LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY OF
Thursday,
April 15, 1993
The House met at 1:30
p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE
PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTING
PETITIONS
Mr. Leonard Evans
(Brandon East): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Stuart Prince, Cam Brown, Rita Cullen and others requesting the Family Services
minister (Mr. Gilleshammer) consider restoring funding for the friendship
centres in
Mr. Conrad Santos
(Broadway): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Alfred Spence, Alvin North, Earl Sinclair and others requesting the Family
Services minister (Mr. Gilleshammer) to consider restoring funding for the
friendship centres in
Mr. Gregory Dewar
(Selkirk): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Cora Lee Poirier, Emily Duguid, Dawn Bates and others requesting the Family
Services minister (Mr. Gilleshammer) consider restoring funding for friendship
centres in
* * *
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The
Pas): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Lawrence Disbrowe, Wallace Everelle, Henry Arvin McKay and others requesting
the Minister of Natural Resources (Mr. Enns) to consider restoring funding of
the Northern Fishermen's Freight Assistance Program to the level it was in 1990‑91.
Mr. Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable
member (Mr. Leonard Evans). It complies
with the privileges and practices of the House and complies with the rules (by
leave). Is it the will of the House to have the petition read? [agreed]
Mr. Clerk (William
Remnant): The petition of the undersigned citizens of
the
WHEREAS the United Nations has declared 1993
the International Year of the World's Indigenous People with the theme,
"Indigenous People: a new
partnership"; and
WHEREAS the provincial government has totally
discontinued funding to all friendship centres; and
WHEREAS the provincial government has stated
that these cuts mirror the federal cuts; and
WHEREAS the elimination of all funding to
friendship centres will result in the loss of many jobs as well as the services
and programs provided, such as:
assistance to the elderly, the homeless, youth programming, the socially
disadvantaged, families in crisis, education, recreation and cultural
programming, housing relocation, fine options, counselling, court assistance,
advocacy;
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that
the Legislative Assembly of
Mr. Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the
honourable member (Mr. Dewar). It
complies 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? [agreed]
Mr. Clerk: The petition of the undersigned citizens of
the
WHEREAS the United Nations has declared 1993
the International Year of the World's Indigenous People with the theme,
"Indigenous People: a new
partnership"; and
WHEREAS the provincial government has totally
discontinued funding to all friendship centres; and
WHEREAS the provincial government has stated
that these cuts mirror the federal cuts; and
WHEREAS the elimination of all funding to
friendship centres will result in the loss of many jobs as well as the services
and programs provided, such as:
assistance to the elderly, the homeless, youth programming, the socially
disadvantaged, families in crisis, education, recreation and cultural
programming, housing relocation, fine options, counselling, court assistance,
advocacy;
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that
the Legislative Assembly of
* * *
Mr. Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the
honourable member (Mr. Martindale). It
complies 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? [agreed]
Mr. Clerk: The petition of the undersigned citizens of
the
WHEREAS
WHEREAS over 1,000 young adults are currently
attempting to get off welfare and upgrade their education through the student
social allowances program; and
WHEREAS
WHEREAS the provincial government has already
changed social assistance rules resulting in increased welfare costs for the
City of
WHEREAS the provincial government is now
proposing to eliminate the student social allowances program; and
WHEREAS eliminating the student social
allowances program will result in more than a thousand young people being
forced onto city welfare with no means of getting further full‑time
education, resulting in more long‑term costs for city taxpayers.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that
the Legislative Assembly of
* (1335)
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 La Broquerie
School, we have thirty Grades 5 and 6 students, under the direction of Mr.
Thiessen. This school is located in the
constituency of the honourable Minister of Highways and Transportation (Mr.
Driedger).
On
behalf of all honourable members, I would like to welcome you here this
afternoon.
ORAL
QUESTION PERIOD
Royal
Trust Relocations
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the First
Minister.
In
June of 1991, the Premier promised to
We,
of course, have asked this question subsequent to the announcement of the
government. In fact, December of 1992,
the Premier said in this House, and I quote:
"We have remained in close touch with the Royal Trust people, have
had continuing discussions with them.
