First Session - Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable LouiseM. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLV No. SA -1:30 p.m., Monday, May 29, 1995 MANITOBALEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-sixthLegislature Members, Constituencies and Political Affiliation � Constituency :em ASHTON, Steve Thompson N.D.P. BARRETI, 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. Anhur-Virden P.C. DRIEDGER, Alben, Hon. Steinbach P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, Harry, Hon. Lakeside P.C. ERNST, Jim, Hon. Charleswood P.C. EVANS, Clif Interlake N.D.P. EVANS, Leonard S. Brandon East N.D.P. 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. HEL WER, Edward Gimli P.C. HICKES, George Point Douglas N.D.P. JENNISSEN, 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. Norben P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord St. Johns N.D.P. N.D.P. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows P.C. McALPINE, Gerry Sturgeon Creek McCRAE, James, Hon. Brandon West P.C. N.D.P. McGIFFORD, Diane Osborne MciNTOSH, Linda, Hon. Assiniboia P.C. N.D.P. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn St. James P.C. MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. River East P.C. NEWMAN, David Riel P.C. PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Ponage Ia Prairie P.C. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PITURA, Frank Morris P.C. PRAZNIK, Darren, Hon. Lac du Bonnet P.C. RADCLIFFE, Mike River Heights N.D.P. REID, Daryl Transcona P.C. REIMER, Jack, Hon. Niakwa P.C. RENDER, Shirley St. Vital N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric Rupertsland P.C. ROCAN, Denis Gladstone N.D.P. SALE, Tim Crescentwood N.D.P. SANTOS, Conrad Broadway P.C. STEFANSON, Eric, Hon. Kirkfield Park N.D.P. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin P.C. SVEINSON, Ben La Verendrye P.C. TOEWS, Vic, Hon. Rossmere P.C. TWEED, Mervin Tunle Mountain P.C. VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fon Garry N.D.P. WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River 159 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, May 29,1995 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Minister of Justice (Mrs. Vodrey), that leave be given to introduce Bill 6, The Public Schools Amendment PRAYERS Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les ecoles publiques, and thatthe same be now received and read a firsttime. ROUTINEPROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Motion agreed to. Bill 2-The Balanced Budget, * (1335) Debt Repayment and Taxpayer Protection and Consequential Amendments Act Bill 7-The City of Winnipeg Amendment Act Bon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Bon. Jack Reimer (Minister of Urban Affairs): Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by theMinister of Environment (Mr. Cummings), that leave be given to Education and Training (Mrs. Mcintosh), that leave be introduce Bill 2, The Balanced Budget, Debt given to introduce Bill 7, The City of Winnipeg Repayment andTaxpayer Protection and Consequential Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Ville de Amendments Act; Loi sur l'equilibre budgetaire, le Winnipeg, and thatthe same be now received and read remboursement de la dette et la protection des a firsttime. contribuables et apportant des modifications correlatives, and that the same be now received and Motion agreed to. read a first time. Bill8-The Off-RoadVehicles Amendment Act His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, having been advised of the contents of this bill, recommends it to Bon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural the House, and I would like to table the Lieutenant­ Resources): Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Governor's message. Minister of Highways and Transportation (Mr. I Motion agreed to. Findlay), move, seconded by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Enns), that leave be given tointroduce Bill �The Education Administration Bill 8, The Off-Road Vehicles Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les vehicules a caractere non Amendment Act routier, and that the same be now received and read a first time. Bon. Linda Mcintosh (Minister of Education and Training): I move, seconded by the Minister of Justice Motion agreed to. (Mrs. Vodrey), that leave be given to introduce BillS, The Education Administration Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur !'administration scolaire, and that Bill 9-The Wills Amendment Act the same be now received and read a first time. Bon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Motion agreed to. Attorney General): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson), Bill 6-The Public Schools Amendment Act that leave be given to introduce Bill 9, The Wills Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les Bon. Linda Mcintosh (Minister of Education and testaments, and that the same benow received and read