LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY OF
Monday,
December 16, 1991
The House met at 1:30
p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE
PROCEEDINGS
TABLING OF
REPORTS
Hon. Jim Ernst (Minister
of Urban Affairs): Mr. Speaker, I would like to table the Annual
Report for 1990‑91 of the Department of Urban Affairs.
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I have
several tablings, firstly, the Quarterly Financial Report for the year ended
October 31, 1991, of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation.
I would also like to table the Public
Accounts, Volumes 1 and 2, Financial Statements for the Consolidated Fund, plus
Supplementary Information, fiscal year 1990‑91.
I would also like to table a report to the
Legislature, pursuant to Section 56(3) of The Financial Administration Act
relating to Supplementary Loan and Guarantee Authority.
I am also making a report to the
Legislature under Section 20 of The Public Officers Act, being Chapter P230 of
the Continued Consolidation of the Statutes of
Finally, I would like to table a report of
the Provincial Auditor to the Legislative Assembly for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 1991.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to
announce that the 1990‑91 Public Accounts, the 1991 Report of the
Provincial Auditor and the Special Audit of the Provincial Auditor on the
Taxation Division of the Department of Finance will be referred for
consideration to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts for the committee
meeting previously announced for December 17.
MINISTERIAL
STATEMENTS
Hon. James McCrae
(Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, I have a statement for the
House, and I have copies for all honourable members today.
Mr. Speaker, today I am asking Manitobans
to pause and remember the victims of drunk drivers. Earlier this morning, I launched the
"ribbons for life" campaign, encouraging everyone, including members
of this House, to display red ribbons on their vehicles and homes over the
holiday season. I urge everyone to
exercise an extra degree of caution.
Our
Let us remember those families whose
holiday celebrations will be overshadowed by memories of loved ones struck down
by drunk drivers. Our laws are tough,
the toughest in
Let us join others who have said no to
drinking and driving, and attach one of these ribbons to the door handle of our
cars, our radio antennas, our front doors, anywhere that it can be easily
seen. Let us all do our utmost to make
sure that impaired drivers do not get behind the wheel, particularly during
this holiday season. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
* * *
* (1335)
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the New Democratic
Party, I would like to commend the minister for recognizing the fact that there
are victims of this senseless and tragic act and that we on this side of the
House will do everything possible to try to prevent and try to assist the
government in improving this situation and improving the regulations and the
laws that are in effect to ensure that campaigns of this kind are not necessary
now or in the future, particularly during the holiday season, during a period
of time when individuals turn their attention to their loved ones and turn
their attention to thoughts other than having to deal with the horrendous
memory and the horrendous tragedy that it is associated with, this red ribbon
campaign, and the fact that individuals have, particularly during the Christmas
season, had to face the consequence of the loss of a loved one or a family
member or a relative.
I can assure you that we on this side of
the House will do everything that we can to assist the minister in ensuring
that the laws are enforced, ensuring regulations are enforced. Indeed, Mr. Speaker,
we on this side of the House will do everything possible to try to improve this
situation in the
With those brief comments, we commend the
minister on taking this step, and we will be offering very positive solutions
to a very difficult problem and a very difficult situation in our society. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
* * *
Mr. Paul Edwards (St.
James): Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our party, I also
want to join with the comments of the minister, join with his important words
at this season in which many are out and about.
Some unfortunately are still abusing the privilege of driving and trying
to combine it with the drinking of alcoholic beverages. That indeed is a tragedy which is wrought on
citizens around this province every year all too frequently.
I feel compelled to request yet again from
the minister‑‑and I know he and I have joined comments on this on
many occasions before. The Christmas
season is one in which we particularly think about drinking and driving, but
indeed, it is a year‑round problem.
It is a year‑round problem which I believe can be addressed best
through the information to people who may choose to drink and drive that they
will be caught, because that is the thing which we learned from the studies
that are done. It is that those who are
still drinking and driving are doing it in large part, not because they do not
know the consequences will be horrendous if they are caught, but because they
think they will not get caught. That
indeed is a fallacy.
