could substantiate those words by offering to you, first of all, how the First Minister was deeply offended by the notion that aboriginal people have a rightful place in this province. They have a right to approach this government and the Premier. There is no other provincial government in this province. There is no other Premier of this province.

The aboriginal people have to come, have to approach the First Minister and his government. So for the minister to get offended by statistics or by reports that show horrific numbers insofar as child poverty is concerned tells me, M�am Speaker, the Premier (Mr. Filmon) has contempt for aboriginal people. Why on earth would he blame aboriginal

216 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 people for the statistics on child poverty? Why on earth does the Premier say to aboriginal people, essen tially because what he is saying to them is, you guys, you are better off staying on the reserve because every time you come to the city of Winnipeg you muck up my statistics, whether they are for unemployment, child poverty or for other purposes. That is true; I know that is true. The Premier knows that is true. Madam Speaker, there is something terribly, terribly wrong there somewhere.

Our people along the way since I have been here-and I have been here four and a half years-but particularly in the past two years I have on a regular basis heard comments by our people, comments saying that programs and services, policies enunciated by this Premier and this government are racist. * (2 010) I have great difficulty in disagreeing with those comments, with those assessments and with those conclusions by our people. I am going to give you reasons why I have great difficulty in disagreeing with those assertions by our people. You see I even feel that way here in this Chamber from time to time.

I am right here in this Chamber. I observe what goes on in this Chamber. I listen and I assess. I listen to the way questions are being handled by government ministers. Ifl am feeling that way, and I know that I am close to the situation, it makes me think very hard when my people who are not even in this Chamber to see what is going on, who are not close to the situation as I am are beginning to talk about racism as being central to the policies coming from this Premier and his government, Madam Speaker. Now let me give you a few reasons.

First of all, let me give you another story, and that is, throughout Manitoba's 61 First Nations communities-and I know. I was a chief for six years. Then I worked for the Department of Indian Affairs for about three years. In any event, on these 61 First Nations communities are nonaboriginal people and families. They work for medical services. There are teachers. There are RCMP and northern stores plus children of any other business people which may be operating on a reserve.

When I use very conservative estimates and when I say there must be at least 10 nonaboriginal children, for example, being educated on the 61 First Nations communities, 10, that gives me 610 nonaboriginal children being educated on the reserve system, that the First Nations government, with the help of the federal government, pays for. Now, when you estimate about $4,000 per child, Madam Speaker, it works out to over $2 million that First Nations are spending, for example, in the education of nonaboriginal children.

Yet we have this Premier who has the audacity, whenever he is questioned on issues affecting aboriginal people, to say it is not my jurisdiction. I cannot be involved. It is what the Constitution says. It is what the First Nations people tell me. Yet, this is going on. Another example that I wanted to talk about, Madam Speaker, this First Minister has jurisdiction on First Nations communities only when it is convenient for him and his government. No other time. Other times he says you are a burden to our Treasury, you become involved in our statistics and you make us look bad.

We want to enact legislation that will chip away at your treaty rights through the back way. All we have to do is look at fishing, BilllO. The parks and the creation of the parks through an Order-in-Council, that is the only time, Madam Speaker, that I see this First Minister saying that he has jurisdiction. When it is for his own convenience and the government's convenience, that is the only time that he says, "I have jurisdiction." Other times he tells aboriginal people to go live in the bush and not bother him. An Honourable Member: Not a very fair statement, Oscar. Mr.

Lathlin: I do not feel good about saying that either, but I have to say it because I know it is true. We have programs that were designed specifically to target the deplorable situation that aboriginal people find themselves in. Some of them are educational programs-ACCESS, New Careers, BUNTEP. They have either been cut or eliminated. Why? Because by and large they are being utilized for aboriginal people. This First Minister (Mr. Filmon) and this government, Madam Speaker, did away funding for MC and MKO. -

May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 217 Why? Because they are aboriginal organizations. This First Minister and his government has refused to do anything on the AJI. Why? Because the report was intended to correct the many inequities that exist in the justice system as it relates to aboriginal people. There again this First Minister (Mr. Filmon) and his government have continually been saying that because of jurisdictional questions we are not able to proceed.

Madam Speaker, out of the 293 recommendations that were contained in the AJI report, 1 0 1 of those recommendations were strictly provincially based. In other words, 101 recommendations could have been implemented without even worrying about federal jurisdiction, that is, if there was the willingness on the part of the First Minister and his government to work with aboriginal people. *

(2020) When we look at highways and transportation, Madam Speaker, why do you think that out of $117 million there is about 5 percent being spent up North? Why? Because the majority of those roads and highways link aboriginal communities to the outside. Madam Speaker, I could go on and on, but I think I have created the picture, I have tried to substantiate those comments that are being made by our people, the . comments being made by myself in this Chamber.

Unless the First Minister and his government can prove to me otherwise that this is not the case, then I will continue to say those things about the First Minister and his government. I never thought that I would get up in this Chamber to say those kinds of things, but for me last week when I asked the First Minister about Granville Lake, when he started brushing me off, just political grandstanding, I decided that from there on I am going to call it like it is, tell it like it is. I will not stop speaking on behalf of our people because the Premier is not going to do it. Thank you for listening to me. Bon.

Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, it really is a pleasure and an honour for me to be able to address the speech from His Honour the Lieutenant Governor as we open the first session of the Thirty sixth Legislature here in Manitoba. I believe that in beginning this legislative session, I feel very much as I do in beginning all new sessions of the Legislature. I feel a sense of exhilaration. I feel a sense of history, a sense of great privilege to be able to be here to represent the people of my constituency and indeed people throughout this great province of ours.

I also feel a renewed sense of commitment to our democracy, to the parliamentary democratic system in which we live in Manitoba and across Canada I want to begin by welcoming you to your new position as Chair of this great Assembly, a position in which you are taking on new and important responsibilities to adjudicate and safeguard the rights of members and responsibilities of members to keep order on this Assembly and all of its proceedings.

