Air Command--Winnipeg
Government Strategy
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, first of all, we would like to pass on our condolences to the Downey family on the passing of the minister's father.
I have a question to the First Minister.
We were expecting on December 12 word about the military proposals dealing with the Air Command in Winnipeg, pursuant to the joint Senate and House of Commons committee recommending the closure of the Air Command and the merger of those commands in the Ottawa-Hull area and out of the community of Winnipeg.
This follows other decisions, Mr. Speaker, dealing with private contracts for aerospace jobs here in Manitoba, reductions in jobs here in the province of Manitoba, and we are very concerned about the Air Command here in Manitoba. It has close to a million dollars in payroll per month in the military, direct military in Manitoba, and a number of other civilian jobs here in the province of Manitoba.
I would like to ask the Premier: What is the strategy of the provincial government dealing with keeping the Air Command positions here in Manitoba and dealing with the proposals now from both the Defence minister and the joint Senate and the House of Commons committee?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite both for his words of condolence for the Deputy Premier--and I will pass those along, of course--and, secondly, for his question about a very troublesome issue.
The Leader of the Opposition and I spent a great deal of time in Ottawa and travelling back and forth to Portage la Prairie in years gone by as we dealt with the closure of the base there and its renewal in the form of a private training centre. We did, of course, at that time have the support of Liberals in this House. We did, of course, at that time have the support of Liberals in Ottawa.
It is very disconcerting to see the actions being taken today to add to those actions that have already destroyed hundreds of jobs, high-tech jobs in the private sector in the aerospace industry with the cancellation of the EH-101 helicopter contract. Now we have tremendous potential job losses both at Bristol Aerospace in the CF-5 overhaul losses that are being alluded to and now the potential for reorganization and loss of Air Command.
We have been talking, I have been talking with various senior-officer-level people at Air Command. Of course, there is no certainty in any of the proposals at the moment. Our position will be to do everything possible to convince the federal government in Ottawa that they ought to ensure that there is a balance and a fairness to Canada in the distribution of its military personnel, in the distribution of its military employment.
We believe that there continues to be very, very strong evidence that this is the best place for Air Command, that in all of the changes, certainly centralization to Ottawa ought not to be an option and that Air Command ought to remain here. We will do everything within our power to convince Ottawa. We, obviously, have not seen any final plans. It is in the rumour stage, but we will be doing everything we can to head it off at the pass, so to speak, Mr. Speaker.
Aerospace Industry
Defence Conversion Program
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, I am sure all members of the House join you on the Air Command issue and the payroll here in Manitoba.
Mr. Speaker, we have lost a number of jobs in the private sector aerospace industry. We have cited Boeing in the past. Bristol is being challenged, the cancellation of the helicopter, but all those programs were supposed to be replaced by a defence conversion program. I think it is important that the government not only raise the concerns and opposition to the federal government moving away from these jobs in Manitoba, but also have an alternative program for the aerospace industry here in Manitoba.
Does the provincial government have a conversion strategy with the federal government? Can the Premier table that in this House today so that we all can join together with positive suggestions to implement the promise to move from a military industry, a defence conversion program which was promised, to help industries in transition from high military production to high-tech civilian production in Manitoba?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, we have been very much involved in the creation of an Aerospace Industries Association here, which I think is a very positive contribution on the part of the industry itself.
Formerly, industry sectors that were in like areas of manufacturing used to look upon themselves as competitors. As a result of some leadership that I think is very forward looking, our industry here has created a co-operative situation in which they work together.
We as a government have been very supportive of it and working very strongly with them so that any of these kinds of opportunities for conversion are ones that we will not only be a part of but supportive of and very much involved with the Aerospace Industries Association on.
The difficulty, of course, is that a major, major economic contributor, a financial contributor to the aerospace industry was the military purchases. Major decisions have been made by the federal Liberal government to cut down their intended purchases, particularly the EH-101. We are told now that operating costs and maintenance costs on the old helicopters that many view as very dangerous are much higher than expected and the net savings that were projected are much less, if any, Mr. Speaker. All of those decisions, of course, continue to impact the industry.
