LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY OF
Monday,
December 9, 1991
The House met at 1:30
p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE
PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTING
PETITIONS
Mr. Doug Martindale
(Burrows): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Mitch Podolak, Ava Kobrinsky, T. H. Sparling and others, requesting the
provincial government to withdraw provincial funding for The Pines project.
Mr. Speaker: The honourable member for Burrows, I have
reviewed the petition and it conforms with the privileges and practices of the
House and complies with the rules. Is it
the will of the House to have the petition read?
The
petition of the undersigned citizens of the
THAT the
THAT to risk the jobs of the hundreds of
people who are employed at the airport is not in the best interests of the
community.
THAT "The Pines" project will
inhibit riverbank access to the general public.
THAT the strip mall portion of "The
Pines" project will give a foothold to commercial development which is
incompatible with the residential nature of the neighbourhood.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that
the Legislature of the
AND
as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
MINISTERIAL
STATEMENTS
Hon. James Downey
(Minister of Rural Development): Mr.
Speaker, I have a ministerial statement to make, and I have copies for the
members of the opposition.
Mr.
Speaker, as the minister responsible for Rural Development, I am pleased to
share with members of the Legislature in the announcement of the formation of
the first Manitoba Rural Development Bond Corporation, an announcement that I
am sure will be the first of many.
In
July of this year, the government of
Rural
Manitobans share a tradition of hard work, achievement and success, and with
the spirit of working together, they will continue to grow.
We
have always approached difficult situations with creativity and ingenuity. Rural Manitobans are known for their ability
to survive and adapt, and we must change to survive.
Our
economy has long been dependent on agriculture and related industries. Agriculture will always be at the heart of
However, we must diversify. The saying, "don't put all your eggs in
one basket," is more appropriate now than ever before, and so our
government set a challenge for the people of rural
This innovative program offers rural
Manitobans the opportunity to invest in the future of their communities and
this province and the chance to share in the economic growth of their
communities through the generation of local business opportunities.
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Having taken the first step and met the criteria
of the act and regulations that allow for formation of a bond corporation, the
Alco Rural Development Bond Corporation will now proceed through the normal
review process of its proposal and business plan.
I
am delighted that the town and people of Morden have lent their support to the
formation of this corporation. I look
forward to following the progress of this community‑based and locally
driven investment vehicle.
Since October 21, 1991, the Grow Bond office
has received 275 enquiries and sent out 260 information packages to individuals
and businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
I
hope that we will see other communities who can take advantage of these bonds,
and I hope that the government will work along with communities, but the real
question is the agriculture community. I
hope that the government can show leadership in the agriculture community as
well to help the farmers stay on the land so that they can afford to invest in
these bonds.
Mr. Neil Gaudry (St.
Boniface): Oui, Monsieur le president, il me fait
plaisir de repondre a cette annonce aujourd'hui, surtout au nom du rural. J'aimerais premierement feliciter le village
de Morden d'avoir pris cette premiere initiative et de vouloir mettre en vigueur
ce programme afin de developper le rural.
L'on sait qu'ils ont des problemes et qu'on doit les supporter.
Mais, premierement j'aimerais feliciter le
gouvernement d'avoir pris l'initiative "liberale" que Madame
Carstairs, la cheffe liberale, avait mentionne auparavant, et qui avait ete
ridiculisee peut‑etre par les Conservateurs a un moment. Mais je les felicite d'avoir pris cette
initiative. Je le dis positivement car
je ne suis pas une personne negative, alors je felicite le gouvernement de
l'avoir fait. Puis on a toujours dit des
le debut qu'on les supporterait et qu'on continuerait a les supporter. Mais la chose importante qui sera a voir dans
les estimes, c'est qu'est‑ce que cela va apporter pour le rural, puis
qu'est‑ce que cela coute au gouvernement pour la publicite? Il y aura la certainement des questions a
demander lors des estimes.
