Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Speaker The Honourable Ben Hanuschak Vol. XVII No.7 8:00p.m., Thursday, March 19th, 1970. Second Session, 29th Legislature. Printed by R. S. Evans - Queen's Printer for Province of Man1toba ELECTORAL DIVISION NAME ADDRESS ARTHUR J. Douglas Watt Reston, Manitoba ASSINIBOIA Steve Patrick 10 Red Robin Place, Winnipeg 12 BIRTLE-RUSSELL Harry E. Graham Binscarth, Manitoba BRANDON EAST Hon. Leonard S. Evans Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 BRANDON WEST Edward McGill 2228 Princess Ave., Brandon, Man. BURROWS Hon. Ben Hanuschak 11 Aster Ave., Winnipeg 17 CHARLESWOOD Arthur Moug 29 Willow Ridge Rd., Winnipeg 20 CHURCHILL Gordon Wilbert Beard 103 Copper Rd., Thompson, Man. CRESCENTWOOD Cy Gonick 115 Kingsway, Winnipeg 9 DAUPHIN Hon. Peter Burtniak Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 ELMWOOD Russell J. Doern 104 Roberta Ave., Winnipeg 15 EMERSON Gabriel Girard 25 Lomond Blvd., St. Boniface 6 FUN FLON Thomas Barrow Cranberry Portage, Manitoba FORT GARRY L. R. (Bud) Sherman 86 Niagara St., Winnipeg 9 FORT ROUGE Mrs. Inez Trueman 179 Oxford St., Winnipeg 9 GIMLI John C. Gottfried 44- 3rd Ave., Gimli, Man. GLADSTONE James Robert Ferguson Gladstone, Manitoba INKSTER Hon. Sidney Green, Q.C. Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 KILDONAN Peter Fox 627 Prince Rupert Ave., Winnipeg 15 LAC DU BONNET Hon. Sam Uskiw Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 LAKESIDE Harry J. Enns Woodlands, Manitoba LA VERENDRYE Leonard A. Barkman Box 130, Steinbach, Man. LOGAN William Jenkins 1287 Alexander Ave., Winnipeg 3 MINNEDOSA Walter Weir Room 250, Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 MORRIS Warner H. Jorgenson Box 1B5, Morris, Man. OSBORNE lan Turnbull 284 Wildwood Park, Winnipeg 19 PEMBINA George Henderson Manitou, Manitoba POINT DOUGLAS Donald Malinowski 361 Burrows Ave., Winnipeg 4 PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE Gordon E. Johnston Room 248, Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 RADISSON Harry Shafransky 4 Maplehurst Rd., St. Boniface 6 RHINELAND Jacob M. Froese Box 40, Winkler, Manitoba RIEL Donald W. Craik 2 River Lane, Winnipeg 8 RIVER HEIGHTS Sidney Spivak, Q.C. 1516 Mathers Bay, West, Winnipeg 9 ROBLIN J. Wally McKenzie Inglis, Manitoba ROCK LAKE Henry J. Einarson Glenboro, Manitoba ROSSMERE Hon. Ed. Schreyer Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 RUPERTSLAND Jean Allard 119 Provencher Ave., St. Boniface 6 ST. BONIFACE Laurent L. Desjardins 357 Des Meurons St., St. Boniface 6 ST. GEORGE William Uruski Box 629, Arborg, Manitoba ST. JAMES Hon. A. H. Mackling, Q.C. Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 ST. JOHNS Hon. Saul Cherniack. Q.C. Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 ST. MATTHEWS Wally Johannson 15-500 Burnell St., Winnipeg 10 ST. VITAL J. A. Hardy 11 Glenlawn Ave., Winnipeg 8 STE. ROSE Gildas Molgat 463 Kingston Crescent, Winnipeg 8 SELKIRK Hon. Howard Pawley Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 SEVEN OAKS Hon. Saul A. Miller Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 SOURIS-KILLARNEY Earl McKellar Nesbitt, Manitoba SPRINGFIELD Hon. Rene E. Toupin Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 STURGEON CREEK Frank Johnston 310 Overdale St., Winnipeg 12 SWAN RIVER James H. Bilton Swan River, Manitoba THE PAS Ron McBryde 56 Paul Ave., The Pas, Manitoba THOMPSON Hon. Joseph P. Borowski Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 TRANSCONA Hon. Russell Paulley Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 VIRDEN Morris McGregor Kenton, Manitoba WELLINGTON Hon. Philip Petursson Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 WINNIPEG CENTRE J. R. (Bud) Hoyce 777 Winnipeg Ave., Winnipeg 3 WOLSELEY Leonard H. Claydon 116Y:. Sherbrook St., Winnipeg 1 121 THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 8:00 o'clock, Thursday, March 19, 1970 MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Fort Rouge. MRS. TRUEMAN: Mr. Speaker, when we adjourned at the dinner hour I think I had managed to harp for a while o~ an old string about the problems of a deserted wife. I find some difficulty in getting this information through to an all-male assembly apart froin myself. -- (Interjection) -- Okay, I'm glad to hear you're listening. I moved on to recommend to you the report of the Manitoba Volunteer Committee on the status of women and also pointed out the usefulness of perhaps having an educational program which would teach the young children to "keep off the grass." Now another matter which has been causing increasing concern to me as well as many other people is the increasing use of violence as a means of resolving differences. Now this is a real threat to the secure and stable society which has given us freedom from fear. Mili­ tancy seems to be the new tool for social reform and the emphasis is on rights more than on responsibility. Differences in interests and outlook create constant conflicts between the vari­ ous factions of our society, and while we may deplore the departure from rational discussion and compromise, yet paradoxically we regard violence on television as entertainment. Thomas P. F. Hoving, retiring Chairman of a National Citizens' Committee for Broad­ casting, an organization formed - and I quote - "to end the threat to our children's values, taste and sensitivity posed by prevailingtelevisionpatterns." This gentleman states: "The 22,000 hours of television that an average American child will watch before the age of18will undo at night all that we have done with our tax dollars during the day. While the child is l·e.