The difficulty is that they are facing the same pressures on the private side, on the private commercial aircraft purchase side. In fact, Boeing has indicated very grave concerns at the fact that very few of their new aircraft are being purchased by Canadian-based airlines and have indicated their concerns.
I have been in touch with the CEO of Boeing in Seattle to let him know that we believe it is very important that they maintain their commitments here, their presence here, their employment here. Given that this is one of their lower-cost production centres throughout North America, we believe that there is strong reason why they ought to continue to support the Winnipeg operation, but that too has impacts based on decisions that are made outside of our level of government.
* (1010)
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, in the Speech from the Throne and in documents we have had from the government, we have not seen a proposal from the provincial government, a strategy from the provincial government, to deal with the changes in both the private and the public sector of the federal government.
I know that the federal government is involved in these decisions, but, Mr. Speaker, we want to go beyond the concerns raised with the federal government to have a strategy that we put in place, a positive strategy that we put in place, not just a retroactive criticism of the federal government.
There were another 30 layoffs last week, Mr. Speaker, in the aerospace industry. Week after week, workers are very fearful of their jobs here in Manitoba, and I would ask the provincial government and the Premier to table forth a positive proposal for the aerospace industry in Manitoba, a proposal that we can all work together on so that we can keep people working in these industries here in Manitoba.
Mr. Filmon: Well, of course, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite spends all of his time being critical and negative. He does not propose anything positive either.
I can tell the member opposite that in working with an organization, for instance, like Standard Aero engine, they have expanded dramatically the areas of the world in which they are now working. They are getting work out of many other sectors as a result of combined efforts and support from our government, many more sectors than they have had ever before. When it comes to areas such as Bristol Aerospace, we have met with them, with potential clients from many countries of the world, including Korea. We have met with them here in Winnipeg; we have gone with them to Asia to lobby. I made a personal approach to the Prime Minister while we were away to ensure that he raised at a meeting in APEC with the head of government of Malaysia a potential contract for Bristol Aerospace.
Mr. Speaker, we have been proactive in going after new opportunities, new markets, and new thrusts for those companies so that they can, in fact, add to their workload and keep their workforce here, if not enhance it.
Video Lottery Terminals
Social Costs
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, I hope the Premier is successful in getting a positive program on this unfortunately shrinking industry.
Speaking of industries, there is a very, very rapidly expanding industry in this province, that is, the lottery industry. It has expanded, doubled, quadrupled under the Filmon government. It is now rather ironic that a publicly owned corporation, the publicly owned monopoly, the Lotteries corporation, is now well ahead of any other company in the top 100 on the Manitoba business guide. The profits of the corporation exceed Great-West Life and Investors Syndicate combined, maybe even more companies in terms of the Lotteries revenues. Every day--in fact, the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson) put out a statement saying it would be $180 million on a Tuesday; on a Thursday we had it grow to $210 million in potential revenue. Who knows where the Conservative lottery policy will end in terms of the revenues?
Mr. Speaker, the government indicated in its Speech from the Throne that early nurturing of vulnerable children is one of the best investments in the future that can be made. Does the government in any one of its hundred health care committees, and I ask the Premier this question, have any review of the impact of VLTs on children in our province?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I find it really interesting, the hypocrisy of the member opposite when it comes to talking about Lotteries, because everybody in Manitoba remembers full well that the first lotteries in Manitoba were brought in, in 1970, for the Manitoba Centennial under a New Democratic government. Everybody knows that the first casino was opened under New Democrats in this province. Everybody knows that New Democrats took over and established the first two bingo palaces in the province. Everybody knows that it was the New Democrats who set up the Manitoba Lotteries corporation, so that they could expend all of the revenues of gaming in this province and all of the avenues and opportunities for gaming in this province.
I find it absolutely incredible that I could hear this kind of hypocrisy from the Leader of the New Democratic Party (Mr. Doer) in this Legislature, Mr. Speaker.
I will take the rest of that question as notice and make sure that the minister responsible comes back with the answer.
* (1015)
Mr. Doer: Well, he did not answer any of the question, Mr. Speaker, because the question we dealt with was VLTs, and this is the king of the VLTs in Canada. Nobody else has created them and nobody else has expanded them but the Premier himself, the member for Tuxedo (Mr. Filmon).
