LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF
Tuesday, March 8, 2005
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
Highway 200
Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
These are the reasons for this petition:
Highway 200 is paved from
Due to unsafe conditions, many drivers look to alternate routes around this section when possible and time permits. The condition of the gravel road can cause serious damage to all vehicles.
Insufficient traffic counts are not truly reflective of the traffic volumes because users tend to find another route to avoid this section. Traffic counts done after spring seeding, during wet weather or during school recess are not indicative of traffic flows.
Maintenance costs for unpaved highways are high and ongoing. It would be cost-effective to pave this section.
We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:
To request that the Minister of Transportation and Government Services (Mr. Lemieux) consider paving Highway 200 between highways 205 and 305 to ensure a smooth, safe and uninterrupted use of Highway 200.
Signed by Ron Courcelles, Karen Budey, Danielle Chartier and others.
Mr. Speaker: According to our Rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to be received by the House.
Riverdale Health Centre
Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Minnedosa): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
These are the reasons for the petition:
The Riverdale Health Centre
services a population of approximately 2000, including the town of
The need for renovation or repair of the Riverdale Health Centre was identified in 1999 by the Marquette Regional Health Authority (RHA) and was the No. 1 priority listed in the RHA's 2002-2003 Operational Plan.
To date, the community has raised over $460,000 towards the renovation or repair of the health centre.
On June 1, 2003, the Premier (Mr. Doer) made a commitment to the community of Rivers that he would not close or downgrade the services available at the Riverdale Health Centre.
Due to physician
shortages, the Riverdale Health Centre has been closed to acute care and emergency
services for long periods since December 2003, forcing community members to
travel to
We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:
To urge the Premier to consider ensuring that acute care and emergency services are available to the residents of Rivers and surrounding areas in their local hospital and to live up to his promise to not close the Rivers hospital.
To request that the
Minister of Health (Mr. Sale) consider developing a long-term solution to the
chronic shortages of front-line health care professionals in rural
This petition has been signed by Karen Minshull, Bruce McCalloch and Helen Sheridan.
Ambulance Service
Mr. Ron Schuler (
These are the reasons for this petition:
In May 2004, 46-year-old Peter Krahn suffered a heart attack while exercising in East St. Paul and was pronounced dead just under an hour later after being transported to the Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg. Reports show that it took nearly 18 minutes for an ambulance to arrive for Mr. Krahn.
The Interlake Regional
Health Authority claims that 21 minutes is an acceptable emergency response
time, whereas the City of
Ambulance coverage for
The municipalities of
East St. Paul and
We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:
To request the provincial
government to consider providing East St. Paul with local ambulance service
which would service both East and
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To request the provincial government to consider improving the way that ambulance service is supplied to all Manitobans by utilizing technologies such as GPS in conjunction with a Medical Transportation Co-ordination Centre (MTCC) which will ensure that patients receive the nearest ambulance in the least amount of time.
To request the provincial government to consider ensuring that appropriate funding is provided to maintain superior response times and sustainable services.
Signed by David Unruh, Christina Unruh, Michael Unruh and others.
Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
The background to this petition is as follows:
The provincial government is misleading the public by saying they had a surplus of $13 million in the 2003-2004 budget.
The provincial auditor has indicated that the $13-million surplus the government says it had cannot be justified.
The provincial auditor has also indicated that the Province is using its own made up accounting rules in order to show a surplus instead of using generally accepted accounting principles.
We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:
To request the provincial
government to consider adopting generally accepted accounting principles in
reporting
Signed by Francis Pineda,
Tony Parani and Rey Operana.
International Women's Day
Hon. Nancy Allan (Minister responsible for the Status of Women): Mr. Speaker, I have a ministerial statement for the House.
