DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS (Hansard)
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FifthSession • Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES - and PROCEEDINGS (Hansard) Published rtnderthe authorityof The HoMurtlbleDenis C. Rocan Speaker - Vol. XLDI No. 10 • 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, 1994 ISSNOS42-S492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-FifthLegislature Members, Constituencies aodPoUtical AfiiUatioo NAME CONSTITUENCY PARTY. ASHI'ON, Steve Thompson NDP BARRETI,Becky Wellington NDP CARSTAIRS,Sharon River Heights Liberal CERll.LI, Marianne Radisson NDP CHOMIAK, Dave Kildonan NDP CUMMINGS,Glen, Hon. Ste.Rose PC DACQUAY, Louise Seine River PC DERKACH, Leonard,Hon. Roblin-Russell PC DEWAR,Gregory Selkirk NDP DOER, Gary Concordia NDP DOWNEY, James, Hon. Arthur-Virden PC DRIEDGER,Albert, Hon. Steinbach PC DUCHARME,Gerry, Hon. Riel PC EDWARDS,Paul St. James Liberal ENNS, Harry,Hon. Lakeside PC - ERNST,Jim, Hon. Charleswood PC EVANS,Clif Interlake NDP EVANS,Leonard S. Brandon East NDP FILMON, Gary, Hon. Tuxedo PC FINDLAY,Glen, Hon. Springfield PC FRIESEN, Jean Wolseley NDP GAUDRY, Neil St. Boniface Liberal Gll.LESHAMMER,Harold, Hon. Minnedosa PC GRAY,Avis Crescentwood Liberal HELWER , Edward R. Gimli PC IDCKES,George Point Douglas NDP KOWALSKI,Gary The Maples Liberal LAMOUREUX,Kevin Inkster Liberal LATHLIN,Oscar The Pas NDP LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert PC MACKlNTOSH,Gord St. Johns NDP MALOWAY,Jim Ehnwood NDP MANNESS,Clayton, Hon. Morris PC MARTINDALE,Doug Burrows NDP McALPINE,Gerry Sturgeon Creek PC - McCORMICK,Norma Osborne Liberal McCRAE, James, Hon. Brandon West PC MciNTOSH, Linda,Hon. Assiniboia PC MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. River East PC ORCHARD,Donald. Hon. Pembina PC PALLISTER, Brian Portage Ia Prairie PC PENNER, Jack Emerson PC PLOHMAN,John Dauphin NDP PRAZNIK, Darren,Hon. Lac du Bonnet PC REID, Daryl Transcona NDP REIMER, Jack Niakwa PC RENDER,Shirley St. Vital PC ROBINSON, Eric Rupertsland NDP ROCAN, Denis, Hon. Gladstone PC ROSE, Bob Turtle Mountain PC SANTOS, Conrad Broadway NDP SCHELLENBERG,Harry Rossmere NDP STEFANSON,Eric, Hon. Kirkfield Parle PC STORIE, Jerry FlinFlon NDP SVEINSON,Ben La Verendrye PC VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fort Garry PC WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River NDP 433 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA VVednesday,April20,1994 The House met at 1:30 p.m. expressed by the licensing and standards body of nurses? PRAYERS Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Introductionof Guests Speaker, over the years, the Health Sciences Centre has provided very important and quality Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, may I health care services to Manitobans, and it is my direct the attention of honourable members to the full expectation that hospital and others in gallery where we have with us thisafternoon from Manitoba willcontinue to do so. theMennonite Collegiate Institute eighteen Grade 9 students under the direction of Ms. Crystal That will be done with the help and input from Martens. nursing professionals, doctors and other he alth This school is located in the constituency of the care providers and with full knowledge and honourable memberfor Emerson (Mr.Penner). awareness of theviews of health care consumers. On behalf of all honourable members, I would Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, if the minister had like to welcome you here this afternoon. received these types of concerns raised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, or ifhe had ROUTINEPROCEEDINGS had these concernsraised by the Law Society when he was Minister of Justice, would he have ORAL QUESTION PERIOD not immediately at least expressed an intention to Health SciencesCentre look into the matterson behalf of thelicensing and ChiefExecutive Nurse professional body? Mr. Dave Chomiak (KB.donan): Mr. Speaker, I Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, I am mindful of the am sure the minister is aware that the proposed concern raised by the Manitoba Association of - restructuring of the Health Sciences Centre has Registered Nurses, and I am sure the caused a greatdeal of concern,to say the least. administrationat Health Sciences Centre and other hospitals are taking into account the views and Whileno one wantsto micromanage thehospital concerns of regulatory and professional fromthis Legis lature, is the minister not concerned organizations like the MARN in the making of that MAR N, which is the professional and theirplans for the future. standards licensing body of the nurses, has expressed concerns that at Health Sciences Centre, Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, my final in -terms of the restructuring, a chief executive supplementary: Will the minister at least assure nurseought to be maintained at Health Sciences, a this House that he will look into the concerns chief executive nurse should represent nurses at raised by MAR N, particularly those relating to theboard and executive levels, nurses be involved standard of care, and