LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Monday, May 16, 1994

 

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

 

PRAYERS

 

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

 

Introduction of Guests

 

Mr. Speaker:  Prior to Oral Questions, may I direct the attention of honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have with us today Dr. Garcia Reyes, Head, Generality of Cataluna, President's Department, External Affairs, Relations with the United States and Canada.

 

          On behalf of all honourable members, I would like to welcome you here today, sir.

 

          Also with us today, we have 10 senior provincial 4H public speaking competitors, and they are under the direction of Mr. David Hay.

 

          On behalf of all honourable members, I would like to welcome you here today.

 

ORAL QUESTION PERIOD

 

Immigrant Investor Program

Federal Government Policy

 

Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition):  Mr. Speaker, my question is to the First Minister (Mr. Filmon).

 

          On Friday, we learned that the federal government allegedly is going to override the provincial decision on freezing Immigrant Investor Funds in the province of Manitoba.  The freeze that the government implemented arose out of a long series of investigations and inquiries dealing with the integrity of the way money is raised, the integrity of the way it is invested and the integrity of money in the fund.

 

          Mr. Speaker, we were very concerned when we heard about this decision.  We wonder, can the First Minister indicate whether that is indeed the decision of the federal government to override the provincial government in terms of the Immigrant Investor Funds in Manitoba, and what rationale is the federal government utilizing in this decision?

 

Hon. James Downey (Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism):  Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to reiterate the fact that this Immigrant Investor Program is a federal government program, not a provincial program.

 

          It was this government that initiated a review, an investigation into the activities of the Immigrant Investor Fund, and the conditions have not been met that we have put forward.  In fact, we had asked that an independent representation for the investor be put in place, the court‑directed solution be carried out, and that full disclosure to the investors be made available.  Those are the three conditions which this government put forward, Mr. Speaker, and they still have not been met.

 

Immigrant Investor Program

Federal Government Policy

 

Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition):  Mr. Speaker, we will recall that the Crewson report dated May 19, 1993, indicated on dealing with the proposals in question that in a report there is a cash deficiency in the escrow accounts to complete the project, based on either the projected budget or the revised budget.

 

          Mr. Speaker, there is indeed a cash shortage in some of the projects that are now apparently getting federal government approval, according to the accountant hired by the provincial government to provide an analysis of these funds.

 

          These projects represent investments by immigrants in our province, and it represents an issue of credibility for credible investments in the province of Manitoba.

 

          I would ask, again, the Premier:  How can the federal government override the freeze that the provincial government has put in place, when one of the funds has been documented not to have enough money in the fund to complete the projects?  It seems to me to be very unfair to investors and very, very unfair to our reputation.

 

* (1335)

 

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier):  Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism (Mr. Downey) said, that is precisely why we have concerns.  We have told the federal government very directly that we do not support the removal of the freeze because much of what was produced by the auditor who investigated on behalf of the provincial government‑‑and I emphasize that the audit was caused by this government, that the federal government of the day, the previous federal government, did not agree with it and would not pay for the work that Mr. Crewson did in identifying the concerns with it.

 

          Yet all of that has been overridden by the federal government today, and the only way in which I can respond to the Leader of the Opposition is to tell him that this is totally within federal jurisdiction, that this Immigrant Investor Program is totally a federal program and within their jurisdiction to remove the freeze.

 

          We disagree with it, but they have proceeded on that basis.

 

Mr. Doer:  I am sure we will have all‑party agreement on this matter.  I remember the former Finance critic of the Liberal Party, who is now a member of Parliament, indicating in 1993 that they were opposed to visas being sold for purposes of immigration, Mr. Speaker.

 

          It quite concerns us because with the new government in late 1993, the new minister, Mr. Marchi, indicated that they would be reviewing and curtailing the Conservative Immigrant Investor Fund as part of their new federal program.  So we were quite surprised to hear about the approval of these investments.

 

          I would ask the provincial government, given that the original decision required a recommendation of the Province of Manitoba prior to the federal government getting an approval, and given the fact that we have frozen our decisions and frozen these funds given the fact that some of these funds do not even contain the original amount of money that was indicated, will the provincial government, on top of the freeze, be required to rescind the decisions, to recommend to the federal government that these funds be approved?

