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Votes and Proceedings

THURSDAY, 20 MAY 2004

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS No. 42

SECOND SESSION, THIRTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE

PRAYERS 10:00 O'CLOCK A.M.

By leave, the House resumed the Adjourned Debate on the Proposed Motion of Mr. Schuler:

THAT Bill (No. 212) – The Pension Freedom Act (Pension Benefits Act Amended)/Loi sur la liberté de choix en matière de pension (modification de la Loi sur les prestations de pension), be now read a Second Time and be referred to a Committee of this House.

And the debate continuing,

And Mr. Hawranik, Hon. Messrs. Gerrard and Sale and Mr. Dyck having spoken,

The debate was allowed, by leave, to remain in the name of Mr. Reid.

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The House resumed the Adjourned Debate on the Proposed Motion of Mr. Hawranik:

THAT Bill (No. 200) – The Criminal Organizations Deterrence Act (Local Government Acts Amended)/Loi visant à prévenir les activités des organisations criminelles (modification de lois concernant certaines administrations locales), be now read a Second Time and be referred to a Committee of this House.

And the debate continuing,

And Mr. Goertzen having spoken,

The debate was allowed, by leave, to remain in the name of Mr. Schellenberg.

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The House resumed the Adjourned Debate on the Proposed Motion of Mr. Hawranik:

THAT Bill (No. 201) – The Taxpayer Protection Legal Representation Act (Legal Aid Services Society of Manitoba Act Amended)/Loi sur la protection des contribuables concernant l'accès à la représentation juridique (modification de la Loi sur la Société d'aide juridique du Manitoba), be now read a Second Time and be referred to a Committee of this House.

And the debate continuing,

And Mr. Cummings speaking at 11:00 a.m. The debate was allowed to remain in his name and, by leave, in the name of Mr. Dewar.

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Mr. Nevakshonoff moved:

Resolution No. 3: Gun Registry

WHEREAS the Federal Government introduced the ill-conceived federal gun registration scheme; and

WHEREAS the firearms registry scheme will serve only to penalize law-abiding gun owners; and

WHEREAS many serious crimes are committed with illegal guns from the United States which is not adequately addressed in the Federal Government’s registry program; and

WHEREAS the cost of this program was initially estimated at $2 million but has since ballooned to over $2 billion; and

WHEREAS by scrapping the registry, these funds could be diverted towards important areas such as gun smuggling prevention and support programs and policies; and

WHEREAS the Manitoba Government has spoken out against the program on numerous occasions and will not prosecute registration offences under the firearms Act or the Criminal Code; and

WHEREAS several provinces have asked Ottawa to suspend the registry.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Federal Government to abandon the gun registry and to divert funds and energy towards other more necessary areas of crime prevention; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Assembly direct the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly to send a copy of this resolution to the Federal Government.

And a debate arising,

And Messrs. Nevakshonoff, Hawranik, Dewar and Lamoureux having spoken,

And Hon. Mr. Mackintosh speaking at 12:00 p.m. The debate was allowed to remain in his name.

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1:30 O'CLOCK P.M.

On Motion of Mr. Reimer Bill (No. 213) – The Seniors' Property Tax Deferment Act/Loi sur le report des taxes foncières des aînés, was read a First Time and had its purposes outlined.

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Pursuant to Rule 26(1), Messrs. Altemeyer and Schuler, Ms. Korzeniowski, Mr. Goertzen and Jha made Members' Statements.

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Hon. Mr. Mackintosh delivered to Mr. Speaker a message from His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Manitoba as follows:

PETER LIBA

Lieutenant Governor

The Lieutenant Governor transmits to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, revised Estimates of sums required for the services of the Province for Capital Expenditures, and recommends these revised Estimates to the Legislative Assembly.

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

May 20, 2004

(Sessional Paper No. 69)

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By unanimous consent, the sequence for consideration of estimates, as outlined in Sessional Paper No. 38 tabled on April 27, 2004, was further amended in order that the estimates of Employee Pensions and Other Costs be considered in the Chamber prior to Enabling Appropriations.

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By unanimous consent, the sequence for consideration of estimates, as outlined in Sessional Paper No. 38 tabled on April 27, 2004, was further amended in order that the estimates of Sport be considered in the Chamber following Capital Investment.

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By leave, it was agreed to waive the quorum requirement in the House, once Committee of Supply has concluded consideration of all departmental estimates for Thursday, May 20, 2004.

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The House resolving into Committee of Supply. The Proceedings, by leave, were temporarily interrupted to permit Mr. Speaker to resume the chair.

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Mr. Santos, Chairperson of the Committee of Supply, presented the Report of the Proceedings of the Committee from April 29, 2004 to May 20, 2004 as follows:

IN THE COMMITTEE

In the section of the Committee of Supply sitting in Room 254 on April 29, 2004 considering the estimates of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, a ruling of the Chair respecting a point of order raised was challenged. A voice vote was held, whereupon a count out vote was requested and Members sitting in Room 254 and Room 255 returned to the Chamber. A counted vote was held on April 29, 2004, which sustained the ruling. (28-18).

In the section of the Committee of Supply sitting in Room 255 on May 6, 2004 considering the estimates of the Department of Health, a voice vote was held on a motion moved by Mrs. Driedger recommending that line 1(a) Minister of Health's salary be reduced to $58,785. Whereupon a count out vote was requested and Members sitting in Room 254 and Room 255 returned to the Chamber. A counted vote was held on the motion, which was defeated. (19-29).

In the section of the Committee of Supply sitting in the Chamber on May 10, 2004 considering the estimates of the Department of Finance, a voice vote was held on a motion moved by Mr. Loewen recommending that line 1(a) Minister of Finance's salary be reduced to $28,325. Whereupon a count out vote was requested and Members sitting in Room 254 and Room 255 returned to the Chamber. A counted vote was held on the motion, which was defeated. (21-31).

The following Resolutions were adopted:

1.1 RESOLVED that there be granted to HER MAJESTY a sum not exceeding FIVE MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS for LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY:

OTHER ASSEMBLY EXPENDITURES............................................. $5,479,300.00