Manitoba Hansard — 26 February 1987 (Sitting 1, 33rd Legislature, 2nd Session)

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Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

MG-8048 Second Session - Thirty-Third Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS (HANSARD) 36 Elizabeth II Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna A. Phillips Speaker VOL. XXXV No. 1 - 1:30 p.m., THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY, 1987. ISSN 0542-5492 Printed by the Office of the Queens Printer, Province of Manitoba

MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Third Legislature Members, Constituencies and Political Affiliation NAME ASHTON, Steve BAKER, Clarence BIRT, Charles T. BLAKE, David R. (Dave) BROWN, Arnold BUCKLASCHUK, Hon. John M. CARSTAIRS, Sharon CONNERY, Edward J. COWAN, Hon. Jay CUMMINGS, J. Glen DERKACH, Len DESJARDINS, Hon. Laurent L. DOER, Hon. Gary DOLIN, Marty DOWNEY, James E. DRIEDGER, Albert DUCHARME, Gerry ENNS, Harry J. ERNST, Jim EVANS, Hon. Leonard S. FILMON, Gary FINDLAY, Glen M. HAMMOND, Gerrie HARAPIAK, Hon. Harry M. HARAPIAK, Hon. Leonard E. HARPER, Hon. Elijah HEMPHILL, Hon. Maureen JOHNSTON, J.

Frank KOST YRA,Hon. Eugene KOVNATS, Abe LECUYER, Hon. Gerard MACKLING, a.c., Hon. Al MALOWAY, Jim MANNESS, Clayton McCRAE, James C. MERCIER, Q.C., G.M.J. (Gerry) MITCHELSON, Bonnie NORDMAN, Rurik (Ric) OLESON, Charlotte L. ORCHARD, Donald W. PANKRATZ, Helmut PARASIUK, Hon. Wilson PAWLEY, Q.C., Hon. Howard R. PENNER, Q.C., Hon. Roland PHILLIPS, Hon. Myrna A. PLOHMAN, Hon. John ROCAN, C. Denis ROCH, Gilles (Gil) SANTOS, Conrad SCHROEDER, Q.C., Hon. Victor SCOTT, Don SMITH, Harvey SMITH, Hon. Muriel STORIE, Hon. Jerry T. URUSKI, Hon. Bill WALDING, D. James WASYLYCIA-LEIS, Hon.

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

Johns PARTY NOP NOP PC PC PC NOP LIBERAL PC NOP PC PC NOP NOP NOP PC PC PC PC PC NOP PC PC PC NOP NOP NOP NOP PC NOP PC NOP NOP NOP PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC NOP NOP NOP NOP NOP PC PC NOP NOP NOP NOP NOP NOP NOP NOP NOP

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, 26 February, 1987. Time - 1:30 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., the Sergeant-at-Arms, carrying the Mace shoulder high and followed by the Speaker and the Clerks of the Legislative Assembly, entered the House. The Sergeant-at-Arms proceeded to the main entrance of the House, the Speaker took her post on the east side of the House, and the Clerks took their posts on the west side of the House, standing and awaiting the arrival of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.

The Premier, Members of the Executive Council, Military and Civil Aides, and officers comprising the Officer Escort, met in the Lieutenant-Governor's reception room. The Premier, Members of the Executive Council, Military and Civil Aides accompanied His Honour from the reception room to the Chamber in the following order: The Civil Aide on the right; The Military Aide on the left; The Officer Escort; The Members of the Executive Council; The Premier; and then The Lieutenant-Governor.

At the Bar of the House, the Military and Civil Aides, the Officer Escort, Members of the Executive Council and the Premier halted and turned inwards to allow the Lieutenant-Governor to advance to the head of the Escort where His Honour was met by the Mace. DEPUTY SERGEANT-AT-ARMS, Mr. Roy MacGillivray: His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor. The Lieutenant-Governor then, preceded by the Mace carried shoulder high, and followed on his left by the Military Aide and on his right by the Civil Aide, proceeded along the west side of the Chamber to the Throne.

The Premier proceeded along the east side and stood on the floor on the east side of the Chamber. The Members of the Executive Council took their places. The Military Aide took up his position on the right of the Throne and the Civil Aide took up his position on the west side of the Chamber. The Officer Escort was positioned to the left of the Throne. The Lieutenant-Governor seated himself on the Throne; the Mace made obeisance and retired to the east side of the Chamber. SPEECH FROM THE THRONE HON.

GEORGE JOHNSON, Lieutenant-Governor of the Pro vince of Manitoba: Madam Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba: I am pleased to welcome you to the Second Session of the Thirty-Third Legislature of the Province of Manitoba. As the newly appointed representative of Her Majesty the Queen, I have only just begun to appreciate the 1 scope of my new duties and responsibilities. I am hopeful that I may serve the people of Manitoba with the same efficacy and dignity as my predecessors.