 

Mr. Filmon:  Well, Mr. Speaker, I just want to ensure that the Leader of the Opposition knows that we were not in a position, we did not have the authority to freeze those funds, but as a result of the findings of the investigation of Mr. Crewson, the auditor whom we hired to do that review, clearly there were major concerns that were identified and conditions that he was recommending that needed to be fulfilled, so the government of the day, which was the former government in Ottawa, did cause the freeze on all those funds.  The new federal government, against our wishes and recommendations but totally within their jurisdiction, have now removed that freeze.

 

Crown Corporations

Layoff Statistics

 

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson):  Mr. Speaker, there is continuing evidence of the impact of the government's economic policies, which resulted in high unemployment, a combination of public sector layoffs, the continuing concerns expressed about Bill 22, continuing minimum wages.

 

          I would like to ask the acting Minister of Labour if the government can indicate the total number of public sector jobs that will be lost in terms of Manitoba Hydro following the announcement of layoffs last year and the announcement of layoffs in the Manitoba Telephone System only a few weeks ago.

 

* (1340)

 

Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Hydro Act):  Mr. Speaker, if my honourable friend is referring to the recent news coverage on Friday last, that is the final working through of the corporation of some downsizing of 500 that was commenced approximately one year ago.

 

Mr. Ashton:  I would like to ask as a follow‑up question, Mr. Speaker, how the government can justify having brought in Bill 22, supposedly to preserve jobs in the public sector, having had that communicated to Manitoba Hydro workers, and now we are seeing today that upwards of 500 jobs have been cut from Manitoba Hydro following the announcement last year, and there are continuing layoffs in such areas as Manitoba Telephone System, when some of those Crown corporations are making a considerable profit?

 

Mr. Orchard:  First of all, Mr. Speaker, my honourable friend should get his facts straight before he makes such statements to the House.  There are not 500 layoffs at Manitoba Hydro as my honourable friend alleges.  There was a downsizing of some 500 positions commenced a year ago.

 

          We expect by the time the most recent layoffs, which are approximately 100, filter through, with every effort being made at redeployment, there will be a significantly lesser figure of actual people who will be laid off after redeployment has taken effect.

 

          So I do not want my honourable friend to indirectly provide incorrect information to the people, but, Mr. Speaker, maybe my honourable friend would support the president of the MGEA who preferred 500 people to be laid off, rather than the 10 days off.  Maybe that is the position of my honourable friend the New Democrat:  more layoffs, not less.

 

Mr. Ashton:  Mr. Speaker, we would like to see jobs maintained in the Manitoba economy.  That is what we would like to see.

 

Reduced Workweek

Impact on Service

 

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson):  My final question is to the Premier, once again in regard to the implications of Bill 22.

 

           There is an indication today, Mr. Speaker, that the chamber of commerce is concerned that service has been affected, particularly in rural and northern communities, because of the impact of Filmon Fridays.

 

          As we enter the latest round of Filmon Fridays, will the Premier respond to the concerns that have been expressed, not only by civil servants and by members of public but now by the chamber of commerce, and recognize that there has been reduction in services and review what is happening in terms of services because of Filmon Fridays?

 

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier):  Mr. Speaker, I compliment the Manitoba chambers of commerce who are taking a far more sensible, common‑sense approach to this, rather than the dogmatic, ideological, narrow approach of the New Democrats who would rather see 500 people laid off.  We will not accept that solution.

 

          We believe that the public does want their taxes kept down.  We believe that the public does want us to continue to look for ways to make government more efficient.  We are going to heed some of the advice that many people throughout the province have given us that coincides with that of the Manitoba chambers of commerce and look for ways of ensuring that it is applied in a common‑sense fashion with flexibility.  That flexibility will allow us to continue to maintain services while at the same time to reduce our payroll by $20 million and maintain 500 more jobs in the public service.

 

Regional Economic Co‑operation

International Trade

 

Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition):  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier.

 

          The Premier, later this week, will be meeting with other western Premiers in Gimli at the Western Premiers' Conference.  In view of that, I want to speak briefly about international trade.  He has put that in the press releases as a key area of concern.

 

          Just some time ago, we closed down our Hong Kong office, as the Premier well knows, and Mr. Walker, who had been heading up that office, was put on a contract.

 

          My question for the Premier is, perhaps he can enlighten us, after that 19‑day trip that he took last fall to the Orient, on what basis that decision was made and whether or not he is going to be proposing to the other Premiers that perhaps this is an area that the western provinces could co‑operate in.

 

          Is there some way that we should be co‑operating as a region to have a more substantial presence in the Far East?