I know that you will do well because I know that you are a dedicated and hard-working individual who has demonstrated your commitment during your more than four years as Deputy Speaker. You have a love of people and a love of the democratic process that I believe shines through in everything that you do and will serve you well in your new position. You have indeed, though, big shoes to fill in taking over from the member for Gladstone (Mr. Rocan). Your predecessor presided over this Chamber for almost seven years.

In fact, he enjoys the distinction of having served for a longer period of time than anyone else in the past four decades as Speaker of the Assembly. He certainly gained the respect of all of the members of this House from all political parties. I certainly commend him for the even-handed manner in which he handled the affairs of this Chamber in sometimes difficult circumstances, sometimes very, very challenging issues that he faced.

I thank him for his significant contribution to the cause of democracy and the cause of our parliamentary system, the operations of our parliamentary system here in Manitoba Madam Speaker, just a matter of weeks ago, the people of Manitoba awarded our government a rare tribute by conferring upon us a third consecutive term of office, a second consecutive m?-jority mandate, a tribute that is rare indeed in Manitoba's history, and we feel I think very humbled by the tribute that was paid

218 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 and by the confidence that was shown in us by the people ofManitoba Today, as I stand before the members of this Assembly, the men and women of our province who represent every square inch of this great province, I make a commitment to them and indeed to the people of this province that we will repay the trust that Manitobans have placed in us by continuing to conduct the affairs of this province with integrity, with honesty and with action and hard work.

We have been very fortunate, I believe, to have a very talented and dedicated group of ministers and members who have served with a deep regard for the trust that Manitobans have placed in their hands. Even as time changes, the dedication and hard work and commitment and the talent that is brought forward · continues to serve Manitobans well. As we swore in this cabinet that will serve Manitobans now and in the foreseeable future, I made the comment that, of the 18 of us who were sworn in on May 9 of 1988, half had changed and nine, the other half, were there from the beginning, that first day of May 9.

It is a responsibility that none of us take lightly, to serve in Executive Council. In fact, there have only been approximately 500 people in the history of Manitoba who have served in the Executive Council of this province, and it is an important responsibility and one that each and every one of us I know will carry out with great dedication and with great concern for the people of this province and indeed for our future.

I would like to pause for a moment just to thank the members who have been with me through the period of time since 1988, since May 9, 1988, when we were sworn into office, for their dedicated efforts and all the time and energy that they have put in. Indeed, government is probably the truest test of a team approach to getting things done.

I know many members of both sides of the House have participated in sports throughout their lifetime and they know that a team is only as good as its weakest member, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and it really is a true team effort that results in achievement in government. I can say to you that we have some very, very strong people; there is no weak link on this side of the House.

They are very dedicated and strong people, talented people, who represent their constituents and do a tremendous job, and I thank each and every one of them for their efforts. * (2 030) I would also like to pay tribute to members who have departed since the last Legislature, and that includes, of course, the former member for Morris, the Honourable Clayton Manness, who served for 13 and a half years in this Legislature, latterly as a cabinet minister.

I might say that he called me the day of the opening of the session just last week to say that he was thinking about us, thinking about members on both sides of the House, that he wanted to be remembered and that it was going to seem funny for him to miss the first opening of a Legislature in almost 14 years. I know that when you make that kind of dedication to public life, regardless of politics or philosophy, we should only appreciate the efforts of those who serve.

The Honourable Don Orchard of course served 17 and a half years with great dedication, with great exuberance, with great commitment to the people of Pembina constituency and the people of Manitoba. I too want to thank him for all of his efforts on behalf of Manitobans and our government. The Honourable Gerry Ducharme served for over nine years in this Legislature, and he too contributed mightily to the people of this province. Of course, Bob Rose, the MLA for Turtle Mountain, served four and a half years and certainly was a dedicated public servant and contributed a great deal to the impact of our government.

I thank them all very much for the things that they contributed to society in Manitoba and indeed to building a stronger future for all of us. In remembering those who have served and are no longer here, as well to those who served in Liberal and

May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 219 New Democratic caucuses in the last government of Manitoba, I would like to bid them a fond farewell and indeed say that I remember them well, and I enjoyed sitting with them. I know that as each individual they served to the best of their ability. They were very dedicated to the people who elected them.

I have often said that we may be separated by chasms in terms of our philosophical outlook on life, but we all as human beings have the same goals and objectives, that is, to serve the people of the province, those who elected us and those with whom we come in contact throughout the province. One does not make this kind of commitment lightly to public life, because there are tremendous sacrifices to family, to friends, to all of those who depend upon us and perhaps do not get enough of our time and our energy and our attention during the time that we serve in this Legislature.

To each and every one who is not here in this Legislature but who did serve in the past Legislature, I extend best wishes and say that I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know them. I also would of course like to welcome all of the new members who come into this Legislature with this first session of the Thirty-sixth Legislature. There is indeed a great infusion of energy, of new ideas, of new perspectives, of new plans, a fresh outlook that can only happen as a result of new people coming forward and serving in this Legislature.

There are 11, five on the opposition side and six on the government side, and they will become known, of course, as the class of '95. When I first heard that saying I was new in the Legislature and there was a traditional annual dinner that was attended by the members of the class of '66 that included quite a few members of the New Democratic Party in the Legislature, the late Russ Doem, the late Sam Uskiw, Peter Fox, I think, and others of whom there is one remaining member in the Legislature, and that is, of course, the honourable member for Lakeside (Mr. Enns).

I am sure that all of those newcomers of the class of '95 will probably have the same kind of feeling about their class that they came into the Legislature with, that group of 11, and will share fond memories and experiences suey as learning from the Clerk's department and the various different people who have spoken to them to give them the knowledge and information that they need to become more effective members of the Legislature and to contribute right from Day One.

I might say that in having listened to and read the speeches of most of the newcomers that they are indeed a very classy group and a very talented group, and although they come from different backgrounds and different perspectives, I know that each and every one of them has a great deal to offer to this Legislature and to the future of our province. I congratulate them all. I welcome them all into our midst and say that I look forward to the opportunity to get to know them better and to work with them over a period of time.