Mais, en terminant j'aimerais feliciter encore
le gouvernement et le village de Morden d'avoir pris cette initiative, le
premier a le faire.
Merci.
(Translation)
Mr. Neil Gaudry (St. Boniface): Yes, Mr. Speaker, it
is my pleasure to respond to today's announcement, especially on behalf of
rural people. In the first place, I
would like to congratulate the town of
I would first like to
congratulate the government for undertaking this "liberal" initiative
that Mrs. Carstairs, the Liberal Leader, had proposed in the past and which had
perhaps been ridiculed by the Conservatives at one time. Yet I do congratulate them for this
initiative, and I say it positively because I am not a negative person, so I
congratulate the government for having done it.
We have always said from the start that we would support them and that
we would continue to support them. The
important thing is to see during Estimates what that will mean for the rural
areas and what it is costing the government for advertising. There will certainly be some questions to ask
about that during Estimates.
In conclusion, I would
like to congratulate the government and the Town of
Thank you.
Introduction
of Guests
Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, may I direct the
attention of honourable members to the gallery where we have with us this
afternoon from the
Also this afternoon from the
On
behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here this afternoon.
ORAL
QUESTION PERIOD
Net Income
Provincial
Decline
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the First
Minister.
Last year in dealing with the government's
economic blueprint in the Budget Address the government stated clearly that we
are confident that this government's fiscal strategy will result in more jobs
and higher incomes for Manitobans. We
already know about the job situation in the
I
would ask the Premier, in light of his government's predictions on incomes, why
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Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition
obviously has not been following the farm economy at all. He was there at the farm rally a month and a
half ago, but he was not listening and he did not care. We understand that, because the Leader of the
Opposition obviously does not care about people who are outside the city of
Mr.
Speaker, the fact of the matter is that
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, the member for Radisson (Ms.
Cerilli) prefers to have negative images of
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. I would remind the honourable First Minister
to deal with the matter raised.
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, because the Premier did not deal
with the matter raised, I would also suggest that members opposite, while they
are clapping, look at the fact that
Mr.
Speaker, can the Premier explain to the people of
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Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, in addition to the good news
about manufacturing employment being up in this province this year over last
year, one of the few provinces in the country in which that is happening‑‑in
fact, it is well above the national average‑‑Canada as a whole has
declined by 4.3 percent in manufacturing employment while we are up almost 2
percent in manufacturing employment during that period of time. That is good news. In addition to that, of course, the
Conference Board of
I
am sure that the member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) will be very interested in
knowing that today
Point of
Order
Mr. Steve Ashton
(Opposition House Leader): Mr. Speaker, our
time in Question Period is indeed limited, and our rules are very clear that
answers must relate to the question that was raised. If the minister does not
want to answer the question of the Leader of the Opposition, that is his
option, but he should not get up and avoid the fact of the question which we
have asked, and that is: Why has labour
income dropped in
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. On the point of order raised, Beauchesne 410
(3), time is extremely scarce. Brevity
both in questions and answers is of great importance.
* * *
Mr. Doer: Well, Mr. Speaker, as the member for Crescentwood
(Mr. Carr)‑‑and I do not want to be Joe Biden here and take
anybody's words. He just said, that is
the same answer that George Bush has given to the people of
I
asked the Premier a specific question.
Can he explain to the people of
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, wages are negotiated between
management and labour. Wages are
negotiated between the people who pay and the people who collect. The fact of the matter is that we are looking
to create new opportunities, and we are looking for new investment. We are working very hard to do that, and we
are having some modest degree of success.
I
am sure that we will have more success so that the New Democrats can be very
unhappy later in the session as more announcements are made, such as Apotex
today, in which they have announced $20 million protecting some 60 jobs and
creating another 100 jobs. Those are
high‑tech jobs. Those are jobs of
good calibre and good‑paying jobs.
That is the good news that we are concentrating on so that we can give
the Leader of the Opposition more grief and more unhappiness later in the
session.