 

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier):  Mr. Speaker, that proposal was made two years ago at a Western Premiers' Conference.  It was repeated again last year.  It was, in fact, discussed on December 21 in Ottawa with all of the First Ministers of Canada.  We will continue to pursue the opportunity to have joint missions as opposed to individual missions, because the member may know that during the course of the month and a half or so prior to Christmas, there were five different Premiers from Canada who were over in the Asia‑Pacific region.  So it makes ultimate good sense.

 

          The move with respect to the representation in Hong Kong was one strictly of ensuring that we could operate more efficiently by hiring the same individual on a contract basis, rather than undergoing the immense cost of space that I think exceeds $100 a square foot to maintain premises in Hong Kong, whereas the individual who is the key to the operation can be hired on a contract for less and not have to have the expenses, yet can get the same effect for our services and for assurances that we can keep in touch with and promote our business interests in that Asia‑Pacific region.

 

          Mr. Walker will very happily be part of our continued effort to expand business, trade and opportunities in the Asia‑Pacific region.

 

Regional Economic Co‑operation

Walker Contract

 

Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition):  Mr. Speaker, again for the Premier (Mr. Filmon), Mr. Walker, I understand, is currently in the process of negotiating a contract with the province for the new arrangement.  I note that he has been the employee, the head of that mission in Hong Kong.

 

          Now that he is moving to a contract basis, will there be a commission aspect of that contract?  Will Mr. Walker be paid a straight salary, as he has been, or a straight amount of money, or will there, in fact, be some relationship to what is actually secured in terms of investment in Manitoba as a part of his pay package?

 

* (1345)

 

Hon. James Downey (Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism):  Mr. Speaker, the detail of the contract I am prepared to get for the member.  I do not believe that there is a commission part to the contract.

 

          There is a quantity that he will be paid, but there will be an ability for him to, as well, contract his services to other individuals who may need those services when he is not, in fact, working on behalf of the government of Manitoba's interests, which we believe will broaden the interests on behalf of the people of Manitoba and enhance the opportunities to encourage business to come to this province from the Asia‑Pacific area.

 

Mr. Edwards:  Mr. Speaker, no doubt.  However, I do ask the minister to consider tying some remuneration to actual productivity and actually securing investment in this province from that region now that they are going to a contract as opposed to an employee basis.

 

Regional Economic Co‑operation

Procurement Policy

 

Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition):  Mr. Speaker, my final question for the First Minister:  The procurement agreement which is currently in place between the western provinces does not include the largest departments this government operates, that of Health and Education, and currently does not include the contracts under the Crown corporations.

 

          Is that going to be a key priority for this Premier in the upcoming session?  Clearly, the biggest expenditure departments and the Crown corporations are essential to making this overall western co‑operative effort work, in particular in terms of procurement, seeing as we already have an agreement in place.  It just excludes the major departments.

 

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier):  Clearly, Mr. Speaker, what we will be attempting to do from a Manitoba perspective is broaden the agreement so that it does include as much as possible the procurement initiatives of the governments of the western provinces.

 

          We are very much aware that although we have an agreement that was, I might say, the first in Canada‑‑the western provinces signed it in 1990; it was the first in Canada among provinces‑‑it does not go far enough and it does not include, for instance, destructive competition for investment.

 

          So we will be looking at broadening it and extending it to include as many areas as we possibly can for co‑operation and access to each other's procurement markets.

 

Health Care System

TQM Training Program

 

Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan):  Mr. Speaker, I have in front of me a manual produced in the United States which deals with total quality management and is used together with a video about how to make juice and is utilized at several Winnipeg hospitals to train staff.  Just quoting from it, it says one of the reasons that third‑ring organizations can charge more is their customers feel they get their money's worth.  They return for more and more and tell others about the quality.

 

          Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister:  Is it government policy that this program, which is being used at these hospitals, is approved by the government to teach and train staff at Winnipeg hospitals?

 

* (1350)

 

Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health):  Mr. Speaker, I do not know what it is that the honourable member has against the Seven Oaks Hospital.  Repeatedly he batters the administration and the staff and employees at Seven Oaks Hospital for trying to improve patient care and service for all people who have dealings with the Seven Oaks Hospital.

 

          First of all, he is against improving discharge service for people so that they can receive appropriate home care, and now he is against a total quality approach to better service for the patient.  I just do not understand where the honourable member is coming from.

