LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, 5 June, 1980 Time - 8:00 p.m. MR. GOURLAY: Yes, within the next few days. As I said, I hope that I could have that in before the end CONCURRENT COMMITTEES OF SUPPLY of next week. SUPPLY - MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS MR. CHAIRMAN: 4.(a)-pass - the Member for Rossmere. MR. CHAIRMAN, Morris McGregor (Virden): I call the committee to order. We are on Resolution 96, MR. SCHROEDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I 4.(a) - The Member for Rossmere. must say, I find it to be an incredible position to be in to hear from the Minister that he is preparing MR. VIC SCHROEDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I legislation based on an interim report of a committee missed practically of this afternoon's session. I was that is still holding hearings, of a committee that is over in the Education estimates and I just caught the still going to the people of this province and tail end of some remarks with respect to a proposed pretending to ask them for their opinions on what is new bill being in the works as a result of an interim going on with respect to municipal assessment. The report of the Assessment Review Committee. I am taxpayers have been put to a great deal of expense just wondering whether the Minister is prepared to in order to, hopefully, discover something about release that interim report. municipal assessment. Now based on a report issued back in March, after which a number of hearings MR. CHAIRMAN: The Honourable Minister. have been held, the Minister has told us he is preparing legislation which will be in the House by HON. DOUG GOURLAY (Swan River): Mr. the end of the next week. Yet that committee is out Chairman, as I indicated this afternoon, that I haven't there for what purpose, up in northern Manitoba had a chance to bring this interim report before listening to people after a bill is in the process of Cabinet and there is some legislation being drafted being prepared. I find that totally incredible. We have with respect to the recommendations. I would hope the committee coming back into Winnipeg. It's going to have this information available and tabled in the to hold another hearing here in Winnipeg to sort of House hopefully by the end of next week at the clean up the remains. There were a few briefs that latest. hadn't been heard, so they are going to come here and hear those people. MR. SCHROEDER: I wonder whether the Minister If I were one of those people coming to the hearing could tell us when he received that interim report. at this point in time, I must say that I would be questioning the purpose of coming. I would certainly MR. GOURLAY: I can't just recall the exact date. I be questioning the usefulness of the committee from would say perhaps around the first of March. the end of March, from the time it issued its report, and I would certainly be questioning the government MR. SCHROEDER: Has he been in communication in terms of $ecrecy between now and the end of next with the chairman since, that is, in terms of any week. updating of that report? We know that there is a bill in the course of preparation. We know that it is based on a report MR. GOURLAY: I have had two three meetings which was issued at the end of March, and the with the chairman with respect to hearings that are government is not prepared to provide us with a taking place at the present time in northern copy of that report. The government is not prepared Manitoba. I'm not sure of the dates that those to provide the people who go to these hearings in hearings are completed but I believe it's around next northern Manitoba with a copy of that report. I would week or so they're finished. suggest that what you are doing is not only tying one hand behind people's backs, you're tying both hands Could the Minister advise as to MR. SCHROEDER: behind their backs and putting a blindfold over their where the committee will be holding hearings eyes and asking them to come along and talk to the between now and the end of the hearings? Is it committee. Why doesn't the committee or the strictly just up north? government prepare or allow the people to see that report and then when people go to this committee MR. GOURLAY: Yes, they have in Thompson and between now and the end of next week, they can The Pas, I believe. I just can't recall the dates of make some comments based on the interim those meetings which are in early June and then recommendations of the committee? I would strongly there is another meeting in Winnipeg to pick up urge the Minister to do that. presentations that were missed earlier, for anyone that wanted to submit further presentations. MR. GOURLAY: Mr. Chairman, the legislation is based on recommendations that were contained in MR. SCHROEDER: And the bill that is currently the recommendations from the interim report. The being prepared, does the Minister expect to table information supplied at the hearings that are still that in the House shortly? Is it within the next few.• going on, of course, will be important and will be days? given every due consideration. 4421 Thursday, 5 June, 1980 MR. SCHROEDER: Mr. Chairman, the Minister has MR. GOURLAY: Mr. Chairman, I would just like to stated again he is preparing legislation based on an respond that when the main report is tabled from the interim report which was provided to the government Review Commission, it will form the basis of most of at the end of March before which a number of the legislation. This is an interim report, with some hearings were held by that committee. The interim legislation, that will be brought in at this time. government is saying to the people of Manitoba, we will ignore everybody whom we heard after the end MR. CHAIRMAN: I think the Member for Ste. Rose of March of 1980. -(Interjection)- I hear from the still has the floor. background that is not the case. I would suggest then that the Minister table the report immediately so MR. ADAM: Yes, I have other questions to ask but if my colleagues want to talk on this very point I that we can discuss it. I would suggest not only for would accede to them and come back to the us, but also for those people who will appear before assessment part of the . .. that committee between now and the end of next week that that report should be tabled, and I would MR. CHAIRMAN: The next member who has the suggest that the Minister apologize to those people Chairman's eye is the Member for Logan unless he who have been attending at those hearings between wants to forego his place. the end of March and now, and who will be attending between now and the end of next week, for secretly MR. WILLIAM JENKINS: Mr. Chairman, I wish to preparing a bill based on an interim report which speak on this issue. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I really can't you're not prepared to table and which these people see the purpose of the Minister holding hearings. It do not have available to them when they go to is, as my colleague has said, that there is proposed discuss matters with a commission which appears to legislation that is being considered on a preliminary have made up its mind on what course of action to report that the Minister evidently has had since take; its made up its mind by the end of March of March, we're now into June, that's two months ago. 1980, and I would suggest to the Minister that the Surely there should have been some decision by balance of the hearings can be nothing short of a Cabinet, some consideration of this preliminary farce. report and now we find that here, in the dying days of the session, we're going to be given a bill on MR. GOURLAY: Mr. Chairman, as I indicated, I municipal assessment. I find it absolutely ludicrous would hope to be able to table the interim report by that the government can operate in such a slipshod the end of next week at the latest. manner. I mean, you haven't even finished the hearings, the hearings are going on. The Minister has MR. CHAIRMAN: 4.(a) - the Member for Ste. stated the hearings are going to be held in Rose. Thompson, The Pas, completion here in the city of Winnipeg and this is a very complex situation, the MR. A. R. (Pete) ADAM: I was speaking on that assessment. The assessment, I imagine, in parts of very point, Mr. Chairman, before we we rose for the Manitoba are as much as 10 to 15 years since supper hour and I find it incredible that . It's reassessment in some areas. I don't think the understandable that the government would bring in Minister will dispute that too much, there are parts of legislation if the interim report had been tabled but I Manitoba where an assessment hasn't been carried find it incredible that the Minister is telling us - in out at least in the last 10 to maybe 15 years. fact unbelievable - that the Minister is telling us Now if the Minister is coming in with legislation that the legislation is going to be introduced within that's going to make radical changes the next day or two before the interim report or (Interjection)- Well, we don't know, we haven't seen before the completed report is tabled in the House.