I want to say welcome back to our Pages and, of course, to the table officers and all of those people who serve us so very, very well in the Legislature. We appreciate all that you do for us, and we certainly enjoy the opportunity that we have to work with you.

Madam Speaker, this is indeed a historic time in the Manitoba Legislature and indeed in the province as a whole, because we are 125 years old this year, and throughout all of those years and long before, Manitobans have worked, they have achieved, they have made sacrifices so that their children would be left with a legacy upon which they could build a solid future. So it has been throughout the history of Manitoba-one family, one generation working hard so that they could pass along to their children a better life than they themselves have had.

I have become more philosophical recently about this as I have a grandchild in the family, and you realize with the passing of generations the added responsibility that you intuitively take upon yourself to somehow prepare the way for that next generation. Many a Manitoban arrived in our communities with little more than the clothing upon their backs. That is the history of so much of the settlement of this province. They appreciated all that a country like Canada could offer to people. No matter what their

220 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 background, no matter what it was that they believed in, no matter what it was that they were seeking, Canada had so much to offer. They came, most of the time, just with a personal dream, to make a life and a nation built upon hard work, effort that they would put forward but joining a nation that really stood for equality and democracy. I have always said that I believe this is the most egalitarian and democratic country in the entire world ..

They were, of course, welcomed by our aboriginal brothers and sisters who shared all the bounties of this great and beautiful land with them when they arrived. In many cases, in welcoming them, they protected them from the harsh climate, from all of the challenges, unforeseen challenges that might otherwise have made them perish. But they were welcomed; they were in many ways encircled by the knowledge and the familiarity with the land that our aboriginal brothers and sisters had.

They certainly were, I think, grateful to the aboriginals for the manner in which they allowed them to survive in an otherwise inhospitable environment. I was interested in the comments of the member for The Pas as he talked just prior to my opportunity here tonight because it reminded me of my opportunities to spend time in the North and get to know, on a personal basis and on a friendly basis, many of our aboriginal people as I worked in the North in the summer of 1961 on the Nelson River.

At that time, I was part of a survey crew for Manitoba Hydro as we were going about the surveys that led ultimately to the development of several hydroelectric projects on the Nelson River. We were, of all things, camped near what was then called Bladder Rapids. I am not sure that it is not flooded out now by one of the projects that was constructed.

It was a fascinating summer because, prior to 1989, it was the summer in which we had the greatest forest fires in the history of the province, and they made literally an inferno of much of that area of northern Manitoba As we stayed in our campsite in tents on the shore of the Nelson River, I might say that I marvelled at the ingenuity and the self-sufficiency of the aboriginals who were part of the survey crew in which we were working. * (2 040) They taught me many things.

They taught me how to use an axe to cut line as we surveyed through the area and surveyed lines and then levelled through the area to try and get a cross-section of levels in areas in which there might be a possibility of developing a hydroelectric site. They taught me how to use an axe because early on of course they were clearing line for us and I noted how easily they removed the trees in our road and anything up to, say, a three-and-a-half-inch diameter tree they would just chop with two easy strokes, one on either side in a V.

So I thought that looked pretty simple and took the axe and chopped away, and it took about 14 strokes on one side and 16 strokes on the other side. They nicknamed me "the beaver" because at the end of it when the tree fell it looked as though a beaver had chewed it rather than an individual had cut line. As time went on, perhaps a month or so down the road, I was pretty adept at the use of the axe and could just about do it with two strokes, just as they did, and just about keep up along the way. They also of course taught us how to choose the site for the tents, because we did have to move a couple of times.

They taught us how to preserve some of our meat from spoilage in the absence of refrigeration. We would dig holes down below the frost line and hang the meat from boards over the hole and cover them up and keep them away from predators. They taught me how to use a canoe in rapids. Some members opposite have seen me operate a canoe. As a matter of fact, it was part of our commercials in 1990. They taught us these things. We taught them ultimately during the summer to use the transit and the level and the instruments of survey that we had, and it was a very good relationship, I might say, Madam Speaker.

We had to move camp because we were threatened by the forest fires that summer, forest fires that ultimately were blown right to our campsite by a tremendo us force of wind. The fire moved about 12 miles in less than a day and burned our entire campsite over. We had to be flown on out an emergency basis by Manitoba government air service because we were -

May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 221 in severe difficulty and danger as a result of what happened at that time. So we moved to Cross Lake and I spent the remaining months of the summer in a tent on Cross Lake. Cross Lake was a very beautiful place in those days.

The water was much higher than it is today and it is one of the things that has motivated me to settle the Northern Flood Agreement obligations, because during the '70s and the Schreyer administration when all those areas were flooded for hydroelectric plants, they left behind significant damages that to this day have not been compensated for. So those five northern flood communities have remained without settlement.

You know, New Democrats, of course, have been very critical of us for the things we have or have not done in northern Manitoba, but one of the things that we are committed to do and are very close to bringing to fruition is settling those Northern Flood Agreement claims and trying to give compensation that will allow for restoration that is long overdue to many of the communities, to pay for so many of the things that can make a better life for the aboriginal communities in those particular areas.

We are talking about commitments of hundreds of millions of dollars that this government is doing that former New Democratic governments, including the one of which the member for Thompson (Mr. Ashton) and the member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) were a part, in six and a half years in government did nothing to settle those claims, I might say, Madam Speaker.

That is the kind of rhetoric we get, the kind of lip service we get from people who try and say that they are doing things for the aboriginal people or the people of those communities, but we get a lot of rhetoric and we get a lot of lip service and we do not get any particular action to solve the real needs and the real challenges of the people of those communities, Madam Speaker. The following year I worked at Grand Rapids, and I worked as well with aboriginal people in that community hand in hand, side by side as we developed the hydroelectric projects there.

You know, when we came to office one of the things that was presented to us by the people of the Grand Rapids forebay was a request for additional compensation, because back in the '60s they had signed off agreements on flooding in the Grand Rapids forebay, and I remembered how beautiful Cedar Lake was. I used to go fishing for walleye in Cedar Lake in my spare time in the evenings.