 

Mr. Chomiak:  Mr. Speaker, my supplementary to the minister:  Since it is the government's plan that has called for TQM to be introduced at all the hospitals, as related in their own reform document and their own throne speech in '91‑‑if the minister looked to read it‑‑since it is government policy, I am wondering is it not possible for the government at least to have a plan that is made‑in‑Manitoba and deals with health care sector, rather than used cars and juice‑making?

 

Mr. McCrae:  I repeat, Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the honourable member has against Seven Oaks Hospital or against trying to do a better job for the patients.

 

Mr. Chomiak:  Mr. Speaker, the government could do well by improving the CAT scanning facilities at Seven Oaks Hospital.

 

          Mr. Speaker, in light of the Connie Curran fiasco, will the government not introduce, because they said they would in their own health care plan, a program that is made‑in‑Manitoba and deals with health care and its approach to people, not this custom, assembly‑line, U.S.‑based kind of industrial program that is not applicable?

 

Mr. McCrae:  Mr. Speaker, our health care system is a made‑in‑Canada health care system.  It is governed by a national Health Act which is a statute of the Parliament of Canada.

 

          The honourable member is afraid of anything that will improve service for patients because his union boss friends will get angry.

 

Railway Industry

Hopper Car Shortage

 

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River):  Mr. Speaker, the federal Minister of Agriculture is in Winnipeg today meeting with representatives from the grain industry to talk about the serious problem there is in the industry with the shortage of hopper cars.  They are meeting with representatives of the industry.  Unfortunately, farm groups will not be there to raise their concerns.

 

          I want to ask the Minister of Agriculture what message he will be taking to the meeting or whether he will be meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to ensure that the issue of shortage of hopper cars is addressed.  Will he be asking for additional cars to be built?  Will he be suggesting that grain be shipped through the Port of‑‑

 

Mr. Speaker:  Order, please.  The honourable member has put her question.

 

Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture):  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to respond to the member for Swan River.  The meeting that is occurring while we speak has more to do with what can we as Canadians do to better utilize the cars that we have in the system.  My understanding is that the questions range from looking at some of our own legislation.  When I say "our own," I am speaking primarily of federal legislation.

 

          There is considerable concern that the bureaucracy that runs the Western Grain Transportation program needs to be revised, looked at, indeed fundamentally altered.  It is not so much a question of not having enough rolling stock in the system, it is having them here and where we need them at the appropriate time.  That is what is going on at that meeting this afternoon, Sir.

 

Ms. Wowchuk:  Mr. Speaker, since it is the industry that is responsible for getting the hopper cars, as the minister says, will the minister raise with the Minister of Agriculture the possibility of the railway companies paying the demurrage at the port, instead of all that cost being picked up by farmers?

 

          It is not the farmers' fault that the cars are not there.  Why will he not speak up for the farmers and have the railway companies pick up the demurrage costs?

 

Mr. Enns:  Mr. Speaker, I will make a deal with the honourable member for Swan River.  I will certainly suggest to the railway companies that they have a responsibility with respect to any unnecessary demurrage charges that are accrued to the farmers if she will take that same position when organized labour walks out on strike, as they did in Vancouver, and leaves the farmers with millions of dollars in demurrage charges.  These are the kinds of issues that I understand are being discussed.

 

          As to whether or not we have to fundamentally overhaul our grain handling system, it is just not fair to the farmers of Canada that our customers should be left waiting.  It is jeopardizing our position in the international trade markets.

 

          Mr. Speaker, these are legitimate points that will be raised, I am sure, at this meeting.

 

Ms. Wowchuk:  Mr. Speaker, the minister should remember that that was a lockout and we would‑‑

 

Mr. Speaker:  Order, please.  This is not a time for debate.  The honourable member for Swan River, with your question.

 

* (1355)

 

Grain Transportation Proposal

Government Position

 

Ms. Roseann Wowchuk (Swan River):  Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the minister if he will also be raising the issue of the Crow benefit.  Since the Crow benefit was changed under the previous Conservative government and is now carried out by the Liberal government, reducing the benefit by 15 percent, farmers' freight bills will be rising an average of 54 cents per tonne at a time when the NTA says the transportation costs for shipping grain is reducing.

 

          Will he stand up with farmers on that, and will he support final offer selection next time there is a labour dispute?

 

Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture):  Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege to stand up for the farmers of Manitoba and of Canada, and I do that whenever I can.