I asked a very specific question dealing with the status of children and the hundred committees this government has running around the province, bumping into each other, studying various forms of health. They have about eight committees, as we understand it, discussing or reviewing the issue of children's health.
We have been given material, Mr. Speaker, that deals with the review of video lottery terminals and children, and I quote: We have visited several regions of the province in determining the needs of Manitoba children. In all rural regions visited, concern was expressed regarding the impact on children of video lottery terminals in rural areas. The concerns included VLTs consuming income necessary for nurturing of children and the potential lack of supervision through VLT use and abuse.
I would ask the Premier: Has he received this information from his Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae)? Is he acting on the recommendations dealing with children or are the words in the Speech from the Throne dealing with nurturing of children, just like many of the other words of this Premier, hollow?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition, because just a week or two ago he put forward an action plan, a so-called NDP action plan that says that they are putting children first.
I thought at the time that what the Leader of the Opposition was doing was turning a corner in the approach of his party in addressing health issues in Manitoba. It was significant that it was the Leader of the Opposition that made this announcement and not his critic because the approach being taken previously by the honourable member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak) has always been unhelpful and just critical and here we have a positive approach which I have said and say again today: I appreciate that approach because we are all Manitobans, Mr. Speaker, and we should all be working together to try to improve our health system.
The honourable members ought to be aware that we are involved in numerous ways in improving health services and health care services for young people in Manitoba, including initiatives in the area of fetal alcohol syndrome, teen pregnancy, physical education, school-based health programs, speech and language therapy, aboriginal youth health care strategy, rural and northern services child strategy, an action plan for interdepartmental co-ordination of services for children, child safety programs, and on and on and on, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, I asked the Premier whether he has implemented the recommendation dealing with the nurturing of children and the impact of VLTs that is coming from one of his 101 committees that he has in health care.
This is a very serious recommendation, Mr. Speaker, coming to his government, and I would ask the Premier: Is he implementing the recommendation made on nurturing of children that has been made by one of his 101 committees that says specifically that, of lottery funds defined for treatment programs, specific research should be undertaken on the impact on children in rural areas and appropriate remediation directed at the results of such research dealing with VLTs in rural Manitoba?
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, we do have, of course, an Addictions Foundation of Manitoba that is given significant funding to deal with counselling and all sorts of areas of concern that may be raised with respect to addictions of any type, whether that is alcohol, whether that is gaming, whether that is drugs or anything else, and additional resources were put to the AFM so that specifically counselling and other resources would be made available should any needs arise or should any needs be identified.
I am informed, Mr. Speaker, that those resources are considered to be adequate for the needs that are there.
* (1020)
Balanced Budget Legislation
Introduction
Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our caucus, we join with you and the Leader of the Opposition and all members of this House in also extending our sympathies to the Downey family at this time of tragedy.
Leaving aside for a moment the issue of the hypocrisy of this government bringing forward balanced budget legislation six and a half years after straight deficits and $4 billion in new debt, so far the Premier has discussed this, mused about this in generalities and has been long on rhetoric and short on specifics.
My question for the Premier: Will he be placing this legislation before this House before his next budget? Is he prepared to have us discuss and debate and vote on this legislation before his next budget, which will be another, we predict, in a long string of deficit budgets in this province? Will he put it before us so we can debate it and we can stop this outrageous string of deficit budgets. Is he prepared to do that?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, when we speak of hypocrisy, of course, it does bring to mind the Leader of the Liberal Party, because he is the only person I know who can be on every side of every issue all at the same time and give everybody the impression that he is their friend and be absolutely committed to do all the wrong things when he is agreeing with them.
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Liberal Party makes an interesting number of points. Firstly, he suggests that somehow he is in favour of balanced budgets. At the same time, he has voted against budgets because they have not spent enough time after time after time. The greatest hypocrisy is the news release that he put out just before the throne speech in which he said that he wanted to do things to address child poverty. When he had a chance to vote for the highest tax credits for families with children in this country in the budget of 1989, he voted against it. It put hundreds of dollars into the pockets of all families with children in Manitoba, and he voted against it. That is the greatest hypocrisy that he perpetrated.
