J O U R N A L S of the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Province of Saskatchewan February 29 1996 to June 25, 1996; March 6, 1997 In the Forty-Fifth Year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth II FIRST SESSION OF THE TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE Session 1996-97 _______________ REGINA: Printed by Order of the Legislative Assembly VOLUME CIII JOHN E. N. WIEBE Lieutenant Governor CANADA PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories QUEEN, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. To all to whom these Presents shall come, GREETING: A PROCLAMATION W.B. COTTER TO OUR FAITHFUL THE MEMBERS Deputy elected to serve in the Legislative Assembly Attorney General of Our Province of Saskatchewan and to every one of you GREETING: WHEREAS it is expedient for causes and considerations to convene the First Session of the Twenty-Third Legislative Assembly of our Province of Saskatchewan. WE DO WILL that you and each of you and all others in this behalf interested on THURSDAY the TWENTY-NINTH day of FEBRUARY, 1996 at 10:00 a.m. at our City of Regina, personally be and appear for the DESPATCH OF BUSINESS, there to take into consideration the state and welfare of our said Province of Saskatchewan and thereby to do as may seem necessary, HEREIN FAIL NOT. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF we have caused the Great Seal of Our Province of Saskatchewan to be hereunto affixed. WITNESS: Our right trusty and well beloved the Honourable John Edward Neil Wiebe, Lieutenant Governor of our Province of Saskatchewan. AT OUR CAPITAL CITY OF REGINA, in Our said Province, this twentieth day of February, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and NINETY-SIX and in the FORTY-FIFTH year of Our Reign. By Command, G. MARCHILDON Deputy Provincial Secretary J O U R N A L S of the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Province of Saskatchewan First Session Twenty-Third Legislature Thursday, February 29, 1996 (1st Day) 10:00 a.m. This being the first day of the meeting of the First Session of the Twenty-Third Legislature of the Province of Saskatchewan for the despatch of business, pursuant to a Proclamation of His Honour the Honourable J.A. Jackson, Administrator, dated the 8th day of February, 1996, Myron Kuziak, Chief Electoral Officer, delivered to Gwenn Ronyk, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, a Roll containing a list of names of such Members as had been returned to serve in this Legislature, as follows, viz.: REGINA, Saskatchewan July 21st, 1996 To: Gwenn Ronyk Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan This is to certify that by reason of the dissolution of the Twenty- second Legislative Assembly of the Province of Saskatchewan and by virtue of the writ of election dated the twenty-third day of May last, and addressed to the hereinafter mentioned persons as returning officers for the provincial constituencies set opposite their respective names, for the election of Members to represent the said provincial constituencies in the Legislative Assembly: each person named hereinbelow has been duly elected to represent the provincial constituency set opposite his or her name as appears in the return of the said writ respecting said constituency, deposited on record in my office on or about the 14th day of July, 1995, the date for return of the writ of ele ction, viz.: 5 FEBRUARY 29, 1996 PROVINCIAL CONSTITUENCY MEMBER ELECTED RETURNING OFFICER Arm River Harvey McLane Pat Adams Athabasca Buckley Belanger Robert Desjarlais Battleford-Cut Knife Sharon Murrell E. Judy Jamieson Cannington Daniel H. D'Autremont Anita Thornton Canora-Pelly Ken Krawetz Gladys Myhr Carrot River Valley Andy Renaud Bonnie Haveroen Cumberland Keith Goulet Cecile Allen Cypress Hills Jack Goohsen Kim White Estevan Larry Ward Mabel Young Humboldt Arlene Jule Betty Halderman Indian Head-Milestone Lorne Scott Michelle Ecarnot Kelvington-Wadena June Draude Carol Lowndes Kindersley Bill Boyd Reg Halpenny Last Mountain-Touchwood Dale Flavel Donna Hawes Lloydminster Violet Stanger Bill Rekrutiak Meadow Lake Maynard Sonntag Sharon Wilfing Melfort-Tisdale Rod Gantefoer Robert Harley Melville Ron Osika Ralph Wardle Moose Jaw North Glenn Hagel Howard Parchman Moose Jaw Wakamow Lorne Calvert Cheryl Bolster Moosomin Don Toth Janice Miskiman North Battleford Doug Anguish Walter Korolchuk Prince Albert Carlton Myron Kowalsky Elaine Stefanski Prince Albert Northcote Eldon Lautermilch Ron Steil Redberry Lake Walter Jess Josephine Oliver Regina Centre Joanne Crofford Lesley Griffin Regina Coronation Park Kim D. Trew Lawrence Adams Regina Dewdney Ed Tchorzewski Lynn Scott Regina Elphinstone Dwain Lingenfelter Joe McKeown Regina Lakeview John Nilson Betty Schutzman Regina Northeast Ned Shillington Nester Detz Regina Qu'Appelle Valley Suzanne Murray Josef Tuchscherer Regina Sherwood Lindy Kasperski Lucille Dalrymple Regina South Andrew Thomson Thomas Harder Regina Victoria Harry Van Mulligen Shirley