Manitoba Hansard — 25 November 2008 (Sitting 4, 39th Legislature, 3rd Session)

39-3-4

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session - Thirty-Ninth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LXI No. 4 – 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 25, 2008 ISSN 0542-5492

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Ninth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park N.D.P. BOROTSIK, Rick Brandon West P.C. BRAUN, Erna Rossmere N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. BRIESE, Stuart Ste. Rose P.C. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P.

DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage la Prairie P.C. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach P.C. GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Garry N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. JHA, Bidhu Radisson N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P.

MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MARCELINO, Flor Wellington N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PEDERSEN, Blaine Carman P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SARAN, Mohinder The Maples N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELBY, Erin Southdale N.D.P. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P.

STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew, Hon. Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. Vacant Elmwood Vacant The Pas

81 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, November 25, 2008 The House met at 1:30 p.m. PRAYER ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 228–The Grandparents' Day Act Ms. Erna Braun (Rossmere): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), that Bill 228, The Grandparents' Day Act, be now read for the first time. Motion presented. Ms. Braun: Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to introduce this bill in partnership with our colleague from Inkster.

This bill is intended to formally acknowledge the priceless and essential contributions grandparents make in supporting and caring for their families and communities by designating a special grandparents' day in the province of Manitoba on the first Sunday after Labour Day. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 217–The Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Heritage Act Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): I move, seconded by the Member for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Hawranik), that Bill 217, The Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Heritage Act, now be read a first time. Motion presented. Mr.

Eichler: Very pleased to bring forward Bill 217 in regard to the hunting, fishing, heritage act. It brings in line with the other provinces. B.C., Alberta, Ontario have already brought this legislation forward, and certainly timely, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 206–The Diabetes Reporting Act Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the MLA for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), that Bill 206, The Diabetes Reporting Act;

Loi sur la déclaration obligatoire du diabète, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, this bill provides for the monthly reporting of new cases of diabetes. As members know, we have an epidemic of diabetes in this province, and this is the first step in treating this as an epidemic, as we would other diseases. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 207–The Right to Timely Access to Quality Health Care Act Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the MLA for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), that Bill 207, The Right to Timely Access to Quality Health Care Act;

Loi sur le droit à l'accès à des soins de santé de qualité dans des délais raisonnables, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, this act provides for a legal right for Manitobans to have quick access to care when needed. As the Speaker may know, we were criticized heavily in the 2008 Consumer Index for not having adequate patient rights in Manitoba. This bill addresses that matter. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 209–The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Reporting Act Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the MLA for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), that The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Reporting Act;

Loi sur la déclaration obligatoire de l'ensemble des troubles causés par l'alcoolisation fœtale, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, this bill provides the mandatory reporting of FASD with reports to RHAs and other bodies who would have an important role in preventing FASD. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]

82 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 Bill 211–The Health Services Amendment and Health Services Insurance Amendment Act Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the MLA for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), that Bill 211, The Health Services Amendment and Health Services Insurance Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les services de santé et la

Loi sur l'assurance-maladie, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, this bill provides for the fundamental principle of accountability to be used in the delivery of health-care services in Manitoba and rates this principle of accountability equal with the other five major principles which are part of our Canada Health Act. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 210–The Liquor Control Amendment Act (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevention) Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr Speaker, I would move, seconded by the Member for River Heights (Mr.

Gerrard), that Bill 210, The Liquor Control Amendment Act, be now read a first time. Mr. Speaker: It's been moved by the Member for Inkster, seconded by the honourable Member for River Heights, that Bill 210, The Liquor Control Amendment Act (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevention), be now read a first time. Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, the essence of this bill would ensure to make it mandatory to put warning labels on alcoholi c beverages that clearly demonstrate the consequences of drinking while you're pregnant. Thank you. Mr.

Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] PETITIONS Long-Term Care Facility–Morden Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. The background for this petition is as follows: Tabor Home Incorporated is a time-expired personal care home in Morden with safety, environmental and space deficiencies. The seniors of Manitoba are valuable members of the community with in creasing health-care needs requiring long-term care. The community of Morden and the surrounding area are experiencing substantial population growth.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To request the Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald) to strongly consider giving priority for funding to develop and staff a new 100-bed long-term care facility so that clients are not exposed to unsafe conditions and so that Boundary Trails Health Centre beds remain available for acute-care patients instead of waiting placement clients. This is signed by John Hildebrand, William Froese, David Wiens and many, many others. Mr.

Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to be received by the House. * (13:40) Education Funding Mr. Rick Borotsik (Brandon West): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba: The background to this petition is as follows: Historically, the Province of Manitoba has received funding for educati on by the assessment of property that generates taxes. This unfair tax is only applied to selected property owners in certain areas and confines.

Property-based school tax is becoming an ever-increasing burden without acknowledging the owner's income or owner's ability to pay. The provincial sales tax was instituted for the purpose of funding education. However, monies generated by this tax are being placed in general revenue. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To request the Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth (Mr. Bjornson) consider removing education funding by school tax or education levies from all property in Manitoba.

To request that the Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth consider finding a more equitable method of funding education, such as

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 83 general revenue, following the constitutional funding of education by the Province of Manitoba. This petition, Mr. Speaker, is signed by P.K. Cumming, Ken Sparks, Bruce Clevett and many other fine Manitobans. TABLING OF REPORTS Hon. Ron Lemieux (Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation): I'm pleased to table the following 2007-2008 Annual Progress Report of the Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Programs. Introduction of Guests Mr.

Speaker: Prior to oral questions, I'd like to draw the attention of honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have with us today His Excellency Dave Wilkins, U.S. Ambassador to Canada and also Mary Speer, U.S.A. Consul. On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today. Also in the public gallery we have from Laidlaw School 22 grade 6 students under the direction of Christie Sanders. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable Member for Tuxedo (Mrs. Stefanson). On behalf of all honourable members, I also welcome you here today.

ORAL QUESTIONS Economic Downturn Impact on Mining Industry Mr. Hugh McFadyen (Leader of the Official Opposition): Thanks to balanced budgets and the good fortune of global growth and a generous benefactor in the federal government, this NDP government has had nine years to prepare the province for the economic downturn that we now face, nine years to build up the economy of the province and ensure that jobs would not be put at risk in the event of a predictable downturn in the economy. Mr.

Speaker, according to the Finance Minister's own budget, the mining sector is the second largest primary industry in Manitoba employing some 6,400 people and is the lifeblood, as we all know, of northern Manitoba's economy. Thousands of families depend on a healthy mining sector to put a roof over their heads. I'd like to ask the Premier if he would rate the performance of his government versus other provinces in Canada when it comes to preparing Manitoba for the current downturn and its impact on the mining sector. Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr.

Speaker, we've had excellent performance across our diversified economy. We've had very, very positive results in the mining sector that go up and down in terms of performance, based on commodity markets. We've had increased employment since we came into office in terms of the mining sector in this province. We are moving ahead on a number of different exploration projects, unprecedented amount of exploration going on. I would say that there are some challenges dealing with some smelters here in Manitoba in terms of the new national standards of smelters in the country.

There are some challenges that have been exceeded actually, Mr. Speaker, in terms of different environmental standards from the CO 2 emission standards of the past. We are also, though, in discussions with the mining industry at this point on treaty land entitlement. So I know that we were ranked very high dealing with exploration in the past. I know there's a bit of concern about resolving treaty land entitlements and

section 35 consultations. We are working it out with the mining industry, but we have been very high in rankings. We've been low, Mr. Speaker, but I would say that there is one challenge to the Province right now, and that is resolving some of the outstanding treaty land entitlements to give more predictability on exploration. I would say that that is a challenge that we're trying to manage with Aboriginal communities in Manitoba and the mining industry. I would admit that it hasn't been resolved yet and that that presents a challenge to us. Mr. McFadyen: The Premier is right on one point.

They do have a very high ranking for mining. In fact, they're tenth out of 10, Mr. Speaker, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' report that was just released in the pre-budget submission made just a few days ago to the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger). In that pre-budget submission by the Mining Association, which represents all of the mining industry in Manitoba, it says, and I quote: Over the last 10 years, Manitoba has slipped to be the least competitive mining jurisdiction in Canada in terms of income and mining tax provisions.

84 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 Exploration in mining today for a variety of reasons is in serious trouble. Mr. Speaker, we have the worst environment in Canada according to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Mining Association.

I want to ask the Premier: With the tens of billions of dollars that have flown to Manitoba thanks to the generosity of the federal government over the last nine years, why didn't he do more to prepare the mining industry for this inevitable downturn, and why has he put 6,400 Manitoba jobs at greater risk than otherwise would have been the case because of his policies and his failure to position Manitoba for a downturn that everybody could have predicted? Mr. Doer: I believe the mining industry valuation in terms of minerals has tripled in value since 2003. Mr.

Speaker, I also know that in the past there have been other ratings. In fact, the Fraser Institute had us I think second one year. It had us first one year. It had us fifth this year. There are different ratings by different independent bodies. But I would say, Mr. Speaker, that we are trying to manage land-use policies in Manitoba. There are people in the mining industry that believe that all land should be available as it is for mining. There are people that believe that all land in Manitoba should be totally set aside and no mining expansion go ahead.

There are people dealing with Aboriginal land claims, and we're trying to get land-use policies for mining, for forestry, for Abor iginal people, that give certainty. In this time of discussions, we could get a No. 1 ranking by just saying that mining will trump all other land use: forestry land use, parkland use, Aboriginal treaty land entitlement,

section 35 of the Constitution. We could get that, Mr. Speaker, but that would not be in the best long-term interests of Manitobans. So we are trying to get areas that have a treaty land entitlement that have mineral deposits– we're trying to make sure that the royalty and the economic potential of those mineral deposits are shared with people that actually live in the area, quite different from the past when only people in other places would benefit. So, Mr. Speaker, we've been rated one; we've been rated two; we've been rated five; we've been rated something else, but– Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr.

Speaker: Order. It's not going to help to try and out shout someone that has the floor. Let's have some decorum in here, please. Has the honourable First Minister concluded your comment? Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, I haven't, no. Mr. Speaker: You haven't? Mr. Doer: No. Mr. Speaker: Okay, continue on. * (13:50) Mr. Doer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, we've been ranked in so many different places on mining, and one of the reasons why we're very careful about the third-party rankings, there are lots of people working for mining companies.

We respect that advice, but it's really important to get predictability and certainty. Now, I would point out exploration policies that we brought in place have resulted in new finds of gold in the Bissett area. We've resulted in new findings of zinc, a green belt area of zinc adjacent to the Flin Flon area. We know we have challenges on copper smelters. Members opposite have raised questions on the copper smelter in the Flin Flon area, but we believe we can manage all of those issues together on a go-forward basis.

