Manitoba Hansard — 6 December 2006 (Sitting 15, 38th Legislature, 5th Session)

38-5-15

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

Fifth Session - Thirty-Eighth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LVIII No. 15 - 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 6, 2006

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Eighth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation AGLUGUB, Cris The Maples N.D.P. ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain P.C. CUMMINGS, Glen Ste. Rose P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside P.C.

FAURSCHOU, David Portage la Prairie P.C. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Garry N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. JHA, Bidhu Radisson N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LATHLIN, Oscar, Hon. The Pas N.D.P. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C.

McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. REIMER, Jack Southdale P.C. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. ROCAN, Denis Carman P.C. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SALE, Tim Fort Rouge N.D.P. SANTOS, Conrad Wellington N.D.P. SCHELLENBERG, Harry Rossmere N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. SMITH, Scott, Hon. Brandon West N.D.P.

STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. VACANT Kirkfield Park

543 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, December 6, 2006 The House met at 1:30 p.m. PRAYER ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 14–The Family Maintenance Amendment and Inter-jurisdictional Support Orders Amendment Act Hon. Dave Chomiak (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger), that Bill 14, The Family Maintenance Amendment and Inter- jurisdictional Support Orders Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la

Loi sur l'obligation alimentaire et la

Loi sur l'établissement et l'exécution réciproque des ordonnances alimentaires, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, this bill will assist individuals in dealing with recalculations, as well as dealing with inter-jurisdictional awards to help Manitobans to recover maintenance and other support payments. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Bill 211–The Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the MLA for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux) that Bill 211, The Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la

Loi sur l'Hydro- Manitoba, be now read a first time. Motion presented. Mr. Gerrard: Bill 211 will provide that individuals who are considered for appo intment to the board of Manitoba Hydro undergo screening by a legislative committee of this Legislature before the appointment is made. The screening would involve a question- and-answer session by the committee, and this screening would be on the public record so that it could be clear what the qualifications are and what the view is of the individuals with respect to Manitoba Hydro and the future of Manitoba Hydro. Mr.

Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] COMMITTEE REPORTS Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs First Report Mr. Daryl Reid (Chairperson): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the First Report of the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs. Madam Clerk (Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs presents the following as its First Report. Some Honourable Members: Dispense. Mr. Speaker: Dispense. Meetings: Your committee met on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at 6 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration: Bill 28–The Manitoba Museum Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le Musée du Manitoba Bill 39–The Court of Queen's Bench Small Claims Practices Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le recouvrement des petites créances à la Cour du Banc de la Reine Bill 214–The Good Samaritan Protection Act/Loi sur l’immunité du bon samaritain Committee Membership: Hon. Mr. Chomiak Mr. Derkach Mr. Dewar Mr. Goertzen Mr. Jennissen Ms. Korzeniowski Mr. Nevakshonoff Mr. Reid (Chairperson) Hon. Mr. Robinson Mrs. Rowat Mr. Schuler

544 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 Your committee elected Mr. Nevakshonoff as the Vice-Chairperson. Public Presentations: Your committee heard one presentation on Bill 28– The Manitoba Museum Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le Musée du Manitoba, from the following: Claudette LeClerc, Manitoba Museum Your committee heard two presentations on Bill 214– The Good Samaritan Protection Act/Loi sur l’immunité du bon samaritain, from the following: Leah Ross, Private Citizen Eileen Jones, Manitoba Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba Bills Considered and Reported: Bill 28–The Manitoba Museum Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le Musée du Manitoba Your committee agreed to report this bill without amendment. Bill 39–The Court of Queen's Bench Small Claims Practices Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le recouvrement des petites créances à la Cour du Banc de la reine Your committee agreed to report this bill without amendment. Bill 214–The Good Samaritan Protection Act/Loi sur l’immunité du bon samaritain Your committee agreed to report this bill without amendment. Mr. Reid: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Interlake (Mr. Nevakshonoff), that the report of the committee be received. Motion agreed to. TABLING OF REPORTS Hon. Ron Lemieux (Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation): Mr.

Speaker, I'm pleased to table the 2006 Annual Re port for the year ending March 31, 2006, for the Manitoba Floodway Authority, copies of which will be distributed. Hon. Jim Rondeau (Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table the 2005-2006 Annual Report for the Economic Innovation and Technology Council. Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to table the following: a report pursuant to

section 20 of The Public Officers Act being

chapter P230 of the Continuing Consolidation of the Statutes of Manitoba, and also a report, scintillating reading I might add, pursuant to

section 13 of The Trade Practices Inquiry Act, being

chapter 110 of the Statutes of Manitoba 1970. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Hon. Diane McGifford (Minister of Advanced Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, I have a statement for the House. Today we pause to remember the 14 young women killed in a vicious attack at l'École polytechnique in Montréal on December 6, 1989. At that time, Canadians were stunned to learn that these 14 young engineering students were targeted and murdered by a man who blamed women for his personal failures.

Seventeen years later we continue to feel shock and horror over this tragedy. This date has become a national day of mourning, not only mourning the victims of the Montréal massacre but also for all women who are victims of violence. At the Manitoba Women's Advisory Council sunrise memorial at the Legislature this morning and at other events today, Manitobans will gather to remember these women and to reflect on the complex issue of violence against women. Today we also remember three Manitoba women who were killed since December 6, 2005. They are Angela Proulx, Jaylene Lindsey Crane and Audrey Daphne Cooper.

Our government is committed to protecting women from violence through innovative and advanced supports for victims of domestic violence, comprehensive funding of shelters for women and children, and justice initiatives that address crimes against women. Let us remember December 6, and together move forward to make our society a safe place for women and children. Let us be steadfast in our efforts to advance the lives and rights of women. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that following the statements of my colleagues, we join together to remember in a moment of silence. * (13:40)

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 545 Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for the statement that she has just made. On this very day, 17 years ago, an enraged gunman roamed and terrorized the corridors of Montréal's École polytechnique killing 14 young women. Marc Lepine, age 25, separated the men from the women before opening fire on the classroom of female engineering students. This horrific scene is ingrained in our collective memory as a galvanizing moment in history where mourning turned to outrage about all violence against women.

And so, every day, on December 6, Canada's day of remembrance and action on violence against women, we continue to remember this terrible event, and we also bring attention to all manifestations of violence that women face. We hold events such as this morning's sunrise memorial which was attended by members from both sides of the House. We attend memorials, deliver speeches and remind ourselves of the horror that we felt on that day. When reflecting on the events of December 6, 1989, what should remain in the forefront of all of our minds is the memory of the 14 women whose lives were lost in a matter of minutes.

They were slain solely because they were women, ambitious young women with promising futures who were poised to make their mark on this world and to make their contribution to society. While the terrible events of December 6 were an attack on women, abuse and violence affects us all, whether it be based on gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion. It is the collective responsibility of all of us to ensure that abuse and violence cease to exist. Thank you. Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I ask leave to speak to the minister's statement. Mr.

Speaker: Does the honourable member have leave? Some Honourable Members: Leave. Mr. Speaker: Leave has been granted. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, I join other members of this Legislature in speaking out against violence directed against women, in fact, violence directed against people no matter what their gender is. Clearly, we need to not only remember what happened at École polytechnique, not only remember what happened this year at Dawson College, but commit ourselves to making changes in our society that will prevent such events from occurring in the future.

It requires a spirit of dedication, a willingness to speak out against abuses, but also an understanding of what we can do to treat and to better deal with mental illness, with addictions and other matters which are clearly sometimes the root cause for certain of these problems. So I join other members of the Legislature here today in remembering what happened and in dedicating ourselves to achieve improvements in our society in the future. Mr. Speaker: Is there a willingness for a moment of silence. [Agreed] Please rise for a moment of silence. A moment of silence was observed. Introduction of Guests Mr.

Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would like to draw the attention of honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have with us today Mr. John Petrinka from Winnipeg, who is formerly from Churchill, whom I've known for many years. On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today. Also in the Speaker's Gallery we have with us today Napatchie Kolola of the Government of Nunavut who is with the Communications branch in Iqaluit, Nunavut. [Inuktitut was spoken] Translation We're very proud and honoured that you're able to join us today.

English On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today. ORAL QUESTIONS Emergency Rooms Physician Shortage Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, our ERs are in a state of crisis and it is getting worse. We have just heard that there are two more doctors leaving the Victoria Hospital ER at the end of the year. One doctor has told me that this has become a complete disaster under the NDP.

546 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 I would like to ask the Minister of Health what she is going to do now to deal with this severe critical shortage of ER doctors now that her quick-fix Band-Aid solution is falling apart. Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, Manitobans want to know and need to know that when they need emergency care in Manitoba, they are going to get it. That is certainly why we have made health care a priority. That is why we continue to make investing in health care a priority.

We know that there ar e currently 9.9 vacancies out of 69 positions in Winnipeg ERs. We need to continue to work on staffing those ERs, not only with doctors, but with nurses, with health care aides as well. We want to make sure that people are cared for when they need to be. That is why health care is our priority, as opposed to members opposite who publicly declared in the paper that they no longer care about it. Mrs. Driedger: Mr. Speaker, it is a doctor who has told me that this has become a complete disaster under the NDP, and they are making a mess of the whole ER situation.

The ER crisis is such a mess that three out of four of the new grads of this year's class don't even want to stay here and work in Winnipeg hospitals; 75 percent of these grads have left. They don't want to work here. They've fled Manitoba. So I would like to ask this NDP government why they are not doing a better job of keeping our graduates of our medical colleges, especially the ER grads. Ms. Oswald: Mr. Speaker, I would say again that emergency care is very important in Manitoba.

I really do find it curious strange that the member opposite should reference medical graduates, the same legislative assistant to the Minister of Health who made the decision to cut spaces to the medical school when they were in office. They went down to 70 spaces. It's taken some time for us to restore that. I was very pleased to attend the white coat ceremony of the first-year class of medical students that was the largest in 30 years, Mr. Speaker.

How in the name of what is all good, just and beautiful can members opposite talk about medical graduates leaving when they didn't even have the positions in place in the first place? It's just poppycock. Mrs. Driedger: Mr. Speaker, I would point out to the Minister of Health that this mess is happening under her watch. They have had seven years and they've done nothing. Two more doctors are leaving our ERs; three of the four graduates have fled Manitoba. In the past year, 19,000 patients have left our ERs without being seen.

Almost 19,000 patients walked away from our hospital ERs because they could not get care. I would like to ask the Minister of Health: Why are our ERs failing? Almost 19,000 patients who got frustrated waiting for care, couldn't get the care and they walked out of our ERs. How many of those were put in a very unsafe position because of this government? Ms. Oswald: Well, first of all, Mr. Speaker, we need to have a look at history.