We need to get that message out. This is part of getting that message out, and
I appreciate that. I simply want to pick
up on the comment from the minister that the police will be enforcing the laws
on impaired driving with particular care in the weeks to come. I look forward to the day when we have the
sort of ALERT programs year round in this province, which I believe will be
necessary and will in time come. Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
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
On behalf of all honourable members, we
welcome you here this afternoon.
* (1340)
ORAL
QUESTION PERIOD
Provincial
Auditor's Report
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): My question is to the Minister of Finance.
We have just had an opportunity to review
some of the sections in the Auditor's report, Mr. Speaker, and some of these
issues that are raised give us very direct concern about answers the Minister
of Finance has provided to the House and people of
We have raised the issue of Manitoba Data
Services in terms of its confidentiality of information, and the Minister of
Finance has repeatedly said to people in this Chamber and the people of the
I ask the Minister of Finance why he told
this Chamber last year that confidentiality was not a problem and why now the
Auditor is telling us it is a problem for Manitobans?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I got
to give credit to the Leader of the NDP.
I mean, he had the document for a whole three or four minutes, and he
took out of it, in that space of time, exactly what we wanted; yet what he did
take out, he took completely out of context.
The Provincial Auditor was asked to look
at the divestiture process of Manitoba Data Services. Indeed, I do not have time to quote chapter
and verse what he says. Indeed, everything
was done open up, everything was done in a proper fashion, and indeed, if I
wanted to read it out of context, I would say it was a model divestiture by the
Provincial Auditor's work.
Mr. Speaker, we acknowledge there was a
sensitive area of maintaining secrecy of information. We indicated that there had to be monitoring
procedure in place, and indeed, as pointed out within the Auditor's report,
page 17, Comments of Officials, the info office of the Department of Finance
indicates that an audit is being scheduled for the second quarter of 1992, as
we said would happen, as we said would go to safeguard all of the sensitive
information that was held in the past by Manitoba Data Services, is held, but
under the control then, as it is now, under the government of the
Mr. Doer: Of course, the minister can talk all he wants
about it, but it said, improvements are required to achieve adequate dealings
of the confidentiality of information of Manitoba Data Services. Those are not just obscure facts, Mr.
Speaker. These are the health care
records of Manitobans. These are other
very‑‑licensing records, the Agricultural Credit Corporation
records, so we would suggest these are very important issues.
Fiscal
Stabilization Fund
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): A further question to the minister of
divestiture, the Minister of Finance of the
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I will
at another time, I suppose, address my comments or finish my comments with
respect to the security aspect of Manitoba Data Services divestiture.
The member asked a question dealing with
the lodging of the value of shares through the divestiture of Manfor and the
lodging of the value of those shares within the stabilization account. The
Provincial Auditor and the government are at odds as to where the value of
those shares should be lodged. Indeed,
as we have said on several occasions, where does one take extraordinary income
or the value, and where do they do it?
Do they apply it against one year, one year in which it comes, or is it
better to take the value, put it into account and share the receipts over a
period of time?
We have gone one step further. We said not a dollar of that will be spent
until it has materialized. That is
stated. That is stated very clearly. I have said that 20 times if I have said it
once, and I will say it again. To me it
is an academic discussion. Indeed, of
the $77 million, not $1 will be spent until it materializes.
* (1345)
Mr. Doer: Well, I guess that begs the question, Mr.
Speaker, some Fiscal Stabilization Fund.
You have $77 million in a fund hat is worth not $1, as the Minister of
Finance has just told us in this Chamber.
Notwithstanding the fact that we have not
the jobs in either one of these divestitures of Repap, we have not the jobs of
the divestiture of Data Services, notwithstanding the job boasts from the
government opposite, I would ask the Minister of Finance, would he end the
confusion and take that fund, that asset that is not an asset, out of the
Fiscal Stabilization Fund so all Manitobans will really know what is an asset
in the fund and what is just a public relations gesture of the Minister of
Finance in the budget?
Mr. Manness: Two points Mr. Speaker. At least, when we set up a fund, we put money
into it. We put in $200 million or $300
million, not like the Energy and Heritage Fund of the members opposite, where
the glowing legislation came forward, and after four years, there was not $1
that went into it.
