Fourth Session – Forty-First Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXII No. 5 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, November 26, 2018 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-First Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP BINDLE, Kelly Thompson PC CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC CURRY, Nic Kildonan PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FLETCHER, Steven, Hon. Assiniboia Man. FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Clifford Emerson Ind. GUILLEMARD, Sarah Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake PC JOHNSTON, Scott St. James PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP KLASSEN, Judy Kewatinook Lib. LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Burrows Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MAYER, Colleen, Hon. St. Vital PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REYES, Jon St. Norbert PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples Ind. SCHULER, Ron, Hon. St. Paul PC SMITH, Andrew Southdale PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC SWAN, Andrew Minto NDP TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Gimli PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC YAKIMOSKI, Blair Transcona PC 115 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, November 26, 2018 The House met at 1:30 p.m. about accountability for the content and not just accountability for spending, in order to improve the Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, level of debate. from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as Thank you. may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our Madam Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that adopt the motion? Agreed? [Agreed] we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know Committee reports? it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the TABLING OF REPORTS glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. Hon. Blaine Pedersen (Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade): Madam Speaker, I'm Please be seated. Good afternoon, everybody. pleased to table the quarterly report for the ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Communities Economic Development Fund. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Bill 204–The Election Financing Amendment Act International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Mr. Dougald Lamont (Leader of the Second Opposition): I move, seconded by the member for Hon. Rochelle Squires (Minister responsible for River Heights (Mr. Gerrard), that Bill 204, The the Status of Women): November 25th is the Election Financing Amendment Act, be now read a International Day for the Elimination of Violence second time and be referred to a committee of this against Women. It also marks the beginning of the House. 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Madam Speaker: It has been moved by the honourable Leader of the Second Opposition, Madam Speaker, we know that women and girls seconded by the honourable member for River here in Manitoba and around the world are all too Heights, that Bill 204, The Election Financing often subjected to sexual violence, abuse and Amendment Act, be now read a second time–be now harassment. Unfortunately, we know that some read a first time–perhaps we can start again and have women and girls around the world are also subjected the Leader of the Second Opposition just redo it. to sexual violence as a horrific act of war. One such community is the Yazidis. In the Mr. Lamont: I move, seconded by the member for summer of 2014, ISIS swept into the Sinjar region of River Heights, that Bill 204, The Election Financing northern Iraq, systemically targeting the Yazidi Amendment Act, be now read a first time. people. Those who were unable to flee were rounded up in what the UN, and indeed this Legislature, has Motion presented. recognised as a genocide. Men who refused demands Mr. Lamont: Just in reference to this bill, the to convert to Islam were shot, while the women were idea behind it is we’d like to raise the level of taken into captivity. There they experienced horrible the content, basically, in advertising related to abuse, being passed from captor to captor and used elections especially. as sexual slavery. Right now, when it comes to political adver- Last week, the Yazidi Association of Manitoba tising and other kinds of political content, if it's reached out to me to discuss their members' produced, usually it just says approved by–it used experience of the use of sexual violence in conflict. to be the official agent, but now approved by I was honoured to be able to meet them this the financial officer or–of a party, and we want to afternoon, along with my colleagues from Rossmere, make sure that it is more accountable, that the–it's St. Norbert and Fort Richmond. 116 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 26, 2018 All of us, Madam Speaker, have an obligation to disproportionately targeted simply because they stand up against the use of sexual violence as a represent the most marginalized in our society. weapon of war. And while we are fortunate enough to live in a country that is not experiencing anything Thanks to the #MeToo movement, our society is remotely resembling that level of violence or having open, frank conversations about misogyny. genocide, it is–its–we all need to work together to I encourage all members to do their part for the eradicate gender-based violence here at home in 16 days of activism. Do what you can over the next Manitoba and around the globe. few days, Madam Speaker, to support women and I welcome members of our wonderful Yazidi girls. Speak up when you see injustice and believe community here at the Legislature today. I thank survivors. them for sharing with me their story of survival and I encourage women and girls through the their courage and hope. And I want all of them to hashtag #HearMeToo to share recommendations on know that, here in Manitoba, we are your allies in actions, personal narratives of survivor and eradicating gender-based violence. reclamation, if you are able. And I invite men and I invite all Manitobans to join the 16 days boys to reclaim their commitments to ending– of activism and use the hashtag #HearMeToo as * (13:40) together we work towards ending gender-based violence. Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired. Thank you, Madam Speaker. And thank you to Ms. Cindy Lamoureux (Burrows): Yesterday the Yazidi community, who is here with us today. marked the first day of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence with the international day Madam Speaker: I would indicate that the required of the elimination of violence against women. 90 minutes notice prior to routine proceedings had These 16 days will be a time to increase awareness been provided in accordance with our rule 26(2). surrounding of the disproportionate amount of Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): November 25th violence women and girls face. was the International Day for the Elimination of We acknowledge that this violence is often Violence against Women, and the start of 16 Days of further compounded for indigenous peoples, Activism against Gender-Based Violence. LGBTQ2 community members, gender non-binary I would suggest activism, reclamation and individuals, those living in northern, rural and agency is desperately needed for and by Manitoba remote communities, people with disabilities, women and girls who, according to a Status of newcomers, children and youth and seniors. Women report, experience the highest rates of Statistics show that women face violence every sexual assault in all of Canada, Madam Speaker. day. Rates are double the rest of the country, with This year's theme uses the hashtag 81 per cent of police-reported incidences of partner #MYActionsMatter. #MYActionsMatter asks every violence made by women and girls. These rates individual to look within themselves to examine reflect only that which is reported to police, Madam ways one can question, call out and speak up against Speaker. We know the stigma, trauma and safety sexism and acts of gender-based violence. issues often prevent women and girls from reporting. The roots of gender-based violence are still Gender-based violence goes beyond the widely perpetuated through our language, the media physical. Many women and girls experience and the gender norms we teach our children. isolation, marginalization, intimidation, bullying, gossiping and harassment in the workplace, Concrete steps that enforce gender neutrality are affecting their work and mental health. Sadly but just one of the ways we can encourage ending not surprisingly, Madam Speaker, studies have gender-based violence. found that up to half of Canadian women and girls Gender, sexuality and gender identity are experience some form of harassment at work.