Just recently, the members opposite, the Member for Charleswood, in particular, who was so very quick to fearmonger about disaster and the sky falling, who said such a thing in reference to last summer, because of the unbelievable dedication of our doctors, our nurses and our teamwork in ensuring that ERs stay open, no ERs closed this summer. The member opposite speaks from a place where positions in medical schools were cut; where nurses, over 1,500 of them, left the province during their time; where a hundred doct ors left.

With a promise of no longer caring about health care, I fear for the future under that potential government. Emergency Rooms Physician Shortage Mrs. Bonnie Mitchelson (River East): What we are seeing are patients lining the hallways in our ER departments on a daily basis. Contrary to what the Premier has said about zero patients being in hospital hallways, almost 19,000 patients have walked away from emergency rooms without being seen and 75 percent of the ER doctors trained here this year left to work elsewhere. Mr.

Speaker, a very si mple question for the government: When will this minister take the blinders off, recognize that there is a crisis in our ERs and fix it? * (13:50) Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, we have a full and clear vision of the importance of investing in training and investing in our ERs. We know that Manitobans care deeply about getting the emergency care they need when they need it. That's why we're committed to ensure that our ERs are fully sta ffed, to ensure that our

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 547 nurses are there. We are not making speculations and mentioning about closing ERs, in fact, as was the case with members opposite. We are not closing ERs; they were going to. Mrs. Bonnie Mitchelson (River East): Again, I would ask that this government take the blinders off. How about looking at investing in patients, Mr. Speaker? Under this government's watch we're seeing doctors overworked, nurses overworked and patient care compromised.

What assurance can the Minister of Health give patients and their families that walk through emergency room doors that their care will not be compromised? Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Well, we continue to invest in patients here in Manitoba, Mr. Speaker, because that's our government's priority. In fact, I believe it was just yesterday or was it a couple of days ago or was it last week when members opposite were criticizing this government's continued robust investment in health care? Which day was it?

But what I would say most definitely is that as we continue to increase our investments every year for doctors, every year for nurses, we know that members opposite during the 2003 campaign committed a paltry 1 percent to health care. What does that mean? It's the equivalent of closing the Grace Hospital altogether, in fact. That's a problem, Mr. Speaker. Health Care Patient Safety Mrs.

Bonnie Mitchelson (River East): I'm told by professionals within the health care system that this government's quick fix to trying to solve hallway medicine is to cram five patients into four-patient rooms, a policy that creates safety issues. How do you get a crash cart into a room with five beds? How does the patient call for help when they have no call bell? Where is the privacy with a fifth bed right up against the washroom? Will this minister tell us how many patients have been placed in unsafe situations because of the government's e-bed policy? Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Mr.

Speaker, patient care a nd patient safety are paramount when it comes to our priority with health care. I need to point out to members opposite, in addition to investing and ensuring that we have doctors here, in fact, as recently as our Throne Speech, we cited even more opportunities for training for ER docs. But, in addition to ensuring that our ERs stay open and that our patients are safe, we also have the Pan Am urgent care clinic that opened in 2004, which is open seven days a week and which helps take pressure off our ERs. Misericordia urgent care is also open assisting with this.

We know that fast-track services at Se ven Oaks, Misericordia and HSC are in place. There are a number of initiatives. It's a collaborative approach. Patient safety is job one. Manitoba Economy Business Climate Mr. Gerald Hawranik (Lac du Bonnet): Mr. Speaker, the recent Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce report indicates that 71 percent of Manitoba businesses believe that this NDP government has only done a fair or a poor job of creating a proper business climate in Manitoba.

This was borne out recently in Manitoba when our own Richardson family decided to build a Canola crushing plant, not in Manitoba but in Saskatchewan. Big Sky Farms, now a former partner of OlyWest, also commented that it was disappointed with the recent actions of the NDP and has decided to refocus their priorities in Saskatchewan. I ask the Minister of Competitiveness: Why has he failed to create a business climate in Manitoba capable of retaining and expanding businesses in Manitoba? Hon. Scott Smith (Minister of Competitiveness, Training and Trade): Mr.

Speaker, our recycling program here in Manitoba is doing very well by the members opposite. Mr. Speaker, to put factual information on the record, the member opposite should pay attention. Small business tax in Manitoba, when we came in in 1999, was sitting at 8 percent, the second-highest in Canada. The masterminds over there didn't change it. We brought it down, now, to 3 percent for next year, the second-lowest. If members opposite want to swagger in with their toothpick, as has been mentioned in the restaurants in Winnipeg, they did nothing with business tax.

We've reduced it now to the second- lowest in Canada, Mr. Speaker. Business recognizes that.

548 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 Tax Rates Mr. Gerald Hawranik (Lac du Bonnet): Mr. Speaker, the minister has done so well that he's produced an economy in Manitoba that has consistently grown at a rate less than the national average for each of the last seven years. That is his record. To improve the business climate in Manitoba, 45 percent of Manitoba businesses say that the Province must lower taxes to be competitive with other provinces.

Manitoba has the highest personal income tax west of Québec, and, according to the Chamber of Commerce, six out of ten provinces in Canada have lower overall corpor ate tax burdens than Manitoba. Business leaders have clearly stated that Manitoba's business climate and its overall tax rates are not competitive with the rest of Canada. So I ask the Minister of Competitiveness: Why has he failed to make Manitoba's tax rates competitive with other provinces? Hon. Scott Smith (Minister of Competitiveness, Training and Trade): The member opposite talks about jobs.

Over the last six years, there has been an average of 5,180 full-time jobs created per year. That's a 140 percent increase over their record in the '90s, Mr. Speaker. When you look at the retention of people in Manitoba, they lost over 1,100 people per year every year throughout the '90s. We have gained about 1,500. That's a difference of about 2,700 people per year, times by seven, is the c ity of Portage la Prairie, Glenboro, and the member's riding. Opportunities for Young Manitobans Mr. Gerald Hawranik (Lac du Bonnet): The minister wants to talk about jobs.

Well, 93 percent of Manitoba businesses believe that this NDP government is doing a poor job creating job opportunities for all Manitobans who live and work in Manitoba. Manitoba is fertile ground for B.C. Hydro and other companies who recruit skilled workers in Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, 72 percent of Manitoba businesses were having difficulty finding new employees because this government has failed to create hope and opportunity for young Manitobans. So I ask the Minister of Competitiveness: Why has he failed to create hope and opportunity for Manitobans? Why do they have to leave Manitoba for hope and opportunity?

Hon. Scott Smith (Minister of Competitiveness, Training and Trade): I am glad the member opposite mentioned things that are important to business, Mr. Speaker. When they did nothing with training and jobs and growth in Manitoba, we got a 30 percent increase in our post-secondary institutions helping business along, their No. 1 priority. The taxation, for the first time, Mr. Speaker, on corporate income tax was reduced from 17 percent with us, now almost 23 percent down as of next year. Mr. Speaker, our economy is growing. Our debt is going down.

More people are coming to Manitoba, more youth retention in Manitoba. Manitobans recognize the difference. All you have to do is ask a Manitoban what their house price has done in the last six years. It's pretty obvious our economy is booming. Wind Power Development Request for Proposals Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield): In November 2005, this NDP government announced that they were taking in expressions of interest for an additional 100 megawatts of wind generation. Yet, over a year later, still no request for proposals has been issued. Mr.

Speaker, to the Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines: Why has his government dragged its heels for over a year and responded to the expressions of interest? What are they waiting for, an election? * (14:00) Hon. Jim Rondeau (Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines): Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that the members opposite finally have identified a new source of energy, one that they did nothing on, one which we are developing. I invite the members opposite to go to St. Leon, a wonderful new wind farm. It is one of the largest in Canada so we are very proud of it.

What I am also happy to say is that, not only are we moving forward with 100 megawatts, we're moving forward and very quickly presenting a request for a proposal for 300 megawatts, and moving forward to 1,000 megawatts. I encourage the members opposite to look at what we've done for potentially good, green energy versus what you did, which was nothing. Mr. Schuler: But, Mr. Speaker, that answer and a quarter won't buy you a cup of coffee. When are they going to get on the program? Manitobans have a lot

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 549 of money invested in this process, and every day that this government stalls in issuing a request for proposal it means that they are losing money. Over and over they are told that the RFP is coming, but now they have waited a year and have seen nothing. Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Why is his unfriendly-to-business government content to string these companies along while they lose money waiting for action. They are waiting for some kind of action. Why don't they make the announcement? Mr. Rondeau: Mr.

Speaker, the members opposite never even heard of the wind. The only wind came from members opposite when they were in the Chamber. What we're doing is we're harnessing the green energy. You can go to St. Leon, see a 100- megawatt wind farm currently in existence. It works. We also are moving forward very quickly to put in a request for proposal for 300 megawatts, which will be coming forward very, very quickly, but we're going to work with Hydro. What the member opposite doesn't understand is that they never had a strategy for green energy. They never had a strategy for developing Hydro.

They were going to concentrate on selling Hydr o. What we're doing is expanding green energy. We're expanding alternate– and pay attention to the new green energy tax credit, more and more economic benefits will continue to grow because we can expand. We can plan for the future and move forward. Mr. Schuler: Mr. Speaker, once again, this boils down to NDP politics. In November 2005, they announced expression of interest will be received, yet, to date, nothing. In September 2006, the NDP government re-announces the same thing and, again, nothing. What are these groups supposed to do?

Wait till the next provincial election to see what happens. Manitobans deserve better than the economic strategy dependent on NDP campaign literature handed out during the next provincial election. They want answers now, and what they don't want to see is the Premier (Mr. Doer) running around during election making all kinds of commitments that, again, he won't live up to. Make the announcement now. Mr. Rondeau: Mr. Speaker, this is not politics, it's policy. It's a policy where we're moving forward, and if you don't believe in the policy, go to St. Leon.

There you can see a wind farm, the first wind farm in Manitoba done under our government, not under the Conservative government. It's bringing lots of economic development, not only to the farmers but to the residential areas for tax base, new jobs, and, may I say, the members opposite didn't even have a policy, didn't have politics on it. We're moving it forward expeditiously, creating green energy jobs for the future. You're back in the past. You never even thought about it when we're moving it forward expeditiously. Hog Barns Moratorium Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): Mr.

Speaker, yesterday the Premier refused to set a time line for the Clean Environment Commission's review of the hog industry. The ban forced on the hog producers is, therefore, open-ended and uncertain. The Minister of Agriculture has failed our farm families by her silence on this moratorium and by deliberately avoiding the issue. Will the Minister of Agriculture, today, finally take some initiative and commit to meet with the hog producers and Manitoba Pork Council on this very important issue? Hon. Rosann Wowchuk (Minis ter of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives): I've met with them, Mr.

