LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
OF
Friday, May 14, 1993
The House met at 10 a.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTING PETITIONS
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin Flon):
Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Kari Kennedy, Kim La Rocque,
Sheryl Robertson and others requesting the Minister of Health (Mr. Orchard)
consider restoring the Children's Dental Program to the level it was prior to
the 1993‑94 budget.
* * *
Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas):
Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Errol Wilson, Walter
Spence, Brenda Thomas and others requesting the Family Services minister (Mr.
Gilleshammer) to consider restoring funding for the friendship centres in
* * *
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
* * *
Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Katie Wipf, Jack Wipf, Ann Wipf and others requesting the Minister of Health
(Mr. Orchard) consider restoring the Children's Dental Program to the level it
was prior to the 1993‑94 budget.
Mr. Speaker:
I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member (Ms.
Wowchuk). It complies with the
privileges and the practices of the House and complies with the rules. 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 Canadian Wheat Board has
played a vital role in the orderly marketing of Canadian wheat, barley and
other grain products since its inception in 1935; and
WHEREAS the federal Minister of
Agriculture is considering removing barley from the jurisdiction of the Wheat
Board; and
WHEREAS this is another step towards
dismantling the board; and
WHEREAS, as in the case with the removal
of oats from the Wheat Board in 1989, there has been no consultation with the
board of directors of the Wheat Board, with the 11‑member advisory
committee to the board or the producers themselves; and
WHEREAS the federal minister has said that
there will be no plebiscite of farmers before the announcement is made.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray
that the Legislative Assembly of
* * *
Mr. Speaker:
I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member (Mr. Hickes). It complies with the privileges and the
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 (Mrs.
Carstairs). It complies with the
privileges and the 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 residents of the
WHEREAS the
WHEREAS the
WHEREAS the
WHEREAS the
WHEREAS the
WHEREAS the
WHEREAS the
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray
that the Legislative Assembly urge the government of
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
Bill 34‑The
Public Schools Amendment (Francophone Schools Governance) Act
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Education
and Training): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the First
Minister (Mr. Filmon), that Bill 34, The Public Schools Amendment (Francophone
Schools Governance) Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les ecoles publiques (gestion
des ecoles francaises), be introduced and that the same be now received and
read a first time.
His Honour the Lieutenant‑Governor,
having been advised of the contents of this bill, recommends it to the House,
and I would like to table the message.
Motion agreed to.
* (1005)
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
morning from the
On behalf of all honourable members, I
would like to welcome you here this morning.
ORAL QUESTION PERIOD
New Careers Program
Funding Reduction–Cost
Benefit
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the
Opposition): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier
(Mr. Filmon).
Those programs have been ACCESS and New
Careers, among other programs. The New
Careers program was a program that was almost sacrificed by the Sterling Lyon
task force on the economy. It was a vice‑president
of Great‑West Life who recommended we get rid of it, and even Sterling
Lyon said no to getting rid of the New Careers program or reducing the New
Careers program because he understood‑‑even Sterling Lyon
understood‑‑that it had an 85 percent retention rate over two‑year
training programs, which was one of the most successful programs, and a 95
percent job success rate.
The government has cut $1.7 million out of
this program. Two years ago we used to
have 360 people in that program. This
year we are down to 210.
What is the cost benefit for our
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): The amount that the member has
spoken about is not entirely correct. It does not relate entirely to the New
Careers program. When we get to that
budget line within the Estimates, I think he will see that a good portion of
that reduction, over $800,000 of it, relates to another vocational school
program within this province.
Training Period
Reduction
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the
Opposition): Mr. Speaker, I asked the minister and the
Premier for a cost‑benefit, results of the cutback that she has
made. It has gone down $1.7
million. The clients have gone down from
'90‑91, from 360 down to 210 in her own Estimates book.
We have also been informed that there may
be a reduction in the time period allocated for trainees. I would like to ask the Premier, will there
be a reduction in the training period, which has been two years for New Careers
trainees?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Education
and Training): As I have answered in this House before, we
have had to look at a number of reductions across government and this was a
very difficult process for all ministries and for government as a whole. However, we were able to maintain a commitment
to our New Careers program, and we also maintain a commitment to its community‑based
style.
