Hon. Ms. Barrett, Hon. Mr. Doer

Hon. Jon Gerrard, MLA for River Heights

Mr. Chairperson: Good evening. Will the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections please come to order. This meeting has been called to consider Bill 9, The Canadian Forces Personnel (Amendments Relating to Voting Rights and Driving Privileges) Act.

We have three presenters registered to speak to this bill: Ken Guilford, private citizen; Colonel Doug McLennan, Department of National Defence; Nicole Johnson, private citizen. If there is anyone else in attendance who wishes to speak to this bill, please register with the attendant at the back of the room. For information of presenters, 20 copies of any written version or presentations would be appreciated. If you require assistance with photocopying, please see the attendant at the back of the room.

How does the committee propose to deal with presenters who are not in attendance today, but have their name called? Shall they be dropped to the bottom of the list and then dropped from the list entirely after being called twice? [Agreed]

Does the committee wish to set a time limit on presentations?

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Mr. Chairperson, I would recommend that we follow the usual procedure of committees and that is 15 minutes for presentations and 5 minutes for questions.

Mr. Chairperson: Is that agreed? [Agreed]

Finally, as a courtesy to presenters, are there any suggestions as to how late the committee should sit this evening?

Mr. Jim Rondeau (Assiniboia): Until the business of the committee has been finished.

Mr. Chairperson: Agreed? [Agreed]

Mr. Chairperson: I will now call on the first presenter, Mr. Ken Guilford, private citizen.

Floor Comment: Not here.

Mr. Chairperson: He will be dropped to the bottom of the list. I will call on the second presenter, Colonel Doug McLennan, Department of National Defence. Does the Colonel have any written copies for distribution to the committee members?

Mr. Doug McLennan (Colonel, Department of National Defence): No, Mr. Chairman, I do not.

Mr. Chairperson: No? Please proceed with your oral presentation.

Mr. McLennan: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for the privilege of speaking with you this evening. I am here on behalf of the men and women of the Canadian Forces in Manitoba to express our distinct pleasure at the tabling of Bill 9 and the fact of the recognition of the Government for the military in Manitoba.

We are very pleased for a couple of reasons. The first reason is exactly that the recognition that the military in Manitoba forms a significant portion of the populace of Manitoba and, in fact, on behalf of the people of Manitoba and the people of Canada, carries out duties significant in today's times.

The second reason is for the people of CFP Winnipeg, 17 Wing, CFP Shilo and the other military members of Manitoba, both regular force, reservist and civilian members, when the details of the bill were first passed to us, we looked upon this as a very significant movement on behalf of the Government to recognize the people of Manitoba.

While the actual parts of the bill may seem to many people to be very small, in fact, they are significant. The fact of our personnel being able to continue with a driver's licence and a clean record while they are on deployment, which happens very many times nowadays, is significant. For one of our members to be deployed on six months to various parts of the world only to come back and find that his or her driver's licence or driving privileges are no longer legal has, in the past, given us significant problems. So I am very pleased to see that the Government has addressed these issues and, in fact, is moving towards ameliorating this problem for us.

With respect to the voting, it is, again, another significant issue. When our members are, again, deployed or, in fact, our members are posted out of the province, to be able to still have a significant say in the Government of Manitoba is very meaningful for us, and I do appreciate that.

So, again, Mr. Chairman, I will be very short. I would just like to say how pleased we are, on behalf of all the military members in Manitoba, that the Government is tabling this bill. It is significant. It does go a long way into demonstrating to our members that the Government of Manitoba and the people of Manitoba consider our contribution to be significant.

Mr. Chairman, that is all I have to say. Thank you very much.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Colonel, for your presentation. Do members of the committee have any questions for the Colonel?

Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Thank you very much, Colonel. I think all of us could take a few instructions from your straight and to-the-point speaking style and debating style here this evening. I want to thank you and the soldiers, the men and women that serve Canada, that are located across Manitoba, whether the regular military forces or in the reserve forces. We picked up our ideas for this bill from your families, from the community. If we can be of other assistance as we go along, because of the very nature of being deployed on behalf of Canadians to theatres of conflict, theatres of peace, to other activity across the world that some of us take for granted, if we can be of any other assistance as we go along, I am sure I speak for all members of the Legislature that we are proud of our military, we are proud of the Canadian Forces, and we look forward to trying to make family life and living in Winnipeg, and in all of Manitoba, easier, not harder.

So we thank you for your positive comments. This is only the beginning. If there are other areas that we can work on, we certainly will do so on behalf of the men and women that serve us so proudly around the world. Thank you.

Mr. Stuart Murray (Leader of the Official Opposition): Again, I would sort of echo the comments. I think that this is a unanimously supported bill in the Legislature. I do not want you to think there is a full moon or anything out there, but, you know, I think it is one of those things that, quite rightly I mean, dawned on a lot of us as it came forward, that the incredible, sort of, sacrifice, if I could use the word, you do it knowingly. But, for what you do for Canada, and what you do for Manitoba and for all of us that are civilians that live here, that you go out and put your lives on the line, and put yourselves at risk, to know that this was something that was not available to the men and women that serve our country seems slightly ironic, if I could use that word.

So I can tell you that we are delighted that we were able to support this piece of legislation, because we also recognize that, without your contributions, as you can see in this fashion tonight, this is what a democracy is all about. It is people coming with ideas and sharing ideas and your standing before us in uniform, as you do so proudly, and rightly so. You represent the best of democracy and what you believe in. So I just want to add my thanks to the men and women that serve our country. We want you to know that this bill is a very, very easy bill for us to support and we are delighted to add our unanimous support on behalf of the PC Party.

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): As the Leader of the Liberal Party, I want to acknowledge that Gary Doer and the NDP government who have put forward this bill, have done something which I think is very positive, and which, certainly from the Liberal perspective, we are very ready to support.

I would like to say thank to you and to the other members of the armed forces for their contribution, and for your contribution to Manitoba and to Canada. I think this was particularly appreciated at the time of the '97 flood in Manitoba when the tremendous job that was done by the Canadian military, but, in a lesser fashion, is appreciated day by day, your presence in the province and your activities both here and abroad. Thank you.

Mr. Jim Rondeau (Assiniboia): I would like to personally thank you for your work and your communications to the member of St. James and myself as far as keeping us informed in what your needs from the members of the armed forces are, and your continuing communications to us on what you need, how you need it, and letting us know what the needs of the people are in the future. We have been involved in a lot of your events. We have grown to know a number of your staff and yourself. It is appreciated that you have been so open and so accommodating to let us know what your needs are and how we can help you. So thank you very much for your work in this direction.

* (18:40)

Mr. Chairperson: Any other member of the committee who has questions or comments to make? Being none, the Chair thanks Colonel McLennan.

I will now call on the next presenter on the list, Nicole Johnson, private citizen.

Ms. Johnson, do you have any written copies for distribution to the committee members?

Ms. Nicole Johnson (Co-ordinator, Winnipeg Military Family Resource Centre): Yes. Thank you.

Mr. Chairperson: Ms. Johnson, please proceed with your presentation.

Ms. Johnson: Thank you. Good evening. I stand before you this evening as the spouse of a military member and as a co-ordinator with the Winnipeg Military Family Resource Centre.

As a member of a military family, and through experience working with other military families, I am familiar with how a small change can make a big difference. The requirement to relocate often can have a negative effect on a military family's quality of life. When faced with a move to a new community, we want the transition to be as painless as possible. As a new member of any community, CF families have the challenge of having to re-establish a familiar standing of living.

The amendments to Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act and The Elections Act as presented in Bill 9 places the CF Family on par with the community of Manitoba. These small changes will make big differences. Manitoba has embraced the CF Family, the CF member and his or her family, by identifying with our unique lifestyles, welcoming our families as immediate Manitobans, and setting a precedent for other provinces. Thank you.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you. Are there any questions for Ms. Johnson?

Mr. Doer: Well, thank you. I thank you again, Ms. Johnson, for the very eloquent words that you expressed to the committee. I certainly had the opportunity to visit the family resource centre in happy times with the return of the soldiers from Bosnia almost over a year ago, and at very sad times after the regrettable tragedies in Afghanistan that took place and the anxiety that the families had and all the work that you were providing to the families. So we know what a vital role the resource centre plays to the quality of life to military families. We know the thousands of hours all of you spend on behalf of families and the kids that are going through all the stress with their loved ones being away, again, in a theatre of conflict. So, just again, thank you very much for your comments.