We would work 12-hour days but there was still plenty of sunlight, and I would go fishing, and then of course later on as I went back to Cedar Lake, to the Grand Rapids forebay I saw what a difference the flooding had made in that area, and we took it upon ourselves to sign an agreement to open up a new negotiation with them and to add close to $30 million of compensation to the people in the Grand Rapids forebay for damages that were done, damages for which this administration and indeed the government of Manitoba had no further obligation, because those obligations had been signed off by the people of the various communities in the Grand Rapids forebay.

Yet we took it upon ourselves to compensate them to a greater extent than they had been back in the '60s. We did the same thing with Southern Indian Lake, and, of course, the damage there was, again, caused by decisions that were made ultimately by the Schreyer government, the Schreyer government in the '70s.

They were signed off, they were agreed to, by the people of South Indian Lake, but we said, despite the fact that there is no legal obligation, we felt that there was a moral obligation, and we spent millions of dollars meeting that moral obligation to try and better the lives of the people of that community in the North, Madam Speaker. Later on, of course, in 1966, as I was working on my Master's thesis, to which the member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) has recently made reference, I had the opportunity to go up to Brochet.

Now, Brochet was something that was almost mythical to me, because those of you who are my age or a little older, that was the one weather station in the North that used to give us temperatures when I was growing up. They used to give temperatures from all over the southern part of the province, but because there was a Government of Canada weather station up there, you would always know what the temperature was in ,Brochet. I had the opportunity to go up to Brochet because it is part of the Churchill River system up there, and I was studying it

222 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 for possible alternatives to the Churchill River diversion that was ultimately constructed in Manitoba. I �ent up to Brochet. I went all along the Churchill River, and again-[interjection] *

(2050) The member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin) is in a bit of a surly mood tonight, Madam Speaker, which is fairly normal for him. I will certainly address his issues as we go along, but, again, as we look at all of these issues, the fact of the matter is that I think we are all affected by the experiences that we have. We are all affec�ed by the ways in which we go through life, and they Impact, I think, upon the obligations that we feel and the goals and objectives that we set for ourselves when we .are in public life.

I fmd it, quite honestly, reprehensible to listen to the diatribe that was put forth today by the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin). I think that an individual like him, and I might say tha� I could be as vicious and as mean as he is by saymg that I have heard oftentimes from people in his constituency in The Pas that they regard him as a racist. I could say that because that is the way he treats people in his area. I am told he has one way of- Point of Order Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

I would ask you to read Hansard in light of the Premier's comments and the allegation made by the Premier (Mr. Filmon) to the ?Iember �or The Pas (Mr. Lathlin) I think is quite mappropnate. Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I am doing nothing more than using exactly the same language as the member for The Pas used in his speech. If it is inappropriate, then- Mr. Lathlin: You cannot substantiate it like I can. Mr. Filmon: Yes, I can. You cannot substantiate anything. An Honourable Member: You are mean spirited and surly. * * .,. Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Thompson, on the same point of order.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, on a new point of order- Madam Speaker: I have not dealt with the first point of order. Mr. Ashton: I would like to raise a point of order once that previous one is dealt with, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: I heard the comment "racist" from both members in question. Regrettably I did not draw attention to the House when the first member uttered the word. It is dangerously unparliamentary. My understanding is that although it does not appear in Beauchesne, in Manitoba, in past history indeed it has been cited as unparliamentary.

I would like to caution all honourable members that particularly the tone of the word in many times is more meaningful than the context in which it is used, and I would request that all honourable members use extreme discretion in picking and choosing their words. Point of Order Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, on a new point of order. While you were ruling on the point of order that was raised, the Premier from his seat was saying to the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin), you are a racist.

When you were ruling, from his feet he made further comments which were of a personal nature toward the member for The Pas, and I would ask that you not only take that under advisement in terms of Hansard but the First Minister consider what he has said. I think in the interest not only of this Chamber but of fairness to the member for The Pas and all members of this Chamber particularly for First Nations people in this province: that he withdraw those comments unequivocally. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Madam Speaker: Order, please.

On the point of order from the honourable member for Thompson, I did not hear the words. I was intent on trying to maintain order in order to address the first point of order. I will peruse Hansard and report back to the House. *** -

May29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 223 Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I want to point out just in response to I think the inappropriate comments that were made by the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin) in his dissertation here this evening that this government has always undertaken its responsibilities to the people of this province no matter who they are, whether they are First Nations or anybody else. For instance, we have just put water into the houses in Lac Brochet.

There are 45,000 Status Indians who live in Winnipeg and they are enjoying education, health, all the social services that are available to them. We not only have done that, we have entered into agreements with First Nations, over 30 of them I believe in this province, to provide them with gaming revenues. His own band has received almost $2 million from those gaming revenues as a result of agreements that were developed by this government.

This government has brought in policies despite the fact that New Democrats would never do it that allowed for First Nations people to be able to purchase cigarettes and gasoline on reserve, tax free, to be able to purchase items for use on reserVe, sales tax free. We have done all of these policies, not because we were looking for special treatment, because we believed it was fair and equitable and an appropriate response to people of this province.

Madam Speaker, we will continue to deal equally and fairly with all people in this province regardless of their race, regardless of their colour and regardless of their circumstances. We will make all of the available services available to them as we have in the past. We will do things that New Democrats would never do for those self-same people. New Democrats would not exempt them from taxes. New Democrats would not settle their northern flood claims. New Democrats would not give the additional money for compensation to the people of South Indian Lake.

New Democrats would not give the compensation to the people of the Grand Rapids forebay. This government did. The member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) refers to the reinstatement of ACCESS, BUNTEP and New Careers. ACCESS and BUNTEP continue to be funded by this administration. The withdrawal of funding was from the federal administration, and he knows it well. It was a federal withdrawal of funding. This government has maintained its funding. But I digress. Together, our forebears built the successes upon which this province has reaped its rich, vibrant, social, cultural and economic life.