Mr. Speaker, the Provincial Auditor never
asked us to take the asset away. He
asked us to set up a liability, an allowance against that was equivalent to the
asset. We have said, as an offset
against that, we will not in any way call upon a dollar of the value of those
shares. Indeed, we are not playing a
shell game. We are fully disclosing
where the value is. We are fully
disclosing that indeed a dollar will not be spent until that value is
realized. That is an open way of
accounting, and we defy any member to tell us opposite.
Impaired
Drivers Reporting Delay
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister
responsible for the Motor Vehicle Branch.
We have confirmed that, in some cases,
from the time a drunken driver is convicted until the conviction shows up at
the Motor Vehicle Branch or on police records, a period of six weeks can pass,
Mr. Speaker. How can the minister, in
the light of the Justice minister's announcement and constant press conferences
on drunk drivers, allow drunk drivers to be on the road potentially for a
period of six weeks?
Hon. James McCrae
(Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I follow the
honourable member's question, and perhaps in his supplementary, he will make
that clear. My understanding of Bill 3
is that, upon apprehension, an alleged drunk driver's licence is taken, a seven‑day
permit given, and then, after seven days, the licence is no good. The permit is then no good for a period of 90
days.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, perhaps if the minister can
check with his staff, they can confirm the fact‑‑in my
supplementary, the minister can find out for us why, from a period of
conviction on trial until the Motor Vehicle Branch puts it on its records, six
weeks can pass and the individual can be out there driving before the police or
anyone else will know that person is convicted.
Mr. McCrae: I will check into that, but the honourable
member should acknowledge, the accused knows he is suspended and ought not to
be driving. If he or she is apprehended
driving suspended, the car will be impounded, and now, as a result of
legislation in the last session, that impoundment will be doubled to 60 days
impoundment on subsequent offences. The
point is, the accused knows.
As I say, I will check on it. If there is any delay in recording this kind
of information, we will see what we can do about it.
Mr. Chomiak: I can assure the minister there is a six‑week
delay.
I would like to ask my supplementary. Why does the minister not know? Why does the minister of the Motor Vehicle
Branch not know that people can be on the road for six weeks when they are drunk
drivers, and the police and no one else can find out about it?
Mr. McCrae: I was not aware, Mr. Speaker, that they
changed the procedure in court. The
driver's licence is suspended, if there is one, is relinquished at that time,
if it has not been taken previously, which it is under Bill 3. If more than 90 days have passed before a
person gets to court, the judge takes a person's licence.
* (1350)
Economic
Growth
Government
Initiatives
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, the First Minister has staked his entire political reputation upon his
ability to manage the economy. Those are
his words. All Manitobans have seen so
far is a strange two‑step dance around Manitobans. There seems to be some disagreement as to who
is doing the leading. Is it the Premier
or is it the Minister of Finance (Mr. Manness)?
For example, we have a Minister of Finance saying that he has to, in
fact, control social programs, and we have a denial from the Premier that that
is the thrust to the economic initiative of this government.
Mr. Speaker, will the First Minister sit
down with his Finance minister and establish an economic agenda so that they
will stop this two‑step dance around each other without any knowledge of
who is doing the leading?
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, I am entirely unaware of what the
Leader of the Liberal Party is getting at.
Perhaps by her second question, I will have a better indication of what
she is after.
First
Ministers' Conference
Government
Agenda
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, not only do they disagree about the thrust, one given by the Minister
of Finance and denied by the Premier of the province, but we had the spectre of
the Premier calling for a First Ministers' conference and, on television on
Friday night, the Finance minister, in fact, suggesting that this could be a
very negative process.
Can the First Minister tell this House
today, since his Finance minister did not have any to share with the other
Finance ministers, what new, innovative ideas he will be taking to Thursday's
meeting?
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, I am firstly very pleased that
the federal government, in response to the letter that I sent on December 9 to
the Prime Minister, has agreed to the holding of a First Ministers' conference
on the economy. I am also informed that,
as a result of urgings by our Minister of Finance (Mr. Manness) and indeed all
Ministers of Finance across the country, the federal Minister of Finance, Mr.
