Fifth 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. XLIX No. 8 - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, April15, 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. HELWER,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. MALOWAY,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, Rosann Swan River N.D.P. Vacant St. Boniface 313 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Thursday, April15, 1999 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Did the Premier send this ma tter tothe Civil PRAYERS Service Commissi on, and can the Premier rep ort back on their findings in terms of the conflict of ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS interest, as the Premier undert ook on November 5? TABLING OF REPORTS *(1335) Hon. Linda Mcintosh (Minister of Environment): I am pleased totable the IIth Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Annual Rep or t, the '97-98 rep or t of the Manit oba Speaker, subsequent tothe testim ony that I gave Hazard ou s Waste Management Corp orati on . bef ore the inquiry, further inf ormati on came ou t ab ou t Mr. Bens on's inv olvement and he Introduction of Guests subsequently retired fr om the public service of Manit oba. Madam Speaker: Pri or toOr al Questi on s, would like to draw the attenti on of all Mr. Doer: That was ov er a month later, Madam honourable members tothe public gallery where Speaker, so ob vi ously the undertaking he made we have this aftern oon fifty-tw o Grade 5 was not a very sincere on e. I would note that students fr om Wood lawn Sch ool under the when Mr. Film on took the matter of Seech directi on of Mrs. Anne Peters. This sch ool is Ga adharsinghj under notice in this House he located in the constituency of the honourable rep or ted back with a rep or t from the Civil member for Steinbach (Mr. Driedger). Service Commissi on. In fact, the Civil Service Commissi on rep ort was released tothe media the Als o, fiftyGrade 11 students fr om Technical same day that on e Jules Bens on was hired by the Vocati on al High Sch ool under the directi on of Premier fr om his post of being the Tory treasurer Mr. Mike Gartner. This sch ool is located in the tobeing the secretary of the Treasury Board. constituency of the honourable member for Wellingt on (Ms. Barrett). Given the fact that Mr. Bens on stated: I did not see any conflict in my roles of dealing with On behalf of all honourable members, I the Conservative Par ty and dealing with being welc ome you this aftern oon. the seni or civil servant, did the Premier, when Mr. Bens on was hired-given the contr oversy at ORAL QUESTION PERIOD the time ab ou t his hiring of that individual and the questi on s that were raised publicly -explain Jules Benson the law requiring seni or civil servants and pe ople Conflictof Interest paid by the public to keep their voluntary Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): political work away fr om their role as a civil My questi on is tothe First Minister. servant? Madam Speaker, during the testim on y at the Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, the laws of ou r Monnin inquiry, in dealing with questi ons of the pr ovince, as were or iginally passed by the alleged conflict of interest with Mr. Bens on, wh o Schreyer government, all owed for public was a seni or civil servant and als o inv olved in servants to participate fully in the elect oral the Tory electi on campaigns, the Premier stated pr ocess. I believe it was the Ly on administrati on that he had not reviewed this potential conflict that amended that, because of the considerable bu t certainly that is something I am prepared to inv olvement of deputy ministers, topr ovide for do. deputy ministers being excluded fr om that 314 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA April 15, 1999 matter. Those laws have been on the books, and Manitobans are asking if the Conservatives have those people who are hired in the public service learned anything from the Monnin inquiry. are knowledgeable and aware of their They know that three chiropractors have sent out requirements under the law. letters to their patients asking for support for Conservative candidates. We know that fo llow­ Public Servants up phone calls have been organized and have Conflict of Interest been made to those patients. We know that Mr. Ted Murphy, the candidate, is a close friend of Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): the Premier and has been on many boards, and Madam Speaker, obviously the Premier did not we know that Mr. Frank Clark, the nomination brief his newly appointed secreta ry of Treasu ry chairman fo r Mr. Ted Mu rphy, is an employee Board. The Premier had not sent this matter to of Spo rt Manitoba and lists his phone number on the Civil Se rvice Commission fo r over a month the letter advocating suppo rt for Mr. Mu rphy,his before Mr. Benson retired fr om the public work number at Spo rt Manitoba listed on the se rvice. letter that is sent out to the patients of chiropractors. Given the fact on page 57 fo rmer Justice Monnin states that Mr. Benson's involvement I am asking the Premier : have you lea rned was improper, and there was a lack of a anything from the Monnin inquiry? distinction between the roles of a public employee and a volunteer in the Conservative Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Party , what action has the Premier taken with Speaker, when this mat ter was raised in the people paid for by the taxpayers to make sure House on Monday of this week, I took a number that this kind of action does not take place in the of actions. I not only phoned directly to Dr. future? Daien , the chiropractor who was referenced on Monday, and found out that he was not a Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam member of our party butwas acting in suppo rt of Speaker, as I have pointed out, Mr. Benson paid a person that he wanted to see become the fo r his actions by retiring from his position. I nominee in Spring field, I asked Dr. Daien to can say that those actions, where people do the cease and desist. I also phoned Mr. Mu rphy, the honourable thing and retire or resign fr om their candidate in question. Mr. Mu rphy at that time positions, as has been done in the case of some, indicated to me that, to his knowledge, letters of is in marked contrast to the actions, fo r ins tance, support had been sent out by three chiropractors, of the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale) or and I asked him to contact eac h one of them and his Leader in not responding in any way to the ask them to ce ase and desist. I also wrote to Monnin repo rt that refers to the fact that the Elections Manitoba, and the Minister of Healt h member for Crescentwood is the only member of (Mr. Stefanson) contacted the Om budsman in this Chamber who was fo und to have done writing and as ked them all to cease and desist. wrong in this inquiry, the only member. No apology. No, in any way, response to this.