A 8 NEWS I WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM

Pallister defends PC’s legislative agenda as spring session concludes Hydro rates may be rising, premier hints

LARRY KUSCH bate this year. “This session featured the most ro- REMIER hinted bust and, I think, ambitious legislative P Tuesday his government may agenda very likely in decades,” the pre- again raise hydro rates — by- mier said Tuesday. passing the normal regulatory process However, much of the government’s — but the hit to Manitobans’ pocket- legislative agenda was obscured by the books will be lower than in past years. COVID-19 health crisis. At a news conference marking the Passage of some of the PCs’ most end of the spring sitting of the legis- contentious bills — including its com- lature, Pallister provided few details prehensive education reforms — was about the potential rate hike, saying Fi- delayed till fall by the NDP. Under the nance Minister will an- legislative assembly’s rules, the Opposi- nounce those details. tion can designate five bills each year Last fall, the Progressive Conserva- to be carried over in this manner. tive government legislated a 2.9 per NDP Leader said any cent increase in electricity rates that hydro rate hike should be reviewed by took effect in December. The govern- the PUB. ment’s rationale for skirting the Pub- “I’ve got a lot of concerns. We see the lic Utilities Board was that it planned price of everything going up right now: to institute a new multi-year PUB the price of lumber, the price of furni- rate-setting process. Enabling legisla- ture, the price of groceries, the price NDP Leader Wab Kinew says a hydro rate tion to carry that out is expected to be of gas. Now you’re trying to raise the hike should be reviewed by the PUB. passed this fall. hydro bill, too? Uh-uh. It’s bad for in- “This interim rate will be lower than dividual families and it’s bad for infla- the average of the last number of years, tion, too,” he said, reacting to the pre- body for part of it as well. We’ve been but it needs to be established so that we mier’s comments. peak and valley, right?” can get to a rate establishment process Pallister, who was sworn into office Meanwhile, the premier, who turns more transparent, where PUB is stron- in 2016 and re-elected in 2019, said the 67 in July, deflected questions about ger and where they’re able to make pandemic has presented challenges to his future, although, when pressed, said multi-year rate decisions,” Pallister his government on “an almost daily ba- he would “definitely be back” when the said. sis.” legislature resumes sitting in early Oc- Manitobans may not learn how much “It’s difficult to pinpoint a time in my tober. hydro rates are increasing until Field- life (where) there have been more major There has been speculation Pallister ing introduces his budget implementa- decisions to deliberate on, and to make, may resign this fall, once the province’s tion bill this fall. Normally, the omnibus that have come on our team faster than population is fully vaccinated and the bill is introduced in the spring. during this pandemic,” he said. worst of COVID-19 is behind Manito- In this legislative session, 65 govern- Pallister said he was “tremendous- bans. ment bills have passed, including one ly proud of Manitobans” for the way that would lower Manitobans’ education they’ve responded to the crisis. — with files from Carol Sanders property taxes. The average “I mean, better than anybody for a lot MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES homeowner stands to receive a $480 re- of this pandemic, and worse than every- [email protected] - 02/06/2021Premier Brian Pallister suggested an interim hydro rate increase will be lower than average. Page : A008 Contentious education bill still on hold

MAGGIE MACINTOSH LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

MANITOBA MLAs will vote on sweep- ing education reforms in autumn, after the Tories’ last-ditch attempt to ex- pedite second reading of Bill 64 was thwarted before the spring legislative session ended Tuesday. Last month, the Progressive Conserv- ative government house leader asked the NDP to collaborate on moving up the timeline of committee hearings on the Education Modernization Act. Since the NDP delayed the bill earlier in the session, second reading is ex- pected Oct. 7, which requires commit- tee hearings to conclude by Nov. 2. “The government’s desire is to ensure that all presenters can have their say on this bill. However, without co-oper- ation, this time frame will cause some difficulty,” wrote , gov- ernment house leader, in a letter dated May 28. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS More than 300 presenters have signed Jason and Cynthia Cherewayko helped rescue two children from the choppy, frigid waters of Lake Winnipeg while at Grand Beach on Saturday. up to speak about the legislation, which will replace elected school boards with a centralized authority. , NDP house lead- Husband, wife and Grand Beach cottager with kayak risk their lives to save two little girls on Lake Winnipeg er, responded to Goertzen Tuesday, saying the NDP took the step of de- laying consideration of the bill in or- der to allow Manitobans more time to A day at the beach, a harrowing nightmare study it and fully understand the im- plications of it. Fontaine wrote that his proposal, SHELLEY COOK drop-off. He was fighting to hang on old — floated while he kept talking to stopped echoing the song, Morden’s which would have required second to the older child when the other girl her in an effort to keep her comfort- heart sank. He thought she might be reading by Tuesday, would advance TERRIBLE thoughts kept popping started to float away. able. He told her jokes and they took dead. harmful changes to public education, into Blake Morden’s head as he fran- “I stayed with the dad and my hus- turns singing Savage Love by Jason He said he paddled for what and require presenters to start organ- tically paddled his kayak in the direc- band continued on to the little girl,” Derulo — her favourite song. seemed to be forever, and the shore izing themselves at the busy start of the tion of the shore at Grand Beach Sat- Cynthia said. “I’m a good swimmer. He told her that they were going to never seemed to get any closer. school year in September. urday afternoon with an exhausted I mean, I’m not the strongest swim- be OK, even though he didn’t believe He’s not really sure what hap- “Bill 64 will... centralize power in man and a terrified little girl hanging mer, but I felt like I could do this.” it. pened next. He says he blacked out, hand-picked appointees decided by gov- on to a rope behind him. Cynthia yelled for the dad and the Meanwhile, several people were or something. He remembers looking ernment. This, and many other harmful Morden — whose muscles were daughter to hold on to her tube, tell- trying to get into the beach safety up and being at the shore with flash- changes in the bill have sparked wide- burning and back seizing from a 3 ing the young girl not to let go. office, which was closed, and some- ing lights and frantic people every- spread opposition from thousands of 1/2-hour kayak trip earlier in the day “I said, ‘Honey, you have to hold one went to find Morden and his where. Paramedics rushed in, and he Manitobans across every region in the — was struggling against the stiff on to this tube with all your might. kayak. Many of the cottagers on got out of the kayak and collapsed on province,” she added, before calling on wind on Lake Winnipeg’s choppy, Even if your dad lets go or I let go, the beach had boats, but nowhere to the beach. the government to withdraw the bill im- frigid water with the added weight just hold on. Kick your little legs and launch from. Jason and Cynthia are the true he- mediately. he was towing, and contemplated ask- hold on.’” Morden launched his kayak off roes of this saga, Morden said, add- As various anti-Bill 64 signs pop up ing Jason Cherewayko to let go of the As she was helping the father and some rocks and began to paddle as ing the experience has changed him. on lawns across the province, Educa- rope. daughter back toward the beach, the hard as he could. “It’s going to help me be a better tion Minister has suggested It’s something he feels incredibly tube flew out from under them. Some- When he finally reached them, the person,” he said. a vocal minority opposes the reforms guilty about. one came running and helped get girl had turned purple and was shiv- Cynthia said what they did was and is spreading misinformation about “I thought this man was going them back to shore. ering atop her inflatable, and Jason “dangerous and stupid,” but they them. to have to sacrifice himself for his Cynthia made sure someone had was running out of steam. Morden knew they had to help. “Clearly the NDP do not want to dis- daughter,” Morden said. called 911. She instructed her chil- didn’t have life-jackets with him be- She said the province needs to im- cuss education reform, improving stu- But the little girl wasn’t Chere- dren to get blankets and towels from cause they were drying out back at plement more safety measures and dent outcomes, and getting the supports wayko’s daughter; he had no idea who their cottage neighbours and wait for his cottage from earlier in the day provide emergency equipment such to teachers and front-line educators but she was when his wife heard a man’s the ambulances. and he’d left in such frantic rush as ropes and dinghies, as well as a would rather continue their campaign voice yelling, “You’re going too far.” She looked out into the water and that he didn’t grab them. But he had safe launch pad closer than the cur- of misinformation for their own polit- Cherewayko, his wife Cyn- saw that Jason was well past the the rope. rent one in Belair, about 15 minutes ical gain,” Cullen said in a statement thia Cherewayko and their four kids safe beach area, swimming towards “I told Jason that he could hold the away via Highway 59. Tuesday. were spending time on the beach and the younger girl on her inflatable rope I brought, but I was screaming She and Jason have tried since Sat- The abolition of elected school trust- saw two young girls on inflatables be- tube. at him that he couldn’t touch my boat, urday to find the girls’ parents on ees has raised concerns about the new ing pushed by the wind further out on Jason was exhausted and began to because if the boat flipped we could Facebook to see how they’re doing. governance system being undemocrat- the lake. think he and the girl might die be- all die,” Morden recalled. “He just She said she’s proud of everyone who ic. The couple started walking towards cause they were so far out, but he looked at me and calmly said, ‘I un- helped. NDP education critic the water, grabbing a couple of dol- continued swimming until he caught derstand.’” “It can happen so fast,” Cynthia said in a release Tuesday there are con- lar-store tubes from another group of hold of her inflatable. Plagued by grim thoughts, Morden said. “We are just so thankful he cerns the bill could lead to the closure people. The father of the children was There, in the middle of the freez- kept paddling and he heard Jason (Morden) got to them in time.” of rural schools, loss of culturally rel- in the water, trying to bring the girls ing lake, while their families watched singing to the little girl and she sing- evant programming, and more cuts to to safety, when he started to struggle from the shore, Jason and the little ing back; he was trying to keep her [email protected] classrooms. at the edge of a sandbar with a sharp girl — he learned she was six years calm and awake. When her tiny voice Twitter: @ShelleyACook [email protected] Twitter: @macintoshmaggie June 2, 2021 6:47 am (GMT -5:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

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