Mazankowski, in the midst of his discussions with the Finance ministers, left
to meet with the Prime Minister and had discussions with him that resulted in
ultimately the federal government making that decision.
It seems to me that everybody was on
board. Everybody was working in the same
direction, and everybody was asking for the First Ministers' conference on the
economy. As a result of the combined
efforts of various First Ministers in the country, who urged the federal
government and the Finance ministers, that decision was made.
I might say that in my letter on December
9 to the Prime Minister, I laid out what I thought were several suggestions for
agenda topics. I said firstly that we
ought to discuss a national industrial and economic strategy aimed at
diversifying all regions, including adjustment measures for all regions, not
just
I said that fiscal and economic co‑ordination,
including monetary policy, deficits and fiscal arrangements such as
equalization and EPF ought to be an agenda topic for this First Ministers'
meeting.
I said that joint budget guidelines or
targets might be another matter that we ought to discuss. I said agriculture, including the GATT round,
which is coming very close, as we understand it, to a very critical point,
ought to be discussed. I had said that other trade issues, including
interprovincial trade barrier reduction agreements and indeed the involvement
of the provinces‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Point of
Order
Mr. Steve Ashton
(Opposition House Leader): On a point of order,
Mr. Speaker, we certainly have no objection to the minister outlining what
economic plans, if any, this government has, but we are limited in Question
Period time. I would suggest perhaps the
First Minister could table the letter, as is according to our rules, and
perhaps might consider having a ministerial statement on the position of the
government, at which time, we could have a more detailed analysis here in
Question Period.
Mr. Speaker: On the point of order raised, I would like to
remind the honourable minister that answers to questions should be as brief as
possible.
* (1355)
Education
and Training Initiative
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, with a final supplementary question.
What we are looking for are new, innovative ideas. We have not heard any yet. Will the First Minister tell us if he will be
supporting the position taken by the Premier of New Brunswick that there must
be a national education and training initiative, or will he be supporting his
federal Tory cousins who are suggesting this should be a decentralized
initiative and totally offloaded to the provinces?
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I did say
on Friday evening, in my Journal interview, that I agreed with the Premier of
New Brunswick that indeed that was an area in which we ought to be working
together in a co‑ordinated fashion. I said that our human resource
capital was a very important part of our national and international
competitiveness, and one that we ought to work on in a co‑ordinated
fashion.
I have also talked openly about the need
for the federal government to take the greater responsibility in the area of
education and that I disagree with provinces such as
Depo-Provera
Licence
Approval
Ms. Judy Wasylycia‑Leis
(
I would like to ask the Minister of Health
(Mr. Orchard), what information does he have regarding federal government
intentions to give in to Upjohn's aggressive campaign and to have Depo‑Provera
approved as an injectable long‑lasting contraceptive.
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, the issue
of Depo‑Provera is one that concerns us a great deal, and we have
attempted to seek information from the federal government as to whether some of
the rumours which my honourable friend refers to are in fact accurate, as to
whether there are recent requests, once again, to have the drug licensed,
particularly for contraceptive purposes.
Mr. Speaker, we have been unable to
confirm the accuracy or inaccuracy of that rumour. We do share concerns with those who are
opposed to the licensing of Depo‑Provera for purposes that are being
currently under investigation in other nations.
We simply have made the case with the federal government that we do not
believe there should be any licensing for any purposes for which Depo‑Provera
may be used until there is sufficient and very excellent research documentation
to assure its safety to women who may use the pharmaceutical.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: That information is certainly appreciated.
I am wondering if the Minister of Health,
given the uncertainty about whether or not Depo‑Provera will be approved,
would today write or call his federal counterpart and request once again that
Depo‑Provera not be approved at this time as an injectable contraceptive.
Mr. Orchard: I think it is fair to say that we have already
done that, because we heard the same rumours some time ago that there was yet
another attempt at licensing. In our discussions
and departmental discussions with the federal government, as I said in my first
answer, we are unable to confirm the accuracy or the inaccuracy of that rumour.
