Second Session - Thirty-Ninth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LX No. 2 – 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 21, 2007 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Ninth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation 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. BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park N.D.P. BOROTSIK, Rick Brandon West P.C. BRAUN, Erna Rossmere N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. BRIESE, Stuart Ste. Rose P.C. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain 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. GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. 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. MARCELINO, Flor Wellington 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. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PEDERSEN, Blaine Carman P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SARAN, Mohinder The Maples N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELBY, Erin Southdale N.D.P. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface 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. 11 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, November 21, 2007 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to be PRAYER received by the House. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Provincial Nominee Program PETITIONS Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, I Neepawa, Minnedosa and Areas–Local Hospitals wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Mr. Stuart Briese (Ste. Rose): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative The background to this petition is as follows: Assembly of Manitoba. Immigration is critically important to the future These are the reasons for this petition: of our province, and the 1998 federal Provincial Nominee Program is the best immigration program Residents of Neepawa, Minnedosa, and the that Manitoba has ever had. surrounding areas are concerned about the long-term viability of their respective local hospitals. The current government needs to recognize that Impending retirements, physician shortages, and the the backlog in processing PNP applications is closure of many other rural emergency rooms have causing additional stress and anxiety for would-be caused residents to fear that their health-care immigrants and their families and friends here in facilities may also face closure in the future. Manitoba. The current government needs to recognize the Local physicians and many residents have unfairness in its current policy on who qualifies to be expressed their support for a proposed regional an applicant, more specifically, by not allowing health-care centre to service both communities. professionals such as health-care workers to be able to apply for PNP certificates in the same way a It is believed that a new regional health centre computer technician would be able to. would help secure and maintain physicians and would therefore better serve the health-care needs of We petition the Legislative Assembly of the region. Manitoba as follows: The success of other regional hospitals, such as To urge the Premier (Mr. Doer) and his Boundary Trails Health Centre, has set the precedent government to recognize and acknowledge how for the viability and success of a similar health centre important immigration is to our province by for the Neepawa and Minnedosa area. improving and strengthening the Provincial Nominee Program. We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows: Mr. Speaker, this is signed by Felix Sangalang, Lourdes Policarpio, E. Torres and many, many other To request the Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald), fine Manitobans. to consider the feasibility of a joint health centre, including an emergency room, to service Neepawa Introduction of Guests and Minnedosa and the surrounding area. Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I'd like to To urge the Minister of Health to consider draw the attention of honourable members to the sustaining health-care services in this area by public gallery where we have with us from Red working with local physicians and the Assiniboine River College Language Training Centre 14 Adult Regional Health Authority on this initiative. English as an Additional Language students under the direction of Linda Schroeder. This group is This petition is signed by Bernard Enns, Sylvia located in the constituency of the honourable Juskowiak, Amanda West and many, many others. Member for Fort Rouge (Ms. Howard). 12 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 21, 2007 On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): I'd like to thank the you here today. honourable member for his non-partisan question. ORAL QUESTIONS We certainly will continue to support the Conawapa Dam Winnipeg football club and the University of Status of Project Manitoba. In fact, we have a bet with the premier- elect, who's being sworn in in a couple of hours in Mr. Hugh McFadyen (Leader of the Official the province of Saskatchewan, who, unlike members Opposition): On a completely non-partisan note, I opposite, campaigned on more nurses and more want to take the opportunity to wish the Winnipeg doctors–a much more successful campaign. Blue Bombers well in this weekend's Grey Cup. The Premier has made similarly non-partisan comments, I I would point out, Mr. Speaker– know, over the past couple of days, and we look An Honourable Member: Come to Virden and we'll forward to a great day on Sunday. It's always good to put the sign up. be Blue and never more so than this coming Sunday, Mr. Speaker. * (13:40) We also want to take the opportunity to wish the Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, I will enjoy putting up the University of Manitoba Bisons every bit as much sign in our new four-lane highway to the success in the Vanier Cup. Saskatchewan border with Welcome to Manitoba– Home of the 2007 Grey Cup Champions, and after It does promise, Mr. Speaker, to be a great week the Bisons have won, we will leave enough room on for Manitobans. that sign for 2007, 2008, 2009. I will put one on the Mr. Speaker, I want to just now turn attention to Yellowhead Highway for 2011 and 2012. You know, yesterday's Speech from the Throne. We know that sunny skies for Manitoba football, and we look this is a government that has a record of re- forward to that. announcing initiatives time and time again. Throne Mr. Speaker, I note that there wasn't a great deal Speech after Throne Speech is a rehash of old of fanfare also on the new downtown Hydro building initiatives, recycled from speech to speech. in the Speech from the Throne, but I guess he thinks The one noticeable difference that we see from we're cancelling that as well. Oh, oh no, we didn't, one speech to another year after year is that they we just topped up that building today. The last storey usually drop off the failures from one year to the is now complete and you know, it actually represents next. There was lots of reference last year to the difference between members opposite– Wuskwatim; nothing this year. Transmission Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. capacity; barely any reference this year other than the east-west power grid which we all support and Mr. Speaker: Order. which Sterling Lyon campaigned on in 1977, and we Mr. Doer: The member from Brandon is chirping certainly look forward to seeing that move ahead, already again. Give us a few questions, be patient. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker– I also would note, Mr. Speaker, that the speech fails to make reference to the biggest capital projects Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh. of our generation. Last year, seven references to Mr. Speaker: Order. I need to be able to hear the Conawapa in the government documentation; this questions and the answers, please. year nothing. Last year reference to Wuskwatim; this year nothing. The honourable First Minister has the floor. I just want to ask the Premier: We can Mr. Doer: Yes, the building represents, first of all, a understand why he doesn't want to talk about cancellation of a building that was planned and Wuskwatim, why he doesn't want to talk about approved under the Conservatives to go in suburban bipole Nos.