Secondly, Mr. Speaker, he uses again a false number, a false number of course that he inherited from the article in today's newspaper by one Frances Russell, and that is that this government has somehow added $4 billion to the province's debt. What he does not say is that $1.7 billion of that $4 billion was simply transferred onto the books because Limestone came on stream during that period of time, an investment that was made prior to this government.
What he does not say is that another over $400 million of that debt was part of the debt that came on from other Crown corporation spending, that this government has increased the debt of this province at a rate of 1.3 percent of GDP per year, which is the lowest increase, the lowest deficit of any province in Canada as a percentage of GDP throughout seven budgets in government. What he does not say is that every time we have had a budget in this province, he has advocated more spending and a higher deficit, Mr. Speaker. That is the kind of hypocrisy that we deal with.
He also refers to the so-called balanced budget legislation in New Brunswick and he does not say that it leaves out capital debt entirely. On that basis, this province had a balanced budget this year, a balanced budget on an operating basis this year.
So we will talk about deficits. We will talk about balanced budgets, and we will see where that member in his hypocritical stance really does stand.
Mr. Edwards: That was a very entertaining diatribe from the Premier, Mr. Speaker. He cannot have it both ways. He says, the $4 billion includes capital, and then he says he does not want to include capital. Either it does or it does not; $2.3 billion operating, $4 billion including capital.
My question to the Premier, Mr. Speaker: He has had seven budgets in a row with deficits, seven in a row, and now in the dying days of his second term he says, we want balanced budget legislation. Will that legislation require a government to balance the budget more than once in every seven years? Would he be in breach of his own proposed legislation? Where is it, Mr. Speaker?
Why will he not commit to putting it before this House before the election, proving that this is more than an election gimmick?
* (1025)
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, the member does not even understand that there is a difference between capital debt that is in the hands of a Crown corporation and capital debt that is supported only by the tax dollars of the people of Manitoba. He does not understand that, but he will eventually if the public allows him to stay as Leader of the third party long enough. Maybe then he will have a sense of all of the things that have to be dealt with in government and he will be able to understand his questions a little better.
Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that this government has worked very, very hard with no support from the opposition parties to get our deficit down to the point that we are now within hailing distance of a balanced budget. We want the public to know that we are absolutely committed to keeping a balanced budget in future.
Mr. Speaker, the fiscal plan says that this government will balance the provincial budget by 1996-97, and we are also going to table legislation to ensure that it carries on from there.
Because I heard the member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) make some reference to a surplus in 1988, I would like to table the pages from the budget that was introduced by the Pawley government in 1988, the budget that one may remember Mr. Walding voted against. It talks about a $334 million deficit. That was what was left for the people of Manitoba. I would like to table that so members opposite will understand exactly what happened, because they have selective recall.
Mr. Edwards: Mr. Speaker, the essential message from this Premier and this government is: Do as I talk, not as I walk. This Premier is saying: After seven deficits, we are converted; we want to balance the budget with regularity.
There have been seven budgets in a row that have run deficits.
My question for the Premier: We have January and February, we have the rest of this month before the Christmas break, Mr. Speaker. Will he commit to putting this legislation before us? We will commit to staying in January and February to debate it, to talk about it, to vote on it and to put some meat on the bones of the rhetoric that he is engaged in. Is he prepared to have this debate and have this vote before his next deficit budget?
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, actions speak louder than words.
This is the government that against all of the opposition from the members opposite, including the member for St. James (Mr. Edwards), who day after day in this Legislature has stood up and told this government to spend more, spend more, spend more--against all of that advice, we have continued without any increase in taxes.
I recall him and his Leader who was before him saying that they would raise taxes and they would spend more and they would increase our deficit. Now he is trying to be a born-again deficit fighter, Mr. Speaker? Give me a break.
* (1030)
Prostate Clinic
Report Tabling Request
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): A prostate centre is a good idea, Mr. Speaker, but so was breast screening and we have not seen it. So was community-based care and we have not seen it. So was nurse-managed care and we have not seen that.
Will the minister today table the study and report recommending the prostate centre and outlining the plans for it, or will he keep it secret like all of the other over 100 government committee reports?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): The difference, Mr. Speaker, in the approach we have adopted over the last several years to the renewal of our health system and the one seemingly advocated by the honourable member is that we are indeed very open and consultative in our approach, so we announce our intention in the throne speech.
