Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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Third Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXV No. 26B - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, December 3, 2020 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC 1269 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, December 3, 2020 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Madam Speaker: So are the members indicating that there's no leave to proceed with the ministerial Madam Speaker: Good afternoon, everybody. statement? Please be seated. An Honourable Member: Well, if we knew what it ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS was. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Hon. Kelvin Goertzen (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, perhaps the minister can Bill 220–The Transportation Infrastructure provide a quick, one-sentence description of what it is Amendment Act so that the members opposite can consider it. And, Mr. Tom Lindsey (Flin Flon): I move, seconded by certainly, I appreciate their opportunity. the member from Thompson, that Bill 220, The Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister for Transportation Infrastructure Amendment Act, be Conservation and Climate, for just a brief overview. now read a first time. Hon. Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Conservation Motion presented. and Climate): Madam Speaker, this is about thanking our conservation officers, who have worked very hard Mr. Lindsey: For many people who live in, this year. particularly, northern Manitoba, the cuts that we've Madam Speaker: Is there leave, then, to allow the seen to snow-clearing operations have led to very minister to proceed? unsafe conditions. Some Honourable Members: Agreed. In the winter, large snowfalls can be extremely Madam Speaker: Leave has been granted? [Agreed] problematic for trying to travel to work, to seek medical care or for other reasons. This bill is an Conservation Officers attempt to hold the government to account for making Hon. Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Conservation sure that our provincial roadways are cleared in a and Climate): It is a pleasure to stand in the House timely manner and maintained in a safe condition. today and honour the hard work by our conservation officers, who are committed to addressing unsafe and I look forward to the House's unanimous support illegal hunting practices at night, hunting from road- for this bill. ways and poaching. These are criminal acts and can have deadly consequences. Thank you. Our brave officers have done their absolute best Madam Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to in protecting Manitobans this hunting season. Newly adopt the motion? Agreed? [Agreed] acquired technologies, such as night-vision goggles and enhanced aerial surveillance with infrared capa- Committee reports? bilities, have served to assist officers in their efforts. Conservation officers have undertaken aerial support Tabling of reports? on more than 20 occasions to date, which has assisted MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS in enforcement efforts and has already resulted in several night-hunting enforcement actions. Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister of Conservation and Climate, and we did not have the Since October 10th, conservation officers have 90 minutes notice sent out. conducted patrols to enforce Manitoba's new Wildlife Amendment Act. This includes charges or Is there leave of the House to still allow the appearances, notices to 45 individuals for serious ministerial– wildlife offences, warnings–[interjection] Some Honourable Members: No. Madam Speaker: Order. 1270 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 3, 2020 Mrs. Guillemard: –to 19 individuals for night from this land, learning it and earning it from the hunting without a permit or for hunting in a moose generations that came before me. conservation enclosure, charges–[interjection] You know, when I'm out there in the field, or even Madam Speaker: Order. when I'm bumping into a conservation officer at a place like Dauphin Countryfest or at the mall, and we Mrs. Guillemard: –to 11 individuals for possessing get a chance to speak, you know what they tell me the illegally taken wildlife, seizures of nine vehicles, No. 1 challenge is that they have on their jobs? The seizures of 18 firearms and restitution orders totalling No. 1 challenge that conservation officers have on the $20,500. job is the fact that they have to work alone in the field In addition to this, many conservation officers, because of this Premier (Mr. Pallister) and this environment officers and drinking-water officers have Cabinet's wage freeze. stepped up and assisted with enforcement of COVID-19 public health orders. We thank them for The wage freeze is making it unsafe for each and not only upholding conservation efforts but also for every day for conservation officers to work in the field keeping Manitobans safe from this virus. because we're losing all the talent to Saskatchewan, we're losing all the talent to Ontario. And those very Manitoba's conservation officers are doing an few COs that remain here in the province to try and do incredible and honourable job to keep our community the right thing are rewarded by a wage freeze and job safe. Officers have conducted themselves with a high cut after job cut. level of professionalism and have worked hard on meeting our mandate to focus on enforcement efforts So I thank the COs in a real way, and I detest the and to protect our vulnerable species. Province for trying to use them as a political stunt. It is important that we all recognize these dedi- Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired. cated people, and we commend them for their [interjection] important work for protecting Manitobans. Order. On behalf of the Manitoba government, a sin- Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam cerest thank you to all our conservation officers. Speaker, I ask leave to speak to the minister's Thank you. statement. Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Madam Speaker: Does the member for River Opposition): Madam Speaker, I do want to thank the Heights have leave to speak to the ministerial conservation officers who are out there doing an statement? [Agreed] important job on behalf of many communities right Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, I've had the good across Manitoba. fortune to go out with conservation officers on Now, unlike the members opposite, who use occasion, and I want to report that those experiences conservation officers as a political ploy, I, as some- have been good experiences, that I have found body who is teaching my kids how to hunt safely, individuals who are conservation officers who are regularly speak to conservation officers out in the very concerned about wildlife, who are very con- field, and we have a good relationship, a good cerned about the future of our fisheries and who have working relationship based on mutual respect. raised these issues related to this on many, many occasions. I'm not like one of these city Tories who never heard of a conservation officer before they got elected There are, of course, problems with the current to this Chamber and then merely fell in line behind government in providing insufficient resources to let the race-baiting, divisive rhetoric launched by this people do their jobs. There are problems with the government to try and divide team Manitoba against current government in providing sufficient staffing itself. No, Madam Speaker. resources, and so it is a challenging time in Manitoba to be a conservation officer. I'm part of that salt-of-the-earth Manitoba that knows how to live off the land. I'm not one of these I want to also comment on the need for this false Tories who couldn't tell you the difference government to be better understanding of all the between a clove hitch and a trailer hitch. I'm a real people in our province, and I speak in particular of Manitoban who knows how to procure sustenance Indigenous people in Manitoba and the rights of December 3, 2020 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1271 Indigenous people and the needs of Indigenous people donating to Boys & Girls Clubs last December, even to hunt, to make sure that they can survive–nutrition donating clear plastic shields that were repurposed and eat wild game.