They still are committed to an investment in
Could the Premier please advise us of the
status of those 200 jobs, some of which were going to be located in the
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is
entitled to ask whatever questions he wants to, but in attempting to make
political hay on an issue, he is raising a matter that obviously is not one
that any of us would want to pursue.
The
fact of the matter is that Royal Trust, through problems with respect to its
investment portfolio and massive losses over a space of the last two years, is‑‑[interjection]
Mr. Speaker, you know the member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak) has all the smart
answers. He does not care about
If
I may carry on, Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that Royal Trust has
experienced serious financial difficulty. Such financial difficulty denied them
the opportunity to make a multimillion‑dollar investment during that
period of time.
I
have spoken with Royal Trust people as recently as late January and again last
month, met with them in
I
cannot make any guarantees. Obviously,
our hope is that company will be able to be restructured in a way that they are
on sound financial footing and we can, once again, look at the prospect of them
devolving some of their operations into
We
will continue to work positively with them, Mr. Speaker. I think that is the
way in which we can look for better things in future.
* (1340)
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, as I say, we are very
disappointed that even though the losses were well known in December the
Premier left us with a lot of optimism when he assured us, in this House, that
there would be some news on this in the not too distant future, in terms of
their investment in
Mr.
Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier, what is the status of those 200 jobs
that were pending in
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, just so the member does not
imply that I was misleading him or anybody else in my comments in December, I
can tell him that when I met with some specific individuals in late January,
the individual who was supposed to be coming here as manager of the new
facility was one of the people I met with. So indeed plans continued to be
afoot for movement of a significant portion of their operations into
All
things have changed as a result of the new ownership and the
restructuring. Our intention is to
continue to work to convince Royal Trust, under its new ownership, or indeed
the Royal Bank or many of the financial institutions. We have been meeting with a considerable
number of them in the course of our development of our strategy to attract back‑office
functions in the area of telecommunications and computers from many of
The
member is probably aware that our work continues to pay fruit with
announcements by Unitel a month or so ago, announcements by
CN Rail
Running Trades
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, we are certainly pleased about
the announcement today of the service centre jobs being added to
We
are also concerned about the loss of jobs on the running trades in the same
railway. We lost 110 brakemen in
November of '92 from the railway. We
have lost 200 or so maintenance‑away employees. Mr. Speaker, 170 jobs were announced at
Weston, the diesel shops, to be lost, which is now put on hold because the
facility apparently in
In
light of the discussions the Premier is having with the senior officials of the
railway today and the good announcement he has today, can the Premier advise us
on the status of the running trades in the
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, unlike the New Democrats who,
when they were in government, made the bald‑faced statement that they
could continue to raise the taxes in Manitoba on the railways to punitive
levels because, as his predecessor said when the New Democrats were in office,
what are they going to do‑‑tear up the tracks, pull up the tracks?
The
fact of the matter is that by imposing punitive tax levels on both railways, we
have seen significant reductions in the operations of the railways in
* (1345)
Stubble
Burning Health Risks
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
The
government promised action and today we have received its response. In terms of public health, Mr. Speaker, there
seems to be little more in this report than band‑aid solutions and
cosmetic changes.
I
would like to ask the government, since it would seem that Manitobans may,
instead of waking up to smoke, will be coming home to smoke, how does this
announcement significantly reduce the health risks from stubble burning for all
Manitobans and ensure that the health hazard of last fall is not repeated again
this year?
Hon. Glen Cummings
(Minister of Environment): Mr. Speaker, I would
hope that the member would reread the announcement. The fact is that we now have a regulated
regime in this province for the control of disposal of waste straw, stubble,
and I would fully expect that Manitobans, particularly Winnipeggers, will be
able to enjoy the outdoors and the comfort of their yards in the fall as well
as other seasons of the year.
The
regulation enables us to take particular action if a situation changes, for
example if we have burning this spring, that has potential to cause
difficulties, we can within six hours notice implement the regulations in a
regime that will protect the health of Manitobans.
So
I would ask for her co‑operation, and I would expect that Winnipeggers in
particular will reap some considerable satisfaction from the regulations that
we put in place.