Our forefathers passed us a quality of life that is virtually unsurpassed in the world today. Indeed, the United Nations once again has said that this is the No. 1 place in the world in which to live. In celebrating our 125th birthday, Manitobans have every right to feel proud of the tremendous contribution that we have made to the development and the success of our great nation. At this important milestone in our province's history, we can look back with pride upon Manitoba's achievements. All Manitoba families have worked hard and made sacrifices to built our province.

Regardless of our cultures, our religions or our individual ideologies, I believe that all Manitobans share equally in the contributions to our province. I also believe that all Manitobans equally share in a responsibility as stewards and caretakers for the land that the next generation of Manitobans will inherit. What kind of Manitoba will we leave to them? It is an important question that I raise to all honourable members of the Legislature, people who represent people from all areas of the province. I think it is an especially poignant one to ask ourselves in 1995, Manitoba's 125th birthday.

I ask all members to search their souls and to see what answer lies within them. For myself, I know what the answer is. On Manitoba's 125th, I am filled with optimism and confidence for the future of all Manitobans. Today, I feel that sense of optimism is even stronger than it has ever been before. Recent events serve to remind us of just how bright that future really can be. As we celebrated the 50th anniversary ofV-E Day, we were all reminded of the tremendous sacrifice that Manitobans made so that we could continue to live in a free and democratic society. Many gave their lives to protect those rights.

224 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 *

(2100) On May 12, we celebrated Manitoba's 125th birthday. One of the events was a citizenship court that welcomed 125 Manitobans as new Canadians. I believe that everyone in this Chamber who was here for that event, and many were, saw once again that although the world has changed dramatically, especially over the last decade or so, our nation still remains one of the most desirable and attractive places in which to live.

It is a magnet for people coming from all areas of the world, people who want to seek their opportunity for economic opportunity, for education, for freedom and for life in a democratic environment that is, as I said, more egalitarian and more democratic than perhaps any other nation in the world. We still have a tremendous sense of compassion and caring and community spirit.

I think, although members opposite laughed at it when it was in the throne speech, that the effort that came forward, that public outpouring and groundswell to save the Winnipeg Jets, was an example of the kind of thing that just simply does not happen anywhere else in North America I have spoken to people in Quebec. I have spoken to people in Toronto. I have spoken to people from New York, from Minneapolis who have said, this is an incredible city. Madam Speaker, you know, the member for Thompson (Mr.

Ashton) is asking about commitments to the Winnipeg Jets, and I think it is time that we perhaps reminded him and his members opposite just how many different positions his party has taken, particularly his Leader, on the Winnipeg Jets. The member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) first said he would have built the arena with public funds, but nothing for operating losses. Then he said he would have transferred up to $60 million from infrastructure money to build the arena, but nothing for operating losses. Then he said he would have saved the Jets.

That is what he said days after when it appeared as though the Jets had failed. He said he would have saved them. Well, who was playing politics? Who is misleading the public? I know the member opposite is getting very exercised, the member for Concordia. This is his direct quote. This is from a transcript on the 18th of May 1994 in an interview with Vic Grant. This is the member for Concordia, quote: I really believe we either should have built the arena and got the long-term guarantee from the hockey team or stepped away from the issue and allowed the team to so he would have built the arena when he said that.

Okay? He would have built the arena-[interjection] No, no. Now here is the other thing. This is a wonderful example of the duplicity ofthe member for Concordia. This is what he said later in that same interview, quote: I think the Jets are too important to this community, and I hate to suggest that anybody politically would do that. It is just not in the cards. Now he is talking about playing politics with the team, playing politics with the Jets.

This is what he said further on in the same interview, quote: I think we-"we" meaning the government; he was referring to the government-! would sit down, and I would try and change the agreement. Then he says, quote: I think we would either put money into an asset called an arena to resolve the issue or put the money into a renovated arena, which is one of the options. So he is talking about, again, he would put money into the arena.

Then he says further on-here he says: I really believe, if you were to ask people the question of whether you would want to look at a renovated arena or a possible new arena to keep the Jets in Winnipeg another 20 years versus the Charleswood Bridge or, say, the Kenaston overpass, you would get a different level of public support. I think that some of the infrastructure programs we are now investing public money in are not nearly as important, in my opinion, as this Jets hockey team. He goes on to say-and I just quoted two projects that are worth up to $60 million.

Sixty million dollars, he would put into the Jets. Yes, Madam Speaker. Some Honourable Member s: Oh, oh. Madam Speaker: Order, please. Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, the member has been all over the map, all over the map. You know, when -

May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 225 we talk about integrity and keeping words, some of the new members who sit in the benches today, the five newcomers, are probably not familiar with some of the history of the member for Concordia, how back in 1983 he was talking with, of course, the federal Conservative Party in Manitoba about running for them. They might like to ask somebody like Taupe Perrault [phonetic] whose late husband Jack and several friends met together with him when he was considering running for the federal Conservative Party in the St. James area.

They might like to meet with John Puchniak and with Bob Hanson who met with that member for Concordia when he was considering running for the provincial Conservative Party in River Heights. He was talking to them about raising funds for him to run in that campaign. They might like to talk with him about that. They might like to talk with him about the flip-flop, of course, that he made between the time when he was the president of the MGEU and then when he became a member of the New Democratic Party and ran for them in government.

You know, many members here have heard him over the last five years say that he would create jobs through something like the Jobs Fund. Now this is what he said about the Jobs Fund back in 198 4, March 11 . Now listen to this: . The government is dropping people who fixed potholes-that was an NDP government, I might say-on the highway to hire people to count flowers along the sides, says Gary Doer. The government does not understand the difference between a make-work job and a structured economy.

Then, of course, a few years later he thought the make work jobs were a great idea, and he was going to reinstate them in government if he was given a chance. In both the 1990 election campaign and, of course, in the 1995 election campaign, he believed there was a role for government to create these jobs. Madam Speaker, I think I am digressing too much. This election campaign that we just completed, I think, gave an opportunity for the public to make a decision between people who had a vision of the future and a plan to achieve that vision, and that is the members on this side of the House.

