Manitoba Hansard — Sitting 2 (42nd Legislature, 4th Session)

42-4-2

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Fourth Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXVI No. 2 - 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 24, 2021 ISSN 0542-5492

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne, Hon. Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib.

GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey, Hon. Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek, Hon. Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan, Hon. Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib.

LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PEDERSEN, Blaine Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon, Hon. Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon.

Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC Vacant Fort Whyte

7 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, November 24, 2021 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it w ith certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. Please be seated.

An Honourable Member: Madam Speaker, on a matter of privilege. Madam Speaker: The honourable House leader for the official opposition, on a matter of privilege. MATTER OF PRIVILEGE Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (Official Opposition House Leader): I rise on a matter of privilege today. This is the first opportunity I have to present this matter in the House. The breach I will identify is un - precedented and requires research, confirmation of the facts and con sultation with the relevant authorities prior to being presented for consideration. The breach of privilege is straight forward, Madam Speaker.

The text of the government's Throne Speech was provided to media before being read into the official record of this House. The Throne Speech is a confidence motion and one of the most important motions considered by this House. I listened carefully to the Throne Speech yester - day and, apart from my profound dis appointment at the missed opportunity to show change from a failed policies of the Pallister gov ernment, the speech was, for all intent and purposes, the same as reported in the media prior to being read in the Chamber.

I made the point of confirming these facts once the text of the speech was distributed after the House rose. I table, Madam Speaker, the media articles in question. The authorities are clear on this question. The text of motions, bills and other matters for this House must be presented to the House itself first. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, cite the examp le of legis lation or motions being provided to media prior to being presented in the House as a paradigmatic example of a breach of privilege.

This is a matter for the House to resolve, Madam Speaker, and if –not for the gov ernment to sweep it under the rug. This is why it is im portant for a com - mittee of this House to examine how the breach of the House's privileges took place yesterday. As a result, I move, seconded by the member for Concordia (Mr. Wiebe), to immediately empower an all-party committee of this House to in vestigate this serious breach of privilege and to make recom men- dations to the House on how to avoid this situation from ever taking place again. Miigwech.

Madam Speaker: Before recog nizing any other members to speak, I woul d remind the House that remarks at this time by hon ourable members are limited to strictly relevant comments about whether the alleged matter of privilege has been raised at the earliest opportunity and whether a prima facie case has been established. Hon.

Kelvin Goertzen (Government House Leader): I'm reminded of former NDP Gov ernment House Leader Jennifer Howard who once said in this House that when the opposition doesn't have any issue with the content, they go to process, Madam Speaker, and I think that that's a bit of an issue here today. But there are really two issues that are at play here, Madam Speaker. There's the issue whether or not this is a serious matter and then there's the issue whether or not it is, in fact, a breach of privilege. The government will not take any sort of quarrel with the issue that it is a serious matter. The Premier's (Mrs.

Stefanson) already stated that it is a serious matter and is taking action on that within government, Madam Speaker. There is no arg ument that it's a serious issue. The issue about whether or not it's a matter of privilege is something entirely different, however, and I would cite a couple of sources. Speaker Hickes in this House in 2007, when addressing a similar matter, said that there are items that must be tabled in this

8 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 House, and, once tabled, those copies are officially made available to members. However, Speaker Hickes said that in the case of a throne speech this is a bit of an anomaly in that no copy of the speech is officially tabled through the House. It is read into the House, but there's not an official copy tabled in the House.

In addition, there are no formal rules and practices of the House that dictate when the government is free to release the Throne Speech, so Speaker Hickes said: I note that in the case of the Throne Speech, copies are not tabled or given to members, so I must rule that there is no rule or practice that the Speaker could be enforcing in this instance. That was NDP Speaker –well, Speaker of the House who was an NDP member, George Hickes. There is also a precedent from Ontario, which I'll reference.

Speaker Abbott [phonetic] in Ontario speaking to a similar issue, and he said on October 23rd, 2007, ruling in the Canadian House of Commons, indicated that there is no procedural authority for the claim that the premature disclosure of the Speech from the Throne constitutes a breach of privilege of the mem - bers of this House. It is, in fact, a parlia mentary convention but not a privilege. So, Madam Speaker, again, the government does take this issue very seriously and the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) has already indicated that, but it is not a matter of privilege by the precedents that I've stated in the House.

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, on the same point of privilege, I hav e a few comments. First of all, I note that the gov ernment has repeated on many occasions in the last few days that it wants a more collaborative approach. This is an op- portunity to follow through on that commit ment and have a more col laborative approach in working with other parties to identify problems and to look for solutions. The government has agreed that this is a serious matter.

There's no reason why a col laborative approach should not be used in every reason, as the Premier has repeated to use a collaborative approach. The question that has been raised by the House leader for the government is that this is not a breach of privilege because this docu ment wasn't tabled. Well, I submit, Madam Speaker, that putting the docu- ment in Hansard, it may not be tabling it, but it's every bit as any other way that you can make sure that it gets in the Hansard record. A nd I would suggest, as well, that this is Manitoba, it's not Ontario; you don't necessarily have to follow Ontario practice.

This needs to be looked at very carefully by yourself because it is, as both other House l eaders have mentioned, it is a serious matter. Thank you. * (13:40) Madam Speaker: A matter of privilege is a serious concern. I'm going to ta ke this matter under ad vise- ment to consult the author ities and will return to the House with a ruling. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Madam Speaker: Introduction of bills? Com mittee reports? TABLING OF REPORTS Madam Speaker: I do have a report to table. In accordance with

section 30(6) of The Advocate for Children and Youth Act, I am tabling the annual report of the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2021. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister for Health and Seniors Care, and I would indicate that the 90 minutes notice prior to routine proceedings was provided in accordance with our rule 26(2). Would the honourable minister please proceed with her statement. National Addictions Awareness Week Hon.

Audrey Gordon (Minister of Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery): This past Sunday marked the beginning of Manitoba substance use and awareness week. The theme for this year is Driving Change Together. It is our hope that by observing this week we can rally more support to this cause. A study from the centre of addiction and mental health noted that one in every five Canadian s will experience mental illness or addiction in their lifetime. Madam Speaker, this is an illness with symptoms often hidden by those living with it. They suffer in silence, sometimes to keep their loved ones from

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 9 worrying about them, sometimes because they feel if they speak up no one will listen. Our government is committed to improving the health and well-being of all Manitobans. Accessible, evidence-based mental health services are a key component of our health-care system. But if we are to address the problem of substance abuse, we must first confront the stigma toward people afflicted by it.

Today, on the steps of our Legislature, Overdose Awareness Manitoba has placed purple carnations in honour of those who have lost their lives to overdoses over the first six months of this year. Their work takes many forms, Madam Speaker. Together, their members gathered over 4,000 pairs of socks for the Main Street Project Socktober campaign. For that, and their ongoing work to raise awareness, I say thank you. I also want to thank those working on the front lines: police officers, firefighters, n urses and para - medics, who remain some of our most important allies in this fight.

But I want to extend those thanks further to social workers, crisis counsellors, community outreach co-ordinators, case workers, therapists and countless others who have m ade the well-being of others their life's work. For those who have recovered from their addiction and found peace in this new-found health, I am humbled by your strength and resilience. You stand as a shining example to those still struggling and proof to everyone that those challenges have not, and will never, define you.

To those still fighting their battle with addiction, those hundreds of people I have mentioned stand ready to guide you through your recovery and bear witness to the person we know you can be. The work of initiatives like the Spence Neighbourhood Association, Klinic Commu nity Health Centre and the Tamarack Recovery Centre are essential to our efforts to combat addiction. We cannot do this without organizations like them. Madam Speaker, this is why the theme is Driving Change Together. Those affected by addiction may believe they are alone, but this is just not true.

We see you, we hear you and we will, and can, help you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Mrs. Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): It's National Addictions Awareness Week, and when I recently spoke about addictions issues, the Minister of Health called me emotional. I take it as a compliment. I hope that one day the members opposite will gain enough awareness about 'Manitobas' suffer ing from addictions to get emotional about the issue too. Everyone knows that this PC government is failing on this issue.

Manitobans suffering from addictions know it, like Spyder Porth, who said that he felt, and I quote, hopeless after being turned awa y from treatment. Families know it, like the family of Lee Earnshaw, who died after being turned away from treatment at least five times. And health officials know it, like the W-H-R-A staff who wrote that there is, and I quote, a lack of provincial leader ship in dealing with the addictions crisis.

This government has frozen addictions –has frozen funding to addictions Manitoba during a pandemic, closed down Manitoba's only long -term treatment centre for teens with addictions and opposed safe consumption sites, and now we are set to record more overdose deaths this year in Manitoba than any other year prior. Overdose deaths have surged 44 per cent compared to last year's terrible toll. If Manitobans–if Manitoba hopes to even begin grappling with this crisis , a large intervention is needed.

We need safe consumption sites, barrier-free health care, more detox beds, treatment beds and, of course, wraparound services that include second stage housing and for this PC government to actually treat this as a public health crisis and to stop turning a blind eye and allowing Manitobans to die. These are preventable deaths, and this government has a responsibility. Last week, my own brother-in-law became one of those–these Manitobans who passed away from an overdose, so I know the dire–how dire the addictions here in Manitoba is.

I know that this government's words about awareness will hopefully lead them to immediate action , because it's needed now to save lives. Manitobans need this gov ernment to take action and not just simply put words on the record. They need to hold an inquest into Lee's death, spend the money needed to get all of those struggling with addictions in Manitoba access to the supports that they need. They need to help save lives–and get emotional.

10 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, I ask leave to speak to the minister's statement. Madam Speaker: Does the member have leave to respond to the statement? [Agreed] Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, this is National Addictions Awareness Week, Manitoba substance abuse and awareness week.

As the demonstration in front of the Legislature at noon today by Overdose Awareness Manitoba shows, we are ever more aware of the inadequacies of the present government's approach to addictions : 199 Manitobans died from overdoses in the first half of 2021–199 Manitobans. Before the election in 2016, five and a half years ago, members of the present government campaigned to address mental health and addictions together and to magically solve all the major problems with addictions treatment that existed then. It has not hap- pened. The situation, in fact, has gone from bad to worse.

The story of Lee Enshaw [phonetic] illustrates this. A respected commercial fisherman in British Columbia who'd been three years sober, he came to Manitoba in December 2020. Sadly, he started using fentanyl and became homeless. He wanted to stop using fentanyl, but needed help. He made f ive attempts to get that help to get detox to get him off fentanyl. Three were through the Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine, or RAAM clinics. He tried initially at the Main Street Project.

There were seven open beds for detox, but Main Street Project wo uld not accept him because these beds, though empty, were designated for people seen at RAAM clinics. Next he tried the RAAM clinics. This time, though, there were detox beds available at Main Street Project, they were not designated RAAM beds, so they could not help. After several more attempts to get help, on June 24th, he died from an overdose. There needs to be an inquest into the death of Mr. Earnshaw.