Mr. Speaker, every year
on March 8, women and men from around the world gather to celebrate
International Women's Day. International Women's Day was proclaimed at a
women's conference in
In 1977, the United
Nations adopted a resolution inviting all countries to dedicate one day to the
celebration of women's rights and international peace. March 8 was chosen
because it marked the day of the
This government has moved
to improve the living conditions for women and their families. For example, in
response to the high cost of healthy foods in northern and remote parts of
In addition, the Province
now has the first Aboriginal Midwifery Education Program in
Moreover, we have one of the best early childhood education programs in the country, which is soon to become even better partly due to the work of my colleague, the honourable Minister of Family Services and Housing (Ms. Melnick), who worked with other provincial colleagues to secure the $5 billion in federal funding for child care in Canada.
This year, in recognition
of International Women's Day, our government hosted a reception honouring women
in
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Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to rise today in response to the Minister responsible for the Status of Women and her statement about International Women's Day. As a woman who is also a politician, it is truly a privilege to put a few words on the record about this very important day, a day that is set aside to recognize the contributions and successes of women, as well as to work toward overcoming those barriers that women continue to face.
Around the world, women and women's groups are celebrating International Women's Day. As the minister stated, the provincial theme for this year is celebrating rural and northern women. I understand that women in various locations throughout the province have unique perspectives and face different situations. Not only do they face different situations, Mr. Speaker, they also are challenged by difficult situations.
Mr. Speaker, the NDP chose the theme this year as celebrating rural and northern women. Sadly, some of the barriers rural and northern women face are caused by this very NDP government: their lack of support to Osborne House which led the board of volunteer women to resign, their poor handling of the BSE crisis in Manitoba which has left women and their families struggling just to survive, their failure to handle the pediatrician shortage in Brandon forcing high-risk moms to travel to Winnipeg to deliver their babies, their closure of rural hospitals forcing women and their families to experience highway medicine.
Today is a day to thank those rural women struggling in their own lives, communities and across the province. Today, I and many of my colleagues were able to attend the reception in the Rotunda and visit the many information tables about women's issues. It is obvious that we do have a lot to celebrate. Manitoba women are hardworking, persevering and have many outstanding accomplishments to be proud of, but, Mr. Speaker, I do urge this government to do its fair share, to do its job and to remove the barriers that they are setting up that are preventing women from achieving their full potential
Hon. Jon Gerrard (
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member have leave? [Agreed]
Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in the celebration of
International Women's Day and the acknowledgement of the important role of
women. As the Leader of the Liberal Party, women have played a particularly
important part in the provincial Liberal Party. Nellie McClung campaigned actively not only for the
right for women to vote, but to elect a Liberal government which would indeed
deliver the right of women to vote in
An Honourable Member: That was the last one.
Mr. Gerrard: No, there were four Liberal governments. We are proud to have had Nellie McClung campaigning so actively. One of the things people do not always remember is that she worked very hard to deal with issues where women were working in very poor conditions often in textile factories and to improve those.
I would also like to acknowledge the important role, of course, that Sharon Carstairs has played as a Liberal leader and to say that the tradition of supporting women strongly within the Liberal Party continues, for during the last provincial election we had 40 percent of our candidates who were women. We are going to continue to make sure we are working hard until we get better conditions for women throughout Manitoba. Thank you.
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Introduction of Guests
Mr. Speaker: I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the
Speaker's Gallery where we have with us today Mr. Todd Schwartz who is the
Consul and Principal Officer with the U.S. Consulate of
On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today.
Also in the public gallery we have with us from Gray Academy of Jewish Education 58 Grade 5 students under the direction of Mrs. Sharon Gaber, Mrs. Sandy Rosenberg, Mr. Chris Garroni and Mr. David Law. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable Member for Tuxedo (Mrs. Stefanson).
On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today.
Budget Speech
Government Promises
Mr. Stuart Murray (Leader of the Official Opposition): Mr. Speaker, after two elections and five budgets this NDP Premier has a record. Unfortunately, it is a record of broken promises.
Mr. Speaker, prior to the last budget this Premier stood in this House and he said, "I was not elected to raise taxes." Well, no surprise to anybody, I guess, other than this Premier, that he raised taxes and user fees by $90 million in the last budget.