CN Rail
Job
Relocations
Mr. Daryl Reid
(Transcona): Mr. Speaker, recent
reports have indicated that CN may transfer thousands of jobs to
Hon. Albert Driedger
(Minister of Highways and Transportation): Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to
thank the member for asking that question.
I think it raises the fact that transportation is very important to this
province.
The
NDP opposition party is basically funded by the unions and is given directions
by the unions, and, Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) gets
his direction from the unions as well.
The member for Transcona, I believe, has been a union steward for the
last 10 years or something like that. It
is this party, when they were in power, that let the meat packing industry
totally get out of this province, losing virtually hundreds and hundreds of
union jobs‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Point of
Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition
House Leader): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, I would
like to emphasize again and ask you to call the minister to order. Our rules are very clear that answers to
questions should relate to the matter raised.
Perhaps the minister did not have his earphone working at the time, but
he was asked very specific questions about the transportation industry. We would like to hear an answer on the very
specific question.
Mr. Speaker: On the point of order raised, I would like to
remind the honourable minister of Beauchesne's 417. "Answers to questions should be as brief
as possible, deal with the matter raised and should not provoke debate."
Mr. Reid: Mr. Speaker, I am proud of my relationship with
the employees of CN.
Layoffs
Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): Mr. Speaker, given that CN has significantly
reduced its workload in its Transcona main shops for 1992, which in past years
has been‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Transcona, kindly
put your question now, please.
Mr. Reid: My question for the Premier (Mr. Filmon), Mr.
Speaker, is: Has CN informed the Premier
of its intention to lay off another 100‑plus Manitobans from their
railway jobs early in the new year?
Hon. Albert Driedger
(Minister of Highways and Transportation): Mr. Speaker, in the last three weeks, I
have had the occasion to meet with the chairman of the CN board, who had the
occasion to meet with the federal Minister of Transport, Mr. Corbeil. I have raised the issues of the rumours that
have been coming out from time to time, and in many cases, we have been chasing
down these rumours and find that some of the information is not factual.
However, I want to indicate that I am very concerned about any job losses in
I
have raised these issues with the federal minister as well as with CN, and Mr.
Speaker, we will continue to do that.
Transportation
Issues
Premier's
Involvement
Mr. Daryl Reid
(Transcona): My final supplementary is to the Premier.
Can
the Premier ‑(interjection)‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Transcona has the
floor.
Mr. Reid: Can the Premier explain to the House and to
all Manitobans why he has stood by on the sidelines on the issues of declining
railway employment in this province and the
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The question has been put.
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, I might say that I have indeed
met with the chairman of the CN during the past six months, with senior
officers of the corporation throughout western
Mr.
Speaker, there have been responses that have been made public by CN to counter
the false allegations and rumours that have been fostered by the member for
Transcona, and I think it is unfortunate that he is doing that. He may think that that is in his political
interest, but it is not in the interests of the workers of CN.
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Anishinaabe
Child and Family Services
Funding
Formula
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, where there is an economic downturn, the effect is those vulnerable
Manitobans who find themselves out of work or suffering from low incomes. Those people find themselves at the doors of
the Child and Family Services agencies of this province. Unfortunately, the Minister of Family
Services tends to make his decisions himself and in secrecy.
Can
the minister today tell this House why he acted unilaterally and without
consultation by changing the funding to the Anishinaabe Family Services agency,
and how does he expect them to operate with $114,000 less in their budget?
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Mr.
Speaker, we have a very complex and comprehensive system of Child and Family
Services agencies in the
In
three regions we have Child and Family Services agencies with a board, and of
course we have the development over the last decade and more of the Native
Child and Family Services agencies within the
One
of them is jurisdiction and the responsibility for Native children throughout
the province. When they are from a
specific reserve, we have agencies that are responsible for the reserve‑based
care of those children. When they are
off reserve and within the city of
I
believe the member is referring to the funding that agencies receive from this
government for the supervision of Native children when they are off reserve. We are certainly in consultation with those
agencies on a number of issues and we are in consultation with the federal
government as well for what we feel are the government's primary‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mrs. Carstairs: Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell the House
today why a funding formula and a supervision fee was transferred into an
administrative fee without any consultation with the agency and was received by
the agency in letter form just days after they had met with officials of this department,
who let them know nothing about this change.
