Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): I move, seconded by the member for Broadway (Mr. Santos), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments be amended as follows: Dauphin (Mr. Struthers) for Radisson (Cerilli); Elmwood (Mr. Maloway) for Burrows (Mr. Martindale) for Tuesday, May 19, 1998, for 7 p.m.
Motion agreed to.
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): I move, seconded by the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments be amended as follows: the member for Brandon West (Mr. McCrae) for the member for Rossmere (Mr. Toews).
Madam Speaker: It has been moved by the honourable member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer), seconded by the honourable member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments for this evening, Tuesday, May 19, 7 p.m., be amended as follows: the honourable member for Brandon West (Mr. McCrae) for the honourable member for Rossmere (Mr. Toews). Agreed?
An Honourable Member: Agreed.
Madam Speaker: Agreed and so ordered.
Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): I would like to take this opportunity to rise in the House today to commend the Honourable Harold Gilleshammer, Minister of Labour, on proclaiming this week, May 18 to May 24, 1998, as Occupational Safety and Health Week. The theme for the 1998 Occupational Safety and Health Week is, and I quote: Partners Together in Safety.
It is supported by three subthemes: the first one, increase understanding of the value of investing in occupational safety and health; the second, raise awareness of roles and contributions of safety and the health professionals; and third, reduce workplace injuries and illnesses.
Everyone has a role to play in achieving a healthy working environment. In co-operation and partnership, we have to examine our work environments, practices, information and training to find ways we can reduce both the personal and financial costs of unsafe and unhealthy work environments. As partners in safety and health, the primary responsibility for a safe workplace rests with both the employer and the employees. They must work together to identify hazards, evaluate risk and identify measures to protect workers from injury and disease.
The Department of Labour is committed to and looks forward to working as a partner in controlling, reducing and eliminating the number of workplace accidents and illnesses. As we recognize the importance of this week, let us continue to work together to provide some of the safest workplaces in North America. Thank you very much.
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, the citizens of Brandon continue to be very concerned and very upset with the pediatric situation in the city. In fact, the people of the Westman area generally are very concerned and very upset with the pediatric situation in the city. In fact the people of the Westman area generally are very concerned and continue to raise their concerns in the local media and with my office in Brandon and in the Legislature. They are concerned that there seems to be a lack of action to resolve the situation, and they have, of course, heard the minister's statements in this respect about recruiting others from outside of Manitoba, but this does not provide a solution for the immediate crisis.
Now we have information, Madam Speaker, that the MMA, which is negotiating with the government on various matters, has raised this matter of the Brandon pediatrics on many occasions, and thus far the government has made no offer to settle the issue. We are wondering whether there are negotiations going on. It would seem to me that the whole matter is stalled, and indeed that there are not negotiations proceeding.
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We have suggested in a positive way to the government, to the Premier (Mr. Filmon) last week, that the government consider third-party binding arbitration in this matter to expeditiously solve the question and to allow the doctors in Brandon to resume the delivery of babies for pregnant women. This is a positive suggestion. I note that third-party binding arbitration is used very successfully in the education system in dealing with disputes between teachers and school boards.
Madam Speaker, there is also need for a plan, a physicians' resource plan, so that the government can, in co-operation with the MMA, recruit more people for rural Manitoba by various means, through incentives, through student loans, through encouraging women to attend medical schools and various other positive suggestions that could be followed and should be followed in order to help resolve the long-term shortage of doctors in the city of Brandon. Thank you.
Mr. Denis Rocan (Gladstone): I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Grade 5 class of the Austin Elementary School, which is in the Gladstone constituency. The Grade 5 students are a group of talented children who were awarded first place in the "My Home Town" competition as part of the Rural Forum last month.
Their creative talents earned them this honour. Under the guidance of their teacher, Mrs. Teresa Gibbons, the students created a fantastic three-dimensional mural depicting all facets of life in Austin, Manitoba. They explained why they think Austin is the best place in Manitoba to live. The students demonstrated an understanding and clear appreciation of what makes Manitoba great. Along with being honoured with first place in the competition, the Grade 5 students won a computer for their school and one for their community.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Austin Elementary School and had a chance to see the students' creation for myself. Although my description does not do their efforts justice, take my word for it, the students undertook a very challenging project. They met this challenge with outstanding results and have been given the recognition they deserve.
The achievements of Mrs. Gibbons's Grade 5 class at Austin Elementary School demonstrate that students across Manitoba are learning about Manitoba's heritage, while at the same time fine-tuning their creative abilities. I take heart in the fact that young people across Manitoba are receiving a well-rounded education. Once again, I would like to congratulate the Grade 5 class at Austin Elementary School for their outstanding achievements.
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley): I would like to offer congratulations to all those residents of West Broadway who participated in the cleanup on May 9. Armed with brooms, rakes, gloves, shovels and many, many green garbage bags, people from all parts of the community came together for five or six hours to sweep, brush, clean up and pick up the debris from the end of winter that littered the back lanes and vacant lots of the community.
Madam Speaker, the day was hot and dusty, and we certainly needed the masks that were provided. City crews worked with us to remove materials. Gordon Bell students were very evident in their work, both the night before and on the day. The community police, in particular, were very much in evidence, organizing and helping to remove some of the larger items from the back lanes, giving them an important clean slate for the policing of back lanes--an important part of community policing.
Some areas within the community organize their own cleanup. The daycare staff of Cornish daycare and the residents of 25 Furby organized a special local cleanup. The day ended with a feast and with a powwow at what is becoming in fact a West Broadway traditional way. We look forward to the next phase where the greening of West Broadway, the planting and the cultivating of those back lanes and front yards, make us a community that we are all proud of.
I would like to ask all members of the Legislature to congratulate with me the citizens of West Broadway, the community club, and the major service and business organizations who made this all a great success.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, it was just over a week ago on a Sunday I was at McDonald's over a cup of hot chocolate, and the discussion around the table was one of judicial accountability. One of the individuals had made the suggestion that we have some sort of a petition brought forward to express that in fact what we would like to see is a review process put into place that will at the end of the day make our judicial system somewhat better.
I wanted just to say thank you to the individual in particular who had said that he would be prepared to circulate such a petition. In fact, since then I have worked on the petition and finalized one, hoping to be able to present it to the Chamber some time in the next few days and some days following.