Speaker, and yes, I will meet them. Mr. Eichler: We need more than just lip-service, Mr. Speaker. This Minister of Agriculture could and should be working on behalf of all producers by urging the NDP government to move forward with the CEC review based on an established deadline that meets this moratorium. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Agriculture finally do the positive thing, commit to meet with producers and the Pork Council's advocate for an end date to the moratorium? That's the question. Ms. Wowchuk: Mr. Speaker, once again: Yes, I have met with them. Yes, I will meet with them. Mr.

Eichler: Yesterday, a news release from OlyWest clearly lays the blame for the loss of his partners at the feet of the NDP government. This Minister of Agriculture has created an uncertainty on hog production with this moratorium, Mr. Speaker. How long will it be in place? Will it be four years like Québec which drove that province's industry out of business? Will the minister provide stability and certainty for Manitoba's hog industry by calling an end date to the moratorium?

550 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 Ms. Wowchuk: If the minister is asking if it looks like four years like Québec, Mr. Speaker, no. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Speaker: Order. If members wish to have a conversation, we have two empty loges here. I need to be able to hear the questions and the answers. The honourable Member for Emerson has the floor. Hog Barns Moratorium Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

On Oc tober 24, Jim Carr, the president of the Business Council of Manitoba, wrote in a letter to the editor, and I quote: The Business Council of Manitoba opposes your government's announced pause in the generation of new activity in the province of Manitoba hog industry. We react with concern and anxiety at the unilateral decision that you have taken without consultation with the industry itself and without a tight time frame within which an assessment of the industry contribution to the problem will be made.

After yesterday's announcement of Madam Minister of the pullout of Olymel of Québec and Big Sky of Saskatchewan, does the minister realize that the politically motivated pause will cause huge economic losses to the province of Manitoba? Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Carr for his very positive comments on our immigration targets being met this week. I believe we had a meeting this week to confirm that– Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Speaker: Order. Mr. Doer: Thank you, Mr. Speak er.

The target of 10,000 people has been reached and the Business Council of Manitoba was very, very positive. So that was this week's feedback from the Business Council. I would point out on September 27, Olymel– [interjection] Well, you know we have the Wellington West correspondent, if she wants to ask a question, go right ahead. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Speaker: Order. Mr. Doer: On September 27, Olymel declared that it lost $150 million in Québec. It declared that it was going to close down plants, it was going to reduce the number of workers in the province of Québec.

We had no illusions at that time that it would have a direct impact on the decisions being made here in Manitoba and, of course– Mr. Speaker: Order. Manitoba Economy Opportunities for Young Manitobans Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Well, it is clearly evident, Mr. Speaker, that the Province of Manitoba and the Premier of this province have given up an economic opportunity and put impediments in place to cause those people not to want to come to Manitoba. I want to ask the Minister of Agriculture (Ms. Wowchuk): Is the minister really intent on driving all our young people from the province of Manitoba?

Is it imperative that she will see the young people leave here without allowing industries such as Olymel, such as Big Sky out of Saskatchewan to come in here and provide jobs for those young people before all of them leave this province of Manitoba? Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr. Speaker, there was a presentation from Manitoba Bureau of Statistics made at the Winnipeg summit which indicated the net decline in young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in the 1990s. Every year the member opposite was part of the leadership of the former government, part of the team that was leading that government.

The average reduction in net number of people was 2,000 a year. We have turned a corner. We've gone from loss to gain of young people between the ages of 15 and 24. We have admitted that it is not enough. We're going to continue to work on more young people. But I would point out that the member opposite said the Simplot potato plant would never come to Manitoba; it's here today. Hog Barns Moratorium Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Mr. Speaker, we have an agricultural industry that has made huge investments over the last seven, eight years in the hog industry.

There have been large investments made; there are many people employed in this industry. We have now an opportunity to add, not only a Maple Leaf operation in Brandon, but another one in eastern Manitoba to process those very hogs and add large numbers of jobs to this province of Manitoba. Yet, this Province and this Premier and

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 551 his minister have put a moratorium in place, similar to what Québec did which drove Olymel out of Québec. Here we have a Premier that is now saying we have created a large number of jobs. These young people are leaving this province. When will the government recognize its irreparable damage that she and her government have done to this province by putting in place this moratorium? * (14:10) Hon. Rosann Wowchuk (Minis ter of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives): I ask the member to take a little bit of time and think about this.

The company that was planning to come to Manitoba lost $150 million in September. They announced that they lost money in September. The pause was not in place, Mr. Speaker. The member opposite talks about a moratorium. He is fearmongering. I would ask the member–they asked me if I talked to the pork industry–I would ask them to talk to the people who still have confidence and ask him to talk to Hytek about their plans, rather than fearmongering about those people who have made a financial decision based on their operations out of this province, rather than saying that we cannot proceed.

Value added is a very important part of this government's plan, and we will continue to work on it. Premier's Office Conduct of Chief of Staff Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, the Premier's chief of staff, Michael Balagus, is under investigation for criminal wrongdoings. This includes issues such as political intimidation and bullying, unethical and illegitimate pressure, corruption and bribery. Every other premier across Canada would have at least suspended their chief of staff if there was an investigation of this nature going on today.

My question specific to the Premier is: Why has the Premier not suspended Michael Balagus as his chief of staff for the Province of Manitoba? Why has the Premier not done it? Hon. Dave Chomiak (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, in order to get attention you either raise your voice or up the rhetoric. Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. Mr. Speaker: Order. The honourable Attorney General has the floor. Mr. Chomiak: The member has said in this House that he saw a letter in September. He hasn't done anything with that letter, I guess.

The member's also indicated the Chief Electoral Officer is looking at this situation. That's what the member has said, Mr. Speaker. That is hardly criminal, firstly. Secondly, if the member has any information that he wishes to bring forth that he uncovered in September, and he, all of a sudden, raised in this House in November, I think that the electoral officer or anyone else would be prepared to look at that. Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, it's noteworthy that the Premier sits in his place in order to avoid the serious issue that's facing his chief of staff in the Premier's Office.

Elections Manitoba is conducting interviews– Mr. Speaker: Order. Mr. Lamoureux: This is very serious, Mr. Speaker. I ask the Premier: Why will he not suspend the chief of staff from his office, given that Elections Manitoba is even conducting interviews in regard to the behaviour of his staffperson, Michael Balagus? Why have you not suspended this individual? Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, I believe Elections Manitoba is conducting interviews with respect to ministers on this side of the House concerning allegations made by his leader.

Elections Manitoba is conducting interviews with respect to a candidate who is running for the Liberal Party. Elections Manitoba will conduct investigations when they are asked, Mr. Speaker. When they come back with any evidence or any information, it will be incumbent upon those who receive that information to act upon it. But an investigation and allegations by that member, Mr. Speaker, are a long way from where the member talks about crimes, et cetera.

I think he ought to tone down his rhetoric or say what he wants to say in the hallway when he's not protected by the privilege that is offered to members of this House. Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, I'm asking that the Premier gather the courage–[interjection] Mr. Speaker: Order. Mr. Lamoureux: I'm asking the Premier to gather the courage and to do the right thing and suspend his chief of staff until, at the very least, the investigation

552 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 by Elections Manitoba has concluded. That's a reasonable thing to ask for. If the Premier's not prepared to do that, quite frankly, he should resign as the Premier. I'm not going to stand by and let this Premier deceit Manitobans time and time again. He's got to start being honest with Manitobans– Mr. Speaker: Order. The honourable Member for Inkster, when the Speaker is standing, members should be seated and the Sp eaker should be heard in silence. I shouldn't have to try and over shout another member in this Chamber.

We're all elected by our constituents, and we should have more respect fo r this Chamber than just has been shown. We have strong feelings at times, but we must never forget that this is the Manitoba Legislative Chamber, and we all must have respect for the dignity of this Chamber. Using the words of an individual member or individual minister of "deceit," that is totally unparliamentary, and I ask the honourable Member for Inkster to withdraw that comment. An Honourable Member: Apologize. Mr. Speaker: Order. I am now instructing the honourable member to withdraw the word "deceit." Mr. Lamoureux: Mr.

Speaker, in good conscience, I could not withdraw that comment. Mr. Speaker: Order. I am now directing the honourable member to withdraw that word immediately. I have requested, directed and instructed the member to withdraw his comment. I have no alternative but to name Mr. Kevin Lamoureux, the honourable Member for Inkster, pursuant to our rules for disregarding the authority of the Chair, and to direct that he withdraw from the Chamber for the remainder of this sitting.

I would advise the honourable member to please leave the Chamber immediately because if I have to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms, there will be further consequences. Mr. Speaker: Okay, we are now on question No. 8 and that belongs to the government. * (14:20) Canadian Wheat Board Single-Desk System Mr. Tom Nevakshonoff (Interlake): The disdain of members of the Conservative Party opposite for the grain producers of our province has become only too obvious in the past few weeks as they continue to parrot the position of Prime Minister Harper on the gutting of the Canadian Wheat Board.

This government has stepped up to the plate in defence of our farmers and will soon hold its own plebiscite on the question of the single desk. Can the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives give us the details of our latest announcement? Hon. Rosann Wowchuk (Minis ter of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives): Indeed, I do thank my colleague for raising this very important issue. I am quite disappointed that the members opposite do not see the Canadian Wheat Board as an important enough issue that they would not raise a question in the House, Mr. Speaker.

Our producers and producers from across the west have said they want a fair vote on wheat and barley. We have asked th e federal government for this vote. They have refused. The members opposite continue to talk about their desire for market choice. This is not what the producers are asking for, so today I announced that wheat and barley producers will have an opportunity to have a say. Ballots are being mailed out to them. I would encourage all wheat and barley producers in this province to take this opportunity to have their say. Unfortunately, the federal government will not give the producers this voice.

We will, and I hope members opposite will recognize how important this is, Mr. Speaker. Broadband Technology Hub (Brandon) Government Initiatives Mr. Leonard Derkach (Russell): My question is to the Minister responsible for Advanced Education. Brandon University is not only the post-secondary hub for rural and northern Manitoba, but it is also becoming the established centre for broadband technological hub facility for not only Brandon but, indeed, the surrounding communities. The federal government, through CANARIE, has provided funding for those kinds of facilities to be established in rural Manitoba.

I want to ask the Minister of Advanced Education whether she can tell

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 553 this House that, in fact, long-term funding has been put in place for broadband establishment at Brandon University and the Brandon area. Hon. Diane McGifford (Minister of Advanced Education and Training): Well, Mr. Speaker, it certainly is a red-letter day when we get a question on Advanced Education.

I want to assure the member opposite, in case he doesn't remember, that in last year's budget we introduced a multi-year funding strategy for our universities and colleges; the first multi-year funding strategy in the history of the province with the highest rates of funding in the history of the province: 5.8, 5, 5, which will translate into over a 16 percent increase or $60 million to this post-secondary education system. Mr. Derkach: Mr. Speaker, it will be a glorious red- letter day when we can get any minister on that side of the House to answer a question directly.