Funding Reinstatement
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the
Opposition): There were tough decisions made. The Tories raised the amount of money ready
for corporate orientation programs, which were traditionally paid by the
companies; they raised it in this year's budget by about $1.5 million. They took the amount of money for‑‑they
went from $3.5 million to over $5 million in this budget. They took the money for aboriginal people,
for underemployed people, for people in poverty, in New Careers training
programs, the people who are the most vulnerable, that have had a high, 95
percent success ratio, and reduced that by almost the same amount of money, in
fact, a little bit more, coincidentally, in this program.
We understand that the Minister of
Education whimsically wrote a note to her staff, saying that she did not think
there was any success in the New Careers program. On that whimsical statement alone, corporate
orientation was improved by $1.5 million, and aboriginal training and New
Careers were reduced.
Will the Premier (Mr. Filmon) now do what
Sterling Lyon did and intervene in the callous decisions of his government and
reinstate the funding for New Careers program in the
* (1010)
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, as I said, this
government has had to make a number of difficult decisions. We have looked very carefully at the Advanced
Education and Skills Training portion of our department. We are now reorganizing that department; we
have moved into our department programs which were previously in the Department
of Family Services, which also look at community‑based training. We also have literacy programs which also are
community‑based training. We have
maintained a commitment to the style of programming that New Careers offered;
we have also maintained a budget line for New Careers.
Let me remind the Leader of the Opposition
that he said in 1989, cabinet ministers on a daily basis have to say no to
people, have to say no again to people, and I respect that. It is the job that goes with the territory.
ACCESS Programs
Exclusions
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley):
Mr. Speaker, when the government in its Estimates cut 16 percent from
the ACCESS programs, what this may mean is that at the Winnipeg Education
Centre, for example, only those who have external funds, or who can find the
fees in other ways, will be able to enter the program.
I want to ask the minister: Is it her intention to change this particular
program so that it will exclude non‑Status Indians and immigrant people
and the inner‑city poor, the people for whom it was in part originally
designed?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, we have had to look
at, again, a number of budget decisions also in the ACCESS area. But, as I have explained to the member
before, the ACCESS program funding did flow partly through the federal
government, and they have changed the way in which they are funding their
students in the program.
We have maintained a commitment to ACCESS
programs. We assisted students last year
to make sure that they would be able to finish their programs. We are now working with the institutions to
look at how we can perhaps reduce the administrative costs of the ACCESS
programs to provide the greatest amount of support to students in the student
support area.
Ms. Friesen:
Mr. Speaker, the minister has not answered my question.
Is it her intention to exclude from this
program people who are not funded through external sources?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, again, as I have said to the
member, the ACCESS programming and the funding which flows from this government
does cover two parts of support: one is
support to students, and another is support to the administrative
structure. So we are now looking to work
with the institutions so that we can provide the greatest amount of support to
students within the ACCESS program and maintain an intake.
Students' External
Funding
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley):
Mr. Speaker, will there be students taken into the ACCESS program this
year who have any funding other than band funding?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, we are looking at
the intakes into the ACCESS program at this time; we are looking also at the
programs that those students are applying for.
When we have all that information, I will be able to let the honourable
member know.
ACCESS Programs
Ms. Avis Gray (Crescentwood):
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education has been speaking this morning
about the ACCESS program at the Winnipeg Education Centre and speaks about the
fact that there are ongoing discussions with her department.
Can the minister tell this House today,
because we do have students who are waiting to see if they can get into this
program, when can these students and when can the Winnipeg Education Centre
expect an answer from her department as to the status of that program?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, we are working as
quickly as possible with the institutions, and we will be letting the
institutions know as quickly as possible.
We understand the importance for students.
Ms. Gray:
Mr. Speaker, the intake part of the program was to begin on May 3, so we
are already behind schedule.
Could the minister be a little bit more
specific? Can she tell us when we can
expect an answer and when we can let students know about that particular
program?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, again, I have said to the member,
we will be letting the students know as quickly as possible. We are attempting to work with the
institutions. We want to make sure that
we have the greatest amount of money available to assist students into the
program. That is why we are looking for
administrative cost savings.
