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Second Session - Thirty-Ninth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LX No. 38B – 1:30 p.m., Thursday, May 8, 2008 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Ninth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park N.D.P. BOROTSIK, Rick Brandon West P.C. BRAUN, Erna Rossmere N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. BRIESE, Stuart Ste. Rose P.C. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain 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. GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. 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. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARCELINO, Flor Wellington N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PEDERSEN, Blaine Carman P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SARAN, Mohinder The Maples N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELBY, Erin Southdale N.D.P. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew, Hon. Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 1925 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, May 8, 2008 The House met at 1:30 p.m. to operate with licensing exemptions due to a lack of qualified staff. Mr. Speaker: I'd like to advise the House that Tuesday afternoon's Hansard is now available and Child-care centres are finding it increasingly has been distributed to members, but Wednesday difficult to operate within the funding constraints set afternoon's Hansard is not yet available. by the provincial government to the point that they ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS are unable to provide wages and benefits sufficient to retain child-care workers. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS As a result of these deficiencies in Manitoba's Bill 211–The Environment Amendment Act child-care system, many families and parents are (Methamphetamine) growing increasingly frustrated and desperate, Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, I fearing that they will be unable to find licensed child would move, seconded by the Member for River care and may be forced to stop work as a result. In an Heights (Mr. Gerrard) that Bill 211, The Environ- economy where labour shortages are common, the ment Amendment Act (Methamphetamine), be now provision of sustainable and accessible child care is read a first time. critical. Motion presented. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: Mr. Lamoureux: Yes, Mr. Speaker, this particular bill would assist in terms of recovering for costs that To urge the Minister of Family Services and are incurred in terms of cleaning up hazardous Housing (Mr. Mackintosh) to consider addressing the wastes which is as a direct result of things such as shortage of early childhood educators by enabling crystal meth labs in our residential areas and beyond. child-care centres to provide competitive wages and Thank you, Mr. Speaker. benefits. Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt To urge the Minister of Family Services and the motion? [Agreed] Housing to consider adequately planning for the future child- care needs of growing communities and PETITIONS to consider making the development of a sustainable Child-Care Centres and accessible child-care system a priority. Mr. Stuart Briese (Ste. Rose): I wish to present the To urge the Minister of Family Services and following petition to the Legislative Assembly: Housing to consider the development of a governance body that would provide direction and These are the reasons for this petition: support to the volunteer boards of child-care centres There is an ongoing critical shortage of and to consider the development of regionalized child-care spaces throughout Manitoba, particularly central wait lists for child care. in fast-growing regions such as south Winnipeg. To encourage all members of the Legislative The provincial government has not adequately Assembly to consider becoming more closely planned for the child-care needs of growing involved with the operations of the licensed day-care communities like Waverley West where the facilities in their constituencies. construction of thousands of homes will place immense pressure on the already overburdened This petition is signed by Joe Manouer, C. child-care system. Gomes, Natasha Dias and many, many others. The severe shortage of early childhood educators Mr. Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), compounds the difficulty parents have finding when petitions are read they are deemed to be licensed child care and has forced numerous centres received by the House. 1926 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 8, 2008 Long-Term Care Facility–Morden We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative To urge the Premier (Mr. Doer) of Manitoba to Assembly. consider reversing his decision to increase Pharmacare deductibles by 5 percent in budget 2008. The background for this petition is as follows: To request the Premier of Manitoba to consider Tabor Home Incorporated is a time-expired reducing health-care bureaucracy, as previously personal care home in Morden with safety, promised, and to consider directing those savings environmental and space deficiencies. into sustaining Pharmacare and improving patient care. The seniors of Manitoba are valuable members Mr. Speaker, this is signed by Scott Murray, of the community with increasing health-care needs Betty Lou Noble, Cheryl Brown and many, many requiring long-term care. others. The community of Morden and the surrounding The Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club area are experiencing substantial population growth. Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): I wish to We petition the Legislative Assembly of present the following petition to the Legislative Manitoba as follows: Assembly. The background to this petition is as follows: To request the Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald) to strongly consider giving priority for funding to Whereas an act to incorporate The Lake of the develop and staff a new 100-bed long-term care Woods Yacht Club was assented to March 10, 1909. facility so that clients are not exposed to unsafe And whereas the act was subsequently amended conditions and so that Boundary Trails Health Centre and the name of the corporation changed to The beds remain available for acute-care patients instead Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club. of waiting placement clients. And whereas the incorporating statute requires This is signed by Mel Reimer, Bruce Salmonson, updating to reflect the current operational status of Kathy Friesen, Allison Friesen and many, many the corporation. others. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Pharmacare Deductibles Manitoba as follows: Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Minnedosa): I wish to present To amend The Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Club Incorporation Act to modify the status of The Manitoba. Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club from a for- profit corporation to a not-for-profit corporation, to These are the reasons for this petition: update the object, and to make other incidental changes to the act. The NDP government has increased Pharmacare deductibles by 5 percent every year for the past Signed by Joe Banfield, Arthur Fast, Tom seven years, with the curious exception of the 2007 Ormiston and others. election year. Provincial Trunk Highway 2–Glenboro As a result of the cumulative 34 percent hike in Mr. Cliff Cullen (Turtle Mountain): Mr. Speaker, I Pharmacare deductibles by the NDP government, wish to present the following petition to the some Manitobans are forced to choose between milk Legislative Assembly. and medicine. These are the reasons for this petition: Seniors, fixed and low-income-earning As a result of high traffic volumes in the region, Manitobans are the most negatively affected by these there have been numerous accidents and near misses increases. along Provincial Trunk Highway 2, near the village May 8, 2008 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1927 of Glenboro, leading to serious safety concerns for Matters under Consideration motorists. Public Accounts for the year ended March 31, 2003 The provincial government has refused to (Volume 1) construct turning lanes off Provincial Trunk Public Accounts for the year ended March 31, 2003 Highway 2 into the village of Glenboro and on to (Volume 2) Golf Course Drive, despite the fact that the number Public Accounts for the year ended March 31, 2003 of businesses along Provincial Trunk Highway 2 (Volume 3) have increased greatly in recent years.