petbaps meet with them to in setting consistent patient nursing practice discuss thisissue? guidelines, and nurses be part of an ongoing Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, it has been my very analysis of the program and its impact on the great pleasure to meet on a frequent basis with quality of health care? representatives of the Manitoba Association of Can the minister outline what the government's Registered Nurses as well as other regulatory and position is with respect to this concern, as political organizations aswe develop a sustainable, 434 LEGISLATIVEASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 20, 1994 quality health care system for all Manitobans for jobs, I would ask him: Would he really in his many, many generations to come. capacity as minister reviewthis situation and have • (1335) the decision reversed to allow an investment of new toll-switching equipment in Brandon to Manitoba Telephone System-Brandon ensure thatit will continue as it has over the years Job Relocation to be partof the long distance routing process, and Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Mr. let us keep those 15 jobs in Brandon? Speaker, this government bas often boasted about Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, I know that member its decentralization program, and now we learn would like to interfere in everything the Crown that Brandon could lose as many as 15 technical coiporations do. jobs at the Manitoba Telephone System, with a This government wants to allow the managers of payroll of $575,000, because of a decision to close - those Crown coiporations to operate and manage down the existing long distance toll switches in responsibly, and they are. That member will not Brandonin September. agree with that, I know, as he did not agree to The option of locating new equipment in putting over a hundred jobs in his own city in Brandon as well as Winnipeg was rejected in Brandon. favour of centralization in Winnipeg. I will not interfere with MTS trying to deliver How can the Minister of MTS justify the the best quality service to its users in Manitoba at removal of jobs from Brandon in light of his the lowest possible price, and I will not interfere government's professed policy of with their management process, provided they are decentralization? following thatcriteria. Bon. GlenFindlay (Minister responsible fo r the Mr.Leo nard Evans: Mr. Speaker, let us not hear administration of The Manitoba Telephone anymore about the sanctimonious decentralization Act): Mr. Speaker, the issue of having policies of thisgovernment. telecommunications jobs in Winnipeg or Can the minister tell us bow many other jobs elsewhere in Manitoba applies to all types of will be lost in the near future through the positions. termination of other programs such as FRED, - That member, when over a hundred jobs were which is the emergency dispatch program? The announced for Brandon from OWE, he spoke local stafffear that another 25 jobs, with a payroll against it. He was not in favour of having an of $839,000, will be lost within the next year additional 115 jobs in Brandon by a private because of continued cutbacks at MTS in Brandon. operation-new jobs. Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, if he wants to go into Manitoba Telephone System has a mission of that kind of detail with the management, we will supplying quality service to Manitobans at the have a review of the annual report of Manitoba lowest possible price, and they aredoing that in the Telephone System in due course, and I askhim to process of managing their affairs, but that member raise all those questions at that time. spoke against over a hundred jobs being moved into Brandon by OWE. KaliS hiva Society Mr.Leonard Evans: Mr.Speaker, I did not speak Funding against the jobs, I spoke against the waste of Ms. Norma McCormick (Osborne): Mr. money and political advertising by th is Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health. government andthe fact that they gave $600,000 On February 28, 1994, I wrote to this minister when they are cutting back on home care. with respect to a funding request to his department Mr. Speaker, my question to the minister: Since to secure the future of the Kali Shiv a Society. Kali he bas confirmed that we are going to lose these Shiva is an important community resource, April 20, 1994 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLYOF MANITOBA 435 providing home care and support to people who Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, I do not think it is a are dying with AIDS. question of indecision. I think in my first answer perhaps I wasnot as clear as I should be. 1bis remarlcable group of 80 volunteers, acting aspart of a care team, arenow providing care to 16 At thistime, I do not seethat we areable to assist people. The budget of Kali Sbiva is $72,000, Kali Shiva with a financial grant, but we will be extremelymodest considering theyhave provided interested to continue to see how Kali Shiva support for half the peoplewho have died of AIDS performs in helping its clients. Perhaps at some in this province. point in the future, we can address the matter again.