It will be instructive not only as to the problems with the current approach to addictions, but could also suggest some signi ficant im provements. Such improvements are badly needed. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Let us hope we can move on to a better world in which we have less addictions and substance abuse and less, much less, overdose as a result of this. Thank you. * (13:50) MEMBERS' STATEMENTS CareImpact Mr. Andrew Micklefield (Rossmere): Madam Speaker, if you have an unused kid's bike or bedroom furniture for a child's room , there may be a family nearby who could use what you no longer need.

Since 2014, CareImpact, a made -in-Manitoba charity with national impact, has connected and equipped com - munities to effectively journey with children and families experiencing hardship. Manitoba has many good people who do care but don't know what they can do. CareImpact bridges that gap by educating willing people to better understand poverty, trauma care, culture and reconciliation, all in the context of healthy collaboration. CareImpact partners with child -welfare pro fes- sionals who securely, confidentially and anonymously submit requests for needs of children, youth and families.

Current requests include size 9 boots for a single mother as well short-term meal delivery for an individual with unforeseen gaps in her surgery recovery plan. Individuals or com munity organizations view these needs and in turn respond both securely and in confidence. CareImpact has brought together 1,500 people in order to assist some 250 families , including more than 600 children with an esti mated benefit of nearly $250,000. I was pleased to support CareImpact with application for funding in 2020.

Their strategic use of resources resulted in many positive reports, including a 4.8 out of five rating by those who have benefit ed from their service. Poverty is everyone's business. We can't all do everything, but we can all do something to lend a hand and share another's burden. I encourage all members of this House and anyone watching to visit the activate, individual tab of the careimpact.ca website. CareImpact promotes generosity and community, and I commend their work and service to this House. Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Family and Community Wellness Centre Ms.

Danielle Adams (Thompson): Today, it is my pleasure to highlight the great work of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Family and

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 11 Community Wellness Centre in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, Manitoba. This centre is the first of its kind to be established in Canada, It uses a holistic approach to wellness and health. It provides a wide r ange of health and family services designed to support physical, mental, emo- tional and spiritual wellness, from conception and birth through to adulthood and elder care. I'd like to send a special shout-out to CEO Felix Walker and his staff for their hard work and dedication to the centre and its mission.

One of the accomplishments of the wellness centre and its success programs is the result of fewer children in foster care. Because of the work they do, children remain in the community with their relatives, families and the community is able to 'suppride' the supports that they need. The centre also provides daycare services and numerous activities for children of all ages. When it comes to health care, the centre provides everything from a wide variety of services, such as immunization, mommy and baby visits, flu clinics and environmental inspections, including mould and water.

There's also many important education pro- grams available, such as baby nutrition and develop- ment, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, STIs and diabetes management, just to name a few. A new program that is gaining momentum is the NCN Community Youth Cree Court, which will be a community-driven court system to evaluate and rehabilitate youth involved in minor criminal offenses. It's–once operational, the community court will have jurisdiction to handle youth crime and reduce overall representation of Indigenous youth in the Manitoba court system.

In every way possible the program at the Family and Community Wellness Centre focus on Indigenous traditions, culture, customs and language. It is a truly community-driven centre and reflects community values and beliefs. Please join me in honouring the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Family and Community Wellness Centre for all the good work they do. Lisa Spring Mr. Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure today to present Lisa Spring. Lisa is the host of Painted Turtle Lake retreat near Giroux, Manitoba. She was named the most hospitable host in Manitoba by Airbnb.

Title of most hospitable is based on the amount of five-star reviews left from a guest. Along with the five-star reviews, Airbnb critiques include communi- cation, check -in experience and cleanliness. With what is just a hobby to Lisa, her 'airnb' Painted Turtle Lake retreat was at the top of the list for the highest numbers of reviews at 100 per cent. Two years ago, Lisa became disabled from a severe chronic illness. Being confined to a wheelchair, the work could not be done on her own. Lisa shows much gratitude to her co- host parents and cleaning staff.

Lisa feels nothing short of privileged to have the opportunity to take over the family -owned land and run such a successful business. It's easy to understand why Lisa has been given so many five-star ratings when her most favourite part of hosting is just having guests on her property, sharing stories and adding history to her family's land. She strongly believes in doing her share to build a strong, positive community as a whole and is always grateful to her 'gress' –guests who made her vi sion a possibility. Please join me in congratulating yet another remarkable Dawson Trail hero, Lisa Spring.

COVID-19 Outbreaks in Schools Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): As our province enters the fourth wave of COVID -19 pandemic, a major concern has be en the increased outbreaks among students in our schools. Manitoba has declared as many COVID -19 outbreaks in schools within the first seven weeks of this school year as it did in all of the previous school years, but this government is not taking enough action to support our schools and keep children and families safe.

One of the affected schools is Ralph Maybank in my constituency, which recently experienced a major outbreak where 16 students, or 10 per cent of the school, tested positive for COVID -19, while there were 66 cases in the Fort Garry region as a whole. I was contacted by a concerned parent who said they were not properly informed and not enough measures were taken to control the outbreak. Ralph Maybank School is made up of mostly new Canadians and language barriers and lack of access to communication resources that many of us take for granted.

This government should be doing –going above and beyond to give schools the tools and resources to connect with families, such as making sure information is provided in various languages and

12 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 rapid response teams are in place when outbreaks happen. There is–also needs to be better emergency plan for remote learning, smaller class sizes, better ventila- tion to mitigate outbreaks. It is a scary th ing for parents to find out that there are COVID cases at their child's school, but even more so when they are not able to get the answers they need in a timely manner. After 20 months of this pandemic, this govern- ment should be better equipped to handle COVID outbreaks at schools.

I'm calling on this government to take action and do more to keep our kids safe at school. Ken Wiebe Hon. Cameron Friesen (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Bergman, Ching, Kinsman, Larke, McNaughton, McLeod, Penner. They are just some of the surnames of the local men and women who served their country in times of conflict from my area. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize chief warrant officer retired and former mayor of Morden, Ken Wiebe, for his work to establish a banner program commemorating the lives and service of local veterans.

Morden resident Ken Wiebe served in the Canadian forces for 29 years. He's a proud member of the Canadian Royal Legion Branch 11 in Morden. In 2018, Ken was reading a Canadian Legion Magazine about a street display of veterans memorial banners, and he thought about such an initiative for the City of Morden. The Morden Legion Memorial Banner Program received the support of local Branch 11 and the mayor and council , and it began.

The program is a partnership between the Legion that undertakes research and produces the banners, the families and friends of veterans who work to fund the projects and the City of Morden that affixes the banners to lamp posts each year. Printed on the banner is the name and photo of a local veteran, details about his or her life both during and following their service, their rank achieved, tours of service. Those banners that bear a poppy signify a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their life in service to their country and for the cause of freedom.

Banners were first went up in 2019 and every year since, and there is now 52 banners that are beautifully displayed on both sides of Stephen Street and in storefront windows. Banners are raised in the week following Thanksgiving and taken down after Remembrance Day. Throughout the year, a banner is always on display at the Legion and rotated every Friday. I invite all members of the Chamber to visit the Morden Legion website at mordenlegion11.ca and see the digital archive of these beautiful banners under the banners and bios section.

Ken, thank you for stopping by my constituency office to speak to me more about this important community initiative. Thank you for your leadership and your vision to preserve the memory of those who served their nation so bravely. * (14:00) ORAL QUESTIONS New PC Leader and Premier Congratulations on New Role Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): I want to take this op portunity to con - gratulate the new PC leader on her victory and to wish her well in her new role. Now, anytime there is a new premier, that is sig- nificant, but the member for Tuxedo is also the first woman Premier.

So I want to acknowledge her for that as well. Now, we know that we have many differences of opinion, to say the least, in the Chamber. But we also know that when Manitoba's gov ernment succeeds, that's good for everybody in the province, and it is my view that a strong opposi tion should make gov ern- ment better, so we will be offering many, many, many opportunities for the PCs to do better. I do have a question about the Throne Speech, but I figured I would begin with those comments. Hon. Heather Stefanson (Premier): Thank you, and I–thank you, Madam Speaker–and I want to thank the Leader of the Op position.

I think this is a great start and I look forward to more days of these kinds of questions. These are great questions before the Manitoba Legislature, and I look forward to those deliberations in the months and years ahead. I do also want to wish the Leader of the Opposition well. We look forward to seeing him and welcoming him back into the Chamber very soon, as soon as it's safe to do so. So we wish him very well.

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 13 I also want to take this op portunity, Madam Speaker, to extend our thoughts and prayers to all of our friends and relatives out in British Columbia who are going through a very, very difficult time right now. And, obviously, they are in our thoughts and prayers at these times. We will continue –I have spoken to Premier Horgan. We will continue to –as Manitobans do–reach out and help in any way we can to our neighbours. Thank you. Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question. Throne Speech Cost of Living Mr.

Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): There was a lo t missing from yesterday's Throne Speech. There was no mention of our second biggest city, Brandon, Manitoba. The PCs may want to look at a map to find out where that is. And, very concerning as well, there was nothing in the speech about the rising cost of living. Now, this is the No. 1 issue facing so many families in our–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Kinew: –province, and yet it appears that no map can correct how out of touch the PCs really are when it comes to the struggles of everyday families.

These are massive omissions, and they show serious problems with the Throne Speech. The price of everything is going up right now. Manitobans need a government that will make life more affordable, not less, like the PCs are wont to do. Why did the PC leader refuse to mention the rising cost of living in her Throne Speech? Hon. Heather Stefanson (Premier): Well, I thank the Leader of the Op position very much for that question. And it was great to have Mayor Rick Chrest here as part of the Throne Speech yesterday. We had a great discussion.

Only just a few days on the job, I was out visiting in Brandon, along with my colleagues from the Brandon area. And we met with Rick Chrest, we met with the chamber, we met with the Brandon Sun. We will continue to work together with those and our friends in Brandon. Madam Speaker, perhaps the Leader of the Opposition read a different Throne Speech than what was presented here yesterday, but, certainly, there was a great deal to do with economic recovery within that Throne Speech. I would refer him back to the Throne Speech to maybe have another look at it.

Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary. Health System Reform Pandemic Preparedness Mr. Wa b Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): Well, Madam Speaker, two days now without any mention of the rising cost of living facing Manitobans. Another issue that was very present in the Throne Speech yesterday is that the new PC leader won't condemn what Brian Pallister did to health care in Manitoba. There are so many thousands of Manitobans waiting for surgery. Seniors are being moved hundreds of kilometres away from their homes because of this gov ernment's failures.

ICUs are overloaded. We need a different approach if we want different results. Instead, it sounds like more of the same from the current government. Will the new PC leader acknowledge that the cuts made by Brian Pallister, and her as Health Minister, made the pandemic worse an d have damaged our health-care system? Hon. Heather Stefanson (Premier): I just want to take this op portunity to thank all of those who are working in our health-care system, those on the front line who are helping to–helping Manitobans, keeping them safe, keeping them healthy, Madam Speaker, and all the incredible work that they do.