Investment into technology is critical for providing access to students at our universities, to facilities and communities. I have asked this minister whether or not she has established a long-term agreement with Brandon University for funding so that Brandon University can become the backbone, if you like, the hub for technological information in the area. Ms. McGifford: Mr.

Speaker, a question on Advanced Education is even more interesting when it targets students and studen ts' interests because all I saw that government, that party opposite when it was in government do was cut bursaries to students, cut operating funds. The answer to the question is, of course, we've given 5.8, 5, and 5. This is adequate money to fund the priorities of the institution, Mr. Speaker. Crocus Investment Fund Minister's Actions Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield): Let us review the record of the Member for Brandon West (Mr. Smith).

In November 2003, the Member for Brandon West is put in charge of the Crocus file as Minister of Industry. In September 2004, the board at Crocus approves a drastic write-down in its investment portfolio of $15 million. One month later, the Member for Brandon West is removed as Minister of Industry, minister responsible for the Crocus file. Two months later, on December 10, Crocus halts trading of its shares. This record is reprehen sible. I ask the Member for Brandon West: Is he proud of this appalling record? Why will he not stand in this House and defend himself? Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): Mr.

Speaker, I've never seen a better example of a man on a witch hunt. He takes a bunch of unrelated facts, weaves them together and tries to develop a conspiracy theory. Then he has the audacity to expect us to account for his paranoia. Perhaps he should account to himself for why he dreams up these cockamamie schemes. Mr. Schuler: Mr. Speaker, I've never heard of ministerial responsibility being referred to as a witch hunt but, whatever. In this session alone, we have asked the minister responsible for Crocus, the Member for Brandon West, 23 questions on the Crocus file, and do you want to know what, Mr. Speaker?

Do you know how many questions this member has answered? Not one. Is the Member for Brandon West so inept, so weak, that he can't even answer one single question on the Crocus scandal, one of the most important issues facing his ministry and one of the most important issues facing 34,000 Manitobans? Get up and defend yourself. Get up and get on your feet. Tell us what happened. Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, nothing underlines the authoritarian character of the members opposite.

They think they can stand from their chair in opposition, break all the rules of the House and order people to do things because they are somehow given the God-given right to order what goes on in Manitoba. I want to inform them we've been operating under a parliamentary democracy since 1870. They don't have any inherent rights to order people what to do. They're supposed to follow the rules of the House. They know all ques tions are questions to the government. They're completely misleading the public about how this House operates.

If they want to operate in a dictatorship that's their choice, but Manitobans have chosen to democratically elect their governments. Crocus Investment Fund Fonds de Solidarité Loan Mr. Glen Cummings (Ste. Rose): Mr. Speaker, I look at the answer just given in this Chamber, and it demonstrates clearly that this government is

554 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 unwilling to be accountable for their activities when the Crocus Fund was crashing. The Minister responsible for Competitiveness was the minister when this fund undertook a dramatic and drastic, in terms of the shareholder dollars, write-down. They lost millions of dollars in one minute.

So I ask the Member for Brandon West, the Minister responsible for Competitiveness, who is now, again, responsible for the monitoring of Crocus, whether or not he knew that the money borrowed from Solidarité, known affectionately on this side as the Fond, did he know, as the Auditor reported, that this created a situation that grossly overstated the value of the fund and grossly understated their liabilities? * (14:30) Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): Mr.

Speaker, it's very clear that the fund, as structured by the members opposite, was set up as an arm's-length body to be operated by a board of directors in the community. The auditors, every year, reported on the financial health of the fund. The auditors said that there wasn't any problems. The Auditor General disagreed with that analysis. The members full well know that, and now they want to after the fact, construct a conspiracy theory. If they really want accountability in the Legislature, can they explain why Isobord lost $7 million in the Crocus Fund under their watch, why the Province lost $29.6 million?

Can they explain why Westsun lost $21 million and the Province lost $3.5 million. Can they explain why Winnipeg logistics caused a $7.6 million loss to the Crocus Fund and $5.6 to the Province under their watch? Mr. Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired. Introduction of Guests Mr. Speaker: I'd like to draw the attention of honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have with us Maxine Diamond who is the guest of the honourable Member for Carman (Mr. Rocan). Also in the public gallery we have from Whiskey Jack Treatment Centre 32 visitors under the direction of Joan Muswagon.

This group is located in the constituency of the honourable Minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs (Mr. Lathlin). On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you all here today. MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Todd Davison Mrs. Bonnie Mitche lson (River East): Mr. Speaker, I rise with sadness today to recognize a young individual whose passion, strength and indomitable spirit is known by many. I stand today to mourn with many others the loss of Todd Davison, a 20 year old who was born and raised in Winnipeg in my constituency. Mr. Speaker, I've know n the Davison family for many, many years.

They've been a very positive influence on the community at large, on their family, their three boys and volunteered and made a significant commitment to North Kildonan. Todd played at Gateway Recreation Centre where he first began his hockey career along with his brothers Wade and Joel, and both Barb and Bob were a very important part of their community life and supported their boys in every way as they grew. A few years ago, Todd was diagnosed with cancer and had to travel to Toronto for diagnosis for treatments.

The community rallied around the Davison family at that time, and many, many within the community volunteered their time and their energy to put on a fundra ising social so that the family could be supported and Todd could travel and the family could be with him while he underwent the significant treatment that he did, but Todd's spirit never died and he continued to have a very positive attitude towards life. He played hockey as long as he could. He coached hockey. He was very involved up until the last days of his life. I kn ow, Mr.

Speaker, there will be many, many that will mourn Todd's death not only in our community but throughout the hockey community, the sporting community. I know that we have lost a young man with energy, drive and compassion, and he will be missed, but his legacy will continue on as he has very much impacted the lives of many others around him. Mr. Speaker, he will be sadly missed in our community and tomorrow many of us will be spending a day in celebrating his short years on this earth and with our community. Thank you. Brandon East (Constituency) Mr. Drew Caldwell (Brandon East): Mr.

Speaker, Brandon East is one of the most dynamic constituencies in Manitoba. The citizens in Brandon East are engaged in their community, proud of their

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 555 community and active in working together to make Brandon East the best it can be. It is an absolute privilege to represent my home constituency in the Manitoba Legislature, and to labour together with fellow citizens on behalf of a better Brandon. Mr. Speaker, this session's Throne Speech continues to place Brandon East at the centre of the provincial agenda.

In past years our government built the Brandon Regional Health Centre, provided our community with its first MRI unit, committed to the redevelopment of the Westman Laboratory and developed the downtown Health Access Centre. This Throne Speech announced the installation of a new linear accelerator for Brandon, a move which will make Brandon a regional centre for cancer care by investing in a model of treatment that combines radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

In addition, reversing a discriminatory policy imposed by the former Conservative government, we have announced that patients requiring inter-facility ambulance transfers will no longer be charged a fee for this service. Building health care excellence in Brandon, Mr. Speaker, remains a top priority of the Gary Doer NDP government. Mr. Speaker, we are also building educational excellence in Brandon through the historic development of ACC at BMHC, an unprecedented investment, which will forever establish Brandon as a centre for post-secondary education in Canada.

Combined with major investments in public school infrastructure and the construction of the health studies building at Brandon University, all educational sectors in Brandon are being positively supported by our government. Our historic tuition cut and freeze, in addition to increased bursaries, means that young people are staying and studying here in Manitoba. Infrastructure improvement, specifically the twinning of the 18th Street Bridge over the Assiniboine River and the repaving of 18th Street, Richmond Avenue and 1st Street, is also being undertaken by our government.

In the community, Neighbourhoods Alive! has funded the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation supporting the development of children's parks and playgrounds, Mr. Speaker. Brandon East has been central to all of these accomplishments. I am proud to call Brandon East home. Manitoba Farm Animal Council Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Today I wish to draw this House's attention to an important organization, the Manitoba Farm Animal Council or MFAC. It is a group of dedicated livestock industry professionals. Established in 1990, MFAC promotes the humane treatment of farm animals and general animal welfare.

MFAC also works to bridge the gap between urban and rural cultures by raising awareness among school children about the realities of farming. They offer children an opportunity to learn about farming and to interact with livestock populations. Even more important, MFAC's commitment to animal welfare includes training emergency response personnel for what to do when livestock are involved in an accident during transport.

Through a series of training seminars, first responders learn to free trapped animals without causing injury, and are taught to assess the health of animals to determine the need for euthanization. Lastly, MFAC operates the CARE line offering information about farm animal care and enabling people to report incidents of animal mistreatment. MFAC is funded through member contributions and although an effective organization has requested that the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (Ms. Wowchuk) assist with funding for a CARE line.

Ensuring good animal welfare in Manitoba is an important aspect of our agricultural industry. I urge the government to show its support for this important service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Manitoba Student Leadership Conference Hon. Kerri Irvin-Ross (Minister of Healthy Living): Mr. Speaker, it was with great pleasure that I participated in the 18th annual Manitoba Student Leadership Conference held at the nationally renowned UNESCO school, Vincent Massey Collegiate, in the constituency of Fort Garry.

The theme of the conference was "Voices Motivating Communities: Leadership Olympics", and its mandate was to provide students with an opportunity to enhance student leadership skills and learn about how they can bring about positive change in our community. The event began Thursday, September 28, with a barbeque, and I was privileged to give a welcome

556 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 speech to open the conference. During the day, Friday, participants attended various workshops, and I offered a workshop on women in politics. Approximately 300 students from 50 schools across Manitoba, along with the teacher advisers, were in attendance. Additionally, over 600 students from Vincent Massey attended the workshops on Friday. Additionally, students had many opportunities to develop new skills and gain valuable knowledge. Events such as these are important for the future of our province and our country.

They nurture and encourage young talents who will, undoubtedly, be the leaders of tomorrow. We need these young leaders to inspire others to be part of the continuing building of a province that we all will be proud to call home. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the staff and students for organizing this important event and to commend Vincent Massey Collegiate for their dedication towards helping students to develop a global perspective on issues which affect their everyday lives.

I would also like to praise all the students who participated in the conference for their interest and involvement in their communities. Thank you. * (14:40) Health Care in Aboriginal Communities Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, the provincial NDP government has shown total disregard for the health car e crisis in our province's Aboriginal communities.

Grand Chief Ron Evans has recently written to the Premier as follows: I'm writing to express my extreme disappointment in the lack of substantial Manitoba First Nations participation at the national summit on Aboriginal health held on November 27 and 28, 2006, in Vancouver, B.C.

The lack of pre-planning and discussion to identify Manitoba-specific First Nation health issues and solutions to table at this forum clearly indicate your government's lack of movement towards addressing the First Nations health crisis in our province." The Grand Chief continues: "I am greatly offended that the invitation for my attendance at this meeting was merely to provide the optics that First Nations in Manitoba are working in partnership with your government and support the minimal work Manitoba has done to date with respect to First Nation health in our province.

