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. 22A - 10 a.m., Thursday, November 26, 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 MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP 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 1051 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, November 26, 2020 The House met at 10 a.m. la Loi sur la santé publique, be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House. Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled Motion presented. here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to Mr. Kinew: Madam Speaker, during this unpreced- the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O ented time of coronavirus pandemic, and during this merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only time where all of us are being asked to abide by public that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may health measures, I think that this bill is one that will seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and appeal to all members of the House who want to put accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of province ahead of party, and who want to put public Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. health ahead of narrow partisan interests. Please be seated. Good morning, everybody. Now, throughout the pandemic, we have heard ORDERS OF THE DAY Dr. Roussin and Lanette Siragusa and others who are engaged in the public health efforts make repeated PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS calls for us to do some very important things: stay Speaker's Statement home when we're sick during the earlier periods of the, you know, yellow and amber restrictions, and Madam Speaker: I do have a short statement for the then, to stay home, period, during the more recent House. I am advising the House that I have received a code red restrictions. letter from the Official Opposition House Leader We've also been asked to, you know, wash our regarding the official opposition's first selected bill for hands, get tested when we're sick. We've been asked this session. also to wear masks in public this fall. All important public health measures that can help to slow the As a reminder to the House, rule 24 permits each community spread of the coronavirus and the disease recognized party to select up to three private members' that it causes, COVID-19. bills per session to proceed to a second reading vote. Accordingly, the question will be put on second However, unfortunately, we've also seen repeated reading of Bill 203, The Manitoba Hydro Amendment evidence of political interference–whether that be Act (Referendum Before Privatization of Subsidiary), flip-flopping in terms of the introduction of certain at 10:55 this morning. measures, whether that be contradiction–in some cases where Dr. Roussin says something and then he's * * * contradicted by the, you know, political officials on Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (Official Opposition House the other side of the Chamber, or whether that be Leader): Good morning, Madam Speaker. Would orders being watered down after political influence. you please call Bill 216 for second reading debate this All of these serve to cause confusion when it comes to morning. the ability of Manitobans to abide by public health orders, and it also undermines public trust. We can't SECOND READINGS–PUBLIC BILLS afford that. Bill 216–The Public Health Amendment Act (2) At a time where there's anti-maskers, anti- Madam Speaker: It has been announced that the vaxxers, disinformation campaigns under way to try House will consider second reading of Bill 216 this and discredit the advice of public health experts, we morning, so I will therefore call Bill 216, the public need to give them all the support that we can. health amendment act. One particular instance comes into mind in Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official particular. Earlier this summer, Dr. Roussin, during Opposition): I move, seconded by the member for one of his important public health updates, he said Union Station (MLA Asagwara), that Bill 216, The unequivocally that in announcing phase 3, that there Public Health Amendment Act (2); Loi n°2 modifiant would be no more phases. No more phases to our 1052 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 26, 2020 pandemic response system. However, it was about a following sequence: first question to be asked by a week later that the Premier (Mr. Pallister) came out member from another party; this is to be followed by and contradicted Dr. Roussin and said that, in fact, a rotation between the parties; each independent there would be an additional phase. There would be member may ask one question. And no question or phase 4. And so that is one example of a clear answer shall exceed 45 seconds. contradiction and contravention of the public health process at work–interference at a political level by this Mr. Len Isleifson (Brandon East): I noticed that government. there's some–the Leader of the Opposition is now somewhat–seems that this is very important to talk And so this bill offers a simple and straight- about COVID and make changes, which is kind of in forward remedy, which is to remove the politicians' contrast to earlier this year. ability to interfere with the public health advice. So when this bill receives unanimous support–or, if it * (10:10) receives unanimous support, from the government's So I'm wondering if the member opposite can side included–then we would have a situation in explain why his party continues to play political Manitoba where, when the Chief Provincial Public games, such as blocking legislation in the Assembly Health Officer makes an order, that it stands, that it is as they did in the early days of this year. no longer subject to ministerial interference and political interference. Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Now, of course, you know, some in the media Opposition): You know, I appreciate that the member have asked questions about the role of elected for Brandon East had a piece of paper in front of him officials. That would still be there. There's still that he's been asked to read from, but I'd ask that he'd oversight of the Chief Provincial Public Health engage his critical thinking skills and recall that we, Officer through a variety of means. And, of course, if on this side of the House, worked with the government it does seem extremely important for a government– to pass 10 pieces of emergency legislation at the start for whatever reason in their own partisan or political of the pandemic to help Manitobans be better able to considerations–to go counter to the Chief Provincial respond to the economic crisis and the public health Public Health Officer, then they would still have crisis. the ability to issue an order under The Emergency So perhaps I could turn the tables and ask the Measures Act. member for Brandon East why has he's been so silent? However, that would give greater public Why isn't he opposing the cuts and closures that are confidence in the public health system, because it taking place across western Manitoba? And why is he would be very clear as to what the advice was from putting party ahead of province? public health and what the advice was from the Mr. Adrien Sala (St. James): I'd like to ask, why is political level. And the average person in Manitoba it important to separate politics and public health could very clearly distinguish between what was decision-making? actually the public health advice abiding by the interests of the public health of Manitobans and what Mr.