In fact, this was mentioned in–a great deal and was highlighted in the Throne Speech that was delivered here by Her Honour yesterday, Madam Speaker. We touched on COVI D. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of the fourth wave. There are some challenges with respect to surgical and diagnostic backlogs. I want to thank the Minister of Health for the in - credible work that she's doing, along with her officials, along with those on the front line who are helping to address some of those issues. Madam Speaker: The honour able Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question.

14 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 Surgical and Diagnostic Backlog Request for Government to Address Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): Madam Speaker, still no condemnation of Brian Pallister's cuts to health care. Now, when we talk about the surgical backlog, everyone in the province seems to know somebody who's waiting for a surgery or for an important diag- nostic test. But did we see a plan to fix this in yesterday's Throne Speech? No. Doctors Manitoba were very clear, they said that, quote, Manitobans caught in this massive backlog, they need hope.

They need to see action and unfor - tunately, they were left waiting again. End quote. Of course, the PC cuts to health care have only made this situation worse. Manitobans have waited too long for the PCs to take action. Will the new PC leader commit to a date when the surgical backlog will be cleared? Hon. Heather Stefanson (Premier): The Leader of the Opposition and members opposite will know that, obviously, through COVID, it has caused some challenges within our health- care system; that's created significant backlogs with respect to surgical and diagnostic procedures.

That is nothing that is unique to Manitoba, Madam Speaker. That is something that we're facing all across the country. In fact, I was on a council of federation meeting just the other day, where–we want to ensure that we work together with the federal gov- ernment to deal with these surgical and diag nostic backlogs. I think, if we take that collaborative approach, as the member for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard) says, Madam Speaker, I think we can get through this together. Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Kinew: Well, Madam Speaker, since assuming office, the new PC leader has said many, many times on the surgical backlog, just wait for the Throne Speech, wait for the Throne Speech; don't worry, when you see the Throne Speech we'll address the surgical backlog there. But then yesterday came and went and there was nothing in the Throne Speech to fix the problem. Doctors Manitoba is calling for a date to clear the backlog. Nurses, patients, families are calling for one, too, and when we look at other juris dictions, as the Premier just invoked, other gov ernments have set dates as well.

Manitobans have waited long enough. They want to know when the province will actually get to the job of clearing the surgery backlog. Will the new PC leader take action today? Will she set a date when the surgical backlog will be cleared? Mrs. Stefanson: Well, in fact, Madam Speaker, we are already takin g issue with dealing with those backlogs. In fact, we have contracted with organi- zations and partners to perform over 11,000 additional procedures to begin to address the backlog that has been caused by COVID-19. We recog nize that's a start. Work con tinues to happen, Madam Speaker.

We will continue to work with Doctors Manitoba, those working on our front lines and our health- care system, our clinicians, all those working at Shared Health, all of those working in the departments. This is going to take all of us working together to get through this, and we will work together and make that happen. Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary. Mr. Kinew: Let's be clear: the surgical backlog was made worse by the cuts that the member for Tuxedo made as Health Minister, and that were ordered by Brian Pallister.

Now, today, we have 136,000 Manitobans wait - ing for surgeries and diagnostic tests, and a big part of the reason why is because of this PC gov ernment's cuts to health care. That's tens of thousands of Manitobans waiting in pain. * (14:10) If we don't set a date to get rid of this backlog, it will show that the new PC leader's approach is no different from Brian Pallister's. Will the PCs take ac tion? Will their new leader set a date to clear the surgical and diagnostic backlog? Mrs.

Stefanson: What I will say to the member opposite is that there's something that has been going on, not just in Manitoba but across the world. It's called a pandemic, the COVID -19 pandemic, which has caused surgical and diagnos tic backlogs not just

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 15 here in Manitoba, Madam Speaker, but across this country, and indeed in many places–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mrs. Stefanson: –around the world, and it will take all of us to work together to ensure that we tackle those backlogs. I just mentioned in my previous answer, Madam Speaker, that we're already starting to do that. We're– [interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mrs. Stefanson: –contracting out 11,000 services out there to address the backlogs. We will continue to take action to deal with this very important issue, Madam Speaker.

An Honourable Member: Now the real leader of the party. Madam Speaker: Order. The honour able leader for saint–oh. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Madam Speaker: The honour able Gov ernment House Leader (Mr. Goertzen) threw me off. Manitoba's Pandemic Response Call for Independent Inquiry Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): During this pandemic, Manitoba registered the second highest death rate across Canada. We sent 57 intensive- care patients out of province, where some of our relatives died, Madam Speaker.

Now, in the fourth wave of this global pandemic, Manitobans continue to be separated from their families due to insufficient ICU capacities, seniors are being moved across the province to make space for COVID-19 patients and care homes are still feeling overwhelmed as outbreaks pop up and staff depart. Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) call an in de- pendent inquiry into Manitoba's pandemic response today? Hon. Audrey Gordon (Minister of Health and Seniors Care): I thank the member for –from St. Johns for the question.

Our commitment as a gov ernment is to address the needs of all Manitobans, even during the COVID pandemic, which has been a very, very difficult time for everyone. We want to ensure that Manitobans receive the care that they need right here in the province, and we will continue to work with our health-care professionals across our five regions to ensure that equitable, safe and acces sible service is available today and in the future. Ms. Fontaine: Instead of focusing on addressing the provincial pandemic response and learning from mistakes, this new P remier is focused on her own internal conflicts.

She won't commit to an independent inquiry into the prov incial pandemic response because she's preoccupied right now investigating who leaked her Throne Speech yesterday. Madam Speaker– Madam Speaker: Order, please. Order. I would just remind the member that because the– that issue of a leak of the Throne Speech is before me for–as a matter of privilege –and therefore the topic cannot be brought up in the House. Ms. Fontaine: My apologies. Madam Speaker, Manitobans deserve answers to how this gov ernment, this PC gov ernment, utterly failed at protecting Manitobans and Manitoban loved ones.

Madam Speaker, will the Premier do the right thing and commit to an inde pendent inquiry into Manitoba's pandemic response? Ms. Gordon: Madam Speaker, our gov ernment is committed to ensuring that, as I said previously, Manitobans receive the care that they need, and one of the commitments we have made is to ensure that all 17 recommendations from Dr. Stevenson's report are implemented and that Manitobans and–who are residents in our care homes, all 125 of them, receive safe, equitable services. And that is our commitment as a government, and we will be moving forward with those commitments.

And I would ask the members opposite to get on board with our government in achieving those goals. Madam Speaker: The honour able member for St. Johns, on a final supplementary. Ms. Fontaine: Members opposite continue to say that there's no playbook in handling a pandemic, and yet we're almost 23 months into a global pandemic. There are lessons to be learned, but only if the members opposite listen to experts and, certainly, if they cared enough to call an independent inquiry.

16 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 This government cut health care, sent our sickest patients out of province and ignored the warning signs of nurses, doctors and health- care providers, and worse still, they don't want to be held accountable for the mess that they've created. Experts need to tell us what went wrong so that we can build a more resilient, responsive health -care system for Manitobans. Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) do the right thing today and call a independent inquiry? Ms. Gordon: Madam Speaker, we are listening to Manitobans.

We've had the benefit of sitting around tables with First Nations, Indigenous, Inuit, Métis individuals to hear their feedback about care in the North and in rural communities. We are meeting with legal–health experts and individuals from right across our province. We are listening. We are taking action, and we will continue to move forward in ensuring that Manitobans receive the care that they need. Surgical and Diagnostic Backlog Request for Government to Address MLA Uzoma Asagwara (Union Station): Madam Speaker, the backlog of surgical and diagnos tic procedures has swelled to over 136,000 Manitobans.

That's totally unacceptable. The Conservative govern- ment's promises have come too late and without necessary action. They aren't making any progre ss. For families facing waits of months and even years, the Minister of Health offers, and I quote, thoughts and prayers. End quote. Manitobans deserve so much more, and Manitobans know that. I ask the minister: Why has her party been so focused on inter nal politics rather than the priorities of Manitobans? Hon. Audrey Gordon (Minister of Health and Seniors Care): I thank the member from Union Station for the question.

It gives me an opportunity to put on the record that in Budget 2021, our government invested $50 million to address the surgical and diag- nostic backlog. We are also meeting with experts around the table, health experts. We are also committed to ensuring three requests that came forward from Doctors Manitoba are met. The three were: to name a task force; to indicate a time for the task force to achieve their goal; and to carry out transparent reporting to the general public. And we are committed to meeting those goals, and stay tuned because there's more information to come.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Union Station, on a supplementary question. MLA Asagwara: Madam Speaker, while the minister asks people to stay tuned, Manitobans are dying while they wait for diag nostic procedures and surgeries. They've been leaving Manitobans behind as that wait- list continues to grow–and other provinces intervened far earlier to address these issues. Manitobans like Allison Marion are still waiting. She spoke to me dia and explained that she has waited 26 months for hip surgery. Thoughts and prayers are not enough; she needs concrete actions. When can Manitobans like Ms.

Marion expect this to be addressed? When will the minister take real action? Ms. Gordon: Our gov ernment has taken concrete actions. We have contracted wi th organizations and partners to perform over 11,000 additional procedures to begin to address the backlog, and the October RFSA, request for supply arrangement, that closed was the fifth that we had put forward requesting supports from service delivery organizations. So, we are already carrying out procedures with our service delivery groups such as hand procedures, foot procedures, cataracts, pediatric dental, plastics, to name many, many more.

And we will continue to move forward with ensuring Manitobans get the care they need now. * (14:20) Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Union Station, on a final supplementary. MLA Asagwara: Madam Speaker, the wait -list has only grown despite what the minister says. Other provinces use the time between waves of this pandemic to aggressively deal with this issue. Manitoba did not, in part because our health system had been cut short of capacit y right before the pandemic.

The minister continues to praise her party on what they did or what they have done, according to her, but it's actually meant less nurses in intensive care and less surgical capacity right when it was needed most. You know, her responses of we could have, were going to and maybes–that's not good enough. When will this gov ernment start fixing its own mistakes?

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 17 Ms. Gordon: I want to remind the member opposite that our first line of duty was to correct the mess that they had left for us in health care. And we have invested $50 million, Madam Speaker, to address the surgical and diag nostic backlog; $13.7 million has been spent and allocated to date and 8,300 procedures contracted–$8.1 million for the first request for supp ly arrangements that I mentioned, $5.6 million in service delivery organi- zations on priority procedures, including hips, knees and cataracts. Thank you.

