2nd-36th, Volume 24a - Routine Proceedings

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

PRESENTING PETITIONS

Home Care Services

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Linda Stimpson, Ian Stimpson, W. Bilowus and others requesting the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.

Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Ian M.C. Dixon, Elissavet Kardami, Roslyn Greenberg and others requesting the Premier and the Minister of Health to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Ron Padua, Brad Doble, Leena Hozaima and others requesting the Premier and the Minister of Health to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.

Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Grant Pierce, Marcello Panagia, F. Panagia and others requesting the Premier and Minister of Health to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.

READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS

Home Care Services

Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for St. James (Ms. Mihychuk). It complies with the rules and practices of the House (by leave). Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

Madam Speaker: Dispense.

THAT on at least six occasions during the 1995 provincial election, the Premier promised not to cut health services; and

THAT on December 16, 1995, a plan to privatize home care services was presented to Treasury Board; and

THAT this plan calls for the complete divestiture of all service delivery to nongovernment organizations, mainly private for-profit companies as well as the implementation of a user-pay system of home care; and

THAT previous cuts to the Home Care program have resulted in services being cut and people's health being compromised; and

THAT thousands of caring front-line service providers will lose their jobs as a result of this change; and

THAT profit has no place in the provision of vital health services.

WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to request the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.

Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Burrows (Mr. Martindale). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Madam Speaker: Dispense.

THAT on at least six occasions during the 1995 provincial election, the Premier promised not to cut health services; and

THAT on December 16, 1995, a plan to privatize home care services was presented to Treasury Board; and

THAT previous cuts to the Home Care program have resulted in services being cut and people's health being compromised; and

THAT thousands of caring front-line service providers will lose their jobs as a result of this change; and

THAT profit has no place in the provision of vital health services.

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PRESENTING REPORTS BY

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Committee of Supply

Mr. Marcel Laurendeau (Chairperson of Committees): Madam Speaker, the Committee of Supply has considered certain resolutions, directs me to report progress and asks leave to sit again.

I move, seconded by the honourable member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Tweed), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

Flood Conditions

Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, I have a statement for the House.

Madam Speaker, the storm that crossed into Manitoba last evening has further aggravated the flood situation in southern Manitoba. As of 7 a.m. this morning, precipitation amounts had ranged from 12 millimetres near the United States boundary to 22 millimetres in the Winnipeg area. The forecast from Environment Canada is for a further 10 to 15 millimetres of precipitation before the storm ends this afternoon.

The department's forecast centre is currently evaluating the effect of this storm on the flood situation but initial indications are that the forecast peak levels along the Red River south of Winnipeg will be raised by an additional half a foot from Emerson to St. Jean and by one foot from Morris to the floodway entrance. Peak levels along the Red River will therefore be in the range of from one-half foot to one foot lower than the peak levels which occurred in 1979.

The storm in combination with the cool weather over the last few days has also delayed the time of the crest by several days. The crest is now expected to reach Emerson on April 28 and St. Adolphe on May 2. My staff will be able to provide more precise forecasts by Friday morning after a more detailed study of the impact of the storm is completed.

Madam Speaker, with your permission, I have a more detailed report that I would like to table for the members in the House. Thank you.

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Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): I want to thank the minister for bringing this information to the House today. I know the minister does not have a magic wand that he can wave to stop the snow. I do want to make certain though that everybody understands that there are some things this government can and should be doing to help out in the area of compensation for the R.M.s who are still waiting from last year to hear of some news, and not just offload onto the federal government people.

Part of the problem in rural Manitoba in getting prepared for the flood of 1996 is that R.M.s are not confident that this government, that does have the ability to compensate these R.M.s, has done that and is slowing the process of readying for the flood.

Having said that, I do want to join in with many of the members who have stated in this House their pride and their congratulations to those Manitobans who are out there fighting the flood as we speak, including students, families and people throughout the province. So with those words, I do hope that before we have to build an ark in this province that the snow does subside and that we do not get any more precipitation and that the minister will continue to bring such reports to the House. Thank you.

Day of Mourning

Workplace Injury and Death

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Labour): Madam Speaker, I have a ministerial statement.

Each year in Canada, April 28 is designated as a day of mourning to remember those who have died or been injured in workplace accidents in Canada. Every year, too many workers become ill or are injured, sometimes fatally, at their place of work. All life is precious and any workplace injury or fatality is a serious matter and of great concern to us all. Injury and death at work brings with it pain and suffering to co-workers, families and friends. Whether the person is a fellow worker who is older or younger, male or female or working as a farmer, a logger, a construction worker, miner, a worker on an assembly line or in some other type of work, their injury is preventable.

From each incident, whether it results in a serious injury or not, we must learn what happened so that we can prevent similar occurrences and ensure that such tragedies do not happen in the future. While the accident rate has been generally decreasing over the last 10 years, we must be diligent in continuing to make Manitoba's workplaces even safer and healthier. Employers and workers are working together, assisted by their government, and bear the primary credit for the improvements over the last 10 years and must not falter in their objective of producing workplaces free of risk and injury.

This day of mourning, April 28, gives us all a chance to consider the serious nature of work and to set aside a few moments to think about those persons injured or killed and consider how we can all work together towards the goal of eliminating all workplace accidents. I am pleased as Minister of Labour to issue a proclamation recognizing this particular day and commend its observance to all Manitobans. Thank you.

Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): Madam Speaker, I would like to start off by thanking the minister for his statement here today.

This is a very important day. This day would not, of course, be able to be recognized had it not been for the hard work and efforts by the former member for Churchill, Mr. Rod Murphy, in his efforts to bring forward a private member's bill in the Parliament of Canada recognizing April 28 as the day of mourning for those who have been injured or killed on the job, and we thank Mr. Murphy for his efforts in this respect.

We also note, too, that Manitoba is sustaining still high numbers of deaths as a result of workplace accidents. We raised in this House just a short time ago the death of another miner. We have had six miners' deaths in a very short period of time in this province, only one of the many industries within this province where people are unfortunately killed, and there is much work yet to be done by the minister's department, the Department of Labour, Workplace Safety and Health Branch, Workers Compensation Board for which the minister is also responsible, to prevent the deaths and the accidents that are taking place in the industries of our province, Madam Speaker.

In addition to that, we recognize too that unions play a very strong role in preventing accidents through the Workplace Safety and Health committees in the various industries throughout this province. So we too would like to recognize those activities, both the union activities and the part of employers, to try and prevent future accidents, but I hope that the minister and his department and his government will recognize that there is much work yet to be done to prevent deaths and accidents in Manitoba. Thank you.

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Introduction of Guests

Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us this afternoon forty-seven Grade 9 students from Morden Collegiate under the direction of Mr. Mark Derzak. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck).

On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon.