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Votes and Proceedings

Friday, December 6, 2002

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS No. 8

FOURTH SESSION, THIRTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE

PRAYERS

10:00 O'CLOCK A.M.

Hon. Ms. McGifford, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, made a statement regarding today, December 6, 2002, being National Day of Remembrance Respecting Violence Against Women,

Mr. Murray and, by leave, Hon. Mr. Gerrard commented on the statement.

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Pursuant to Rule 23(1), Mr. Helwer, Ms. Asper, Mrs. Smith (Fort Garry), Messrs. Struthers and Schuler made Members' Statements.

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By leave, it was agreed that the House would adjourn at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, December 6, 2002.

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

THAT the following address be presented to His Honour the Lieutenant Governor:

We, the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba thank your Honour for the gracious speech addressed to us at this Fourth Session of the Thirty-Seventh Legislature of Manitoba.

And the proposed amendment moved by Mr. Murray as follows:

That the Motion be amended by adding at the end of the sentence the following words:

But this House regrets

(a) the government's inability to fulfill the promises outlined in its Throne Speech of November 13, 2001, including the following failures: not ending hallway medicine; not addressing the province-wide shortage of health care professionals; not reducing waiting lists for health care services; and

(b) the government's failure to address Manitoba's growing court backlogs through such measures as contracting with private law firms; and

(c) the government's failure to make a commitment for further provincial income tax reductions; and

(d) the government's failure to institute mandatory standards testing in grades 6 and Senior 1 despite the fact that our students score lower on national testing than the Canadian average; and

(e) the government's failure to make a firm commitment to relocating Assiniboine Community College to the former Brandon Mental Health Centre site; and

(f) the government's failure to ensure a viable future for the family farm in Manitoba through measures such as providing the provincial government's share of the transition funding set out in the Agricultural Policy Framework, thereby not addressing the pressing challenges facing Manitoba producers and treating them as 40 per cent less valuable than their counterparts in Alberta and Ontario; and

(g) the government's failure to adequately promote rural economic diversification; and

(h) the government's failure to prevent Manitoba parks from being carved up and protected for future generations, in spite of the fact that the Member for Concordia told a Winnipeg radio station that "the designation (of a provincial park) means the public owns the park and it can't be sold or bartered away…"; and

(i) the government's failure to set out a meaningful plan to protect the province's fish stocks from illegal fishing; and

(j) the government's failure to set out a plan to prevent future spills of sewage into the Red River; and

(k) the government's failure to provide a cost-benefit analysis of the impact of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on Manitoba's economy; and

(l) the government's failure to stem the outflow of Manitobans to other provinces; and

(m) the government's failure to recognize the important role private sector involvement has in growing Manitoba's economy.

AND has thereby lost the trust and confidence of the people of Manitoba and this House.

And the debate continuing on the amendment,

And Hon. Ms. Wowchuk having spoken,

And Mr. Gilleshammer speaking at 11:45 a.m. The debate was allowed to remain in his name.

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The House then adjourned at 11:45 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Monday, December 9, 2002.

Hon. George Hickes,

Speaker.