We think we have very positive policies on exploration, and that's why the mining industry is producing three times more activity today than just in 2003. Mr. McFadyen: Mr. Speaker, the reference to the Fraser Institute after 15 years of trashing that organization I find interesting from the Premier on the credibility of the Fraser Institute. The fact is the rating comes from PricewaterhouseCoopers. The comments are made by the Mining Association of Manitoba who are directly involved in mining and exploration, and they say that Manitoba has slipped to be the least competitive mining jurisdiction in Canada.

In backing up that position, Mr. Speaker, they put in numbers which are hard to refute: the mining tax rate in Ontario, 10 percent; the mining tax rate in Manitoba, almost double that, 18 percent, plus a payroll tax, plus corporate taxes for large corporations on top of that and a red-tape environment that has brought the issuance of permits to a grinding halt so that those permits are not

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 85 moving ahead. The fact is they have created the least competitive environment in Canada. There's good advice here from the Mining Association which we'd encourage them to take. I want to ask the Premier: In the economic environment that we're in today–he's already punishing agriculture and undermining Manitoba Hydro–why has he added mining to his economic hit list? Mr. Doer: Well, Mr. Speaker, we do believe it's important to get predictability for mining companies and for the public for the areas of mining.

We believe there are areas that we have to have certainty for for Aboriginal people and treaty land entitlements, and, yes, we could solve this issue very easily. We could just say mining trumps every other activity in Manitoba for purposes of land use. That would be an easy policy to go from No. 10 to No. 1. We know there's a co ncern on Aboriginal consultations on

section 35 of the Constitution, but we would rather do it before a mine proceeds, Mr. Speaker, rather than have it held up in court after the fact, plus the fact that we believe it's an obligation of all of us to act within the Constitution of Canada. We think that's very important. I would point out, Mr. Speaker, for example, the sales tax rebate for mining companies for electricity is extremely positive. We have low electricity rates. The member opposite mentioned corporate tax rates. It's 14 percent in Ontario. It's going down to 12 percent in Manitoba.

The exploration policy is the best in Canada for purposes of incentive, but we don't apologize for trying to make sure that all stakeholders are working together for predictability of mining, forestry, environment, parks, endangered species and Aboriginal people. We don't apologize for having land-use policies that may take us a little longer to get in place but will be much more sustainable for both mining and Aboriginal people where they reside in Manitoba. Wind Energy Financial Capacity of Babcock & Brown Mr. Cliff Cullen (Turtle Mountain): Mr.

Speaker, there continues to be very much uncertainty in the wind energy industry here in Manitoba, and the government's news release of yesterday simply muddies the water. There was nothing new in that press release. All the press release said is that Hydro and this government are continuing negotiations with a company that is on the br ink of receivership. These negotiations have been under way for at least eight months. Of 84 submissions and proposals received, is this the best this government could do? Hon.

Greg Selinger (Min ister charged with the administration of Th e Manitoba Hydro Act): I think when Manitoba Hydro accepts a project for 300 megawatts from one of the proponents that bid on it, which will be the largest wind power project in Canada, it's maybe not the best we can do, but it's certainly better than anywhere else in Canada is doing at the moment. It's the largest project in Canada. Mr. Cullen: Well, Mr. Speaker, the Turtle Mountain Sustainable Ventures group in southwestern Manitoba have been pursuing wind energy development for seven years in Manitoba.

They have partnered with Sequoia Energy, a Manitoba company, to research and investigate opportunities in southern Manitoba. Sequoia put forth several of the 84 proposals to this government over two years ago. Sequoia has a proven track record and they are developers of Manitoba's only wind farm. This government has driven a Manitoba company out of the province, as they intend to set up a wind farm just a few miles south of the border and sell direct to our Manitoba Hydro customers.

Why would this government not select a Manitoba company with a proven track record over an Australian company with suspect financial capacity? Mr. Selinger: First of all, just a couple of points. It's quite amazing to me that the members opposite, the members of the Conservative Party, are now against open tendering and free markets. That's quite remarkable. Secondly, the proposals were ranked by Manitoba Hydro and they selected the proposal that they thought would give them the most economic source of wind power to complement Manitoba Hydro electricity, Mr. Speaker.

We know Manitoba Hydro electricity is among the lowest-cost electricity in North America. So to compete with a base source of energy which is the lowest cost and among the cleanest in North America, you have to have a very strong proposal. All the proposals had merit, but the one that was the most meritorious was selected.

86 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 Mr. Cullen: Well, Mr. Speaker, the minister's right. Ever since the discussions on wind energy took place, companies, communities, proponents, Manitobans have been looking for an open and transparent process to evaluate the options. This government has not allowed that to happen, as it has happened in other jurisdictions. Now, as the Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, is he prepared to call a committee meeting with Manitoba Hydro so that we can clear the air on future wind developments here in Manitoba? Mr. Selinger: Mr.

Speaker, we've had many meetings of the Standing Committee on Public Utilities in Manitoba, and Crown Corporations. We're happy to have further meetings in the future. I think that the member will discover that Manitoba Hydro received proposals from 84 proponents, and they selected the one that they believed was the most economic. Each proposal has different strengths and weaknesses.

Hydro, as a Crown corporation with its own senior management, its own board of directors and governance model, made a decision based on what they thought would be the most competitive product and the company w ith a track record of having delivered on those projects in North America. I'd be happy to have that discussion with him in any of the many fora that we have in Manitoba, the Legislature, standing committees, scrums or any other forum you wish to have. Country-of-Origin Labelling Government Strategy Mr.

Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): The Throne Speech was totally silent on one of the greatest of challenges facing our livestock s ector, country-of-origin labelling. For quite some time, the Progressive Conservative caucus has been asking the government to take a leadership role on this very important issue, which is costing the livestock industry millions of dollars and creating great uncertainty. Sadly, we have seen nothing but rhetoric from this government. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Agriculture finally table today her government's action plan to deal with this very significant issue? Hon.

Rosann Wowchuk (Minis ter of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives): I thank the member opposite for raising what is a very important issue, Mr. Speaker. I want to assure the member opposite, Mr. Speaker, that we are taking this issue very seriously. The Premier (Mr. Doer) has met with the representatives in Washington. I recently had a meeting with the federal minister, Mr. Gerry Ritz, to ask him to move forward on a trade challenge. We feel that under the NAFTA agreements that we have in place that there should not be this kind of barrier put in place for trade to flow.

We are working with the federal government. We do have representation in Washington trying to move this forward, Mr. Speaker. It must be resolved. Mr. Eichler: This is exactly what we were afraid of. This government's wait-and-see attitude has left our producers to fend for themselves. Last week, the Saskatchewan government announced a one-year deferral of principal payments owing on short-term cattle and hog loan programs that recognize the financial pressures facing our producers in the wake of trade issues like country-of-origin labelling. Mr.

Speaker, will the minister commit to taking a leadership role, work with stakeholders and the federal government to deal with this protectionist measure? Where is this government's plan? * (14:00) Ms. Wowchuk: I don't know if the member opposite heard my first answer, but I did say to him we are taking this issue very seriously. I have written to the federal minister. I've met with the federal minister and asked him to take a leadership role. The member surely must understand that the issue of trade is a federal responsibility, and we have committed to work with him.

We also, as Manitobans, have staff and legal people that are working for us on this issue. We are working very closely with the industry, whether it be the pork industry or the beef industry or others that are affected by country-of-origin label. I would ask the member to show his co-operation as well and not say that talking to the federal minister isn't worth very much. Mr. Eichler: Mr. Speaker, it's very simple. All she has to do is table her plan.

We've been writing letters for the last two months, three months, in the past year to this minister, to the federal government calling for an action plan, so shame on this minister for that issue. The livestock producers have been calling on this minister. In fact, yesterday, the Manitoba pork producers estimate there are some two million pork weanlings that will not be shipped

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 87 to the United States as a result of country-of-origin labelling. Since this government has demonstrated no ability to lead our livestock producers through this latest trade issue, will the Minister of Agriculture now call the Ag Committee immediately to meet with producers to help the plan of action, get the action going, plus look after our producers before the livestock industry is gone in this province? Shame on you. Ms. Wowchuk: The issue of country-of-origin labelling is a very serious one.

That's why we have been working with various people to increase slaughter capacity in this province, Mr. Speaker, because if we can increase slaughter capacity we are not as dependent on slaugh ter capacity in the United States. But, despite that, I can assure the member opposite that this government has taken action. We are working with the fede ral government. We are working with the industry.

In fact, if the member opposite would read some of the other news releases he would see that the industry, in fact, has said we are doing the right thi ng to increase slaughter capacity and that we are working with them to address this country-of-origin label challenge. Economic Downturn Government Strategy Mr. Rick Borotsik (Brandon West): We know from past experience that the Finance Minister does not like to follow the best practices of Saskatchewan, B.C. or Alberta, but maybe just this once he can learn something. He's not going to reduce debt. He's not going to reduce taxes.

But because of the serious economic downturn, will he please follow the lead of B.C., Saskatchewan and Alberta and provide Manitobans with an honest, open, transparent and accountable economic update? Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): I think the member missed the Throne Speech last week where in the economic update we committed to reducing small-business taxes yet again. They are already the lowest in Canada, and we committed to reducing them to 1 percent. That was a tax cut. We committed to reducing corporate taxes from 13 percent to 12 percent. That was a tax reduction.

We committed to further eliminating by another one-tenth the corporate capital tax, which is another reduction in taxes. I know the member has trouble following these speeches when they're made in the House because he's snoozing on the other side, but if he would have paid attention he would have acknowledged that we've made tax reductions. Mr. Borotsik: Mr. Speaker, three days ago the Premier of British Columbia announced a 10-point action plan to help his province through these trying economic times. It contained new measures to safeguard savings, ease the tax burden, spur economic growth and rein in spending.

As I mentioned, these were new initiatives, not rehashed announcements contained in a rehashed Throne Speech. Why is the Minister of Finance reluctant to accept our current financial challenges and why is he incapable of reacting to these challenges with new initiatives? Mr. Selinger: Every new initiative we put forward in this Legislature, the member has voted against. I don't know why he's asking. He wants more things to vote against. Last week's Throne Speech, in addition to the tax reductions we made additional facilities available so that credit would be more available to rural entrepreneurs.

We made additional facilities available for small business to have access to credit. We made additional facility available in the order of doubling from $5 million to $10 million the Community Enterprise Investment Tax Credit so the people can get a 30 percent rebate on investments in new businesses in Manitoba. I think the member opposite missed that we committed to $4.7 billion of capital investment in this province for hospitals, schools, roads, sewers and water infrastructure. I can tell you right now, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite will vote against that too. Mr.

Borotsik: The one thing the member opposite will vote against is a vote tax, something that government didn't do. This coming Thursday, the federal Minister of Finance is going to present his economic update, and we know, Mr. Speaker, that it's going to deal with a stimulus package and it's going to deal with the reduction of equalization payments. All western Canadian provinces have already dealt with this. They've already put an action plan together. What do we get, Mr. Speaker? Steady as

88 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 she goes. Steady as she goes is the code word for not knowing what to do. Why does this minister and his department not have the ability to put forward a plan that will help us navigate these turbulent financial waters? Mr. Selinger: In this fiscal year, we have the second-fastest-growing economy among all the provinces in Canada, and the member is dismissive about it. He doesn't like steady as she goes. He doesn't like having the second-fastest-growing economy in Canada.

The measures we put in place last week are intended to move Manitoba forward with five-year plans for investments in infrastructure, housing, schools and those things that will grow the capacity of Manitobans to contribute to the economy. He also missed the investments we're making in apprenticeships. He missed the investments we're making in training opportunities for Manitoba. All of those things allow Manitobans to get the skills they need to deal with the skill shortages we have in Manitoba. The member doesn't like things in Manitoba. It's the second best in the country. What's his problem?

Brian Sinclair Death Administrative Review Findings Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Nobody wants to accept blame or place blame for the death of Brian Sinclair, a disabled man who waited in an ER waiting room for 34 hours, invisible. He needed help but he didn't get it and he died. The WRHA has done an administrative review and they're keeping it secr et, and the Minister of Health is silent about that. Can the Minister of Health tell us: In an NDP health-care system, where does the buck stop? Hon.

Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): There is no doubt, I believe, for anyone in this House, indeed in our province, that the death of Brian Sinclair was a tragedy. I'm also aware that immediately after the incident this side of the House took responsibility for that issue. We are moving forward in partnership with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority on an immediate action plan to address the specific issue that faced Mr. Sinclair that day.

A critical incident review has been launched, an admin review has been launched, and the member opposite, I believe, is well aware that the Chief Medical Examiner will be calling an inquest into the review. We believe that these bits of information must come forward so that this kind of thing never happens again in Manitoba. Mrs. Driedger: I'll remind the Minister of Health that if some health professional hadn't come forward and leaked it to the media, nobody would have even known about this. She didn't take any initiative. The WRHA says that the death of Brian Sinclair was caused by systemic failings.

Well, who is the head of that health system? It's the Minister of Health. Systemic failings would have been exposed years ago by an external review but this government refused to do one. So I'd like to ask the Minister of Health if she would acknowledge today that if they had done an independent external review years ago, that maybe, maybe, Brian Sinclair might still be alive today. Ms. Oswald: Mr. Speaker, first, allow me to correct the factual errors that the member opposite is putting on the record. First, we accept responsibility for what happened in that ER that day.

Second, we have never stood and refused an external review . W e h a v e s a i d t h a t w e will follow the process. We will follow the process of the critical incident review. We will follow the process of find and immediately fix that has come from the administrative review. There are concerns that have been raised about the release of that full review as it relates to the inquest. I've written a letter to the Ombudsman asking for a judgment on that. If the Ombudsman suggests that the full review can come forward, then we will release it, Mr.

Speaker, and if, after those processes have occurred, we believe we don't have the answers we need, we have not closed the door on an external review. The member opposite is wrong and she continues to put false information on the record. * (14:10) Health-Care Critical Incidents Minister's Directives Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, this government has refused to do an external review for the last five years, and if they are wiggling around a little bit about it, maybe she would want to call one today. This government loves to be around at the good news photo ops. When

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 89 there's a crisis, they're either missing in action, they're blaming somebody else, or they're hiding behind the RHAs. The Minister of Health definitely is in charge of the health-care system, and she has in her power under legislation the ability to issue directives. I would like to ask her: In view of the ER crisis in Manitoba for the last five years in our Winnipeg ERs, has she issued a di rective to the WRHA about managing this ER crisis? Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Mr.

Speaker, if there's one thing that we've learned in the post-Sinclair inquest era, from a time when medical errors were swept under the rugs and babies died, we learned from Paul Thomas and Justice Sinclair that if the attitude persists, Mr. Thomas says, that error is unacceptable and that the acknowledgement of mistakes is an admission of incompetence, the opportunity to learn from negative or even disappointing results will be lost. The member opposite is living in the '90s with a '90s ethos of hide and cover up. We're open on this side of the House.

We're going to get to the bottom of what happened in that terrible tragedy so that it will never happen again, Mr. Speaker. Pharmacare Deductibles Impact on Seniors Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Carman): Mr. Speaker, Margaret DeTimmerman, a senior in my constituency, is on a fixed income. Now she's struggling to pay for her medications because this NDP government has more than doubled her Pharmacare deductible since 2004. In 2004, her Pharmacare deductible was $293. It's increased every year since and this year it's $611.

Why is this NDP government paying for its wasteful spending decisions on the backs of seniors like Mrs. DeTimmerman? Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): I appreciate the opportunity to respond. I believe the member opposite knows, in particular an individual case, we're very happy to work with the member to ensure that we can help individual citizens. In broad terms, Mr. Speaker, I can certainly remind the member that the Canadian Institute for Health Information states that Manitoba has the broadest and best Pharmacare program in the nation.

We know that since 1999 we've added over 2,000 drugs to the Pharmacare program and that 24,000 more families today are benefiting from the program than in 1999. I can tell members opposite, of course, that our total investment in the Pharmacare program, once we added an additional $3.7 million in the last budget, is $280 million. That's a 352 percent increase from when they were– Mr. Speaker: Order. Mr. Pedersen: Mr. Speaker, this minister can quote all the statistics she wants, but Mrs. DeTimmerman is just one of many thousands of Manitobans.

In 2004 her deductible was $293; in '05 it was $321; in '06 it was $364; in '07, $372; and in 2008 its jumped, a 64 percent increase, to $611. Can the Minister of Health explain to Mrs. DeTimmerman and perhaps many other seniors in Manitoba why her Pharmacare deductible has more than doubled since '04, increased 64 percent in the past year and why she isn't standing up for seniors in Manitoba? Ms. Oswald: As I said to the member opposite, we would be very pleased to look at an individual case to see if there has been an error or a problem with the situation. We'd be very pleased to do that.

I can also go on to remind the members opposite that contrary to what we heard during debate of some months ago when members opposite were calling for us to try to match our Pharmacare system to those in the Maritimes, arguably the worst in the country, that what is important about Manitoba's Pharmacare program is that we cover 100 percent of the drug costs once the income-based deductible is covered. We don't discriminate on age. We don't discriminate on type of disease like other jurisdictions. This is why the Canadian Institute for Health Information says that we have the best program.

We're going to continue to work to build it and we'd be happy to help this individual. Dr. Larry Reynolds Government Response to Termination Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, the compliments continue to pour in for Dr. Larry Reynolds like this one: I hear more compliments about Dr. Reynolds from patients than about any doctor I've ever worked with. Yet he's being treated horribly by the health-care system which this government is responsible for. It is impossible to build excellence if you don' t recognize it when you see it. It is impossible to build excellence if you

90 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 target the physicians who are excellent like Dr. Reynolds. It is true, Manitoba's health system has systemic problems. Those are the very problems which the Premier is responsible for. I ask the Premier: How can he tolerate such awful treatment of outstanding physicians like Dr. Reynolds? Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Well, Mr. Speaker, I would point out that the last time the member opposite stood up on something like this, there was an independent review, and his arguments and his feigned indignation fell like a house of cards. I would also point out, Mr.

Speaker, that this government will not tell the dean of the Faculty of Medicine whose contract to extend in a supervisory position and whose contract not to extend. We will not interfere with the academic independence of the dean of the School of Medicine. We never have and we never will. There's no justification to do it. So I reject the member opposite's call to interfere with a medical decision made by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority by one doctor and the dean of the Faculty of Medicine. We won't interfere with academic independence. We won't do it.

I don't care how hard or how loud the member opposite asks us to do it. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, if the Premier had listened then, it would have never come to this. What we're talking about is how people in our health-care system are intimidated. They're afraid to speak up because this Premier is operating a reign of terror. This is the legacy of the present Premier. This is the legacy, building a system on a reign of terror. The Premier is not putting patients or family physicians first. He's putting himself first.

He's putting them last, and to cover up and hide the problems, he's instilling fear on those who want change. The Throne Speech, which gave only 10 meagre lines to health care, gave pittance to health care and no commitment to change which is so badly needed. How could the Premier not stand up for such an outstanding individual as Dr. Reynolds? Why is the Premier continuing this reign of terror? Mr. Doer: Mr.

Speaker, I don't even know the person, and it would be totally inappropriate for the Premier of this province to tell the dean, Dean Sandham, of the medical school whose contract to extend and whose contract not to extend. I have no difficulty with anybody. He's still, apparently, working in the health-care system. He's free to say whatever he wants–he's obviously done that–to whomever he wants. I didn't even know who he was, with the greatest of respect to the individual. I did talk to some family doctors the other day at a charity event.

They did talk about the fact that they were pleased at the new contract, which I'm pleased with, was able to target money with the MMA to family doctors. I'm concerned about that. But, Mr. Speaker, this government will not determine who the president of the university is. We won't determine who the deans are. We won't determine who the faculty is, and the faculty, the deans, the president have freedom of speech. They're free to speak and say whatever they want. But we won't tell a dean who to hire, whose contract to extend and whose contract not to extend.

If the member opposite wants us to interfere with academic independence, I'm shocked. * (14:20) Economic Downturn Impact on Federal Equalization Payments Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, as a druggie will get addicted to crack–and we know the devastating impact that that has–the provincial government is addicted to huge equalization payments. Because of the economic turmoil that's upon us today in Canada, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that it will have a traumatic impact on equalization payments.

That means because Manitoba's so dependent on equalization payments, more than any other province in Canada virtually, the impact is going to be huge. Can the Minister of Finance tell Manitobans today what he is anticipating is going to be happening to the equalization payments to Manitoba over the next year? Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): Mr.

Speaker, the Manitoba economy has been growing faster than the Canadian average for the last three years, so as long as we can generate economic growth that's better than the Canadian average, this will automatically reduce our need and our transfer payment requirements. What will happen to the equalization payments? It's in the hands of the federal Finance Minister and his government, and he has said that he will flatten them out, in the case of Manitoba next year, and that he will put all payments for all the provinces that are

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 91 recipients of that program, he will put that on an escalator that is equivalent to what happens in the growth in the GDP for the country. That's what he said, but that was–what he said recently is different than what he said a year ago, so we'll just have to see where it goes. Philippines Nurse Recruitment Mission Statistics Ms. Flor Marcelino (Wellington): I understand that Manitoba recently completed a very successful nurse recruitment initiative in the Philippines.

Can the Minister of Health please inform the House how many job offers were made and what this will mean for the participating regional health authorities? Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to report to the House that the recruitment mission to the Philippines was indeed a success and that conditional job offers of employment have been made to 131 nurses, the majority of whom are expe cted to be successfully placed. [interjection] I take it the Member for Brandon West (Mr. Borots ik) is interested in bringing nurses to Manitoba, but I'll continue.

