Mrs. Shirley Render (St. Vital): I am really pleased to tell the House that yesterday, October 15, as part of this government's ongoing commitment to enhance public safety, the Minister of Justice (Mrs. Vodrey) presented $2 million to the City of Winnipeg for the city's police service. This funding will obviously enhance public safety by supporting the addition of approximately 40 more police officers.

This is the second year that $2 million has been provided to the city to support an increased complement of the police force. This commitment signals a very mutual commitment to crime prevention by the city and the province.

Our government continues to develop a number of initiatives and programs to protect Manitobans. This government leads the country in ensuring that criminal offenders are held accountable for their actions, whether it be violence against women and children or crimes by young offenders. Currently, I want to mention at this point that just last week before a parliamentary committee the honourable Minister of Justice again urged the federal government to make meaningful changes to the Young Offenders Act. As I think most of us know, currently the Young Offenders Act is not strong enough nor flexible enough to deal with violent or repeat young offenders.

This government recognizes that the safety and security of the individual families in our communities is vital to the quality of our lives. Thank you.

Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): I rise this afternoon to offer some remarks on Bill 36, The Social Allowances Amendment.

Madam Speaker, I have been observing the proceedings that have been going on on Bill 36 for the two sessions, last Thursday and Friday. The comments that I wanted to make today have to do with the unfairness of the legislation. For one thing, we believe that the hearings should have been held not just in Winnipeg but also in The Pas, Flin Flon and Thompson, where people would have had the opportunity to come and voice their concerns as had a lot of people who were in Winnipeg last Thursday and Friday.

The other thing that I wanted to say was in--

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I am experiencing difficulty hearing the honourable member for The Pas.

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Mr. Lathlin: Although this piece of legislation affects not the First Nations directly in Manitoba, it does still affect aboriginal people who are not First Nations. In the community councils we have a lot of people who live in northern Manitoba, in isolated areas. When this bill was being drafted, this amendment was being drafted, the drafters did not, or this government did not, take into consideration the cost-of-living differential that is there between Winnipeg and, say, Norway House, Cross Lake, Shamattawa or Lac Brochet. I think it has been clearly and adequately documented over the years that the cost of living in Winnipeg compared to the North is about 70 percent.

If I can also just list the other items that I had: the unemployment rate is higher in the North; the geography, you have to go a long distance to go looking for work; the list of employers that the government requires people to come up with--in some communities there are only two employers, meaning that the claimant would have to go elsewhere to get another list of employers. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): It has been written that, and I quote, when the day of judgment dawns and the great conquerors and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards, their crowns, their laurels, their names carved indelibly upon imperishable marble, the Almighty will turn to Peter and will say, not without a certain envy when he sees us coming with our books under our arms: Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them here; they have loved reading.

It was my pleasure this morning to receive a copy of a book that will increase the numbers of people who have loved reading. The issue of adult literacy is one that impacts not only the individual but all of society in terms of lost potential. The Pembina Valley Learning Centre is one organization that is actively addressing this issue. Solutions are not simple. They take time, dedication and a number of volunteers. I would like to note the work of author Junita Kirby, along with all other staff members who contributed to the success of this event.

I was among the first to receive a copy of Adult Reading Resources with Assigned Stages. This book will benefit individuals across this province and indeed the country. The Pembina Valley Learning Centre has done and continues to do a tremendous job in making our community accessible to all. Thank you.

Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I rise to talk about the problem of insufficient jobs for the people of Manitoba. Looking at the latest report from Statistics Canada, we see that for the first nine months of this year the level of employment actually declined from the first nine months of last year. In other words, there was a decline of 0.1 percent, whereas in all of Canada there was a substantial increase in jobs. I maintain that the level of jobs has not increased, in fact, it has decreased in the first nine months of this year by 0.1 percent, whereas in Canada as a whole there has been a fair increase. There has been a 1.2 percent increase in jobs, so Canada is expanding and we are remaining stationary.

Now we have announcements of CP Weston Shops possibly being up for sale, Bristol Aerospace up for sale, Repap up for sale, causing the threat of job losses. In addition to that, the CP Weston Shops has announced 275 jobs to be cancelled; Richardson Greenshields is going to lose 200 jobs; the CBC Television/Radio is going to lose 200 jobs--this was announced last month--and now Canada Post announced 450 job losses in October. Madam Speaker, those are good jobs, those are real jobs, and it is serious that those are now going to be lost to the Manitoba economy.

I say, as I have said before, if you compare the experience in Manitoba of job increases with the previous government, you will find that there is absolutely no comparison, that the rate of job increase in Manitoba under the NDP was twice as good as under this government, and that takes us right up to the month of September 1995. Those were jobs, those were good jobs, and I say this government has failed in terms of employment growth. Thank you.

Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Madam Speaker, I was just saying to the honourable Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Enns) that those who are last will in fact come first, so I suppose I am first after the last.

I want to raise a point of good news today. All we have heard from the opposition benches today are derogatory remarks and bad news. I want to say that, because of an action taken by the Minister of Natural Resources (Mr. Driedger) approximately a month ago when he appointed and brought into being a new canine team that joined the Department of Natural Resources, Duke, a black Labrador retriever and his handler, Tim Cameron, have joined the team to help officers put the bite on poaching. The canine unit is another tool to assist officers to effectively enforce regulations, deter violations and protect and enhance our natural resources.

This black Lab dog is actually responsible for saving a life. An 81-year-old man wandered away from the hospital at Ashern earlier this week, and the dog was brought in and tracked this man and found him, and the family is very happy that the Minister of Natural Resources took this action. So he has not only proven to be very effective in dealing with poachers, he has in fact also saved a life and will continue to do so.

We congratulate Duke and Tim Cameron on this latest heroic achievement, and we wish them and Natural Resource officers well as they put the bite on poachers and save further lives.

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, as the Family Services critic, I sat through the entire committee stage of presentations on Bill 36, as did the Minister of Family Services (Mrs. Mitchelson). There were about 40 people who presented, and we sat on Thursday evening from 7 until 1:15 a.m. and on Friday morning from 9 until 1:15 p.m. During the first five hours of presentations, not one Conservative member on that committee asked even one question or even acknowledged one presenter until, after midnight, one of them woke up and did acknowledge someone. One presenter on Friday morning pointed out that the Conservative members of the committee were seen to be sleeping, reading papers and not paying attention to the presentations, unlike members of the NDP caucus who, she said, were moved to tears by some of the presentations.

This is the government's--[interjection] Madam Speaker, I am just telling you what is in Hansard by one of the presenters on The Social Allowances Amendment Act bill.

Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): On a point of order, Madam Speaker, just to put on the record the issue that all the Conservative members of the committee were prepared to work till three o'clock on Friday afternoon and members of the New Democratic opposition wanted to call it quits and take the afternoon off.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Family Services does not have a point of order.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Burrows, to quickly complete his statement.

Mr. Martindale: Madam Speaker, the former Minister of Family Services appointed a task force on vulnerable persons legislation. This minister, to her credit, appointed a member of the Legislature to tour daycare centres, and I understand he has been to 140 daycare centres to consult the daycare community before bringing in legislation next spring. The minister appointed the member for River Heights (Mr. Radcliffe) and 11 members on a panel to consult the public about changes to The Child and Family Services Act a year in advance of the legislation being introduced, but on major amendments to the social allowances legislation there was no consultation and then when the public did get a chance to appear in the committee, the government members were not even paying attention. Shame on them.