As the days and months ahead unfold, details of all of these measures that we have announced will come forward. The honourable member I hope will remain supportive along with his Leader, who has taken a slightly different approach to the whole matter than the honourable member has, which leads to a little confusion about where the NDP really does stand, but it is nice to know that we have their support for these efforts.
As details are available, we will be making them known.
Correspondence Tabling Request
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, will the minister today table the correspondence and communication that the province has had between the province, the Department of Health and the urologists in the province and the patients and the support groups dealing with prostate cancer? Will he table that correspondence and that information so we can have a look at an understanding of what is happening?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated and as the throne speech indicates, our approach has involved consultations amongst over 15,000 Manitobans. That includes all kinds of professionals--medical professionals, nursing professionals and all the others--as well as consumers of health care services in Manitoba.
There is nothing very secret as far as I can tell, because most reports that we are involved in have the input of dozens of people. We have released a number of reports, and we will continue to release reports as we are able to do so.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, I take that answer as, no, he will not release the correspondence between the provincial urologist in the province and others.
Funding
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): My final supplementary, Mr. Speaker, is: Will the minister advise this House whether funding for this project will come out of the more than $20 million additional to be cut out of the hospitals budget this year and what that funding will be for the centre?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I think, in an unprecedented way, the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson) has met with hospital administrators from all across Manitoba to lay out for them, in a general way, the direction the government is going in a budgetary sense in this coming fiscal year, giving them the kind of lead time that they have always wished they had for their planning.
The minister also made it clear, as the throne speech has done, that the next budget will see redirected funds from acute centres to various areas of community health services.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said to the honourable member, with respect to urology, the funding and its source and its location and all of those issues will unfold in due course.
RCMP
Policing Services
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Justice.
A few weeks ago the RCMP had to take the unprecedented move of announcing that this government has made absolutely--and this is their word, "absolutely"--no effort to maintain a reasonable standard of policing in this province and noted many Manitoba communities which are dangerously underpoliced. In response, the Minister of Justice has reported on November 5 as saying that she had not been officially advised by the RCMP of these grave concerns. The RCMP reports that on August 12 their commanding officer wrote a seven-page letter to the minister about their concerns, and the minister confirmed receipt of that letter on September 20. We hear one thing always from this minister and another thing always from people in the justice system, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, Manitobans deserve to know the truth. Is the minister saying that the RCMP of this province are lying?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, let me start from the beginning of what the member is attempting to put forward.
First of all, the comments that were made, not directly to me but through a supposedly, according to the press, leaked document to the press, at that time did not represent the RCMP's position. In negotiating these government deals with the senior officers of the RCMP, the commanding officer of the RCMP in Manitoba has made that clear and has confirmed that. The comments which were made were made by a divisional representative, by a person working within the system who reports simply to who reports to officers within the system. He does not officially negotiate with this government, and let me make it clear, and the RCMP will clarify this also, he does not speak for the RCMP.
Mr. Mackintosh: The minister has missed the most significant issue regarding the administration of justice, I think, in many, many years. The minister says, reportedly in the paper, that she was not advised by the RCMP officially of their concerns. Given that the RCMP say that their commanding officer personally met with this minister, the commanding officer met with this minister on August 8 of this year and the minister confirmed the outcome of this meeting by letter on August 11, who are Manitobans to believe, the chief law enforcement officer of this province or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Mr. Speaker?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, let me say again that this government has and continues to have negotiations with officials of the RCMP. Yes, the member is quite right, I do meet directly with the commanding officer of the RCMP in the province of Manitoba. That is exactly how our negotiations continue. They do not continue through the newspaper, through the media and through documents that are put out by divisional representatives; instead they proceed in a formal manner.
Let me reassure Manitobans again that this government has a very strong commitment to public safety. Mr. Speaker, this government has increased the budget of the RCMP from $23 million to over $46 million.
We maintain a strong commitment and strong planning with the RCMP to make sure that services are available to Manitobans.