Traditionally, one of the great strengths of this country has been the willingness of its people to put individual differences aside in the face of challenge and to work cooperatively and creatively for the national good. As a coun try, we could ask for no greater personification of that tradition than the young man who visited our province only last month. Rick Hansen, Canada's Man in Motion, has continued the proud tradition of recent national heroes, Terry Fox and Steve Fonyo, demonstrating to the world the courage and convictions of Canadians.

They have chosen lofty goals and have set about their achievement with a steadfast determination. In Manitoba, that spirit is older than the province itself. Its roots may be traced to the aboriginal peoples and stands as a pioneer legacy to us from the early settlers, the first of whom reached our province some one hundred and seventy-five years ago. Generations of Manitobans have upheld that legacy, sharing a vision in common with those pioneers of a land of rich abundance and of boundless opportunity for their children and their children's children.

Get esprit de corps ne s'est jamais autant manifeste que lors de la periode de recession economique que la province a connue au cours des premieres annees de cette decennie. Les Manitobains ont releve le defi dans un esprit d'intense collaboration et avec determination. Avec l'appui d'un gouvernement provincial soucieux du bien-etre de ses citoyens et de leur se curite dans le domaine de l'emploi et de l'economie, les Manitobains sont sortis de cette epoque difficile mieux prepares que les habitants de bien d'autres regions du Canada pour tirer parti de la reprise economique.

As a result, in 1987, Manitoba's economy continues to be one of the fastest growing in the nation. Overall output growth, job creation, investment spending and incomes have all been strong. The unemployment rate has continued to be among the lowest of the provinces; a reduction in unemployment was achieved in 1986 and a further decline is expected in 1987. Manitobans have many such accomplishments in which they take justifiable pride and satisfaction.

THE CHALLENGE OF FISCAL JUSTICE However, my Government is concerned that external developments, including artificially lower prices for agricultural and other primary exports, weaker regional markets in Western Canada and the farming regions of the American Midwest, are causing a significant deficit in our balance of trade with other areas. The impact of these events is already evident in farm communities in Manitoba as agricultural producers who laboured under the burden of high debt loads and interest rates in the early 1980's are now beset by depressed product markets.

Despite the progress which has been achieved in Manitoba in recent years, provincial income - or gross

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 domestic product - remains significantly lower than the national per capita average. The gap is narrowing, but only slowly. This means that individual Manitobans still have lower-than-national-average incomes. It also means that, of necessity, Manitoba is more dependent on federal support than richer provinces, and that cutbacks in federal support and the problems of inadequate equalization are felt more acutely in Manitoba than in richer provinces. Clearly, in these circumstances, our fiscal situation will remain constrained.

My Government is determined to meet the challenge of protecting and maintaining needed vital public services like health and education through careful scrutiny of resource commitments and revenue-raising initiatives. FEDERAL/ PROVINCIAL RELATIONS One hundred and twenty years ago this day, the House of Lords in England gave passage to The British North America Act, leading to the Confederation of the Provinces of Canada. In the intervening period, Canada has grown strong and has prospered. We have taken our place among the great nations of the world.

Along the way, there have been discordant voices raised and, at times, the very foundation of our nationhood has appeared threatened; yet we have prevailed and have woven an ever-stronger common national fabric from the skeins of adversity. My Government has long been a supporter of a strong central government and, in particular, of its role as protector and defender of the economically less fortunate within our confederation. Recent actions of the Federal Government have not diminished the need for - nor my Government's unswerving support for - a central government which is both fair and compassionate.

Therefore, my Government will continue to press for fair federal support and for economic justice for its citizens. In order to secure vital health, education and social services for all Canadians, it is of great importance to Manitoba, as it is to other provinces, that the Federal Government share national resources equitably to help provinces to meet the increasing needs of their citizens. Our concerns in this regard have been heightened by past federal actions which have resulted in lowered and inadequate growth in federal transfer payments to provinces.

In recent years, federal support has lagged behind the growth in program expenditures. Federal payments in support of health and higher education have suffered from three successive major cuts in the 1980's.

The equalization formula, unilaterally imposed in 1982, is inadequate and does not meet its constitutional objective of enabling provinces to provide their citizens with "reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation." My Government believes it has the support of Manitobans in its efforts to impress upon the Federal Government the critical importance of fair federal financial support to the quality and accessibility of major programs for all Manitobans and all Canadians.

