First Session - Thirty-Fourth legislature of the legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and OCEEDINGS (HANSARD) 37 Elizabeth 11 Published under the authority of The Honourable Denis C. Rocan Speaker VOL XXXVII No. 4 - 1:30 p.m., TUESDAY, JUlY 26, 1988. MG-8048 ISSN 0542-5492 Printed by the Office of the Queens Printer, Province of Manitoba MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ThirtyeFourth legislature Members, Constituencies and Political Affiliation NAME CONSTITUENCY PARTY AlCOCK, Reg Osborne LIBERAL ANGUS, John St. Norbert LIBERAL ASHTON, Steve Thompson NDP BURRELL,Parker Swan River PC CARR,James Fort Rouge LIBERAL CARSTAIRS,Sharon River Heights LIBERAL CHARLES, Gwen Selkirk LIBERAL CHEEMA, Gulzar Kildonan LIBERAL CHORNOPVSKI,Will iam Burrows LIBERAL CONNERY, Edward Hon. Portage la Prairie PC COWAN,Jay Churchill NDP CUMMINGS,Glen, Ho n. Ste. Rose du Lac PC DERKACH, leonard, Hon. Roblin-Russell PC DOER, Gary Concordia NDP DOWNEY, James Hon. Arthur PC DRIEDGER,Albert, Hon. Em erson PC DRIEDGER, Herold,l. Niakwa LIBERAL DUCHARME,Gerald, Hon. Riel PC EDWARDS, Paul St. James LIBERAL ENNS, Harry Lakeside PC ERNST, Jim, Hon. Charleswood PC EVANS,laurie Fort Garry LIBERAL EV.ANS,leonar d Brandon East NDP FILMON, Gary, Hon. Tuxedo PC FINDLAY, Glen Hon. Virden PC GAUDRY, Neil St. Boniface LIBERAL GlllESHAMMER, Harold Minnedosa PC GRAY, Avis Ellice LIBERAL HAMMOND,Gerrie Kirkfield Park PC HARAPIAK, Harry The Pas NDP HARPER, Elijah Rupertsland NDP HELWER, Edward R. Gimli PC HEMPHill,Maureen Logan NDP KOZAK, Richard, J. Transcona LIBERAL LAMOUREUX,Kevin, M. lnkster LIBERAL MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MANDRAKE, Ed Assiniboia LIBERAL MANNESS,Clayton, Hon. Morris PC McCRAE,Jame s Hon. Brandon West PC MINENKO, Mark Seven Oaks LIBERAL MITCHELSON, Bonnie,Hon. River East PC NEUFELD, Harold, Hon. Ross.mere PC OLESON, Charlotte Hon. Gladstone PC ORCHARD, Donald Hon. Pembina PC PA NKRATZ, Helmul La Verendrye PC PATTERSON, Allan Radisson LIBERAL PENNER, Jack, Hon. Rhine! and PC PLOHMAN,John Dauphin NDP PRAZNIK,Da mm Lac du Bonnet PC ROCAN, Denis, Hon. Tu rtle Mountain PC ROCH,Gilles Springfield PC ROSE,Bob St. Vital LIBERAL STORIE,Jerry Flin Flon NDP TAVLOR, Harold Wolse!ey LIBERAL URUSKI,Bi ll lnterlake NDP WASVLYCIA-l!EIS,Judy St. Johns NDP VEO,Iva Sturgeon Creek LIBERAL LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, July 26, 1988. The House met at 1:30 p.m. fight with all our might until the flag of the CPA is once more raised high in South Africa, Namibia and indeed PRAYERS elsewhere in other Regions of the CPA where the CPA ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS banner lies trodden on the ground. MESSAGES "I wish everyone of you, and indeed every Branch, sterling success in your Parliamentary careers and work. Mr. Speaker: Before proceeding to Oral Questions, I "The Honourable Lavu Mulimba, MP, Chairman." would like to draw to the attention of Honourable Members that last Monday, July 18 was the 77th ORAL QUESTION PERIOD Anniversary of the establishment of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Churchill Health Centre To mark this occasion, I would like to share with the House a message from the Honourable Lavu Mulimba, Mrs. Sharon Carstairs (Leader of the Opposition): a Minister of State in the Government of Zambia and Mr. Speaker, Manitobans are very proud indeed of chairman of the association's executive committee. Churchill's role as an important community in the lt reads as follows: Canadian North. lt has been said by many politicians that we are a country from sea to sea to sea, and it "I extend to all of you fellow Parliamentarians is indeed that third sea which is located here in our throughout the Commonwealth, warm parliamentary province. But we have an issue affecting that very greetings and congratulations on the occasion of the important and significant port, because we have been 77th Birthday of the Commonwealth Parliamentary informed that the Northwest Te rritories is considering Association. reducing its commitment, if not eliminating its "This is a day to renew our faith in the noble ideals commitment entirely, to the health centre at Churchill, and objectives which attracted us to the CPA and for which now presently serves in great numbers the citizens which the CPA has come to be known and respected of the eastern Arctic. throughout the free world. lt is also a day to rededicate all our energies to consolidating and extending belief I ask the First Minister (Mr. Filmon): What measures in and practice of Parliamentary Democracy to new does his Government plan to take to maintain the health heights and frontiers. For Commonwealth countries with centre as a viable facility in light of the fact that the existing Parliaments the task is to raise the practice message that this House, through his Government, is of Parliamentary Democracy to new and higher heights. giving to the Territories is that they are not wanted as There is a temptation to take for granted and to assume provinces in this Confederation? that Parliamentary Democracy will sustain itself and not keep guard against creeping attempts to