Training): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the a first time. I60 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 29, I995 Motion agreed to. During the election campaign, the Premier promised to limit his public contribution to the Jets to $I0 BilllO-TheDevelopment Corporation million. Madam Speaker, it has since been reported Amendment Act that the figure may be as high as $37 million for the capital, up to $9 million potential loss of revenue to the Bon. James Downey (Minister of Industry, Trade province in terms of potential tax rulings from the and Tourism): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by federal government, and what remains unclear to us is the Minister of Rural Development (Mr. Derkach), that the status of the I8 percent shares that the provincial leave be given to introduce Bill I 0, The Development government owns in the Winnipeg Jets hockey team Corporation Amendment Act; Loi modifiant Ia Loi sur pursuant to the operating loss agreement signed by the Ia Societe de developpement, and that the same be now Premier in 1991. received and read a first time. Can the Premier advise us as to the status of the Motion agreed to. shares owned by the people of Manitoba through the Province of Manitoba? Billll-The Trustee Amendment Act Bon. GaryFilmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, they Bon. Rosemary V odrey (Minister of Justice and will remain as equity to the credit of the taxpayers of Attorney General): Madam Speaker, I move, Manitoba seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson), that leave be given to introduce Bill II, The Trustee Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, given the fact the Premier Amendment Act; Loi modifiant Ia Loi sur les promised to also cancel the operating loss agreement fiduciaires, and that the same benow received and read which created the shares that the Premier and the a first time. government of Manitoba now have, would this not constitute a further investment by the taxpayers of Motion agreed to. Manitoba in the Jets issue here in the Province of Manitoba on the operating side of the equation? * (I340) Introduction of Guests Mr. Filmon: No, Madam Speaker, because the only way that the taxpayers could have benefited from the Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questiqns, I would shares wouldhave been if the team had been sold to an like to draw the attention of members to the gallery to outside party interest outside the province that would my right, where we have seated today ninety-five have seen the money come back to the credit of the Grade II students from Murdoch Mackay Collegiate. taxpayers of Manitoba. These students are under the direction of Mrs. Pat Adams, Mr. Joe Ptashynski, Mr. Bruce Rand and Mr. Since we did not believe that this was in the best Eric Ott. This school is located in the constituency of interests of the province, obviously we will leave the the honourable member for Transcona (Mr. Reid). shares there as equity in the team. Onbehalf of all honourable members, I welcome you Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, the Premier could have this afternoon. also sold the shares to the new owners of the team, the MECgroup, the Shenkarow group and the other groups ORAL QUESTION PERIOD that are allegedly or reportedly taking over the team. Winnipeg Jets Status of Provincial Shares Would this not now constitute at least another $9- million public contribution to the Jets? Would this now Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam mean that we have $37 million potentially invested in Speaker, my question is to the First Minister. the capital, up to $9 million potentially invested in a May 29, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 161 revenue loss through a tax proposal that is before the So, MadamSpeaker, we will continue to treathealth federal government and now another$9 million in care more generously than almost any province in termsof the equity that we now hold in theownership Canada. of 18 percent shares, one of the largest percentage shares of any owner in a privately owned hockey team? Mr. Doer: The Premier never answered thequestion. The$9 million in equity in the privately owned hockey Mr. Filmon: No, Madam Speaker, you cannot have it team is equal to thehealth care cuts or hospital cuts of twice. Firstly, the Leader of theOpposition has already $8 million in thisyear's budget-money one way, equity talked about the fact that we absorbed some $9 million one way andcuts another way. of losses in the team for which we received, I might say, some $17 million of direct revenue to the taxpayer I would like to ask thePremier, what is the impact of for that $9 million in losses, andfor that $9 million in the 5 percent reduction at Seven Oaks Hospital on losses, we have $9 million of share equity in the team, patient care andon the standards of care for the people which remains there to the credit of the taxpayers of in Manitoba, a cut that was accelerated after the Manitoba, is not lost in any way.