Mr. Mackintosh: Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has now contradicted the reported comments she made in the media. She admits now that she has had ongoing meetings with the RCMP, was officially apprised of their concerns.
Will the minister now step down so Manitobans can have confidence in a Justice minister in this province and so that she can be replaced by someone who will work with people in the justice system?
Mrs. Vodrey: In the newspaper article which the member refers to, he will note that I was also quoted in that article as saying that I have ongoing meetings with officials of the RCMP, with the commanding officer of the RCMP and that I in fact do negotiate and that in fact there had been in the past and continue to be meetings which deal with the needs and the concerns of RCMP officers.
Mr. Speaker, the depth of this member's research has been through a newspaper article. Had he read the whole article he would have found those comments also included in the article.
* (1040)
Video Lottery Terminals
Social Costs
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Throughout my constituency and throughout rural Manitoba, in communities such as Mafeking, Camperville, Swan River and many other communities, community leaders are concerned with the impact of video lottery terminals. Store owners are expressing concern that there is not as much money being spent on groceries. Teachers are concerned about the health of the children in the schools and their ability to learn, many of them because of lack of food.
Why is this government not moving on the recommendations made by its own committee that money should be put into research on the impacts of video lottery terminals on children in rural Manitoba?
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Ms. Wowchuk: That is the same thing we are all getting in rural Manitoba, no answers from this government.
The question is: Why is this government not moving on recommendations to do research into the impacts of the video lottery terminals? When and how much money are they prepared to put in?
Now I will ask the Premier: Are you not concerned about the children of rural Manitoba and the impacts of video lottery terminals?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I know it must be embarrassing to members opposite to have the member for Swan River, who has been here for four years, not know that she is supposed to place the question to a member of the government. That is why they have moved her into the front row so that she can get some instruction from some of the veterans.
Point of Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Mr. Speaker, our rules indicate that we place questions to the government. It is up to the government to determine who answers those questions. If they do not want to answer, that is fine. We do not need that kind of lecture.
Mr. Speaker: The honourable member is correct in his point of order. The question is put to the government.
The honourable First Minister is answering the question.
* * *
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier in response to the same question from her Leader, the fact is that we have placed resources with various areas of government to ensure that if there are difficulties, if there are needs within the community for counselling, support services and others, those are available with the resources, the additional resources that we have placed in the various programs.
Ms. Wowchuk: Mr. Speaker, this government talks about hypocrisy in this morning's Question Period, but they are the hypocrites. How can they accuse others of being hypocrites when they are not answering the questions? Why will they not accept the recommendation that is made by their own committee?
If they will not accept that recommendation, can they tell us how much money is being drained out of rural Manitoba and how much money they are prepared to put back into resources to support children who are affected by the gambling with video lottery terminals? I ask the Minister responsible for Lotteries (Mr. Ernst).
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, as has been reported in this House before, $2.5 million has been allocated to the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.
Ms. Wowchuk: Of that, I would ask the government if they will designate specific money to deal with children. There are children who will not be counselled by the Alcoholism Foundation. We have to have money designated and supports put in place for children in rural Manitoba. Will the minister make that commitment?
Mr. Filmon: The Addictions Foundation serves the needs of the families of Manitoba; families obviously include children.
NONPOLITICAL STATEMENTS
Hanukkah Celebration
Mr. Speaker: Does the Honourable First Minister have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, as Manitobans begin preparations to celebrate the approaching holiday season according to the traditions of their heritage, we are reminded of this province's great cultural diversity. This week our Jewish community is joining their brethren the world over in observing Hanukkah. This eight-day commemoration recalls the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after Antiochus of Syria was driven from its sacred ground. The symbolic lighting of the Menorah each evening re-enacts the miracle of the small amount of holy oil which burned for eight days until the new oil could be prepared. It is a vivid reminder of the triumph of good over evil--a theme shared and celebrated by many other cultures. For more than 2000 years and across many lands, the Children of Israel have celebrated this victory of faith.
Manitobans of Jewish descent have proudly contributed this and other aspects of their heritage to the great multicultural mosaic in our province and country.
Manitobans recognize that each and every celebration or observance represents a significant contribution to our community and the quality of life within it.
