First Session - Fortieth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Daryl Reid Speaker Vol. LXIV No. 6 - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, October 27, 2011 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Fortieth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital NDP ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson NDP BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli NDP BRAUN, Erna Rossmere NDP BRIESE, Stuart Agassiz PC CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East NDP CHIEF, Kevin Point Douglas NDP CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan NDP CROTHERS, Deanne St. James NDP CULLEN, Cliff Spruce Woods PC DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk NDP DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FRIESEN, Cameron Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Liberal GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC HOWARD, Jennifer, Hon. Fort Rouge NDP IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Richmond NDP JHA, Bidhu Radisson NDP KOSTYSHYN, Ron Swan River NDP LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. Dawson Trail NDP MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns NDP MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden PC MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor, Hon. Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte PC MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel NDP MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East PC NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake NDP OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River NDP PEDERSEN, Blaine Midland PC PETTERSEN, Clarence Flin Flon NDP REID, Daryl, Hon. Transcona NDP ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Kewatinook NDP RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia NDP ROWAT, Leanne Riding Mountain PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron St. Paul PC SELBY, Erin, Hon. Southdale NDP SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo PC STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin NDP SWAN, Andrew, Hon. Minto NDP TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris PC WHITEHEAD, Frank The Pas NDP WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WIGHT, Melanie Burrows NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC Kirkfield Park St. Norbert 151 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, October 27, 2011 The House met at 1:30 p.m. hearing screening program accessible to parents of all newborns in Manitoba. Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are This petition is signed by W. Yamamoto, assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as M. Ruck, S. Ruck and many, many other concerned may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our Manitobans. province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that Mr. Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), we may desire only that which is in accordance with when petitions are read they are deemed to have been Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, know it received by the House. with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of Mount Agassiz Ski Area all our people. Amen. Mr. Stuart Briese (Agassiz): I wish to present the ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. PETITIONS And these are the reasons for this petition: Newborn Universal Hearing Screening Program For several decades, the Mount Agassiz ski area, Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Riding Mountain): I wish to home to the highest vertical between Thunder Bay present the following petition to the Legislative and the Rocky Mountains, was a popular skiing and Assembly of Manitoba: snowboarding destination for Manitobans and And these are the reasons for this petition: visitors alike. More than one in–or more than three in The operations of Mount Agassiz ski area were 1,000 newborns are born with educationally very important to the local economy, not only significant hearing loss, but Manitoba’s current creating jobs but also generating sales of goods and hearing screening program does not allow for every services at area businesses. child to be screened. In addition, a thriving rural economy generates Without early detection, children are more likely tax revenue that helps pay for core provincial to develop poor speech and language skills and also government services and infrastructure which encounter social and emotional difficulties, which benefits all Manitobans. lead to poor academic performance. Although the ski facility closed in 2000, there Early diagnosis of hearing loss in newborns can remains strong interest in seeing it reopened, and make a considerable difference in a child’s Parks Canada is committed to conducting a development because newborns can be provided with feasibility study with respect to the Agassiz site and effective programs and support that foster future opportunities in the area. developmental success. We petition the Legislative Assembly of While most other developed countries and many Manitoba as follows: Canadian provinces have a newborn screening– To request the appropriate ministers of the hearing screening program, Manitoba is lagging provincial government to consider outlining to Parks behind. There are only a handful of screening Canada the importance that a viable recreation programs in the province, while all other newborns facility in the Mount Agassiz area would play in the can only be tested if they have risk factors of hearing local and provincial economies. loss or if a parent specifically requests the test. And to request that the appropriate ministers of We petition the Legislative Assembly of the provincial government consider working with all Manitoba as follows: stakeholders, including Parks Canada, to help To urge the Minister of Healthy Living, Youth develop a plan for a viable, multiseason recreation and Seniors to consider implementing a universal facility in the Mount Agassiz area. 152 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA October 27, 2011 This petition is signed by R. Zastre, T. Casavant, volunteers, no lives were lost and property damage S. Bouchard and many, many other fine Manitobans. was limited. Coulter Bridge However, the fight against the wildfires reinforced the shortcomings with the communi- Mr. Larry Maguire (Arthur-Virden): I wish to cations system in the region, specifically the gaps in present the following petition to the Legislative cellular phone service. Assembly, Mr. Speaker. And these are the reasons for this petition: These gaps made it difficult to co-ordinate firefighting efforts and to notify people that they had During the record flood of 2011, the increased to be evacuated. The situation also would have made volume of water flowing through the Souris River it difficult for people to call for immediate medical caused the Coulter bridge on Highway 251 to buckle assistance if it had been required. and become unusable in late June. Local governments, businesses, industries and The Coulter bridge is used by agricultural area residents have for years sought a solution to this producers, local businesses and area residents. It is very serious communications challenge. especially important to the region’s multi-million- dollar oil industry. We petition the Legislative Assembly as follows: Motorists are now forced to use the lengthy detour on a gravel road not meant for heavy vehicle To urge the appropriate provincial government traffic. The increased presence of industrial vehicles departments to consider working with all on this gravel road has created considerable safety stakeholders to develop a strategy to swiftly address concerns, especially for school buses. The detour the serious challenges posed by limited cellular also results in increased costs and lost time for phone service in southeastern Manitoba in order to motorists. ensure that people and property can be better protected in the future. The provincial government has indicated it has no plans to establish a temporary bridge, and The following three names, M. Goertzen, construction of a new bridge is expected to take B. Faskerti, E. Jasket, have signed this petition. several years. TABLING OF REPORTS We petition the Legislative Assembly as Hon. Dave Chomiak (Minister of Innovation, follows: Energy and Mines): Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker– To urge the Minister of Infrastructure and Mr. Speaker: Sorry, just one moment, please. The Transportation to recognize the serious safety honourable Minister of Innovation, Energy and concerns and adverse socio-economic impact caused Mines. I have to put it on the record. by the loss of the Coulter bridge and to consider making it an urgent priority to restore traffic across Mr. Chomiak: Je suis très [inaudible] donner le the Souris River either via a temporary or a rapport de la Innovation, Énergie et Mines pour permanent bridge. l’année 2011–2010 à 2011, rapport annuel. And this petition is signed by T. Currie, B. Bird, Translation P. Spencer and many, many other Manitobans. I am very [inaudible] to submit the report of Cellular Phone Service in Southeastern Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines for 2011, 2010-2011, the annual report. Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the * (13:40) Legislative Assembly. Introduction of Guests The background to this petition is as follows: Mr. Speaker: Prior to oral questions, I wish to draw During early October 2011, parts of southeastern the honourable members’ attention to the public Manitoba were hit hard by wildfires. Thanks to the gallery where we have with us today 75 grade 4 and swift action of provincial and municipal officials, 5 students from Samuel Burland School under the including 27 different fire departments and countless direction of Angela Power. This group is located in October 27, 2011 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 153 the constituency of the honourable Minister of to provide more service right where they encounter Health (Ms. Oswald). the patient in the community when they attend to them in an ambulance. On behalf of all honourable members, we welcome you here to your Manitoba Legislature. Mr. McFadyen: The Premier’s answer touches on many points but it doesn’t address the issue of the ORAL QUESTIONS time that ambulances spend waiting in parking lots, Ambulance Services waiting to discharge patients.