Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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Second 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. LXXIV No. 3 - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, November 21, 2019 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 39 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, November 21, 2019 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Bill 4–The Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): It is my duty to Hon. Jeff Wharton (Minister of Crown Services): I inform the House that the Speaker is unavoidably move, seconded by the Minister of Indigenous and absent. Therefore, in accordance with the statutes, I Northern Relations (Ms. Clarke), that Bill 4, The would ask the Deputy Speaker to please take the Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act, be now read for a Chair. first time. Mr. Deputy Speaker (Doyle Piwniuk): O Eternal Motion presented. and Almighty God, from Whom all power and Mr. Wharton: Bill 4 amends The Manitoba wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to Hydro Act and enables Manitoba Hydro to perform frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and more efficient cash management within existing prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we credit frameworks. The amendment will increase the pray Thee, that we may desire only which is in short-term borrowing authority and bring Manitoba accordance with Thy will, that we seek it with Hydro into greater alignment with other similar public wisdom, know it with certainty and accomplish it utilities across Canada. perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name, for the welfare of all our people. Amen. The amendment seeks the–to increase the Please be seated. short-term borrowing authority from $500 million to $1.5 billion. The current limit was established in ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS 1992 prior to Centra Gas and Manitoba Hydro–or, INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Winnipeg Hydro acquisitions. The amendment will allow Manitoba Hydro to mitigate potential risks Bill 6–The Planning Amendment Act due to unanticipated events, which performs Hon. Rochelle Squires (Minister of Municipal favourably with credit rating agencies and allows Relations): I move, seconded by the Minister Manitoba Hydro to borrow more efficiently from of Central Services, (Mr. Helwer), that Bill 6, fiscal institutions. The Planning Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi The amendments to the short-term borrowing sur l'aménagement du territoire, be now read a first limit will bring annual savings to Manitoba Hydro and time. ratepayers of approximately 8 to 15 million dollars, Motion presented. depending on financial markets and cash balances. Manitoba Hydro secures funds up to three months in Ms. Squires: This bill will amend The Planning Act advance, with requirements with the vast majority of to extend subdivision-approving authority for the prefunding currently secured with long-term City of Brandon. This amendment will also give the financial–financing through the Province, resulting Province authority to make regulations designating a in additional costs to Manitobans. Under the amend- municipal council as an approving authority and to ment, Manitoba Hydro will be able to reinvest to establish eligibility requirements and conditions for reduce financial costs. when a council can approve subdivisions. The initiative shows our government's priority, I am pleased to present this bill to the House for Mr. Deputy Speaker, and our commitment to fixing consideration. our finances to help save Manitobans money by Mr. Deputy Speaker: Any other bills? [interjection] shopping smarter. By changing Manitoba Hydro's short-term borrowing limit, the cost of ratepayers to The question before the House is the reading of service Manitoba Hydro's debt will be reduced. bill–the first reading of Bill 6, The Planning Amendment Act. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Is it the pleasure of the House to make the Mr. Deputy Speaker: Is it a pleasure of the–is it motion? [Agreed] the pleasure of the House to adopt the first reading of 40 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2019 Bill 4, The Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act? crops. On fertile lands known as the breadbasket of [Agreed] Europe, millions of people slowly starved to death. Any other further bills? * (13:40) Bill 201–The Legislative Assembly Amendment For many years, the Holodomor went un- and Legislative Assembly recognized and even denied. But the truth has come Management Commission Amendment Act to light because brave survivors have boldly shared Mr. Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): I move, their stories to help ensure this horrific chapter in seconded by the member for Tyndall Park history is never forgotten. (Ms. Lamoureux), that Bill 201, The Legislative Assembly Amendment and Legislative Assembly And last year, on the 85th anniversary of Management Commission Amendment Act; Loi the Holodomor, Mrs. Luba Semaniuk shared her modifiant la Loi sur l'Assemblée législative et la Loi experience as a young girl growing up in Ukraine. sur la Commission de régie de l'Assemblée législative, Her words are well worth repeating as a reminder of be now read a first time. what millions of people suffered through. Motion presented. She wrote: I will never forget the sights and sounds of people crying because they had nothing to Mr. Lamont: This is a bill designed to amend and eat. I will never forget painfully watching family and modernize Manitoba's laws surrounding the definition neighbours dying of starvation, and I will never forget of official parties. We do believe that in the interests my mother grinding up dried corn cobs and husks and of democracy that this should–this is a bill that should using that to make soup broth for her children to be considered to reflect and modernize the act and survive. And even though that was all that they had, make it match representation of official parties in my mother was telling me to take some of the broth other provinces. over to neighbours, only to find the mother and her two young sons dead of starvation. These are things Mr. Deputy Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House that should never be experienced by anyone, to adopt the first reading of Bill 201, The Legislative especially a six-year-old girl. And she says she will Assembly Amendment and the Legislative Assembly never forget and forever remember. Management Commission Amendment Act? All in order? Is it agreed to the House? Is it–we all agree? We must continue to build awareness about the [Agreed] Holodomor. One of the ways we are accomplishing this is by educating our children and grandchildren. Now we'll go–if there's any other–no further other bills, we'll go on to committee reports. Tabling of And it was my sincere honour to host students reports? today from the English-Ukrainian bilingual program at R.F. Morrison School during today's noon-hour MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS commemoration of the Holodomor here at the Mr. Deputy Speaker: The honourable Minister of Manitoba Legislature. And under the direction of Sport, Culture and Heritage–the required 90 minutes teacher Hannya Bryl-Klimenko, the students prepared notice prior to the routine proceedings was provided a beautiful dance to commemorate the Holodomor. in accordance with rule No. 26-2. It is a chapter that we teach the next generation about this dark chapter in history, to ensure this atrocity is Would the honourable minister please proceed never ever repeated. with her statement. As another way to raise awareness, members of Holodomor this House will notice our Ukrainian flag flying at Hon. Cathy Cox (Minister of Sport, Culture and half-mast in Memorial Park today. Heritage): Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to recognize the Holodomor, a dark chapter in history, when wheat As a special commemoration of the Holodomor, became a weapon in Ukraine. thoughtful members of Manitoba's Ukrainian com- munity have graciously provided each member of the In 1932 and 1933, an artificial famine in Ukraine House with stalks of wheat tied with a black ribbon, was created through the deliberate seizure of land and which has become a symbol for the Holodomor.