Fourth Session - Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Louise M. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLVIII No. 18 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, March 16, 1998 SN -54 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Sixth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ASHTON, Steve Thompson N.D.P. BARREIT, 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. Robl in-Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary Concordia N.D.P. DOWNEY, James, Hon. Arthur-Virden P.C. DRIEDGER, Albert Steinbach 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, 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. Norbert P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord St. Johns N.D.P. MALOWA Y, 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 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 Turtle Mountain P.C. VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fort Garry P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River N.D.P. Vacant Charleswood 73 1 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, March 16, 1998 The House met at 1:30 p.m. the public gallery where we have this afternoon, 36 visitors ofthe 66th Air Cadets Squadron from Thunder PRAYERS Bay, Ontario, under the direction of Mr. Scott Cameron. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you PRESENTING PETITIONS this afternoon. Winnipeg Hospitals Food Services-Privatization * (1335) Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Madam Speaker, I beg ORAL QUESTION PERIOD to present the petition of Lorraine McBain, Linda Griffin and Lisa Anderson praying that the Legislative Education System Assembly of Manitoba urge the Minister of Health (Mr. Advisory Committee Report Praznik) to put an end to the centralization and privatization of Winnipeg hospitals fo od services. Mr. Gary Doer (Leader ofthe Opposition): Madam Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood): Madam Speaker, I Speaker, my question is to the First Minister (Mr. beg to present the petition of Violet Milinkovic, Anne Filmon). A school trustee in rural Manitoba just Horner, Dana Naskar and others praying that the recently stated that she felt that they were in the Titanic Legislative Assembly of Manitobaurge the Minister of and that the Education minister was in another boat Health to put an end to the centralization and sailing by with the radio turned off. That really privatization of Winnipeg hospitals fo od services. illustrates what we are hearingacross Manitoba from a number of trustees both in and outside of Winnipeg. Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Thomas R. Horn, Serle F. The government received in November of 1997 an Fowler, Greg Robinson and others praying that the advisory committee report. An advisory committee Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to made up of trustees, parents, teachers and request the Minister of Health to consider immediately administrators from the department has received that cancelling the hospital fo od proposal and concentrate report. on delivering quality health care instead of using health dollars to provide contracts fo r private firms. I would like to ask the Premier: was he apprised of what was in that report, and why did his government TABLING OF REPORTS not fo llow the advice of their own advisory committee in dealing with the future of public education and the Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, it is opportunities fo r our young people in this province? my pleasure to table the Report of the Manitoba Legislative Task Force on Canadian Unity. I have not Hon. Linda Mcintosh (Minister of Education and provided sufficient numbers for all members of the Training): Madam Speaker, on an annual basis, the Legislature, because it is my understanding that all minister's advisory committee will provide us members of the Legislature have already been provided commentary on each year's funding aspects to the with copies of said report. division, so we very much appreciate the advice they give us. The advice is, in some cases, acted upon and Introduction of Guests in other cases not, depending upon our own Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would circumstances. Last year, as you recall, we introduced like to draw the attention of all honourable members to greater flexibility to school divisions in dealing with 20 732 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA March 16, 1998 percent of their categoricals, and this year, as you I have to indicate that many of the school divisions know, we were able to indicate at least what the floor that this year are fe eling the impact of reassessment would be for fundingfo r the province again to assist in faired extremely well under previous years with the multiyear planning. same fo rmula. Trustees have indicated they do not wish to see the fo rmula changed. For example, in Portage Ia Prairie where it talks about an increase in the This year's problems that the member referred to in rate, what they are talking about in terms of dollars is the quote from the trustee from Brandon were due to about $26 a household. Those divisions that have this assessment, reassessmentand declining enrollment, and year experienced a high impact of reassessment, as I I have met with that particular board to discuss their indicated, many faired very, very well under that same situation. They now recognizethat they will be getting fo rmula in earlier years. Brandon, for example, having $256,000 which they had not realized they could had an increase of 11.5 percent during the succeeding incorporate this year, which is going to be a great help fe w years, and that was during an era when funding to them, and we are looking at reassessment phase-ins increases from the province overall were not there, so for following years, again through the advice of the they are working fr om a very secure base. advisory council. Funding-Property Taxes Funding-Technological Needs Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): The Speaker, it looks like the minister's radio is turned off minister's radio is not turned on. They are not working when it deals with her own advisory committee or from a secure base. report. It looks like that trustee was right on in their assessment of this minister. The advisory committee Madam Speaker, taxpayers paying property taxes for report, and this is two years running, condemns the school taxes have had hundreds of dollar increases in shift on taxation to property tax base and says fo r this their taxation under this minister and this Premier over year, fo r the '98 school year, that we should not have the last number of years, and that is why the increases in property taxes to pay for education, that recommendation is to make that shift to general those increases should come from the general revenues revenues this year rather than the property taxes of the Province of Manitoba. Now this committee is implemented by this governmentthrough their cutbacks made up of assistant deputy ministers in the minister's in fu nding over the last five years. The report further department, parents, trustees, superintendents, and recommends, as a No. 2 priority, that some $15 million when we look at the Beautiful Plains School Division is needed for new technology for our kids, for our getting an 11 percent tax increase on property taxes, we future, for Manitoba children and fo r our schools. How look at the Kelsey School Division, we look at can the minister square this recommendation based on Transcona, we look at Winnipeg School Division No. student need of $15 million with the $1.8-million 1, obviously this government is not listening. announcement that she made, which is approximately $10 per student, to meet the future technological needs? I would like to ask the Premier: why do you continue Why are we depriving our kids a decent future by to shiftthe burden onto the property taxpayers, and why denying them the technology that is recommended by do you continue not to listen to your own advisory their own advisory committee? committee's recommendations? * (1340) Bon. Linda Mcintosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I believe in Friday's Bon.