In the spirit of this holiday season, and in recognition of and respect for the Jewish community of Manitoba for their achievements and contributions to our province, I ask the members of this House to join with me in extending our sincerest best wishes during Hanukkah. Members opposite probably have observed that we do have a Menorah out front in the Legislature--I believe for the first time--and the lights are being lit in the evening during the period of the eight days in which the celebration occurs. It will be my privilege tomorrow evening to light the seventh light, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Kildonan have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, I join together with the Premier, and I am sure all members of the Legislature, to also wish best wishes to all Manitobans of Jewish descent and background concerning the celebration of Hanukkah. I think it is a testimony to not only the multicultural nature of this province, but of the ability of this province to recognize all faiths when in fact there is a Menorah out front of the Legislature that stands as a symbol not only to a religious faith, but to the make-up of this province. I also think it is a testimony to the nature and the make-up of this province when grade school children in our public school system can come to the Legislature and in fact recognize that that is a Menorah and recognize what it symbolizes even if they are not of Jewish faith.
I join with all members of this House to honour all Manitobans and wish them all a happy Hanukkah.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable Leader of the second opposition party have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr. Speaker, I wish to join on behalf of our caucus members with the members in the other parties in recognizing the celebration and the festival and the religious ceremonies which will form part of the Hanukkah celebration around the world and, of course, in particular in this province. We extend our best wishes to the Jewish community.
Mr. Speaker, it is, I think, symbolic and very important and a very welcome addition to our Legislature that we have a Menorah outside the front. I think that is a very positive thing. I did notice it, and it is very beautiful as one sees it lit up each night.
I want to congratulate the Premier and the government for taking that step and taking that initiative. We join with all members of this House in celebrating the rich heritage and past and contribution of the Jewish community, really to the world community, but obviously in this context to our own province and our own communities in Manitoba. We wish them a very happy, happy Hanukkah, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Wellington have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
World AIDS Day
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Mr. Speaker, yesterday many MLAs in this Chamber wore a red ribbon in recognition of international AIDS day. This year the World AIDS Day theme was AIDS in the family, Families take care, which combined the values of the International Year of the Family and also addressed the devastating impact HIV AIDS is having on an increasing number of families around the world.
On World AIDS Day and throughout the year, community groups and individuals are endeavouring to increase awareness that this pandemic is shaking the foundation of all families. Whether we define a family as two parents and children, a single parent with children and extended group of relatives, a core of close friends or a team of co-workers, families are affected by HIV AIDS. Family, friends and volunteers are caring for more people with HIV AIDS across our province.
Health and Welfare Canada estimates that by the year 2000, one in four people living in the North will be HIV positive. We must all continue to work together with people living with AIDS, health care professionals, community groups and individuals to ensure that a comprehensive strategy is in place in Manitoba to deal with this devastating disease.
* (1050)
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Crescentwood have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Ms. Avis Gray (Crescentwood): Mr. Speaker, we join with the official opposition party to say a few words in regard to World AIDS Day, which was yesterday, December 1.
Again, I was pleased that most of the members of this Legislature chose to wear red ribbons as a symbol of World AIDS Day. Certainly, in this Year of the Family, I think it is important to recognize that there are many different kinds of families. There are a lot of families right here in Manitoba who are, in fact, facing the difficulty of HIV and the effects of the HIV virus.
Certainly, in the last number of months, we have seen the community rally together in support of programs such as hospice organizations, looking at AIDS shelters and actually getting the community together to really deal with the issue of HIV virus.
We certainly would like to put our comments on the record and say that we recognized yesterday as World AIDS Day. Hopefully, as we move into 1995, all of us will be more aware of this terrible disease, of the effect on all families in Manitoba and that we can all do our part to ensure that we can do as much as possible to assist the families through their suffering and, if possible, eliminate the disease.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable Minister of Health have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I thank honourable members and join with all of my colleagues in this House in making a comment in reference to World AIDS Day, which indeed was yesterday.
Those of us who know, as I do, families who have been touched by this disease know of the incredible hurt, the incredible loneliness that accompanies this disease. I think a worldwide awareness of that and an awareness of the things that we should do to prevent the spread of AIDS is an extremely worthwhile endeavour.
I join with my colleagues in observing international AIDS day.