Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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Fourth Session- Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Louise M. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLVIII No. 14 .• 1:30 p.m., Thesday, March 10, 1998 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Sixth Legislature Member Constituency Political Aftlliation ASHTON, Steve Thompson N.D.P. BARRETT, Becky Wellington N.D.P. CERILLI, Marianne Radisson N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave Kildonan N.D.P. CUMMINGS, Glen, Hon. Ste. Rose P.C. DACQUAY, Louise, Hon. Seine River P.C. DERKACH, Leonard, Hon. Roblin-Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary Concordia N.D.P. DOWNEY, James, Hon. Arthur-Virden P.C. DRIEDGER, Albert Steinbach P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, Harry, Hon. Lakeside P.C. EVANS, Clif Interlake N.D.P. EVANS, Leonard S. Brandon East N.D.P. FAURSCHOU, David Portage Ia Prairie P.C. FILMON, Gary, Hon. Tuxedo P.C. FINDLAY, Glen, Hon. Springfield P.C. FRIESEN, Jean Wolseley N.D.P. GAUDRY, Neil St. Boniface Lib. GILLESHAMMER, Harold, Hon. Minnedosa P.C. HELWER, Edward Gimli P.C. HICKES, George Point Douglas N.D.P. IENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. KOWALSKI, Gary The Maples Lib. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LATHLIN, Oscar The Pas N.D.P. LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord St. Johns N.D.P. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McALPINE, Gerry Sturgeon Creek P.C. McCRAE, James, Hon. Brandon West P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane Osborne N.D.P. MciNTOSH, Linda, Hon. Assiniboia P.C. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn St. James N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. River East P.C. NEWMAN, David, Hon. Riel P.C. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PITURA, Frank, Hon. Morris P.C. PRAZNIK, Darren, Hon. Lac du Bonnet P.C. RADCLIFFE, Mike, Hon. River Heights P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. REIMER, Jack, Hon. Niakwa P.C. RENDER, Shirley St. Vital P.C. ROBINSON, Eric Rupertsland N.D.P. ROCAN, Denis Gladstone P.C. SALE, Tim Crescentwood N.D.P. SANTOS, Conrad Broadway N.D.P. STEFANSON, Eric, Hon. Kirkfield Park P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin N.D.P. SVEINSON, Ben La Verendrye P.C. TOEWS, Vic, Hon. Rossmere P.C. TWEED, Mervin Turtle Mountain - P.C. VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fort Garry P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River N.D.P. Vacant Charleswood 551 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, March 10, 1998 The House met at 1:30 p.m. many more privatized in the next two or three years; and PRAYERS THAT under the terms of the contract, Ontario businesses will profit at the expense of Manitoba's ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS health care system; and PRESENTINGPETITIONS THATafter construction of a food assembly warehouse in Winnipeg, chilled, prepared food will be shipped in Winnipeg Hospitals Food Service-Privatization from Ontario, then assembled and heated before being shipped to the hospitals; and Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Modesto Aguirre, THATpeople who are in the hospital require nutritious Vivencia Aguirre, Stephan Boyechko and others and appetizing food; and praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitobamay be pleased to request the Minister of Health (Mr. THAT the announced savings as aresult of the contract Praznik) to consider immediately cancelling the have been disputed, and one study by Wintemute hospital food proposal and concentrate on delivering Randle Kilimnik indicated that, "A considerable quality health care instead of using health dollars to number of studies have compared costs of service provide contracts for private firms. delivery in health care between self-operation (public sector) and privatization. Invariably, privatization is Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): Madam more expensive. "; and Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Tracy Dunne, Ernie Raposo, Nila Martinez and others praying that the THAT no one in Manitoba seems to benefitfrom this Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Minister of contract, especially patients. Health to put an end to the centralization and privatization of Winnipeg hospital food services. WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLYPRAY that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS Minister of Health to put an end to the centralization and privatization of Winnipeg hospital food services. Winnipeg Hospitals Food Service-Privatization TABLING OF REPORTS Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Wellington (Ms. Barrett). It Bon. Linda Mcintosh (Minister of Education and complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is Training): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table the it the will of the House to have the petition read? annualreport for the year ending June 30, 1997, of the Public Schools Finance Board. An Honourable Member: Dispense. Bon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Madam Speaker: Dispense. Speaker, I am pleased to table the report for the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board, the quarterly report, THAT the Urban Shared Services Corporation (USSC) for the nine months ended December 3 1 , 1997. hasannounced plans to privatize laundry, food services and purchasing for the Winnipeg hospitals; and Introduction of Guests THAT it is estimated that more than 1,000 health care Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would jobs will be lost over the next year as a result, with like to draw the attention of all honourable members to 552 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA March 10, 1998 the public gallery where we have this afternoon forty What has been happening in health care systems right five Grade 9 students from Hastings School under the across the country-as the member well knows, as we direction of Mr. Barry Wittenvrongel and Mrs. have seen changes in technology we have seen shifts of Roxanne McComber. This school is located in the services to long-term care, to home care, and Manitoba constituency of the honourable Minister of Energy and has probably one of the best, if not the best home care Mines (Mr. Newman). system in the country-has been a reduction in acute care beds. With the reduction of dollars we have received from Ottawa, we admit very clearly that our We also have twenty-seven Grades 7 and 8 students system has been running at its maximum. When you from Darwin School under the direction of Mr. Harold have a flu crisis as we had this year or you have a flood Bell. This school is located in the constituency of the as we did last year, it puts additional strain on the honourable Minister of Energy and Mines (Mr. system at the particular time, and that is what we have Newman). been experiencing. We hope that we can get through that as quickly as possible. On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon. * (1 335) ORAL QUESTION PERIOD Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, there is not one patient in those hallways today at St. Boniface that is suffering Health Care System from the flu. It is this government and this Premier that Bed Availability closed the acute care beds. It is this Premier that has fired the nursing staffand health care staff, and it is this Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): My Premier that broke his word. question is to the First Minister. Today we learned that 11 patients are in the hallways of St. Boniface Hospital. I would like to ask the Premier a further question. Regrettably, Madam Speaker, some of those patients What impact on the backlog of patients in hallways has have been in the hallway for a number of days. This is there been from the government's decision last year to a tragedy for those families in terms of dealing with close the Odd Fellows home, a home that had 43 their families and the privacy and dignity of those patients in it, regrettably, some of whom have moved patients that are in those hallways. These people are back into personal care homes? What impact has your waiting for rooms, rooms that this Premier (Mr. decision on your facilities made on our line-ups at our Filmon) has closed in previous budgets, rooms that they crisis situation in our hallways? have paid for and he has closed. Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that I would like to ask the Premier: what impact on the additional numbers of flucases that have hit us this those 11 people has his broken promise made in terms year have put strain on the entire system, and there is of breaking his promise to put $600 million in capital no doubt, indeed, that we have many patients in acute before the election and breaking his promise and care beds who are waiting for placement in long-term freezing that capital after the election? How many of care facilities. That is why this administration in this those patients are in the hallways directly as a result of budget has committed a sizeable amount of dollars his broken election promise? towards long-term care beds which should start to ease part of that. Hon. Darren Praznik(Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, we on this side of the House, along with other With respect to the Odd Fellows, if I remember that members, certainly feel for any patient in the system issue correctly, we were dealing with a facility that was who has to wait for a bed in a particular facility. It is very old. It was time-dated. Surely, the member for by far not the desirable situation I think of anyone Concordia is not asking us to refrain from replacing administering a hospital or the Minister of Health or outdated facilities within our system.