Ms. Wasylycia‑Leis: Mr. Speaker, in January of '92 the Minister
of Health (Mr. Orchard) said, we fully support a review by the Clean
Environment Commission of stubble burning.
His head of wellness and health said that although no evidence has
existed previously about the health effects of stubble burning, he had since
changed his mind due to medical evidence, and in October the MMA clearly called
for a review under the Clean Environment Commission.
I
would like to ask the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that the concerns
of professionals and physicians in this area have been addressed, and whether
he can assure us that Manitobans will be absolutely protected from the health
hazards of stubble burning in the future.
Mr. Cummings: Mr. Speaker, the member chooses to ignore the
fact that this is the result of a recommendation of a working group which
represented the parents of asthmatics, which represented health interests, also
represented community interests, agricultural interests. The Lung Association was also involved in
this nine‑person group.
The
reason that we brought forward the regulations at this time and the reason that
we have taken such sweeping powers which we have under The Environment Act, in
order to be able to provide the enforcement of these regulations, is precisely
the reason that she is asking about, is that we do care about the health of
Winnipeggers and Manitobans at large.
I
tell you that those powers will be enforced in order to protect that very issue
of the health of Winnipeggers or others in the public who are sensitive to the
smoke. It is a practice that the
Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Findlay) has been working very hard to have
reduced and eliminated, and what we have here is a coming together of
communities. The agricultural community
has been extremely co‑operative in developing a control mechanism, and
those who represent the urban issues have also brought their points forward
strongly and support this approach.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: Mr. Speaker, in this announcement there is no
permit system with tough guidelines and meaningful penalties. There is no Clean
Environment Commission review on health.
There is no new research into alternatives. There is no new education‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. I would like to remind the honourable member
this is not a time for debate.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: My question, Mr. Speaker, since we remain
concerned about how this will deal with the health hazard of stubble burning on
Manitobans is: What longer term
contingency plan does this government have in place in the event that this
regulation, this announcement does not adequately protect people from the
health hazards‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member has put her question.
Mr. Cummings: Mr. Speaker, I am appalled that that member
would put such false and misleading information on the record. It says right in the press release that the
first ticket has fines of up to a thousand dollars under summary
conviction. Beyond that, for repeat
offences or for flagrant and very abusive situations, we can go to The
Environment Act which, frankly, has fines up to $50,000.
Now
if that is what she says is insufficient, then I suggest that they are talking
about draconian government and that is not what this province wants.
* (1350)
Violence
Prevention Programs
Government
Resources
Ms. Avis Gray
(Crescentwood): Mr. Speaker, it is not difficult for any
Manitoban to pick up a newspaper or to be in a conversation where there is not
talk about the increased amount of violence among our young people, and in fact
in our schools and in our society. The
Minister of Finance (Mr. Manness) said yesterday that families must take some
responsibility in managing children with behavioural problems. No one would dispute that, but governments
also have a responsibility to assist families and to assist children in dealing
with these particular behavioural problems and certainly with increasing
violence.
I
would ask the Minister of Family Services if he could tell this House and in
fact tell Manitobans, if a family does have a difficulty with a child, a child
who is experiencing behavioural problems, what resources are available to that
family so they can be good parents and they can receive the support that they
need for the children who are misbehaving and for children where there is
increased violence? Can the minister
provide that information today?
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Mr.
Speaker, the first response usually comes through the school system where
funding is provided for more guidance counsellors today than the school system
has ever had before.
School guidance counsellors are often the
first line of defence in terms of working with those children who are finding
difficulties in the school system, and working with those families and with the
teachers who deal with those children on a day‑to‑day basis to
resolve the issues there.
The
school counsellors not only work within the school setting but from time to
time work with the families in their home as well. I know from personal experience that many of
those fine professionals do some tremendous work in alleviating the problems
that students have in the school setting.
Child and
Family Services
Ms. Avis Gray
(Crescentwood): Mr. Speaker, with a supplementary to the same
minister: For families and children who
are experiencing those problems, the school personnel, teachers are telling us
that when they make referrals for severely disturbed children to Child and
Family Services, that in fact if you are 14 years of age and over, the chances
of your receiving service are very, very low.