The member opposite gave absolutely no vision of the future. It was a single-issue-focused campaign that he ran. It was a negative gloom and doom campaign that he ran. A member of the media said to me, of course, the member for Concordia does not express a vision. He only expresses himself in eight-second clips, and you cannot articulate a vision in eight seconds. That is exactly the problem that the New Democrats face, and that is exactly why they are in opposition, because they contented themselves with negativism, with criticism.

The member for Concordia assumed his Prince of Darkness role once again and took on that role in which he is negative, critical, doom and gloom and all of those things. Manitobans rejected that out of hand, absolutely, totally. Our vision is to make this province the best place anywhere, to live, to work, to invest and to raise a family. We are prepared to build the kind of economy that will allow for opportunities for everyone.

We are prepared to build the kind of economy that will attract investment and job creation, that will attract the kind of people who are going to come here to stake their future, to take risks, to invest in our economy. Those are the things that are important to the future, and indeed that is what Manitobans supported when they voted for us on April25 ofthis year. * (2 110 ) Despite the negativism of the New Democrats, the public knew that we were the only province in Canada that had gotten our economy under control.

We had gotten spending under control, without increasing taxes, for seven consecutive years in government. All of the major taxes were either maintained or reduced. We went through the second worst recession this century in Canada, and we still did not raise any of the major taxes for seven consecutive years.

During that period of time, despite all of the fear and smear and scare tactics of the New Democrats, the public knew that we had set out our priorities very clearly, that our priorities were health, education and family services, that in health, we were spending over one-third of all of our provincial government dollars on health care, the highest percentage of any province in Canada. In education, we had in fact increased the proportion of our budget that had gone into education. What

226 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 happened to education funding under the New Democrats? It went from 21.1 percent of the budget in 1981-82, when they took office, all the way down to 17.7 percent of the budget when they left office, Madam Speaker. The public of Manitoba knew that this government increased spending by a total of $1.1 billion over the seven years that we were in office, and of that total, 90 percent went to three departments, Health, Education and Family Services. We know what our priorities are.

We funded our priorities to the levels that they required, and we provided the opportunity for people who were in need to have the services that they required in this province. We also, of course, maintained capital spending on public assets. Unlike New Democratic administrations in other provinces that cut back on capital spending, this administration has maintained its spending, in fact, increased it to all-time record levels in areas like highways, schools, health care and so on, Madam Speaker. These are the ways in which you build an economy strong. We offered Manitobans a detailed plan.

We offered Manitobans the opportunity to see the optimism and confidence that we had in the future, and that was the biggest difference between what we did in this election campaign and what members opposite did, because no matter where I went in this province, whether it was in the North, in the South, in the West, in the East, in the cities or in the small communities, I believe that people were looking for that sense of confidence and optimism. I believe that people wanted a positive message. People believed that we in Manitoba could do all of the things that we need to do in order to build a strong future.

They rejected the negative messages, the negative images that were put forth by the New Democrats. That is why, first and foremost, that is the major reason we are on this side of the House and they are in opposition. Our policies, our priorities were in sync with the policies and priorities of the people of Mani toba, and the New Democrats were not, Madam Speaker. It was interesting, you know, during the course of that election campaign, how the New Democrats-you talk about misleading and slick techniques of trying to tell people that they are getting something that they are not really getting.

Throughout the campaign, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) continued to say that he was going to fund all of these commitments and promises that he was making to the public in health care, in education, in social services, in building highways in the North, in providing sewer and water and all those things. He was going to fund it out of other things that were already in the budget. So he would go around the province saying, we are going to take $1 0 million out of Jets' losses. There was not $10 million in the budget for Jets' losses.

He was going around saying, we are going to take $10 million out of the Kenaston underpass. It was not in the budget. It had already been removed months earlier. It was not in the budget that was passed. He said he was going to take it out of SmartHealth. How much did he take? A hundred million dollars out of SmartHealth. There was no money in the budget for SmartHealth. He said that he was going to take the money out of the payroll tax that was not going to be collected. The budget that he voted against had the $220-odd million in there for the payroll tax.

He could not possibly have done anything with that money. So there he is committed to spend over $300 million with no source of revenue for it, absolutely no source of revenue for it. The only thing he could possibly have done would have been to run up the deficit or run up taxes. We know that the New Democrats who vote in spades, Madam Speaker, did both. All we need to do is take a look at what the New Democrats did in the '80s in six and a half years of government. Firstly, they tripled Manitoba's general purpose debt in six and a half years.

The debt that they inherited after II 0 years of government they tripled in the space of six and a half years. Crown corporation losses during that period of time that they were in government were almost $400 million. They lost money at everything that they operated. They lost money in McKenzie Seeds. They lost money at Manfor. They lost money in the general insurance division at MPIC. They lost money in MTS. They lost money in Manitoba Hydro. They lost $400 million dollars in operating the Crown corporations. Spending was out of control.

Spending increased at one time at 16 percent per year under the New Democrats. Taxes were out of control. Taxes were -

May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 227 increased so often in Manitoba that we became the second highest overall tax regime in Canada under the New Democrats in just six and a half years. Madam Speaker, what is our alternative?

Our alternative is, of course, a balanced budget with legislation to ensure that ·w e meet the test of the balanced budget, that there are firm penalties in place so that if we do not achieve the balanced budget that we set out for ourselves that there will be significant penalties to all the members of cabinet, and the legislation will provide for no increase to any of the major taxes, personal or corporate income tax, the sales tax or the payroll tax without a referendum approval of the public of Manitoba Madam Speaker, earlier today I heard the member for Brandon East (Mr.

Leonard Evans) going on a tirade about the Dominion Bond Rating Service and their presumed comments about whether or not our budget was balanced. I want to quote from what the Dominion Bond Rating Service really said, not what the New Democratic manipulation or misrepresentation was, but what in fact they said. *

(2120) They said, among other things: Dominion Bond Rating Service confirms the A long-term and R1 short term rating of the province and changes the trend to stable from negative. The decision to change the trend and maintain the present ratings was influenced by the following considerations: Manitoba's fiscal perform ance since 1990-91 has been amongst the most favourable in Canada with deficits to GOP under 2 percent each year except for 1992-93 when it rose to 2.9 percent due to a reduction in federal transfers associated with weak economic conditions nationally.