* (1015)
Alternative Funding
Ms. Avis Gray (Crescentwood):
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the
Can the minister tell this House
today: Is her department prepared to
look at any type of funding for this particular program or is that definitely
not an option?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, the member has been
speaking about ACCESS programs and now she speaks about another program. Perhaps we will be able to discuss in detail
her concerns during the Estimates process.
Government Departments
Service Co-ordination
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer (Minister
of Family Services): Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to a
question taken as notice from the member for
Questions were raised regarding the Reid
report and I would like to indicate, if one takes the time to comprehend the
recommendations of Judge Norton, one would find that in fact he was addressing
the co‑ordination of information between Child and Family Services and
other social agencies and police authorities, not co‑ordination of
services and information between departments of this government.
In any event, Mr. Speaker, I would
indicate that we have taken a number of steps with the Reid report. We have centralized the Child and Family
Services in
I would like to respond to the second part
of the question, and I would like to table some documents today to show that
there are some protocols between departments of government. The first document is the Manitoba Guidelines
on Identifying and Reporting a Child in Need of Protection. The second document is a protocol entitled
Transition Planning Process, which outlines the process for developing individual
transition plans. The third document is
a Referral Process to the Interdepartmental Crisis Resource Committee, and the
fourth document is a Provincial Advisory Committee on Child Abuse.
I will table those documents now, Mr.
Speaker.
Flin Flon/Creighton
Crisis Centre
Government Support
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin Flon):
Mr. Speaker, the cuts that this government have imposed on Manitobans
across the province have targeted those people who can least afford it, who
need the support most, and that includes the Flin Flon Crisis Centre.
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday I met with the
chairperson of the Flin Flon/Creighton Crisis Centre board. He indicated that the board had met on
Tuesday evening of this week and had come to a decision to reopen the crisis
centre to operate as best they can to provide services to the women, children
and abused families in crisis and in abusive situations in Flin Flon and
region.
My question to the Minister of Family
Services is: Will he now instruct his
department to work with the Flin Flon/Creighton Crisis Centre board to ensure
that the normal guidelines which shelters and crisis centres follow are in
place as quickly as possible in Flin Flon?
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer (Minister
of Family Services): Mr. Speaker, I indicated a number of weeks
ago that our staff are prepared to meet with the board of the crisis
centre. A meeting had been set up a
couple of weeks ago and was postponed because the audit that the centre was
doing was not completed. We have had a
request from the crisis centre board to have staff meet with them, and we will
do that as soon as we can find a mutually agreeable time.
Mr. Storie:
Mr. Speaker, the minister is trying to pretend that this meeting was to
do something other than wind down the services.
My question to the Minister of Family
Services is: Is the minister now
conceding that the services are required and his department is now prepared to
work with the people of Flin Flon, the city of
Mr. Gilleshammer:
No, Mr. Speaker. What I have
indicated and what I indicated a number of weeks ago is that staff from the
department are prepared to meet with the board of the Flin Flon Crisis Centre.
The member attempts to portray this as a
community without services. I have
indicated in the past that services are provided through the Northern Women's
Resource Centre, that we have a 24‑hour crisis line, and we have the RCMP
and volunteers who are prepared to transport people to The Pas shelter.
* (1020)
Mr. Storie:
Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Premier (Mr. Downey) told representatives of
Flin Flon city council this decision was political. What I want today is a political decision on
the part of the Minister of Family Services to reopen the centre, to fund the
centre.
My question is: Will the Department of Family Services be
providing per diems for women and children who use the centre after it is
reopened? Will the department be
providing per diems?
Mr. Gilleshammer:
Mr. Speaker, I reject the preamble of the member for Flin Flon as being
factually incorrect. What I have
indicated is that staff from the department have been prepared and are prepared
to meet with the centre board in Flin Flon.
Business Practices Act
Amendments
Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood):
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate
Affairs.
Tower Funding, a company which charges
advance fees of between $120 and $295 to find lenders for people with poor
credit ratings, has been operating in this city for the last few months.
