Third Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXV No. 9 - 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 27, 2020 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC 291 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, October 27, 2020 The House met at 1:30 p.m. TABLING OF REPORTS Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Hon. Blaine Pedersen (Minister of Agriculture and Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled Resource Development): Madam Speaker, I'm here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to pleased to table the Manitoba Habitat Heritage the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O Corporation 2019-2020 Annual Report. merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister of accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Conservation and Climate, and I would indicate that Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen. the required 90 minutes notice prior to routine proceedings was provided in accordance with our Please be seated. rule 26(2). ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Would the honourable minister please proceed with her statement. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS Recycling Week Bill 206–The Provincial Court Amendment Act (Mandatory Awareness Training) Hon. Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Conservation and Climate): Last week was Waste Reduction Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): I move, Week in Canada, and I was very happy to proclaim seconded by the member for Point Douglas the third week of October 2020 and each year going (Mrs. Smith), that Bill 206, The Provincial Court forward will be hereby known as recycling week in Amendment Act (Mandatory Awareness Training), Manitoba. be now read a first time. Our government has a strong mandate to deliver Motion presented. our Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan. This plan sets out our vision for improving waste diversion Ms. Fontaine: I rise to introduce Bill 206, and recycling practices, among many other green The Provincial Court Amendment Act (Mandatory initiatives. Our goal is to transform Manitoba into the Awareness Training). This is the second time I'm cleanest, greenest, most climate-resilient province in introducing this bill, which will require a person to Canada. receive sexual assault training before taking office To support this transformation, it is important as a judge or a justice of the peace. A–misogynistic, for our government to work with all Manitobans, racist and harmful stereotypes have gone un- including individuals, businesses, Indigenous com- challenged and–relied upon in decisions in the munities, municipalities, environmental organizations criminal justice system. and educational institutions, to support and celebrate sustainability initiatives in our great province. As legislators, we owe it to all victims of gender- based violence to ensure all people who will be judges Notre gouvernement a un mandat fort pour mettre in our criminal court system know the realities of en œuvre notre Plan vert et climatique conçu au sexual assault and are aware these–of these realities as Manitoba. Ce plan présente notre vision pour they deliver their judgments. améliorer les pratiques de réacheminement et de recyclage des déchets, parmi de nombreuses autres I look forward to unanimous support of this initiatives vertes. Notre objectif est de transformer le long-overdue bill. Miigwech. Manitoba en la province la plus propre, la plus verte et la plus résiliente au climat du Canada. Madam Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to La semaine du recyclage a été une excellente adopt the motion? Agreed? [Agreed] occasion de reconnaître et d'honorer les précieuses Committee reports? contributions apportées par des individus, des 292 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA October 27, 2020 organisations et des institutions dans nos Unfortunately, the province's greenhouse gas communautés. rates are at an all-time high. The government has been taking us backwards, not forwards, on sustainability. Translation They have cut clean energy programs like Manitoba Our government has a strong mandate to implement Hydro's hugely popular solar rebate program, ended our Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan. This transit funding, decreased the number of electric plan presents our vision to improve waste reusing and busses and created the debacle with Efficiency recycling practices, amongst other green initiatives. Manitoba. Our objective is to transform Manitoba into Canada's During the pandemic, they also cut annual cleanest, greenest and most climate-resilient funding for environmental organizations that actually province. provide education to Manitobans, including Green Recycling week was an excellent opportunity to Action Centre, Climate Change Connection and the recognize and honour the valuable contributions of Manitoba Eco-Network, and then they forced the individuals, organizations and institutions in our same organizations to reapply and compete against communities. private businesses for their funding. English The Premier (Mr. Pallister) wasted millions of tax dollars on a lengthy challenge to the federal Thank you to GFL Environmental's Winnipeg carbon tax and jeopardized $67 million from the material recovery facility for the fascinating tour federal government Low Carbon Economy Fund last week. Their facility was recently awarded because he was refusing to sign onto the agreement. the National Waste & Recycling Association's His Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan 2020 Recycling Facility of the Year Award. has no emission targets, and in 2018, the Pallister Congratulations. government cancelled its own carbon tax plan without explanation, creating uncertainty for Another highlight from recycling week was Manitobans. an informative visit to Brady 4R Winnipeg Depot. I learned in many different ways how local recycling The Pallister government is also assessing the is sorted and processed for reuse. potential for divesting park infrastructure assets, and just yesterday we revealed that they're developing a Thank you to all of our waste management strategy that will fulfill government direction to workers across the province for your efforts to achieve a system for the sale of leased provincial park innovate and become cleaner and greener over the cottage lots. This is not a government that prioritizes years. Manitobans appreciate you year-round. our environment or our public shared spaces. We all have a role to play in protecting Manitoba's And this government has also frozen funding at environment, and our collective action will help 2016 levels for municipalities, meaning it has become shape attitudes toward sustainable waste management harder than ever for them to afford services such as practices. By working together, we can make waste and recycling services, or to implement a Manitoba the cleanest, greenest, most climate- comprehensive composting program. resilient province in Canada. * (13:40) Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is genuinely nice to recognize recycling week Ms. Lisa Naylor (Wolseley): Recycling is a tangible once a year, but we're still not on track to meet our behaviour that all Manitobans must do to protect our Paris Agreement climate targets. We have no clear environment, and it is important to remind citizens of emission goals. We have a Premier who spends more that responsibility. However, as we learn more about time fighting the federal carbon tax than he does climate science and sustainability, we have also fighting clime change. The Pallister government learned that recycling should be a last resort, that needs to aggressively improve its climate strategy reducing, reusing and ultimately refusing to create because recycling alone will not get us out of the unnecessary waste is much more effective. I would climate crisis. like to thank all Manitobans who are taking steps to adapt the way they live in order to reduce their carbon Mr. Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): I ask for leave footprint. to speak in response to the minister's statement. October 27, 2020 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 293 Madam Speaker: Does the member have leave to keep this event going over the years.