University of Manitoba Labour Dispute Collective Bargaining Negotiations Mr. Jamie Moses (St. Vital): Madam Speaker, yesterday lawyers for the gov ernment of Manitoba said that this Province's actions in 2017 at the University of Manitoba were wrong, unconstitutional and deserving of a remedy. That's remarkable that this government's actions cannot be defended by its own lawyers. Now the faculty at the University of Manitoba are on strike, driven there by this government. Will this gov ernment release their mandate on negotiations and allow free and fair bargaining, or will it just be more of the same? Hon.

Scott Fielding (Minister of Finance): We, of course, are not the employer in this. We do encourage both parties not only just to go back to the table, but take the advice of the recommen- dations of an inde pendent mediator to end the strike immediately and go back to binding arbitration. That way, we can ensure that children –young adults that are in university get the education that they need most. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Vital, on a supplementary question. Mr. Moses: Madam Speaker, being wrong and un- constitutional, that's this government's approach.

And despite this gov ernment's theatre, nothing has changed. The mandate still remains. Faculty at the University of Manitoba are still on strike. Students are still not back to classes. Will they remove the mandate and allow free and fair bargaining for the negotiations? Will they stop being unconstitutional and bring a resolu tion today? Yes or no? [interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Order. Mr. Fielding: Of course, we're not the employee. That's something that's decided between the employer and– An Honourable Member: Employer. Mr. Fielding: –the 'ployer', thank you very much.

What we would–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Fi elding: –encourage all members, including UMFA, is to urge them–both sides–to take the recom- mendations of the inde pendent mediator to end the strike immediately, go to binding arbitration so our children–our young individuals, our young youth will have the op portunity to have their uni versity that they're needed. That's a perfect op portunity. It's a balanced approach. We believe that everyone should go to the bargaining table or go to the arbitration that has been put forth by a independent arbitrator. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St.

Vital, on a final supplementary. Mr. Moses: Professors and faculty don't just get created out of thin air. Teachers and trainers and workers of the future don't just get created out of thin air. We need to work and commit to making a plan to make that happen. Consider those that–those who train the nurses in our province. We need the uni versity to Manitoba to work full capacity to train those nurses. But we know that that's in turmoil because of this government. Two strikes in five years, a gov ernment that doesn't care if they're competitive with other jurisdic- tions and it's leaving all of us behind.

Manitobans need a new approach. This gov ern- ment can remove the mandate, but will they do that? Will they do so to help allow free and fair negotiations for the faculty in the negotiations? Will they do so today? [interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Hon. Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration): I'd like to thank the member from St. Vital for the question. As the member, again, needs to rise above his standard lines that he's been saying over the last couple of weeks, Madam Speaker. Will they, indeed– [interjection] Madam Speaker: Order.

18 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 Mr. Ewasko: –put students first, Madam Speaker? [interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Ewasko: Respecting the neutral mediator's advice to move forward to arbitration, Madam Speaker, we on this side of the House are standing up for students whilst the NDP and their former political staff politicize the process. Get out of the way, stand at our side, get the students back to class, Madam Speaker. Indigenous-Government Relations Former Premier's Comments–Apology Request Mr. Ian Bushie (Keewatinook): The Premier's (Mrs.

Stefanson) speech was silent on many things yesterday, but it notably fell short on an apology to Indigenous people here in Manitoba. On a day in which there was an oppor tunity for the new Premier to separate herself from her predecessor, Brian Pallister, and reset the relationship with Indigenous people, she fell short. After years of racial rhetoric from Brian Pallister –from night hunting, residential schools, 'colonyism' –she refuses to address her gov ernment divisive and ha rmful comments. Will the Premier apologize imme diately to Indigenous Manitobans for her predecessor's racial and divisive comments?

Hon. Alan Lagimodiere (Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations): The member opposite knows that we are actively engaged as a government and committed to reconciliation and moving forward to build ongoing–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Lagimodiere: –and meaningful engage ment with our Indigenous com munities–or, with the Indigenous communities and people in Manitoba. And we will continue to work on that on a daily basis. Reconciliation is a priority for this government. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Keewatinook, on a supplementary question. Mr.

Bushie: Unlike the cur rent Premier, her leadership rival, Shelly Glover, committed to apolo- gizing to Indigenous communities and Manitobans. In fact, she said, and I quote: When I win, that'll be one of my first statements in the House, an apology from–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Bushie: –the party, an apology from the govern- ment for some of the insensitive and harmful things that have been said over many months.

While there was no apology made by the Premier who actually won, in her first statement yester day, will the Premier apologize immediately to Indigenous Manitobans for her gov ernment's response and her predecessor's racially insensitive comments? Mr. Lagimodiere: Perhaps the member opposite missed the news reports following the Throne Speech yesterday, where all of the First Nations leaders and the grand chiefs commented on the commit ment that we have to move forward with reconciliation. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Keewatinook, on a final supplementary. Mr.

Bushie: Once again, a play on words and a misconstruing of the facts. The PC government has been in place since 2016, and this minister has been a member of that caucus for the entire time. So I ask the minister, is the ability to reconcile with Indigenous peoples in you? Is it truly in you? And if it is, look up in that camera right now and tell Indigenous peoples today what concrete actions – actions–you're, in fact, going to take to further recon- ciliation today.

Madam Speaker: I would just like to caution the member that when putting questions forward, they should be through the Speaker and not directed at a member, as that leads to further tensions in the House. * (14:30) So, I would a sk the member to please pose the questions in the third person, not directly to a member. Mr. Lagimodiere: It appears that the member opposite is not aware of the meetings that have been going on face to face with our grand chiefs and with our First Nations leaders and our new Premier. They are engaging. They are welcoming.

Indigenous and First Nations people are commenting daily to us on how pleased they are with the process that we are currently taking and– An Honourable Member: Land acknowledgements. Mr. Lagimodiere: –our land acknowl edgements in the House. Everything we are doing they are support- ive of and want us at the table with them.

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 19 University of Manitoba Labour Dispute Collective Bargaining Negotiations Mr. Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): I table docu- ments obtained by the Manitoba organi zation for faculty associations and from a U of M senate meeting showing this government has handcuffed Manitoba's universities and colleges with a mandate that orders them not to pay people what they are worth.

People who want to stay in Manitoba are leaving and others who would come to Manitoba won't be - cause this government is ordering post-secondary in- stitutions not to give them what they need to do to do their jobs. We could be graduating nurses, doctors, psychologists who could be helping to clear backlogs in health and mental health, but instead we have a strike at the U of M that's been dragging out for weeks. Why does this government think they know better than the University of Manitoba what professors and researchers should be paid?

Will the Premier rescind the mandates and let the U of M bargain freely today? Hon. Heather Stefanson (Premier): I thank the member for St. Boniface for the question. Of course, we are listening to the in dependent mediator who is working with the parties, who has recommended that they end the strike imme diately and go to binding arbitration. So we are encouraging those–both sides– to go to binding arbitration, which has been recom - mended by the independent mediator. This is what is in the best interest of children who we want to ensure they get back into the classroom.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Boniface, on a supplementary question. Mr. Lamont: The Uni versity of Manitoba, its research, training and teaching offers a path out of this pandemic. They innovate, they graduate. I table a letter from a U of M researcher, who reached out to me, whose work has had global impact. He wants to stay in Manitoba but fears he'll have to leave.

The Throne Speech talked about labour shortages but didn't once address the reality that plenty of people are turning down work because wages are too low for people to pay their bills, their mortgage, or their student loan or they can get paid much better somewhere else. The U of M has already been fined millions of dollars because the previous premier thought he knew better than some of the world's t op researchers what they should be paid. Why is this mandate, which is a relic of the Pallister PC era, still in place? Mrs.

Stefanson: Unlike the previous NDP gov ern- ment, who actually did inter fere in a process in the past, Madam Speaker, we are ens uring that –and encouraging members opposite to listen to the inde - pendent mediator who is involved with both sides of this–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mrs. Stefanson: –Madam Speaker, who is recom - mending that this go to binding arbitration. That is what is in the best interest of those students, and we stand by those students. University of Manitoba Labour Dispute Impact on Students and Staffing Hon.

Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, for 22 days, a strike has been causing chaos at the University of Manitoba. Major researchers and teachers are so upset with the chaos, uncertainty and lack of support from this gov ernment that some are considering going elsewhere. Recruitment has been extremely difficult because of the uncertainty and the lack of support for the uni- versity and its star teachers and researchers by this government. Students are caught in the middle of the chaos created by this gov ernment. The Premier has had 22 days in office as Premier to provide the leadership and to end the chaos.

She has not. Why has the Premier failed to act to show support for exceptional teachers and researchers and for the students at the University of Manitoba? Hon. Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Im migration): Madam Speaker, I understand that the member never lets facts get in the way of his rhetoric. Will he and his party stand up today and confirm that both sides should be listening to the mediator, end the strike imme diately and resolve their d ifferences through binding arbitration? Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Shelter and Warming Spaces Announcement Mr.

Andrew Micklefield (Rossmere): Madam Speaker, for many of us, the descent of winter upon Manitoba brings with it a return to snow shovels, winter parkas and sub-zero temperatures. For 'Manitobas' facing homelessness during the winter, this bitter cold weather brings misery and potentially dangerous living conditions.

20 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 Can the Minister of Families please advise this House what steps our gov ernment is taking to keep Manitobans facing homelessness safe and to support them during these cold months? Hon. Rochelle Squires (Minister o f Families): I thank my friend from Rossmere for that question. On Friday, I was very pleased to attend an an- nouncement with our Premier (Mrs.

Stefanson), as well as End Homelessness Winnipeg CEO Jason Whitford, as well as Grand Chief Arlen Dumas from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, for a new invest - ment in shelter spaces to get people in from the cold this year. We have invested a–$1.5 million to have an Indigenous-led, low-barrier option for people to get in from the cold for new shelter spaces. Th is announce- ment–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Ms. Squires: –follows on the heels of–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Ms.

Squires: –the first-ever homelessness prevention initiative that our gov ernment announced previous this year, a $5.6- million rent bank to help people maintain their housing and to keep people in housing options in the province of Manitoba. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: Yelling across the House isn't a very productive way to demonstrate demo cracy in action, and I'm going to ask people that are in this House–I didn't think decorum would go down so fast, but I'm going to ask everybody, let's show 'shome' respect for the people that are asking the questions and answering the questions.

And I'm going to ask that and indicate that yelling across the Chamber is really an unproductive way to do business by adults that are elected by many, many thousands of people. So I'd ask for everybody's co-operation, please. Rolling River School Division Custodial Staff Labour Dispute Mr. Nello Altomare (Transcona): It's a sad day when this gov ernment cannot keep up with the number of front-line workers who have been currently striking over this same government's interference and mandates.

Because of this government's ongoing wage inter- ference and mandates, custodial staff in Rolling River School Division are now in a fourth week of striking. They do essential work in our schools for students and staff and they deserve t o be treated with dignity and respect. And this gov ernment needs to get out of the way. So, if this gov ernment wants a fresh start with workers, how about starting with the workers and custodial staff in Rolling River School Division? Hon. Cliff Cullen (Minister of Education): I do ap- preciate the question from the member opposite.