Mr. Gilleshammer: We are meeting with the agencies on a regular
basis to discuss a number of issues, and we will flow information on decision
making to the agencies in a timely fashion.
If the member is asking us to make information known to the agencies
prior to the finalizing of the details, we are not in a position to do
that. We are working with those agencies
and with the federal government to provide the best possible service for the
Native children who come into supervision, whether it be on the reserves or
whether it be within the areas of provincial jurisdiction, and we will work
with the agencies to see that they have sufficient funding to do the work that
they are mandated to do.
Mrs. Carstairs: It is very difficult to do the work you are
mandated to do when the minister changes the funding formula without any
consultation.
Will the minister tell the House how this
agency is to pay for psychological assessment, occupational therapy and legal
services when they are no longer covered by the fees that he has now prepared
to pay for?
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Mr. Gilleshammer: Again, I would indicate to the member that the
funding the Native Child and Family Services agencies gets is basically from
the federal government, but the province also provides funding for those
agencies where they deliver the services to Native children who live off
reserve. We will continue to work with
them through the Child and Family Services directorate and the directors of the
Native agencies to provide the best possible care we can for those very
vulnerable Manitobans.
MacLeod
Stedman
Secured
Creditors
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister
of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
The
minister and the First Minister (Mr. Filmon) have often referenced the
government's involvement in opportunities in the province through the
Industrial Opportunities Program. One
such investment by the province was the $1.5 million loan to MacLeod
Stedman. On Friday in this House, the
First Minister indicated that
My
question to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism is: How is that security posed, and is the
province going to recoup the $1.5 million it paid for zero jobs?
Hon. Eric Stefanson
(Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism): Mr. Speaker, yes, the province has
indicated it is secured on that particular loan by the real estate, MacLeod
Stedman. I think, as the member for Flin
Flon is aware, that negotiations are ongoing right now with the unsecured
creditors of MacLeod Stedman, and certainly with the government, but we will
continue to be sure that any loans that are advanced from this provincial
government will be secured and will ultimately be repaid to the government.
Mr. Storie: Well, Mr. Speaker, I am sure their realtors
will disagree.
My
further question is to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism. Can the minister explain how the investment
of some $8.7 million of federal and provincial taxpayers' money is going to be
secured in the creation of 40 jobs at Apotex?
Mr. Stefanson: Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the honourable
member for Flin Flon asks about Apotex, a $50‑million investment in our
province that will occur over the next four years, not only creating upwards to
100 new high‑tech jobs here in our province, but also maintaining about
34 jobs currently in the industry. The security that we will be receiving on
the $2‑million interest‑free loan, that is, interest free for 42
months and then is repaid over the next three years after that, will be first
charge on the real estate being developed by that particular organization.
We
will be well secured. The loan will be
repaid, and it will create 134 jobs here in our province and all of the
economic activity that goes from a $50‑million expenditure, Mr. Speaker.
Funding
Justification
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): Well, Mr. Speaker, the minister's largesse is
appreciated. Can the minister explain, given
his comments today, why in the Free Press, July 18, 1991, Apotex already
announced the creation of these jobs?
What motivated the province and the federal government to pour in an
additional $8 million of taxpayers' money?
Hon. Eric Stefanson
(Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism): Mr. Speaker, I certainly find these
questions unbelievable. Is the
honourable member for Flin Flon suggesting for a minute that he does not want
to see $50 million of economic activity and 134 jobs being created here in our
province? The initial issue being
addressed was the sale of the Rh Institute.
That being addressed, Apotex then committed to develop a pilot
production plant here in our province and a full‑scale production plan.
