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Third Session - Fortieth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Daryl Reid Speaker Vol. LXVI No. 47 - 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 23, 2014 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Fortieth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital NDP ALLUM, James, Hon. Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson NDP BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli NDP BLADY, Sharon, Hon. Kirkfield Park NDP BRAUN, Erna, Hon. Rossmere NDP BRIESE, Stuart Agassiz PC CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East NDP CHIEF, Kevin, Hon. Point Douglas NDP CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan NDP CROTHERS, Deanne St. James NDP CULLEN, Cliff Spruce Woods PC DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk NDP DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FRIESEN, Cameron Morden-Winkler PC GAUDREAU, Dave St. Norbert NDP GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Liberal GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC HOWARD, Jennifer, Hon. Fort Rouge NDP IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Richmond NDP JHA, Bidhu Radisson NDP KOSTYSHYN, Ron, Hon. Swan River NDP LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. Dawson Trail NDP MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor, Hon. Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MELNICK, Christine Riel Ind. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East PC NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake NDP OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River NDP PALLISTER, Brian Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine Midland PC PETTERSEN, Clarence Flin Flon NDP PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REID, Daryl, Hon. Transcona NDP ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Kewatinook NDP RONDEAU, Jim Assiniboia NDP ROWAT, Leanne Riding Mountain PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron St. Paul PC SELBY, Erin, Hon. Southdale NDP SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo PC STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin NDP SWAN, Andrew, Hon. Minto NDP WHITEHEAD, Frank The Pas NDP WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WIGHT, Melanie Burrows NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC 2143 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, April 23, 2014 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Kading, as well as the staff of the postadoption registry, who have been working tirelessly to make Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from sure that these amendments became a reality. And I Whom all power and wisdom come, we are am very proud that I'm able to deliver that today. assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our For many Manitobans involved in adoptions, province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that these– we may desire only that which is in accordance with Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know minister has gone on considerably longer than our it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the tradition normally allows in the House. I know I glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of can–perhaps the minister can save the additional all our people. Amen. amount of information for debate on the bill itself on Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated. second reading. Thank the honourable minister. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Is the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed] INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 58–The Manitoba Institute of Bill 59–The Adoption Amendment and Trades and Technology Act Vital Statistics Amendment Act (Opening Birth and Adoption Records) Hon. James Allum (Minister of Education and Advanced Learning): Mr. Speaker, I move, Hon. Kerri Irvin-Ross (Minister of Family seconded by the Minister of Family Services, that Services): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Bill 58, The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Technology Act; Loi sur le Manitoba Institute of Consumer Protection (Mr. Lemieux), that Bill 59, Trades and Technology, be now read for the first The Adoption Amendment and Vital Statistics time. Amendment Act (Opening Birth and Adoption Records); Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'adoption et la Motion presented. Loi sur les statistiques de l'état civil (accès aux Mr. Allum: This bill establishes the Winnipeg documents de naissance et d'adoption), be heard–be Technical College as a stand-alone hybrid institution now read a first time. that will provide both secondary and post-secondary Motion presented. skills training and education. It also renames Winnipeg Technical College the Manitoba Institute Ms. Irvin-Ross: Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes a of Trades and Technology and allows the institution system that allows for more openness with respect to to take on an expanded role in providing jobs birth and adoption records. Many people have been and skills training to Manitoba high school and waiting a long time for information related to their post-secondary students. birth and adoption records, and we are pleased to introduce amendments that we feel provide an open Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt regime while still respecting the privacy concerns of the motion? [Agreed] individuals involved in the adoption process. Further introduction of bills? For the first time in Manitoba, this bill provides, Bill 60–The Restorative Justice Act among other things, for an adult adoptee to access their preadoption birth registration. It also allows for Hon. Andrew Swan (Minister of Justice and a registered birth parent to access the substituted Attorney General): I move, seconded by the registration of a birth for their adult child who they Minister for Family Services, that Bill 60, The placed for adoption. Restorative Justice Act; Loi sur la justice réparatrice, be now read a first time. Today I stand with the many long-term advocates, such as LINKS's very own Mr. Roy Motion presented. 2144 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 23, 2014 Mr. Swan: This bill will provide a framework to Fewer dollars available for EIA recipients to rent further develop restorative justice programs across safe and hygienic housing means increased pressure our province. It will encourage more cases to be on food banks, the health-care system and other resolved by communities outside of the traditional services, as Manitoba families have to divert money court process and allow court resources to be for food and other critical necessities to pay for rent. directed to cases more pressing to public safety. It We petition the Legislative Assembly of will also set up an advisory council which will Manitoba as follows: provide advice on strengthening and enhancing restorative justice programs across our province. To urge the provincial government and the Minister of Jobs and the Economy to increase the Mr. Speaker, restorative justice repairs the harm rental allowance for EIA recipients to 75 per cent that's caused by criminal actions while allowing the of median market rent so that EIA recipients can community and the victim, where the victim wishes, secure clean, safe and affordable housing without to hold the offender responsible for his or her actions sacrificing other necessities such as food and medical and to seek a resolution that affords healing, expenses. reparation and reintegration. And this petition is signed by C. Catellier, Mr. Speaker, this bill's part of our government's V. Catellier and B. Catellier and many more fine balanced approach to greater public safety for Manitobans. Manitobans. Mr. Speaker: In keeping with our rule 132(6), when Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt petitions are read they are deemed to have been the motion? [Agreed] received by the House. Any further introduction of bills? * (13:40) PETITIONS Provincial Sales Tax Increase– Mr. Speaker: Seeing none, we'll move on to Reversal and Referendum Rights petitions. Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): Good afternoon. I Employment and Income Assistance– wish to present the following petition to the Rental Allowance Increase Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Midland): I wish to present The background to this petition is as follows: the following petition to the Legislative Assembly. (1) The Balanced Budget, Fiscal Management These are the reasons for this petition: and Taxpayer Accountability Act is a law that The rental allowance for people on employment guarantees Manitobans the right to vote in a and income assistance, EIA, in Manitoba has referendum to either approve or reject increases to remained effectively flat for over 20 years, even the PST and other taxes. while the cost of renting a home has steadily increased. (2) Despite the fact that the right to vote is enshrined in this legislation, the provincial Despite the many calls from the official government hiked the PST to 8 per cent as of opposition caucus, individuals and community July 1st, 2013. groups, and despite the fact that the very same recommendation was made in a final report of the (3) The Progressive Conservative Party of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death Manitoba has asked the courts to rule on whether or of Phoenix Sinclair, the provincial government has not the government broke the law failing to address failed to protect the most vulnerable Manitobans by the referendum requirement before imposing the PST refusing to raise the rental allowance portion of tax increase on Manitoban families. employment and income assistance to 75 per cent of median market rates–rents. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: Fewer dollars to use for rent forces Manitobans using EIA to live in substandard, overcrowded and (1) To urge the provincial government to reverse unsafe conditions. the PST increase. April 23, 2014 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2145 (2) To urge the provincial government to restore (3) During the 2011 election, the provincial the right of Manitobans to vote in a referendum on government promised to provide every Manitoban increases to the PST.