 

          The question that she specifically raises, however, is far too complicated to answer in the short period allotted to me here in Question Period.  I invite her to pose these questions to our officials when we deal with the departmental Estimates which will be coming up shortly.  I will have the necessary staff available to provide all those answers.

 

          This is not the meeting that has to do with internal broader agricultural policies like the Crow benefit, although they play a role in it.  I also suggest that all of us in this Chamber ought to be thinking about when those transportation subsidies come off our feed grains, what are we going to do with the feed grains?

 

          One of the answers is, we can raise hogs.  We can raise more livestock.  We can raise more chickens.  I want some support for that from honourable members opposite, Mr. Speaker.

 

Minimum Wage

Review

 

Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley):  In December 1990, the Minister of Labour announced that the minimum wage would be increased.  At the same time he claimed that he recognized the importance of reviewing the minimum wage on a regular basis.

 

          The Minimum Wage Board has not met since 1990, and there has been no annual review of minimum wages in Manitoba which have now fallen considerably below the national average.

 

          Will the Premier today tell the House why his government has not met its commitment to Manitobans who are earning the minimum wage?  Will he explain why it has been four years since his government looked at that minimum wage?

 

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier):  First and foremost, we have been working to ensure that those on minimum wage are in a much more favourable position vis‑à‑vis the taxes that they no longer pay as a result of the efforts of this government.

 

          In addition to that, I would have thought that the member for Wolseley would have been complimenting the Minister of Labour (Mr. Praznik) for striking the minimum wage review board now so that this matter can be looked at and we can review just exactly how the changes that have taken place since 1990 have affected those on minimum wage, and we can take a good position together on adjustments to the minimum wage.

 

Ms. Friesen:  It is difficult to compliment a minister who promises one thing and does nothing.

 

          Will the Premier give us a clear commitment today on behalf of his government of his opposition to a two‑tiered minimum wage rate in Manitoba to give some assurance to the increasing number of students who as a result of this government's policy must combine work and study?

 

Mr. Filmon:  Mr. Speaker, this government will continue to listen to all of the people of Manitoba and do what is best for them in the circumstances.

 

Ms. Friesen:  Will the Premier then confirm that his government's labour strategy, whether it has been in the ending of FOS, in the 18‑month delays on the construction wages act, in the absence of any discussion of the minimum wage act, that his policy, clear and simple, has been to create in Manitoba a low‑wage, low‑skilled province?

 

Mr. Filmon:  Absolutely not.  I think that the member opposite is an intelligent person who has certain knowledge of many things, but on this issue she is out to lunch.  I just invite her to read things that are being said about Manitoba in the new areas of the new economy.  This from the Telesolutions magazine that says, Manitoba offering a philosophy of economic development.  The province of Manitoba has become a player in the call centre community the old‑fashioned way‑‑they have earned it.

 

          It goes on to tell all about the things that Manitoba is doing to attract high‑tech jobs in telecommunications, in computers, in aerospace, in all of those things, Mr. Speaker.  I reject totally the absolutely foolish statement that she just made.

 

* (1400)

 

Boot Camps

Programming Regulations

 

Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples):  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

 

          I would like to congratulate the minister for adopting Manitoba's recommendation for a more humane approach to camps for young offenders and her rejection of the military‑style boot camps announced in her nine‑point plan of February 17.

 

          I also want to thank the minister for sharing with me the document entitled, Guidelines For Proposal To Operate A Youth Camp, produced by her department.

 

          I ask the minister:  Given that, according to the guideline, programming for camps may consist of activities, including school, substance abuse treatment, aboriginal culture awareness, what regulations will be put in place to ensure that privately run camps include these important elements in their programming?

 

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General):  Mr. Speaker, the member has obviously misread the original announcement. [interjection] Yes, it says boot camp.  However, I will make it very clear that I have always been clear that this will be a made‑in‑Manitoba solution, that it will be developed in Manitoba, and I have been clear from the very beginning about the principles that boot camps will operate within.

 

          I have made it clear it will be made‑in‑Manitoba, highly structured, well‑known rules, consequences that are well known, an austere environment and a high level of activity or work.  In that, there has always been an assumption that this will be humane treatment.  The member has not found anything new.

 

Mr. Kowalski:  I have the news release here that talks about boot camps, military boot camps, and if she would like to read it, I could share‑‑

 

Mr. Speaker:  Order.  Question.

 

Mr. Kowalski:  Mr. Speaker, my question:  If these camps are privately run, how can the people of Manitoba be sure that public safety and the rehabilitation of young offenders will not be compromised for the sake of profit?