I can let you know that we're continuing to build our partnership with the government of the Philippines and to fulfil our commitment of bringing 700 more nurses to Manitoba. We're currently training three times more nurses today than they did in 1999. We're on the righ t track. Members opposite, I regret, didn't promise to hire a single nurse. White Horse Village Trailer Park Lack of Water Resources Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): Mr.

Speaker, many of the residents of the White Horse Village trailer park in Cartier, just west of Winnipeg, have been without water services all summer because of unaddressed infrastructure problems by the owner. I first wrote to the minister on July 21, asking him to step in and help these people who are until this time still getting–they were getting their water through garden hoses strung from one trailer to the next. Well, Mr. Speaker, over four months later and those garden hoses are now frozen. I want to ask the minister: What is his priority?

Is it the priority of him and his government to take a million dollars from taxpayers, line their own political pockets with that, or is it the priority to help the real people in Manitoba who need the most basic of life's–they need water, the most basic need for sustenance. Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): I thank the member once again for drawing this to our attention.

The member will know that the Residential Tenancies Branch has been out working with the private owner of the private trailer park to renew her private infrastructure to provide the private services that she promised to provide to the people that live there, and the owner was having trouble actually delivering on her commitments to her trailer park tenants. Now, as of this Monday, the private owner has decided to complete that infrastructure and fix it up. Failing that, the Residential Tenancies Branch is prepared to make arrangements to have the infrastructure improved.

In the meantime, they've put an alternate source of water on-site so people do not have to use the hoses, that they can go to a water truck which is, in my view, far less–is not an ideal solution, Mr. Speaker. They have access to a water truck which we all know is a far-from-sufficient solution to the problem, and we will work until we have a solution to that problem in that trailer park. Mr. Speaker: Time for oral questions has expired. Introduction of Guests Mr. Speaker: Order.

Before moving on to members' statements, I'd just like to draw the attention of honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate 11 grade 11 students under the direction of Mr. Jerome Baseley. This school is located in the constituency of the Minister for Competitiveness, Training and Trade (Mr. Swan). On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you all here today. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Mrs.

Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): I rise today to mark November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Today, all around our world, people are speaking out against the violence that prevents women from being able to fully achieve equality, de velopment and peace. They cry out for action, delineating the need to enshrine fundamental freedoms, calling attention to the historically unbalanced power relationship between

92 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 the sexes through which violence continually forces women into subordinate positions. We like to think we live in a world where equality is possible for all people, yet, if we listen closely, the words spoken today demonstrate that we are failing in reaching that goal. Today's news reports draw attention to unsettling statistics put forward by the United Nations. One in three women will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. One in five women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape.

Women aged 15 to 44 are in greater danger from rape and domestic violence than cancer, traffic accidents, war and malaria. Women make up more than 80 percent of trafficked people. Half of all women murdered are killed by either their current or former partner. Mr. Speaker, recognizin g the unalienable human rights of women and girls should be tantamount to human decency, and yet women remain vulnerable to abuse both inside and outside their homes.

Some of the examples come to us from war-torn regions such as the chilling recent incident of acid thrown on 15 girls and their teachers this month in Afghanistan, or the rise of honour killings of Iraqi women by family members. Although we can try to attribute this violence to others in a less civilized part of the world, some of the examples come to us right here at home.

Here in Canada, where Stats Canada has reported 11 percent of women have been threatened by a stalker, 24 percent of Aboriginal women have suffered violence at the hands of a partner, and nearly 60,000 women seek refuge from abusive environments in women's shelters. Regardless of country of origin or creed, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that there was, and I quote, "one universal truth applicable to all countries, cultures, and communities.

Violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable." All of us, men and women, must unite by refusing to tolerate continued violence. Oscar Lathlin Tributes Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Mr. Speaker, there have been many tribut es paid to Oscar Lathlin, whose tragic passing occurred on November 2. I would like to speak about the events held to mark his passing which show the depth of respect in which he was held. A wake was held for Oscar November 7 at the Church of the Redeemer in Big Eddy. Hundreds of people attended and many people spoke about this quiet man and his gentle humour.

The next day, over 800 people packed Our La dy of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in The Pas for his funeral. On Friday, November 21, a unique ceremony was held when a special sitting of this House was called to honour Oscar's memory. The Minister of Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport (Mr. Robinson) carried in Oscar's feathered headdress and, in tribute, placed it on Oscar's desk in the Legislature. Each of the three party leaders reflected on his own memories of Minister Lathlin.

As Aboriginal drummers sang, Oscar's family, members of this House and 40 members of the Cross Lake Cadet Corps made a procession into the rotunda. It was a way for us to say goodbye and to thank Oscar's family for all the sacrifices they have made, allowing Oscar time away from his home in service of this province. I'll remember Oscar always as a quiet, effective leader, someone who was in my constituency whenever I needed him. I know how close he was to his wife, Leona, and how much he loved his children.

The last conversation I had with him the day before he died was about how much he enjoyed his granddaughter's birthday party. He was in good humour that day. I will miss him. He's left a big hole in our hearts. Rest well, dear friend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. * (14:30) Tundra Oil & Gas Regent Battery Mr. Larry Maguire (Arthur-Virden): Mr. Speaker, earlier this fall, I had the pleasure of attending the opening of Tundra Oil & Gas's newest oil battery near Regent, Manitoba, located about 20 kilometres northeast of Deloraine.

The Regent battery, as it's known, is one of the largest, most modern and up-to-date oil batteries in Manitoba. The new $4-million oil-processing facility will replace an older and smaller facility with four large holding tanks. Tundra's largest oil battery remains the Sinclair battery which came on-line three years ago. However, the Regent battery was able to incorporate the best aspects of the Sinclair battery and to include the latest, state-of-the-art technology as well. More than 300 people from Deloraine and area took advantage of the opportunity to tour the oil

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 93 battery. At that time there were 12 oil wells feeding directly into the facility and 12 more were expected to be connected this fall. The site was designed for easy expansion. The Regent battery will provide many benefits, including employment opportunities and economic development for the community as a whole. Tim Howell, Tundra's Virden-b ased vice-president of operations, said that the oil battery is, and I quote, a symbol of commitment for further development in the area.

I'd also like to point out that Tundra Oil & Gas has been a very thoughtful corporate citizen in Deloraine and the surrounding municipalities as they recently donated a good portion of a new fire truck to the Deloraine and R.M.s of Winchester and Brenda volunteer fire department. The truck was tested during a controlled burn and the fire department noticed that it used much less than a third of the volume of water that the old equipment used. This will be reflected in the fire department's water bills, but also in being able to sustain fire protection in cases where availability of water is an issue.

This oil battery will be a huge asset to the residents of Deloraine area. Local roads will also be retained in much better condition as oil moves through pipelines to the battery instead of by trucks. Once separated, water is recycled back into the oil field. This means fewer lo ads of full oil on local roads as the oil is removed to the pipelines. And, of course, today, I would like to commend Tundra Oil & Gas for their pilot project to capture carbon dioxide and inject it under pressure into the oil field for sequestration.

This pilot is the first of its kind in Manitoba, showcasing a commitment to innovation and forward thinking in the Sinclair area. I would like to recognize Tundra Oil & Gas in their ongoing work and in support of southwestern Manitoba. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Barry Fitzsimmons Ms. Erin Selby (Southdale): Mr. Speaker, I rise before the House today to recognize Barry Fitzsimmons's dedication and hard work coaching hockey in my community. On Friday, October 17, 2008, Barry Fitzsimmons was awarded the first ever Southdale Coach Recognition Award at the Southdale Community centre's annual volunteer dinner.

This award is given to volunteer coaches in recognition of the positive impact of their efforts. Barry begin his coaching career in Montréal with AA and AAA programs and continued to do here in Southdale when he moved to the area in 1995. At first he coached his son's hockey team and as his son grew up and left the program, he stayed on as a non- parent coach whenever he was needed. Barry was also instrumental in organizing four-on-four spring hockey fo r the first time ever in Southdale. He also had an influence on many of his former players who are now following his example by becoming coaches themselves.

I have heard from many of my neighbours in the Southdale Community centre's hockey program would not have been as successful or grown as large without Barry's dedication and hard work. I would also like to recognize that Barry had a lot of support from his wife, Linda, his daughters, Andrea and Tracy and his son, Mike during his 16 years of coaching. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I congratulate Barry Fitzsi mmons for being the first ever recipient of the So uthdale Coach Recognition Award. Thank you. Air Canada Flight Attendant Base Closure Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr.

Speaker, I want to just briefly provide comment in terms of the Air Canada flight attendant base and compliment the government in the sense that they, I believe, have taken the right action by taking or putting in a claim in court to try to protect those jobs that have been transferred. I do believe that it's very important that this Legislature not let that issue slide away. We're talking about 145 very important jobs that go even beyond the individuals that today are in those positions.

It also has an impact in terms of our future positioning in terms of that hub central, if I can put it that way, in terms of the transportation industry. We also need to be aware of Air Canada's potential threat that many already perceive is to close the pilot base. Air Canada today says that they have no intentions on doing that. I can tell you that there are pilots out there today that believe that Air Canada could do it.

So I compliment the government in terms of taking the action by making a statement in court, but I do believe that we can still do more in terms of approaching Air Canada corporate office in making sure that they follow what I believe is their legal

94 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 obligation to maintain the flight attendant air base here in Winnipeg. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS THRONE SPEECH (Third Day of Debate) Mr. Speaker: Resume debate on the proposed motion of the honourable Member for Southdale (Ms. Selby), THAT the following address be presented to His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: We the members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba thank Your Honour for the gracious speech addressed to us at this Second Session of the Thirty-Ninth Legislature of Manitoba.

And the proposed motion of the honourable Leader of the Official Opposition (Mr. McFadyen) in the amendment thereto. Standing in the name of the honourable Member for Selkirk, who has 29 minutes remaining. Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Mr. Speaker, I just started my address yesterday and was reminding members that this would be either the 18th or 19th chance we've had to–I've had a chance to speak to the various Speech from the Thrones and they seem to be getting better and better every year.

As I said, we have to, of course, begin on a sad note and that was the regrettable and sad passing of our good friend, Oscar Lathlin. As many have mentioned, Oscar was a quie t individual, but he was also a very powerful effective leader. He had his rough exterior but, when you got to know him, he was always a very gentle man as well. He supported me in different things. He ensured that I was a member of our government's contingent to the First Ministers' meeting on Aboriginal people, also known as the Kelown a Accord. He encouraged me to attend and I was obviously very grateful for him doing that.

It was a tremendous honour to be at the event and a tremendous thrill as well. He also supported Métis economic development. He and I were working on that. I know I'll be able to continue that with the current acting minister, the Member for Rupertsland (Mr. Robinson). He supported Aboriginal Awareness Days in Selkirk where, in the past, his department provided a $5,000 grant to help out what has turned out to be quite a very successful event. He supported the cas ino endeavour in the Brokenhead First Nation, and that, as well, Mr.

Speaker, has turned out to be an important economic achievement for Aboriginal people. Of course, as we know, he also supported the friendship centre. As a matter of fact, just about a month ago, I had the opportunity to represent the government at an announcement in Selkirk where our government is providing over a million dollars in capital improvements to friendship centres. The member's legacy will live on. I know it's up to us as members to ensure that it does. We'll have the opportunity in the week s ahead to discuss more of the impact that Oscar had upon our lives.

I'd also like to recognize Jim Maloway who decided to leave this Chamber and to seek federal office and was successful at the federal riding of Elmwood-Transcona. Jim was a good friend of mine and I'll miss him. I was trying to talk him out of running, but the opportunity was there. He's always had an interest in federal politics, so he decided to leave. I can only hope that his new whip that he has will have better luck with him than I did. Ms. Marilyn Brick, Acting Speaker, in the Chair Jim was a good friend; he was a good MLA but, one thing, he was not punctual.

We know that but he had a tremendous desire to serve his constituents. We know that he was very much involved recently with the pending Disraeli Bridge closure. He fought for community centres in his area. He was always interested in small business and finance issues.

I know that he'll take those issues and his passion for those issues into his new job as a member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona. * (14:40) What is interesting–I need to comment on this–is that what we've witnessed over the last while is the dramatic change in public policy in this country, and that is the embrace, the absolute embrace by the federal Conservative Party of Canada of deficit spending. It's understandable in a way, I guess, because when you look at history, it is the right-wing governments that have added billions and billions of dollars to provincial and national debt in this world.

When you look at presidents of the United States, like Ronald Reagan, and historians look at Reagan now and they admire him for his–you know,

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 95 he had a wonderful attitude, but the individual added billions and billions to the U.S. debt. He cut taxes, and he was very proud of cutting taxes to the very wealthy in the United States. Remember the trickle-down economics; he was very proud of that. Well, that left a tremendous legacy of debt in the United States. We all remember Brian Mulroney here in Canada. He racked up–every year we were spending $40 billion I believe–$40 billion alone just to service the debt in this country.

And, of course, the biggest spender of them all–and in a few more months the world will finally be rid of this individual–and that is George W. Bush, who this year alone it is estimated will add a trillion dollars to the debt of the United States. Again, George Bush, one of his legacies will be that he did reduce taxes. Again, he was a great tax cutter.

He believed in cutting taxes to the very wealthy in the United Stat es, and that's now leaving this tremendous legacy of debt that future generations will have to deal with, and, you know, President-elect Obama will be faced with a number of challenges: two wars, an economy that seems to be, well, not seems–definitely is in trouble, and this trillion-dollar deficit. Also, in Manitoba's situation we had, of course, Gary Filmon who ran the largest deficit up in Manitoba's history, well over $756–I believe–million in the early '90s.

It is the centre-left parties that, in fact, have reduced debt, and you never hear this from the Conservatives or the Liberal parties. But it is Bill Clinton after all–Bill Clinton inherited a deficit, and when he left office Bill Clinton–admit his shortcomings, but one thing he did do is that he did balance the budget, and he left the United States with a balanced budget. In fact, Bill Clinton, called himself a new Democrat.

Paul Martin, the federa l Liberals, I give him credit, you know, he was able to–and it was tough to do definitely–but he did reduce that huge federal deficit and left the Harper government with a $13-million surplus, and within two and a half, three years, they've already turned that into a deficit. Some analysts have projected that that deficit could be as high as $22 billion in the next number of years, $22 billion. What is their legacy?

Well, they cut the GST a couple of points and, although that means little to us, you know, when you buy a cup of coffee or so on, but it means a tremendous amount of less revenues for the federal government. It wasn't that long ago where Mr. Harper–I believe probably no coincidence that he was campaigning in the federal election that he said the Canadian economy will be fine. The fundamentals of the Canadian economy are good. Reminds me a bit of John McCain. Now I have a John McCain–excuse me, I have a McCain-Palin sign in my yard, excuse me, in my office, but it doesn't mean I was going to vote for him.

But that is exactly what McCain said. McCain said that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy are good and solid, and it wasn't that long after that, of course, he wa s forced to retract that. Now we're seeing the same thing at the national level where Harper is now for th e very first time–for the very first time yesterday Harper is admitting that we are into a recession.

So, during the federal election campaign, he said the fundamentals of the Canadian economy are good and just within a few months later he's now admitting that we're into probably–we don't know how deep the recession, but we certainly are in a downturn in our economy. Madam Acting Speaker, I think everybody knows we look–there's deep concern about the auto industry. In my own community, the Manitoba Rolling Mills, which is the largest private sector employer in the Selkirk area, they've seen their orders dry up, and they do a lot of their business in the United States.

They provide rails for the elevator industry and for the grader blades, it's called, for heavy construction and, regrettably, they've seen their orders begin to dry up. Right now, although they're not shutting down their operation, but certainly over the next number of weeks they'll be seeing a reduction in their level of activity. So there's obviously a deep concern that we could be heading that way. But, fortunately, the pundits still argue that our situation is good. We have a very competitive environment here in Manitoba. Our taxes are low. We've been able to reduce debt over the last while.

I think it was the Conference Board of Canada says the economy here in Manitoba, strong fundamentals will keep Manitoba's economy outlook buoyant this year. So, you know, our private capital investment is forecast to be up by 22 percent, which is No. 1 in Canada. Total capital investment in Manitoba is forecast to rise about 19 pe rcent, again, which is No. 1, Madam Acting Speaker. There are a number of very positive things as well that have been happening recently in my

96 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 community. I was joined recently by the Minister of Healthy Living (Ms. Irvin-Ross) where we opened the new Tyndall Building it's called, which is a $25-million redevelopment of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, and just last year I had the pleasure of opening the first new school in Selkirk in over 30 years. There have been significant highway upgrades in the Selkirk area: Highway 59, Highways 8 and 27 and, of course, it was mentioned in the Speech from the Throne that Selkirk will be getting a new hospital.

I've mentioned this before to members that our hospital, the one that we have now, is only about 27, 28 years old, but unfortunately, when it was built it was built to very substandard standards and regrettably it needs to be replaced. We could have ignored the problem as a government or we could have just shut it down, but that's not our option. That's not our position. We are going to build a brand new hospital in Selkirk, and the hospital, of course, is a regional facility. It will serve St. Andrews, St. Clements, the whole Interlake region. So it's an exciting time for our community.

We know that the building of this facility will help improve the construction industry in our province, but also in the local community as well. Madam Acting Speaker, I also, in conclusion, would just like to invite all members to attend the Safeway men's curling championship to be held next February in Selkirk. So, if members are interested in that, you can come to see me and I'll sell you a ticket. Thank you. Hon.

Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Acting Speaker, as a country and as a province, we are facing some stormy economic skies: many of the investments in stock markets in Canada have lost much of their value; seniors dependent on income from RRSPs; small businesses depending on income from sales when people have less disposable income; and those who are employed at businesses which are facing difficult times are already facing an uncertain future. In Manitoba, we are not immune to these difficult times. I hear already there are hundreds of Manitoba companies facing bankruptcy.

Many small businesses are facing very difficult circumstances. Many individual Manitobans are concerned about their own jobs. * (14:50) At such times as these, when the captain of the ship in Manitoba, the Premier (Mr. Doer) is staring into these stormy seas, the Throne Speech should have provided a vision of where we are going and how we are going to come through these difficult times. The vision of where we are going should give guidance to all in the province and help bring us together as a team in knowing we can all play a role.

We should be entering the stormy seas with all systems working optimally, and the role of the captain, in making sure this happens, is vital. We should be ready with some precautionary moves to enable those who are less fo rtunate to live and to survive in these troubled times. We should make sure, in spite of all the difficulties we face, that our children are well cared for and that they have the opportunity for optimum development and for opportunities for themselves and their futures. We all know that we're moving toward what is called the green economy.

An economy in which the products and services for which consumers will be most keen in the futu re are those which are environmentally beneficial rather than products and services which are polluting. In this context we're pleased with the government's decision to follow our Liberal lead in moving to ban plastic bags and to promote bags which are re cyclable. Globally, there will be expanded use in the years to come for bags which are made of agricultural products, like cornstarch and hemp, and much less use of traditional plastic bags.

Moving in this direction helps the planet and it also helps Manitoba's position in the development, production and marketing of recyclable bags. But in other areas, the direction is less clear. The Throne Speech does not set the direction, in general, toward a green economy, as it should have done. It lacks a good GPS or even a compass. No sense of where we're going. There's a scattergun type of approach. Let's talk about where the Throne Speech talks of ending logging in provincial parks.

Good objective, but one presumes that there will be a change in jobs from those in the logging industry to those in the ecotourism industry. The Speech from the Throne lacks the comprehensive effort to build the ecotourism industry in Manitoba in a way that will be sustainable. Are people to be trained or retrained for the jobs of the future? Where is the infrastructure going to be? Are we doing a good job in training for the jobs which may not be there in the future, or are we really ahead of the game in preparing for the future jobs?

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 97 There's a real lack in this Throne Speech of what the green economy will look like, where the jobs will be and how we'll get there, maintaining and expanding jobs and opportunities for Manitobans. This should have been in the Throne Speech, but it was not. As I have said already, we should be going ahead into these stormy seas, months ahead, with all systems go. Certainly, in nine years, Gary Doer and the NDP have had more than enough time to get things working properly, all systems go. But as we've seen recently many system s in Manitoba are not go.

Affordable housing is in a crisis, as was made clear at a recent forum at St. Ignatius Church. Diseases like FASD and diabetes are at epidemic proportions in our province. The incidence of diabetes is increasing every year. There are big systemic problems in our regional health authorities. There is a crisis in Child and Family Services. All these problems could and should've been sorted out before we entered this stormy weather. But they all continue to be major issues which are unresolved because of nine years of inadequate action.

Let me talk for a moment about the diabetes epidemic which is occurring in Manitoba. We all know that the epidemic is happening. The statistics show that the increase in the number of Manitobans diagnosed with diabetes is increasing every year, and yet the present government, in nine years, has done very little about it. Certainly, they haven't tackled it like an epidemic and started to turn it around so that we see the numbers decreasing. Certainly, when we're dealing with SARS or flu epidemics, or a variety of other epidemics, we would expect a major mobilization of effort in the province.

When we've seen this in the past, we've been able to have a decrease in the incidence of the disease that we're concerned about, get things under control and move forward, preventing the problems. But this is not happening in Manitoba. What's being done to date is not effective. Increasing numbers of people are diagnosed with diabetes every year. We should begin with up-to-date reporting of new cases of diabetes instead of information which is weeks, months, or years out of date. When we've asked for this it's always been years out of date. This year we got data for 2006.

