4Th Session of the 39Th Orders of the Day on That Day, the Official Legislature Is to Resume on Tuesday, March 23, Opposition House Leader Must Table in the 2010
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Fourth 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. LXII No. 11 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, December 14, 2009 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. BLAIKIE, Bill, Hon. Elmwood 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. 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, Hon. 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. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MARCELINO, Flor, Hon. 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. WHITEHEAD, Frank The Pas N.D.P. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. Vacant Concordia 313 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, December 14, 2009 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Consumer Protection Amendment Act, be now read a first time. Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are Mr. Speaker: It's been moved by the honourable assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as member for River East, seconded by the honourable may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our member for Minnedosa, that Bill No. 208, The province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Ban on we may desire only that which is in accordance with Government Cheque Cashing Fees), be now read a Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, know it first time. with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the Mrs. Mitchelson: Mr. Speaker, Bill 208 will amend glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of The Consumer Protection Act to prohibit any fee all our people. Amen. from being charged to cash a provincial government ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS cheque. It would ensure that recipients keep all of their money regardless of who cashes their cheque INTRODUCTION OF BILLS and doesn't penalize those people who don't have Bill 10–The Proceedings Against the Crown bank accounts. Amendment Act It won't cost the taxpayers of Manitoba anything, Hon. Peter Bjornson (Minister of Entrepre- Mr. Speaker, and it puts money and keeps money in neurship, Training and Trade): Mr. Speaker, I the hands of people who need it most. move, seconded by the Minister of Justice (Mr. Swan), that Bill No. 10, The Proceedings Against the I would hope all members of the Legislature Crown Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les would consider supporting this bill. procédures contre la Couronne Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt , be now read a first time. the motion? [Agreed] Mr. Speaker: Been moved by the honourable PETITIONS Minister for Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, PTH 15–Twinning seconded by the honourable Attorney General, that Bill No. 10, The Proceedings Against the Crown Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield): Mr. Speaker, I wish Amendment Act, be now read a first time. to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Mr. Bjornson: The agreement on internal trade is an agreement intended to eliminate trade barriers and These are the reasons for this petition. promote labour mobility in Canada. This bill amends In 2004, the Province of Manitoba made a public The Proceedings Against the Crown Act to enable commitment to the people of Springfield to twin various orders made against the government of PTH 15 and the floodway bridge on PTH 15, but Manitoba under the strength and rules of the then in 2006, the twinning was cancelled. agreement on internal trade for government-to- government disputes to be enforced as a court order. Injuries resulting from collisions on PTH 15 continue to rise and have doubled from 2007 to Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt 2008. the motion? [Agreed] In August 2008, the Minister of Transportation Bill 208–The Consumer Protection Amendment stated that preliminary analysis of current and future Act (Ban on Government Cheque Cashing Fees) traffic demands indicate that local twinning will be required. Mrs. Bonnie Mitchelson (River East): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for The current plan to replace the floodway bridge Minnedosa (Mrs. Rowat), that Bill No. 208, The on PTH 15 does not include twinning and, therefore, 314 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 14, 2009 does not fulfil the current nor future traffic demands the community to provide this service without further cited by the Minister of Transportation. delay. We petition the Legislative Assembly of This is signed by Esther Nemetchek, Milton Manitoba as follows: Nemetchek, Ann Zinchuk and many, many others, Mr. Speaker. To request that the Minister of Transportation (Mr. Ashton) consider the immediate twinning of the Whiteshell Provincial Park–Lagoons PTH 15 floodway bridge for the safety of the citizens Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): Mr. Speaker, I of Manitoba. wish to present the following petition to the Signed by R. McIvor, K. Pudiewich, M. Sersen Legislative Assembly. and many, many other Manitobans. These are the reasons for this petition: Mr. Speaker: In accordance with rule 132(6), when Manitoba's provincial parks were established to petitions are read they are deemed to be received by protect our natural resources and the environment for the House. future generations. Ophthalmology Services–Swan River In July 2009 the lagoons in the vicinity of Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): I wish to Dorothy Lake and Otter Falls in the Whiteshell present the following petition to the Legislative Provincial Park overflowed, creating concerns that Assembly. untreated sewage made its way into the Winnipeg These are the reasons for this petition: River system and ultimately into Lake Winnipeg. The Swan Valley region has a high population of In addition, emergency discharges had to be seniors and a very high incidence of diabetes. Every undertaken at lagoons in the Whiteshell Provincial year, hundreds of patients from the Swan Valley Park four times in 2005, once in 2007 and once in region must travel to distant communities for cataract April 2009. surgery and additional pre-operative and post- operative appointments. Concerned stakeholders in the Whiteshell Provincial Park have repeatedly asked the provincial These patients, many of whom are sent as far government to develop plans to address the away as Saskatchewan, need to travel with an escort shortcomings with the park's lagoons and to ensure who must take time off work to drive the patient to the environment is protected, but the plans have not his or her appointments without any compensation. materialized. Patients who cannot endure this expense and hardship are unable to have the necessary treatment. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: The community has located an ophthalmologist who would like to practise in Swan River. The local To request the Minister of Conservation (Mr. Lions Club has provided funds for the necessary Blaikie) to consider acknowledging that more timely equipment, and the Swan River Valley hospital has action should have been taken to address the space to accommodate this service. shortcomings with the lagoons in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in order to protect the environment. The Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald) has told the Town of Swan River that it has insufficient To request the Minister of Conservation to infrastructure and patient volumes to support a consider immediately developing short- and long- cataract surgery program; however, residents of the term strategies to address the shortcomings with the region strongly disagree. lagoons in the Whiteshell Provincial Park and to consider implementing them as soon as possible. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: Mr. Speaker, this petition has been signed by Jack Kelly, Florence Kupiak, Helen Kovacs and To urge the Minister of Health to consider many, many others. rethinking her refusal to allow an ophthalmologist to practise in Swan River and to consider working with * (13:40) December 14, 2009 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 315 Manitoba Liquor Control Commission– Education Funding Liquor Licences Mr.