Second Session - Thirty-Ninth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. LX No. 5 – 1:30 p.m., Monday, November 26, 2007 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Ninth Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLAN, Nancy, Hon. St. Vital N.D.P. ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley N.D.P. ASHTON, Steve, Hon. Thompson N.D.P. BJORNSON, Peter, Hon. Gimli N.D.P. BLADY, Sharon Kirkfield Park N.D.P. BOROTSIK, Rick Brandon West P.C. BRAUN, Erna Rossmere N.D.P. BRICK, Marilyn St. Norbert N.D.P. BRIESE, Stuart Ste. Rose P.C. CALDWELL, Drew Brandon East N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave, Hon. Kildonan N.D.P. CULLEN, Cliff Turtle Mountain P.C. DERKACH, Leonard Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary, Hon. Concordia N.D.P. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. EICHLER, Ralph Lakeside P.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage la Prairie P.C. GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin Steinbach P.C. GRAYDON, Cliff Emerson P.C. HAWRANIK, Gerald Lac du Bonnet P.C. HICKES, George, Hon. Point Douglas N.D.P. HOWARD, Jennifer Fort Rouge N.D.P. IRVIN-ROSS, Kerri, Hon. Fort Garry N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. JHA, Bidhu Radisson N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.P. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LATHLIN, Oscar, Hon. The Pas N.D.P. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.P. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.P. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden P.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARCELINO, Flor Wellington N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McFADYEN, Hugh Fort Whyte P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.P. MELNICK, Christine, Hon. Riel N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie River East P.C. NEVAKSHONOFF, Tom Interlake N.D.P. OSWALD, Theresa, Hon. Seine River N.D.P. PEDERSEN, Blaine Carman P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. ROBINSON, Eric, Hon. Rupertsland N.D.P. RONDEAU, Jim, Hon. Assiniboia N.D.P. ROWAT, Leanne Minnedosa P.C. SARAN, Mohinder The Maples N.D.P. SCHULER, Ron Springfield P.C. SELBY, Erin Southdale N.D.P. SELINGER, Greg, Hon. St. Boniface N.D.P. STEFANSON, Heather Tuxedo P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan, Hon. Dauphin-Roblin N.D.P. SWAN, Andrew Minto N.D.P. TAILLIEU, Mavis Morris P.C. WOWCHUK, Rosann, Hon. Swan River N.D.P. 101 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, November 26, 2007 The House met at 1:30 p.m. themselves facing the future with little hope of a meaningful COLA. PRAYER For 2007, a COLA of only 0.63 percent was paid ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS to retired teachers. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS The COLA paid in recent years has eroded the Bill 4–The Provincial Court Amendment Act purchasing power of teachers' pension dollars. (Family Mediators and Evaluators) We petition the Legislative Assembly of Hon. Dave Chomiak (Minister of Justice and Manitoba as follows: Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded To urge the provincial government to consider by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger), that Bill 4, adequate funding for the PAA on a long-term basis The Provincial Court Amendment Act (Family to ensure that current retired teachers, as well as all Mediators and Evaluators); Loi modifiant la Loi sur future retirees, receive a fair COLA. la Cour provinciale (médiateurs et enquêteurs familiaux), be now read a first time. Signed by Irene Lemk, Lorraine Unrau, Kim Morrow and many, many other Manitobans. Motion presented. Mr. Speaker: In accordance with our rule 132(6), Mr. Chomiak: I am pleased to introduce the reading when petitions are read they are deemed to be of this act, which will give provincial courts specific received by the House. powers in a dispute about custody or access or a related family matter, to refer the parties to Dividing of Trans-Canada Highway mediation or a family evaluator's report. Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): I wish to present the Confidentiality requirements for information following petition to the Legislative Assembly of acquired during mediation for proceedings to the Manitoba. Provincial Court are consistent with those that are proceeding in the Court of Queen's Bench. Thank These are the reasons for this petition: you, Mr. Speaker. The seven-kilometre stretch of the Trans-Canada Mr. Speaker: Is the pleasure of the House to adopt Highway passing through Headingley is an the motion? [Agreed] extremely busy stretch of road, averaging 18,000 vehicles daily. PETITIONS This section of the Trans-Canada Highway is Retired Teachers' Cost of Living Adjustment one of the few remaining stretches of undivided Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield): Mr. Speaker, I wish