 

Mrs. Vodrey:  Mr. Speaker, there has been absolutely no decision on privatization, so I think the member had better back up there.  I would like to tell him, from the day of the announcement Manitobans strongly supported more rigorous confinement in our institutions, and that is exactly the way we are moving.

 

          Manitobans also believe that they have opinions and they have information to offer.  So, unsolicited‑‑and let me make that clear‑‑we received proposals and information from Manitobans.  In an effort to standardize what they sent to us, we put together the letter which said, if you have information to offer, here are the issues that we are looking at so that you can cover all of the areas of importance to us.

 

Mr. Kowalski:  My final supplementary:  Will the minister ensure that adequate staffing resources are in place to monitor and enforce these regulations if these are privately run facilities?

 

Mrs. Vodrey:  The member, of course, is dealing with a hypothetical, the if, if.  However, I would be happy to say that anything we put in place in Manitoba will certainly ensure that the treatment follows exactly what we have said.

 

          Let me make it clear again.  We are looking at, obviously, humane conditions, but we are not looking at summer camp.

 

Provincial Sales Tax

Arrears

 

Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood):  Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance.

 

          Almost a month ago I asked the minister to table the outstanding arrears in sales tax collection.  At that time he said that he had recently received such a report.

 

          This morning at the Public Accounts committee the minister said he had still not obtained such a list.  Now, I would like to know, which is it?  Does he have it, or does he not have it?  When is he going to release it?

 

          I would like to know when he is going to be able to tell the House how long ago his department was aware that‑‑

 

Mr. Speaker:  Order, please.  You have put your question already, sir.

 

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance):  Mr. Speaker, I do not know if there is a shortage of questions today from the opposition party because the honourable member did raise this issue with me this morning in Public Accounts.  I did indicate to him that I would obtain the information.  I have asked my deputy minister to look into it.

 

          There are certain aspects of confidentiality whenever you are dealing with an individual taxpayer here in Manitoba, which I think we can all appreciate in this House, or at least I hope we can.  But I have undertaken to provide him with answers to his questions and will do so very shortly.

 

Manitoba Securities Commission

Clancy's Ventures Group

 

Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood):  It is clear that we are not going to get any answers from this Minister of Finance.

 

          My supplementary is to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, the minister responsible for the Securities Commission.  Maybe we can get some answers from him.

 

          Can the minister explain why a letter from an investor to the commission questioning 13 concerns over the way Clancy's was operated, dated last June, was not responded to by either the minister or the commission?

 

Hon. Jim Ernst (Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs):  I can advise the House that the commission is just that, an independent commission.  It is not controlled by the minister, but if the member wishes information I will inquire.

 

Mr. Maloway:  My final supplementary to the same minister is this:  Will the minister also check whether the second letter from a group of investors to the commission dated this May 3 is going to be investigated?

 

          Will he also investigate what role the Securities Commission is playing in this business collapse?

 

Mr. Ernst:  Mr. Speaker, I will take that question as notice.

 

VIA Rail

Layoffs

 

Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona):  My question is to the Acting Minister of Highways and Transportation.  Before September of this year, CN Rail will, after 75 years, move from the VIA Union Station location.  There are currently some 360 employees working for CN at the Union Station.

 

          My question is for the acting minister:  Has the minister met with CN to discuss the implications of this move?  Will any CN or VIA employees be losing their jobs as a result of CN's move from this location?

 

Hon. Albert Driedger (Acting Minister of Highways and Transportation):  Mr. Speaker, I will take the specifics of the question as notice for the Minister of Highways and Transportation (Mr. Findlay), but I want to give an indication to the member and to the House that the minister has been meeting with CN and VIA people on an ongoing basis to try and raise the concerns that Manitobans have about what is happening.

 

Mr. Reid:  Can the acting minister tell the House, Mr. Speaker, what the impact of CN's move will be on VIA's operation and viability in the province of Manitoba?

 

Mr. Driedger:  I will take that question as notice, as well, on behalf of the Minister of Highways and Transportation.

 

Mr. Reid:  Will the Acting Minister of Highways and Transportation tell the House or confirm to the House, Mr. Speaker, that there will indeed be job losses for the custodial and maintenance staff of the CN workforce in Manitoba?

 

Mr. Driedger:  Mr. Speaker, no, I will not confirm that.

 

Personal Care Homes