Can
the minister tell us, given that he has increased the workload of the Child and
Family Services personnel and given that they have eliminated the family
counselling program since 1988 with the government, what resources are really
available there for these families and for these parents?
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Mr.
Speaker, I am sure the member, in doing her research on this particular
question, talked to members of the media who contacted the executive director
of Child and Family Services and he informs me that is not the case. They do work with children who are over 14
years of age.
Ms. Gray: Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Family
Services then tell this House if Child and Family Services, which comes under
his jurisdiction, is working with children who are over 14 and is accepting all
the referrals?
Why
do we have qualified teachers in these schools who are in fact saying they are
not picking up the referrals and there are no services for the children?
Mr. Gilleshammer: Mr. Speaker, certainly there are difficult
children in the school system that parents have difficulty coping with at home,
the school system has difficulty coping with, and they in turn do access
services provided by Child and Family Services.
In
a conversation with the executive director earlier today, I am sure prompted by
the member asking the question, I am given the understanding that they
certainly provide services for children who are over 14.
* (1355)
Child and
Family Services
Reduced
Workweek
Mr. Doug Martindale
(Burrows): Mr. Speaker, as we have seen, there is
increasing concern across the country for the interests of children and the increasing
caseloads of different provincial governments and cutbacks which are reducing
services.
In
the
Can
the Minister of Family Services, in follow‑up to statements that he made
in Interim Supply, tell the House if he has had a chance to meet again with the
chief executive officer of Child and Family Services and other agency heads to
see how they are going to implement provision of services when there are 3,000
hours less service to provide to children?
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Mr.
Speaker, if the member had listened to my previous answer, I had discussions
with the executive director this morning.
Mr. Martindale: Mr. Speaker, my question is: What have the agency heads said and what are
they going to do? How does this minister
account for the discrepancy between what the CEO of
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member has put his question.
Mr. Gilleshammer: Mr. Speaker, I am sure many of us read the
same articles in the local papers today, that governments in
Certainly, executive directors and board
chairs have acknowledged the challenge that lies ahead of them in working with
children who are having difficulty, and they have worked co‑operatively
with us and accepted that challenge, and are in the process of finding those
solutions.
Mr. Martindale: Mr. Speaker, we want to know from this
minister what the specifics are, other than the rhetoric about meeting the
challenges, because we cannot count on this minister to protect the interests
of children when there are fewer resources, when there are budget reductions,
when there are fewer staff, fewer investigations‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Gilleshammer: Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member, there are
more resources there today than there were in 1988 when we came to
government. We have dramatically
increased the funding in most of the social areas, and the plans that the
member is asking for are now being formulated by the executive officers of
those agencies and their staff. I know
that later today, some of these decisions are being communicated to staff. When they become public, we will make them
available for the member.
Child
Care-The Pas
Funding
Reduction
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The
Pas): Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the
Minister of Family Services.
Mr.
Speaker, this government, through Northern Affairs, likes to talk about the
work that the Northern Economic Development Commission is doing in the North
currently. The Minister of Family
Services I am sure is aware that one of the themes that has already emerged
from those hearings so far is that northern people, particularly women, be
given every opportunity to access employment, training and business.
Mr.
Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Family Services whether he can
table in this House today a study, a report, any research material or criteria
that he used to justify those cuts to the daycare program in The Pas.
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Mr.
Speaker, some weeks ago we announced the changes in daycare. This comes after a
dramatic increase in funding over the last number of budgets. When we came to government, the Day Care line
was $26 million or $27 million. We have
virtually doubled that amount of money.
I
do not know whether the member heard the other day, I did leave some misleading
information in the House when I said that our program was three times as big as
So
we this year will show, and I am sure the member has already noticed that, an
increase in our daycare budget, but we have certainly brought in some changes
which freeze the licensing of new spaces and also caps the subsidy at 9,600
spaces. Mr. Speaker, we are going to
work with the daycare community to see that it has a minimal impact on any
particular daycare.
* (1400)
Mr. Lathlin: Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can ask the minister
to answer my supplementary question, because he never did answer my first
question.
Mr.