When former Minister Sale was there it was about three years old and it's not good enough. We should have clear, well-organized provincial actions to address the epidemic and to turn it around. We don't. Indeed diabetes wasn't even mentioned in the Throne Speech. To have this huge epidemic, this devastation of people, the loss of legs due to amputation, the heart disease, the chronic kidney disease, the blindness and other problems happening all over the province on a daily basis and it's not even mentioned in the Throne Speech.

The failure of the NDP government to act effectively to reduce the number of new cases of diabetes is having huge consequences when it's not even being treated as an epidemic, when there's not even a serious, really se rious effective effort to reduce the number of cases in diabetes, when Manitobans are suffering such serious life- threatening problems and the government, instead of talking about preventing diabetes, is forced to reiterate again and again how it's spending huge amounts of money on new dialysis units which are necessary to treat because they have not been able to prevent type 2 diabetes which is a preventable disease.

The government sadly has done little more than twiddle their thumbs as the epidemic gets worse and worse. Shame on the government for doing so little and for not even mentioning diabetes in the Throne Speech. Similarly, FASD was not even mentioned in the Throne Speech in spite of the need to address this critical and important issue, to ensure we have effective approaches to monitoring and reducing the number of children born each year in Manitoba. It is as if this government has given up on preventing illness in Manitoba.

Well, we're never going to have a good health-care system until we can prevent problems like these. We will never have a sustainable, affordable health-care system until we start in preventing in a major way these sorts of medical issues. It speaks, Madam Acting Speaker, to the major systemic problems in our regional health authorities. It's not only the government centrally and its effect but all over the province there are problems. The recent report of what happened to Brian Sinclair said loud and clear that there are huge systemic problems in our regional health authorities.

The minister even admitted responsibility for these huge problems. I'm pleased that she did so, but there are many more. The emergency rooms in Virden closed for months and months, people lacking the basic access to an emergency room in their community or for miles and miles, not good enough what's happened, major

98 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 systemic problems in our regional health authority system. Indeed I am hearing from many that they are so fed up with what's happening, that if the RHAs are not dramatically reformed, we are going to have a major push to get rid of the RHAs all together. It's starting.

We need to reform them if we are not going to have some other change which may or may not be better. * (15:00) Certainly what's happening at the moment in health care is a major problem and, of course, it's particularly disturbing when we hear, as we have recently, that highly resp ected physician, Dr. Larry Reynolds, has been treated very badly by the health-care system that th e Premier (Mr. Doer) and the Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald) are responsible for. Dr.

Larry Reynolds, who's originally from Manitoba, believes in the province, went elsewhere to get further training, did some outstanding research which has been acknowledged worldwide. Interestingly enough, it is Dr. Reynolds' research which has laid the foundation for the treatment and the help of mothers who are giving babies by general practitioners and midwives , because it was Dr. Reynolds's research which showed that the care given by general family physicians and midwives, coupled together, was as good as the care–this is for low-risk births–was as good as the care as that given by specialists.

It was his research work which has laid the way for the increase in midwives and the practice of midwifery in Manitoba and many, many other places. Yet now, sadly, Dr. Reynolds is being rejected by the system which he has tried to help so much and for which he has worked so hard. He was recruited here to much fanfare. He became head of the Department of Family Medicine at the university and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The Acting Speaker (Ms. Brick): Order. Mr. Gerrard: He worked– The Acting Speaker (Ms. Brick): Order.

I'd just like to remind members that we have the loges available, if they wish to have private conversations. I thank all members for taking advantage of that opportunity. Mr. Gerrard: Dr. Reynolds, in his five years–his tenure of the Professor of Family Medicine and the head of the department–worked very hard to promote and enhance the role of family physicians in Manitoba. He worked very hard to recruit family physicians to our province. He is highly respected, highly respected by medical students, highly respected by his patients.

To have somebody write to me as they did, somebody within the health-care system, who has worked with many, many, many physicians–in this case in an emergency room–and say that of all the physicians that he has ever worked with, it was the patients who saw and were treated by Dr. Larry Reynolds, who had the most compliments, the greatest respect. He was an extraordinary physician of very, very high calibre. Dr.

Reynolds was responsible for much of the effort to try and bring more family physicians into Manitoba, to build up the position, the career and the environment for family physicians in this province, so that other family physicians would come, so that new graduates would stay. It's incredibly sad that now government which talks about wanting to have family physicians, which is dealing in many parts of Manitoba still with problems of access to family physicians, is now turning on the very physician, Dr.

Larry Reynolds, who led the charge in this province to have better conditions for family physicians and more family physicians. One can ask: How could that be? Madam Acting Speaker, I don't know what has happened. Obviously, something very terribly has gone wrong. If this government, as the Premier (Mr. Doer) said, doesn't even know who Larry Reynolds is when he should've been– An Honourable Member: I didn't say that, Jon. Mr. Gerrard: Well, I will wait and see what Hansard says tomorrow. An Honourable Member: No, he doesn't know the person, Jon. He doesn't go out and do surgeries either. Mr.

Gerrard: I will wait for the reading of Hansard and we will see exactly what it says. Thank you. But this is a circumstance, Madam Acting Speaker, which if you're going to have a good system, you have to be ready to stand up and defend the people who have helped build the system which

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 99 you want to have helped, stand up and support a system based on family physicians and, clearly, he's not had support from this government. That may be one of the reasons why we have not done as well as we should have done in recruiting and retaining family physicians in this province and why, given what's happened, we are likely to have a lot more difficulty. As I said earlier, let me move on, this time to the crisis in Child and Family Services. There are some 48 children who have died in care from homicide since 1997. It is tragic.

I have almost daily calls with concerns. I have called, as members heard recently, for an approach which ends the culture of blaming and starts a culture of learning from success, from Aboriginal communities which have few children in care, from children raised in foster homes who've done well, from the many CFS workers and foster parents who are successful in doing an outstanding job.

This government, sadly, has had its head in the sand and has yet to fully implement the changes recommended in many reviews as the government itself has acknowledged in the Throne Speech in its meagre eight lines dealing with this whole subject. We should have had a much clearer measure to help those who will be badly affected by the economic turmoil. Seniors resource centres should have been boosted. Prevention of health problems like diabetes and FASD and, in particular, mental health issues should have been emphasized.

In a recession, the people are scared about their jobs; mental health issues come to the fore. There should have been a major effort in this area, and yet there wasn't. We have many questions: Why is diabetes not being treated like the epidemic that it is? Why, after nine years in power, is ther e no sign of the epidemic being halted and reversed? Where is the effort to help those with mental health issues and to prevent further mental health issues from developing? This Throne Speech lacked in some other areas as well.

It was a failure to pay enough attention to Lake Winnipeg, to the measures to keep Lake Winnipeg environmentally and economically as prominent and as important as it has been. We know that Lake Winnipeg is in difficulty, that there are huge algal blooms, and yet the government has failed to recognize this, failed to build upon this, failed to take the measures which will ensure that we turn this situation around. There's a lack of a coherent plan in many areas, a lack of a coherent plan that deals with lots of the issues that are vital importance to Manitoba.

Therefore, I now move, seconded by the MLA for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), THAT the amendment be amended by adding the following after clause (q): But this House further regrets: (

r) that the speech does not provide a coherent plan to address the plethora of health-care problems, such as the diabetes epidemic sweeping the province, overburdened health-care professionals and lengthy wait times; and (

s) the speech does not provide a coherent plan to identify the growing number of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and to improve the design and effectiveness of programs to prevent and treat FASD; and (

t) the speech fails to deal with the need to ensure adequate numbers of health-care professionals and adequate health care for those in rural Manitoba; and (

u) the speech fails to provide Manitoba's agricultural sector with a coherent plan to assist producers in times of financial hardship or to transition into more environmentally sustainable practices; and (

v) that the speech fails to recognize the importance of Lake Winnipeg to all Manitobans by not providing a strategy that will keep Lake Winnipeg environmentally and economically viable for generations to come; and (

w) that the speech fails to recognize the urgent need for government to invest in green energy which will promote job creation and growth in these uncertain economic times; and (

x) that the impending economic turmoil will have the greatest effect on the most vulnerable people in Manitoba, and the speech does not provide a framework as to how the government will assist those who live in poverty, are low-income earners, are seniors, children or those who have debilitating physical and mental disabilities. * (15:10) The Acting Speaker (Ms. Brick): It has been moved by the honourable Member for River Heights and seconded– Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

100 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 The Acting Speaker (Ms. Brick): Dispense. The motion is in order. Mr. Drew Caldwell (Brandon East): I t i s a privilege to stand today in the Manitoba Legislature and speak to the 2008-2009 Throne Speech on behalf of the citizens of Brandon East. It is also a true honour to represent the constituency of Brandon East, a constituency that has long been recognized as one of the most progressive in our province and one which has always been active in working to make my community the best it can be.

I am very grateful for the support of my community and am committed to always putting the interests of Brandon first. The Throne Speech debate provides an opportunity to both review the good work our government has done together with so many people in Brandon East to help our city prosper and to look forward into the futu re with our ongoing commitment as a government to continually work for the benefit of Brandon. Health care remains the most important issue we face today.

When our government was elected to office, Brandon's health-care infrastructure was mired in the 1950s, and citizens were disillusioned by more than a half-dozen broken promises to address the severe health-care infrastructure deficit over the 11-year term of Gary Filmon. Indeed, during this dark time, not a single, meaningful improvement was made to Brandon's health-care infrastructure, and some 200,000 people in western Manitoba were left with crumbling facilities.

I am proud to say that the first infrastructure investment we made upon being elected to office was a $50-million development of the Brandon Regional Health Centre. This investment revitalized my community's crumbling health-care infra- structure, added six state-of-the-art surgical suites to the centre, created a neonatal unit for new families, and expanded tremendously the emergency room capacity available to all citizens in need.

This investment was quickly followed by the complete replacement of Brandon's aging ambulance fleet, the installation of Manitoba's first magnetic resonance imaging unit outside of the city of Winnipeg, and the development of the downtown Health Access Centre. In short order, several million dollars more were allocated to the revitalization of the Westman Laboratory, reaffirming the important role this facility plays in supporting Manitoba's diagnostic services infrastructure.

In this Throne Speech, building upon earlier commitments, we are pressing ahead with the building of the $25-million CancerCare Manitoba treatment facility in Brandon. Upon completion of this centre, some $100 million will have been invested in Brandon's health-care infrastructure. Although the Conservative opposition has voted against every single penny of this investment, I'm proud of our government's historic commitment to building health-care infrast ructure in Brandon and pledge to continue investing in this infrastructure for as long as we hold office.

Education and providing a solid footing for the development of a high-skill, high-wage economy in Manitoba is also of the highest importance to our government. In Brandon, this has met historic and unprecedented levels of investment in our public school system, historic and unprecedented levels of investment in Brandon University, and historic and unprecedented levels of investment at Assiniboine Community College. Providing real hope and a prosperous future for young people in our region is central to this strategy.

