LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY OF
Wednesday,
March 4, 1992
The House met at 1:30
p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE
PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTING
PETITIONS
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
J.P. Walsh, S. Gephter, G. Gauthier and others requesting the government show
its strong commitment to dealing with child abuse by considering restoring the
Fight Back Against Child Abuse campaign.
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The
Pas): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Georgina Shingoose, Germaine Mentuck, Jeffrey Clearsky and others requesting
the government show its strong commitment to aboriginal self‑government
by considering reversing its position on the AJI by supporting the
recommendations within its jurisdiction and implementing a separate and
parallel justice system.
Mr. Speaker: 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 child abuse is a crime abhorred by
all good citizens of our society, but nonetheless it exists in today's world;
and
It is the responsibility of the government
to recognize and deal with this most vicious of crimes; and
Programs like the Fight Back Against Child
Abuse campaign raise public awareness and necessary funds to deal with the
crime; and
The decision to terminate the Fight Back Against
Child Abuse campaign will hamper the efforts of all good citizens to help
abused children.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray
that the Legislature of the
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 child abuse is a crime abhorred by
all good citizens of our society, but nonetheless it exists in today's world;
and
It is the responsibility of the government
to recognize and deal with this most vicious of crimes; and
Programs like the Fight Back Against Child
Abuse campaign raise public awareness and necessary funds to deal with the
crime; and
The decision to terminate the Fight Back
Against Child Abuse campaign will hamper the efforts of all good citizens to
help abused children.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray
that the Legislature of the
* (1335)
MINISTERIAL
STATEMENT
Hon. James Downey
(Minister responsible for Native Affairs):
Mr. Speaker, I have a ministerial statement that I would like to
make. I have copies.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the
Legislature that aboriginal affairs ministers from across
The meeting resulted from the Annual
Premiers' Conference held in Whistler, B.C. in August of 1991. At that time, the Premiers instructed their
ministers responsible for aboriginal affairs to meet with the aboriginal
leadership to determine ways to deal with issues of longstanding concern to
aboriginal Canadians, including self‑government. The Premiers also directed the ministers to
address issues related to federal offloading of costs for aboriginal
educational and social programs.
This meeting ended with agreement to work
together to develop co‑ordinated approaches to aboriginal issues. The two‑day meeting was a unique
opportunity for the ministers and aboriginal leaders to build relationships
between governments and Metis, Inuit and Indian leaders and discuss ways of
dealing with issues of longstanding concern to the aboriginal peoples,
including self‑government and improved delivery of services to or by
aboriginal peoples.
The meeting was attended by ministers with
responsibility for aboriginal affairs and officials from
Presentations and deliberations focused
on:
the need for the federal government to
fulfill itsconstitutional, treaty and legislative responsibilities innegotiations
and financial arrangements;responsibilities for off‑reserve aboriginal
peoples;mechanisms to deal with potential conflict of laws offederal,
provincial and aboriginal governments;applicability of the Charter of Rights
and Freedoms;the need for the federal government to assume itsjurisdictional
authority for Indian, Inuit, Metis peoples andlands reserved for them under
Section 91(24) of theConstitution;the powers required for aboriginal self‑governments.
Ministers, officials and national leaders
discussed and agreed to an ongoing process to address the Canada‑wide
concerns of Indian, Inuit and Metis peoples.
Delegates expressed regret that neither
the
We were pleased, Mr. Speaker, with the
results of our first meeting. We had a
meaningful information exchange and feel that our agreement to an ongoing process
is a positive step in addressing the aboriginal agenda. Thank you.
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The
Pas): Mr. Speaker, I for one am glad that this
meeting finally took place in
I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, in spite
of the meeting that took place, it is a start.
I would also say to this government that the amount of time it took this
government to make a response, which aboriginal people were not satisfied with,
to the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry leads me to ask a lot of questions of this
government and its sincerity in dealing with issues that affect aboriginal
people, such as self‑government, constitutional issues and those issues
that affect aboriginal people directly here in
I also want to point out to the Deputy
Premier that up until now the track record of this government has been not
great. As a matter of fact, it has been
dismal as far as dealing fairly with aboriginal people in
* (1340)
Another example I want to give is the
treaty land entitlement, those bands that have their claims validated by the
federal government. I hope that this
government is sincere in saying that they are willing to work things out with
the aboriginal people.