"In light of the strong partnerships between other Provincial governments across Canada and First Nations in other regions, it is an embarrassment that the Aboriginal Health report card delivered by Manitoba at this summit spoke only of six dialysis units established in 2004 to address the health crisis of First Nations in our province." Mr. Speaker, I personally visited many First Nations communities in Manitoba. This fall I was in Pimicikamak, Mosakahiken and Chemawawin First Nations. In Pimicikamak First Nation in Cross Lake, there has been a major health care crisis, and the Province has done little.

Indeed, the state of emergency declared in Cross Lake over its nursing station has been met with complete silence by this government. There have also been major needs for better roads to communities like Chemawawin and Mosakahiken First Nations, but, again, the Province has done little. At Mosakahiken, as at many other First Nations, there is a need for more activities for young people, more adult education, but the Province has done little. It is time for dramatic change at the provincial level with a real and effective partnership with Manitoba First Nations. The NDP haven't done it.

It's time to elect a provincial Liberal government to achieve it. GRIEVANCES Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Emerson, on a grievance? Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Yes, Mr. Speaker, on a grievance. Our health care in this province has been touted by the NDP government as one of the best in the world. We have, in our family, reason to question those statements. The reason I say we have reason to question those statements is because we have a personal situation in our family. It is my daughter who was diagnosed with a very severe back failure some 15 years ago.

Three years after that, she had back surgery for the first time in the city of Winnipeg. That did not solve the problem. Then, about three years after that, she had another surgery and that also did not solve her back ailment. She has been on morphine for roughly about seven to eight years. She was told only in the last year and a half to two years ago that she would probably have to live with her situation for the rest of her life. At that time she was on crutches and part time in a wheelchair.

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 557 Can you imagine, Mr. Speaker, a young woman, aged 47, being told that for the rest of her life she would have to be on crutches or in wheelchairs? So she spent her time at home trying to live with her situation as best she could. In the meantime, she became quite good at her computer. Some of us called her a computer geek . In searching around the Internet, she found a Web site, and the Web site was called getadr.com. All those people with back problems should make a note of that Web site, getadr.com, Mr. Speaker.

In that Web site, it indicated that there was a facility in Germany, a hospital in Stenum, Germany, that could do back surgery that, in fact, would install artificial discs in a person's back. What they do over there, they do not do back surgery from the back in, they go in through the st omach, and where there are no nerves or anything like that to deal with, and they take the old discs out and replace the new disc with steel or metal discs. Our daughter had two of those replaced and put in her back. She will now re-enter the workforce right after Christmas after having been told that she would never work again.

We believe, Mr. Speaker, that this an absolute must that this province investigate the possibility of using that procedure on a regular basis for people who are constantly walking around in pain and are being told that they canno t be helped, because there is help. When I was in Stenum, Germany, and speaking to the specialists and the surgeons over there, I asked them this question: If we sent some young surgeons over there, would you train them in this same procedure? They said: Absolutely, as long as we don't have to pay them a salary while we're teaching them.

They would teach them for nothing, this procedure, and we could bring that back to Canada if we would. However, what concerns me more than anything else is this NDP government has constantly said that they will help people attain a cure in our health care system in this province and it will be dealt with under our totally funded system. The Premier (Mr. Doer) has personally has said: If we can't do the procedures in this province, we will send them outside of the province, and we will pay for them to get a cure in another part of this country, in Canada.

Then he said: If we can't do it in Canada, we will send them where it can be done. Well, Mr. Speaker, our family has gone a number of times to the Minister of Health, to a number of ministers of Health, and indicated what could be done for her, and asked them to provide funding to a young person wanting to gain her health back so she could re-enter the workforce. Yet these ministers, both of them, have said: You know, we can't do this; we can't do this. So, finally, our family made the decision that we would take our daughter to Germany, and if we had to we would pay for that procedure ourselves, and we did that.

We made the arrangements. No sooner had we made the arrangements, we were talking to the specialist that our daughter was dealing with here in the province of Manitoba, no sooner had we made the arrangements to go, the Health Department phoned and said, oh, we found now somebody in Manitoba that will do this surgery. He has moved here from Africa. He's practising in Brandon and talk to him in Brandon. So we phoned this person in Brandon and made an appointment with this person in Brandon, this so-called doctor in Brandon, and he said, yes, I can do this. And then we said, when can you see her?

And he said on such and such a day, I will be able to see her. When the day came, he cancelled. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that that doctor had a change of heart when he went on the Internet and saw what they did in Germany. Then, later on, the specialist that had referred us to this doctor in Brandon, after we came back, admitted in writing– we have this in letter writing, and the doctor in Brandon that we also have a letter from–saying, sorry, we don't do these procedures in Manitoba.

I believe it was an attempt by somebody, and I'm not pointing fingers, by somebody in the health care system to try and put a stop to us going to Germany to get the procedure done. Secondly, I believe it was an attempt made to ensure that this health care system would not have to pay, because if we went to Germany without a reference to Germany by the minister or by the department or by the specialist, they need not pay. We know that. However, we believe that those kinds of activities are now preventing our daughter from having her surgery dealt with by Manitoba Health, as they should.

But there was a way out for the Department of Health and maybe the Ministry of Health. We don't know quite who is responsible for this. * (14:50) However, we are elated that we found help for our daughter. We're elated that she is no longer

558 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 suffering back pain. We are elated that she is now working full time. We're elated that she will be able to go back and make a living for herself as a productive worker in the workforce of Manitobans, and we believe it is imperative that this government should meet the commitment that the Premier (Mr. Doer) made and help that young lady, even though she be my daughter, should help her with the costs that she incurred to get herself fixed and be able to be a productive member in society of this province of Manitoba.

I know I spoke to the former Minister of Health, and he agrees with me that the Department of Health should look at this and take heed, or pay attention to what was done here. If we could do this in this province, we would help a huge number of people, and we would have a huge number of people that would no longer have to suffer throughout their lives because of back pain. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the attention. Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Ste. Rose, on a grievance? Mr. Glen Cummings (Ste. Rose): Mr. Speaker, yes, I'd like to exercise my right to grieve.

The purpose of my grievance is that there are a number of issues in and around health care and housing that jointly have come to a situation in the town of Neepawa, which is a major part of my constituency that I believe have come very close to reaching crisis proportions.

There're a number of other communities I know that have problems of a similar nature, but I would like to put the facts, as I see them, about this situation on the record so that other communities may well realize that they are not alone in the approach that this government has taken to dealing with a number of our rural communities and in capital expenditures and health care provision. It isn't that long ago, Mr.

Speaker, that we saw in this government a willingness to put forward a program of assisted living within housing projects in this province for those who are not fully capable of looking after themselves, but do not need extended care, who do not need continuous supervision, but are able to live on an independent basis within their homes if they get a little bit of help, particularly, to check on whether or not they're taking medication appropriately, whether or not they're taking the proper dosages that have been prescribed for them. Now, take that situation, Mr.

Speaker, and put it in context of what we have in Neepawa. We have a request and, in fact, a project that was announced in 1999 where there would be a replacement of the senior care home in Neepawa because it needs to be replaced, not because it's falling down on the outside, but because the level of care of the people within that facility has risen so much and so dramatically that there is almost no one in that facility now who is capable of anything other than receiving long-term care. With that in mind, the facility, the hallways are too small.

The elevators are too congested and, frankly, would be unuseful in a case of an emergency and evacuating the building would become a significant problem, and is probably a potential disaster in waiting if we don't move aggressively to deal with the replacement of that facility. At the same time, and something which I wholeheartedly support and I believe the community supports, is that extended care can be relieved to some extent by having assisted living. We had an announcement, Mr.

Speaker, an announcement that said the government of Manitoba would be able and willing to participate in an assisted living project. That assisted living project was going to take place in a facility that we call Yellowhead Manor, which was a Plus 55 facility when it was opened. Now, that facility is managed, as I understand it, by Manitoba Housing. That facility is a very important part of how we provide services and care to the elderly in our community.

Everybody was on board to move ahead with the assisted living project, and now, for whatever reason, it seems to have been a disconnect between the Department of Housing, the Department of Health and the community. The community came on board. They started meeting with the Department of Health. They started meetings with the Housing Department and what should happen over the last six months? We have now seen this facility where there are at least 20 empty suites. Now, 20 empty suites in a facility which probably only has about 40 in total, and in a community of 3,600 people that's a significant impact.

Now we have no plan from this government. We have had no meetings with the RHA lately. There has been no response from Manitoba Housing in terms of repairing any simple repairs in terms of water leaks. Everything has just come to a crashing halt.

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 559 To compound the problem, Mr. Speaker, the seniors drop-in centre is attached to this same building. There is a kitchen facility and a dining area whereby collegial meals were going to be served. The community has invested between $16,000 and $17,000 in this kitchen facility which would have been used for–a better term is congregate meals, where those who are retired and who don't in many cases cook every day or as often as we might assume would live healthier and would benefit from the opportunity of, first of all, joining each other for a congregate meal.

Secondly, by going to the congregate meal, we know that not only are we helping their mental health, we're helping their physical health because we know they will get a balanced meal while they're part of that program. But Manitoba Housing has suddenly taken the view that there's a securi ty problem. Because they share the kitchen facility, they're going to have to make sure they lock the doors on a regular basis. I've been told–and I cannot confirm this, Mr.

Speaker, I didn't have time to confirm it before I had to rise for this grievance–that it is apparent that this new security regime that has b een put in place created a situation where emergency response people, i.e., in this case, the ambulance personnel, may have had to break a lock to get in to provide emergency response to people living in the building. Mr.

Conrad Santos, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair Now that strikes me that all of this could be dealt with with a better co-operative and congenial approach to dealing with this problem, but what seems to have happened–and I've talked to the former Minister of Health; I'm pretty sure he was on side.

We have seen a number of pieces of correspondence from the tenants' organization going to the Department of Housing talking about the repair of the facility, and now the local organization we know as HAND, which works with the seniors in the community to provide needed services, is trying to get some kind of an understanding about what will happen with all of these vacant suites in what we call, as I said, the Yellowhead Manor, to no avail. Mr. Deputy Speaker, we are now in a situation where we are at a stalemate, but it's one of those situations where it's a stalemate that is unexplainable. It's unexplainable.

I will give the government the benefit of the doubt as to whether or not they intended to proceed with this project. I can see no reason why they wouldn't proceed with the project. It helps deal with ongoing health costs. It makes for a better transitional situation for those going into extended care. It allows them to live in their own suites, their own privacy, with some level of supervision, and frankly it's something that's been talked about in my community for 25 years. An Honourable Member: How long? * (15:00) Mr. Cummings: Twenty-five years. The Member for Wolseley (Mr.

