October 21, 1999

Manitoba Family Services and Housing Minister Tim Sale will be meeting tomorrow with Minister of Human Resources Development Canada Jane Stewart in Ottawa.

This preliminary meeting with the federal minister leads up to the meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Social Union scheduled for next week. Manitoba recently assumed the chair of the council, consisting of provincial and territorial ministers.

"I welcome the opportunity to meet with the federal minister for the first time and to talk to her about Manitoba’s new role as chair of the council," Sale said. "The provinces and territories take turns chairing these talks, and the responsibility belongs to Manitoba for the next two years. I am pleased to take on this role which I am certain will be both interesting and challenging."

There have been several provincial elections recently, and this gathering will bring together many provincial ministers who will be meeting each other for the first time.

Alberta will be hosting the Social Union talks to take place Oct. 27 in Kananaskis. This meeting follows two days of discussions scheduled for provincial and territorial social service ministers on Oct. 25 and 26.

Sale is meeting today with the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, one of several social agencies he will be visiting during his time in Ottawa. He will also be meeting with several leading national social agencies, including the Canadian Council on Social Development, the National Council on Welfare and the Canadian Paraplegic Association.

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