Third Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXV No. 13B - 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 3, 2020 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC 517 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, November 3, 2020 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Shawenim Abinoojii Madam Speaker: Good afternoon, everybody. Mr. Ian Bushie (Keewatinook): I'd like to recognize Please be seated. the work of Shawenim Abinoojii. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Shawenim Abinoojii works in collaboration with the leadership of the Southeast Tribal Council First Madam Speaker: Introduction of bills? Committee Nations and Southeast Child and Family Services to reports? Tabling of reports? provide culturally appropriate placements for children The honourable Minister of Economic in care in the eight First Nations that they serve. Development and Training (Mr. Eichler)? Is there a Shawenim Abinoojii is the Anishinabe phrase report to be tabled from the honourable Minister of which describes our sacred duty to love, protect and Economic Development and Training? If not, I'll nurture the children. Currently, with 45 homes based move on. on reserve, Shawenim's main goal is to keep First Nation children and youth rooted in their home Ministerial statements? communities, connected to their language, land and MEMBERS' STATEMENTS culture. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for As the needs of First Nations' youth continue to Assiniboia, on a members' statement. The member grow, Shawenim adapts. In 2018, Winnipeg Street needs to turn his mic on. Unmute. Census identified CFS involvement as one of the common paths into homelessness. Indigenous youth Acknowledging Assiniboia Constituency represent over 70 per cent of those reporting Mr. Scott Johnston (Assiniboia): I look forward to homelessness that year, many of whom shared they indicating to the House and the constituents of became homeless within 30 days of leaving care. Assiniboia of how proud I am of the efforts that they In response to these outcomes, Shawenim was have put forward in regarding–to continue to address able to launch the Memengoo program, which meets the COVID situation that we all find very challenging the needs of First Nation children–youth aging out for everyone within the province of Manitoba, as well of the child-welfare system. This prevention-based as the country of Canada and the world. program focuses on reducing youth homelessness through a transitional home that supports them I'm so proud of the efforts that many specialty through their journey into adulthood with built-in groups have taken, in particular the Crestview Scouts, resources that provide life skills and educational who have continued to do fundraising drives and food opportunities. drives to ensure that they are trying to accommodate the needs of those people who are certainly in need. All of this important work would not be possible without the resilient leadership of Shawenim And I notice in our St. James community– executive director Jason Whitford. Jason's a proud St. James-Assiniboia community that there are many member of the Sandy Bay Ojibway Nation. Jason people that are encouraging people to continue to go works closely with Victoria Fisher, a proud out and pat our front-line service workers on the back Indigenous woman and Shawenim foster-care and indicate how great of a job they're doing. director, another characteristic that shows Shawenim's So, Madam Speaker, I will end by indicating how commitment to providing culturally appropriate care, proud I am of the constituents of Assiniboia, as well which can be found in the Indigenous staff and as the people of Manitoba. We will get through this. caregivers throughout the organization. Partnerships are critical for Shawenim's effective- Thank you, Madam Speaker. ness. Their commitment to supporting Indigenous Madam Speaker: The honourable member for family rights is greatly supported by Rhonda Kelly, Keewatinook, on a members' statement. executive director of Southeast Child and Family 518 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 3, 2020 Services, who should be commended for her by ensuring child-care centres were threatened with continued positive support. funding cuts early on in the pandemic. And the Minister of Families' (Mrs. Stefanson) offer of Governed by a board of directors made up of Subway sandwiches to child-care centres just doesn't community members and leadership, Shawenim truly cut it. has the children's and community's well-being at heart. With the help of these individuals, Shawenim History will show that no additional supports for Abinoojii has been able to grow and to remain women's organizations came from the minister of committed to their primary goal, rooted in their Status of Women, no additional supports for women namesake, which is their sacred duty to love, protect entrepreneurs and women workers came from the and nurture our children. Finance Minister. They will find that while the The programs that I've mentioned are just a few Manitoba Institute for International Women's Rights of the programs that Shawenim offers. I invite every- called on the Premier to adopt a gender-based analysis one to visit shawenim-abinoojii.ca to see all the great in decision making, the Premier has not ever once work being offered. offered a commitment to a 'she-covery' plan. I ask my colleagues to rise and show our Madam Speaker, Manitobans deserve better than appreciation for the hard work being done by this Premier and his Cabinet. Shawenim Abinoojii in bringing our children home. Miigwech. Miigwech. Madam Speaker: The honourable member for– Madam Speaker: The honourable member for [interjection] Order. Order. Waverley, on a member's statement. Bill and Sue-On Hillman Could the member please– Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): A love affair Mr. Jon Reyes (Waverley): Madam Speaker, I have with each other and music that began in the mid-1960s no member's statement for today. continues on today. Bill and Sue-On Hillman were Supports for Women During Pandemic married on August 29th, 1966, beginning their life- long love for each other and the opportunity to enjoy Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): One day, history their passion for music together. will show a Premier (Mr. Pallister) missing in action and of blame, a Premier whose austerity measures left At the age of two, her mother pressed Sue-On a health-care system vulnerable and unable to fully Choy into the arms of a neighbour fleeing to Hong respond with enough nurses, health-care practitioners, Kong from the oppression of the communist ICU beds, testing sites, contact tracers–[interjection] government in China. Even after her mother Jade managed to join her in Hong Kong, it would be eight Madam Speaker: Order. more confusing years until the family, including her Ms. Fontaine: –and PPE, predominantly impacting father Soo, could be reunited in Canada. on women, Madam Speaker. The family made their way to Newdale, The record will show that, while women are Manitoba, where Sue-On eventually went to school disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, the and worked at the family-owned Paris Café. At the Premier simply didn't care. Women are more likely to age of 15, she fell in love with a Strathclair boy and be working in high-risk front-line jobs, like health musician, Bill Hillman, and they married when she care, teachers, caregivers or essential service workers, turned 18. Both attended Brandon University and or that women still bear the brunt of yesteryear gender performed nightly in Brandon nightspots to earn roles, like home-schooling, child care, household enough money to earn five university degrees and management and caring for aged loved ones, while become high-school teachers. pushing aside their own mental health instead to focus Bill taught in Strathclair for 30 years. Together on the emotional and mental well-being of our own with Barry Forman of Rivers, the Hillmans formed families.