Third 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. LXVI No. 39A - 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, 2014 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Fortieth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital NDP ALLUM, James, Hon. Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson NDP BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli NDP BLADY, Sharon, Hon. Kirkfield Park NDP BRAUN, Erna, Hon. 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 MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor, Hon. Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MELNICK, Christine Riel Ind. 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 PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REID, Daryl, Hon. Transcona NDP ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Kewatinook NDP RONDEAU, Jim 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 WHITEHEAD, Frank The Pas NDP WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WIGHT, Melanie Burrows NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC 1639 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, April 8, 2014 The House met at 10 a.m. Mr. Speaker, the–I just want to talk a little about the preamble in this particular bill, and as we know, Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from the right to an adequate standard of living is a human Whom all power and wisdom come, we are right enshrined by the United Nations. All citizens assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as are entitled to social and economic security. And we may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our know many seniors live on fixed incomes and many province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that seniors are victims of physical and emotional or we may desire only that which is in accordance with financial abuse. Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the And this particular legislation talks in regard to glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of that preamble, and it's our intent to bring forward all our people. Amen. legislation that would protect Manitoba seniors and protect their rights to security. So we believe it's an Good morning, everyone. Please be seated. important piece of legislation. ORDERS OF THE DAY Certainly, Mr. Speaker, Manitoba seniors have PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS been very important in helping build and shape the province of Manitoba and, in fact, all of Canada, but Mr. Speaker: Are we ready to proceed with particularly they've been very important in Manitoba. Bill 203? And I think we as a society have an obligation to Some Honourable Members: No. make sure that our Manitobans and our senior Manitobans are protected and that they have those Mr. Speaker: No? Are we ready to proceed with services that we all feel as Canadians that they Bill 204? should have available to them. An Honourable Member: No. And I think, really, it's about dealing with Mr. Speaker: No? All right. Are we ready to Manitoba seniors with respect, and I believe we, proceed with Bill 205? [Agreed] certainly as legislators, should be looking at that when we look at this legislation in terms of how we SECOND READINGS–PUBLIC BILLS actually deal with Manitoba seniors, Mr. Speaker. Bill 205–The Seniors' Rights Act Unfortunately, from time to time, we do hear Mr. Speaker: Okay. We'll now call Bill 205, The situations of elder abuse or where elders are being Seniors' Rights Act. taken advantage of. Certainly, there's a reference to the financial aspect of it, and it's something that I Mr. Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods): I move, think we have to be more cognizant of as we go seconded by the member for Agassiz (Mr. Briese), forward. And we hear more and more stories of that Bill 205, The Seniors' Rights Act, be now read a different ways that Manitoba seniors are being taken second time and be referred to a committee of this advantage of in terms of financially. House. Mr. Speaker, you know many seniors in Motion presented. Manitoba have family that have the ability to keep an Mr. Cullen: It's indeed a pleasure to have some eye on their relatives so that, you know, they don't debate on Bill 205 this morning. I think it's a fall through the cracks, that they have someone to very important piece of legislation. This particular keep an eye on them in terms of providing food and legislation was introduced previously to the House. shelter and medication and all those things that are Hopefully, now that the government's side of the required. But many other Manitoba seniors aren't so House has an opportunity to have a look at it and lucky, and they sometimes, as I say, kind of fall maybe we can move this particular legislation on to through the cracks. They don't have people to watch committee and get some feedback from Manitobans. over them. And I think that's where we, as a society, 1640 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 8, 2014 have an obligation to Manitoba seniors to keep an exacerbates the problem, and we do see that from eye on those seniors that maybe aren't as fortunate to time to time. have family and friends to keep an eye on them. Certainly we have challenges in obtaining health I do want to talk in particular for a few minutes care, not just from the emergency side but also on the health-care side of it, which obviously health sometime–some areas–actually family physicians, so care is very important to Manitoba seniors. And we it certainly is a challenge for Manitoba seniors. see many Manitoba seniors migrate to centres where * (10:10) they think they are going to have access to a reasonable health care in their senior years, Mr. The other thing that we're looking at, too, is Speaker. So it certainly does have an impact to some certainly in the personal-care home side of it, and I of the rural and remote areas in Manitoba. We see know again–and I'm looking in my particular area, in some of the population moving out of those areas my region, where some of the emergency facilities or because they don't have the health care that they hospitals that have been closed have been converted think they are going to require as they age. into personal-care homes. The intent, of course, was these would be temporary personal-care homes Mr. Speaker, I’m going to relate to even some of or transition facilities. But unfortunately what's my communities now. We have a number of happened is they've turned into more permanent communities who have emergency rooms that are personal-care homes, and what we're finding is these closed. I think the–it's at least 19 emergency rooms seniors are being transported sometimes two and across rural Manitoba that are closed, and I think that three hours to personal-care homes or enclosed number is growing. And, certainly, in addition to hospitals to be used as personal-care homes. And not that, we have a number of facilities and emergency only is it extremely disruptive for the individual that rooms that are sharing on-call services. And I know has to be transported, it's certainly an inconvenience, I've raised the issue in the Chamber and question at the least, for the family that wants to go and visit period. that elderly person. They may have to travel two and three hours to visit their relatives who are located in We have communities such as Deloraine, a personal-care home many miles and sometimes two Boissevain and Killarney, which are carry–cover or three hours away, Mr. Speaker. So it's very a very large geographical area, and those three concerning that we make sure that we have facilities facilities are sharing on-call services on a available for our seniors. one-in-three rotation. So it's forcing Manitobans and, in particular, Manitoba seniors to travel long Clearly, I think we would all like a nice distances to gain access to emergency room services. transition, if you will, before we get to the personal-care-home phase in our lives. Hopefully And as you know, Mr. Speaker, a lot of there's–we would like to see making sure that there is Manitoba seniors aren't as mobile as they once were. assisted living facilities available for Manitobans so So even getting access to an emergency room, and that they don't have to make that direct transition to a sometimes even to a family doctor, can be a personal-care home.