Mr. Speaker, we have made the position and
taken the position consistently with the federal government and the licensing
agency that no such licence should be granted until adequate assurance of
safety of the product is met. That
position has been communicated to the federal government in the very recent
past.
* (1400)
Breast Cancer
Government
Initiatives
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, a number of initiatives, not the
least of which is a working group of experts from the
It will be probably in January that I will
release to my honourable friend the recommendations of that working group. We have the same level of concern that has
been expressed in recent articles about the incidence of and the seriousness of
breast cancer as a killing disease entity of women.
We are committed in the province to do
whatever we can within the resources available and within the appropriate
technologies available to assure the best possible protection against the
incidence of breast cancer in women.
That can take a number of events, a number of issues that I no doubt
will share with you at a future date.
Workers
Compensation
Long-term
Benefits
Mr. Daryl Reid
(Transcona): Mr. Speaker, I have a brief quote: A number
of long‑term claims have been identified, and it is unknown whether the
claimants have been given an adequate opportunity to become independent of the
compensation system, in other words, to force these injured workers off
benefits to which they are entitled. The
quote comes from Board Talk.
Can the minister responsible for the
Workers Compensation Board explain the reasons why there has been a marked
increase in the numbers of long‑term injured workers who have received
termination of benefits letters, when it is clear that they are unfit to return
to active duties?
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Minister responsible for and charged with the administration of The Workers
Compensation Act): I can tell the House that, as part of their
review of long‑term cases, the board undertakes on a regular basis to
review whether people are able to return to the work force. I am aware of a number of cases, as the
member for Transcona is, where that is questionable, in which case, we ask
those people to use the appeal process to determine whether or not that in fact
is the case.
Mr. Reid: Can the minister explain why the benefits are
being terminated for these individuals on long‑term disability, why they
should have to appeal the process instead of having them go through the process
of having advice from the medical practitioners in the province to ascertain
whether or not they are able to return to active employment?
Mr. Praznik: Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that, in
those cases where benefits are terminated, they are done on the basis of some
assessment that the person is able to go back to work. I say this to the member for Transcona, the
concern that he raised is certainly a valid one and certainly one that I share
with him. I give him the assurance, as
minister, that I raised this with the board.
I want to ensure that process is one that is done fairly and, if there
are cases where it is not done fairly, that certainly they are brought to my
attention and we will raise them with the board.
Medical
Advice
Mr. Daryl Reid
(Transcona): Mr. Speaker, my final supplementary to the
same minister: Can the minister explain
why some doctors on the payroll of the WCB are overruling the advice given to
injured workers by the many renowned medical specialists we are fortunate to
have in this province?
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Minister responsible for and charged with the administration of The Workers
Compensation Act): Mr. Speaker, I share the concerns of the
member for Transcona. One of the matters
in terms of internal use of doctors at the board that I have raised with
administration is to ensure that doctors there are in fact producing medical
information that is current with specialists in the profession. If that is not the case, if there are from time
to time doctors who are making statements that are resulting in appeals that
are being won by the claimants, then those practitioners' statuses with the
board will have to be looked at.
Court of
Queen's Bench
Appeal
Mr. Paul Edwards (St.
James): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister
of Justice.
The minister has consistently‑‑and
as early on in his tenure as Minister of Justice, the first time he has spoken
publicly‑‑been committed to putting a very high priority on access
to justice. To that end, he has put forward,
and we have supported on occasion, amendments to the small claims practices act
in this province, a very important system of adjudication for claims under
$5,000.
Mr. Speaker, now, however, we have learned
that starting April 10, 1992, it is the intention of the Court of Queen's Bench
to operate a screening court for appeals from Small Claims, weeding out those
that they determine are not worthy of having a second look.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister indicate to
the House why this quite drastic curtailment of appeal rights for small claims
litigants is necessary and how it accords with his stated intention to increase
access to the courts?
Hon. James McCrae
(Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, we have made improvements to
the handling of small claims cases in the
We in
Mr. Edwards: Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question to the
minister is: Does the minister support
this new, untested restriction of appeal rights which heretofore in this
province has not been a part of our system?