Mr. Murray: Thank you very much for your presentation and for your comments. I, certainly, would say that any time that we, as in this Legislative Assembly, can bring forward a bill that involves families, and I think you make reference to that in your comments, I think it is a very positive feeling for all of us, because I think that, again, so many times as a spouse of somebody who is very supportive of somebody in the Canadian Forces, you are as effective as anybody, and that includes your children. As they grow up, if they choose to stay in the military, perhaps this is another reason to encourage people to look at the military as an option, as a very positive recognition of what you do.

So, certainly, we are very, very delighted that we are able to support this, that it reaches out to families, and that is a very important part of your quality of life. We are delighted to support it. So thank you very much for your presentation.

Ms. Bonnie Korzeniowski (St. James): Yes, I would just like to add that, having come from a military family, I am acutely aware of the kinds of needs, the feelings of alienation and disenfranchisement at times, and aware of how much the little things do count. In my time, they did not have the Military Family Resource Centre, which I cannot tell you how much I appreciate and understand what you do, and it is quite a thrill for me to be part of being able to help in the slightest way, particularly to the families who are left when the members are deployed overseas and whether a man or a woman is left behind. So I really appreciate what you do go through and am so thrilled to be able to help that, and appreciate so much your coming out to voice that. Thank you.

Mr. Gerrard: Thank you, first of all, for the work that you do with the family resource centre as co-ordinator, because I think it is important and very important support to families who come here and serve in the Canadian military. If we can, in some small way, make life a little bit easier for soldiers who are here and their families, then we are only too pleased to be able to do that. Thanks.

Mr. Marcel Laurendeau (St. Norbert): I guess my statements more go around the issue of how we, locally, tend to forget about our military. We hear about the trips overseas and what you have done for peacekeeping and during wartime. But, during 1997, we had a flood of the century, and my community of St. Norbert was one of the areas that was totally devastated and had to be evacuated. If it was not for the military coming out to assist us in our community, and you sharing your husband and other spouses with us, we would not have been able to cope with the hardship that our community had.

Our community wants to thank you as a spouse, and the military, for coming out when you did, and not only giving us the assistance that we needed at the time, but showing us the benefit of having a strong military that was there in place. This is only a small gesture of what we owe you for what you have done in the past and what you will do for us in the future, for both laying your life on the line, and being there to assist us in our hour of need.

Mr. Rondeau: I would like to thank you for coming here and let you know that this idea came out because some members came to Bonnie and me and said, hey, we have a problem getting our last licence transfers, and all this. I would like to let you know that we are here, all MLAs right here, and want to help with the transition from members to our province. We want to make Manitoba truly 'friendly Manitoba'. We want it a nice place to live. So, if there are other ways that we can assist members, let them know that they can talk to MLAs, because that is what they did to provoke this change. They are an important part of our community and we really appreciate them.

Being an Air Force brat, I realize how hard it is to move around the country. It is important to know that it is hard to move around the country. I talked to my mum about this as far as the bill and she says, yeah, it was crazy; licences did not work and different things did not work. She says we spent the first three weeks running through bureaucracy. So, if there are any other things that you can think of that we can, as the Legislature, make it a better place to move to and be at–we appreciate you as being part of the community–let us help facilitate that. So thank you very much.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Ms. Johnson, for your presentation. The Chair will now call again on Mr. Ken Guilford, private citizen.

Floor Comment: He is not here.

Mr. Chairperson: He will now be dropped from the list. That concludes the list of presenters I have before me.

Are there any persons in attendance in the audience who wish to make presentations? Hearing none, is it the will of the committee to proceed, clause by clause, in consideration of Bill 9? [Agreed] Let us do it.

Does the minister responsible for the bill, the honourable First Minister, have any opening statement to make?

* (18:50)

Mr. Doer: I think the presentations have spoken for all of us.

Mr. Chairperson: We thank the honourable minister. Does the critic from the Official Opposition have an opening statement?

Mr. Murray: I agree with the Premier's comments that it has been said. Thank you.

Mr. Chairperson: We thank the honourable member. During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order. Also, if there is any agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that the Chair will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments, questions or amendments to propose. Is that agreed? [Agreed]

Clause 1–pass; clause 2.1–pass; clause 2.2–pass; clause 3–pass; clause 4–pass; clause 5–pass; clause 6–pass; clause 7–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.

That concludes the business before the committee. Committee rise.

COMMITTEE ROSE AT: 6:51 p.m.