Mr. Speaker, this NDP
Premier promised that he would make our communities in
Mr. Speaker, with those kinds of broken promises to Manitobans why should the people in the gallery and Manitobans watching today believe any promise.
Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr. Speaker, the member opposite insulted the people of
Health Care Services
Mr. Stuart Murray (Leader
of the Official Opposition): Mr. Speaker, of
course, at that time the biggest granddaddy of all that this Premier, this NDP
Premier, said to Manitobans is: "Elect me and I will end hallway medicine
in six months and $15 million." That is what this Premier said to
Manitobans. Well, even over the last number of budgets that we have seen $1.3
billion go into health care, health care under this NDP government has only
gotten worse in
Mr. Speaker, we have
heard from Manitobans right across our province and especially in a recent
Westman Health Care Forum in
Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I think if the member will look at the record he will find a decline of doctors. In fact, he might even see a chart in the budget today, the decline of doctors in the 1990s and an increase of doctors since we have been elected. Those are facts. The member opposite gets his elections mixed up. He gets his facts mixed up, but Manitobans are not mixed up. They do not buy the rhetoric, the old reheated rhetoric of the member opposite. They know what is going on. They know we are making progress. They know we have more work to do, and we are going to do more of it this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker: Order. Just to remind our guests in the gallery, all guests should be seated and also there is to be no participation and that includes applauding. I would just like to remind all honourable members, or all the guests that are in the gallery. Honourable members may applaud if they wish.
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Pharmacare
Deductibles
Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): Mr. Speaker, this NDP government has consistently increased taxes on the backs of the sick and the elderly in this province. While in opposition, the former Minister of Health, the Member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak), referred to increases in Pharmacare deductibles, and I quote, "as a tax grab on Manitobans and a tax, most importantly, on the sick." Yet, for the past three years, this NDP government has consistently raised Pharmacare deductibles by 5 percent per year. Will the Minister of Health agree today to reverse his government's decision to increase Pharmacare deductibles?
Hon. Tim Sale (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, since we formed government we have more than doubled our commitment to Pharmacare. We worked through our Premier (Mr. Doer) last fall to bring to the national attention the reason why we have problems, and that is there is no national commitment to a Pharmacare program to have all of the lifesaving and really important drugs covered nationally. They are approved nationally. They are studied nationally. They are approved for use in provinces nationally.
Why is the federal government not prepared to make money available so that a national Pharmacare program can serve all Canadians? In the meantime, we have doubled our spending on Pharmacare. We have added hundreds of new drugs to our Pharmacare formularies, and we are proud of having the strongest Pharmacare program in this country.
Mrs. Stefanson: Mr. Speaker, this is unacceptable. This Minister of Health is now trying to once again pass the buck to the federal government saying they are not getting enough in the way of transfer payments. In the last year alone this government has received some $262 million more in the way of transfer payments from the federal government. Will the Minister of Health agree today to reverse his government's decision to hike Pharmacare deductibles?
Mr. Sale: I am looking forward to the Estimates debate, and we will have a chance to help the Health critic learn what, in fact, has been the case in terms of federal funding for health care. I need to tell the member that in 2004-2005, the federal government removed some $96 million from our spending in that year. Mr. Speaker, $96 million out; they put $78 million back. Net result, we are down $18 million real dollars in the real year that we are currently still in. That is the way the federal government has been treating medicare since 1994-95 when $7 billion was cut out of the base funding for social services, higher education and health care in this country.
Rivers Health Care Centre
Service Availability
Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Minnedosa): Mr. Speaker, let us talk about rhetoric and broken promises. In spite of the Premier's (Mr. Doer) promise to the community of Rivers, the Rivers Health Centre has been closed to acute care and emergency care services over periods of time since December 2003, forcing community members to endure highway medicine. On June 1, 2003, the Premier committed to the community that he would not close or downgrade the health facility or the services. On September 16, 2003, the Premier said, and I quote, "I did commit that health care facilities would remain open in Rivers."
Can the Minister of Health tell the House when Rivers can expect acute care and emergency services to be reinstated, and enough rhetoric, please?
