Thirty-Eighth Legislature
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Second Session - Thirty-Ninth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LX No. 71B – 1:30 p.m., Thursday, September 18, 2008 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Ninth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park N.D.P. BOROTSIK, Rick Brandon West P.C. BRAUN, Erna Rossmere N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. BRIESE, Stuart Ste. Rose P.C. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage la Prairie P.C. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach P.C. GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Garry N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. JHA, Bidhu Radisson N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. 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. MARCELINO, Flor Wellington N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PEDERSEN, Blaine Carman P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SARAN, Mohinder The Maples N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELBY, Erin Southdale N.D.P. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew, Hon. Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. Vacant Elmwood 3307 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, September 18, 2008 The House met at 1:30 p.m. We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows: ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS To urge the Premier (Mr. Doer) of Manitoba to INTRODUCTION OF BILLS consider reversing his decision to increase Bill 48–The Animal Care Amendment Act Pharmacare deductibles by 5 percent in budget 2008. Hon. Rosann Wowchuk (Minister of Agriculture, To request the Premier of Manitoba to consider Food and Rural Initiatives): I move, seconded by reducing health-care bureaucracy, as previously the Minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs (Mr. promised, and to consider directing those savings Lathlin), that Bill 48, The Animal Care Amendment into sustaining Pharmacare and improving patient Act, be now read a first time. care. Motion presented. This petition is signed by Audrey Wilton, Marguerite Cory, Mr. Atkinson and many, many Ms. Wowchuk: Mr. Speaker, for the past decade, others. The Animal Care Act has helped us to protect animal welfare in Manitoba. However, experience has Mr. Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), shown us where the act can and should be improved when petitions are read they are deemed to be to be strengthened to enable more proactive and received by the House. efficient protection of animals that are in distress. Long-Term Care Facility–Morden The Animal Care Amendment Act will Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Mr. Speaker, I wish to accomplish this and will ensure that Manitoba present the following petition to the Legislative continues to lead the way in protecting animal Assembly. welfare and strengthening animal protection in this province. The background for this petition is as follows: Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt Tabor Home Incorporated is a time-expired the motion? [Agreed] personal care home in Morden with safety, PETITIONS environmental and space deficiencies. Pharmacare Deductibles The seniors of Manitoba are valuable members of the community with increasing health-care needs Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Minnedosa): I wish to present requiring long-term care. the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The community of Morden and the surrounding These are the reasons for this petition: area are experiencing substantial population growth. The NDP government has increased Pharmacare We petition the Legislative Assembly of deductibles by 5 percent each year for the past seven Manitoba as follows: years, with the curious exception of the 2007 election To request the Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald) year. to strongly consider giving priority for funding to As a result of the cumulative 34 percent hike in develop and staff a new 100-bed long-term care Pharmacare deductibles by the NDP government, facility so that clients are not exposed to unsafe some Manitobans are forced to choose between milk conditions and so that Boundary Trails Health Centre and medicine. beds remain available for acute-care patients instead of waiting placement clients. Seniors, fixed and low-income-earning Manitobans are the most negatively affected by these This is signed by Maria Martens, Sheldon increases. Penner, Arlene Hildebrand and many, many others. 3308 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA September 18, 2008 Hard Surfacing Unpaved Portion– The background to this petition is as follows: Provincial Road 340 Immigration is critically important to the future Mr. Cliff Cullen (Turtle Mountain): I wish to of the province, and the 1998 federal Provincial present the following petition to the Legislative Nominee Program is the best immigration program Assembly. that Manitoba has ever had. These are the reasons for this petition. Lengthy processing times for PNP applications causes additional stress and anxiety for would-be All Manitobans deserve access to well- immigrants and their families here in Manitoba. maintained rural highways as this is critical to both motorist safety and to commerce. The government needs to recognize the unfairness in its current policy on who qualifies for a Provincial Road 340 is a well-utilized road. Provincial Nominee Certificate. Heavy vehicles from potato and livestock We petition the Legislative Assembly of operations, agricultural-related businesses, Hutterite Manitoba as follows: colonies and the Maple Leaf plant in Brandon use this road. To urge the provincial government to consider establishing a 90-day guarantee for processing an Vehicles from Canadian Forces Base Shilo also application for a minimum of 80 percent of travel this busy road. applicants that have family living in Manitoba. Commuter traffic from Wawanesa, Stockton, To urge the provincial government to consider Nesbitt and surrounding farms to Shilo and Brandon removing the use of the restrictive job list when is common on this road. dealing with the family sponsor stream. Provincial Road 340 is an alternate route for This is signed by Y. Paguio, Q. Paguio, many motorists travelling to Brandon coming off M. Hayag and many, many other fine Manitobans. Provincial Trunk Highway 2 east and to Winnipeg via the Trans-Canada Highway No. 1. An upgrade to Mr. Stuart Briese (Ste. Rose): Mr. Speaker, I ask this road would ease the traffic congestion on leave to read the petition from the Member for PTH 10. Emerson (Mr. Graydon). Access to the Criddle-Vane Homestead Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member have Provincial Park would be greatly enhanced if this leave? [Agreed] road were improved. Recovery Strategy–Manitoba Farmers The hard surfacing of the unpaved portion of Mr. Briese: I wish to present the following petition PR 340 south of Canadian Forces Base Shilo towards to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba: Wawanesa would address the last few neglected kilometres of this road and increase the safety of These are the reasons for this petition. motorists who travel on it. Several regions of Manitoba have been hit by We petition the Legislative Assembly of repeated heavy rains since spring of 2008. Manitoba as follows: This has created serious challenges for farmers, To request the Minister of Infrastructure and including hay and straw shortages, damage to bales, Transportation (Mr. Lemieux) to consider hard forage and pasture, barns and corrals, crop losses and surfacing of the unpaved portion of Provincial Road lost inputs, among others. 340 south of Canadian Forces Base Shilo towards The excess moisture has also caused other Wawanesa. problems, including the flooding of homes and This is signed by Gail Campbell, Bonnie outbuildings, sewage backups and septic field Campbell, Brett McGregor and many, many others. saturation. Provincial Nominee Program–Applications Local governments have been hit with road washouts and other infrastructure damage. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the People affected by the excess moisture and Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. flooding are very concerned that the provincial September 18, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3309 government has not responded quickly enough and There is fear that, without a comprehensive that they are being left to deal with this disaster on strategy to address these challenges, there will be their own. serious and lasting economic consequences in the affected regions. There is fear that, without a comprehensive strategy to address these challenges, there will be We petition the Legislative Assembly of serious and lasting economic consequences in the Manitoba as follows: affected regions. To urge the provincial government to consider We petition the Legislative Assembly of developing a comprehensive recovery strategy aimed Manitoba as follows: at addressing both the immediate and the long-term effects of this year's excessive moisture conditions To urge the provincial government to consider and flooding.