-. ceiving 50 percent more of his basic education and initial impressions in front of a televisiop set than he will in the school room, he will be witnessing five acts of violence per hour." The American lutheran Church has just told its 2. 5 million members that children can acquire false standards, false values, false images of reality and a propensity for violence by watching television. After months of research on the impact ofT. V. on youthful minds, they find that any feeling of sensitivity or revulsion or shock, or sometimes even sympathy for the unfortunate victim of continuous brutal T.V. violence, is quickly neutralized by repetition. Mr. Richard Altovan says, "Not only has our national sensitivity been blunted when it comes to the infliction of pain and discomfort on others, but an almost frightening parallel is already apparent with the expanding brutality of ancient Rome where little by little the most un­ speakable torments that can be inflicted on the human body were gradually exposed to public view in the colliseum and other public arenas to satisfy an ever increasing public appetite for sadistic spectacles." Now while I cite American opinions, our situation is not too different. The recent decision in our courts that a man was justified in using a gun to protect his property has my sympathy, and yet I realize that if people are going to arm themselves then the criminals will carry guns for their self-defence and will probably shoot first and innocent lives will be lost. It is my feeling that we should address ourselves to understanding fully the causes and effects of the violence that you see around us and that we should institute preventive measures. In Ontario I note a bill was introduced in the Legislature which prop sed a fine for showing vic>hmce. I doubt that this would be a deterrent, in fact it seems to me a licensing of violence: But I think this is enough of serious matters which I am sure depresses all. Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish you well in your continuing role as Speaker. It must be difficult at times to preserve the traditional chairman's neutrality. The Member for Elm­ wood, who finds himself in a similar situation of refereeing an unruly group, deserves com­ mendation as well. The members from The Pas and Point Douglas distinguished themselves when moving and seconding the Speech from the Throne. This was not easy, for in my opinion there wasn't very much to get excited about. Implementing certain recommendations from the Social Service Audit sounds very mysterious. These recommendations are of course the result of years of study by other people who have made these recommendations to us. Now, where are your ideas? I see no recognition of the magnitude of some of the problems that I have described. There's a remarkable silence on day nursery plans. Surely we may anticipate an announcement on this service now that you have the opportunity to implement your previously declared position. And I'd like to know, and it says: "My government will introduce a measure to enable it to assume administrative responsibility for all social assistance programs in the province." 122 March 19, 1970 (MRS. TRUEMAN cont'd.) ••.. I can interpret that several ways. It sounds, if you believe it the way it's written, as if they were going to take over all of the voluntary agencies as well as the government agencies and place them under one administration, which will be quite a challenge. On the other hand, perhaps you mean all financial systems will.be under one administration or perhaps you really mean all provincial social assistance programs. Now I think if they are all under one administration this certainly makes for a large empire. It may be more efficient, but I think we must always remember that being big is not necessarily being better. The section on Health and Social Services in the Throne Speech I found unrmaginative, un­ inspiring, disappointing and a thing of platitudes. There's a caretaker attitude and we wait for further enlightenment. Thank you. MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Elmwood. MR. ENNS: Pass. MR. RUSSELL DOERN (Elmwood): Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin my comments by wishing you well in the months ahead and the difficulties you will have in restraining members of this House like my Honourable friend from Lakeside. Since the last session of the Legislature I have had the opportunity and the honour of sit­ ting on the Board of the Manitoba Telephone System.