Once things get going after the
constitutional process is finished, I would hope that this Deputy Premier (Mr.
Downey) will be just as anxious to meet with his federal counterparts and
ensure that treaty land entitlements are finally settled because that is one
integral part of the aboriginal self‑government. Thank you very much.
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, I welcome the tabling of this announcement today by the Minister
responsible for Native Affairs (Mr. Downey) in the
I think it quite frankly asks more
questions than are dealt with in this submission by the minister today. For example, he indicated that their
negotiations and deliberations focused on the need for the federal government
to fulfill its constitutional treaty and legislative responsibilities in
negotiations and financing arrangements, yet this government is going to
participate in multilateral negotiations with the Prime Minister, in which
aboriginal issues are going to be very much on the table, and this government
will not take a leadership role in having the aboriginal communities invited to
participate in that meeting so they can hear from them in a meaningful way.
If, for example, it is going to be potentially
possible for one province to send observers, surely it is equally possible for
observers to be there from our aboriginal communities, so they can give
technical advice on the distribution of powers as it may affect the self‑governing
model proposed by our aboriginal peoples and their inherent right to that
governing model which we have all accepted.
He went on to indicate, Mr. Speaker, that
they had in fact specifically discussed Section 91 of the Constitution. Section 91 is one of the recommendations in
the Dobbie‑Beaudoin report which is presently on the table and which is
going to be pieced off in a variety of ways from provinces to the federal
government and from the federal government to the provinces. He also indicated that delegates were in
agreement that all provinces should attend, all the more reason why all
provinces should attend the multilateral negotiations beginning next week.
Unfortunately, we are going to conduct those negotiations without a principal
player at the table itself, only there in a consultative manner.
While we are pleased that they had this
meeting, if there was any real faith in the process that is now undergoing with
our aboriginal people, then our aboriginal people would be asked to be present
at any and future negotiations on the Canadian Constitution.
TABLING OF
REPORTS
Hon. Glen Cummings
(Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Public Insurance
Corporation Act and The Jobs Fund Act): Mr.
Speaker, under Tabling of Reports, I have the 1991 Annual Report of the
Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation that I would like to table.
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I would
like to table the Third Quarterly Report for the Province.
At this time also, I would like to
announce that the provincial budget will be coming down a week from today,
March 11 at 2:30 p.m.
* (1345)
ORAL
QUESTION PERIOD
Budget
Employment
Creation Strategy
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, we are pleased that the Minister
of Finance has announced today the budget for the 1992‑93 year.
Mr. Speaker, in 1990, this minister said
continuously throughout the House, in November and December in our session,
that the recession would be over in a matter of months and that there was light
at the end of the tunnel, the recovery was just around the corner in the
In the 1991 budget, the minister and the
Premier stated continuously that again the recession would be over shortly,
that we would have a 7.8 percent unemployment rate in the
Mr. Speaker, a very direct question to the
Minister of Finance: In light of his
forecasting failures of the past and in light of the very serious difficulty
57,000 unemployed Manitobans face today, will the budget he produces next week
be a budget that continues to reduce jobs and opportunities in this province,
or will it be a budget that finally creates opportunities for the 57,000 people
who are unemployed?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I have
to refute every fact that the member has just laid before the Chamber. In my view, the four budgets that we have
brought to date, given the fact that every one of them has had some element of
tax reduction, given that we have decreased the payroll tax, given that we have
decreased personal income taxes, given that we have decreased sales taxes to
the tune of $30 million, as we no longer cascade on the federal tax, I would
say we have had more stimulation effects through our budgets than indeed the
old model which the NDP used to use, that is, to try and buy jobs, defer the
costs which we now have to pay by way of increased taxes.
