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Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS

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Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS First Session- Thirty-Seventh Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. L No.8- 10 a.m., Friday, December 3, 1999 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Seventh Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation AGLUGUB, Cris The Maples N.D.P. ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. ASPER, Linda Riel N.D.P. BARRETT, Becky, Hon. Inkster N.D.P. CALDWELL, Drew, Hon. Brandon East N.D.P. CERILLI, Marianne Radisson N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CUMMINGS, Glen Ste. Rose P.C. DACQUA Y, Louise Seine River P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, Harry Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage Ia Prairie P.C. FILMON, Gary Tuxedo P.C. FRIESEN, Jean, Hon. Wolseley N.D.P. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GILLESHAMMER, Harold Minnedosa P.C. HELWER, Edward Gimli P.C. HICKES, George Point Douglas N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LATHLIN, Oscar, Hon. The Pas N.D.P. LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert P.C. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. LOEWEN, John Fort Whyte P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn, Hon. Minto N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PENNER, Jim Steinbach P.C. PITURA, Frank Morris P.C. PRAZNIK, Darren Lac du Bonnet P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. REIMER, Jack Southdale P.C. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. ROCAN, Denis Carman P.C. RONDEAU, Jim Assiniboia N.D.P. SALE, Tim, Hon. Fort Rouge N.D.P. SANTOS, Conrad Wellington N.D.P. SCHELLENBERG, Harry Rossmere N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. SMITH, Joy Fort Garry P.C. SMITH, Scott Brandon West N.D.P. STEFANSON, Eric Kirkfield Park P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. TWEED, Mervin Turtle Mountain P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 239 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Friday, December 3, 1999 The House met at 10 a.m. ORAL QUESTION PERIOD PRAYERS Employment Creation Government Strategy ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Mr. Eric Stefanson (Kirkfield Park): Mr. TABLING OF REPORTS Speaker, over the last few years, Manitoba's economy has performed amongst the best in Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Highways and Canada. That has been acknowledged by all of Government Services): Mr. Speaker, I am the investment community, and it is certainly pleased to table the 1998-99 Annual Report of readily apparent here in the province of the Department of Highways and Transportation. Manitoba. The job statistics that were just The 1998-99 annual report was distributed in released today show that Manitoba's accordance with intersessional procedures. unemployment rate for November is at 5.3 percent, again, the second lowest in all of INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Canada. Our year-to-date employment is up 11,300. We now have a record number of Bill 3-The Retail Businesses Holiday Closing Manitobans employed in our province, and Amendment Act 561,900 Manitobans have jobs today. Hon. Steve Ashton (Deputy Government Since there was virtually no mention, and I House Leader): In my capacity as acting say no mention, of the economy and jobs in the Government House Leader, I believe there may throne speech released by this government, I be leave to allow the first reading of The Retail want to ask the Minister of Finance to outline for Businesses Holiday Closing Amendment Act us today what steps he and his government will which deals with a particular problem which the be taking to build on our excellent job minister will outline. We also, I believe, have performance over these last few years and keep leave, fo llowing discussions with the member that momentum going here in Manitoba. for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard) and the Opposition House Leader (Mr. Laurendeau), to Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): proceed with this at second reading today. It is a Mr. Speaker, in response to the question from fa irly urgent matter, and I believe, if you canvass the member for Kirkfield Park, one of the things the House, Mr. Speaker, there is leave to proceed we always said, in coming into government, is on first reading of this. that the things that the former government did right we would continue. In addition, we would Mr. Speaker: Is there leave fo r the honourable continue to move forward on our election Deputy Government House Leader to introduce commitments, which we think are very a bill? [agreed] compatible with a healthy economy, in particular, strengthening the education system by Hon. Becky Barrett (Minister of Labour): I doubling the numbers of spots in community move, seconded by the Minister of Agriculture colleges. Proper funding of public education in and Food (Ms. Wowchuk), that leave be given to order that young people will have the education introduce Bill 3, The Retail Businesses Holiday and skills they need to enter the labour market is Closing Amendment Act; Loi modifiant Ia Loi a critical fa ctor for us, and of course the repairs sur Ies jours fe ries dans le commerce de detail, that we need to make to the health care system, and that the same be now received and read a so that the population of Manitoba has the first time. wherewithal to enter the labour market and Motion agreed to. perform in the economy. In other words, we will 240 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA December 3, 1999 fo llow through on all the promises we made in So our commitment is to work not only here the election, and we believe those will continue in Manitoba but with the federal governmentand to strengthen the economy. all the provinces in Canada to come up with an approach whereby we prosper not at the Personal Income Taxes advantage of other regions of the country and Government Strategy not to the disadvantage of any one part of Manitoba, but we prosper together, not only as a Mr. Eric Stefanson (Kirkfield Park): Mr. province but as a federation, and that is going to Speaker, I do not disagree with the minister in be our approach. terms of the importance of education and the importance of our health care system, but there Mr. Stefanson: Well, Mr. Speaker, that is fine, are certainly other important areas that impact and everything the minister outlined are things the competitiveness of Manitoba and the that were already underway under our strength of our economy. One of them, we all government. There is nothing new, with what he know, is the importance of competitiveness in just outlined, coming forward. In fact, he personal income taxes, and I noted in the throne himself acknowledged that it was the previous speech that the only mention of personal income Premier at previous meetings that introduced taxes was the 1.5 point reduction taking place on that very initiative he just outlined. January 1, 2000, introduced by our government in our budget. Because there was no mention yesterday, I believe, by the Premier in his speech to the * (1005) Chamber of Commerce here in Manitoba, what steps are they planning to take here in the I want to ask the Minister of Finance today: province of Manitoba to keep us competitive, does he have any plans to address the issue of particularly as it relates to personal income competitiveness as it relates to personal income taxes? We know what is happening in Alberta; taxes here in the province of Manitoba, we know what is happening in Ontario. What compared to Ontario, Alberta and all provinces? does this minister and this government intend to Does he have any plans not only in his upcoming do when it comes to the very important issue of budget but over the mandate of this government? personal income taxes? Ron. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): *(1010) Mr. Speaker, in response to the question from the member for Kirkfield Park, it is no question Mr. Selinger: Once again a response to the that we have to stay competitive on both sides of member fo r Kirkfield Park. We made it very the ledger in terms of the programs we offe r and clear in the election what our five commitments the tax regime that we have to go with that. In were with respect to the program we have for that regard, I wish to let him know that the Manitobans. It is an overall approach that is provincial and territorial Finance ministers required here. If we focus just on one thing, released a paper yesterday to the fe deral Minister such as personal income taxes exclusively, at the of Finance on our position with respect to expense of the health care system or the competitiveness and living standards in Canada. education system, we will put ourselves in a position of having cut off our nose to spite our We are fo llowing up on the Premier's fa ce. What we have to do here is we have to approach of last summer where we wanted to take a balanced approach.
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