Speaker, can the minister explain to this House today why the daycare program
cuts in The Pas represented 13 percent of those cuts made across the province‑‑13
percent? Can he explain or point out to
members here where the fairness is in those cuts that were made?
Mr. Gilleshammer: Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that his
information is wrong. The change that we
are making in the daycare is bringing down the number of subsidized spaces from
10,000 spaces to 9,600 spaces, some 400 spaces.
With the number of centres and daycare operations across the province,
we are trying to manage these changes so that no particular daycare centre
would lose more than one subsidized space.
Mr. Lathlin: Mr. Speaker, my last question to the same
minister is: Will the minister
reconsider those cuts his government made to The Pas daycare program until such
time that he has come to The Pas, met with those people who are involved in the
daycare program and after he has adequately studied the daycare situation in
The Pas? Will he consider his decision?
Mr. Gilleshammer: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in a previous
answer, the member's information is wrong.
I would offer to meet with him later today or tomorrow to look at the
numbers that he has before him to indicate that the changes we are making in
the daycare do have a fairness about them.
School Tax
Levy Fairness
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
Because of the current structure of the school
divisions, if you happen to live in a $70,000 home in Winnipeg School Division
No. 1, you would pay $1,034 in property tax.
If you happen to live in St. James or Winnipeg No. 2, on a $70,000 home,
it would be $756.
Mr.
Speaker, my question to the Minister of Finance is: Can the Minister of Finance tell me, is that
in fact a fair tax when up to 25 percent more is being paid from some residents
in the city of
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, now that
the member for
Mr.
Speaker, if the member then wants to draw into the debate to what extent the
local school divisions should have autonomy and should have the freedom to make
their own budgetary decisions and consequently reflect that in different
special levies as between one school division and the other, then I say to him,
that is a big issue. If the member is
saying collapse the school boards and the big power of government come in and
ultimately make everything uniform, then let him say that.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, there is only one way this inequity
can be resolved, and that is if this government brings in the necessary
legislation‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. This is not a time for debate. The honourable member for
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, how can the Minister of Finance
justify, in Weston you would pay $443; in Brooklands, right across the street
from
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The honourable member has put his question.
Mr. Manness: Mr. Speaker, as I say to the would‑be
leader of the Liberal Party, I have agriculture land in the School Division of
Morris‑MacDonald and I have agriculture land in the School Division of
I
dare say, although the same productivity is there, the mill rate, as a result
of the special levy in one school division, is an additional five mills as
compared to one school division to the other.
That is on the basis of the fact that one school division has decided to
offer greater programming and charge its people accordingly. It is not an assessment issue.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Finance tell me
why the poorest people in the city of
Mr. Manness: Mr. Speaker, I do not need to explain the
decision of trustees duly elected under an autonomous system, to make decisions
in council which obviously, in some cases, cause a greater cost to be applied
against ratepayers in one school division versus another. It is not my role. [interjection] No,
no. The member said two different school
divisions.
So,
Mr. Speaker, if that is the question and it is between different school
divisions, it is not my role to stand here and answer that question.
Income Tax
Act
Dr. Connie
Curran Exemption
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, Clause 31(f) of the Connie
Curran contract allows her to apply for exemptions from Canadian tax and
Why
is the province only now looking at the matter, Mr. Speaker, about her tax
obligations on a $3.9‑million contract to the people of
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, this is
not the country of
Now
we understand that APM has sought a judgment from
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, the minister had the ability to
negotiate this contract. There are
clauses in this contract dealing with tax and nonliability for tax.
My
question to the minister is: Could not
the minister put a clause or clauses in this contract that would have specified
that she meets the criteria so that she would be entitled to pay taxes and that
there are basically three elements to that criteria, from the tax advice that I
have received?
Mr. Manness: Mr. Speaker, we followed the same format that
the member's party did when they were in government and engaged themselves in
the contract also with consultants from the
I
would say, Mr. Speaker, to the member, live in the real world. That does not happen. It is just like if I were to ask the member
to voluntarily pay more tax than he is now as a citizen of this province, he
would probably tell me to go somewhere else.
* (1410)
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, in the real world people do not get
paid $3.9 million a year.