Certainly, this government knows well that
there are incidents where you provide some initial financial support to provide
some incentive for that business to locate in your province, but as has been
indicated, this is not a grant. It is a
loan. It is the same as the programs
that we offer under other situations.
That money will be repaid, and our return in terms of the direct tax
revenue to this government over the next five years is about $1.5 million,
whereas the cost is less than $500,000, a return of three to one, which is
excellent for the
Agricultural
Industry
Financial
Assistance
Mr. John Plohman
(Dauphin): Mr. Speaker, the throne speech that the
government tabled here in this Legislature on Thursday provided no comfort for
farm families across
I
ask the minister, can he explain why he did not outline even one concrete plan
to assist those farm families in
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(1400)
Hon. Glen Findlay
(Minister of Agriculture): The member fails to
realize really what is going on with regard to the support this government is
putting in place for rural
Also, I want to remind the member that the
number of applications coming to the Farm Debt Review Board is down over last
year to about two‑thirds of what it was last year. So the degree of support we are putting in
place is obviously having a desired effect.
Mr. Plohman: Can the minister explain, Mr. Speaker, why he
did not bring forward specific measures targeted to those farm families who are
in trouble, those 7,000
Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, those measures are already in
place. The member does not even bother to read the Estimates or the budget
process. His government had two years
which they could have put a dollar of support into that program and they did
not put a single dollar. Since we have
been in power, there are about $10 million of guarantees in place under The
Family Farm Protection Act and about $2 million is added each year to that
support program. It helps many, many
farmers stay viable on the farm with that kind of support behind them.
I
also would like to tell the member that only about 30 percent of that money is
called upon, so the farmers are doing a good job of meeting their commitments
under restructured financial situations.
Mr. Plohman: Mr. Speaker, the minister talks about all the
great things he has done, and his programs are in shambles.
Can
the minister explain why he neglected even to do something as obvious as having
crop adjusters go out and do a complete inventory of crop carried over from the
1990 crop year before the 1991 harvest which is critical to the success of
GRIP? Why did he not even have something
as obvious as that done?
Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, every year the crop insurance
program sends out a questionnaire to farmers to indicate their inventory
carryover, every year. It has been in
place like that for many, many years.
No, that person wants to go out and tell the farmers that they cannot
fill out an inventory form on their own.
I believe they can and they have.
I
would like to remind him that a crop insurance review is in place, ongoing,
across the
Civil
Service Commission
Political
Interference
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
Manitobans were infuriated to hear that the
Minister of Education and Training (Mr. Derkach) intervened in the hiring of at
least one individual into his department.
The Civil Service Commission can only discipline civil servants. Yet it is quite clear that the minister
played a role in the Department of Education violating its hiring agreement.
It
is our role to ensure that the minister is held to account for what he has
done. Will the First Minister (Mr.
Filmon) make public the Minister of Education and Training's role on the matter
by tabling the Civil Service Commission's investigation report?
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Minister responsible for The Civil Service Act): Mr. Speaker, I am answering as the minister
responsible for the Civil Service Commission.
As
the member for
They have, within their purview, the ability
to delegate that specific authority to departments from time to time. In doing that delegation they have the
responsibility of ensuring that it is carried out properly. If there are errors, discrepancies,
difficulties in carrying out that authority, they have the responsibility to
ensure that does not happen.
I
would remind members of the House that delegated authority has been withdrawn
from departments from time to time. It
was withdrawn from the Department of Education in 1984 when the Honourable
Maureen Hemphill was minister and Mr. Ron Duhamel was deputy minister.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, that does not answer the
question.
My
supplementary question is to the Premier.
What is the Premier's position on the role ministers play in the hiring
of civil servants, given that I have received a number of calls from people
concerned with the minister's role in the hiring of others to the certification
branch within the Department of Education, people who are friends, a relative
and so forth? What is the government's
role‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The question has been put.
