-g Third Session - Thirty-Seventh Legislature of the Legislative A.ssembly of Manitoba I)EBATES and PR()CEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authorityof The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LII No. 40B- 1:30 p.m., Thursday, May 30, 2002 ISSN 0542-5492 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. DACQUAY, 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. FRIESEN, Jean, Hon. Wolseley N.D.P. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GILLESHAMMER, Harold Minnedosa P.C. HA WRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HEL WER, 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. MURRAY, Stuart Kirkfield Park P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PENNER, Jim Steinbach P.C. PITURA, Frank Morris 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 Ross mere N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. SMITH, Joy Fort Garry P.C. SMITH, Scott, Hon. Brandon West N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin-Rob lin N.D.P. TWEED, Mervin Turtle Mountain P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 2043 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, May 30 ,2002 The House met at 1 :30 p.m. Mr. Harry Enos (Lakeside): Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his statement to the House, ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS and again allow me to take this opportunity, along with him, to congratulate our forest-fire MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS fighters that have done such an exemplary job in this instance. I want to indicate to him and to the Forest Fire Update House that this section of the minister's Estimates passed speedily, as we approved the Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Trans­ annual $14-million-plus for the protection of our portation and Government Services): 1 have a property and forests, and in this case a statement, Mr. Speaker. community. As Minister responsible for Emergency It is regretted, and I hope that will be Measures, I am pleased to provide the House detem1ined shortly, if indeed this fire was arson, with an update on the forest fire near Red Deer deliberately started, that we have these kinds of Lake that was threatening the communities of occurrences. I hope the RCMP can come to a Powell and Barrows. I am very pleased to report satisfactory conclusion in their investigation of that the need to evacuate residents from these this matter. communities has passed, and as of noon today people began returning to their homes. Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): I ask leave to speak to the minister's statement. The fire lines were held over the course of the night, and the ground attack crews and Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member helicopters are continuing their work to suppress have leave? the fire. The fire is now contained, and I am sure all members of the House join me in applauding Some Honourable Members: No. the excellent work of those who worked so hard to protect these communities. As a precautionary Mr. Speaker: No, leave has been denied. measure, residents in Powell and Barrows will remain on one hour notice evacuation for the INTRODUCTION OF BILLS next 24 hours. I would also like to report to the House that the RCMP are working to determine Bill27-The Safer Workplaces Act the cause of the fire. (Workplace Safety and Health Act Amended) I am sure all Manitobans share a relief that Hon. Becky Barrett (Minister charged with the fire was contained without injury or property the administration of the Workers damage. Forest fires are a fact of life in this Compensation Act): Mr. Speaker, I move, province. We should all keep in mind the seconded by the Minister of Transportation and tremendous destructive powers of those fires and Government Services (Mr. Ashton), that leave do our part to stop forest fires before they start. be given to introduce Bill 27, The Safer All Manitobans can look at the fire at Red Deer Workplaces Act (Workplace Safety and Health Lake as a reminder of the dedicated profes­ Act Amended), and that the same be now sionals who stand ready to fight the forest fires received and read a first time. and assist those affected by those fires. I am sure Motion presented. I speak for all members of this House in extending our thanks to those people who did Ms. Barrett: Mr. Speaker, The Safer this difficult and important work. Workplaces Act deals with a number of areas 2044 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 30,2002 including: provisions respecting Workplace allows doctors to walk off the job. I will ask the Safety and Health committee duties; providing Health Minister if he will do the right thing. Will for safety and health duties of contractors, he do the right thing and provide a written, owners, and suppliers, and new duties for signed document providing and proving that the employers, including provisions on safety and Province wiii enter and agree to binding health programs, training and supervision of arbitration? workers; as well as streamlining appeals and addressing compliance issues. Hon. Dave Chomiak (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I have consistently adopted the position Motion agreed to. in this House that it is not appropriate to negotiate in this Legislature. As an example, * (13:35) yesterday the Member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger) raised issues in this Legislature about Introduction of Guests negotiations that were not, shall I say, totally with all the facts in the situation. Had I started to Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would engage in debate with the member on that issue, like to draw the attention of all honourable it could have jeopardized ongoing negotiations. members to the public gallery where we have with us from the Souris School 38 Grade 5 Mr. Speaker: Order. students under the direction of Mr. Glen Wallmann and Ms. Theresa O'Brien. This school Point of Order is located in the constituency of the honourable Member for Minnedosa (Mr. Gilleshammer). Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Turtle Mountain, on a point of order? Also in the public gallery we have Amanda Willms and Angela Schellenberg, who is the Mr. Mervin Tweed (Turtle Mountain): Yes, daughter of the honourable Member for Mr. Speaker, Beauchesne 417. Yesterday, the Rossmere (Mr. Schellenberg). They are also the Minister of Health leaked a letter to the media guests of the honourable Member for Rossmere. before he sent it to the MMA. If that is not negotiating in the public eye, I do not know what Also in the public gallery we have Mr. Larry is, and I would ask him to explain that. Soldier, who is the Chief of the Swan Lake Band. Mr. Speaker: The honourable Minister of Health, on the same point of order. On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today. Mr. Chomiak: Yes, Mr. Speaker, not only does the member not have a point of order, but the ORAL QUESTION PERIOD point of order he raised is factually inaccurate. Manitoba Medical Association Mr. Speaker: On the point of order raised by Contract Negotiations the honourable Member for Turtle Mountain, it Mr. Stuart Murray (Leader of the Official is not a point of order. It is a dispute over the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, once again we have facts. seen this Government perform another flip-flop. *** Last week we called for the Province to enter into binding arbitration with the Manitoba Mr. Chomiak: As I indicated last week when doctors, but the Health Minister, he refused. members raised the issue of binding arbitration, Yesterday, they changed their minds and did as I indicated this week regarding binding enter into binding arbitration, but they refused to arbitration, I do not think it is useful insofar as put it in writing. we are in negotiations now with the MMA concerning a whole series of issues, concerning Mr. Speaker, in less than 48 hours Manitoba a contract valued at half a billion dollars, patients will be put at risk if this Government concerning a contract that has hundreds and May 30,2002 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 2045 hundreds of clauses, implications and last several years than have occurred during the ramifications.