It does give me the opportunity to acknowledge all those that work in K-to-12 education. This is custodial staff, this is teachers, these are educational assistants, these are administrators who have been going above and beyond the call in dealing with COVID over the last 18 months. Our gov ernment is working very closely with school divisions across the province. We're working closely with public health on this. Our goal is to keep our students as safe as possible and keep our staff as safe as possible. And this is paramount for us. These –this is a challenging time for sure.

But we're going to keep making sure that our students and staff say 'stafe' in schools. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Transcona, on a supplementary question. Mr. Altomare: I'll just ask the minister, I mean, instead of acknowl edging staff for all the stuff that they've been doing, how about some real, concrete action? How a bout some real support for schools? How about making sure that rapid tests are available– [interjection] * (14:40) Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Altomare: –and paid for by government? Instead this is what we get: platitudes, acknowledgements, thoughts and prayers.

It's simply not enough. So I'll ask the minister again: Will they withdraw these wage mandates and letters and get to real nego- tiating with people that need their contracts settled? Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, we're going to continue to thank Manitobans as we battle through the COVID-19, and they deserve a pat on the back for everything they've done for us.

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 21 Now, members opposite should know that we are not the employer. The school division is the employer. They can negotiate. We allow them to mediate. If we got involved that would be the first thing members opposite would do, saying that we were interfering with the process. Madam Speaker, we encourage the process to unfold as it should. Madam Speaker: The time for oral questions has expired. PETITIONS Madam Speaker: Are there any petitions? If there are no petitions to be read–oh, of course. Louise Bridge Mr.

Jim Maloway (Elmwood): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Over 25,000 vehicles per day cross the Louise Bridge, which has served as a vital link for vehicular traffic between northeast Winnipeg and the downtown for the last 110 years.

(2) The current structure will un doubtedly be declared unsafe in a few years as it has deteriorated extensively, becoming functionally obsolete, subject to more frequent unplanned repairs and cannot be widened to accommodate future traffic capacity.

(3) As far back as 2008, the City of Winnipeg has studied where the new re placement bridge should be situated.

(4) After including the bridge replacement in the City's five-year capital budget forecast in 2009, the new bridge became a short-term construction priority in the City's transportation master plan of 2011.

(5) City capital and budget plans identified re - placement of the Louise Bridge on a site just east of the bridge and expropriated homes there on the south side of Nairn Avenue–[interjection] Madam Speaker: Order. Mr. Maloway: –in anticipation of a 2015 start.

(6) In 2014, the new City adminis tration did not make use of available federal infrastructure funds.

(7) The new Louise Bridge Com mittee began its campaign to demand a new bridge and its surveys confirmed residents wanted a new bridge beside the current bridge, with the old bridge kept open for local traffic.

(8) The NDP provincial government signalled its firm commitment to partner with the City on replacing the Louise Bridge in its 2015 Throne Spee ch. Unfor- tunately, provincial infrastructure initiatives, such as the new Louise bridge, came to a halt with the election of the Progressive Conservative government in 2016.

(9) More recently, the City tethered the Louise Bridge replacement issue to its new trans portation master plan and eastern corridor project. Its recom- mendations have now identified the location of the new bridge to be placed just to the west of the current bridge, not to the east as originally proposed. The City expropriation process has begun.

(10) The new Premier has a duty to direct the provincial government to provide financial assistance to the City so that it can complete this long overdue vital link to northeast Winnipeg and Transcona. We petition the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the new Premier to financially assist the City of Winnipeg on building this three -lane bridge in each direction to maintain this vital link between northeast Winnipeg, Transcona and the downtown.

(2) To urge the provincial government to recom- mend that the City of Winnipeg keep the old bridge fully open to traffic while the new bridge is under con- struction, and

(3) To urge the provincial government to consider the feasibility of keeping the old bridge open for active transportation in the future. And this petition has been signed by many, many Manitobans. Madam Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to be received by the House. National Drug Plan Ms. C indy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. The background to this petition is as follows:

(1) Canada's public and private drug plans leave many patients with little or no coverage, resulting in one out of 10 patients not taking their prescribed medications because of affordability.

22 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021

(2) It is estimated that Pharmacare would save Canadians betw een $4 billion and $11 billion per year.

(3) There have been repeated calls to include prescription drugs in Canada's universal health -care system, including National Forum on Health; commission of the future of health care in Canada; several national or ganizations, including Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Medical Association, Federation of Canadian Municipalities. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

(1) To urge the provincial government to encourage the federal governm ent to amend the Canada Health Act by adding prescription medicines prescribed by a licensed practitioner to the definition of covered services in accordance with an established formulary.

(2) To urge the provincial government to develop, jointly with th e federal government, a universal, single-payer, evidence-based, sustainable public drug plan that contains: purchasing power to secure best available pricing, a list of essential medicines addressing priority health needs and the ability to expand to a comprehensive permanent plan that would promote the health and well-being of all Canadians. This petition has been signed by many Manitobans. Madam Speaker: Are there any further petitions? Cochlear Implant Program Hon.

Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. The background to this petition is as follows: People who suffer hearing loss due to aging, illness, employment or accident not only lose the ability to communicate effect ively with friends, relatives or colleagues; they can also experience unemployment, social isolation and struggles with mental health.

A cochlear implant is a life -changing electronic device that allows deaf people to receive and process sounds and speec h, and also can partially restore hearing in people who have severe hearing loss and who do not benefit from conventional hearing aids. A processor behind the ear captures and processes sound signals which are transmitted to a receiver implanted into the skull that relays the information to the inner ear, the cochlea. The tech nology's been available since 1989 through the Central Speech and Hearing Clinic founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Surgical Hearing Implant program began implanting patients in the fall of 2011 and marked the completion of 250 cochlear implant surgeries in Manitoba in the summer of 2018. The program has implanted about 60 devices since the summer of 2018, as it is only able to implant about 40 to 45 devices per year. There are no upfront costs to Manitoba residents who proceed with cochlear implant surgery, as Manitoba Health covers the surgical procedure, internal implant and the first external sound processor. Newfoundland and Manitoba have the highest estimated implantation costs of all provinces.

Alberta has one of the best programs with Alberta aids for daily living, and their cost share means the patient pays only approximately $500 out of pocket. Assistive Devices Program in Ontario covers 75 per cent of the cost up to a m aximum amount of $5,444 for a cochlear implant replacement speech processor. The BC Adult Cochlear Implant Program offers subsidized replacements to aging sound proces- sors through the Sound Processor Replacement program. This provincially funded program is available to those cochlear implant recipients whose sound processors have reached six to seven years old.

The cochlear implant is a lifelong commitment. However, as the technology changes over time, parts and software become no longer functional or available. The cost of upgrading a cochlear implant in Manitoba of approximately $11,000 is much more expensive than in other provinces, as adult patients are responsible for the upgrade costs of their sound processor. * (14:50) In Manitoba, pediatric patients under 18 years of age are eligible for funding assistance through the Cochlear Implant Speech Processor Replacement Program, which provides up to 80 per cent of the replacement costs associated with a device upgrade.

It is unreasonable that this tec hnology is inaccessible to many citizens of Manitoba who must choose between hearing and deafness due to financial constraints because the costs of maintaining the equipment are prohibitive for low -income earners or those on a fixed income, such as an old age pension or Employment and Income Assistance.

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 23 We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: To urge the provincial government to provide financing for upgrades to the cochlear implant covered under medicare, or provide funding assistance to the Cochlear Implant Speech Processor Replacement Program to assist with the replacement costs associated with a device upgrade. Signed by Thomas Barkmanovich [phonetic] , Maddy Foreman and Michael Bartmanovich and many, many other Manitobans. Madam Speaker: Any further petitions? If not, orders of the day, government business.

ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Government House Leader): Could you please proceed to the debate on the Speech from the Throne. Madam Speaker: It has been announced that the House will consider debate on the Throne Speech, so I will now call for that debate on the Throne Speech. THRONE SPEECH (First Day of Debate) Mr. Andrew Smith (Lagimodière): I move, seconded by the member for Seine River (Ms.

Morley-Lecomte), that the following address be presented to Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor: We, the m embers of the Legis lative Assembly of Manitoba, thank Your Honour for the gracious speech addressed to us this Fourth Session of the 42nd Legislature of Manitoba. Motion presented. Mr. Smith: It is truly an honour to rise in the Chamber for the first time in this legislative session to speak to our government's Throne Speech: Path to Progressing Together. Merci, madame le président. C'est un grand plaisir de prendre la parole aujourd'hui au sujet de notre discours du trône.

Translation Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's a great pleasure to speak today about our Throne Speech. English First, though, I would like to take a moment to thank our Lieutenant Governor, Her Honour, for her years of public service as viceregal represen tative. Having been a social worker, philanthropist, commu- nity activist and members of the Order of Canada and Order of Manitoba, she has long been a respected member of our com munity.

As a spouse of a former premier, she has been no stranger to politics, and I believe that Manitoba has been better off because of her service to our province in all of her capacities. As yesterday's Throne Speech will likely be her last, I know that I speak for everyone in the Chamber when I say thank you to Her Honour. And speaking of service, it's hard to believe that it's been over 5 years since the 2016 election, which saw many MLAs in this Chamber get elected for the first time, myself included.

Although the process of a Throne Speech now is very familiar to us, for me today feels much more like the first Throne Speech debate all over again. That is because it feels like a fresh start, and that's exactly what it is. Today, Madam Speaker, we have a brand -new Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) who will take our province on a new path and down a ne w direction. Under her leadership, we will be a gov ernment that will work side by side with Manitobans to build stronger, healthier and better province for all.

While Manitoba still faces dif ficulties, our new Premier and her team are ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead of us with a renewed sense of openness. Our new Premier has the honour of being the 24th person to occupy this position, and while the changing of premiers is not unusual in this building, what is unique is that the member from Tuxedo has made history by becoming Manitoba's first female Premier ever. Congratulations, Madam Premier.

Our new Premier will bring a style of governing to our province, a new style of governing to our province, a gov ernment that is willing to listen, one that is open, engaging with Manitobans and com - mitted to the grassroots of our great province. I look forward to this new style of governing that is embarking on a path in a new direction. Our gov - ernment will reach out and work side by side w ith people across this province towards building a better Manitoba. Mr. Dennis Smook, Acting Speaker, in the Chair

24 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 I would be remiss if I did not thank the member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen) for his service as the 23rd premier of Manitoba. During his time, he helped establish the future tone of our government, a tone that has set the course for our gov ernment in many years to come. I know that his family and his colleagues are proud of him, as he served our province with grace and respect. Thank you to the member from Steinbach. To the residents of Lagimodière, I thank them for placing their trust in me to represent them in the Manitoba Legislature.

