Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Gail Franklin, Craig Gilchrist, Barry Hammond and others requesting that the Legislative Assembly urge the Minister of Family Services (Mrs. Mitchelson) to consider withdrawing Bill 36 and replacing it with improved legislation which provides for a guaranteed annual income that allows people to have adequate food, clothing, housing, child care and health care and that this annual income increases as prices increase and that this new legislation also provides for the creation of real jobs with the goal of creating full employment so that individuals on social assistance can find safe, meaningful work of their own choosing that allows them to meet their needs and the needs of their families.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Norman Kosinski, Isabel Watson, Bill Lambert and others requesting that the Premier (Mr. Filmon) withdraw Bill 67 and not sell the Manitoba Telephone System to private interests.

Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Joan L. Cox, Gordon G. Cox, Ruth Marion and others requesting that the Premier withdraw Bill 67 and not sell the Manitoba Telephone System to private interests.

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Susan Harapiak, Margaret Wetherill, Lillie Sadowski and others requesting that the Premier withdraw Bill 67 and not sell Manitoba Telephone System to private interests.

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?

An Honourable Member: Yes.

Madam Speaker: Yes? The Clerk will read.

Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): The petition of the undersigned citizens of the province of Manitoba humbly sheweth:

THAT in 1976 Canada signed the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognized the right of everyone to make a living by work which is freely chosen, recognized the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, recognized the right of everyone to enjoy a high standard of physical and mental health, and provided for the widest possible protection and assistance to the family; and

THAT poor children and adults in Canada continue to die at a higher rate and earlier age than people with adequate incomes; and

THAT Bill 36, The Social Allowances Amendment Act, will create even greater poverty among the poor in Manitoba by eliminating government responsibility to ensure that everyone who lacks adequate food, clothing, housing and health care has these needs met; and

THAT the bill proposes to punish people by cutting them off from social assistance or reducing their benefits if they fail to meet employment expectations; and

WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLY PRAY that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Minister of Family Services to consider withdrawing Bill 36 and replacing it with improved legislation which provides for a guaranteed annual income that allows people to have adequate food, clothing, housing, child care and health care and that this annual income increases as prices increase and that this new legislation also provides for the creation of real jobs with the goal of creating full employment so that individuals on social assistance can find safe, meaningful work of their own choosing that allows them to meet their needs and the needs of their families.

* (1335)

Mr. David Newman (Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the Fourth Report of the Committee on Law Amendments.

Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): Your Standing Committee on Law Amendments presents the following as its Fourth Report.

Madam Speaker: Dispense.

Your committee met on Tuesday, October 15, 1996, and Wednesday, October 16, 1996, at 7 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building to consider bills referred.

At the October 15, 1996, meeting, your committee agreed, by motion, on a counted vote of 6 Yeas, 4 Nays, to establish a time limit for presentations and for questions and answers, of 15 minutes per presentation.

At the October 15, 1996, meeting, your committee elected Mr. McAlpine as its Vice-Chairperson. At the October 16, 1996, meeting, your committee elected Mr. Sveinson as its Vice-Chairperson.

Your committee heard representation on bills as follows:

Bill 37--The Ambulance Services Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les services d'ambulance

Dwayne Forsman - Manitoba Pre Hospital Professions Association

Bill 49--The Regional Health Authorities and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi concernant les offices régionaux de la santé et apportant des modifications corrélatives

Glenda Doerksen - Private Citizen

John Nicol - Union of Manitoba Municipalities

Lois Creith - Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference of the United Church of Canada

Laurie Potovsky-Beachell - Manitoba Women's Institute

Georgia Weins - Private Citizen

Aline Audette - Private Citizen

Marilyn Robinson - Manitoba Health Organization

Lorraine Sigurdson - CUPE - Manitoba Division

Marilyn Goodyear Whiteley and Diana Davidson Dick - Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses

Vera Chernecki - Manitoba Nurses' Union

Rob Hilliard - Manitoba Federation of Labour

Allan Sweatman - Convalescent Home of Winnipeg

Debra Mintz - Private Citizen

Sharon Macdonald - Private Citizen

Brenda Maxwell - United Nations Platform for Action Committee

Yvonne Peters and Barbara Wiktorowicz - Women's Health Clinic

Desmond Conner - Committee Coalition on Mental Health

Monica Singh - Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba

Jenny Gerbasi - Coalition to Save Home Care

John Poyser - Manitoba Association of Community Health Centres

Bernard LeBlanc - Private Citizen

Ian McMahon - Private Citizen

George Musswaggon - Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak

Edward Hiebert - Private Citizen

Evelyn Shapiro - Private Citizen

Shirley Lord - CHOICES

Linda Clark - Private Citizen

Bernard Christophe - United Food and Commercial Workers Union - Local 832

Bob Minaker - Private Citizen

Peter Olfert - Manitoba Government Employees Union

Ben Hanuschak - Private Citizen

Carmela Abraham - Private Citizen

Lucille Barnabe - Private Citizen

Elizabeth Smith - Private Citizen

Ellen Kruger - Manitoba Medicare Alert Coalition

Mario Javier - Private Citizen

Your committee has considered:

Bill 37--The Ambulance Services Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les services d'ambulance

and has agreed to report the same with the following amendment:

MOTION:

THAT section 2 of the Bill is amended by adding "AND STRETCHER TRANSPORTATION" after "RESPONSE".

Your committee agreed to not complete clause by clause consideration of:

Bill 49--The Regional Health Authorities and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi concernant les offices régionaux de la santé et apportant des modifications corrélatives

but to defer such consideration to a future meeting of the committee.

At the October 16, 1996, meeting, your committee adopted the following motion:

THAT this Committee recommends to the Government House Leader that another meeting of the Law Amendments Committee be called to continue clause by clause consideration of Bill 49.

Mr. Newman: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister charged with the administration of The Public Servants Insurance Act): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table the Public Service Group Insurance Fund Benefit Summary and the Auditor's Report and Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 1996.

In addition, I am pleased to table the Civil Service Superannuation Fund Actuarial Report as of December 31, 1995.

Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery, where we have with us today His Excellency Bright Msaka, High Commissioner of Malawi to Canada.

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

Also seated in the public gallery, we have 30 visitors from Riverton, Manitoba, under the direction of Mrs. Dora Friesen. This group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Interlake (Mr. Clif Evans).

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