Hon. Tim Sale (Minister of
Health): Mr. Speaker, I have been pleased to meet with
many citizens of the town of
We have in
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Mrs. Rowat: Mr. Speaker, again we have received rhetoric. He is not answering the question.
Rivers residents know how important their health centre is to them, and they know this is very important to the well-being of their community. The Premier (Mr. Doer) is saying "right." Well, let him follow through on the promise he made in June. Based on the assurances from the Premier, the community has raised over $460,000 toward the renovation and repair of this health facility.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health confirm that his government intends to move forward on the renovation of the health care facility, or is this yet another broken health care promise to rural Manitobans by this Premier, this minister and this government?
Mr. Sale: Mr. Speaker, what I can confirm for the member is that during their time in office they cut enrolment in the medical school by 15, by about 30 percent. I can confirm that there are now 87 students in the first year of medicine, not 70 as there were in the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, there is not a lot of sense talking about hospitals needing to be opened if you do not have doctors to staff them. The building is there, the equipment is there, but in Manitoba, unfortunately, due to short-sighted measures taken 10 years ago by this previous government, the enrolment in the college that we have is not sufficient to provide the numbers we need. We will increase the enrolment to 100 during this time in office which is an increase of 45 percent in the enrolment in the college. We have increased the number of residency positions and this year 800 nurses will graduate, not 210.
Osborne House
Board Resignations
Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): Mr. Speaker, 11 Osborne House board members resigned because they felt intimidated by this NDP government into doing something they could not in good conscience do in order to secure a service purchase agreement. Can the minister explain why this NDP government treated these women in such a way they felt no other option than to resign? Is this how this government treats women?
Hon. Christine Melnick (Minister of Family Services and Housing): Well, Mr. Speaker, I actually appreciate getting this question today on International Women's Day. Certainly we are committed to the safety of women wherever they are. Osborne House has long been a very important partner in the protection of women against domestic violence. We had worked with the former board for several months. We were very concerned when the board made the decision that they made. I can inform the House that we have very strong and very positive feelings around the current board, and we will work with them to ensure that when a woman says "no more," she has a safe place to go.
Mrs. Taillieu: Mr. Speaker, the deficit of $52,000 at Osborne House was a direct result
of this NDP government's back-door negotiations of a collective agreement and
then failure to fund this agreement. Had the NDP provided the funds to meet
this agreement, there would have been no issue and there would have been no
board resignations. I ask the minister what is the priority of the NDP
government. Is it $52,000 for women in shelters in
Ms. Melnick: We were committed to working with Osborne House, whoever is on the
board. We are committed to protecting women in situations of violence. We will
work with the new board at Osborne House as we will continue to work with all
of the people of
Mrs. Taillieu: Mr. Speaker, why would this government not work with the previous board? Professional women, recognized in their careers, in their communities and as strong volunteers, why did they not work with them? Today, in light of it being International Women's Day, will this government recognize the value that these women on this board at Osborne House made in giving so much of their time? Will they recognize their contribution and will they apologize to them for the treatment they have received at the hands of this government?
Ms. Melnick: I will again clarify for the member opposite, we were working with that board. We will continue to work with the new board. Our focus is not to lay blame, Mr. Speaker. It is to better the support network for women and their children fleeing domestic violence.
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Livestock Industry
Slaughter Capacity
Mr. Ralph Eichler
(Lakeside): Mr. Speaker, since the first BSE case
in 2003, there has not been a single government dollar spent on slaughter
facility expansion in
Is the minister able to
share with us today whether or not her government is prepared to flow real
dollars to expand its slaughter capacity as outlined in our five-point BSE
Recovery Program where we identified $40 million towards major increases in
Hon. Rosann Wowchuk (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives): Mr. Speaker, the member is factually incorrect in his comments just as the members opposite were factually incorrect yesterday when they said there was no increase in slaughter capacity in this province. They should have more respect for the many people who have slaughter facilities in this province, who have done everything in their power to ensure that more animals are slaughtered in this province.
