Fifth Session- Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authorityof The Honourable Louise M. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLIX No. 54- 1:30 p.m., Monday, July 5, 1999 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Sixth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation 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 Arthur-Virden P.C. DRIEDGER, Albert Steinbach P.C. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood 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 Springfield P.C. FRIESEN, Jean Wolseley N.D.P. GILLESHAMMER, Harold, Hon. Minnedosa P.C. HELWER, 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. 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, Hon. 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, Hon. Turtle Mountain P.C. VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fort Garry P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River N.D.P. Vacant St. Boniface 3843 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, July 5, 1999 The House met at 1:30 p.m. seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Gilleshammer), that leave be given to introduce PRAYERS Bill 42, The Community Protection and Liquor Control Amendment Act (Loi sur Ia protection ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS des collectivites et modifiant Ia Loi sur Ia reglementation des alcools), and that the same PRESENTING REPORTS BY now be received and read a firsttime. STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES have here a message from the Committee of Supply Administrator indicating that the Administrator recommends the bill to the House, and I would Mr. Marcel Laurendeau (Chairperson): The like to table the Administrator's message. Committee of Supply has adopted certain resolutions, directs me to report the same and Motion agreed to. asks leave to sit again. Bill 44 -The Gaming Control Local I move, seconded by the honourable Option (VLT) Act member fo r Emerson (Mr. Penner), that the report of the committee be received. Hon. Shirley Render (Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs): Madam Speaker, I Motion agreed to. move, seconded by the Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship (Mrs. Vodrey), that INTRODUCTION OF BILLS leave be given to introduce Bill 44, The Gaming Control Local Option (VLT) Act (Loi sur les Bi1141-The Professional Corporations options locales en matiere de jeu (appareils de (VariousActs Amendment) Act, 1999 loterie video). Hon. Harold Gilleshammer (Minister of The Administrator, having been advised of Finance): I move, seconded by the Minister of the contents of this bill, recommends it to the Justice (Mr. Toews), that leave be given to House. I would like to table the Administrator's introduce Bill 41, The Professional Corporations message. (Various Acts Amendment) Act, 1999 (Loi de 1999 sur les corporations professionnelles Motion agreed to. (modification de diverses dispositions legislatives), and that the same be now received * (1335) and read a firsttime. ORAL QUESTION PERIOD The Administrator, having been advised of the contents of this bill, recommends it to the Winnipeg Child and Family Services House, and I am tabling the message from the Temporary Placements-Hotels Administrator. Motion agreed to. Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, my question is to the First BiU 42 -The Community Protection and Minister (Mr. Filmon). In June of 1998, the Liquor Control Amendment Act Premier stated that a system dealing with the care of children needs to put the children's care Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Justice and and services first. This was dealing with the Attorney General): Madam Speaker, I move, high unacceptable numbers of children in care 3844 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA July 5, 1999 under the responsibility of the Province of my first answer that a year ago there were Manitoba through the Winnipeg Child and children who were being lodged in hotels fo r Family Services branch and the high numbers of extended periods of time, up to six months or a kids in hotels. year, and that was unacceptable. I would like to ask the Premier: has the What is happening today is that children are number of children staying in hotels under the still in hotels if there is no other option and they guardianship of the provincial government, need to be protected, but it is not fo r extended through the Child and Family Services branch of periods of time. We are working aggressively Winnipeg, been reduced consistent with the talk with the Winnipeg Child and Family Services of the government last year,or has it gone up? agency to ensure that the appropriate accom­ modation is fo und as quickly as possible. Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): Madam Speaker, I thank my Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, maybe the safe honourable friend fo r the question. We have places could have been fo ster parents in homes been working really aggressively with the that this government, this Premier, this heartless Winnipeg Child and Family Services agency to Premier cut a number of years ago, his short­ try to ensure that hotels are not the first option sighted kind of decision making fu ll of rhetoric, fo r children. We have had some success in, at full of sound and fu ry, signifyingnothing. times-and I have to say at times, because it depends on the weather and the circumstances­ Can the Premier explain why the Winnipeg the numbers decline or increase from time to Child and Family Services budget includes five time. I can indicate that the stays in hotels are children per night in hotels, and regrettably they considerably shorter. are averaging 28 per evening? The cost is $23 1 per day per child, and they have gone over When this issue was raised when the budget by $200,000 in April alone, $160,000 problems existed last year, children were staying over budget. Surely we can find safer and in hotels fo r long, extended periods of time. warmer places fo r our kids than the Filmon hotel There always will be need fo r short-term placements of Winnipeg Child and Family placement of children if they are being Services. neglected, and there needs to be a safe place fo r those children. But we are moving aggressively, Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): I recall that one if hotels are the only option at that point in time, of the first challenges that faced us when we to ensure that children do not stay there fo r any took office in 1988 was the fact that our fo ster prolonged period of time. parents were the lowest paid in Canada. That was a legacy that was left fo r us by the New Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, it sounded like a Democratic Party, and we significantly increased recorded announcement of last year. the funding to the fo ster parents because they were in dire straits as a result of the New I would like to ask the Premier (Mr. Democratic priorities. That very significant Filmon): why has the number of kids gone up in increase put us into a position in which we were hotels, from 21 in April of 1998 to 28 in April of better off than we had been left by the New 1999, per day, a 33 percent increase, after the Democratic government, of which he was a part. Premier promised to put the needs of kids first? Does the Premier not get listened to by his But I can say this, that one of the things that cabinet ministers? Can he explain why this he too will recall is that while the New increase has gone up, and what is he doing about Democrats were in office, because there were so it? many significant cases of abuse and even death of children in care under the New Democrats, we Mrs. Mitchelson: Madam Speaker, again, I will had to have a review that became known as the indicate that when children are in need of being Reid-Sigurdson Report to look into why things protected because of abuse or neglect, we have were going so badly under the New Democrats, to find a safe place to put them. I indicated in in which the Leader of the Opposition was a July 5, 1999 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3845 cabinet minister, and of course the member fo r I have indicated very clearly that the Wellington (Ms.