While Brandon has seen the expansion of public school infrastructure, most notably elementary school gymnasiums and the creation of a life skills wing at Neelin High School, and while Brandon University has seen the construction of the health studies building and the Aboriginal counselling centre, it is at Assiniboine Community College that our ongoing investment in educational excellence is greatest. Building upon the development of the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts, this Throne Speech highlighted the construction of the $45-million Len Evans Centre for Trades and Technology.

The Len Evans Centre, which would double the number of trade students able to undertake their education at ACC, is a direct response to industry's great need for skilled trades people and will support youth in accessing world- class educational facilities in western Manitoba. This project, the second phase of the historic development of Assiniboine Community College on Brandon's North Hill, expands upon the redevelopment of the outstanding heritage architecture of the former BMHC campus.

When complete, Assiniboine Community College will have the most architecturally outstanding college campus in Canada and draw generations of young people to a future in Brandon.

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 101 In addition to our unprecedented investment in Assiniboine Community College, the 2008-2009 Throne Speech also committed to the construction of a new physical plant fo r Brandon University, a much-needed enhancement to that institution which will give Brandon University the capacity to expand and grow far into the future. While health care and education are fundamental areas of importance for our government's ongoing investment in Brandon, community and road infrastructure, Madam Acting Speaker, also have our attention.

Neighbourhoods Alive! continues to build our community, supporting funding of the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, the construction of affordable housing in Brandon, the development of parks and children's playgrounds in Brandon, the improvement of downtown storefronts and making possible the undertaking of special community projects. This modest $250,000 annual commitment makes a very real difference in improving neighbourhoods in Brandon East and in improving the lives of those of us who make Brandon East our home.

Our government's support for the Memorial Cup in Brandon will also place the city on the national stage in the years to come and will help to address the revitalization of the Keystone Centre. On the road, bridge and street infrastructure front, the Throne Speech reaffirms our commitment to the further development of the Eastern Access route in Brandon. This route, which was begun during the Schreyer administration by my distinguished predecessor, Len Evans, has seen considerable investment made by successive NDP administrations and we are determined to continue supporting its development until completion.

Of course, the most prominent road infrastructure project presently under way in my community is the $17-million twinning of the 18th Street Bridge over the Assi niboine River. During the past two construction seasons, our government has repaved 1st Street, repaved Richmond Avenue, repaved 18th Street, and with the work under way on our bridges, total investment will soon be above $20 million in the past two years alone. This year we will continue to support the work of Renaissance Brandon in revitalizing our historic downtown. We will also continue with our policy of targeted tax reductions for Manitobans.

Indeed, our government has reduced taxes at every level– personal taxes, property taxes, business taxes and corporate taxes–since coming into office, while at the same time tabling nine consecutive balanced budgets, providing regular increases to the minimum wage and targeting investment to the areas of most importance to Manitobans. Our funding contributions to municipalities, including direct support to fire departments, police services, transit systems and waste-water treatment plants, are unprecedented in Manitoba history.

Above all else, and what I am most proud of in the 2008-2009 Throne Speech, is our government's commitment to the environment. A number of years ago, we made the historic commitment to seek UNESCO World Heritage Site status for the east side of Lake Winnipeg, seeking to forever protect our continent's largest remaining tract of boreal forest and the spectacular ecosystem contained therein. A couple of years ago, our government placed a moratorium on hog barn development in our province and we subsequently legislated a no-development zone in the last session.

Protecting our water resources, whether through the funding of new waste-water treatment plants, or through respecting science and future development, is of vital importance to our government. * (15:20) Since our election, we have built Manitoba's first wind farm, expanded support for geothermal energy, provided incentives for hybrid-car purchases, expanded solar-energy uses, put a renewed focus on sustainable hydro development and begun the elimination of coal-powered plants in our province.

The 2008-2009 Throne Speech builds upon this record by protecting our forests and ending the practice of logging in provincial parks. This initiative is historic in scope and virtually unprecedented in North America. Manitoba has been recognized by the David Suzuki Foundation as being a world leader in developing and implementing green environmental policies. We are on track to meet and even surpass our Kyoto commitments. This is a record we plan to build upon in the future, not merely by talking the talk, but by walking the walk.

We are a green government in word and in deed, and all of us in the New Democratic Party of Manitoba are fully committed to building a better future for our planet. The 2008-2009 Throne Sp eech is a testament to our government's commitment to Brandon and a testament to our government's commitment to

102 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 Manitoba. It is a privilege to support it wholeheartedly, Madam Acting Speaker. Mr. Leonard Derkach (Russell): Madam Acting Speaker, I get this opportunity every time we have a Throne Speech to respond to it and, I think, those of us in this Legislature should feel extremely grateful about the fact that we have been elected by our constituents to be able to respond either negatively or positively, or assess the Throne Speech from our own perspectives. I know our own perspectives sometimes differ from this side of the House to the other side of the House.

In this case it's also true but, before I start into my comments on the Throne Speech, I want to say that I represent a wonderful constituency on the west side of this province, one that is blessed with the wonderful resources of the natural beauty of Riding Mountain National Park on the north end of my constituency, running right through to Clear Lake and McCreary.

Then on the south of Riding Mountain we have the beautiful rolling land which provides an excellent form of agricultural activity throughout my constituency, but even more important than the resources that we have there, Madam Acting Speaker, are the wonderful people of the constituency and I am honoured and privileged to have the privilege of serving them as their MLA. Madam Acting Speaker, one other event that I want to highlight–and this is a time when I can truly say that this Legislature from time to time does come together in unison when we see an issue that is important to us to support.

I want to thank the members of this House for supporting the Bill 217, the Holodomor memorial day act. This past week, we saw the culmination of the event with a celebration and a service–not a celebration, but a commemoration and a service at City Hall. Throughout the previous week, there were a number of events that took place wh ich, I guess, explained to the people of our province in more detail the horrors that occurred in 1932 and 1933. I want to thank the Member for Burrows (Mr. Martindale), who seconded the bill, and also members of this Legislature for unanimously supporting the memorial day act.

Today, because of the move that was taken by Manitoba as one of the first provinces to recognize this as a genocide, the Parliament of Canada also passed a national day of commemoration, being the fourth Saturday of November. Madam Acting Speaker, when we turn our attention to the Throne Speech that was just read by His Honour to this House last week, I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed that the Throne Speech didn't contain a vision for where this government was going in a time when the downturn of the economy was facing us quite squarely.

One needs to take account of what has happened over the course of the last number of years that this government has been in office and look at what type of activities this government has been engaged in to prepare for times when we have to, perhaps, regroup and look at a downturn in economic times and how well this government has prepared itself and the citizens of this province for such a time. We are, indeed, in the midst of that kind of economic downturn. It happens cyclically in this country and in the world and we are living through that at this current time.

In the Throne Speech that was provided, we did not look and find any kind of appropriate measures that this government was prepared to take to deal with the circumstances that are before us. I had heard prior to the Throne Speech, in press releases that were issued before the Throne Speech in anticipation of the opening of the session, that the government would be making an economic statement. That was the first time that I recall in the number of years I've been here that a government was coming forward with an economic statement together with the Throne Speech.

We're still awaiting that economic statement because we did not hear that in the Throne Speech. I'm hoping that in the next few days this government is going to screw up its courage and have the Finance Minister stand up and give us a bit of an economic forecast, an economic statement as to where this government is going to go because there was a complete lack of it in the Throne Speech. I heard this morning that the Minister of Finance for the Government of Canada is looking at bringing a budget in earlier because of the economic realities that this country is facing. Manitoba is not immune to that.

I'm wondering what is happening with our government, our Minister of Finance, in terms of his preparing Manitobans for the time that we are living through currently. This has an impact on every single family in this province. It has an impact on their finances. It has an impact on the jobs. It has an impact on the livelihoods of every Manitoban that's living in this province because its impact is going to be felt not

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 103 only to those individuals, but in your families, and also, in the economy and the finances of our province. The government of Manitoba has depended heavily in the last nine years on federal transfer payments. Up to 34 percent or more of the current budget is made up of federal transfer payments, federal equalization payments, money coming directly to Manitoba from Ottawa. We are probably the only have-not province in this country that has done so poorly in terms of trying to have its own house in order.

We are depending on other provinces to contribute from th eir revenues to help sustain the economy of our province. That's kind of a shameful way to conduct business, but it appears that this government is proud of that fact and continues to pride itself on the fact that it can extract those dollars from Ottawa. What happens when that money runs out? What happens when the economy dictates that Manitoba is either going to flatten out in terms of its receipts–in fact, I think there are some new realities on the horizon where we may even see less transfers than we saw before.

I think that's what the Finance Minister nationally is concerned about. That is why he is going to be coming out with an earlier budget rather than a later budget, to ensure that our country is on stable footing. But what is Manitoba doing? Well, if you look at the Throne Sp eech, there is very little that we're going to do. Yes, we're going to ban logging in this country. Now that's going to help the economy a lot, isn't it? But there's one place that we're not going to ban logging and that's the Duck Mountain. Of course, that's in my area; it's north of my area.

But indeed, probably the political reason for not banning logging in the Duck Mountain is because both the Member for Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk) and the Member for Dauphin-Roblin (Mr. St ruthers) share that constituency and that is where the Duck Mountain is located. The reality is that a ban on logging in provincial forests is not going to do anything for our economy. As a matter of fact, it's going to be a negative driver in terms of where our economy is going.

If you look at the sustainable growth of forests in Manitoba, and this is a fact, it's not fiction, as a matter of fact we today enjoy greater forests than we had 30 years ago. It is because of the conservation measures that have been taking place over time. * (15:30) Nobody has moved out to ban logging in certain areas of the province b ecause they are called provincial forests. Why is Nopiming different than Duck Mountain? Can anybody tell me that? Can anybody suggest to me why Duck Mountain is treated differently than Nopiming Park is treated.

Madam Acting Speaker, I think, by and large, this government has shown us in the past that it is very political in the way it administers its affairs, and we saw that with the ban on hogs. Again, very political in the way that the ban was conducted and under the guise of protecting Lake Winnipeg.

Well, if you really want to protect Lake Winnipeg, why didn't we address the issue of the effluent that flows through the river from the city of Winnipeg, the raw sewage that is dumped into the river from the city of Winnipeg–and yes, we are, but it's going to take us a number of years before we can actually say we're doing anything positive and constructive. The government has been throwing money around as though it grows on trees. Madam Acting Speaker, if you look at, for example, the hydro line that was proposed.

Now everybody who I know who has any credibility has come out against the government in terms of where the government is planning to locate its transmission line, but yet the government continues to push its agenda ahead despite the criticisms, despite the opposition that is coming forward because this government feels it knows best. Even Manitoba Hydro has indicated that this is not their course that they have chosen in terms of the proposed hydro line.

