Second 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. LXV No. 11B - 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 4, 2012 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Fortieth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital NDP ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson NDP BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli NDP BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park NDP BRAUN, Erna 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 MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden PC MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor, Hon. Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel NDP 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 REID, Daryl, Hon. Transcona NDP ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Kewatinook NDP RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. 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 TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris PC WHITEHEAD, Frank The Pas NDP WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WIGHT, Melanie Burrows NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC 369 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, December 4, 2012 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker: Oh, pardon me. Before I recognize the honourable minister, is it the pleasure of the House Mr. Speaker: Good afternoon, everyone. Please be to adopt the motion? [Agreed] seated. Sorry. The honourable Minister of Infrastructure ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS and Transportation. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Bill 2–The Highway Traffic Amendment Act Bill 18–The Public Schools Amendment Act (Respect for the Safety of Emergency and (Safe and Inclusive Schools) Enforcement Personnel) Hon. Nancy Allan (Minister of Education): I Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Infrastructure move, seconded by the Minister of Children and and Transportation): I move, seconded by the Youth Opportunities (Mr. Chief), that Bill 18, The Minister of Justice (Mr. Swan), that Bill 2, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Safe and Inclusive Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Respect for the Schools); Loi modifiant la Loi sur les écoles Safety of Emergency and Enforcement Personnel), publiques (milieux scolaires favorisant la sécurité et be now read a first time. l'inclusivité), be now read a first time. Motion presented. Motion presented. Mr. Ashton: Workplace safety, health is important Ms. Allan: This bill amends The Public Schools Act. to Manitobans. When it comes to our emergency The bill defines bullying. The definition recognizes providers, whether it's police officers, firefighters, that bullying can take a variety of forms, includer– paramedics and others dealing with emergency including cyberbullying. School boards must expand situations, their workplace can often be on our their policies about the appropriate use of the highways, on the side of our highways providing Internet to include social media, text messaging and assistance to people in distress, enforcing our laws. instant messaging. It's been very clear, Mr. Speaker, that we need The bill also requires each school board to enhanced protection for them, and, in fact, this bill establish a respect-for-human-diversity policy. The will bring in provisions that will reduce speeds to a policy is to promote the acceptance of and respect for specified speed limit. In fact, where it's 80 kilometres others in a safe, caring and inclusive school or greater, this would bring it down to 60. When it's environment. The policy must accommodate student under 80 kilometres, down to 40. It would also, for activity that promotes the school environment as the first time, require people to slow down on the being inclusive of all students, including student other lane in the reverse direction outside of where activities and organizations that use the name gay- there's a divided highway. It does mandate straight alliance. firefighters to direct traffic. We will continue to work with our education The bottom line, though, very clearly what it partners and our community partners in our does is it provides a much safer environment for our collective efforts to provide safe and inclusive police, for our firefighters, for our paramedics and learning environments so that all of our students feel for other emergency service providers. They're there protected, feel accepted and can reach their full for us, Mr. Speaker. We need to be there for them. potential. That's why we've introduced this bill, and I Mr. Speaker: The honourable Minister of encourage all members of the Legislature to support Infrastructure and Transportation. it. Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Infrastructure Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt and Transportation): Thank you– the motion? [Agreed] 370 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 4, 2012 Bill 203–The Participation of Manitoba Local residents and visitors alike want St. in the New West Partnership Act Ambroise provincial park to be reopened as soon as possible. Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): I move, seconded by the member of La Verendrye, that Bill 203, The We petition the Legislative Assembly of Participation of Manitoba in the New West Manitoba as follows: Partnership Act, be now read for the first time. To request that the appropriate ministers of the Motion presented. provincial government consider repairing St. Ambroise provincial park and its access points to Mr. Graydon: The bill requires the government of their preflood condition so the park can be reopened Manitoba to contact the governments of BC, Alberta for the 2013 season or earlier if possible. and Saskatchewan to begin negotiations to join their economic partnership, known as the New West And this petition's signed by M. Allard, Partnership, within one year after the bill receives D. Garnhan and J. Turner and many, many more fine assent, Mr. Speaker. And if we were to–if we would Manitobans. think in accordance with the member for–or the Mr. Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), minister responsible for government, saying that the when petitions are read they are deemed to have been municipalities would be well advised to join and be received by the House. forced to join for benefits, economic benefits, I would suggest that that same–the same thing would Vita & District Health Centre apply for Manitoba to join with the three richest Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye): I wish to provinces in western Canada. present the following petition to the Legislative So I would urge all members in the House to Assembly. support this bill. These are the reasons for this petition: Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [interjection] Order, please. The Vita & District Health Centre services a wide area of southeastern Manitoba and is relied on Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the to provide emergency services. motion? [Agreed] On October 17th, 2012, the emergency room at Any further bills? Seeing none, we'll move on to the Vita & District Health Centre closed with no petitions. timeline for it to reopen. PETITIONS This emergency room deals with approximately St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park 1,700 cases a year, which includes patients in the Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Speaker, hospital, the attached personal care home and I wish to present the following petition to the members of the community and surrounding area. Legislative Assembly. Manitobans should expect a high quality of And the reasons for this petition are as follows: health care close to home and should not be expected to travel great distances for health services. The St. Ambroise provincial park was hard hit by the 2011 flood, resulting in the park's ongoing We petition the Legislative Assembly of closure, the loss of local access to Lake Manitoba, as Manitoba as follows: well as untold harm to the ecosystem and wildlife in the region. To request that the Minister of Health consider reopening the emergency room in Vita as soon as The park's closure is having a negative impact in possible and commit to providing adequate medical many areas, including disruptions to the local support for residents of southeastern Manitoba for tourism, hunting and fishing operations, diminished many years to come. economic and employment opportunities and potential loss of the local store and decrease in This petition is signed by K. Fedoruk, I. Perun, property values. M. Perun and many more fine Manitobans. December 4, 2012 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 371 Provincial Road 433 We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative To request the Minister of Infrastructure and Assembly. Transportation to consider making the installation of traffic lights at the intersection of PTH 16 and PTH 5 The background to this petition is as follows: north a priority project in order to help protect the Provincial Road 433, Cape Coppermine Road, in safety of the motorists and pedestrians who use it.