I know that it's been a very challenging 22 months; however, the people of our province have proven once again to be resilient. And in keeping with our friendly reputation, Manitobans have demonstrated their willingness to help those in need. Throughout the pandemic, Manitobans rallied together to help feed front-line health-care staff. They offered their expertise through volunteerism and makes–personal sacrifices to help slow the spread of COVID while rolling up their sleeves when the vaccine became available.

While we cannot ease up on the fight against COVID, there is much reason to be optimistic, as there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our province has had an incredible vaccine uptake, thanks to Manitobans' willingness to take the jab, the great work of our vaccine task force and all those who work tirelessly on the front line. This took a concerted effort, and I commend everyone for doing their important part.

This has been a once- in-a-time–life-time pan - demic, and while there is no rulebook for this, we know that governments across the country, including our federal gov ernment, wor ked hard to try and protect Manitobans and Canadians from the threat of COVID while balancing the needs of small busi ness and the economy. When asked, many Manitobans would say that aside from COVID-19, health care in general remains an important issue, and our gov ernment agrees. We believe that it is our respon sibility to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of all Manitobans.

Our health-care professionals have done incred ible work to improve processes and improve the capacity in our ICUs and guarantee proper care is there when we and our loved ones need it. Many of these same pro fessionals have done in- credible work to improve the processes and improve our capacities in ICU. However, so they can 'commodate' any public health crisis we face in the future, our gov ernment does understand more needs to be done. Our gov ernment is creating the task force to address the surgical and diagnostic backlogs.

We need to shorten wait times and support health care for our most vul nerable citizens. Our nursing strategy will target the nursing shortage and increase training spaces with the goal of 400 addi tional nursing seats. Our province must have the capacity to fill the demand for nurses and retain them going forward. More nurses will be trained, developing their skills by working with and in insti tutions as part of their curriculum. We will ensure every graduate receives a job here in Manitoba.

While cancer is a disease that affects everyone either directly or indirectly, our gov ernment recog - nizes there are occupations and dangerous work con- ditions that are particularly susceptible to this illness. Firefighters often put their lives at risk to help save us from the dangers of fires. Some of these dangerous – or dangers from fires are often seen around this time of year as we approach Christmas and Hanukkah. These same men and women in uniform are often exposed to many toxic chemicals simply by doing their job.

That is why we will expand the list of pre - sumptive work -related cancers for fire fighters. Our province will lead Canada with this groundbreaking step by recog nizing these public workers should not suffer because of workplace conditions. * (15:00) Earlier this year a stand-alone government depart- ment was created dedicated to mental health, wellness and recovery .

Since then, our gov ernment has engaged with thousands of Manitobans and hundreds of organizations, clinicians and front -line service providers to discuss how to make the system more responsive and reliable to support Manitobans who are struggling. The Manitoba economy has shown its resilience, and although–though we are not out of the woods yet with respect to COVID, I know, through our resiliency and deter mination, we will emerge from this once -in-a-lifetime pandemic stronger and more prosperous.

I've heard from constituents the effect of this pandemic has been especially challenging for small - business owners. The balance between keeping customers safe while continuing to provide a service

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 25 is a difficult balance to achieve. It's not lost on me that businesses that require in -person service, like restaurants and gyms, were parti cularly impacted by the pandemic. We have heard from the business community, and there are a number of issues that are affecting our economy. Our gov ernment is committed to address economic issues and committed to a renewed partner- ship with the Government of Canada as we pursue our mutual economic objectives. We will only succeed as a nation if we work together.

Businesses have told us that it's difficult to attract talent amid a national labour shortage, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help addres s this chal- lenge, we will increase our invest ments in education and training and focus our work with busi ness to attract workers from all around the world to fill in our labour gaps. Manitoba is proud of our Prov incial Nominee Program that was created by a Progressive Conservative government, led by Bonnie Mitchelson, and under the leadership of then- premier Gary Filmon.

We believe that it's the strongest program of its kind in Canada, having brought thousands of talented, hard workers and their f amilies to live and participate in our economy and help build our com - munities. To date, this program has been responsi ble for bringing in over 100,000 people to our great province, and I know many people who have used this program and many employers who have benefited from the highly skilled labour that helped them build and grow their businesses.

Just a few years ago, we had the 20th anniversary celebration of the Prov incial Nominee Program here at the Manitoba Legislature, and the event attracted a number of busi ness owners ranging from owners of small busi ness all the way to entrepreneurs who started up SkipTheDishes. While there is much to like about our program, our government understands that there is always room for im provement. We w ill work with the federal government to strengthen this program further and continue consulting with those with lived experiences in the program on new ways to improve.

Our govern- ment knows that the people who understand the program best are those who have used it. As Manitoba continues to be home to people from all over the world, our gov ernment understands the importance of retaining Manitoba workers and encourage Manitobans to stay here by investing in communities to make Manitoba even more vi brant place to live. I've seen first-hand the impacts of what access to capital or the lack thereof can do for small busi ness, especially in a start -up space. I'm involved with the Technology Accelerator on a voluntary basis.

I have no financial inte rests in any of the start -ups or the organization itself, but I have seen what access to capital can do for a small start -up company. Having proper access to capital is 'cruchial' for busi nesses, especially during the start-up and their growth phase. Many business owners and industrial groups have told me that access to capital is something that Manitoba needs in order to remain competitive within Canada and internationally.

One fast-growing sector in Manitoba that many people in our province may not be acutely aware of is the burgeoning tech sector, which is, I believe, the future of not only our economy, but the global economy. With the standardization of remote work - places, urban centres like Winnipeg, Brandon and some of our rural com munities, su ch as Lac du Bonnet, can now better compete in a global market - place, which has traditionally been dominated by much larger urban centres. Madam Speaker–or Mr.

Deputy Speaker, I thank you for your time to speak to the Throne Speech today and I want to say that I am very proud of our govern- ment and the direction that our new Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) is taking our government, taking our party and taking all Manitobans on a journey that I believe will lead to prosperity, inclusion and a much better Manitoban for all of us. Thank you. Ms. Janice Morley -Lecomte (Seine River): I want to begin by saying it is an honour to speak to the Speech from the Throne at the opening of the Fourth Session of the 42nd Legislature.

I would like to further congratulate my colleague, the Honourable Heather Stefanson, on becoming the first female Premier of Manitoba. I have had the pleasure of working with the Premier when she was a minister and have observed first-hand her professional manner– The Acting Speak er (Dennis Smook): I'd like to interrupt the member for Seine River about not using a person's name, but only refer to them by their title.

26 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 Ms. Morley -Lecomte: Madam Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) has shown many times over her ability to collaborate, co-operate and reconcile within many areas of government. Manitoba is also making history. This is the first time four women hold positions in gov ernment, respectively represen ting the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker, the Premier and the Clerk of the Legi s- lative Assembly all at the same time.

I want to acknowledge you in your role and thank you for the work that you have done to raise recognition of the importance of women in our Legislature and the value you bring to our Assembly. Deputy Speaker, t his is a new beginning for us. As we look forward, we embrace the many who have partnered to make Manitoba a strong province. The time to heal and listen is now. The Throne Speech highlights many areas that will help with the social and economic recovery of Manitoba.

Reconciliation, health care, families and busi - nesses are all areas high lighted and included in Manitoba's recovery plan, a plan with a brighter future where understanding and listening to individuals is the norm, where people can come together to work through the challenges and build on those areas to ensure all Manitobans are a part of our future.

The findings and recommendations of the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, the Truth and Reconciliation Com mission and the murdered and missing women inquiry reports together with United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are instructive on what work needs to be done. Jurisdictional responsi bilities, economic op por- tunities, community development and reconciliation are essential to partnerships. Our government is com- mitted to listening and learning from Indigenous leaders, elders and families. Health care has been and continues to be a priority.

The past 20 months have been a time of disruption. COVID has affected Manitobans and people throughout the world. Many areas in our health system have been disrupted and the lives and livelihoods of Manitobans have been affected. I want to thank all the front -line workers who have gone above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of everyone. The past months have proven that Manitobans are resilient and strong in times of crisis.

We are implementing a task force of medical pro- fessionals who will focus on the backlogs and re - sources needed to alleviate the number of individuals waiting for receive surgery and diagnostic testing. Through the nursing program at Uni versity College of the North, an increase in students enrolled in nursing programs will help meet the demands for nurses in our pr ovince. Prospective nurses will be given employment upon their graduation from the college, which will help with our health-care crisis. Firefighters have long protected our homes and been there when we are most vul nerable.

They put their lives at ris k for our safety and with this risk comes exposure to many chemicals. As part of our promise to recognize the danger these men and women encounter, we are expanding the list of presumptive work-related cancers for firefighters. Seniors are the backbone of our economy. Their contributions have helped develop and grow busi - nesses, lay the foundation for society and future gen- erations and been the glue to which we turn to when we look for ways to learn from our past.

In essence, our invest ment of tim e and talent has resulted in making Manitoba the strong province it is. * (15:10) To ensure seniors are taken care of, we are investing in supports and resources to help ensure seniors can enjoy their retirement years in the comfort of their home and be close to those most important in their lives: their family. Deputy Speaker, COVID has impacted many families. Families are the base for our future gen era- tions–the safe place where children learn to trust and respect the people closest to them.

The pas t months have been stressful, and, unfortunately, the family unit has not been free from any of the stress. The number of domestic violence cases, overdoses and suicides has increased. Families, now more than ever, need to be able to seek comfort from e ach other and build for their future. Children need to feel protected and not vulner- able. Spouses need to not fear for their safety. The investment of money into additional supports for domestic violence, child- care facilities and housing will provi de much -needed support for families feeling the ad ditional pressures.

The ad di- tional network of resources will relieve unexpected pressures that families are enduring.

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 27 Families have felt the effects of COVID. The past 20 months created environments where both work and schooling were conducted from the home. The need for space, quiet areas and computers put addi tional demands on families. Families commented on how their children had dif ficulty coping with the limited social interactions. In addit ion, more people interacted through online resources. Some examples are FaceTime, phone calls, virtual meetings, shopping and grocery delivery.

Investing in more supports and resources available to assist individuals struggling with their current life situ ations is crucial. Front -line supports and resources for family, assist ance with housing, schooling and momentary respite from present challenges will be important as we move forward. Deputy Speaker, a stand -alone gov ernment de - partment was created committing–committed to Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery. This depart - ment has since engaged many Manitobans in creating a system that is responsive to the needs of Manitobans.

I am not alone in saying COVID has had an impact on the mental health and lifestyles of people. I have friends who have lost loved ones to overdoses and suicide. The last few months have tested the resilience of everyone. As we move forward with consul tations, we will determine ways to assist those in crisis and struggling with addictions, housing and homelessness. Stable housing provides the foundations for families to build on and pursue future goals. Investment in Manitoba's economy is essential as we move forward from the pandemic.