Does he support that restriction which was not put forward as a
potential consequence of the last amendment act we put forward and which will
result in litigants with claims under $5,000 never having their claim heard by
a legally trained judge?
Mr. McCrae: We have been operating small claims without
using legally trained judges for some time.
The honourable member, if he is against handling cases in our Small
Claims Court or in any of our court systems, if he is against a fairness and an
efficiency that goes with certain changes, then he should say so. If the honourable member is against reform of
our judicial institutions, then let him say so.
I say that there are problems in the
justice system that require correction.
There are some people in the legal community who would want to stand in
the way of improvements in our justice system.
I have seen it before, and I hope I am not seeing it again from the
honourable member for St. James.
Mr. Edwards: Mr. Speaker, if indeed a small claims hearing is
going to now be a matter‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Question, please.
Mr. Edwards: Mr. Speaker, the minister has talked about
justice for the masses. Let us see him
do it. Will he at least commit today to
moving toward legally trained judges in this province, seeing as we are one of
the only provinces left in the country in which you cannot get before a legally
trained judge? Why are litigants for
under $5,000 not worthy of that kind of treatment?
Mr. McCrae: If the honourable member has a complaint that
someone has brought to his attention, I would be very happy to look at it, Mr.
Speaker. I have not received any
complaints about the system that we have.
If the honourable member wants to bring to my attention any specific
complaints from individual Manitobans, that is what I am here for. We try to deal with those things very expeditiously
as well.
I am disturbed by the attitude that I see
in the honourable member of standing in the way of change because, you see, the
way improvements happen is through change.
Point of
Order
Mr. Edwards: Mr. Speaker, I am disturbed by the superfluous
comments of the Minister of Justice attacking my motives in asking that
question, when after three attempts, he still has not‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The honourable member does not have a point of order. It is a dispute over the facts.
* (1410)
Domtar
Site
Cleanup
Ms. Marianne Cerilli
(Radisson): Mr. Speaker, this government's involvement in
the Domtar hazardous waste contamination in Radisson reeks of political
interference and negligence. I am going
to table and read from a memo from the regional supervisor for dangerous goods
when he said that he would have a difficult time justifying the situation in a
public forum. I find it incomprehensible
that the government can allow the public to be inconvenienced and threatened, all
the while letting Domtar stall with the cleanup.
My question is for the Minister of
Environment. What was the basis in
allowing the delays in the clean‑up proposal or the cleanup of this site
when we know that there have been donations from Domtar to both political
parties, and we know of the Premier's errors?
Hon. Glen Cummings
(Minister of Environment): Mr. Speaker, I find
it quite surprising that the member is now only catching up on what the Free
Press was talking about a number of weeks ago. It is obvious that we have had
some considerable concern about the process that Domtar has been involved in,
but I think there is one thing that the community needs to be made perfectly
aware of, that the technology has evolved so that we can today do a much better
cleanup than was proposed under the previous administration. The agreement that they struck was to cap it
and walk away.
Ms. Cerilli: Mr. Speaker, any time anyone wants some
information from his department‑‑was it merely another public relations
exercise to issue the work orders, there were six work orders, to be done by
December 15, or has there been any action with regard especially to the removal
of the containers on the site and the‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Cummings: Mr. Speaker, it has long been our concern as
to the willingness of the corporation to live up to direct orders. They have
accepted the orders as they were written, and it is our expectation that they
will be completed. If they are not, we
will take appropriate action to make sure that they are.
Ms. Cerilli: Mr. Speaker, it is past the deadline. What is it going to take for this minister to
begin to enforce the environmental legislations that are in place? They have talked about getting tough‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Cummings: Mr. Speaker, the Domtar site was left in
limbo for 10 years, primarily under the administration and in the constituency
of the previous ministry of Environment.
