DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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First Session - Thirty-Eighth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LIV No. 6 – 1:30 p.m., Monday, September 15, 2003 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY First Session–Thirty-Eighth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation AGLUGUB, Cris The Maples N.D.P. ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter Gimli N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. CALDWELL, Drew, Hon. Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CUMMINGS, Glen Ste. Rose 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. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri 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. LOEWEN, John Fort Whyte P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine Riel N.D.P. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn, Hon. Minto N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. MURRAY, Stuart Kirkfield Park P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa Seine River N.D.P. PENNER, Jack Emerson 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. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. 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, Scott, Hon. Brandon West N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. TWEED, Mervin Turtle Mountain P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 529 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, September 15, 2003 The House met at 1:30 p.m. the provinces, representing 50 percent of eligible net sales. PRAYERS Fourthly, the Minister of Agriculture said on ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Tuesday that the federal Minister of Agriculture had changed his mind in providing bilateral MATTER OF PRIVILEGE agreements when in fact by the end of the week the Minister of Agriculture, the Member for Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk), was acknowledg- Speaker, I rise today on a matter of privilege. I ing that she was preparing to sign a bilateral rise because the Minister of Agriculture (Ms. agreement as well as the Agricultural Policy Wowchuk) misled the Legislature when she Framework in the next few days and that the made statements in Question Period last week bilateral agreement would provide for the cash with regard to agricultural programming impor- advances that the federal Minister of Agriculture tant for producers affected by the discovery of a indicated in his August 12 news release. case of mad cow disease in Canada. If there had been one misleading statement, The Minister of Agriculture misled the it might have been excusable as a misleading House on four separate points. First, the Minister comment made in error in the heat of Question of Agriculture said on Monday in Question Peri- Period, but there were four misleading state- od that the federal Minister of Agriculture had ments. Either the Minister of Agriculture was said nothing positive about cash advances for deliberately misleading the House or the Minis- producers affected by the discovery of mad cow ter of Agriculture was herself incredibly poorly disease in Canada, when the Agricultural Policy informed as to the facts surrounding the negoti- Framework and the accompanying bilateral ations between the Province and the federal agreements will provide cash advances, as the government with respect to cash advances to honourable Member for Swan River (Ms. Wow- producers flowing as a result of the mad cow chuk), our provincial Minister of Agriculture, crisis. was admitting by the end of the week. In my view, Mr. Speaker, it is very Second, the Minister of Agriculture said on important to go into some of the details of these Monday that interim payments, also known as allegations which are very serious, which I am cash advances, would only be available when 50 making today, and to show how it infringes on percent of the provinces sign on to the Agri- my ability as a member of the Legislative cultural Policy Framework, not mentioning that Assembly to do my job in representing constitu- such cash advances could be available under ents and people around the province when I am bilateral agreements or as the minister has called not receiving proper and correct information these later in the week, mirror agreements which from the Minister of Agriculture (Ms. Wow- are also bilateral agreements. chuk). Third, the Minister of Agriculture misled the Mr. Speaker, on Monday, first on the issue House when she indicated on Tuesday that under of whether the Agricultural Policy Framework or the Agricultural Policy Framework itself, the bilateral agreements can provide cash advances. formula requires 50 percent of provinces. Later In Question Period on Monday I asked the min- in the week she was admitting that she was ister as follows: It is my understanding that the wrong and the criteria for the Agricultural Policy Agricultural Policy Framework provides for the Framework coming into force are 60 percent of provision of substantial cash advances. Can the 530 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA September 15, 2003 Minister of Agriculture tell us about how this is given their commitment that this is what is going going to work and when such cash advances to happen. We have also had the minister give might be available? his word on this matter on conference calls that we have had. That is the Minister of Agriculture * (13:35) provincially speaking. In response to my question about cash The Minister of Agriculture, the Member for advances, the minister replied: I have had many Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk), misled the House discussions with the federal minister with regard on Monday when she said there was nothing to all the assistance we are looking for for positive about cash advances from the federal producers across western Canada to deal with minister. Indeed, as indicated by the end of the the BSE crisis, including, and here the minister week, the minister herself was speaking very mentions several items, one of which was positively about these cash advances or interim looking for cash advances for producers. The payment to be provided either through the provincial Minister of Agriculture then said: We Agricultural Policy Framework or through these have had no response from the federal minister bilateral or mirror agreements. As the provincial to be positive on any of those questions. Minister of Agriculture knows and has so indi- cated later in the week, there has been some The Minister of Agriculture provincially delays in provision of the cash advances or directly contradicts the information in the press interim funding through the bilateral agreements release from the federal Minister of Agriculture but we understand that it is now likely that when on August 12, which said disaster assistance will the minister signs the Agricultural Policy Frame- be advanced to producers under bilateral work she will also sign a bilateral or mirror agreements with provinces that have already agreement and that it is hoped that money will committed funding. These advances constitute a flow with reasonable speed once this agreement transmission measure until new business man- is signed. Thus the first time the Minister of agement programming is fully implemented. The Agriculture misled the House was when she federal minister clearly talks about cash indicated that the federal Minister of Agriculture advances, and these advances or interim pay- had not provided anything positive with regard ments were later in the week being mentioned in to cash advances. a positive fashion by our provincial Minister of Agriculture. Indeed, I quote the provincial Min- The second point on which the Minister of ister of Agriculture's statement in Estimates on Agriculture misled the House was on whether Thursday when she said: I have that news bilateral agreements were possible. On Monday release from the federal minister put out on the Minister of Agriculture said: When there are August 12 that indicates there will be a cash enough provinces that have signed on to the flow this fall before the new year. That is spelled program, the Agriculture Policy Framework, the out. The Minister of Agriculture clearly has federal minister has said there will be an interim indicated that her comment on Monday was in payment that will flow. On Monday the Minister error. The minister clearly admitted she misled of Agriculture was either unaware that the situ- the House in her answers to questions on Mon- ation had changed on August 12 or deliberately day, September 8. misled the House when she indicated that there was a mandatory requirement for so many prov- The Minister of Agriculture on Thursday in inces to sign on before the cash advances or Estimates further clarified this when she said and interim payments can flow.