In 1994-95 Manitoba's fiscal track improved, benefiting from higher federal transfers and stronger economic growth. The deficit as a proportion of GOP declined to 0.9 percent from an originally estimated 1.2 percent.

You know, after there was a story in the Winnipeg Free Press that alleged that somehow DBRS said that they did not approve of our accounting figures, DBRS wrote this letter to the Deputy Minister of Finance of the Province of Manitoba, and I quote directly from it: In particular, I did not say or imply that the accounting practices used by the governm ent showing a surplus of $48 million are in any way improper, and I take exception to the comment that DBRS rejects the accounting of the Filmon government. This is Brian Miron, senior financial analyst, Dominion Bond Rating Service, writing.

He goes on to say that what they do for comparative purposes is to put them on the same line. So as a result, for instance, the $180 million that Saskatchewan took out of the GRIP account to balance their budget would not count in their way of looking at a balanced budget because it is not something that is continued year upon year. It is a special one-time transfer.

In addition to that, transfers from Crown corporations that are made by other provinces that are not done a straight revenue basis but are done on a dividend basis and vary from year to year are stripped out of that, so that others of the balanced budgets that other provinces have come up with would also similarly have a different figure, according to them.

On the other hand, they have, in fact, endorsed our credit rating and given us a more favourable outlook because they have looked at not only this year's budget but the next three years of projections that were contained in the budget that we passed, and they do not find anything wrong with them. They fmd them to be credible, and they find them to be achievable, and indeed they will be, Madam Speaker. That is why what is said by New Democrats is absolute nonsense. This is what Nesbitt Burns said in response to our budget, and I quote: Manitoba has made remarkable progress in getting its fiscal house in order.

This is what Solomon Brothers of New York said regarding our budget, Madam Speaker, quote: We believe that Manitoba's significantly improved fiscal situation will lead to a more positive credit reception. This is what Standard and Poor's said about our budget, and I quote: I think for investors the government's commitment to reducing deficits without relying on tax increases is a very positive signal. Madam Speaker, this is what is being said by credible financial institutions, bond rating agencies and

228 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 19 95 brokerage houses North American-wide, and they all say that this province and its budget and its balanced budget legislation are a positive thing for the future. We have many plans that we want to challenge and to work on as we go forward. One of the things that we will, of course, be continuing to work on is health care because we believe that health care is something that we must continue to provide for the future of Manitobans in a reliable sense. Of course, a healthy economy is one of the foundation pieces of a healthy population.

But, in addition to that, you have to be investing in the right things. Of course, since we have been in office, this provincial government has built more than 700 new personal care beds in this province for the future needs of our aging population in Manitoba, and we have commitments to, or under construction, an additional 500 beds. We have doubled the funding for home care in this province, and we have far more people working in home care than when we took office.

In addition to that, Madam Speaker, we are making investments in support services to seniors, in wellness centres, in nurse-managed resource centres. In all those areas of new needs in the future for our population, we are making the investments. That is why our commitment to more than a third of our provincial budget in health care is the highest commitment of all the provinces of Canada. In education, Madam Speaker, we need, of course, to ensure that we are targeted on the right issues. Manitobans clearly told us what the right issues are.

They said that we no longer should be judging the quality of our education system by how much money we put in but instead by how much our children are learning. That is why we need standards. That is why we need province-wide testing. That is why we need to ensure that our curriculum is upgraded so that it is the best curriculum that we can possibly afford.

That is why this government, for the first time in history, has entered into a co-operative partnership with all of the provinces in western Canada and territories to ensure that we will revise and rewrite all of the public schools curriculums in all the core subject areas, so that not only will we be making that investment, but concurrent with us, we will be having the other provinces and territories make that investment.

That means that we will get the curriculums rewritten and upgraded, not only faster, but at a lesser cost ultimately to the Manitoba taxpayer, and we will, for the first time ever, have province-wide comparability so that when people are transferred from province to province, when children are moved, they can be sure that they are not going to be moved up a grade or down a grade, the kind of chaos that has prevailed for far too long in our education system.

We will make sure that there is greater authority in the hands of teachers and principals to keep order in the classroom, discipline in the school system and to ensure that they are able to do the job that they were trained best to do, and that is to educate the children so that they do not have to be health care workers, they do not have to be social workers, counsellors and disciplinarians, but in fact they can teach and they can do the job well that they were trained to do. Those are changes that are important to make. In post-secondary education, we are following the recommendation of the Roblin commission.

We are making sure that we are adding spaces, 500 a year over this year and next year, in our community colleges to make sure that there will be additional opportunities for our young people coming out of high schools to get the training that they require in our community college system because we know that they become job ready sooner and they enter the job market much more easily and have greater opportunities with our community college education. Those are things that are important to us.

Madam Speaker, we have great optimism for the future because we know that so many positive things have happened in the recent past. We know, for instance, that we have had, during 19 94, the best growth in tourism from outside the country of any province in Canada; it grew at 29 percent. Our exports from this province grew at almost one-third in 19 94, the best growth again of any province in Canada. We know that in 1994 we hit an all-time record high level of investment in mineral exploration-over $40 million. We have been finding new finds in the area of -

May29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 229 Flin Flon. Three gold mines will be operating by the end of this year, thanks to the Mineral Exploration Incentive Program, the new mine tax holiday and the removal of sales tax off electricity used in mining and manufacturing. Manufacturing is a huge success story, with 6,000 jobs added in manufacturing in 1994 in Manitoba, the best growth of any province in Canada All of those things, Madam Speaker, are causes for optimism for the future. Consumers have shown their confidence. The retail sales increase in 1994 was the highest in nine years in our province.

Our economic growth numbers in 1994 were the highest in 10 years in our province, Madam Speaker. That is why the public rejected the doom and gloom of the members opposite. That is why they voted for us, and that is why we are on this side of the House. * (2 130) Madam Speaker, I just want to say in conclusion that we are looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. We believe that this province has indeed a great deal to accomplish over the next while.