They neglected to get on with the cleanup. The reason that there has been some activity
on the last three sites was started by the member for
School of
Psychiatric Nursing
Reopening
Mr. Gregory Dewar
(Selkirk): Mr. Speaker, in the April budget, the
Minister of Health closed the Selkirk School of Psychiatric Nursing. The closure took millions of dollars out of
the Selkirk economy and put the education of mental health care workers in this
province in complete disarray. The nine
months that have passed since the closure of the school have given the minister
the opportunity to reflect upon his bad decision.
I would ask the minister now to rescind
the closure of the school.
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health):
Mr. Speaker, I believe this issue was
dealt with in quite a lot of detail during the last session. I note with interest though that my
honourable friend did not take the time during Health Estimates to come in and
pose questions about the school at Selkirk closing. I know he did not do that because he would
have a tough time getting the issue by the member for Brandon East (Mr. Evans)
whose constituency in the city of
Selkirk
Mental Health Centre
Forensic
Unit
Mr. Gregory Dewar
(Selkirk): Mr. Speaker, will the minister confirm the
information that I received that the forensic unit being negotiated for the
Selkirk Mental Health Centre is not going to be built?
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): No, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Dewar: Can this minister provide the House and the
people of Selkirk the reason why it is not going to be there?
Mr. Orchard: No, Mr. Speaker.
Labour
Adjustment Committee
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister
responsible for Energy and Mines. The
community of
My question to the minister is: Has the minister, through the Labour
Adjustment Committee, finally agreed to support the relocation monies that
should be available to the people who left
Hon. Harold Neufeld
(Minister of Energy and Mines): Mr.
Speaker, of course, I am not responsible for the Labour Adjustment Committee,
but I understand that anyone who has been relocated or is about to be relocated
will benefit from the Labour Adjustment Committee and the monies it has
available for the benefit of those employees.
Mr. Storie: Mr. Speaker, the
Mineral
Exploration
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): My question to the minister is: Will the
minister respond to requests from the LGD of Lynn Lake and the town of Snow
Lake and commit, through Manitoba Mineral Resources, to double the exploration
budget of MMR so that we can be assured that the communities of Snow Lake and
Leaf Rapids are going to continue to exist beyond 1993‑94?
Hon. Harold Neufeld
(Minister of Energy and Mines): Manitoba
Mineral Resources have been directed and have indeed been carrying out, by
themselves and also leaving other monies from private industry, to explore in
the
I should remind, and I am sure that the
member for Flin Flon well knows that, in 20 years starting from about 1970,
millions of dollars have been spent and no new mines were found. The finding of mines is a difficult
procedure, but we are making every effort and spending all monies we can spare
to locate new deposits in that area. The
seven mines that were found in the
Mr. Storie: Mr. Speaker, the money is available through
the Manitoba Mineral Resources. Can the
minister explain to the city councillors in
Mr. Neufeld: Well, Mr. Speaker, the Manitoba Mineral
Resources have been spending money in that area. The Manitoba Mineral Resources have been
leaving money from the industry to spend money in that area. The professionals who are in the area know
where to look and know where they might find, but the ability to find is one
that is‑‑we cannot direct the prospectors to a specific area. We can tell them to try to locate some
deposits in an area, but to find it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
GATT
Negotiations
Marketing
Boards
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, at the recent concerned farmers' protest in
Can the Minister of Agriculture tell this
House what recent discussions he has had with the appropriate federal ministers
as to what will
* (1420)
Hon. Glen Findlay
(Minister of Agriculture): Mr. Speaker, I can
tell the member that I have spoken with the Minister of Agriculture and the
Minister of Grains and Oilseeds, both who have been in
Mrs. Carstairs: The sense of this meeting was clearly that
they were going to be sacrificed.
Has the minister had no discussions at all
as to what will be the final and ultimate position of our government when they
are given a take‑it‑or‑leave‑it contract?
Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, the member is creating a very
hypothetical situation. There is no take‑it‑or‑leave‑it
position on the table at this time. We
are at the table negotiating at this very moment and continue to be there with
our position intact from a year ago.
Mr. Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired.
Nonpolitical Statements
Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Mr. Speaker, I seek the leave of the House in
order to make a nonpolitical statement.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Broadway have
leave to make a nonpolitical statement?
Some Honourable Members:
Leave.
Mr. Speaker: