Fifth Session- Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authorityof The Honourable LouiseM. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLIX No. 12- 1:30 p.m., Wedn esday, April21, 1999 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. 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, 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, Rosano Swan River N.D.P. Vacant St. Boniface 479 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, April 21, 1999 The House met at 1:30 p.m. On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon. PRAYERS (1335) ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS ORAL QUESTION PERIOD TABLING OF REPORTS Athena Educational Partners Partnership Agreement Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I am pleased Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): to table the 1997-98 report fr om the Council on Madam Speaker, Athena Educational Partners, Post-Secondary Education; the Annual Financial which is owned by Telescene, is proposing five­ Report for the year ended March 31, 1998, fo r year contracts to Manitoba schools, an issue that Brandon University; the Annual Financial the minister will be aware of. The contract Report fo r 1998 of the University of Manitoba; includes, in the five-year agreement, TV s and the Annual Report fo r the year ending June 30, computers in exchange fo r a 12.5-minute daily 1998, fr om the Public Schools Finance Board; program, 10 minutes of which is allegedly news the Financial Statements fo r the year ended and two and a half minutes is direct March 31, 1998, fo r the University of Winnipeg; commercials. the Annual Report fo r 1997-98 for the Department of Education and Training. I would like to ask the minister, in lieu of the responsibility of the government on ' Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister or Natural curriculum, what is the position of this Resources): Madam Speaker, I would like to government on the purchase of commercials table the 1997-98 report fo r Natural Resources; during the curriculum time fo r kids in our the '97-98 report for the Sustainable schools. Development Innovations Fund; the '97-98 report for the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Education Corporation; the year ending March 31, '98, and Training): Madam Speaker, as to whether report for Venture Manitoba Tours; and the advertising should be present in classrooms, this Pineland Forest Nursery '97-98 Annual Report. would be a matter best addressed by school boards themselves in consultation with their Introduction of Guests communities, parents, students, and educators. My department, of course, in tum would Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I examine whether there are any administrative would like to draw all honourable members' issues to any arrangement. I would not want the attention to the public gallery where we have issue being raised here today to be confused with this afternoon seven Grade 12 students from St. other private-public partnerships, and I believe Claude School Complex under the direction of that is understood. Honourable members Miss Sharon Olson. This school is located in opposite would be aware of the private-public the constituency of the honourable Minister of partnership announced yesterday with the Agriculture (Mr. Enns). Anokiiwin school in the city of Winnipeg, where Morris-MacDonald School Division partnered And, thirty-seven Grade 5 students fr om Dr. with Anokiiwin school to assist in ensuring that D.W. Penner School under the direction of Mrs. adults of aboriginal or Metis or Inuit ancestry Pat Brolund and Mr. Ken Bartel. This school is could access a Grade 12 education to help located in the constituency oft�e Speaker. prepare themselves fo r a better future. 480 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 21, 1999 Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, of course we are Mr. Doer: Well, in the annual report of the aware of Tech Voc and Boeing co-operative Department of Education-and we have had arrangements but always with the public owning numerous interventions by previous ministers of the curriculum. The commercials that are shown Education on establishing the responsibility of in these shows, Nintendo commercials, corn pop curriculum and taking leadership in curriculum commercials, as part of the curriculum time in Manitoba. Madam Speaker, if the proposal being devoted to children in the classrooms-part was fo r an hour of commercials a day, would the of their kids' attention is now being directed to minister take a position, or if it were two hours a watching these commercials under this program, day, would the minister take a position? Of which is built on the concept developed by course, he would. Commercial time in the Channel 1 in United States. curriculum shown to kids takes away from teaching time in the curriculum fo r kids. I want Surely, if this government can take a my kids to be learning something fr om a teacher, position on issues like God Save the Queen and not getting Nintendo ads and corn pop ads in on issues of other curriculum issues-and the school. minister knows in the annual report that we are The province of New Brunswick, the responsible fo r leadership-why can this minister Premier of New Brunswick, the minister in Nova not take a leadership position on commercials Scotia and also the minister in British Columbia like corn pops and Nintendos in our classrooms? have said no. They have taken leadership on I am opposed to it. these curriculum issues. Would this minister just say no to commercials during curriculum Mr. McCrae: Well, Madam Speaker, I think time in the classroom? that I respect the positions taken by honourable members opposite on any number of issues. I Mr. McCrae: I think the honourable member respect them. It does not always mean I one maybe should show a little more respect fo r our hundred percent agree. In fa ct, we know that colleagu�s who are elected school trustees across - there are occasions when agreement eludes this province. I would be as shocked as the honourable members opposite and myself on honourable Leader of the Opposition if children various issues. I, too, would have concerns if were subjected to hours of commercial television my children or the children of my ads on any given day, wh ich is what the contemporaries in Manitoba should be subjected honourable member said. Obviously that is to things that are not appropriate or that in any ridiculous. way would interfe re with the curriculum requirements of our New Directions in Does the honourable Leader of the education. Opposition think that our elected trustees across this province are so irresponsible that they would Having said that, I also respect the allow that sort of thing to go on? Does the autonomy of elected people at the school honourable member want to get rid of school division level and matters like this are, in my boards altogether and take over their jobs fo r opinion, best leftto elected officials at the school them? That is what is implicit in his question. division level to make decisions in consultation Let him let his whole position be known, not just with the teachers, with the school business part of it. officials, and with the parents in the division. A debate like this is a good and healthy debate, and * (1340) it ought to take place at the level of the school division. The honourable member wants to have Athena Educational Partners that debate here, and to some extent I can agree Partnership Agreement with his sentiments. I do not want the children of this province subjected to things they ought Ms.