I would like to ask the minister: Will she agree to restore the unconscionable
act section that this government removed from The Business Practices Act?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of
Consumer and Corporate Affairs): I should indicate, and the member
knows this full well, that the wording of the BPA‑‑his
interpretation and my interpretation of the wording in the BPA differ
slightly. I am backed in my support of
that wording by the Manitoba Society of Seniors, the Better Business Bureau,
the Retail Council of
I think that perhaps we have an act that
fits the needs of those who have identified what they want to see in the act,
and I am very pleased that we are able to do investigations under that act as
we are at the moment.
Tower Funding
Investigation
Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood):
Mr. Speaker, the proof is in the pudding. Only nine charges have been laid under that
act.
Mr. Speaker, to the minister: Yesterday she said the police would do her
job, but the police have said they may not be able to do it, because it is a
borderline case.
My question to the minister is that she
has sat on this case for over a month.
Why has she sat on this case for over a month while consumers in this
province are getting bilked?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of
Consumer and Corporate Affairs): First of all, Mr. Speaker, we have not sat on
this case for over a month. Our first
complaint came to us some three weeks ago; we took immediate action and have
been acting since that time.
The member's preamble is just as
inaccurate today as it was yesterday when he said the police did not even know
about it, and I do not even want today to comment on some of the preamble.
What I will say in terms of the BPA is
that he is talking about the number of cases that have come to court. We have made it very, very clear since the
beginning that one of the prime things we were hoping with the BPA is that we
would be able to have hammers available that would enable us to settle some of
these things without having to go to court.
I should indicate we are working on a
daily basis with the BPA. Eighty percent
of the things that come to our attention are successfully resolved through
mediation, and we feel that we are having great success with it, and that
success is confirmed by those who have had experience in working on that act
with us, including the police.
Mr. Maloway:
That answer is no more credible than it was yesterday, Mr. Speaker.
Business Practices Act
Minister's Awareness
Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood):
My final supplementary to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
is: Has she read the act and does she
understand Sections 2(1), 2(3), 2(2) and Section 15?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of
Consumer and Corporate Affairs): Mr. Speaker, I helped
write the act, so I have read it.
I would like to indicate that the act was
drafted with the assistance of the Marketplace Advisory Group Committee
composed of components of society from all walks of life.
I would also like to indicate that perhaps
the member should read the act, because yesterday he referred to Section 15
when he should have been referring to Section 16.
* (1025)
Health Care System
Reform
Communication Strategy
Mr. Gulzar Cheema (The Maples):
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.
Today is the first anniversary of the
minister's Health Action Plan. We have
supported, encouraged and backed the minister for the last year.
On page 3 of this action plan, it calls
for participation of Manitobans and their families, but instead of involving
Manitobans in this decision‑making process, there has been a fear created
in the minds of the public.
Since the action plan was introduced one
year ago re health reform, we have produced two Health Reform Monitors and I
will table those two health monitors.
My question is for the Minister of
Health: This is a major plan. Can the minister now tell this House when he
will introduce his own health monitor report to make sure that the public is
not put under unnecessary fear because of some of the people who are narrow‑minded
who are spreading the false news about the health care reform in this province?
Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister of
Health): Mr. Speaker, when I woke up this morning, I
knew there was something special about this day, but I had forgotten that it
was the year anniversary of the introduction of the Health Action Plan.
Seriously, I very much appreciate the
objective manner in which my honourable friend has approached health care
reform in the
Now, Mr. Speaker, what we have attempted
to do as much as possible is to very much involve professionals in the public
of
I will have to admit to my honourable
friend that one of the difficulties, one of the flaws in the whole process of
change, is the ability to provide information on process of change to the
public at large. Mr. Speaker, we are
attempting to resolve that.
Mr. Cheema:
Mr. Speaker, it is a major plan, and the people of
Can the minister now make a promise in
this House that he will release the plan within a few weeks time, so that every
stakeholder will know what is exactly going on?
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, I take my honourable friend's
suggestion seriously, but here is the dilemma.
