Mr. Speaker presented:

Annual Report of the Ombudsman – Access and Privacy for the year ending December 31, 2000.

(Sessional Paper No. 108)

Hon. Mr. Robinson presented:

Balance Sheet and Income Statement of the Communities Economic Development Fund for the year ending December 31, 2001.

(Sessional Paper No. 109)

During Oral Questions, Mr. Laurendeau rose on a point of order regarding the words "you are a hypocrite" spoken by the Honourable Minister of Finance.

Hon. Mr. Selinger voluntarily withdrew his remarks.

Pursuant to Rule 23(1), Messrs. Pitura, Struthers and Faurschou, Ms. Asper and Hon. Mr. Gerrard made Members’ Statements.

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

THAT this House approve 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 Manitobans any vision for an innovative, successful and sustainable future;

(b) failing to provide a long-term personal income tax reduction strategy that addresses the fact that middle-income Manitobans are the highest taxed west of Quebec;

(c) failing to provide a sustainable provincial spending plan;

(d) failing to provide Manitobans with timely disclosure of the $150 million retroactive tax imposed on Manitoba Hydro in order to avoid a deficit in the 2001/02 budget year;

(e) failing to provide an economic development plan to provide sustainable economic growth for Manitoba;

(f) failing to provide any incentive for young people to remain in Manitoba despite recent information showing that Manitoba suffered a net inter-provincial migration loss of 4,549 people in 2001, up 47 percent from the previous year; and

(g) failing to provide adequate supports to Manitoba’s agricultural sector.

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 Messrs. Penner (Emerson) and Santos, Hon. Messrs. Gerrard and Ashton, Messrs. Enns and Struthers having spoken,

The debate was allowed to remain open.

The House then adjourned at 5:45 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, 2002.

Hon. George Hickes,

Speaker.