Income Tax
Act
Dr. Connie
Curran Exemption
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): My final supplementary to the minister. Does he think it is fair‑‑[interjection]
That is right, Mr. Speaker. Teemu opens
hospitals, not closes them. We hear the
shot from the Premier.
My
final supplementary to the Premier, since he is saying so much on this issue
from his seat: Does he think it is fair
to allow a
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The honourable member's question is clearly seeking an opinion and
therefore out of order.
The
honourable member for Kildonan, would you want to kindly rephrase your
question, please. [interjection]
Order, please.
I had advised the honourable member for Kildonan that it was seeking an
opinion and was therefore out of order.
Kindly rephrase your question.
Mr. Chomiak: My final supplementary is to the Minister of
Finance (Mr. Manness).
Will the Minister of Finance reveal in this
House what the per diem rate is for Connie Curran, the per diem rate that we
are paying this woman and these consultants to come in from the
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The honourable member has put his question.
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, my honourable friend is really
attempting to malign a process which two hospitals, their boards, their administration
urged government to engage in.
Mr.
Speaker, I want to remind my honourable friend the New Democrat in opposition
that this is the most open sharing of information. My honourable friend would not have a single
question around this engagement of APM if we had not given him the contract,
for the first time I think probably ever that consultants' contracts‑‑prior
to them being engaged, has been tabled at a news conference.
Mr.
Speaker, that contrasts quite significantly to the circumstance that I
discovered when I became Minister of Health that the NDP, through the back door
with no one knowing, engaged
They, Sir, are hypocritical in
opposition. They do exactly the opposite
they do in government.
Point of
Order
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, the
Minister of Health ought to know that what he says is patently wrong‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The honourable member does not have a point of order. That is clearly a dispute over the facts.
Children's
Dental Program
Funding
Reduction Impact
Mr. Clif Evans
(Interlake): Mr. Speaker, over the past three years it has
become obvious that the commitment to job creation and services for rural
Manitobans has become again another broken promise by this government.
I
would like to ask the Minister of Rural Development (Mr. Derkach), does the
minister have any reports or studies stating that the cuts to the dental
program for rural children will not negatively impact on the 60,000 children,
including 700 children from the Interlake alone?
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I presume my honourable friend
is posing a question about the Children's Dental Health Program.
As
I have indicated to other questions from members opposite and in response to
questions about the budget, yes, we did make the decision to remove the
treatment component in the Children's Dental Health Program, which is available
to children going to school outside of
In
addition to that, Sir, I want to tell my honourable friend that since we have
come to office we have expanded the fluoridation grants to a number of
communities in rural
Mr. Clif Evans: Mr. Speaker, did this minister consult with the
health specialists, the rural municipalities and the officials? Did he consult
with these people as to the effect and the impact this would have on the
communities and on people in rural
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, when you are making budgetary
decisions, there is some inability to go out and consult and communicate, et
cetera, as to what some of your program decisions are.
Sir, I want my honourable friend to understand
that we did not make this decision with any particular joy, and I simply say to
my honourable friend, neither did the government of
These are very difficult times for all
governments in
Proposal
for Use
Mr. Clif Evans (Interlake): Mr. Speaker, further on rural development and
creation in economic development, I want to ask the minister and this
government why do they not support the application of Mr. R.J. Moore to
purchase and reopen the closed
Hon. Harry Enns
(Minister of Natural Resources): Mr.
Speaker, the honourable member is referring to a facility that is known to us
as the Lakeside Camp, and it was formerly operated by the Society for
Manitobans with Disabilities.
There has not been a satisfactory alternative
user for that property found, principally because the terms and conditions that
we have laid down, namely, that if at all possible the facility be maintained
in such a manner that it can still provide the service to the community,
including the school children in that community, there just simply has not been
an acceptable proposal call made to government.
Mr. Speaker: The time for Oral Questions has expired.
House
Business
Mr. Speaker: Prior to getting into Orders of the Day on the
debate on the budget, I will recognize the honourable government House leader,
I believe, on House Business.
Hon. Clayton Manness
(Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I
apologize for not rising sooner.