Through invest- ments in education and training, attracting workers from other parts of the globe, building on our Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy and focusing on labour supply needs, both rural and urban Manitoba organizations will benefit. Investing in our future begins with investments in our businesses and labour force. Deputy Speaker, Manitoba is a great province to live in and raise a family. To continue to grow our economy, Manitoba will invest in our education and training institutions.

Expanding our immigration and Provincial Nominee Program fulfills our obligation to welcoming new refugees into Manitoba. Further recognition of foreign credentials will assist pro - fessionals in finding meaningful work and will strengthen our economy and create security for employees and employers. Local businesses have benefit and developed as a result of our nominee program. The influx of workers has added to the local economy while provi ding an income and future for families. This is evident in towns where busi ness has set up and invested in the local economy workers and their families.

The influx of professionals and trained labour has injected money into economies and helped re -esta- blish financial equity in these and surrounding com - munities: Neepawa has springs farms, Portage la Prairie has Roquette, Simplot. And these all represent success stories to the local economy and for the families that have made these com munities their home. The past summer provided an oppor tunity to listen to parents and hear what their thoughts and concerns were. Parents, teachers, com munity leaders and students all provided input into how they believed our education system could improve.

All geographic areas of Manitoba had an op portunity to provide feedback. It was interesting listening to the many ways schools and communities offer support and edu- cational outreach. Students were taught about culture, connected with staff and parents and elders to assist with social and personal growth. The most fascinating was learning how adaptive schools are and how families feel welcomed through the many programs created to identify with specific family and children's needs. This infor mation will help guide plans as we re - engage with the many stakeholders to help prepare our children for their future.

Deputy Speaker, the Throne Speech highlights a recovery plan for all Manitobans. Areas of concern include Indigenous relations, families, ongoing men- tal health and health -care supports and economic growth. We need to continue to build our economy in both the rural and urban areas through capital invest - ment.

In highlighting and restating what has pre - viously been discussed, our gov ernment is here to listen to Manitobans and to engage and collaborate on many levels and in –with Indigenous leaders with all levels of government, with business leaders, business owners, people in public and private sectors and not - for-profit organizations. Businesses and producers need to rebound and prosper along with the many areas in our downt own cities and communities throughout Manitoba.

28 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 I want to take this op portunity to thank the Lieutenant Governor for her many years of service and for her role in working with our government. Thank you for your time. Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): Thank you, Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker; appreciate that very much. I just want to begin my remarks and reply to the government's Throne Speech by reminding our colleagues that the first two speakers that the govern- ment puts up in reply to their Throne Speech has always been a symbolic choice.

It's always a symbolic choice of the first two speakers that the gov ernment puts up. It's typically a situation where you get the first two speakers to be, perhaps, young and up- and- coming members of a gov ernment to highlight some folks that the gov ernment wants to shine a spotlight on, or you put somebody forward who represents your government.

And so with that in mind, I just want to (1) say thanks to the government for indicating to us that they are worried about the Lagimodière seat –certainly helps us to target our resources in planning for the next election, But I do want to call out this government for putting up the member for Seine River (Ms. Morley - Lecomte) in a symbolic speaking position in reply to the Throne Speech. I'm sure we've all seen that the member for Seine River had a bit of an Aaron Rodgers -type situation over the past weekend, and it's really inexcusable.

Everyone knows about the QR code req uirement for proof of vaccination to be valid, and the fact that the government continues to put this member forward without having brought forward any discipline or without having chastised it publicly, I think, reveals that nothing has changed with the PCs since Brian Pallister left. On the note of Mr. Pallister's name, I do want to point out that this gov ernment has a few words that, apparently, they're not allowed to say, you know, and one of them is Brian Pallister. The other one that comes to mind is bill 64.

You'll see the government in their Throne Speech and throne replies studiously avoid having to say the words bill 64. And, of course, like, there's all this talk about a new approach and now we're going to start listening and we're ch anging directions and we're going to be collaborative, but there's never a mention from the PCs as to which approach they are changing from. Who was the leader that they all previously didn't find collaborative enough? Who was the premier that they now need to go on a rebranding exercise for?

Well, let me remind the PCs: it's the very same leader that they were all clapping for for the past four and a half, five years; same leader who they tolerated saying racist things in public; the very same leade r that pushed through bill 64 and that they all stood and gave standing ovations for time and time again. So, again, let me put those words on the record that the PCs seem to be unable to say them selves: Brian Pallister, Brian Pallister, Brian Pallister. Now, there are many –conspicuously, there's a number of things that are left out. One of them is the city of Brandon.

It's right there on the map in the Westman region of Manitoba, it's in Western Manitoba, it's a hub. It's the second largest city in Manitoba, but, apparently, the gov ernment is not aware of that, and so even though it has been the practice, including under Brian Pallister's throne speeches, to include a shout -out of the city of Brandon, the current PC adminis tration failed to do so. * (15:20) When we talk about the No. 1 issue facing so many families in our province, it's got to be the cost of living. For so many folks around Manitoba, the cost of living keeps going up.

Of course, we know that Manitoba Hydro, under the PCs, keeps getting more and more expensive, the bills get higher and higher. We know that this govern- ment continues to cheer on Mr. Pallister's approach of downloading costs onto municipalities, which forces costs to increase on the average family–not just in the form of property taxes but also in the form of fees that they have to pay.

And when we talk about the North End water treatment plant, we know that the approach the PCs are pushing with that is not only going to lead to jobs not being given to Manitobans–it'll probably be given to people from Alberta instead–but it will be more expensive for the average family on their utility bills and on their water bills. So again, life gets more expensive, the PCs are at fault for many of those cost drivers and they have no plan to make life more affordable for folks in

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 29 Manitoba. So it's a major problem that the government did not even mention cost of living, inflation or affordability in their Throne Speech. And it's clearly because they have no plan for how to deal with it. Similarly, left out of the Throne Speech is that this government refuses to call an inquiry into their handling of the pandemic. Now, we know that the government probably doesn't want to ask any tough questions or hear honest answers becaus e their performance and the pandemic response has been so poor.

And they just went through a very contested leadership contest in which their current leader just eked out a victory over somebody who is now disputing the results of that leadership. But the reason why I mention that is because the new leader is the person who was in charge of the health-care system during the very disastrous third wave. So it's going to be pretty challenging for this government, I think, to hear some of the very difficult truths that need to be shared about the pandemic response.

But, you know, the discomfort that the gov ern- ment feels at looking in the mirror and facing their failures in the pandemic response are not an excuse, not an adequate excuse. You know, we really do need an inquiry. It needs to be forward- facing, it needs to answer some of the tough questions but, most impor- tantly, to provide some great recommendations for the future. It's the smart thing to do. It's the responsi ble thing to do. Any person, organi zation or even province that goes through some thing as disruptive and life - changing as the pandemic would be wise to just sit there and ask: What worked?

What didn't? What have we got to do now? And so of course we continue to push for that public inquiry into the pandemic and we think that it's a smart thing to do to give Manitobans some answers. In terms of what was in the Throne Speech, well, there's some very challenging rhetoric there that I want to call out. First and foremost, let's remind folks that this government, in their most recent budget, had no new money for the operation of seniors care homes, personal-care homes across Manitoba.

And then they have the audacity in this Throne Speech to pat them selves on the back and hang up a mission-accomplished banner and tell themselves that they've done a great job when it comes to long- term care. No–and it's particularly offensive that they do so at a time when seniors are being forced by this gov- ernment to move to personal -care hom es hundreds and hundreds of kilometres away from their families. We also know that when the gov ernment tries to pat itself on the back, in this Throne Speech, on the health-care consolidation, that that's just wrong.

And it reflects a continuation of the rhetoric that they used, the talking points that they used through out Brian Pallister's time in office, right? I think the vast majority of Manitobans were turned off by this gov- ernment when all the PC MLAs would stand and give a standing ovation to B rian Pallister as he declared that Manitoba's health -care system was, you know, stronger than ever because of the cuts that he made. And then we saw the second wave, and then we saw the third wave.

So again, here we are in the fourth wave and we've got a PC government trying to pat them selves on the back when it comes to health care, when the reality is that nurses are stressed out. They've left the profession in record numbers. And the PCs' low targets mean that even if they manage to meet some of the commitments that they lay out in their Throne Speech, we still will not have repaired all the damage that they've caused to health care in Manitoba throughout their time in office.

And then, of course, for them to comment on what they call the good work that they've done on education so far, to me is a clear indication that they're bringing bill 64 back; though, of course, as I said at the outset, they're not allowed to say the words bill 64. So, again, we're wise to their plan; it's very clear that they want to continue with that same sort of rhetoric and the same sort of damaging cuts to educa- tion that prompted a pretty unique outpouring of public organizing and support for our position, which is to invest in education rather than to cut it.

So, I will leave my remarks at that, just to high - light some of the major flaws with the gov ernment's approach in the Throne Speech. And, again, we know what the PCs are trying to do right now. We know what they're trying to do with this Throne Speech. They're trying to change the channel from Brian Pallister. But, again, it just looks like more of a bad repeat from what was in place during Mr. Pallister's time. So I'm going to move an amendment, one that I think not only our team is on board with, but also the

30 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 vast, vast majority of Manitobans, and so I move, seconded by the member for the Wolseley, THAT the motion be amended by adding at the end the following words: But this House regrets that the provincial government has: (

a) failed to prov ide any plan to make life more affordable for Manitobans by not mentioning affordability and the rising cost of living due to higher hydro bills, grocery bills and more as Manitobans head into the holiday season; and (

b) failed to call an in dependent public inquiry into Manitoba's pandemic response to learn from its mistakes and bring forward changes to improve the lives of Manitoba families to strengthen the health-care system; and (

c) failed to provide any imme diate supports to address the health-care crisis across the province from the north to the south; and, (

d) failed seniors and elders in part by forcing them to move across Manitoba to make room in hospitals because of its failure to build new personal-care-home beds and address the health- care crisis in the province; and (

e) failed to commit any real investments or changes to address the growing surgical and diag nostic backlog in the province; and (

f) tried to change the channel from former premier Brian Pallister, but failed by repeating 16 of his previous commitments; and (

g) continued to put the long- term success of Manitoba students at risk by pushing ahead with an out-of-date, quote, review, unquote, of the edu- cation system commissioned by former premier Brian Pallister; and (

h) continued the inter ference initiated by former premier Brian Pallister and post- secondary insti- tutions leading to an ongoing strike at the Univer- sity of Manitoba, which is impacting the ability of students to learn; and (

i) offered no commit ment to implem ent a living wage, paid sick days or health and safety supports for working Manitobans to help them out of poverty and keep them safe and healthy at work; and (

j) failed to mention Manitoba Hydro and offer a plan to use a clean advantage of Hydro to address climate change, create jobs, advance recon - ciliation and keep rates low and keep life affordable; and (

k) continued to fight with the City of Winnipeg by pushing a failed attempt at privatization that will cost Manitobans jobs, delaying upgrades to the North End water –wastewater treatment plant, which would help protect the lakes and rivers of the province; and (

l) failed to provide any substan tial targets or initiatives to address climate change to prevent devastating weather events that impact producers, the length and quality of winter roads, the environment, the economy and all Manitobans; and (

m) neglected to provide any real commit ments to advancing recon ciliation or apologize for the failures and racially insensitive comments of former Premier Brian Pallister; and (

n) failed to present clear measures to support women and gender-diverse Manitobans by committing to support the provision of menstrual products for women, girls and gender -diverse people in schools or committing to ensure reproducti ve health falls under the purview of the Minister of Health and Seniors Care; and (

o) failed to commit to supports for other major com- munities such as Brandon and Dauphin, and ending the funding freeze for municipalities; and, (

p) failed to produce a meaningful strategy to revive Manitoba's creative industries or present a real strategy for Manitoba jobs in different sectors; and (

q) refused to address the addictions and housing crisis by failing to provide long-term investments into harm reduction ini tiatives and affordable housing. As a consequence, these and many other failings the provincial government has thereby lost the trust

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 31 and confi dence of the people of Manitoba and this House. The Acting Speaker (Dennis Smook): I'd like to bring it to the House that there were a few different words used in the speech as compared to what is printed, so is it the will of the House to accept the motion as printed? Is it agreed? [Agreed] THAT the motion be amended by adding at the end the following words: But this House regrets that the Provincial Government has: (

a) failed to provide any plan to make life more affordable for Manitobans by not mentioning affordability and the rising cost of living due to higher hydro bills, grocery bills, and more as Manitobans head into the holiday season; and (

b) failed to call an independent public inquiry into Manitoba's pandemic response to learn from its mistakes and bring forward changes to improve the lives of Manitoba families and strengthen the healthcare system; and (

c) failed to provide any immediate supports to address the healthcare crisis across the province, from the north to the south; and (

d) failed seniors and elders in part by forcing them to move across Manitoba to make room in hospitals because of its failure to build new personal care home beds and address the healthcare crisis in the province; and (

e) failed to commit to any real investments or changes to address the growing surgical and diagnostic backlog in the province; and (

f) tried to change the channel from former Premier Brian Pallister but failed by repeating 16 of his previous commitments; and (

g) continued to put the long- term success of Manitoba students at risk by pushing ahead with an out of date "review" of the education system commissioned by former Premier, Brian Pallister; and (

h) continued the interference initiated by former Premier Brian Pallister in post- secondary institutions, leading to an ongoing strike at the University of Manitoba which is impacting the ability of students to learn; and (

i) offered no commitment to implement a living wage, paid sick days or health and safety supports for working Manitobans to help them out of poverty and keep them safe and healthy at work; and (

j) failed to mention Mani toba Hydro and offer a plan to use the clean advantage of Hydro to address climate change, create jobs, advance reconciliation and keep rates low and keep life affordable; and (

k) continued to fight with the City of Winnipeg by pushing a failed attempt at privatization that will cost Manitobans jobs, delaying upgrades to the North End Waste Water Treatment plant which would help protect the lakes and rivers of the province; and (

l) failed to provide any substantial targets or initiatives to address climate change, to prevent devastating weather events that impact producers, the length and quality of winter roads, the environment, the economy, and all Manitobans; and (

m) neglected to provide any real commitments to advancing reconciliation or apologize for the failures and racially insensitive comments of former Premier Brian Pallister; and (

n) failed to present clear measures to support women and gender -diverse Manitobans by committing to support the provision of menstrual products for women, girls and gender diverse people in schools or committing to ensure reproductive health care falls under the purview of the Minister of Health and Seniors Care; and (

o) failed to commit to supports for other major communities such as Brandon and Dauphin, and ending the funding freeze to municipalities; and (

p) failed to produce a meaningful strategy to revive Manitoba's creative industries or present a real strategy for Manitoba jobs in different sectors ; and (

q) refused to address the addictions and housing crisis by failing to provide long-term investments into harm reduction initiatives and affordable social housing. As a consequence of these and many other failings, the Provincial Government has thereby lost the trust and confidence of the people of Manitoba and this House. The Acting Speaker (Dennis Smook): It has been moved by the honour able Leader of the Op position, seconded by the member for Wolseley (Ms. Naylor),

32 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 24, 2021 That the motion be amended by adding the–to the end the following words– * (15:30) Some Honourable Members: Dispense. The Acting Speaker (Dennis Smook): Dispense. The motion is in order. Debate may proceed. Hon. Scott Fielding (Minister of Finance): It truly is an honour to stand here and speak before a historical Throne Speech that our Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) has–Premier and the Lieutenant Governor –through the Lieutenant Governor has given. The Speech from the Throne really lays out a pathway for progress that we can work together as Manitobans.

With a new Premier, our government has embarked on Manitoba's path for a new direction. And I do want to say that it is a historic day as we're having our first female Premier that introduced the Throne Speech as well as give it. We think it's an important milestone for Manitoba. We also think that the gov ernment embraces the values of equity, in - clusion and understanding. It really sets a refresh for the government in terms of the approach that we want to take with Manitobans, listening to Manitobans and dealing with other issues.

We know one of the cornerstones of a way forward through the pandemic, of course, is through economic recovery. We'll continue to support busi - nesses so they can produce goods and services we rely on and produce jobs. We know that we've done a whole number of things through the pandemic. You look at what we made–investments in Public Accounts as well as last year in the budget, we put copious amounts of dollars on the table to support businesses.

In fact, when you look at the supports for busi - nesses just over the last two years alone, we know that there's been over $407 million of supports for busi - nesses as they get through the pandemic. That helped them. These are programs –much-needed programs: things like the wage subsidy program; things like the block grant support program; or, you know, things like other support initiatives that really helped busi - nesses when they needed it most. We also know that individuals needed support and this will continue on, as the Throne Speech laid out in the pathway for supports for individuals.

We know to help address the challenge we'll have to increase our invest ment in things like educa tion and training with a focus on work with busi nesses to attract workers around–really, around the province to do it. As a prov incial gov ernment–and this is some - thing that really distinguishes ourselves from our op- position, the leaders of the opposition, others who are very much support ive of increasing taxes –you hear the word inflation, it kind of rings hollow because we know what the former NDP did in terms of taxing people to the max.

When you're looking for–when you have the type of inflation that we're seeing, potentially driven because of some of the excess spending that all gov- ernments have had to do, we know that the amount of money it takes to buy groceries is going to be more and that's why our gov ernment has taken such a big focus of putting more money in the pockets of Manitobans and we think that's im portant, whether that be things like reductions in the PST in our first term, reductions in education property tax; whether that be things like increasing the –or rather reducing the edu cation property tax; but also things like the basic personal exemption.

And that is something that's going to he lp things like poverty. We hear from the leaders of the opposi- tion that talk about poverty. Well, when you're able to take thousands of people off the payrolls altogether, or the tax rolls altogether through the basic personal exemption we think is really important. We also think that being competitive as a pro- vince is extremely im portant and that's on all tax levels. Our gov ernment–and we'll continue as was outlined in Throne Speech–to work with businesses to gain employment from growth industries.

Some that just come to mind, I would suggest, is some of the tax credits we've intro duced for a digital media tax credit that's allowing new, high- priced jobs to come to the province here, of Manitoba, things like the film tax credit, that's som ething obviously the Filmon government and others introduced earlier on that's attracted hundreds of millions of dollars of new productions. I was watching one just on Sunday with my family that was produced here in Manitoba, largely we–do with some of the tax credits that are in place. So we think that's important to take advantage– it's a competitive advantage.

Another area where the Manitoba economy is doing well–and I think, as we look forward through our Throne Speech as a vision for the future–is things like the manufacturing sector. Manitoba's done

November 24, 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 33 extremely well in things like food processing, right, that's a really important part. You look at places like– or rather McCain and Simplot and places like Roquette that have made–or companies like Roquette that have made sub stantial investments, hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in the province. So we need to continue to work with these areas. What is also important is that we need to support closer col laborations with advanc ed edu cation and training in stitutions or em ployment in Manitoba.

Strong alignment provides Manitobans with the right skills to succeed and build careers right here in Manitoba. And that's really what we've done with some of the post-secondary education as well as some of the technical colleges, making sure the labour force, the types of skills and em ployment that is needed, is really produced here in-province. So I think we're off to the right track in terms of that. I'm also very proud of the fact that during the pandemic–and it's been a very challenging time for a few things.

Number 1, probably the most significant– it is the most significant health crisis that our province has ever faced, as well as an economic crisis; we had over 90,000 Manitobans that were put out of work because of the pandemic with–some of the work we've done and the hard work, really, of Manitobans, we've pretty much are back at the same level as we were before the pandemic in terms of em ployment. One thing that we very–are very proud of, even though the numbers are still too high, is we have the lowest un- employment in the country, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, as well as very low levels of youth and female un em- ployment. We know that certain sectors and certain elements, things like people in the ac commodation services, things like travel and tourism, got hit really hard. Restaurants–and we know that's predominantly where you'll see more women as well as more youth involved in these areas. So we really need to make sure there's policies in place. And some of the policies that we have done, for instance, wage subsidies; it's allowed busi nesses to grow and prosper.

And I can tell you, from a Throne Speech perspective, of where we want to go as a gov- ernment. That's something that we see going forward, working–continuing to work with busi nesses, busi - nesses that may need some support, busi nesses and supports that are allowing people to grow and prosper here in the province. We also know that Manitoba's proud of our Provincial Nominee Program. We believe it's the strongest program of its kind in Canada, and we brought thousands of talented, hard-working families to live here and partici pate in our economy.

That's something that, you know, in our gov ernment, the Filmon government–I think it was Bonnie Mitchelson who introduced the nominee program. I think we can be very proud of the fact that this is the legacy of our province and something we're very proud of, and we want to build on to make sure we have the right people, the right skills, the right time that's going to improve our economy. We also want to make sure that we're continuing to work with the federal gov ernment to strengthen different programs, whether it be related to reskills in terms of Manitoba labour force and workforce agree- ments.

In fact, we had struck an agree ment with the federal government for an ad ditional $47 million to get people back in the work world. Maybe they needed the skills or what have you to get in the work world initially or also to train through some of the labour force agree ments, train and retrain people to ensure busi nesses that they're going to have ex- pansions, like major businesses here in the province, are there. So we're very proud of the work that we've done with the federal government. I think there's a renewed sense of optimism of working with the federal govern- ment in a number of different areas.

We as Finance ministers meet on a bi- weekly–used to be weekly – basis with all the Finance ministers dur ing the pan- demic. And we worked extremely well with the federal Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, in terms of elements. In fact, I can give you kind of a hard and fast example of this in terms of child care. Just before the federal election, the federal gov ernment had offered a very good partnership with the provinces in terms of child care. So Chrystia Freela

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	42-4-2
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	42nd 4th hansardpdf 2.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	dca244728574f703fbc51659612540e3c706e941

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