Altemeyer) probably isn't even that old. But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, the fact is that for 25 years seniors in the community have been talking about assisted living. Finally we have a situation where it would be the perfect opportunity to transition into an assisted living, and we all of a sudden have come to a stall. I don't want to attribute motives to the government on the eve of an election, but, unfortunately, I can come to no other conclusion.

I believe that the ministers, of their own volition and their own good management and common sense, felt that this should go forward, but what we're seeing now is a disconnect, and what could cause that? A disconnect I'm afraid has been caused by the fact that there's a looming election and, perhaps, a little bit closer to the election we will get an announcement. I would like to believe that that's what's going to happen, but I cannot forgo the opportunity right now, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to put this on the record to urge the government, the Minister of Family Services and Housing (Mr.

Mackintosh), the minister responsible for Health, past, present and future, all have a stake in this, and it's called service to the people of this province. It's got nothing to do with whether it's in the town of Neepawa or the riding of Ste. Rose, which I represent, but I'm putting them on notice that this is going to be an issue from now until they fix it because the community has tried every other polite approach to deal with this. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I see that I may have burned up my time.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to bring this forward, and I just hope that the Government House Leader (Mr. Chomiak)– Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable member's time has expired. The honourable Member for Portage la Prairie, on a grievance.

560 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 Mr. David Faurschou (P ortage la Prairie): Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I rise today on a grievance. I have the privilege and honour of representing Portage la Prairie, a community where I was fortunate enough to be born and raised, and had the opportunity to go away for a few years to university, and also to have employs with the RCMP in both The Pas and Arborg, which gave me a deep appreciation for my community of Portage la Prairie. So the decision was made that I return to Portage la Prairie where I met a y oung lady some 25 years ago, Mr.

Deputy Speaker, and which we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on November 14. We chose and we are very proud to have the privilege of raising our children in Portage la Prairie. It is a community that offers so many amenities to the quality of life, and, when elected in 1997, it was incumbent upon me to work with the community to make it an even better community, not only for my own family, but all those who have chosen to reside in Portage la Prairie.

I am very proud of what has been able to be accomplished within my tenure as the MLA for Portage la Prairie, but I have stated on numerous occasions in this House my disappointment as to the priorities as established by the current government. What I speak of this afternoon in my grievance is that of the attention to our infrastructure here in the province of Manitoba. The infrastructure here in Manitoba continues to deteriorate under this current administration, even though recent announcements of substantive increases to the highways' budget here in the province of Manitoba.

If the honourable members seated on the government's side of the House would take but a moment to ask the officials within the Transportation Department what is the required expenditure annually just to keep even with the occurring wear and tear here in the province of Manitoba over a year's time. Having said that, Mr. Deputy Speaker, the current additional money announced recently to the Transportation budget will not even get to the break- even point to which the wear and tear that occurs on our highways here in the province over a year.

So we continue to see more and more of a deficit in the highways and roadways of Manitoba. It is incumbent upon ourselves here in the Legislative Assembly to recognize that we cannot continue to see our highways deteriorate and to leave it to future generations to rebuild our crumbling roads. I, as representative of Portage la Prairie, have seen first-hand, as not any other MLA in the Chamber has seen, and that is the closure of the major artery through their constituency.

The Trans Canada Highway was closed in mid-October because the bridge that goes over the Canadian National Railways main line was determined that it was indeed considered unsafe, and imminent peril could come the way of the motorists should they continue to travel over the bridge. The bridge itself could possibly have carried light traffic, so the light traffic could continue on the Trans Canada Highway around the city of Portage la Prairie.

But it was determined that the light traffic would require, through the wintertime, snow removal in order to get passage over the bridge, and it was determined that the bridge was not sound enough to effectively carry the weight of the Transportation Department's snowploughs. So that option, too, was rejected. They also considered a closure of one side of the bridge for reconstruction and having two-way traffic.

But that, too, was determined as not being practical and would be considered unsafe because the motorists, when travelling on a two-lane highway, are recognizing that they are passing within a metre or more of oncoming traffic, but on a divided highway motorists get accustomed to two lanes and to not looking for oncoming traffic. So to go to a

section of highway with oncoming traffic, when you are on a divided highway, is not what the highway officials wanted to see happen because it is dangerous. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, all of the traffic that road statistics stated was upwards to 18,000 vehicles was then diverted through Portage la Prairie because of the closure due to the bridge being unsafe. So that caused significant concern to persons residing in Portage la Prairie especially about the public schools. There are four along the major thoroughfare of Saskatchewan Avenue which was one of the designated detour routes after the bridge's closure.

I must commend the highways department officials who worked long and hard to make the detour as accommodating as possible, but I will say it did cause for significant concern. So, therefore, much modification was made, and there is now a detour which takes a significant volume of traffic around Portage la Prairie and reconnects with 1A outside the major business district so that the downtown congestion that we saw for upwards to

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 561 three weeks is no longer the case in Portage la Prairie. But having this experience, I want to emphasize to all members of the Legislative Assembly that it is not an experience that any one of us wants to see happen in our community.

It is something that concerns us all because every constituency has roadways and highways within it, and they are all deteriorating at a pace that we should not be accepting of in this Legislative Assembly. * (15:10) I want to state also that it's not only our roadways, but it is our wastewater treatment plants that are putting significant volumes of phosphate and nitrates back into our watercourses that is unacceptable to any of us here in the province.

As well, we have more than 50 communities in the province of Manitoba now on boiled water orders, the highest number of communities ever that our department has listed at any one time, and it's coming under this New Democratic Party's administration. This is unacceptable.

We have to do a better job, and I know that in the budgeting process, yet the Water Stewardship Minister's responsibility, it is incumbent upon the Finance Department to recognize the needs in the Water Stewardship Department and the Department of Infrastructure of the gravest nature for the future of our province where we all want to reside and to see that our children look to residing here as well, but we need attention to our infrastructure. Thank you. Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable Member for River East, on a grievance? Mrs. Bonnie Mitchelson (River East): On a grievance. Mr.

Deputy Speaker: On a grievance. Mrs. Mitchelson: I am pleased to have the opportunity to stand and exercise my democratic right as a member of this Legislature to grieve. I've chosen to make comments on the health care system, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and talk about the crisis that our health care system is in today. I know, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that the NDP, in 1999, the new NDP, ran on five major promises and one of those promises was to end hallway medicine in six months with $15 million.

I know that many in Manitoba bought into that promise thinking that the NDP were going to come into government and be the saviours of health care in the province of Manitoba. I know I went door to door, and it was difficult in that election campaign, and health care was the No. 1 priority, the No. 1 issue on the minds of many many, especially the seniors in my community. You know, I never ever indicated that we had all the answers, and I know that we certainly didn't when we were in government, but I do know that we made significant progress in the years that we were there.

I never ever promised any of my constituents an immediate quick fix to the problem in health care, and I did indicate to them at the time that it was a complex issue and that nobody had an easy quick fix, but there needed to be some long-term planning associated with trying to get our health care system on track. Mr. Deputy Speaker, those words were right at the time. Those words are right today. We've had seven years of New Democratic government, and we see that the health care budget has increased significantly. We don't see any results for the significant increase in spending.

I know, if we had a motto that could be used by this government, it might be "spend more and get less." That's exactly what we're seeing after seven years of mismanagement and crisis management of our health care system. You know, today, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I had the opportunity to ask some questions on health care and the crisis in our emergency room services. These are nothing new. From seven years ago when the NDP promised to end hallway medicine, we see today that hallway medicine is alive and well. We've seen the Premier (Mr.

Doer) stand up in the House and misled the public of Manitoba when he says statistics show that there are zero patients in our hospital hallways today in our emergency rooms. Mr. Deputy Speaker, we know that that is as far from the truth as anyone could get. You only need to talk to the front-line workers in our health care system to know that the Premier is way off track when he makes those kinds of statements, and it just shows the disrespect that he has for the front-line workers that know full well that our hospitals are lined on a daily basis with people waiting to be admitted to beds on the wards.

We know that it does a disservice to the front lines, to those that are working so very hard to try to ensure that patients in

562 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 our health care system are receiving the care that they should be receiving. Mr. Deputy Speaker, it speaks volumes to the arrogance that we're seeing from a government that hasn't been able to live up to one of the very basic promises that it made seven years ago to end hallway medicine. No one that works in our health care system is fooled by a Premier who can stand up in this House or our Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald), and there have been several over the seven years who stand up continually and talk about how great our health care system is today.

That's not fooling patients that are walking away from emergency rooms because they can't be seen. That's not convincing people that have laid on stretchers for hours and days because there has been no hospital bed.

That's not saying anything to families of patients who have seen their loved ones moved from a two bedroom to a four bedroom, only to find out that they were the fifth bed in a four bedroom, that their mother didn't have an emergency cord to pull if she had a problem or needed some help, that she was stuck by a washroom in a four bedroom as the fifth bed, that the front-line staff were complaining that if there was an emergency and they had to call a crash cart they couldn't get that cart into the room because there was no room to move. Mr.

Speaker in the Chair What does that say about the dignity that is deserved by seniors within our community? What does that say to patients' safety? What does that say to safe working conditions for staff, for front-line staff in our hospitals?

Yet, when you hear the Premier and the ministers of Health, successively in this House, standing up and talking about what a wonderful health care system they have created and how they have fixed everything within the health care system, I say, shame on them for trying to mislead Manitobans into believing that they have had a positive impact, that they have fixed the problems, that they have lived up to their commitment to end hallway medicine in six months with $15 million. Well, they haven't fooled many Manitobans.

More and more now, when people enter our hospitals seeking the care that they need, they find that there is not enough staff to deliver the service. They see doctors and they see nurses very frustrated, extremely frustrated with their lack of ability to meet all the needs of all of thei r patients because they are short staffed, Mr. Speaker. They are just at their wit's end some days in trying to do everything that they would like to do, but find that they don't have the time to do because there aren't enough of them, and there aren't enough hands to go around. Mr.

Speaker, I know because I spent 18 years on the front lines in our health care system attempting to meet the needs of my patients. I didn't have an administrative position, and I didn't work in a bureaucracy of any kind within the health care system. I worked on the front lines in the intensive care units, in the recovery room and on many wards. I had the opportunity to try to do my best for those people, and I knew there were times when there just weren't enough pairs of hands to try to get the work done.

I understand the frustration of those on the front lines in our health care system today who, maybe, were led to believe that the NDP was going to be the saviour of the health care system. * (15:20) Mr. Speaker, we've seen, time and time again, that those front-line people have been let down by this government that made promises that they couldn't live up to.

