MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

Education Week

Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Madam Speaker, April 12 to 16 this week is Education Week in Manitoba, and I encourage everyone to join me in marking this important week.

I am pleased to be a part of a government that places such a strong emphasis on education. As the recent throne speech indicated, our government remains committed to education renewal. We will continue to focus on standards and testing to ensure that students, parents and teachers know how a student is progressing so they can take remedial action at the earliest possible time, reshaping our education system to ensure that every child develops the foundation skills to read, write, problem solve, and commute at a high level, encouraging greater parental involvement so that all voices are heard as we develop an education system that will take us successfully into the next century.

Our government knows how important education is to individual success. We are shaping an education system known for excellence, results and accountability. We will continue to focus on literacy skills, early intervention and increasing technology in the classroom to help students meet the challenges of a changing global economy. Our students stand on the brink of a new millennium. Our education must prepare them for the future. It must provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in this new century. It must serve as a passport to hope, opportunity, jobs and growth.

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Madam Speaker, this government is committed to working in partnership with Manitobans to ensure that all students receive the highest quality education ever delivered in Manitoba. Please join me in celebrating Education Week, an event that allows everyone involved in and dedicated to education to celebrate achievements and to look forward to even greater accomplishments.

Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Last May I brought an issue to the House regarding families in the Greenway School catchment area. These families were told by the Tory government that they were not able to get a daycare in their new school that was recently built, even though there was a demonstrated need, even though it was cost-effective to include a daycare in this new school which was being built.

Then last May we learned that the government had actually promised a new daycare in a school in River Heights, a constituency of a Tory cabinet minister. As Manitobans know, it was the Pawley government that had made it a requirement to include daycares in all new school construction projects if there was a demonstrated need, and it was this Filmon government that took this common- sense policy away from Manitoba families. What does this government have to say to the people in my area, and what does this Premier have to say to the families who were denied daycares in over a dozen schools across Manitoba? This type of favouritism, playing politics with the lives of Manitobans, is all too common with this government. I say shame on this Conservative government for, once again, putting the well-being of their friends ahead of the well-being of families in our neighbourhoods.

World Curling Championships

Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to share with the members of this House the accomplishments of a great curling team from Charleswood. Five men, Jeff Stoughton, Jonathan Mead, Gary Van den Berghe, Doug Armstrong and Steve Gould are the members of the highly successful Stoughton rink.

Many Manitobans have been glued to their television sets in recent weeks following the efforts of the Stoughton rink. They began by winning the Safeway Select Provincial Curling Championships in Portage. This accomplishment allowed them to move on to the 1999 Labatt Brier in Edmonton. After winning the Brier, they proceeded to the World Curling Championships in New Brunswick where yesterday they won the Silver Medal.

The sport of curling has exploded on the global scene. Curling is now being played all over the world. At the World Championships, there were men's and women's teams representing Sweden, Japan, United States, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Scotland and New Zealand.

The Charleswood Curling Club is home to the Stoughton team, and we are very proud of their many great accomplishments. I know we are all looking forward to watching this very talented team try to do it all again next year. Manitobans are honoured to be represented by world-class athletes such as the members of the Stoughton rink. I would like to thank Mr. Stoughton as he and his teammates are wonderful ambassadors for Winnipeg and the entire country. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Property Taxes

Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, in 1999, 50 percent of the costs of public education for our schools is met through property taxes. The property tax burden in this province, and now for many taxpayers particularly in the urban areas, is comprised of more than 50 percent of taxes for school purposes.

This government cut the property tax credit by some $75 in 1992-93. They have failed to fund public education in an adequate manner, and thereby have forced school boards, in an attempt to keep class sizes at least reasonable--although more than 600 teachers have been laid off--in an attempt to meet the needs of special needs children, which the recent report acknowledged are not being met--those school boards have been forced to raise property taxes to an exorbitant level, to the point where the special levy has risen by 80 percent since this government took office. This government has caused the increase of taxes of the special levy by 80 percent.

In 1992-93, they provided $732 million from the accounts of the Province of Manitoba for public education. That has fallen this year to $709 million, a drop of some $24 million. So let it not be said that this government has increased its support to public schools. Let it not be said that this government has not raised taxes. They have not increased their support to schools since 1992-93. It has fallen. Taxes have risen by 80 percent as a direct consequence, and that does not make up for the loss. Classes are larger, teachers are fewer. There are fewer resources. There are out-of-date textbooks.

This government has increased taxes, and it has cut support to public schools in a dramatic fashion, and that is unacceptable to the people of Manitoba.

Western Canada Bantam Hockey Championships

Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Madam Speaker, it gives me great honour to share with members on both sides of the House the accomplishments of local Manitoba hockey players. This last weekend, Winnipeg played host to the Western Canada Bantam Championships and our Winnipeg Hawks placed second, giving them the silver medal. The host team, the Winnipeg Sharks, placed fourth.

I would like to highlight the accomplishments of some individual players from Manitoba. Luke Molotowski was named the most valuable player for the tournament as well as best forward. Tim Boron was named best goalie for the tournament. David McDonald received the chairman's pick and received a $1,000 academic bursary from CIBC. He was selected for his ability, sportsmanship and academic potential. Lance Monych was named as one of the three stars in the gold medal game, and Darcy Nazar was named in the three stars in the bronze medal game.

It is important that we continue to support these fine young athletes as their pursuit for sports plays an important role in personal development. All teams demonstrated good sportsmanship and played excellent hockey. It is also encouraging to see that our athletes are receiving academic bursaries for the accomplishments in hockey, and I am pleased to see that the hockey league is encouraging our young athletes to not only excel at their sport but also in their studies.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the organizers, the players, the coaches, the officials, parents and fans of the Western Canada Bantam Hockey Championships for presenting such a quality tournament. The organizers of the tournament with chairman Al Fast and his committee, along with the Greater Winnipeg minor hockey people, have to be congratulated for such a super effort. I heard many compliments from the people in attendance throughout the weekend. There is a lot of hockey talent in this province, evidenced by the world junior championships that we had here this past winter, and this weekend was also evidence of that.