Mr. Praznik: Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member
for
That process has worked. It has worked not because of stories coming
from the media or questions from the opposition. It works because the Civil
Service Commission monitors hiring in the
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, the minister has a
responsibility. The Civil Service is not responsible‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for
Mr. Lamoureux: The Premier has a choice, what will it
be? Will he fire the Minister of
Education and Training (Mr. Derkach)? Will he continue to allow ministers to
intervene‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier is,
what will it be? Will he immediately release
the report from the Civil Service Commission on why the Department of Education
was in violation of its hiring agreement and agree to investigate any new
allegations that have been brought forward or fire the minister?
Mr. Praznik: Again to the member for
Economic
Growth
Employment
Creation Strategy
Mr. Leonard Evans
(Brandon East): Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the
Minister of Finance.
Mr.
Speaker, we are suffering a tailor‑made recession, courtesy of
Conservative economic policies. We now
have 45,000 workers who are idle with equipment and materials rusting and
underutilized. We have a shrinking
labour force, about 6,000 this last year.
In the past year, about 12,000 jobs have disappeared, unemployment
insurance claims are increasing faster than in any other province, and welfare
cases are skyrocketing in
Is
the Minister of Finance prepared to introduce any kind of program in this
province to get Manitobans working again?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I thank
the member for the question. I would
like to draw note though to one of the preamble references in respect to
investment within our manufacturing sector.
It should be known that, within the
Mr.
Speaker, let me go on further to say to the member opposite that certainly
through this period of recession, one of the greatest areas of concern certainly
falls into the area as to whether or not there is renewal, a generational
commitment by way of our existing manufacturers to our province and to the city
of
Mr. Leonard Evans: Mr. Speaker, will this minister acknowledge
that
Mr. Manness Mr. Speaker, I will not acknowledge
that. What I will acknowledge is that,
within the area of manufacturing employment, now we are above the lowest level
in the last 20 years. It happened to
occur in 1983 in the months of January, February and March, employment levels
of 54,000, and we are above that today.
Mr.
Speaker, let me also say that, in the context of
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Provincial
Comparisons
Mr. Leonard Evans
(Brandon East): Can the Minister of Finance explain why
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I do not
accept any of the commentary of the member opposite. I can only go by the forecasts of those in
the financial circles, indeed, the Conference Board of Canada, who for 1992, as
they look forward and put
I
would not, at this point, want to run to the bank with that type of forecast in
all honesty, but nevertheless, when you take the independent forecasters' views
into perspective,
I
would have to say that the member should be very happy about that type of
information and support basically what the government has been trying to do in
establishing a base for economic development for the rest of this decade.
Civil
Service Commission
Political
Interference
Mr. Steve Ashton
(Thompson): These are tough times for most Manitobans,
with the high unemployment rates and the deep recession we are in, but
apparently not so tough for some Tories.
I
would like to ask the Premier, since there is clear evidence of political
interference in the Civil Service hiring process, as evidenced by the actions
that have been taken in regard to the Minister of Education (Mr. Derkach), I
would like to ask the First Minister, how many positions did that minister
interfere in in the hiring process?
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Minister responsible for The Civil Service Act): Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier to the
member for
That is the responsibility of the independent
Civil Service Commission to conduct those investigations. They do, and they overturned
competitions. The system works.
Mr. Ashton: If the minister cannot or will not say how
many positions, I will ask another question, and that is‑‑and I
believe the First Minister should have a direct response in such matters.
Can
the First Minister indicate what kinds of positions the minister interfered
with? Specifically, did the hiring
process which was clearly interfered in lead to any individuals who are not
qualified being placed in positions due to the influence of the minister?
Mr. Praznik: Mr. Speaker, the conduct of those investigations
is the responsibility of the Civil Service Commission as an independent body of
the commission, and we support that. If
the House is asking for involvement in that process, I do not think that is
appropriate.
The report is a working document of that department, of the commission, but I would remind the member for Thompson that back in 1985 ‑(interjection)‑ I just want to remind the honourable member back in 1985, when the then minister of Highways and Transportation, w