C'est a l'epoque ou regnait encore un esprit de collaboration entre le gourvernement federal et les 2 provinces que l'assurance-maladie et l'enseignement superieur ont pris leur essor, grace a des initiatives du gouvernement federal. Mes ministres sont prets a defendre les interets des Manitobains, mais ces derniers ne pourront etre veritablement bien servis que dans le renouveau de eel esprit de collaboration qui habitait les deux paliers de gouvernement. Le Manitoba n'est d'ailleurs pas la seule province a demander au governement federal une plus grande justice pour ses citoyens.

The challenge to our national government, and to all the provinces, is to rebuild national unity by working together to resolve inequities and to restore the trust which has been shaken. My Government has invited the Prime Minister of Canada to visit our province in the near future to begin that process. THE NEED FOR REFORM Another issue of great concern to all Manitobans and to all Canadians is the need to reform the personal and corporate income tax system to make it fairer. This is a fundamental prerequisite for a caring, stable and civilized soci ety.

My Government has continually emphasized the urgency of putting equity and fairness back into the tax system. Redressing the inequities which have entered and accumulated in our national and provincial taxation systems continues as one of the most important priorities of my Government. During the last year, Manitoba participated actively in the discussions on the national tax system, and conducted intensive reviews of the revenue sources controlled and administered by the Provincial Government.

Canadians, and particulary Manitobans, have consistently indicated that they want the essential services, like health and education, the income supports for senior citizens, families and disadvantaged Canadians maintained and improved. Canadians have also indicated that they are willing to contribute their fair share to ensure these vital supports are preserved. In these times of constrained financial resources and economic transition, governments cannot allow major segments of Canadian society to be cut off from meaningful participation in the social and economic benefits of our province and nation.

This is the basis of my Government's belief, that both national and provincial tax reform is urgently required, and that building a fair and equitable tax system must be at the core of this initiative. Another area in which reform is necessary is in the operation of Manitoba's Crown corporations. Our province has a long and proud tradition of service to the public by way of publicly-owned utilities. Our Crown corporations employ thousands of Manitobans in highly skilled positions and provide unparalleled service all across this province.

Manitobans are proud of the fact that they enjoy the lowest cost for utility services in the country. How ever, the traditional reporting relationship between the Crowns and the Government is no longer adequate. In order to increase the accountability of the Crowns to the Government and to the people of Manitoba, my Government will introduce reforms which will be the most comprehensive in Canada. ... . -

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 THE CHALLENGE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH Manitobans are justly proud of their province's achievements in job creation and economic development. Through their cooperative efforts, and the leadership shown by my Government through such initiatives as the Manitoba Jobs Fund, our province continues to build an enviable record in Canada. My Government is committed to continuing to work with all Manitobans to create new jobs and to continue strong economic growth.

The diversified nature of the Manitoba economy is one of our province's greatest strengths, providing stability and helping us to avoid the boom-and-bust cycles of other parts of Canada. The promotion of a favourable business climate in Manitoba is reflected in the fact that our net business formation rate has been higher than the national average every year since my Government took office in 1981. Some 97 per cent of Manitoba firms are small businesses, which are vital for future economic growth and the diversification which gives the province its stable economic base.

As part of my Government's commitment to job creation, we will continue to strengthen our support of small business. In order to assist this vibrant and growing sector of our economy, a Small Business Bond Program will be introduced to improve access to much needed capital on a fair and equitable basis. This year is the 75th Anniversary of The Manitoba Boundaries Extension Act of 1912 which enlarged our borders to include much of what is now Northern Manitoba.

To commemorate this event, my Government is strengthening its commitment to our northern residents to ensure that opportunities for growth and development are fully realized. My Ministers assure me they will continue their efforts to improve the level of local service delivery through the North as well as enhancing regional economic opportunities.

My Government is anticipating concluding negotiations with the Government of Canada to extend the Northern Development Agreement as well as the joint Canada/Manitoba Special Agricultural Rural Development Agreement which provide effective tools for employment and economic development. The economic needs of Manitoba's Na tive people will continue to be addressed, and developing the Port of Churchill to its fullest potential will continue to be a priority. My Government has provided leadership in facilitating the process of settling outstanding constitutional matters within the aboriginal community .

My Government will continue its leadership role in March at the First Ministers' meeting on aboriginal constitutional issues. RURAL MANITOBA: THE CHALLENGE The family farm and rural communities represent a vital economic and social cornerstone of Manitoba. Unfortunately, this sector faces an uncertain short term future because of economic forces outside our borders and which impact on farm incomes. Economic trade wars and massive subsidies by competing nations 3 have intensified the already difficult farm financial situation.