Despite the fact that new facilities have not been built, there has been an increase in slaughter capacity in this province. I would expect them to pay credit to the people who have been working so hard to ensure that animals are slaughtered. Yes, money has been invested.
Mr. Eichler: Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the minister table that document in
the House. How much money has she actually flowed to the slaughterhouses in the
Is the minister prepared to commit the $10 million identified in our recovery program to existing facilities to upgrade federally inspected standards, allowing our beef industry to become more com
Ms. Wowchuk: Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the members opposite are continuing to give a consistent message because previously the critic of Agriculture said that we did not need to expand slaughter capacity in this province. We had enough of it. They are now in a consistent phase. But, I can tell you that we decided and we made a decision that we had to invest in slaughter capacity long before the opposition put forward their five-point plan. We have a plan. We are working at the industry, and we will continue to work to see slaughter capacity increase in this province.
New Construction Costs
Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): On April 14, 2003, the then-Minister of Education promised to Garden Valley School Division the construction of a new middle school. Now, approximately 600 days later or almost two years later, the NDP reannounced the construction of that school. This dithering of announcements will add approximately a half million dollars to the cost of the project due to rising steel prices, cost of materials and labour.
My question is to the Minister of Education. Is the Province prepared to pay for the added cost due to the escalation in prices? Will they again, like they did on the lights on Highway No. 32 and Highway No. 14, simply offload their responsibility on the local taxpayer?
Hon. Peter Bjornson (Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth): Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased once again to rise in the House and talk about our record on capital as far as education is concerned. We recently announced a three-year vision for education capital–
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order. I would like to remind all honourable members we have guests in the gallery, we have the viewing public and the clock is ticking. If we do not have decorum in the House we are going to get less questions and answers. I ask the co-operation of all honourable members.
Mr. Bjornson: Mr. Speaker, in our first five years, $288 million in capital. One thing that I really enjoy is the opportunity to visit schools. I have had the opportunity to visit almost 150 schools and just about every school that I visited has been touched in some way, shape or form by our ambitious capital program, over 600 projects. We have had major capital projects, including over 30 major renovations, building new schools. We are committed to safe, clean environments for our children. We have promised to build schools and we are going to build those schools. They accept our word as a government and this coming from an opposition party that at one time promised a brand new hospital.
Mr. Dyck: Mr. Speaker, you know it has been a roller coaster ride for the over 600 students who are now in overcrowded classrooms or in huts. My question very simply is: Is the NDP government prepared to cover the increased costs, or is this just another example of government offloading its responsibilities on the local taxpayer? Simple question. Yes or no. Will you fund it?
Mr. Bjornson: Mr. Speaker, I have said this before in the House. Growth is a good problem to have and that certainly was not the problem that we had with members opposite when so many people were leaving the province. It certainly was not a problem when members opposite had over 800 teachers leave the profession, nurses leaving the profession. We have a problem that is called growth and we are managing that growth. We are committed to build new schools; we are going to build new schools.
Health Care Services
Service Availability
Hon. Jon Gerrard (
I ask the Minister of Health why his government is going to court, as he announced January 27, to provide a legal right for his government to continue to give slow care.
Hon. Tim Sale (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question and I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to it. First, I want to assure all members that procedures related to abortion services are being funded, have been funded, are available, have been available within medically accepted wait times for some years now.
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to support procedures at Jane's Clinic in the interim as we bring about a new reproductive health care clinic. The issue which we are appealing has nothing to do with that. Unfortunately, in the judge's ruling he essentially ruled that the anxiety of a patient and where the patient wishes the procedure to be done should be factors that determine where health care will be provided and on whose terms it will be provided. That is not a recipe for a single payer health care system such as medicare. It simply would not be possible to maintain medicare in such a system.
Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, this government as we have heard has just said that the rights of the government are more important than the rights of the people. We disagree. It is a sad and sorry day when a government goes to court to protect its legal right to be incompetent.
This is not about public versus private care. This is about quick access to quality care. That is what Manitobans deserve. You have failed to deliver that. You need to acknowledge your failure and come up with a new, more valid approach to better managing health care. Why are you going to court to protect your right to deliver slow care?