highway in Manitoba, and it has seen more than to present the following petition to the Legislative 100 accidents in the last two years, some of them Assembly of Manitoba. fatal. These are the reasons for this petition: Manitoba's Assistant Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation told a Winnipeg Since 1977, Manitoba teachers have made radio station on October 16, 2007, that when it contributions to the Teachers' Retirement comes to highways projects the provincial Allowances Fund Pension Adjustment Account, government has a flexible response program, and we PAA, to finance a Cost of Living Adjustment, have a couple of opportunities to advance these COLA, to their base pension once they retire. projects in our five-year plan. Despite this significant funding, 11,000 retired In the interests of protecting motorist safety, it is teachers and 15,000 active teachers currently find critical that the dividing of the Trans-Canada 102 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA November 26, 2007 Highway in Headingley is completed as soon as moved back to Virden when these beds become possible. available. We petition the Legislative Assembly as We petition the Legislative Assembly of follows: Manitoba as follows: To request the Minister of Infrastructure and To request the Minister of Health (Ms. Oswald) Transportation (Mr. Lemieux) to consider making to consider taking serious action to fill the nursing the completion of the dividing of the Trans-Canada vacancies at personal care homes in the town of Highway in Headingley in 2008 an urgent provincial Virden and to consider reopening the beds that have government priority. been closed as the result of this nursing shortage. To request the Minister of Infrastructure and To urge the Minister of Health to consider Transportation to consider evaluating whether any prioritizing the needs of those seniors that have been other steps can be taken to improve motorist safety moved out of their community by committing to while the dividing of the Trans-Canada Highway in move those individuals back into Virden as soon as Headingley is being completed. the beds become available. This is signed by Leanne Wilson, Valerie Chatain-White, Bonnie Leullier and many, many Mr. Speaker, this petition is presented by Helen others, Mr. Speaker. Koop, Verna Fillion, Margaret Rempel and many, many others. Personal Care Homes–Virden Crocus Investment Fund–Public Inquiry Mr. Larry Maguire (Arthur-Virden): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, I the Legislative Assembly. wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. These are the reasons for this petition: Manitoba's provincial government has a The background to the petition is as follows; responsibility to provide quality long-term care for The 2007 provincial election did not clear the qualifying Manitobans. NDP government of any negligence with regard to Personal care homes in the town of Virden the Crocus Fund fiasco. currently have a significant number of empty beds The government needs to uncover the whole that cannot be filled because of a critical nursing truth as to what ultimately led to over 33,000 Crocus shortage in these facilities. shareholders to lose tens of millions of dollars. In 2006, a municipally formed retention committee was promised that the Virden nursing The provincial Auditor's report, the Manitoba shortage would be resolved by the fall of 2006. Securities Commission's investigation, the RCMP investigation, and the involvement of revenue Virtually all personal care homes in Canada and our courts, collectively, will not answer southwestern Manitoba are full, yet as of early the questions that must be answered in regard to the October 2007, the nursing shortage in Virden is so Crocus Fund fiasco. severe that more than a quarter of the beds at Westman Nursing Home are sitting empty. Manitobans need to know why the government ignored the many warnings that could have saved the Seniors, many of whom are war veterans, are Crocus Investment Fund. therefore being transported to other communities for care. These communities are often a long distance We petition the Legislative Assembly of from Virden and family members are forced to travel Manitoba as follows: for more than two hours round trip to visit their To urge the Premier (Mr. Doer) and the NDP loved ones, creating significant financial and government to co-operate in uncovering the truth in emotional hardship for these families. why the government did not act on what it knew and Those seniors that have been moved out of to consider calling a public inquiry on the Crocus Virden have not received assurance that they will be Fund fiasco. November 26, 2007 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 103 Mr. Speaker, this is signed by M. Valdez, place. Obviously, we want to extend our very best H. Perez, E. Balaquit and many, many other fine wishes and also thank the local members in the area Manitobans.