Initiatives within the jurisdictional competence and financial capabilities of the province will be announced during the coming Session. These will complement and strengthen the significant measures which have already been undertaken to sustain and enhance our rural community. The Family Farm Protection Act has been proclaimed. This legislation provides protection to farmers against the loss of farm land due to foreclosure actions. It establishes a formal review process, the objective of which is to conclude settlements between farmers and their lenders, which are aimed at preserving and sustaining family farms.

My Government is deeply concerned about the future of agriculture and about the need to encourage new entrants into the sector. Accordingly, the Farm Start Program has been introduced. This program will facilitate the transfer of farm units from retiring to younger and beginning farmers. My Government continues to be concerned about the role of input costs in the current tight financial situation facing many farmers. To this end, we have called repeatedly for a national inquiry into farm chemical pricing, and remain committed to contributing resources to such an endeavo ur.

In the related area of patent protection for plant breeders, my Government will oppose any federal legislative initiative to extend such patent protection pending the outcome of informed public consultation, and a demonstration that the benefits to be derived from plant patenting legislation outweigh the potential increased costs to producers. During this Session, members will be asked to endorse amendments to The Crop Insurance Act which will streamline its operations so that farmers can further benefit from improved services from this major source of income protection.

Added protection against the effects of severe weather conditions will be provided through an ongoing disaster assistance program within crop insurance. My Government will be introducing revisions to The Surface Rights Act which will clarify and improve procedures affecting the rights of landowners or occupants on one hand, and oil companies or their agents on the other, whenever disputes arise over rights of-entry for mineral exploration; compensation for surface rights, or the maintenance, preservation and restoration of land used in connection with surface rights.

My Government will also be bringing forward revisions to The Emergency Measures Act which will allow for effective provincial and municipal preparedness and response activities related to emergencies such as floods, severe weather, health epidemics and dangerous goods accidents. MANITOBA COMMUNITIES My Government will continue to enhance the quality of life in Manitoba, to contribute to a strengthening of community identities within the province and to promote and encourage multiculturalism.

My Government is taking steps to develop a comprehensive multicultural policy which will not only reflect the cultural diversity and needs of all of its

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 peoples, but will also promote equal access and participation by them in the workplace. To enhance the strengthening of community identity in Manitoba, my Government recently introduced the Manitoba Community Places Program, a $40-million, four-year program to be funded through lottery revenues. This program will encourage non-profit and recreational organizations throughout the province to undertake capital proje cts which will provide employment opportunities, provide long-term benefits to the community and enhance the quality of life for many Manitobans.

The quality of life in this province will be further enhanced through continued support to artistic and cultural endeavours; further implementation of a federal/provincial agreement on cultural industries; initiatives related to the improvement of library services in Manitoba, and the adoption of a recreation policy statement. RESOURCES BENEFITING MANITOBANS Hydro-electric development over the coming decade will continue to provide jobs and economic benefits and low hydro rates to Manitobans throughout the province.

Work continues to progress on the Limestone Generating Station which employed more than 1,400 workers during last year's construction season. This level is expected to be exceeded this year. With most of the major contracts awarded for the project, Manitoba businesses are delivering an unprecedented 80 percent of the value of all contracts. Special efforts to maximize northern involvement in hydro-related construction activities are working. My Government plans the introduction of two new incentive programs for Manitoba's petroleum industry.

One program will provide greater incentives to encourage the drilling of exploratory wells while continuing to provide assistance for development drilling. It replaces the previous program that had been in place for eight years. The second is an enhanced oil recovery incentive program designed to maximize oil recovery by encouraging enhanced oil recovery projects. These new programs will keep Manitoba competitive with other oil-producing provinces and will maintain a healthy level of new activity. They will provide significant long-term benefits to the province and to the petroleum industry.

Wh ile the development, production and marketing of energy is a high priority for my Government, conservation of energy is equally important. To assist Manitoba homeowners, business and community organizations to invest in energy conservation, my Government has established a $50 million Conservation Loan Fund. However, it is not sufficient that Manitobans manage the production and consumption of energy wisely. My Ministers also feel very strongly that Manitobans should pay a fair price for the fuels we must import.

Natural gas is such a fuel; an essential commodity which provides 32 percent of Manitoba's energy needs. In 1985, Canada and the governments of the producing provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia entered into an agreement on natural gas 4 markets and prices which deregulated natural gas prices as of November 1, 1986. Neither Manitoba nor the other consuming provinces were parties to this agreement.

My Government expressed concerns that the agreement placed the average gas consumer at the mercy of private utility monopolies which were charged with the responsibility of negotiating prices on behalf of consumers. My Government has monitored the negotiations on gas prices in this new deregulated environment. It has intervened on behalf of Manitobans before the Public Utilities Board and has argued that the rates proposed by the monopoly gas supplier are discriminatory and are 75 percent higher than the current fair market price.

These excessive charges add over $150 to the average Manitoba residential homeowner's bill and over $1,600 for a typical small business. Overall, 200,000 Manitoba gas consumers are being asked to pay more than $50 million per year in excess charges to heat their homes and businesses. The resulting impact on disposable income represents over 1,400 Manitoba jobs. My Government will not accept a situation in which the consumer is expected to pay more for gas than Americans or large industr y.

My Government will announce policies to protect Manitobans from excessive natural gas prices which monopoly utilities are seeking to pass through to their customers. COOPERATIVE STRENGTH The Cooperative sector of Manitoba is demonstrating a significant increase in its overall strength. With more than 600, 000 members, Cooperative enterprises showed a 13 percent growth in assets last year, to a total of $2. 7 billion. As credit unions and caisses populaires celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1987, they continue their strong growth and service to members.

Among the 46 new cooperatives which were established in 1986, especially significant are employment cooperatives which represent a growing trend among Manitobans to look to cooperation as a way to build strong communities through job creation and more local control over economic activities. My Government intends to support cooperative endeavours in urban, rural and Northern Manitoba which are designed to increase competition in the retail sale of gasoline, thus ensuring a fairer pricing system for Manitoba consumers.

THE CHALLENGE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE My Government faces no greater challenge than that of preserving and enhancing social programs for Manitobans in light of declining federal support and the increasing costs of maintaining these vital services. But my Ministers remain steadfast in their determination to provide Manitobans with the same high quality, accessible social programs which they desire and deserve. Manitoba's health care system is among the finest in the world and its preservation and enhancement presents one of the greatest challenges and opportunities for the future.

My Government will intensify its efforts to seek innovative solutions to the challenges of health care and to maintain our province's leadership in this field.

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 One of the priorities of my Government in this Session will be to provide better service to thousands of Manitobans through expansion of community-based services. To reduce the inappropriate use of expensive acute care hospitals, the Manitoba Health Services Commission is encouraging the ongoing development of ambulatory care, community health centres, not-for ad mission surg ery, and medical and out-patient rehabilitation as innovative alternatives for treatment and prevention of disease.

It is my Government's intention to strengthen health services in seven northern and difficult-to-access communities. A major focus will be on improving accessibility to primary care, disease prevention and health promotion services through the employment of community health worker graduates of the New Careers Program. In this Legislative Session, my Government will also be introducing a new Mental Health Act that will include safeguards of individual rights consistent with the requirements of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

My Government will also continue its efforts to enhance community mental health services. Plans include the reallocation of institutional resources to the community and expanding day programs in Winnipeg and the Parkland and Interlake regions. Our efforts in this area will facilitate the successful reintegration of post-mentally ill individuals into the community. Mon gouvernement s'inquiete du nombre croissant de jeunes qui meurent ou sont gravement blessee dans des accidents de vehicules tous terrains. Au cours de cette session, nous vous demanderons d'etudier une

loi sur les vehicules tous terrains, qui portera sur la securite des conducteurs et sur les effets de ces vehicules sur l'environnement. JUSTICE FOR MANITOBANS My Government is committed to a fair, equitable, accessible and responsive justice system. Crime prevention and support for victims of crime continue to be major priorities. On January 1 of this year , The Justice for Victims of Crime Act was proclaimed. The additional revenue from a surcharge on fines is becoming available, and during the course of this Session, new initiatives in this area will be announced.

Funds will be provided for the opening of the Crime Prevention Centre in 1987. The protection of human rights continues to be a concern of my Government. Respect for human rights and the elimination of discrimination are important goals of any fair and caring society. A new Human Rights Act will be introduced in this Session which will build upon Manitobans' tradition of working together to protect human rights.

My Government will also table a Wh ite Paper proposing major amendments to The Family Maintenance Act, as well as the creation of a new Family Property Act which will consolidate and modernize several existing acts, ensuring this important area of law is accessible and responsive to contemporary concerns.

MAINTAINING HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION My Government will continue to support and expand programs which improve access to educational 5 opportunities for all Manitobans, increase equity in the public school system and post-secondary education, and maintain a high standard of education for all Manitobans by making the best possible use of available resources. Since 1981, my Government has increased funding to public schools by 50 percent on a per-pupil basis.

In addition, the new Government Support to Education Program was introduced to increase fairness in educational financing and, through categorical grants, direct resources to meet the highest priority needs. This year, my Government is providing a total of $631. 7 million for the public school system through the Government Support to Education Program, an increase of $26.9 million. My Government has ensured that no school division will receive less than a 3 percent increase over the funding level of 1986. The overall increase amounts to 4.5 percent.

My Government has recently announced increases in funding for universities and public schools to ensure that the high quality of these essential human services is maintained. Further commitments will soon be announced to address the continuing need for renewal of our universities with long-term programs to encourage the equipping and upgrading of our educational institutions. Support to rural and northern schools will be maintained and steps will be taken to improve teacher training opportunities in rural areas.

In addition, new technology will be used to deliver an increased variety of curriculum options to areas of the province in which they have not previously been available. The unique educational needs of native Manitobans living in urban areas will also be addressed. A major review of high school programs throughout the province is now under way and public hearings on issues identified by the review panel will take place later this year. Amendments to The Public School Act which relate to conflict of interest for school trustees will be brought before the Legislature.

Over the past few years, extension services offered through our Community Colleges have meant thousands of Manitobans have had access to post-secondary education and training opportunities in their communities. My Government will continue the development of extended opportunities for northern Manitobans. My Government will continue to advocate a strong federal role in financing post-secondary education. The negotiation of a new training agreement with the Federal Government, which would ensure appropriate federal support for our Community Colleges, remains a high priority.

The Community Colleges will be moving into a more extensive partnership with the business community, unions and non-profit organizations to take advantage of training funds and opportunities wherever they may be found. Part-time and community-based training will be emphasized. Work on new curricula and new instructional approaches should improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the colleges. Training opportunities for women, for workers threatened by job displacement, for Native people and for others whose needs have not yet been fully met will also be expanded.

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 My Government is proud to report that the Limestone Training and Employment Agency , which was established to ensure northern and Native residents are able to take advantage of northern job opportunities, has trained some 1, 100 Manitoba men and women to date. SUPPORTING MANITOBA FAMILIES Over the past five years, my Government has made major strides in support of Manitoba families. It has provided a new legislative framework for services through The Community Child Day Care Standards Act and The Child and Farnily Services Act.

Great progress has been achieved in developing Native child and family services and my Government is pleased to report that every reserve in Manitoba is now served by a Native operated child and family services agency. Reflecting the priority placed on children and families, my Government will continue to enhance child day care. Manitoba has created the best day care system in Canada, although our efforts have not been facilitated by the delay in promised federal action to assist provinces.

My Government will continue to work with other provinces and Canada towards a substantial national child day care initiative. In the coming year, my Government will also place increased emphasis on the needs of children and adults who are vulnerable to abuse and neglect or who suffer from disabilities. As part of efforts to reduce family violence and its effects, my Government will take steps to improve the system for protecting and assisting children who have been abused.

As well, a White Paper will be issued this year to initiate a consultation process respecting protection for vulnerable adults, particularly the elderly. My Government will continue to support and strengthen policies for advancing the status of women in Manitoba and will continue to work towards equality of women and men. It is the intention of my Government to introduce legislation to establish the Manitoba Advisory Council on the Status of Women as a statutory body.

MAINTAINING ECONOMIC SECURITY My Government has maintained and improved measures to assist low-income Manitobans in coping with economic uncertainty. Despite fiscal constraints and growing caseloads, Manitoba has maintained the integrity of its income security system. As a consequence, the incidence of poverty has not increased dramatically as has happened in other provinces. Unlike other provinces, Manitoba has not restricted eligibility for benefits and has increased basic social allowances each year in line with estimated cost increases for basic necessities.

Other significant changes have been made to improve the fairness and efficiency of the social allowance and municipal assistance programs. These include legislative amendments to extend eligibility to sole-support fathers, waiving recovery of overpayments due to administrative error, restricting the municipal use of liens to recover assistance from welfare recipients, and the delegation of responsibility for approval of additional resources to meet special needs. • 6 Effective July 1, 1986, income supplement benefits to low-income Manitobans aged 55 and over were doubled by a new program, 55 Plus.

During this Session, you will be asked to consider legislation which builds upon that program and which fulfills a commitment to improve the Pensioners' School Tax Assistance Program for citizens between the ages of 55 and 64. Four new programs will be implemented to enhance social assistance recipients' employability and employment opportunities under arrangements afforded by a new cost-shared fund. This fund, established through a Canada-Manitoba agreement signed in January of this year, will direct $6 million jointly toward these four initiatives in each of the next two years.

These measures will provide employment and training measures to some 1,000 social assistance recipients, focusing particularly on single parents, the disabled and young people. Mon gouvernement continuera d'offrir des programmes d'aide salariale adaptes aux besoins changeants de noire economie et a certains segments de la main-d'oeuvre.

Le programme de dormation professionnelle "Vers l'avenir", elabore l'annee derniere afin d'ameliorer de faon significative la politique d'aide salariale, sera maintenu et offrira a des milliers de Manitobains au chomage des possibilites de trouver un travail qui leur permettra d'acquerir des competences multiples. YEAR OF SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS During the last five years more than $300 million of capital financing has been committed for housing development in Manitoba, much of it during a period of high interest rates, poor housing starts and excessively low vacancy rates.

Now the Manitoba housing industry is performing at its highest levels since 1978, fostered by the healthy growth and basic soundness of our provincial economy. The United Nations has designated 1987 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. It is, therefore, appropriate that my Government reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that all Manitobans have access to suitable, affordable housing. My Government is committed to working with northern communities to develop housing which is appropriate to the conditions and lifestyle of our northern residents.

The cost of housing in Manitoba remains among the most affordable in Canada. This is partly due to my Government's ongoing provision of non-profit housing where rents are charged in relation to income. On a per capita basis, Manitoba has one of the highest numbers of publicly-owned housing units in the country, in excess of 15,000 units. During this Session, amendments to The Condominium Act and to other housing legislation will be introduced, designed to enhance fairness between developers and owners and between owners and tenants.

JUSTICE IN THE WORKPLACE My Government is proud of its accomplishments in the areas of labour-management relations. Our first contract legislation and revisions to The Labour

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 Relations Act have brought a fairer system of labour relations to Manitoba and have resulted in fewer days lost to industrial disputes. Our expedited arbitration system has been praised by both management and labour. My Government will continue to seek innovative methods for improving business and labour harmony.

You will be asked to discuss a legislative initiative to deal with the problem of discriminatory business hiring practices, particularly as these relate to the activities of Manitoba corporations in countries which do not enjoy the standards of human rights protection generally practised in Canada. This year marks the ?Oth anniversary of the introduction of The Workers Compensation Act. During this spring, my Government will take receipt of the report of the Workers Compensation Review Commission.

My Government is eagerly awaiting the results of this most important review so that further improvements may be made to our compensation system. Those Manitoba workers and their families who have suffered the misfortune of a workplace fatality, injury or illness must be provided with the best rehabilitative, financial and social supports possible.

To further strengthen our initiative in the prevention of work-related injury and illness, my Government will soon receive an extensive study of occupational health services in the province, which will serve as a foundation for major government innovations in this most important area. My Government will be adopting a new Workplace Health Regulation to enhance workers' right to know about potentially harmful substances in Manitoba's workplaces. Our province is a leader in the development of a workplace hazardous materials information system.

Social and economic equality for women continues to be an important priority for my Government. Pay equity has been introduced and is proceeding according to the requirements of The Pay Equity Act. With the good will and cooperation of all, steps will be taken to advance pay equity in the broader public and private sectors. My Ministers are committed to working constructively with leaders from the women's community, labour and business to ensure that the good beginning which has been made will be sustained.

THE CHALLENGE OF OUR EN VIRONMENT My Government will continue to place a major emphasis on environmental protection in Manitoba. Our province enjoys one of the finest natural environments in the world. To keep it that way for future generations, my Government will be strengthening our framework of environmental legislation and programs. Members will be asked during this Session to consider a new Manitoba Environment Act. This act will significantly broaden the scope of environmental protection and thereby enhance the province's ability to maintain a high standard of environmental quality.

My Government will continue to work towards the enhancement of Manitoba's rivers, both for recreational and environmental purposes. My Ministers have also made progress in establishing a hazardous waste management system for the province. A Hazardous Waste Crown Corporation is being established and my Government is proceeding with a provincial action plan. 7 You will also be asked to consider legislation prohibiting the disposal of high-level nuclear waste in Manitoba. My Government intends to dedicate further lands to provincial heritage parks and ecological reserves.

Additions to the 36 wildlife and two fisheries projects under the new Habitat Heritage Corporation may also be expected during the year. COMMITTED TO A STRONGER WINNIPEG It is my Government's intention to maintain its strong commitment to ensuring the economic, social and environmental vitality and health of the City of Winnipeg. It will continue to develop, coordinate and administer programs and policies that are designed to meet current and future needs of the residents of our capital city and to maintain Winnipeg's rightful role as a major Canadian city.

My Government has participated equally with Canada and Winnipeg in the implementation of the first Core Area Initiative Agreement to provide employment opportunities and enhance the physical, social and economic conditions in the heart of Winnipeg. Manitoba will have contributed $32 million over the life of the agreement to the attainment of these goals. My Government is pleased that a renewed Core Area Initiative has been signed in the amount of $100 million for the period 1986 to 1991.

My Government will strive to ensure the successes of the first agreement are reinforced by the strategic allocation of the new agreement's resources to business development, employment and training, housing, riverbank enhancement and neighbourhood revitalization. In addition, my Government is contributing with Canada and Winnipeg to the creation of the North Portage Development Corporation which, in cooperation with the private sector, will renew downtown Winnipeg.

My Government is also committed to supporting the consultation process for the East Railway Yards to ensure public input into the development of this nationally significant site at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. Moreover , Manitoba continues to enhance its significant financial assistance to the City of Winnipeg despite the strain on provincial revenues of lessened federal transfer payments. Bill 57, which my Government introduced in the last Session, provided the City of Winnipeg with the ability to deal fairly with the reassessment that is currently under way.

My Government will continue to support the orderly introduction of new real property assessment in the City of Winnipeg. Many challenges lie ahead for my Government in the field of Urban Affairs. My Government is considering the recommendations of The City of Winnipeg Act Review Committee. A White Paper will be produced and a number of amendments to the act will be introduced during this Session. My Government will also be pursuing the establishment of a Riverbank Authority in Winnipeg as a cooperative effort with the city, community groups and the public at large.

The development of a natural park area on provincially-owned land on Omand's Creek is also proposed.

Thursday, 26 February, 1987 BUDGET ADDRESS AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTS My Ministers have spent many months consulting with Manitobans from all walks of life and from every sector of our economy and will present for your consideration a Budget and Estimates of Expenditures which reflects those consultations. My Government assures me that maintenance of vital public services will remain a priori ty, as well as commitments to fairness, to job creation and for enhancing the quality of life for all Manitobans. Estimates of Revenues and Public Accounts will also be presented.

In closing, I pray Divine Providence may guide you and enlighten you in your deliberations and your decisions. May God bless the Queen and our country. (GOD SAVE THE QUEEN WAS SUNG) The Civil Aide advanced and, after obeisance, received the Speech from the Lieutenant-Governor and retired to the west side of the Chamber. The Mace then made obeisance before the Lieutenant-Governor and preceded His Honour along the east side of the Chamber to the Bar of the House, accompanied by the Premier and the Aides. The Premier returned to his seat in the Chamber.

The Speaker proceeded to the Chair after the Lieutenant-Governor had passed the Bar of the House. The Sergeant-at-Arms proceeded to the Speaker who was standing before the Chair. The Mace made obeisance and returned to the Table. MADAM SPEAKER, Hon. M. Phillips: 0 Eternal and Almighty God from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province.

Grant, 0 Merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will; that we may seek it with wisdom, know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the Glory and Honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. (The Speaker bowed to the members and seated the House. ) INTRODUCTION OF BILLS HON. H. PAWLEY introduced, by leave, Bill No. 1,

An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office;

Loi sur la prestation des serments d'entree en fonction. 8 HOUSE BUSINESS MADAM SPEAKER: The Honourable First Minister. HON. H. PAWLEY: Madam Speaker, I beg to move, seconded by the Deputy Premier and Minister of Community Services, that the Votes and Proceedings of the House be printed, having first been perused by the Speaker, and that the Speaker do appoint the printing thereof, and that no person but such as the Speaker shall appoint do presume to print the same. MOTION presented and carried.

MADAM SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that in order to prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy of the address of His Honour, which was read. I am further pleased to inform the House that James E. Diack has been appointed Sergeant-at-Arms for the Second Session of the Thirty-Third Legislature. I am also pleased to inform the House that the following Pages have been appointed for this Session of the Legislature: Mary Zettler from Portage Collegiate; Erika Persun from West Kildonan Collegiate; Wendy Tretiak from Garden City Collegiate; Ian Dundas from the University of Winnipeg Collegiate; Daniel Boyko, St.

John's High School; and Rory Henry from Fort Richmond Collegiate. The Honourable First Minister. HON. H. PAWLEY: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Minister of Finance, that the speech of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor be taken into consideration tomorrow. MOTION presented and carried. HON. H. PAWLEY: Madam Speaker, I do now move that the House do adjourn.

MADAM SPEAKER: Before putting the motion to the House, may I inform all present that a receiving line composed of the Lieutenant-Governor, the Premier and the Speaker will form shortly in Room 200, in the north end of the building, and that refreshments will be served in Room 254, in the south end of the building, in five minutes time. It has been moved . . . HON. H. PAWLEY: Seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, of course. MOTION presented and carried and the House adjourned and stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. (Friday)

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	33-2-1
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	33rd 2nd hansardpdf 1.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	ee52cf9a36b78acf518f97f22157a9d016a7c15f

Source file is stored in the law ingest library (pdf).