We believe that we can· show the kind of public support, that we can show the kind of public commitment as was shown . to the cause of keeping the Winnipeg Jets here. That same kind of enthusiasm, that same kind of optimism and confidence is going to be shown on every issue that we face in the future. We believe that Manitobans have indeed said by their neighbourhoods, in their communities, on their school grounds. We believe that we will continue to have a high quality and accessible health care system that is fair to all who need it.

Indeed, Manitobans will gain substantial benefits as a result of the balanced budget. It will allow us to provide all the services that people depend upon and indeed the kind of healthy economy that they are looking for. Madam Speaker, I ask all members of the Legislature to join with me and my colleagues in supporting this throne speech. It is the way for the future. It is the positive, optimistic outlook that we believe is necessary and important to the future of Manitoba. Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Pursuant to Rule 35.2 I am interrupting the proceedings in order to put the question on the motion of the honourable member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), that is, the subamendment to the motion for an address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. Do members wish to have the motion read? Some Honourable Members: No. Madam Speaker: No? Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some Honourable Members: Yea.

Voice Vote Madam Speaker: All those in favour, please say yea. choice on April 25 that they choose to believe in the Some Honourable Members: Yea. team that gives them an opportunity to achieve their potential, because that is what they want, the Madam Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay. opportunity to reach and achieve their potential. In our Manitoba we will create even more jobs as a result of the aggressive plans that we have laid in place to do just that, and we are committed to keep all of our major areas of taxation down for another four years in this province.

That will be 11 straight years without increasing any of the major taxes, Madam Speaker. We believe that we will create a Manitoba in which people can feel safe in their homes, in their Some Honourable Members: Nay. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): On division, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: On division, the motion is accordingly lost. Is the House ready to vote on the amendment? Do members wish to have the amendment read?

230 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, 1995 Some Honourable Members: Yes. Madam Speaker: On the proposed motion, the honourable Leader of the official opposition (Mr.

Doer) in amendment thereto as follows: THAT this motion be amended by adding the following words: But this House regrets: 1. that in the face of record teacher layoffs and recent education policy flip-flops, this government has failed to indicate any vision for our public education system and our children's future; and 2. that this government, after cutting audiology services and the Children's Dental Health Program, failed to articulate a strategy for ensuring the future health of our children; and 3. that this government has no plan to address child poverty in Manitoba, the highest rate in Canada, and instead blames the federal government for this problem; and 4. that through the manipulation of the sale of Crown corporations' assets this government was able to project a surplus for 1995-96, but, according to the Dominion Bond Rating Service, Manitoba will actually have a deficit of $96 million in 1995-96; and 5. that this government has failed to develop a transition strategy to include the Port of Churchill to address the elimination of the Crow benefit; and 6. that this government has shown a blatant disregard for the transportation and health care needs of northern Manitobans; and 7. that this government has no democratic mandate to commit taxpayers' dollars to the Winnipeg Jets and the construction of an arena beyond the $10 million committed in the election; and 8. that, over the seven-year term of this government, Manitoba's economic performance is the worst in the country according to Statistics Canada; and 9. that this government has no plan to address the $24 7 million in cuts in federal health and education funding.

THEREFORE, this government has thereby lost the trust and confidence of this House and the people of Manitoba. Is it the will of the House to adopt the motion? Some Honourable Members: Agreed. Some Honourable Members: No. Voice Vote Madam Speaker: All those in favour, please say yea. Some Honourable Members: Yea. Madam Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay. Some Honourable Members: Nay. Madam Speaker: In my opinion, the Nays have it. Formal Vote Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Yeas and Nays, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: A recorded vote has been requested. Call in the members. Order, please.

The question before the House is the motion of the honourable Leader of the official opposition (Mr. Doer), that is, the amendment to the motion for an address and reply to the Speech from the Throne. All those in favour, please rise. Division A RECORDED VOTE was taken, the result being as fo llows: Yeas Ashton, Barr ett, Cerilli, Chomiak, Dewar, Doer, Evans (Brandon East), Evans (Interlake), Friesen, Gaudry, Hickes, Jennissen, Kowalski, Lamoureux, Lath/in, Mackintosh, Maloway, Martindale, McGiff ord, Mihychuk, Reid, Robinson, Sale, Santos, Struthers, Wowchuk.

May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 231 Nays Some Honourable Members: Yea. Cummings, Derkach, Downey, Driedger, Dyck, Enns, Ernst, Filmon, Findlay, Gilleshammer, Helwer, Madam Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay. Laurendeau, McAlpine, McCrae, Mcintosh, Mitchelson, Newman, Pallister, Penner, Pitura, Some Honourable Members: Nay. Praznik, Radcliff e, Reimer,· Render, Rocan, Stef anson, Sveinson, Toews, Tweed, Vodrey. Madam Speaker: In my opinion, the Yeas have it Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): Yeas 26, Nays 30. An Honourable Member: On division. Madam Speaker: I declare the motion lost.

Is the House ready for the question on the main motion? On the proposed motion the honourable member for Riel (Mr. Newman) for an address to His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor in answer to his speech at the opening of the session. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some Honourable Members: No. Voice Vote Madam Speaker: All those in favour, please say yea. Madam Speaker: On division. The motion is accordingly carried on division. Hon. Jim Ernst (Government House Leader): I believe, Madam Speaker, the hour is ten o'clock.

Madam Speaker: Is it the will of the House for the Speaker not to see the clock and call it ten o'clock? Agreed? Some Honourable Members: Agreed. Madam Speaker: The hour being 10 p.m., this House is adjourned and stands adjourned until 1 :30 p.m. tomorrow (T uesday).

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, May 29, 1995 CONTENTS ORDERS OF THE DAY Throne Speech Debate (F ifth Day of Debate) Lathlin Film on 215 217

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	36-1-5b
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	36th 1st hansardpdf 5b.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	c84a86be05358c096b766d0a7c003a0114d92ae7

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