Mr. Doer: The Minister of Finance did not answer the
question. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance's predictions of 7.8 percent
would be 39,000 people unemployed. We
now have factually 57,000 Manitobans unemployed. That is the issue facing Manitobans. We have a 51 percent increase in social
assistance in the city of
Unemployment
Rate
Forecast
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): I have a second question to the minister. He predicted last year in his budget‑‑and
let us get the facts straight. In 1992,
the government of
I would ask the Minister of Finance
whether he is sticking to the prediction he made last year in this House with
his budget, and will he be sticking to the 7.7 percent unemployment rate or
38,000 people unemployed in the province, rather than the 57,000 we see today?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I will
gladly provide to all members of the House, indeed to the public of
I might point out, Mr. Speaker, I probably
am not the first Finance Minister to miss forecasts, and if I am, I know for
sure I will not be the last.
Education
and Training
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, our problem
with the Minister of Finance is not the fact that he missed the forecast in
1991 and the fact that he is going to miss unfortunately the forecasts of
'92. What our problem is with the Minister
of Finance is that he is missing the boat in terms of creating jobs and
creating opportunities in this province.
I would ask the Minister of Finance‑‑[interjection]
The member who is responsible for the Tupperware plant closure in his own
riding should probably be quieted‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Doer: A further question to the Minister of
Finance. This government has talked long
and hard in all kinds of speeches and press releases about their investment in
the future through education and training, yet last year's budget showed one of
the largest decreases in funding and support to community colleges, ACCESS and
other programs, as the member for Wolseley (Mrs. Friesen) has been pointing out
day after day after day in this House.
Are we really going to invest in the
future of our young people in next week's budget, or are you going to continue
to just talk about it and cut at the same time in your budget that you present
next week?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, let me
say from the outset, there will certainly be elements of next week's budget
that will address youth unemployment, and certainly, there will be areas of
that budget that will also talk about the inclusion of skills training with
respect to the next year. Indeed,
announcements will be flowing in due course from the Minister of Education
(Mrs. Vodrey) giving specificity to that announcement.
Mr. Speaker, let me also point out that
tax increases per the NDP approach to governing is the greatest destructive
force on youth employment in this nation.
That has been proven out over and over again; that has been proven out
throughout the world. I daresay, if the
members opposite were in control, the youth unemployment rates would be
significantly higher than they are today.
* (1350)
Budget
Revenue
Sources
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance should
check the record when it comes to youth unemployment because he is dead
wrong. The losers are the young people
in the
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the
Minister of Finance. In the 1991‑92
budget, the estimate was that the province would lose some $88 million in
revenue in corporate and individual income tax.
The third quarter report that the minister has just tabled predicts even
greater losses than that.
My question to the Minister of Finance
is: How is he going to do those
wonderful things which some people doubt the government will actually do, with
respect to employment and training, the need in health care and educational
institutions, when the province continues to lose millions of dollars in
revenue, as businesses close across the province, as people become unemployed
and people move out of the province? How
is that going to be done?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, it is
not an easy job to craft a budget today; I do not care what political stripe
you have. Indeed, when the member
opposite was on the executive bench of the former government, if he had asked
himself and his colleagues that very same question so that the governments of
the day, through a five‑year period, did not go into deficit $500 million
to $600 million for five years in a row, I say, my job and my task would be easier. There would be more funds in place in support
of the youth who are unemployed in this province.
Mr. Storie: Mr. Speaker, in 1987, when the Minister of
Finance stood in the House and said that he would balance the operating budget‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
This is not a time for debate.
Economic
Growth
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): My question is to the Minister of Finance or
perhaps the Deputy Premier.
What is the Minister of Finance and this
government going to do to slow the rise of the misery index in the
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The question has been put.
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I do
not know what this misery index is. I
know what misery is. I know there are
people today who are suffering. I
wonder, using the so‑called misery index that the member alludes to, what
the people in
I say to the member, what we will attempt
to do is bring balance into this budget.
We will attempt to make sure that there is no greater increase in tax
load to the extent that we possibly can do so.
We will continue to make sure that the important social programs that
Employment
Creation Strategy
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): Mr. Speaker, the minister said he does not
know anything about the misery index. He
has a job; 57,000 other people in the province do not.
Mr. Speaker, my final question to the
Minister of Finance is: Will the
Minister of Finance indicate to this House, perhaps in general terms, what
measures the province will be taking to increase the falling private sector
investment in the province of
* (1355)
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I am
glad the member asked the question. No
doubt, if he asks a preamble, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism (Mr.
