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Votes and Proceedings

 APRIL 21, 2004

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS No. 24

SECOND SESSION, THIRTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE

 

PRAYERS                                                                                                1:30 O'CLOCK P.M.

 

The following petitions were presented:

 

Mr. Goertzen – Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to request the Premier of Manitoba to consider ending his government's forced unionization plan of companies involved with the Red River Floodway expansion and to consider entering into discussions with business, construction and labour groups to ensure any qualified company and worker, regardless of their union status, is afforded the opportunity to bid and work on the floodway expansion project. (A.D. Wiebe, M. Skjaerlund, B. Toews and others)

 

Mr. Lamoureux – Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to request the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to consider recognizing the need to sit for a minimum of 80 days in any given calendar year. (J. Cullen, C. Cullen, L. Fairweather and others)

 

Mr. Eichler – Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to request that the Minister of Transportation and Government Services to consider having Highway 227 paved from the junction of Highway 248 and 227 all the way to Highway 16 the Yellow Head route and to request the Premier of Manitoba to consider supporting said initiatives to ensure for the safety of our Manitobans and all Canadians who travel along Manitoba Highways. (H. Van Gerwen, M. Kentner, J. Walburton and others)

 

Mr. Murray – Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to request the Premier of Manitoba to consider ending his government's forced unionization plan of companies involved with the Red River Floodway expansion and to consider entering into discussions with business, construction and labour groups to ensure any qualified company and worker, regardless of their union status, is afforded the opportunity to bid and work on the floodway expansion project. (H. Enns, C. Gustafson, U. Ditchbury and others)
 

Mrs. Driedger – Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to request the Premier of Manitoba to consider ending his government's forced unionization plan of companies involved with the Red River Floodway expansion and to consider entering into discussions with business, construction and labour groups to ensure any qualified company and worker, regardless of their union status, is afforded the opportunity to bid and work on the floodway expansion project. (I. Roberts, A. Vandale, T. Vandale and others)

______________________________

 

During Oral Questions, Mr. Speaker interjected and cautioned all Honourable Members regarding the use of the words "hypocritical", "hypocrite" and "hypocrisy".

______________________________

 

Pursuant to Rule 26(1), Mrs. Mitchelson, Ms. Irvin-Ross, Mrs. Driedger, Mr. Aglugub, Hon. Mr. Gerrard and, by leave Mrs. Taillieu made Members' Statements.

______________________________

 

The House resumed the Interrupted Debate on the Proposed Motion of Hon. Mr. Selinger:

 

THAT this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government.

 

And on the Proposed Amendment of Mr. Murray,

 

THAT the motion be amended by deleting all the words after "House" and substituting the following:

 

therefore regrets this Budget ignores the present and future needs of Manitobans by:

 

(a) failing to offer any vision or hope or to reflect the priorities of Manitobans;

 

(b) failing to provide a long-term economic plan to grow the economy and create real and lasting jobs;

 

(c) failing to provide a long-term tax reduction strategy that addresses the fact that middle-income Manitobans are now, under the Doer government, the highest taxed west of New Brunswick and our business taxes are not competitive;

 

(d) failing to provide a sustainable provincial spending plan by introducing a budget with a spending/tax cut ratio of  7 to 1;

 

(e) failing to commit to assume provincial constitutional responsibility to fund public education;

 

(f) failing to address the challenges in health care, including: providing a cardiac care system that meets the needs of Manitobans in a timely fashion, ending hallway medicine as promised, reducing waiting lists for diagnostic services including CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds; and recruiting and retaining health care professionals;

 

(g) failing to address the need to have bold, innovative and meaningful reform in health care that would reduce waiting lists and would increase access to quality care;

 

(h) failing to protect seniors and low-income Manitobans by increasing the Pharmacare deductible by 5% for the third year in a row, and introducing 2 new deductible levels; and

 

(i) failing to provide adequate supports to Manitoba's agricultural sector, especially those farm families struggling through the BSE crisis.

 

As a consequence, the Government has thereby lost the confidence of this House and the people of Manitoba.

 

And the debate continuing on the amendment,

 

And Hon. Mr. Sale, Mrs. Driedger, Messrs. Schellenberg, Dyck, Nevakshonoff and Penner having spoken,

 

And Hon. Mr. Smith speaking at 5:30 p.m.  The debate was allowed to remain in his name.

______________________________

 

The House then adjourned at 5:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2004.

 

 

Hon. George Hickes,

Speaker.

 

 

 

 

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