Sebastian Regina Wascana Plains Doreen Hamilton Jeannette Martin Rosetown-Biggar Berny Wiens Brenda Kemppainen Rosthern Ben Heppner Maurice Janex Saltcoats Bob Bjornerud Peter Woznesensky Saskatchewan Rivers Jack Langford Don Bendig Saskatoon Eastview Bob Pringle Joyce O'Keefe Saskatoon Fairview Bob Mitchell Colette Schreiner- Steernberg Saskatoon Greystone Lynda Haverstock John Cristo 6 FEBRUARY 29, 1996 Saskatoon Idylwyld Janice MacKinnon Helen Bitz Saskatoon Meewasin Carol Teichrob Ivy Hubble Saskatoon Mount Royal Eric Cline Shirley McDade Saskatoon Northwest Grant Whitmore Robert Jamison Saskatoon Nutana Pat Atkinson Thelma Cvek Saskatoon Riversdale Roy Romanow Georgiana Chartier Saskatoon Southeast Pat Lorje Doris Dumba Saskatoon Sutherland Mark Koenker Eleanore Macdonald Shellbrook-Spiritwood Lloyd Johnson Jean Boddy Swift Current John Wall James Roberts Thunder Creek Gerard Aldridge George Dyck Watrous Eric Upshall Evelyn Edwards Weyburn-Big Muddy Judy Bradley Dwight Tisdale Wood River Glen McPherson Maurice LaPaire Yorkton Clay Serby Shirley Dereniski The Members, having previously taken the Oath and having subscribed the Roll containing the Oath, took their seats in the Assembly at 10:00 a.m. The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly informed the Assembly that she had received a communication from the Private Secretary to His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, stating that His Honour would open the Session at 10:00 a.m. today, Thursday, the Twenty-ninth day of February, 1996. 10:01 a.m. His Honour the Lieutenant Governor entered the Chamber and took his seat upon the Throne. The Hon. Mr. Shillington, Provincial Secretary, then said: I am commanded by His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, to inform you that he does not see fit to declare the causes of the summoning of the present Legislature until later today, when the Legislative Assembly shall have elected a Speaker according to law. 7 FEBRUARY 29, 1996 His Honour the Lieutenant Governor then retired from the Chamber. 10:02 a.m. Pursuant to the provisions of Rules 24, 25 and 26 inclusive, the Assembly proceeded to the election of a Speaker. The Clerk informed the Assembly that the following Members declared their intention to stand as candidates for election to the Office of Speaker: Mr. G. Hagel. Member for the Constituency of Moose Jaw North Mr. H.H. Van Mulligen. Member for the Constituency of Regina Victoria (Sessional Paper No. 2) Members then proceeded to cast their ballots. The Clerk, being satisfied that the voting procedure had been completed, proceeded with the counting of the ballots. At 10:21 a.m. the sitting was recessed during the counting of the ballots. At 10:42 a.m. the sitting resumed and the Clerk informed the Assembly that Mr. G. Hagel, Member for the Constituency of Moose Jaw North, had been duly elected to the Office of Speaker. 8 FEBRUARY 29, 1996 The Clerk having declared Mr. G. Hagel, duly elected, he was conducted to the chair where, standing on the dais, he addressed the Assembly as follows: I wish to express my grateful thanks and humble acknowledgement of the high honour the Assembly has been pleased to confer upon me, and, while I leave the floor of this Assembly to take the Speaker's chair, I feel that I also leave all political partisan feelings in order that I may discharge with impartiality to all and to the best of my ability the various and important duties pertaining to the high office of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Saskatchewan. Thereupon he took the chair, and the mace was laid on the Table. The Assembly recessed from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. His Honour the Lieutenant Governor re-entered the Chamber and took his seat upon the Throne. The Speaker then addressed His Honour to the following effect: MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOUR: The Legislative Assembly has elected me as their Speaker, although I am but little able to fulfill the important duties thus assigned to me. If, in the performance of those duties, I should at any time fall into error I pray that the fault may be imputed to me and not to the Assembly, whose servant I am, and who, through me, the better to enable them to discharge their duty to their Queen and Country, humbly claim all their undoubted rights and privileges, especially that they may have freedom of speech in their debates, access to your person at all seasonable times, and that their proceedings may receive from you the most favourable consideration. 9 FEBRUARY 29, 1996 The Hon. Mr. Shillington, Provincial Secretary, then said: I am commanded by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor to declare to you that he freely confides in the duty and the attachment of the Assembly to Her Majesty's person and Government, and not doubting that their proceedings will be conducted with wisdom, temper and prudence, he grants, and upon all occasions will recognize and allow, their constitutional privileges.