Stefanson) will give him more accurate details.
I would say, by my understanding as of
last week,
Provincial
Deficit Increase
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr.
Speaker, on February 17, the Minister of Finance said he did not need the
additional monies for equalization to pay down an increasing and burgeoning
deficit. On February 24, when he found
out he had less money than he thought he was going to get in shared‑cost
programs and other programs coming from the federal government, he said he
still was not going to need the money to pay an ever‑increasing deficit.
Can he explain to the House today why we have
just received a document which shows that, as of December 31, our deficit had
gone up some $25 million?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, if I
were to table this report, indeed if I were to do a forecast, a fourth quarter
a week from today, the number of $24 million showing as the increase in deficit
would no doubt be different.
As I have said on several occasions, work
to the period at the end of the fiscal year, when significant changes occur in
a number of lines, at that time, we become aware of expenditures within
departments, as again departments are working towards their year‑end
numbers. We find out also, given
particularly through the federal government and their revisions, there are
significant changes to transfer areas.
All of that causes an impact on the final bottom‑line deficit
number.
Yes, whereas a month ago I thought that we
would be able to bring in the deficit at a lower level than we had budgeted for
and indicated in the second quarterly report, the reality is today, as we look
forward, there will be a slight increase, not one that will be six‑ or
eight‑fold as compared to many other provinces, Mr. Speaker, one that is
a very small percentage in terms of what we said as of the second quarter.
Department
of Education and Training
Underspending
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): One of
the figures which is very clear in this budget is that retail sales tax revenue
has gone down by $15 million, which expresses in very clear terms the lack of
consumer confidence. It expresses the
need that many people have for jobs in our community, and if they cannot get
jobs, Mr. Speaker, they need education and training.
Can the Minister of Education (Mrs.
Vodrey) explain why her portion of the budget is considerably underspent to
this point in time in the fiscal year?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): The member knows
full well that this is cash actual over cash planned. From time to time, as is quite often the
case, as usually is the case, it is a matter of timing differences. Indeed that question should more specifically
be put at the end of the fourth quarter when the books for the year close.
We do our best estimates, to put forward
what we think the expenditures will cash flow by way of quarters, and quite
often timing differences cause significant variations, Mr. Speaker, from those
forecasted cash flows.
Mrs. Carstairs: Is it not interesting that the Minister of
Education was not able to ask why her budget was underspent?
Department
of Health
Underspending
Mrs. Sharon Carstairs
(Leader of the Second Opposition): Perhaps
the Minister of Health can tell us why his budget has been underspent by some
$12 million while we have increasing waiting lists for almost every surgical
procedure in the
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, my honourable friend falls into
the same lack‑of‑depth analysis that other critics have fallen
victim to.
My honourable friend might know full well
that where we undertake surgical procedures is within the hospitals in
* (1400)
Government
Nursery Closure
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The
Pas): On December 6, I asked this government what
the status was of the government nursery at
My question is to the Deputy Premier, the
Minister of Northern Affairs. What is
the status of the nursery now in The Pas?
Will the minister tell this House today whether that nursery is closed
permanently, a simple yes or no?
Hon. James Downey
(Minister of Northern Affairs): The
member, I am sure, is well aware of the fact that the activities of tree
harvesting for some particular reason, whether they be held up for
environmental hearings, or whether they be held up for other purposes because
of decisions made by those who would be harvesting the trees, or because of the
fact that the replanting of the trees were lesser than what they were
anticipated, there is in fact the need to slow down or to close that particular
operation.
It would be my hope that, as the
activities were to be resumed after proper environmental processes were to take
place, after my colleague has restructured the deal, there would be activity
restarted or taking place at the reforestation greenhouse at The Pas. It would be our intention to have that
happen, Mr. Speaker, but it has to be done on a viable basis.
Mr. Lathlin: Mr. Speaker, again to the Minister of Northern
Affairs: Is the operation being
eliminated completely in
Mr. Downey: Mr. Speaker, it would be our intention to see
that activity carry out the job of providing tree seedlings for trees that are
harvested wherever they be needed. There
is no intention to shift work activity from one area of the province to the
other. It may well take place within the
planning of the department but no intent to close one down and keep another
operating.
Mr. Speaker, let me say as well that it
would be less than responsible, as we saw in
Mr. Lathlin: Mr. Speaker, my final question is again to
the Minister of Northern Affairs.
How can this government, which has
promised jobs, jobs, jobs to northerners pretend that this is fair? Has northern
Mr. Downey: Mr. Speaker, it has been the intention of
this government, in the interest of the taxpayer and in the interest of
employing northern Manitobans, to do everything possible to make sure that
there is an environmental process being gone through, that there is a
restructuring of the negotiated deal between Repap and the
Budget
Crop
Insurance
Mr. John Plohman
(Dauphin): Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture, this
past year, has stubbornly refused to listen to the cries of concern from agricultural
producers and ourselves in this House with regard to the unfair application of
GRIP as it was endorsed and drawn up by this government. We and the producers said that GRIP treated
producers in certain areas of the province unfairly and penalized those who
were already hardest hit by natural disasters under crop insurance. The premiums were too high, and the coverage
levels were too low for many farmers in many regions of the province.
Will the Acting Minister of Agriculture
and Deputy Premier now support a cost‑of‑production‑based
program in next week's budget? Will he
also recommend to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Findlay) a separation of
crop insurance from GRIP so that in fact the wishes of the producers who were
at the recent crop insurance review meetings will be met?
Hon. James Downey
(Acting Minister of Agriculture): Mr.
Speaker, I am quite prepared to compare the expenditure of this government to
the farm community than what has been previously spent by the New Democratic Party
in support of our farm people, millions of dollars compared to what the
previous administration had spent on the farm community.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture
(Mr. Findlay) and this government last year committed to do a review of crop
insurance to try to find out some of the difficulties that the farm community
were having and some of the inequities.
That is currently being carried out.
I am sure the Minister of Agriculture will assess the recommendations
that will come forward, and any changes that are needed will be discussed with
the farm community to see that they in fact will assist the farm community.
Mr. Plohman: Mr. Speaker, they are recommending a complete
separation of GRIP and crop insurance.
Since this minister will not support cost
of production, will this acting minister, at the very least, respect the
concerns of the southwest
Mr. Downey: Mr. Speaker, let me assure you that, in
previous actions of this government in the drought program, I believe in 1989,
there was a program put in place that was supported by this government and the
federal government to assist those very farmers.
I have relayed to the Minister of
Agriculture (Mr. Findlay) the concerns that I am sure the member for Dauphin is
hearing from my constituents as to their concern on the coverage which they are
looking at this coming year. I have
relayed those concerns to the Minister of Agriculture, and we have planned to
meet with the Crop Insurance Review Committee to find out what in fact changes
could be made or additions could be made to assist those people.
I can assure you that I am as concerned
and as knowledgeable as the member for Dauphin is as to the hardship those
people are facing.
Mr. Plohman: Mr. Speaker, an underspending of his
Agriculture budget by some 6 percent this year by the end of the third quarter.
Budget
Crop
Insurance
Mr. John Plohman
(Dauphin): Can the Minister of Finance promise to
include, in next week's budget, coverage levels at least as high as the levels
in this previous year, in the current year, and premium levels no higher,
because farmers cannot afford it, than has been the case in the past year under
GRIP? Can he promise those coverages
under the budget that he will be bringing down in this House next week?
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I will
not be coerced by the member for Dauphin to provide insight into the budget
which is going to be open and indeed presented to people in our province next
week.
Let me say with respect to Agriculture
support, though, that there will be still significant level flowing from
supplementary funding decisions made during this present year, and the level of
funding will be maintained and I daresay increased as we bring forward the
budget into the next year.
Women's
Directorate
Hiring
Process
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
Last summer the government appointed a
Miss Theresa Harvey to the position of Acting Assistant Deputy Minister for the
Women's Directorate. On July 10, not
once but twice, the minister made a commitment to open it for competition.
