Hog Industry

Mr. Frank Pitura (Morris): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to address the members this afternoon. I want to talk about this province's growth in the pork industry. As members may know, last July 1 the dual marketing system for hogs became effective. Whole hogs marketed, whether through Manitoba Pork or directly through processors, are subject to a levy of $1.01 per hog. This regulation allows more flexibility in the hog marketing system which will create greater opportunities for job growth, exports and processing in Manitoba's pork industry.

Madam Speaker, Manitoba's hog industry is regarded as one of the province's greatest areas for economic growth. This province's hog production is expected to double by the year 2000, creating 8,000 new jobs in production, processing, distribution and related industries. New export sales could pump an additional $500 million into the Manitoba economy each year and on-farm investment another $350 million.

Right now the Manitoba hog industry has an unprecedented opportunity to be a catalyst for job growth. Manitoba has earned an international reputation for superior pork quality, and with the end of the national grain transportation subsidies, our province will have the most competitively priced feed grains in the nation. Now we must not only expand our production of hogs but also capture a greater share of the processing so we can extract even more economic value from this industry. With every additional 1,000 hogs that are produced and processed in Manitoba we can gain six more jobs. On September 16, Maple Leaf Foods acquired Burns Foods. This government's change in Manitoba's pork hog contracting monopoly is credited in part from Maple Leaf's decision to buy, to acquire Burns. Maple Leaf's chief executive, Archie McLean, at the time said that Gary Filmon and Agriculture Minister Harry Enns take full marks for the leadership they have taken with regard to the contracting of hogs.

Furthermore, Madam Speaker, Schneiders corporation began a $40-million expansion of its Winnipeg hog plant to expand exports. This is an example of how this government is working to create opportunities for Manitoba.

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Indian Act Amendments

Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): I, too, have a statement for the House. On September 23 and 24, the Assembly of First Nations held an emergency conference in Winnipeg to debate proposed changes to the Indian Act by the federal government. Over 800 delegates, including chiefs, councillors and elders from many different nations from across Canada attended the meeting, at which they unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the amendments.

The resolution in part reads that the Chiefs in Assembly reject the proposed Indian Act amendments and reject the authority of the federal government to make laws over First Nations and that the Chiefs in Assembly direct the national chief, Ovide Mercredi, to call upon the Prime Minister to meet with himself and the Chiefs in Assembly before the end of November this year to undertake a substantive discussion on what measures First Nations would like to undertake on a bilateral basis to address their priority issues, including the implementation of the inherent right, aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations.

Further to that, the Chiefs in Assembly are urging all chiefs in Canada to begin consulting their people at the community level to develop more appropriate processes on the implementation of First Nations rights and jurisdiction. A chiefs committee on the enforcement of First Nations-Crown relationship will identify options and strategies to combat legislation and identify priorities with respect to a redefined First Nations-Crown relationship.

These are important issues which will have a major impact upon all First Nations people in this province. First Nations people have every right to be suspicious of the federal promises that they have seen over 125 years of paternalism and racism masquerading as assistance. In conclusion, the federal minister and his colleagues should listen to what Grand Chief Ovide Mercredi, the AFN and chiefs from across Canada are saying, that the parallels between the current amendments and the 1969 white paper are very strong. The minister should scrap his proposals. Proposals that change the Indian Act should come from First Nations and not be unilaterally imposed upon them. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

La Verendrye Community Activities

Mr. Ben Sveinson (La Verendrye): Madam Speaker, I rise today to tell you a little bit about the sunny attitude in La Verendrye throughout the summer and, indeed, I am sure will permeate into the future.

Madam Speaker, I travelled from one end of my constituency to the other throughout the summer. I do it all year but more so since we were out of the Assembly. I visited many, many communities and I have approximately 18 communities in my constituency. It runs all the way from St. Adolphe at the Red River, Ile des Chenes, Landmark, Lorette, right through to West Hawk, Falcon, Rennie, Prawda, and so on.

The functions that I attended were really super community functions, parades. The one thing that was really noticeable, and although it was there in the past but not as strong, is the family portion of those community functions--very strong and very well attended. The other thing that I noticed in a couple of them was the trade shows that they were putting on--again very well attended. Many of the businesses and people throughout the area that had a sale of items were there and it was also very well attended.

I also attended a number of different openings of businesses and expansions of business, changing over of businesses, some that had been renovated and so on, and as late as Monday I was at another grand opening in Ste. Anne. It was the opening of a food store, and it is owned and operated by Mr. Jacques St. Vincent. I wish him and his wife all the best in the future in their business.

There was a little bit of tough luck in the farming community with some hail that hit a few of our farmers, but on the whole the crops are looking very well and are coming off. I really think they will do very well.

Madam Speaker, I know I am running out of time, but I wanted to touch on--

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Mr. Sveinson: I am sure that in the future I will have another chance to tell you how sunny things are in La Verendrye. Thank you.

Highways--Northern Manitoba

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Over the last number of years one of the big concerns in northern Manitoba has been in regard to our transportation links, particularly the poor state of our highways. I find it rather ironic that this week, as we mourn the passing of a former member for Thompson, Mr. Joe Borowski, in looking back, Madam Speaker, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In 1969, when Mr. Borowski was elected as an NDP MLA for the then-constituency of Churchill, later to be re-elected as part of the Schreyer government, the big issue at the time was the fact that the Conservatives were ignoring northern roads. In fact, they had developed the fine art of announcing 20 miles of pavement just before every election. It was a 700-odd mile trip from Thompson in those days to Winnipeg, and we had a one-lane bridge. What it took was an NDP government to get elected to build a two-lane bridge, to build Highway 6, which cut the journey by 80 percent, and to pave every single square inch of Highway 391.

What has happened since that time? Well, the pattern continues itself. The NDP, in the 1980s under Howard Pawley, went and developed northern roads, spending as much as 20 percent of the budget on northern highways. It built the road into Split Lake and Gillam. It built the Easterville Road and paved that road, and it upgraded every single northern highway.

Where are we today in this year 1996? Back to the future with this Conservative government. Just like in 1969, we have a government that has cut back on northern roads to as little as 5 percent of the budget in recent years. Highway 391 and other roads need fixing; Highway 280; the highway into Cross Lake and Norway House.

I say to the Minister of Highways (Mr. Findlay), learn from history. Do something that is different this time and fix up our northern roads. If you do not, it will take the next NDP government to fix northern roads. Thank you.

Neighbourhood Watch

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): On September 18, 110 people attended a Neighbourhood Watch meeting at Centennial Community Centre, and on September 23, approximately 100 people attended a Neighbourhood Watch meeting at St. John's Lutheran Church. Everyone who attended is to be congratulated for making the effort and showing that they care about the safety of their neighbours and their neighbours' property.

I would like to thank especially Julia Segal and her volunteers for canvassing the Old Ex neighbourhood and also thank Michael and Barbara Mechsner for canvassing College Avenue and McKenzie Street. Neighbourhood Watch has been proven effective in reducing crime and increasing crime is a major issue in the north end and in Burrows constituency. Hopefully, when people co-operate with their neighbours there will be a reduction in the rate of crime in these two neighbourhoods and in many more in the future. Thank you.

Committee Changes

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, with committee changes.

Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): I move, seconded by the member for Broadway (Mr. Santos), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Economic Development be amended as follows: Crescentwood (Mr. Sale) for Selkirk (Mr. Greg Dewar); The Pas (Mr. Lathlin) for St. James (Ms. Mihychuk); Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk) for Rupertsland (Mr. Robinson).

Motion agreed to.