fetter the • (1335) practice and growth of Parliamentary Democracy. "I want to take the occasion of the celebration of Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I begin by our 77th Birthday to appeal to every Member and rejecting categorically and totally the assertion that is Branch of the CPA to make a special effort to contribute made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mrs. Carstairs) to the creation of favourable conditions for the extension that we are telling the Northwest Te rritories or the Yukon of Parliamentary Democracy to new and wider that we do not want them as part of Canada. I met boundaries. I am sure that we all want to see a bigger with the head of the Government in the Yukon just a CPA membership next year when we celebrate our 78th month ago, and we had a very pleasant exchange. I Birthday. told him at that time that I was very interested in "In the meanwhile, the continued existence and continuing to work cooperatively with him and with his tolerance of apartheid in South Africa, a former Government. Commonwealth country, is and must be taken as a With respect to the potential withdrawal of the use challenge to every CPA Member and Branch alike. A challenge because apartheid is a pain in our democratic of the health care centre in Churchill from the Northwest flesh. lt constitutes a constraint to the further practice Territories, my Minister responsible for Health (Mr. and growth of the CPA, not only in the African Region Orchard) will be in contact with him. We will have the of the CPA, but also in other CPA Regions as its discussions, make them know our concerns, make them continued existence lurks as a potential threat to the aware of the fact that we would like to work life and health of Parliamentary Democracy and other cooperatively with them, and have them continue to democratic institutions. There can therefore be no use that health care centre so that it can continue to compromise over apartheid. We are all, as soldiers for remain viable for the people of Churchill and Parliamentary Democracy, called upon to fight the good surrounding areas. 77 Tuesday, July 26, 1988 Churchill Development Board - Port of Churchill - funding Funding Mrs. Sharon Carstairs (Leader of the Opposition): Mrs. Sharon Carstairs (Leader of the Opposition): I should inform the Premier that I certainly was here Mr. Speaker, with a supplementary question to the First during the Ly on days and that is what made me become Minister (Mr. Filmon). the Leader of the Liberal Party. We know that shipping and transportation is of grave I would like to ask the First Minister (Mr. Filmon), importance to the Port of Churchill, but the Mr. Speaker: What is his Government doing specifically Saskatchewan Government and the Alberta with regard to obtaining additional funding for rail line Government has seen fit to not contribute their share development so that the Port of Churchill can become a meaningful port in this province? Discussions are to the funding of the Churchill Development Board, fine, but discussions do not equal financing. which is the agency which has spread the value of this port worldwide. In what way is this Government going Hon. Gary Filmon: Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear that to make up for the shortfall in funding for this vitally the Leader of the Liberal Party (Mrs. Carstairs) was important organization to continue its work of promoting not satisfied with the work that was being done by Mr. and developing Manitoba's only seaport? Axworthy and the other Liberals who were around, and took it upon herself to change all of those things. I am Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, my also interested to hear that she is now advocating that Government will continue to deal cooperatively with the the Province of Manitoba should take the responsibility Governments of Saskatchewan and Alberta. I might to build rail lines, to build the railroads in Manitoba. say that we have established better relations, even in I find it absolutely absurd. the first three months, than our predecessor Last week on Friday, we had her Agriculture critic Government had in its six-and-a-half years with the (Mr. Evans) suggesting that all farmers who did not take Governments of Saskatchewan and Alberta. out crop insurance should now be allowed retroactively to take out crop insurance after they have had a crop We had an excellent meeting as First Ministers in failure. Mr. Speaker, she is all over the map. She is British Columbia earlier this year in May. At that time, giving suggestions that make absolutely no sense and, we issued a record of communique in which we had if she is advocating that we ought to build the railways agreementon significant issues that were of importance in Manitoba, then I suggest to her that we do not have to all the western provinces and, as a result of that enough money for all the promises, all the commitments kind of relationship, my Ministers will be having further and all the suggestions that she has been making even discussions with the Governments of Alberta and in the first few days that this Legislature has been open.