ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

PRESENTING PETITIONS

CRTC Presentations

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Mr. Deputy Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Peter Kokolski, Mary Kokolski, Jim Nakonechny and others praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba request that the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the minister of telecommunications make presentations before the CRTC opposing such hikes in local rates.

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READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS

Mobile Screening Unit for Mammograms

Mr. Deputy Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk). 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: Dispense.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Dispense.

WHEREAS medical authorities have stated that breast cancer in Manitoba has reached almost epidemic proportions; and

WHEREAS yearly mammograms are recommended for women over 50, and perhaps younger if a woman feels she is at risk; and

WHEREAS while improved surgical procedures and better post-operative care do improve a woman's chances if she is diagnosed, early detection plays a vital role; and

WHEREAS Manitoba currently has only three centres where mammograms can be performed, those being Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson; and

WHEREAS a trip to and from these centres for a mammogram can cost a woman upwards of $500 which is a prohibitive cost for some women; and

WHEREAS a number of other provinces have dealt with this problem by establishing mobile screening units; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has promised to take action on this serious issue.

WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLY PRAY that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to request the Minister of Health (Mr. Praznik) to consider immediately establishing a mobile screening unit for mammograms to help women across the province detect breast cancer at the earliest possible opportunity.

CRTC Presentations

Mr. Deputy Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Dauphin (Mr. Struthers). 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: Dispense.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Dispense.

THAT the Manitoba Telephone System as a public asset served this province well for over 80 years providing province-wide service, some of the lowest local rates in North America, thousands of jobs and keeping profits in Manitoba; and

THAT contrary to promises made in 1996 by the provincial government, the majority of shares of the privatized MTS are controlled outside the province of Manitoba; and

THAT on June 16, 1997, MTS requested from the CRTC a $5 increase per month for 1998, one of the highest increases in the country; and

THAT this follows previous increases ordered by the provincial government in 1995, 1996 and 1997; and

THAT these increases mean that for some communities in the Parklands will have almost doubled since 1995, with Dauphin alone having an increase of 87 percent when the rate for Yorkton, Saskatchewan, under the publicly owned Saskatchewan Telephone System is $5 per month less; and

THAT MTS is requesting a rate of return of 13 percent per year from CRTC and to do this wants to raise local rates further above the rate cap in the 1998 going-in rates; and

THAT, contrary to promises made by the provincial government, MTS under private ownership is moving rapidly to raise local rates in rural and northern Manitoba.

WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba request that the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the minister of telecommunications make presentations before the CRTC opposing such hikes in local rates.

PRESENTING REPORTS BY

STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Standing Committee on Economic Development

Fourth Report

Mr. Mervin Tweed (Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Economic Development): Mr. Deputy Speaker, I beg to present the Fourth Report of the Committee on Economic Development.

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on Economic Development presents the following as its Fourth Report.

Your committee met on Tuesday, June 24, 1997, at 10 a.m. in Room 254 of the Legislative Assembly to consider bills referred.

Your committee heard representation on bills as follows:

Bill 12--The Manitoba Water Services Board Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Commission des services d'approvisionnement en eau du Manitoba

Valinda Morris - Provincial Counsel of Women of Manitoba

Bill 59--The Conservation Agreements Act; Loi sur les accords de conservation

Stuart Briese - Union of Manitoba Municipalities

Bill 61--The Sustainable Development and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi sur le développement durable et modifications corrélatives

Harry Mesman - Manitoba Federation of Labour

Stuart Briese - Union of Manitoba Municipalities

Cec Muldrews - United Nations

Anne Lindsey - Private Citizen

Your committee has considered:

Bill 12--The Manitoba Water Services Board Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Commission des services d'approvisionnement en eau du Manitoba

Bill 36--The Wildfires and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi sur les incendies échappés et modifications corrélatives

Bill 44--The Municipal Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les municipalités

Bill 53--The Local Authorities Election Amendment and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'élection des autorités locales et modifications corrélatives

Bill 59--The Conservation Agreements Act; Loi sur les accords de conservation

Bill 300--The TD Trust Company and Central Guaranty Trust Company Act; Loi concernant la Société de fiducie TD et la Compagnie Trust Central Guaranty

and has agreed to report the same without amendment.

Your committee also considered:

Bill 301--The Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Company, Montreal Trust Company of Canada and Montreal Trust Company Act; Loi concernant la Société de fiducie Banque de Nouvelle-Écosse, la Compagnie Montréal Trust du Canada et la Compagnie Montréal Trust

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

MOTION:

THAT subsection 1(2) be amended by adding ", and shall file a copy of that notice with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly" after "that date".

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

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Law Amendments

Fifth Report

Mr. Jack Penner (Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments): I beg to present the Fifth Report of the Committee on Law Amendments.

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on Law Amendments presents the following as its Fifth Report.

Your committee met on Monday, June 23, 1997, at 7 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building to consider bills referred.

At that meeting, your committee elected Mr. Dyck as its Vice-Chairperson.

Your committee heard representation on bills as follows:

Bill 47--The Adoption and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi sur l'adoption et modifications corrélatives.

Joan E. Vanstone - Parent Finders of Canada

Darcy Lyons - Private Citizen

Roydon Kading - LINKS, Post-Legal Adoption Support Group Inc.

Wayne Helgason - Social Planning Council

Luis Coelho - CUPE

Tamsin Collings - Private Citizen

Karen Linde - Private Citizen

Ellen Peel - Winnipeg Child and Family Services

Joan Wolf - Private Citizen

Linda Shapiro - Private Citizen

John Poyser - Private Citizen

Your committee has considered:

Bill 47--The Adoption and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi sur l'adoption et modifications corrélatives.

and has agreed to report the same without amendment.

Upon completion of clause-by-clause consideration of Bill 47, your committee passed the following motion at its Monday, June 23, 1997, meeting.

THAT the Standing Committee on Law Amendments do now adjourn and recommend that this committee reconvene to consider clause by clause of Bill 48 at a time to be announced by the government House leader.

Mr. Penner: I move, seconded by the honourable member for La Verendrye (Mr. Sveinson), that the report of the committee be now received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Law Amendments

Sixth Report

Mr. Jack Penner (Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments): I would like to present the Sixth Report of the Committee on Law Amendments.

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on Law Amendments presents the following as its Sixth Report.

Your committee met on Tuesday, June 24, 1997, at 10 a.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building to consider bills referred.

Your committee has considered:

Bill 21--The Jury Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les jurés

Bill 33--The Executions Amendment and Consequential Amendments Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'exécution des jugements et modifications corrélatives

and has agreed, on counted votes of 6 Ayes, 4 Nays, to report the same without amendment.

Mr. Penner: I move, seconded by the honourable member for La Verendrye (Mr. Sveinson), that the report of the committee be now received.

Motion agreed to.