Mr. Mike Radcliffe (River Heights): Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Premier-elect, Pat Binns, whose PC Party won a majority government in yesterday's election in Prince Edward Island, moving up from just one seat in the provincial Legislature before the election. Mr. Binns and the PC Party received a solid mandate from the people of P.E.I. in yesterday's election. Clearly, a trend is emerging across Canada. Voters are electing governments that bring common sense and moderation to the great challenges that face us as a society today. All provinces are being forced to deal with the deficits and the debts left to us by our free-spending predecessors in the '80s and at the same time preserve the high quality services the public has come to expect.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Binns becomes the fourth PC Premier in Canada, joining Alberta, joining Ontario, and joining, of course, our own Premier Filmon in Manitoba. There are now PC governments in all regions of the country, maintaining the party's position as one of only two great national parties. I would also like to remind all honourable members that there are now more provincial Conservative Party provincial governments in Canada than those of any other party. Clearly, Canadians are making their voices heard in support of the ideas and solutions proposed by the Conservative Party. I would ask all honourable members to join me in congratulating Mr. Binns in his election victory and in wishing him well in the mandate the people have given his government in yesterday's election.

I also want to recognize the initiative of my own constituent, Ms. Ruth Swan, who has, as an historian of the Metis, pressed the government and her MLA over the last number of years to ensure that these portraits are restored to their rightful place in the Legislature.

I hope that members of the Legislature will take the opportunity to look at them. There are three: one of Colin Inkster, one of J.H. O'Donnell and one of the Honourable James McKay. The three portraits in themselves reflect very well the history of the old Red River: Colin Inkster, a man very much of the old Red River settlers who cast the deciding vote in the abolition of that council; J.H. O'Donnell who represented the new Ontario settlers; and most particularly the Honourable James McKay, a man who spoke Michif, Cree and Ojibway and who was the president or the chair of the executive council for many years. He was described by his contemporaries as immensely broad-chested and muscular, though not tall. He weighed 18 stone. Yet in spite of his stoutness, he was exceedingly hardy and active and a wonderful horseman. His face is very handsome--short, delicate, aquiline nose, piercing dark gray eyes, long dark brown hair, beard and mustaches, white regular teeth, skin tanned to red bronze from exposure to weather. He was dressed in Red River style, a blue cloth capote with brass cuff buttons, red and black flannel shirt which served also for waistcoat, black belt around the waist, buff leather moccasins on his feet, trousers of brown and white striped . . . .

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I wanted to ask members of the Legislature to ensure that when they take their constituents around the Legislature they recognize these Metis leaders, these early citizens of Manitoba. Thank you.

Mr. Frank Pitura (Morris): Just this past Saturday I attended the grand opening of the new Oak Bluff community school. The new school is a replacement of the one that was built in 1930. This grand opening marks the completion of two years of planning and working together, governments, school and community, to develop a learning facility that we can all be proud of.

The old school housed children from kindergarten to Grade 6, and students in the upper grades went to Sanford for school. The new community school is kindergarten to Grade 8. Oak Bluff will also accommodate 175 to 200 children, but there is room for expansion by adding additional classrooms. Core facilities, gym, library and multipurpose room, have been designed in such a way as to accommodate a larger student population.

The school division, community and the Public Schools Finance Board worked together to make the grand opening possible. Members of the community followed the project very closely and some even got together to buy the adjacent field for use in sports activities. One of the unique things about this school is that individuals within the community personally sponsored classrooms within the school. They also have corporate sponsors taking part in the physical facilities of the school as well, in the gymnasium and so on.

Oak Bluff community school is the first to have a complete data cabling system throughout the school. All instructional areas are centrally connected. The school is also the first to have a special place for the reading recovery program. It will allow teacher trainers to train other teachers in reading recovery strategies.

Madam Speaker, this government will continue to work together with educators, parents, students and the community to make such initiatives in education possible. I would like to congratulate the community of Oak Bluff for their dedication in this long-term investment for our children. Thank you.

Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, this is Restorative Justice Week in Canada. It is important that we take time in this Chamber not only to acknowledge and recognize Restorative Justice Week but adopt the principles that underlie restorative justice. It means we must make, as the first and foremost consideration in corrections policy, the changing of behaviour for the better, rebuilding a justice system around the needs of both victims and offenders and indeed around the needs of the community.

It is important that we work to transform the justice system so that the needs of victims are finally recognized, rather than having a competition between the state and the offender. It is important that we not only pay tribute in words but through our deeds, both in our election promises and in our programs that we can usher in, that restorative justice principles be brought into play. For example, we have urged the adoption of a make-up, face-up rule. We have urged the expansion of the mandate of youth justice committees and, indeed, in the constituency of St. Johns next week we will have our first annual meeting of the St. Johns youth justice council where victims and offenders and their families will have the matters dealt with so there is accountability to the community, and there is accountability to the victims.

Madam Speaker, I would like to quote from the brochure on Restorative Justice Week the following. This is from an incarcerated man who participated in a mediation program: Coming face to face with my victim and realizing the impact of my actions was the hardest thing, the most important thing I have ever done.

Thank you.

Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): I would like to rise and give congratulations to the new Premier of the province of Prince Edward Island. But I find it very strange that this government was elected, a Conservative Party that campaigned against cuts to social programs. Then I think about Bob Rae and his change of heart, a former socialist now campaigning with conservative views. I look at what is going on in Saskatchewan with cuts to hospitals and that, and I think for an outsider looking at the political picture in Canada they must feel like they have just fallen down the rabbit hole and are in Wonderland. It is getting to the point where you cannot tell which party is which in the provinces, depending who is in power, who is not in power.

Though we respect the view of the people, I am starting to become cynical about politics, as politics is nothing more than obtaining power and retaining power and what happens to the values of the parties, the original values of the Liberals, the Conservatives, the socialists and the NDP party. I wonder that we as politicians have to get back to the roots, the values of our party, and put seeking power and maintaining power as secondary consideration to maintaining our political platforms of our parties. Thank you.