Fifth Session- Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Louise M. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLIX No. 52- 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 29, 1999 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Sixth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ASHTON, Steve Thompson N.D.P. BARRETT, Becky Wellington N.D.P. CERILLI, Marianne Radisson N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave Kildonan N.D.P. CUMMINGS, Glen, Hon. Ste. Rose P.C. DACQUAY, Louise, Hon. Seine River P.C. DERKACH, Leonard, Hon. Roblin-Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary Concordia N.D.P. DOWNEY, James Arthur-Virden P.C. DRIEDGER, Albert Steinbach P.C. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, Harry, Hon. Lakeside P.C. EVANS, Clif Interlake N.D.P. EVANS, Leonard S. Brandon East N.D.P. FAURSCHOU, David Portage Ia Prairie P.C. FILMON, Gary, Hon. Tuxedo P.C. FINDLAY, Glen Springfield P.C. FRIESEN, Jean Wolseley N.D.P. GILLESHAMMER, Harold, Hon. Minnedosa P.C. P.C. HELWER, Edward Gimli N.D.P. lllCKES, George Point Douglas N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon Lib. KOWALSKI, Gary The Maples Lib. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster N.D.P. LATHLIN, Oscar The Pas P.C. LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert N.D.P. MACKINTOSH. Gord St. Johns N.D.P. MALOWAY,Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows P.C. McALPINE, Gerry Sturgeon Creek P.C. McCRAE, James, Hon. Brandon West N.D.P. McGIFFORD, Diane Osborne P.C. MciNTOSH, Linda, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn St. James P.C. MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. River East P.C. NEWMAN, David, Hon. Riel P.C. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PITURA, Frank, Hon. Morris P.C. PRAZNIK, Darren, Hon. Lac du Bonnet P.C. RADCLIFFE, Mike, Hon. River Heights N.D.P. REID, Daryl Transcona P.C. REIMER, Jack, Hon. Niakwa P.C. RENDER, Shirley, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric Rupertsland P.C. ROCAN, Denis Gladstone N.D.P. SALE, Tim Crescentwood N.D.P. SANTOS, Conrad Broadway P.C. STEFANSON, Eric, Hon. Kirkfield Park N.D.P. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin P.C. SVEINSON, Ben La Verendrye P.C. TOEWS, Vic, Hon. Rossmere P.C. TWEED, Mervin, Hon. Turtle Mountain P.C. VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fort Garry N.D.P. WOWCHUK, Rosano Swan River Vacant St. Boniface 3605 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, June 29, 1999 The House met at 1:30 p.m. but that does not mean their impact is any less severe or any easier to deal with. Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): I must inform the House ofthe unavoidable absence of Madam The number of acres leftunseeded means a Speaker, and therefore, in accordance with the reduction of income and livelihoods not only for statutes, call upon the Deputy Speaker to take farmers but for entire communities that rely on the Chair. farming for their very survival. Mr. Deputy Speaker, this means we are facing a financial PRAYERS shortfall in the province of $250 million in economic activity, and that has serious implica­ ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS tions for everyone in the province and for the sustainability of our continuing growth in that PRESENTINGREPORTS BY region. STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES With the deadline for seeding under crop Committee of Supply insurance having passed, we are now in a better position to determine the severity of the crisis. Mr. Ben Sveinson (Acting Chairperson): Mr. By the end of the month we will have detailed Deputy Speaker, the Committee of Supply has reports back on unseeded acreage. For the adopted certain resolutions, directs me to report moment, we are working on the basis of one and the same and asks leave to sit again. one-quarter million acres unable to be seeded. Let me also say that that is despite the best I move, seconded by the honourable efforts of our farmers who not only have worked member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the report hard to get their own crop in but also have of the committee be received. helped friends and neighbours plant theirs. Motion agreed to. Last night, at a meeting in Brandon,we met with the representatives of the Rural Disaster MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Recovery Coalition made up of members from the Keystone Agricultural Producers, the Associ­ Flooding ation of Manitoba Municipalities, Manitoba Compensation for Farmers Chamber of Commerce, Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Brandon Economic Development Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Deputy Board, Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, Speaker, I have a statement for the House, Canada Association of Agri-Retailers and the copies for members of the opposition. Canada West Equipment Dealers Association to discuss an assistance package which we believe As you know, farmers in Manitoba, will provide a level of certainty and comfort to primarily in the western region, have been farmers and business people. We estimate the severely affected by unusually high amounts of program will cost Manitoba taxpayers over $63 rainfall this spring which has left their land, a million if the fe deral government does not significant portion of the province's crop land, participate. unseedable. While every farmer understands the uncertainty of Mother Nature, the amount of rain * (1335) this spring is far beyond what has occurred in recent memory and far beyond what the land Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have proposed a was able to drain away. We in Manitoba are payment of $50 per unseeded acre, half of which becoming accustomed to extremes in weather, would come from the AIDA program and the 3606 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 29, 1999 other half from the other provincial sources of Over the past fe w weeks we have met with which we hope the federal government will cost­ farmers, we have met with municipal people and share. For those producers who grow forage, we farm organizations to talk about this particular are proposing a $75-per-acre payment to re­ issue and look fo r ways that we could find establish the fo rage cover which has been solutions to it. Certainly with the announcement washed away or rotted. The program also that we have today of fu nding that will be includes a $25-per-acre payment fo r unusable offered to farmers, that gives some comfort to pasture and hay land and makes the Custom farmers. There is a lot more work that has to be Seeding Program we announced earlier retro­ done. Certainly the fe deral government has to active to June 1. We are basing the package on recognize their responsibility in this situation what was made available in 1997 to farmers in rather than ignore it as they seem to be at this the Red River Valley and do not understand why time, because the announcements that the federal the federal government would not be prepared to government has made certainly are not going to offe r the same level of support as it did in the get money into the pockets of farmers who are valley. going to need it in the next fe w months. In addition to the programs I have already We are pleased that the government outlined, I have also instructed my ministers to responded to the calls to have the unseeded approach the fe deral government to join in a acreage program retroactive, because there were comprehensive approach to addressing the those fa rmers who were taking the initiative problems similar to the joint fe deral-provincial themselves to try to meet the deadlines and get agreement that was entered into in 1997. The their crop in prior to the announcement, and it is program could include assistance for weed only fa ir that those be covered. As I say, there is control, loss of applied fertilizer and chemicals, still a lot of uncertainty and a lot of programs lost value of seed inventory, a Business Start that were offered in the Red River Valley that Program, and an expansion to the existing DFA are not available here, and we will continue to to provide assistance for seepage and mould. work with the government and offe r our support in any way we can to ensure that Manitobans are We are acting now on our own because treated fa irly across the province, not have one farmers unable to plant their crops need and standard fo r those that are in one particular flood deserve to know they will be able to pay their and people who fa ce another not have it bills and support their families. We are trying to addressed. provide some level of comfort that the govern­ ment is there to support them, and we will worry The one issue that I believe has to be about obtaining federal commitments later. addressed more thoroughly is the mental health Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. supports fo r people who are fac ing these situations. Certainly there is some support in the Ms. Rosano Wowchuk (Swan River): This offices that have been opened, but I believe the issue has been before this House fo r some time government could do much more and look at the now, and we continued to raise the issue in the suggestion that we have put forward to reinstate House and encourage the government to bring the rural stress line and give access to services to forward some kind of announcement. Certainly not only those people who are facing that we, last week, had discussions on a joint all­ particular crisis but in other parts of the party committee looking for a collective agree­ province.