I will be very direct with my honourable friends. Part of the communication strategy that we
have considered is in terms of an update that would be available for fairly
general mailing. I know that from my
honourable friends‑‑not my honourable friends in the second
opposition party‑‑I fully can hear the cries of despair from the
New Democrats that we are propagandizing the process of health care reform, et
cetera.
Being very conscious to that kind of
criticism, we are attempting, Sir, to put out informational brochures in terms
of the status of the changes that are happening to take away some of the
inappropriate statements made from time to time, particularly by the member for
Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak), where he has misinformed the people of
* (1030)
Mr. Cheema:
Mr. Speaker, to make the minister's point, will the minister now commit
to have this independent monitor to make sure that some misinformation which is
already being provided by some narrow interest groups is not given out?‑‑because
1.1 million people are concerned more about health care than the political partisanship
that we are playing in this House.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, I hope we can develop mechanisms
to offset that.
One of my honourable friend's legitimate
concerns was in terms of a mechanism of reviewing the process to make sure that
we did not miss legitimate operational difficulties in terms of the
change. To date, I think the reliance on
experts on health care delivery in
I have been able to, as much as possible, rely
on some of those leaders who have been taking on the initiatives of change to
inform and to sort of take some of the wrong information, if that is the right
phraseology, out of the change process. However, we are contemplating a wider
communication process on health care reform, which, I hope, will resolve some
of the other problems attached to the process of change.
Home Care Supply
Program
User Fees
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan):
Mr. Speaker, I am certain the minister is aware of a concern raised whereby
ostomy supplies are not available to people who depend on them and require
them. I understand the specific matter
raised at the minister's office and the Premier's Office yesterday may have
been resolved.
My question to the minister is: Will he put in place a system at the Home
Care Supply program so this does not reoccur, so that people who depend on
these supplies will not be in a situation where they have to phone the
Premier's Office to get some action?
Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister of
Health): Yes.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear that
affirmative answer from the minister for a change.
Future Status
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan):
My second question to the minister is:
Will he give assurances to this House that that program, the Home Care
Supply program, will continue, and that it is not on the chopping block?
Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister of
Health): Yes.
Health Care System
Reform
Communication Strategy
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan):
Mr. Speaker, my final supplementary to the minister: Will he give assurances to this House that
his communication strategy and press conference, which is one‑way
communication from the minister to the public, will change, and that when he
has this massive communication strategy that he is contemplating, will he
listen to what the people of
Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister of Health):
Mr. Speaker, I was really starting to think my
honourable friend was trying to help the process to change, but that last
comment of his was terribly offensive.
The people in my ministry are people in
Mr. Speaker, I want to reinforce to my
honourable friend that the changes that we are making in the health care system
are changes which are not out of step with our neighbouring provinces to the
east and to the west. Yes, they are
difficult decisions. Yes, from time to time they will require contributions
from consumers of the services that they were not making before. But, Sir, that unfortunately is the reality
of governing in any province in
I want to remind my honourable friend the
New Democrat, when we left government in 1981, the interest bill annually was
less than $90 million. After Howard
Pawley and his spending practices, it was‑‑
Mr. Speaker:
Order, please.
Education System
Clinician Funding
Mr. John Plohman (Dauphin): Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Education likes
to use terms like process, reform, concern, partners, continuum‑‑ad
nauseam and ad infinitum. The only thing
that is a continuum with this minister is her answers in this House.
She has done this with education
reform. She has done this with ACCESS
program, bursaries, whenever she is questioned in this House, but since the
minister in one enlightened moment during Estimates actually divulged that
there was going to be a cut in funding for special needs kids as a result of
the layoff of clinicians, I want to ask the minister today, in the light of
this legislative Chamber, whether she will now come straight with the people of
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, again, the clinician
services are moving from the employment of government to the direct employment
of school divisions. Their employment is
being provided for, the cost is being provided for through our funding formula
where we have now allowed for a grant for the hiring of clinicians. As I explained to the honourable member
during the Estimates process, that grant was actually increased with our new
funding formula. Therefore, we fully
expect that the services will be in place for special needs children.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, as I explained
during the Estimates process, the school divisions are now hiring under the
funding formula. We expect that there
will be nine additional clinician positions available.