Those promises are coming back to haunt them today when we see that patients are not receiving the kind of care that they should be because we are understaffed within our system, and this government promised to fix it all and promised to be not only the saviour for the patients but the saviours for the front-line workers within our health care system. Mr. Speaker, they have failed, they have failed miserably. Manitobans know that this government with their flippant promises some seven years ago could not be met.

Today Manitobans know, and I am sure their thoughts will be reflected when the next election is called. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Russell, on a grievance? Mr. Leonard Derkach (Russell): I do rise on a grievance this afternoon, Mr. Speaker. The subject of my grievance is the cynical way in which the government of Manitoba, this morning, announced a vote on the Canadian Wheat Board, just a day after we had a major processor in Manitoba announce that it was pulling the plug on Manitoba simply because of the way in which government has mishandled its affairs.

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 563 Mr. Speaker, my grievance, I think, is echoed by many Manitobans today because they feel that the government has mainly created a diversion here today by putting the focus on the Canadian Wheat Board and trying to deflect from the real issues that the Province has responsibility for in terms of developing the economy, making sure that we provide opportunities for businesses in this province as well as our youth.

The government is in trouble because its attempted policies, if you like, to keep young people in this province show that people in Manitoba don't have the confidence in this government, and our youth are leaving along with our professionals. Mr. Speaker, the Province can boast that we are training doctors and nurses in this province, but the fact remains that these people, upon receiving their certificates and their graduation papers, leave the province for other jurisdictions because of the tax regime in the province, because this is an unfriendly province to do business in under this government. Mr.

Speaker, if you look at some of the quotations from the reports with regard to the OlyWest investment in our province, it speaks volumes to what this government really is about and how they have really abandoned our province. Mr. Speaker, one of the people who is involved in the hog industry, the CEO of the OlyWest consortium, said this of the moratorium: The moratorium is the main reason that his company is saying goodbye to friendly Manitoba. That speaks volumes to what is happening with this government.

If you don't believe us, and if you don't believe Manitobans on what is happening with OlyWest, then I suggest you ask the Richardson company why they chose to move their facility from Manitoba to Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Is it because we have a friendly government, friendly to business, friendly to taxes, friendly to doing business in this province? No, not at all. We have a government, a hostile government when it comes to business in the province and this hostile government is driving business out of our province. Well, Mr. Speaker, now what is this government going to do to opportunities in agriculture?

Well, let's take a look at their record . I will be happy to go out to a campaign and hold this government accountable for what they have not done in agriculture. I point to the BSE crisis which hit this province hard, hit our agricultural producers hard and, you know, the former minister responsible for Industry, Trade is chirping from his seat. He would do well to keep quiet and look at his own record of inactivity when he was minister responsible for Industry in this province. Mr.

Speaker, if you look at the record of this government in agriculture, all you have to do is look at how they mishandled the issue of the BSE crisis in this province. They promised Manitobans that we would have a processing facility for cattle in this province very quickly because they were doing everything they could to ensure that we had a facility that could process those excess numbers of cattle that we had in our province. Well, we waited with bated breath. We waited for a plan; we waited for a strategy, but none was coming forth. Other provinces moved ahead, provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario.

All moved ahead with processing facilities. The one province that did not is the province of Manitoba. We had an increase in cattle numbers in this province, but we could not, we could not organize ourselves well enough to establish a processing facility in Manitoba. Now, there were people who were interested, and I point to Natural Valley and people in Dauphin who were trying to form a co-operative to try and establish a plan. But the player that wasn't coming to the table was the provincial government. They talked a lot. Oh, they made a lot of announcements. But the action did not follow their words.

Three years later, they decided that they would put a compulsory confiscation of money in place for farmers who were selling their cattle. This is how they were going to fund the facility. Well, too little, too late. If we built the facility today, it could never compete with the facilities that are now in place across Canada and the United States. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, if you look at the capacity that we have in processing across this country, only 70 percent of it is being used right today.

As a matter of fact, there are plants that are in danger of closing today because we have had an oversupply and overbuilding. But where's that supply? Is it in Manitoba? No. We would have done well to build a facility in this province so that we could at least recapture some of that loss that we have had under a former NDP regime as well. Mr. Speaker, it is almost cynical today that we have Bill Uruski leading up the, what do they call it, the group that are gathering all these funds from farmers, you know, this $1.6 million, who are paying themselves in excess of a quarter of a million dollars,

564 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 and they are now going to determine where this money is going to go. The head of it is Mr. Bill Uruski, the same man who, when he was Minister of Agriculture in our province, killed the livestock processing industry in Manitoba. Now, that is cynical in my view. That is how you are treating the agricultural producers in Manitoba. Well, Mr. Speaker, let's fast forward to OlyWest. Now, the government announced that it was in favour of OlyWest. But, all of a sudden, there were people who had concerns where the plant was going to be located.

They were legitimate concerns. They should not be ignored. But the government had put the cart in front of the horse, had made the announcement without doing its due diligence, without being consultative with the people in the city who were going to be impacted severely by this development. Well, after that, OlyWest did its homework. It certainly went through a long process to try to comfort those people who had concerns. They were doing the job of the government because it's the government that needs to do its homework, lay out the plan before the people, have comment on the plan and then move ahead.

But they did not. Then, after the pressure got so intense that it was fearful that in an election this was going to become an issue in the city of Winnipeg and the surrounding area, the government found a cynical way, again, in which it was going to kill this plant and impact, if you like, a lot of other economic activity in our province. What was it done for? Political purposes only, because this Premier is now facing the potential of an election where he knows he's in trouble. * (15:30) Mr. Speaker, how do you cure this? Well, you put a moratorium on hog facilities in the province.

Well, all of a sudden, that sends some signals out. It says that we are now going to put a moratorium in our province. You can't renovate; you can't build new barns; you are just going to have to deal with what you have. At the same time, the government is still saying they're supporting OlyWest. Well, people in the industry are not stupid. They know when they've been duped. They're going to move on with life. So we had, OlyWest, when they looked at their experience in Québec with a moratorium, they said, are we going to live through that same experience here in Manitoba? I don't think we want to do that.

So Olymel said, no, we are not going to invest in this province. This is not a province that we find friendly. What about our friends out in Saskatchewan who were also partners in the endeavour as well? What did they say about Manitoba? They said, we are going to refocus our attention into Saskatchewan because Saskatchewan doesn't have a moratorium. It doesn't have the kinds of issues that Manitoba has. It doesn't have the hostile government. Even though it's an NDP government in Saskatchewan, they are more business-oriented than this bunch is, and, Mr.

Speaker, they have chosen to move out of this province as well. The minister who was responsible for these kinds of things says you don't get it. Well, the people who don't get it are on that side of the House. It is that minister who doesn't get it, has never gotten it. Mr. Speaker, he can read from briefing notes and that is about as far as it goes. But that's where we are at. Mr. Speaker, my light is flashing and I think I might have two minutes left? Mr. Speaker: It's been flashing for two minutes. Mr. Derkach: It's been flashing for two minutes. Well, Mr.

Speaker, I thank you and I thank this House for giving me the opportunity to grieve against the government that is going in the wrong direction in this province and is doing our province a great deal of harm. Thank you. Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for River Heights, on a grievance? Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Yes, I rise on a grievance, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for River Heights, on a grievance. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a grievance with major concerns with what has been happening and is happening today in health care in our province.

We sadly have done and are doing very poorly right now in terms of health care delivery and health care services. It is true that the NDP inherited a mess from the previous Conservative government, but the present NDP government has been there for seven years. They have no excuse anymore. It is a system now which they are and have been responsible for

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 565 seven years and they are fully responsible for the huge problems that there are today. The problem today, sadly, has become bureaucracy-centred instead of patient- and family practitioner-centred. It has become dysfunctional when a family practitioner can't get information from a hospital and has to order duplicate tests.

We are wastefully spending, duplication, poor co-ordination, poor organization, dysfunctional, when a family practitioner has a patient arrive in their office directly from hospital wanting to know some answers and what's going on and making sure that things are being looked after and straightened out after being in hospital, and the patient doesn't have any records and the hospital has sent no information. It is a system in which the family practitioner is working in the dark without adequate information, without adequate support.

The worst of this is when a family practitioner, whom I know, was looking after a patient and that patient went into hospital, and he was not informed by the hospital that the patient was there. The patient sadly died in hospital and the family physician was not informed that the patient had died. He had to read about it in the newspaper. The system sadly has become dysfunctional in its organization. It is a sad testament to the incredibly poor management of this NDP government. The system under the NDP has failed to deliver.

We have huge problems in emergency care, a huge shortage of physicians providing emergency care, and we hear daily of problems in various hospitals related to emergency care and long waits. Indeed, I have had many concerns about the quality of care as well, medical errors occurring because of the disorganized approach and the problematic management of the NDP. There are huge problems in terms of timely access to care. Reports recently of eight weeks waiting for an MRI and 11 weeks waiting for a CT scan, well, sadly that isn't even correct.

It's not eight weeks, it's three months because you have to have a specialist visit first before an MRI, so it's five months' wait for an MRI. Even eight weeks and 11 weeks are far too long. When an MRI is needed it means delays in care. It means duplication. It means extra pain medication. It means medical conditions getting worse. It means problems and problems in the health care system because this government has not been able to deliver on what should be delivered, which is timely access to critical care when it's needed.

We have seen a government which talked about getting rid of hallway medicine but has failed time and time to deliver. We have seen a government which is not paying attention to the needs in assisted living. We have seen a government which has failed to deliver a plan to ensure that we have adequate numbers of rural physicians and communities are well served. I hear day by day from communities in the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority because of problems there because of a lack of planning and nobody knows where the authority and the health plan is.

There is a problem in terms of access of individuals to their own medical records in hospitals. I've introduced a bill this week to make sure that's available in 24 hours because that's what's needed, not the 30-day wait that the present government is working with. By that time patients may be home or dead or the medical problem is changed. When you're in hospital or in a personal care home you should have access right away. We've seen incredible deterioration under this government of relations with the First Nations community.

Indeed, as I pointed out earlier today, Grand Chief Ron Evans of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has expressed extreme disappoint- ment at this government. He has indicated that he's greatly offended by the way this government has acted. He has indicated that the delivery of health care by this government and the attention by this government is an embarrassment to the rest of Canada.

He's indicated that there is, as I well know because I've been in northern communities like Pimicikamak, a health care crisis in First Nations and Aboriginal communities in Manitoba, and this government is not addressing it in the way that it should be addressed.

There are huge problems that this government has in the way it is managing health care: the lack of ability to develop effective partnerships to make sure that individuals in Manitoba have adequate care and prevention and research related to diabetes; fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; dental caries prevention programs; a whole spectrum of areas where things should have been better. The poor co-operation by this government is evidenced by their approach to Bill 32 where they failed to consult with the Aboriginal and First Nations communities, a very poor record by this government. That is for sure.