Can the minister tell the House why applicants
were informed that the competition was cancelled as the government had chosen
to make an appointment through an alternative method and Miss
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson
(Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer that
question. We did hold an open
competition, in fact, and several candidates were interviewed. It was the opinion that none of the
candidates who were interviewed were of assistant deputy minister calibre. In fact, what we have done as a result is to
cancel the competition and to appoint directly Theresa Harvey, who has been
acting for six months and has proven that she is assistant deputy minister
material.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, can the minister then respond to
why it is a letter was sent to one of the applicants, and I quote, "I also
wish to advise that a decision has been made to cancel the competition as the
government has chosen to make an appointment through an alternative
method"?
That is in a letter that was sent out to
one of the applicants. The competition
was in fact cancelled‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
* (1410)
Point of
Order
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, the
member opposite referred and quoted from a letter. As is the tradition of this House, I would
ask him to table that letter.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, I will be more than happy to
table the letter. The name is blacked
out; I hope it does not upset the minister.
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. I would like to thank the honourable member
for tabling the letter.
* * *
Mr. Speaker: The question has been put.
Mrs. Mitchelson: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my first
answer, the competition process was conducted.
In fact, there was not‑‑[interjection] Mr. Speaker, Theresa
Harvey did not apply for the job under the competition‑‑
Some Honourable Membesr: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mrs. Mitchelson: Mr. Speaker, as I was trying to explain,
Theresa Harvey did not apply for the competition. Those who did apply were interviewed, and it
was the opinion that none of those who applied for the position were of an
assistant deputy minister calibre.
Theresa Harvey, who did not apply, was asked in fact whether she would
consider looking at the job in view of the fact that people from within
government and from the community over the past six months have written to me
and indicated that she is doing an excellent job in the position of assistant
deputy minister for the women of
Multicultural
Secretariat
Hiring
Process
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
Mr. Speaker: Question, please.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, the question quite simply, so
that the minister is able to answer the question, is‑‑[interjection]
It is a supplementary question. Did she
open that particular position to fill the term position that Ms. Alice Kirkland
filled? Has that been done?
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson
(Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship): Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of
bulletining that now.
Government
Nursery Closure
Hon. James Downey
(Minister of Northern Affairs): Mr.
Speaker, I have some additional information which I would like to provide for
the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin) as it related to his question, and that is
that the summer production will be carried out at The Pas nursery this summer.
Mr. Clif Evans
(Interlake): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Acting
Minister of Natural Resources. The
My question is: Does the minister support the conclusion of
this report, and if so, what portion of the predicted $63‑million cost
will be provided by the taxpayers of
Hon. Albert Driedger
(Acting Minister of Natural Resources): Mr.
Speaker, I am going to take that question as notice on behalf of the Minister
of Natural Resources (Mr. Enns), who is attending a federal conference on
forestry.
FederalProvincial
Review
Mr. Clif Evans
(Interlake): Mr. Speaker, can the acting minister tell the
House if the department will allow for an independent decision on this
proposal, unlike other projects, and commit to a joint federal‑provincial,
basin‑wide review before any water is allocated?
Hon. Albert Driedger
(Acting Minister of Natural Resources): Mr.
Speaker, again, I will take the details of the question as notice on behalf of
the Minister of Natural Resources.
Federal-Provincial
Review
Mr. Clif Evans
(Interlake): Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question, the
same question for the Minister of Environment.
Can the Minister of Environment tell the
House if he will allow for an independent decision on this proposal, unlike
other projects, and commit to a joint federal‑provincial, basin‑wide
review before any water is allocated?
Hon. Glen Cummings
(Minister of Environment): Mr. Speaker, I am
offended that the member would phrase his question, "allow for an
independent decision." He had
better have some facts to back that up, or withdraw that accusation.
Mr. Speaker, our environmental process
allows for a full and complete review, and there will be an independent
decision made.
Hazardous
Waste Management Corporation
R.M. of
Montcalm Negotiations
Mr. Marcel Laurendeau
(St. Norbert): Mr. Speaker, the constituency of St. Norbert
was happy to hear the decision made by the Hazardous Waste Corporation last
Friday.
My question is to the Minister of
Environment. Seeing as this has been
before the community for some time and the community of St. Norbert has spoken,
will the minister be going forward to cabinet, at the earliest opportune time,
to bring forward a resolution to this problem?
Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister of Environment):