Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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First Session- Thirty-Seventh Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker .. ....... ·.. ·· -·� Vol. L No. 36 - 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 30, 2000 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Seventh Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation AGLUGUB, Cris The Maples N.D.P. ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. ASPER, Linda Riel N.D.P. BARRETT, Becky, Hon. Inkster N.D.P. CALDWELL, Drew, Hon. Brandon East N.D.P. CERILLI, Marianne Radisson N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CUMMINGS, Glen Ste. Rose P.C. DACQUA Y, Louise Seine River P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charles wood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, Harry Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage Ia Prairie P.C. FILMON, Gary Tuxedo P.C. FRIESEN, Jean, Hon. Wolseley N.D.P. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GILLESHAMMER, Harold Minnedosa P.C. HELWER, Edward Gimli P.C. HICKES, George Point Douglas N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LATHLIN, Oscar, Hon. The Pas N.D.P. LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert P.C. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. LOEWEN, John Fort Whyte P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWA Y, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn, Hon. Minto N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PENNER, Jim Steinbach P.C. PITURA, Frank Morris P.C. PRAZNIK, Darren Lac du Bonnet 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 Assiniboia N.D.P. SALE, Tim, Hon. 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, Joy Fort Garry P.C. SMITH, Scott Brandon West N.D.P. STEFANSON, Eric Kirkfield Park P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. TWEED, Mervin Turtle Mountain P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 1665 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, May 30,2000 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Is there leave from the House to table one copy until they get further PRAYERS copies in? Speaker's Statement Some Honourable Members: Leave. Mr. Speaker: I have an announcement fo r the Point of Order House. I would like to advise the House that I have received a letter from the PC caucus chair Mr. Marcel Laurendeau (Opposition House person, the Member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), Leader): How long would that be before we advising me that the Member fo r River East have copies distributed, Mr. Speaker? (Mrs. Mitchelson) has been elected as interim leader of the PC caucus until further notice. Mr. Speaker: The Honourable Minister of Family Services, on the samepoint of order? On this basis, I will be recognizing the Member for River East as the interim Leader of Mr. Sale: I would say in the next 30 minutes, the OfficialOpposition. Mr. Speaker. ROUTINEPROCEEDINGS Mr. Speaker: Is there leave? Is there leave to table one copy until the other copies are ready PRESENTING PETITIONS fo r distribution? Leave? [Agreed] Winnipeg Police Athletic Clubs Introduction of Guests Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): I beg to Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would present the petition of Jim Moore, Diann Mag like to draw the attention of all honourable nus, M. Gage and others praying that the Legis members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have lative Assembly of Manitoba request that the with us today His Excellency Urs Ziswiler, Minister of Justice (Mr. Mackintosh) encourage Ambassador of Switzerland to Canada. the Government of Manitoba to continue part nering with schools and law enforcement to On behalf of all honourable members, ensure Winnipeg Police Athletic Clubs provide welcome you here today. recreational and athletic activities fo r young people in a safe, supervised environment in 13 Also I would like to draw the attention of all schools throughout Winnipeg fo r years to come. honourable members to the public gallery where we have, from Pineview Mennonite School from TABLING OF REPORTS Emo, Ontario, 18 Grades 7 and 8 students under the direction of Mr. Robert Heatwole. Hon. Tim Sale (Minister of Family Services and Housing): Mr. Speaker, I wonder if you Also, from Holland Elementary School, 12 would allow me to table one copy, since the Grade 5 students under the direction of Mrs. others are still on their way into the House, of Shelley Wallis and Mrs. JaniceDrummond. This the Communicable Disease Control Information school is located in the constituency of the Sheet issued today on the prevention of the Honourable Member for Carman (Mr. Rocan). hantavirus infection. We will have copies for everyone here and ask them to assist us in Also we have seated in the public gallery, getting this information out to all appropriate from Children of the Earth High School, 14 quarters. I thankyou. Grades 9 to 12 students under the direction of 1666 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 30, 2000 Mrs. Celia Baker and Jon Hoole. This school is infections and certainly wait. We believe within located in the constituency of the Honourable 24 hours we should know more specifically the Member for Point Douglas (Mr. Hickes). causes. Also we have seated in the gallery, fr om Mrs. Mitchelson: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Shady Oak Christian School, 13 Grades 7 to 9 the First Minister fo r that answer. I understand students under the direction of Ms. Barb Penner. the results of the water testing will be available This school is located in the constituency of the today. Honourable Member fo r Ste. Rose (Mr. Cum mings). Can the First Minister please tell the House if those test results will be made available to the On behalf of all honourable members, I people of Elkhorn, and if the Government in welcome you here today. tends to issue a boil-water order as a precaution or distribute any other information to area * (13:35) residents about this potential deadly bacteria? ORAL QUESTION PERIOD Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, our Health officialsand our Conservation officials are working together E. Coli Bacteria since the Saturday diagnosis, the early diagnosis Government Initiatives of this situation. We are awaiting the results of the tests. But certainly all precautions and public Mrs. Bonnie Mitchelson (Interim Leader of protections will be taken to protect not only the the Official Opposition): Mr. Speaker, my fa milies adjacent to the wells but to alert other question is for the First Minister. people in Manitoba that may have wells that are not subject to municipal tests, not subj ect to tests We have heard about two young children that go to our environmental labs. from Elkhorn who are fighting the effects of E. coli bacterial infections. Our hearts and prayers It is really quite crucial that all fam ilies do certainly go out to the family and the children whatever is possible to prevent-! am not assum and hope andpray they have a speedy recovery. ing that the well itself was the reason fo r this disease, but to ensure that all people are aware of In light of the very serious tragedy that took proper preventative measures to protect the place in Walkerton, Ontario, can the First Min wells; all people are aware that they have a ister please tell the House what steps his gov responsibility to test the water in the wells if it is ernment has taken to isolate the source of this under the standards of municipal testing; and terrible bacteria? three, we will do whatever possible with munici palities to ensure that municipal water is tested, Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr. Speaker, when and information that is in the public good to be we were informed originally on Saturday of the released and in the public health required to be case, as reported in the Brandon media, we were released will be released to the public. quite alarmed, and our prayers go out to the family. We are very concerned about the situa Mrs. Mitchelson: Mr. Speaker, I would just like tion. We have not yet received a specific diagno to ask the First Minister today whether he would sis of the cause of the E. coli in the location commit to updating this House with information where the children are fr om. We know that there as it becomes available. I think it is very impor are private wells on that location. tant, a very serious matter. I think all of us want to ensure that we have all of the information so As the Member opposite knows, the policies that we can share with Manitobans anything that on private wells are very much based on the they might be able to do in order to prevent this individual family. I believe it is up to a family of fr om occurring again. two dwellings on a private well that are not covered by municipal testing, but certainly we Mr. Doer: Yes, I thank the Member fo r the want to not presume the cause of the E.