566 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 There has also, as I pointed out this week, been a failure of the NDP government to invest adequately in research. The Manitoba Health Research Council has been shifted to the Industry Department. The Industry Minister talks about this being relevant only to industrial development and irrelevant to health care. The funding is the same as in 1989. That's a decrease in 30 percent of the actual funding. Funding now is $1.9 million, exactly what it was in 1989. If it had increased even with inflation it would be about $2.8 million.

If it had been increased in proportion to the increase in health care spending, that's where it should be tied. At a minimum it would be $4.7 million. If this government had any ability to think for the future they would have at least reached the kind of level that there is in Saskatchewan where it is $6 million a year. The record of this government in terms of the Manitoba Health Research Council is appalling. It is abysmal. Our record here in Manitoba in terms of the number of CIHR grants accepted has been going down,

whereas Saskatchewan is going up 5 percent a year. * (15:40) We are seeing the results in a crumbling health care system which is dysfunctional, and as I've said, has huge problems. We see this in an overly costly health care system. We see this day by day in a system which doesn't have the accountability that it should have. I have on several occasions introduced a bill to establish accountability as a fundamental principle in health care, but this government is not interested. This government is only interested in optics and appearing to do something, not in really doing anything.

In fact, I don't believe that they really know how to make a difference. They may, sometimes, have good intentions, but those good intentions are just led astray because they don't know what they're doing. All they're interested in is the optics of seeming to do something. As Grand Chief Ron Evans pointed out, all they were interested in inviting him to Vancouver was the optics of his being there. They weren't interested in any more than just optics.

It is sad that we have a government which has performed so abysmally, which is only interested in optics and not in substance, and which has done such a poor job of managing our health care system, in spite of the fact that we are one of the highest spenders in health care in all of Canada. The record, sadly, is not anywhere near what it should be. We need to get rid of this government because they've not performed. We need a Liberal government in this province that can make a r eal change and make real improvement in the health care system. That's what we need, Mr. Speaker.

ORDERS OF THE DAY GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, at this point, I will just call concurrence and third readings of the bills in the order as they appear, which would be Bills 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 29, 32, 33 and 38. CONCURRENCE AND THIRD READINGS Bill 2–The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Labour (Ms.

Allan), that Bill 2, The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act; Loi modifiant le Code des normes d'emploi, reported from the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development, be concurred in and be now read for a third time and passed. Motion presented. Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger), that debate now be adjourned. Motion agreed to. Mr. Speaker: Honourable Government House Leader. Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker: Order. I'll call Bill 4.

Bill 4–The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Prepaid Purchase Cards) Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Labour (Ms. Allan), that Bill 4, The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Prepaid Purchase Cards); Loi modifiant la

Loi sur la protection du consommateur (cartes prépayées), reported from the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development, be concurred in and be now read for a third time and passed. Motion presented.

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 567 Mr. Jack Reimer (Southdale): Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to put a few words on record in regard to Bill 4, the prepaid purchase card amendment that the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger) has brought in.

It's actually a bit appropriate at this time of year because of the fact that, when a lot of the things that are happening with the season of gift buying and looking for gifts, this is an easy way to fulfil some of the stocking stuffers by buying gift certificates and having them given out, instead of doing all the shopping and looking around for presents. [interjection] Yes, I've done that, and I think everyone in this Chamber has wondered what they're going to buy for some of their relatives.

I've had a hard time picking out gifts for some of my friends in government there, so I'll have to settle for some gift cards, Mr. Speaker. This wa y, you know, it's easier to buy a gift certificate, an d, as has been brought in by the government, the fact that the members can then use that card at their le isure. They don't have to worry about the card getting out of date, and the fact that it still has a value when they go to buy something with that money that they've got. A lot of businesses use prepaid gift cards.

It's becoming more and more of a norm because of its convenience, and the fact that people then have the ability to pick out what they want. It's been pointed out that Ontario has introduced this type of legislation already, and that the bill was, in a sense, modelled after Ontario's introduction of their bill, and, from what I understand, it has been modified to more or less look at what Manitoba and what the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger) has implemented here for the cards. So, Mr. Speaker, it's something that I think is of merit.

It is something that I think that a lot of people will recognize because from time to time I have noticed, and I have received gift cards from time to time that have expired when I wanted to buy something and the money is gone, in a sense.

People go to the store to buy a gift card, $50 or $25 or $10, whatever it is, and, if the person puts it away and forgets about it or is saving it for something that they feel that they want something special, and it's got an expiry date of six months or even a year, and they go to use it, and they can't use it, that's money that has actually just gone out the window, in a sense, and it has no value at this time. So this bill here protects that purchaser and the person who receives the card, that they can utilize the cash or the value that is indicated in that card.

With those short words, I believe that we're willing to let this bill pass and go forth in its condition. Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to speak briefly on Bill 4, The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Prepaid Purchase Cards). This is a bill which we will support. We wonder why this legislation wasn't actually brought forward last year so it could' ve been in effect for this holiday season. But what's happened now we will certainly support, but I want to raise a few issues. I want to raise a few issues before moving on.

I think that the first thing that I would point out is that, when we look at a bill, and this one is a good example, it has a good intention, and basically what it does is very reasonable. Consumers should not be misled to think that the gift card amount will stay the same forever, that they can just wait and wait and that amount will be exactly what it is at the beginning. Some gift cards, in fact, after a certain period, there is a monthly charge on the gift card, and that monthly charge, of course, then eats into the value of the gift card.

Now, that charge may not start for 15 months, but there's nothing in this bill which would prevent that charge starting at three months, or six months, or nine months, or what have you. * (15:50) What is important is that consumers are not misled by this government and what they are bringing in, that, in fact, what is happening here is that each of the gift cards will have certain rules around it.

They may not be able to, now, do certain things in terms of loss of value, but there are clearly other ways that retail stores or shopping malls, or whoever is providing the gift card, can operate so that the gift card will, in fact, lose some value over time. What I say to you, Mr.

Speaker, and indeed to all Manitobans, is beware of the optics of this government, because it's not always what it seems to be, and make sure that you read the fine print and don't make an assumption, because with this government there is a lot of focus on optics and illusion, and it's not always as real as they would have you believe. I would like to also raise a couple of issues that were also mentioned by the Retail Council of Canada, which is an important industry-funded association representing tens of thousands of storefronts, and it has a major role in promoting

568 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 6, 2006 retail as a profession. Of course, they are very interested in this bill. In Manitoba, the retail sector contributed, in 2005, slightly more than 6 percent of provincial gross domestic product, and retail sales in Manitoba were at a level of about $12 billion a year. Mr. Speaker, there are about 7, 000 retail establishments in Manitoba employing about 69,000 Manitobans, about 11 percent of the province's workforce.

Put this in context and in the approach that the Retail Council had recommended, which was that the provincial government take a harmonized approach to developing rules, similar, for example, to what was done in Ontario. The Retail Council of Canada was, in fact, quite disappointed with this government and the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger) and the process by which the legislation was introduced.

The Minister of Finance failed to appropriately inform retailers of his intention to introduce the legislation and failed to provide retailers with information in terms of his department's time frames or how the legislation was developed. This caused some confusion for retailers at quite a busy time of the year. There, clearly, were some unnecessary problems because of the way that this government handled things and the way this government behaved.

One area, for example, instead of introducing harmonized legislation similar to Ontario's, Bill 4 differs from Ontario's by including a definition of prepaid purchase cards and, indeed, is a rather vague definition which could mean that cards not intended by the government to fall under these rules could be captured in the legislation.

While it may be that this problem, once the regulations are there, may or not be a problem, it would have been better to use similar legislation to Ontario's in this context so that there's harmonization, and it would have been better not to create this sort of confusion as the government has done, unfortunately. We understand that the Retail Council of Canada has got some verbal indication that promotional and charitable cards will not be included in the legislation when the regulations are proclaimed, but the fact that we don't have this clear has, of course, led to some uncertainty.

That is one of the things that business, and in this case the retail business, needs, is clarity and not uncertainty in terms of their planning process and their business arising. So, Mr. Speaker, with these words about this bill, caution in terms of what will actually happen, a concern, not only from the point of view of consumers but from business owners, that having put these words on the record, I will indicate once more that in spite of these problems, we will support this legislation but we will be looking carefully and will be vigilant in terms of how it's operated and what the regulations are. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question? Some Honourable Members: Question. Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is Bill 4, The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Prepaid Purchase Cards). Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] Mr. Speaker: Bill 5, The Personal Investigations Amendment Act (Identity Protection). Bill 6–The Registered Retirement Savings Protection Act Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger), that Bill 6, The Registered Retirement Savings Protection Act;

Loi sur la protection des régimes enregistrés d'épargne en vue de la retraite, reported from the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development, be concurred in and be now read for a third time and passed. Motion presented. Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Me mber for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Hawranik), that debate now be adjourned. Motion agreed to. Mr. Speaker: Bill 6, The Registered Retirement Savings Protection Act. Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, I think I just gave you Bill 6 on the previous engagement. Now we are dealing with Bill 6–now we are dealing with Bill 5.

I wonder if I could have that Order Paper back, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker: That should confirm for the House how carefully I read motions. Has it been sorted out? So we will go back to No. 5 then? An Honourable Member: Yes.

December 6, 2006 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 569 Mr. Speaker: Okay. I'll call Bill 5. Bill 5–The Personal Investigations Amendment Act (Identity Protection) Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance, that Bill 5, The Personal Investigations Amendment Act (Identity Protection); Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les enquêtes relatives aux particuliers (protection de l'identité), reported from the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development, be concurred in and be now read for a third time and passed. Motion presented. Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): Take two. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Lac du Bonnet, that debate now be adjourned. Motion agreed to. Mr. Speaker: Bill 6, The Registered Retirement Savings Protection Act. [interjection] We've already dealt with that? Okay, that has already been dealt with. [interjection] When I called Bill 5, I had read out Bill 6.

As far as the House is concerned, if it is okay with everyone, the matter has already been dealt with. Some Honourable Members: No. Mr. Speaker: If you want to go back then, is there agreement to go back? An Honourable Member: Leave. Mr. Speaker: Leave, okay. So we'll go back to it. Bill 6–The Registered Retirement Savings Protection Act Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger), that Bill 6, The Registered Retirement Savings Protection Act;

Loi sur la protection des régimes enregistrés d'épargne en vue de la retraite, reported from the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development, be concurred in and be now read for a third time and passed. Motion presented. * (16:00) Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield): I would like to make a few comments for the record. This is an issue that is something that has always been very important to me as a small business owner. I started in the late '80s, early '90s getting into business, and I had lots of opportunity to deal with serious issues relating to business. At this point in time, I am not involved in any

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	38-5-15
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	38th 5th hansardpdf 15.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	dfdcff5dcfba4bf5300ed7fae69c4d1a1d204a16

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