Mr. Plohman:
Mr. Speaker, she was given an opportunity, and I ask this minister how
she can explain her statement, in light of what she said today, that there will
be savings to government? Will the minister admit that the savings and the
provision of maintenance of service will come only as a result of the
offloading onto school divisions, in the additional cost to school divisions,
not from this minister's grants?
Mrs. Vodrey: As I explained to the member, we have not
reached all of the budget lines that deal with this through the school funding
formula, but as I explained to the member, certain funding is available through
the funding formula for clinicians. Then we also provide in our supplementary
area of our school funding formula where there are additional expenses and
needs.
Mr. Plohman:
Mr. Speaker, she is back to her revolving answers again. I want to ask this minister: Will she now come clean with this House, come
clean with the people of
Mrs. Vodrey: As I explained to the member when we discussed
this for the first time in Estimates and as we will be discussing it further, I
know, when we look in detail at the funding to public schools, there is funding
within the funding formula, but in addition, where necessary, there is also
funding through the supplementary funding category of our school funding
formula.
New Careers Program
Funding Reduction
Impact
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson):
Mr. Speaker, the New Careers program has been one of the most successful
programs provided by government in training in the last two decades. It has been described as a model for
I just want to ask a very straightforward
question to the minister again, because earlier in Question Period she did not
answer very straightforward questions.
What is going to be the impact of the cuts
that are taking place in New Careers and in particular the move to one‑year
training programs instead of the very successful model of two years? What is going to be the impact of the cuts?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of
Education and Training): Part of the success of the New
Careers program is that it does have a community‑based source, and
communities are able to identify some needs.
They also provide some opportunity for people while they are studying to
actually work in this area. It is a model
that I have explained to the member.
This government has a commitment to, not
only through our New Careers programming, but I have explained other programs
which also manage with this same model of community‑based commitment. We
now have, and I can use the word again, a spectrum of programs now within the
Advanced Education and Skills Training section of the Department of Education.
Mr. Ashton: Mr. Speaker, we now have a spectrum of
programs.
I want to ask her to explain to the people
of northern
Mrs. Vodrey: Again, as the member will know when he has an
opportunity to look across our Estimates process for all departments, all
departments have had to look at reductions.
We have looked at reductions in addition across the Department of
Education. However, we have maintained
funds for the New Careers program. In
addition to that, we have now integrated it within the Advanced Education and
Skills Training division of my department, where we are able to look at all of
the programs available for Manitobans.
Mr. Ashton: I will try one more time, Mr. Speaker, because
the fact is New Careers has been cut. I
want to ask the minister, and she can perhaps explain why private school
funding has not been cut and corporate training has not been cut, but I want to
ask one very simple question.
What is going to be the impact of the cuts
to the New Careers program on the students, on the people in northern
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, I reject the member's preamble, and
we will certainly have an opportunity to discuss the accusations he made in his
preamble. He will see how very wrong he
is during the Estimates process, and I will be glad to talk about the details.
In addition, as I have said to the member,
we do have a commitment to the North if he is asking specifically about
northern programs and opportunities for northern Manitobans. I discussed those at length yesterday in the
Estimates process, as well, a number of opportunities and access points for
northern Manitobans into programs of skill training, New Careers, being one
program of skills training, and there are others within the Department of
Education and Training.
* (1040)
Repap Manitoba Inc.
Renegotiations
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
Since this government is not interested in
economic development in the
Hon. Clayton Manness (Minister of
Finance): I thank the member for the question. That is happening at this time. Again, it is one of several issues that are
being renegotiated, and I should indicate that the government is attempting to
free up some additional quota outside of the renegotiating area, Mr. Speaker,
as a short‑term interim measure.
We have not been successful to this point in time, but discussions will
continue, and indeed I will be meeting with senior people from Repap next week.
Forestry Industry‑Swan
River
Meeting Request
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
Hon. Clayton Manness (Minister of
Finance): Mr. Speaker, I feel no guilt with respect to meeting
the community of