This is purely a political maneuver by this government, a political decision made by this government to locate the hydro line where they want it rather than where the practical aspects and the economics dictate that it should be. Yet at the same time they are proposing to construct a highway along the east side of Lake Winnipeg. Now you tell me where there's going to be more destruction of forest. Is it going to be in a hydro line or is it going to be in a road?

Anybody who knows anything about construction of hydro lines and construction of roads will tell you that a road will take up more of the treed area than hydro lines will. Madam Acting Speaker, this government hasn't prepared this province for the new economy. It hasn't

104 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 prepared this province for a downturn in the economy, and yet they are sitting back today, they are not coming forward with any kind of economic vision and economic plan on how we're going to do and how we're going to deal with the issues in the future. Madam Acting Speaker, I live in the rural part of this province and I'm proud to call rural Manitoba my home. There was a time in the history of this province not that long ago when a government paid attention to what's happening in rural Manitoba.

They paid attention to what was happening in the north, and they paid attention to what was happening in the cities, but we have a government today that pays attention to what's happening in the city, pays attention to what's happening in the north, but they completely ignore the rural part, the southern rural part, the agro part of our province. Now my colleague the critic for Agriculture has called on this government on many occasions to stop attacking the livelihoods of thousands of Manitobans by its policies that it is forcing on the rural part of our province, but we don't see any specific programming.

Now in the Throne Speech I read a couple of lines about this government kind of going back to the future. They were looking at programs that were developed by a former government, a former Minister of Rural Development, and now they were going to attach a few dollars to those programs that were developed a long time ago. There is no vision by this government as to where we could move in an innovative way in ensuring that rural Manitoba's economy is healthy.

As a matter of fact, the only reason rural Manitoba's economy is healthy is because of the people who live there, the resilience of its people in spite of what government is doing to them in a direct way by foisting all kinds of regulations and laws upon them that are negative to their way of life, negative to their economy and negative to their ability to survive. Madam Acting Speaker, we see this on a daily basis from this government. Now the only agricultural member that they have in their caucus is the Minister of Agriculture (Ms. Wowchuk).

She's the only one who's got any practical experience in agriculture– An Honourable Member: Don't insult Tom. Mr. Derkach: My apologies to the Member for Interlake (Mr. Nevakshonoff) because I know he raises goats. I know he is a prominent goat farmer in the Interlake– An Honourable Member: Sheep. Mr. Derkach: That's not cheap. I'm giving him credit for being– An Honourable Member: No, no, sheep. Sheep. Mr. Derkach: Oh, sheep he's raising, not goats. I thought it was goats. Well, he raises sheep. He is a sheep farmer– An Honourable Member: Not a cheap one. Mr.

Derkach: –and not a cheap one, but a sheep farmer, and, certainly, yes, there is one member, but he's having some difficulty. The Member for Interlake is having a little bit of difficulty clawing his way into Cabinet. I don't know, perhaps if he stays here long enough, he'll claw his way back in there. We certainly would look forward to his innovative ideas that he learned. I think it was in Russia he told me he learned some of these practices that he wants to put in place. We certainly look forward to some of his ideas but, Madam Acting Speaker, I want to get back to the serious side of the Throne Speech.

Rural Manitoba is a part of this province that's filled with resources, and whether it's northern Manitoba with its minerals or, in fact, southern Manitoba where we have oil deposits, we have potash deposits and yet very little, if anything, is being done to ensure that those deposits are being not exploited but are being used to the maximum of the benefit of the people of this province.

When we look across the border at Saskatchewan and we see what's going on in Saskatchewan with regard to the oil industry, right now my understanding is that there are at least two potash mines, possibly a third one, that will be built in the next–one is being built as we speak and it's about 40 miles from the border. Yet we have a government here who has that same opportunity. Now potash doesn't end at the border. The border of Manitoba wasn't created where the potash line was and there is opportunity.

Never has there been a time in recent history where it's been more practical to start investing into a resource that will not only create jobs for that region, but will create jobs for the entire province.

November 25, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 105 Yes, it takes leadership. It takes the leadership of a government to work with the industries to ensure that the climate is right for investment in this province. Just this afternoon, we heard the Leader of the Opposition question the First Minister about why it is that the mining industry of Manitoba has condemned the approach of this government in terms of Manitoba being the worst jurisdiction to be investing in the resource industry and in mining. Now, Madam Acting Speaker, the minister responsible says we are wrong, but then don't argue with us.

Argue with the people who put the reports out. Are you with the mining industry? Tell them why they are wrong, because I am sure that their research is a little better than the minister's research in this case. Why are companies not investing in this province and why are they investing in Saskatchewan? Why are they investing in Alberta? Why are there oil wells being drilled every day in Saskatchewan to the degree that they are? The minister says, they are here.

Yes, we've got one or two going fine, but if you take a look at the comparison of what's happening in Saskatchewan to what's happening in Manitoba, we are so far behind. I guess we are so far behind that the minister thinks we're first. If you look at the potash industry, this is a resource that we should be harvesting because there has never been a greater demand in the world for potash than there is right now. Now true enough, the downturn of the economy has an impact on the prices of potash, but the long-term outlook for potash is very positive. The minister knows that. You don't build a mine in a year.

It takes seven years to develop the resource. So, therefore, we should be doing the very thing that Saskatchewan is doing, and that is investing in that resource and making sure that on this side of the border, on the Manitoba side of the border, there is going to be a resource developed in the potash industry. I could go on and on. One of the social problems we have in our province, of course, is with regard to our senior citizens and with regard to the state of health care in rural Manitoba. Now I heard the Member for Brandon East (Mr.

Caldwell) just a moment ago talk about that wonderful list of positives that have occurred in Brandon. Yes, those were planned long before he became minister or became government. * (15:40) It was the former Member for Brandon West, Jim McCrae, who had a great deal to do with the fact that the Brandon general hospital was redeveloped and that the MRI was brought into Brandon general hospital. It was this government, and this government enjoyed the work that was done previous to it and, yes, the Minister of Health who's now the Minister of Justice (Mr.

Chomiak) was the individual who credited himself with doing all these things, and that's fine. That's how things go in government. The person who sows is not necessarily always the person who reaps the benefit, and in this case, that was true. Nevertheless, Madam Acting Speaker, if we look outside of Brandon, and you try to get yourself an appointment in Brandon general hospital right now, it's almost impossible. You're going to wait for weeks and months. As a matter of fact, it's the case throughout the province.

I have a constituent, Madam Acting Speaker, a maternity person, who was going to be giving birth, and we don't have a birthing in my hospital, so she was taken by ambulance to the Brandon general hospital because she was considered a high-risk case. [interjection] Now, I'm getting some hassle from my own caucus. This woman was taken from Russell to Brandon, to the general hospital, but, Madam Acting Speaker, Brandon general hospital couldn't help her either. So she was in labour at this point and was taken then from Brandon to the general hospital here in the city.

Now, I might say that this is a strange case, but it hasn't happened just once. It's happened a number of times. That just shows you the lack of the kinds of services that rural Manitobans are now living under. Madam Acting Speaker, look at the senior citizens of our province. Now, there are many people who need the services of a personal care home. Right now, in my community, there are 23 people waiting for personal care placement. The community of Russell, in the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority, was supposed to be the first town to receive a personal care home some nine years ago.

Today, if you ask the ch ief executive officer of the ARHA as to where that's at, she would tell you that it's not even on the radar screen. Why, Madam Acting Speaker? Why is it that this government has

106 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 25, 2008 abandoned rural Manitoba in every case, whether it's in the economy, whether it's in support to agriculture, whether it's in support to the schools and the health facilities in our province, or whether it's in the lack of support to the resource development of our province. Madam Acting Speaker, that's the characteristic of this government, and that is the lack of vision this government has for the well-being of our province and the growth of our province. Madam Acting Speaker, I failed to check the time in terms of how much time I've got left–eight?

But, I know there are others in this House who want to make some remarks, so I'll try to wrap my comments up as quickly as I can. We on this side of the House aren't going to condemn the government for its Throne Speech, but the Throne Speech lacked the vision that Manitobans would have expected from a government at a time when the economy is in trouble. This government shows that it has no plan for this province. I think it has shown clearly that there is no vision that it has for getting ourselves out of the slump that we're in. Yes, the Premier (Mr.

Doer) attended the all-premiers conference with the Prime Minister to make sure that there was some co-operation, but it is time for the Premier or the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger) to come forward with an economic statement that shows us the way of how we're going to get out of the dilemma that we're finding ourselves in, how this government is going to help stimulate the economic activity, not only of the north or the city, but indeed of the entire province. That's what this government needs to be challenged with and indeed that's why my leader, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr.

McFadyen), put forward the amendments to the Throne Speech, which, I think, make some sense, which show that there is some thought and that some work has gone into planning for what we should be doing in a time when our economy is at peril. So, Madam Acting Speaker, with those few remarks, I want to take the opportunity to thank my constituents for their resilience and for continuing to work hard to ensu re that they do their

part in a time when the economy is faltering, at a time when all of us should be working towards rebuilding the economy of this province right from one end of the province to the other. With those remarks, I thank you for the time, Madam Acting Speaker. Ms. Flor Marcelino (Wellington): What a wonderful place to be in Manitoba and in Canada where we are free to have different or differing opinions, and I beg to disagree with the opinions shared with us by the honourable Member for Russell (Mr. Derkach).

But, for now, Madam Actin g Speaker, I wish to say that it is with joy and pride that I stand today at the House to speak in favour of the Throne Speech, which sets out the clear and prudent plans for government to weather the economic storm looming on the horizon. But my joy is marred by deep sadness for the passing of a beloved colleague, the honourable Minister Oscar Lathlin. His passing is a personal loss.

I had just started getting to know Oscar, a colleague, a brother, a father, a grandfather, and it would have been a joy to have Oscar around and delight in his company, his humour, his practical insights, his wisdom. But much greater than my personal loss is the community's loss of a determined worker, a strong defender, advocate and champion of northern issues and concerns. Oscar might strike one as quiet and unassuming, yet, in meetings I had the privilege to attend, Oscar was an active participant in discussions. He eloquently expressed his concerns for situations obtaining in various northern communities.

He championed projects and programs that would provide education and self-sufficiency to members of these communities. For all this and more, Oscar will be greatly missed, and we who are left owe him a debt of gratitude for showing us great examples of strong, faithful and compassionate leadership. For this I and my colleagues are truly grateful, and to honour Oscar and his memory we will remember the principles he stood and fought for, and we'll continue the community initiatives and the deep concern he had for his constituents.

Madam Acting Speaker, I had a chance recently to speak with several members of my constituency. I asked them what they think of the Throne Speech. Not all of them offered a deep analysis of the sections of the speech, but in layperson and practical terms I was told they are hoping for the best and keeping their fingers crossed. Likewise, they affirme

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Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	39-3-4
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	39th 3rd hansardpdf 4.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
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