DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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Fourth Session - Thirty-Eighth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LVII No. 37 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, March 13, 2006 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Eighth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation AGLUGUB, Cris The Maples N.D.P. ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain P.C. CUMMINGS, Glen Ste. Rose 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. EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage la Prairie P.C. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri Fort Garry N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. JHA, Bidhu Radisson N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LATHLIN, Oscar, Hon. The Pas N.D.P. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. 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. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. MURRAY, Stuart Kirkfield Park P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PENNER, Jack Emerson 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, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. 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, Scott, Hon. Brandon West N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 1185 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, March 13, 2006 The House met at 1:30 p.m. money this Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger) or this government paid for its self-made commercials PRAYER promoting its budget. I suspect that you are talking into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to MATTER OF PRIVILEGE promote its very own budget which does have false Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Inkster, information in and of itself, but I do not want to be is it on a point of order or matter of privilege? taken off the course. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Yes, Mr. Mr. Speaker, I think that the public has a right to Speaker, a matter of privilege. know, and me, as a member, I want to have the assurances from this Legislature that the Province Mr. Speaker: Okay, the honourable Member for does have the financial means to have a public Inkster, on a matter of privilege. inquiry if, in fact, it is deemed necessary. That is the reason why I am rising today. Mr. Lamoureux: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. All members of this Chamber are aware, in order to rise In fact, Mr. Speaker, on Friday, it just once again on a matter of privilege, you have to bring it at the reinforced it. I quote from one of the media outlets first opportunity before this Chamber and I believe I where the Premier had stated that we would rather am doing just that. spend public money on police officers than on lawyers and a public inquiry. Last week we had heard indications from the Premier (Mr. Doer) in terms of money resources, These are things which I take great offence to. public inquiry, and, on the one hand, we are seeing The Premier and this government is belittling the the need for a public inquiry. On the other hand, we significance of the Crocus fiasco, Mr. Speaker. The have the Premier raising the issue of concern Premier is, in essence, doing two things by making regarding affordability of a public inquiry, Mr. statements of that nature. One is the issue of Speaker. affordability, and we believe that the government does have the financial means to be able to pay for a What I am going to do is suggest that we look at public inquiry. If they do not believe they have those Beauchesne's 6th Edition, and if we go to page 12, types of funds, I would call upon the government to Citation 28, I would read, "Parliament is a court with make it very clear that they do not, because that is respect to its own privileges and dignity and the where it says in terms of Beauchesne's, we have to privileges of its Members. The question arises be able to have those sorts of privileges. If we do not whether the House, in the exercise of its judicial have that sort of a privilege to be able to see a public functions with respect to the conduct of any of its inquiry, I think that we need to have a long, hard Members, should deprive such Member of any of the debate on that issue itself. safeguards and privileges which every man enjoys in any court of the land." * (13:35) Mr. Speaker, I do believe that we have to be able It is not an issue of affordability, Mr. Speaker. to acknowledge very clearly to the public that, given He is imputing motives also. What he is saying is the Province of Manitoba spends in excess of $8 that implying money would be better spent on police. billion annually, it is not a financial burden for the Well, I care very deeply about the safety of Province to be able to do what is right in terms of Manitobans. calling for a public inquiry regarding the Crocus Fund. I believe that the Premier knows that it is not a This government, if you look at the last six financial issue. years, we have more vehicles stolen in our province than any other jurisdiction. We have crack houses all You know, over the weekend, I do not know over the place. We have increased prostitution. There how many commercials, I do not know how much are endless, endless issues of crime that this 1186 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA March 13, 2006 government has failed to really deal with in a very need to see that public inquiry. I am concerned that tangible way. We are concerned about the crime we have the Premier, and I suspect that the Premier issue, but you have a Premier who is trying to impute is talking on behalf of all the New Democrats inside motives and that it is an issue of having more police this Legislature, saying that, well, we cannot afford a officers versus having a public inquiry. I am public inquiry. That is what he is saying. concerned in regard to that. An Honourable Member: Right. The Premier (Mr. Doer) of this province needs to Mr. Lamoureux: I hear one government recognize that the public inquiry is something which backbencher saying, "right." Well, Mr. Speaker, let many members of this Chamber, both opposition me suggest to you that we cannot afford not to have parties, are calling for. In Beauchesne's, Mr. Speaker, the public inquiry. The sooner the government it talks about the important tools that we need to recognizes that fact, the better all Manitobans will be have and feel comfortable that we have access to. served. We have a right to understand what went We are calling on the government to use one of those wrong. There are things which only a public inquiry tools. If the Premier is not going to back down on the can uncover. If we do not learn from our past, it is issue of finances then I think he has to substantiate going to be more difficult–[interjection] Well, that. Tell us why we cannot afford it because if that members opposite say, louder. is the only thing that is holding back to call the public inquiry, I would say shame on the Premier. If I speak passionately about this because over it is only a question of finances, look at what the 33,000 Manitobans invested. If I talk with passion on costs are. this issue, I hope you will understand, and if you do not, I do not really care because, quite frankly, I will You know, I sat in opposition for many years take the side of the Crocus shareholder than I will when the Premier was in opposition. He would holler with backbenchers of this government. for a public inquiry about many different things. In * (13:40) fact, you know, we did have a public inquiry, and it was over, somewhere in the neighbourhood of Mr. Speaker, there is the need, and I am calling $4,000 to $10,000. Well, what sort of dollar figures on the government to recognize the need, and if the are we talking about? We are talking about well over only argument the government is going to use is that 33,000 Manitobans who had faith in the government, of finances, I believe that that is not good enough, supported what the government's initiative and what that the government does have the financial means to the government was promoting, that being the have a public inquiry.