Mr. Sale: Mr. Speaker, how short the member's memory is. He was part of the government that cut $7 billion out of the ability of provinces to deliver health care when he was in the federal Cabinet.
Secondly, we have the shortest cardiac waiting list in the country because we took action on timely access to care. We have less than one week's waiting for radiation therapy once it has been required for a cancer patient. That is an incredible improvement. When we formed government, we were sending patients out of this province for radiation therapy. We have almost quadrupled the number of MRI exams in this province. We have doubled the number of CTs, then some. We have almost tripled the number of ultrasounds, and waiting lists have come down. We have a problem with hips and knees, and we are going to address that problem in the same disciplined way we addressed cardiac and cancer and diagnostic equipment.
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Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, every day I have calls from people who are waiting anxiously and in pain, and this government does not have a framework for dealing with it properly.
Judge Oliphant, in his decision, said having to wait for a procedure that must be performed in a timely manner is a gross violation of the rights of Manitobans to liberty and security of person. I agree. But your government has moved from shortening waiting lists to defending your right in court to have long waiting lists. We have moved from hallway medicine to courthouse medicine. You should be ashamed of yourself.
When is the government going to bring in a rational, legal framework for accountability when it comes to delivery of health care in this province so that the rights of people to have quick access to quality care are assured?
Mr. Sale: Mr. Speaker, during the time in office of my predecessor, for the first time this province published waiting times. We supported CIHI to publish benchmarks. We published all of the benchmarks that were possible, not just the benchmarks that we had to in terms of the minimum set.
We will continue to be accountable for the waiting times. I accept the fact that on hips and knees, in particular, and to a certain extent on cataract procedures, we have more work to do. We will do more work to use the same disciplined approach of managed waiting lists that are centrally managed with wait list co-ordinators, manage surgical slates with the co-operation of all our physicians to bring those wait times down because I do not support the notion that people should have to wait too long for a hip or a knee that is preventing them from enjoying a reasonable lifestyle. We will work to fix that problem. Stay tuned, Mr. Speaker.
Healthy Kids, Healthy
Futures
Task Force Update
Ms. Bonnie Korzeniowski (St. James): Mr. Speaker, the Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures Task Force has been travelling across the province and stopped in my constituency over the weekend. Could the Minister of Healthy Living and chair of the task force inform the House how these public hearings and school visits have been proceeding?
Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister responsible for Healthy Living): It is a pleasure to speak about the Healthy Kids task force. I have had the privilege of travelling with members from all parties in the House, members from Morris, Turtle Mountain, River Heights, the Interlake, St. Norbert and Minto, to consult with Manitobans about issues that certainly are non-partisan indeed, and that is the health of our children.
We have been talking to
people in communities across
This past Friday we had
the privilege of attending our youth forum where 175 students from across
Government Financial
Statements
Deficit
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
My question for the
Premier is this: Why is the Premier of this province misleading the public of
Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): Mr. Speaker, the only individual that is misleading the public is the member opposite. The financial results of Manitoba Hydro in the 2003 drought year were reported in August–
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order.
Mr. Doer: The financial results were reported in August of 2003. They were reported again in December of 2003. They were upgraded in March of 2004, and again in fiscal year end. The draw from the rainy day fund dealing with the drought of 2003 was also fully disclosed. Mr. Speaker, we have followed the practice under balanced budget legislation that we do not take credit for the surplus in Hydro or, because Hydro is arm's length, we do not raise the rates when there is a drought. The Auditor has said that the primary reporting system under balanced budget legislation–
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order.
Mr. Doer: The Auditor stated that the primary reporting method for the government which is the operating budget and the balanced budget legislation, which includes rainy day fund draws in times of difficulty, should be replaced with the GAAP methodology. We have accepted that recommendation, and we are implementing that recommendation. We are also reporting on our election promise to balance under the balanced budget legislation. I would suggest to the member opposite to stay tuned for the budget going to be presented in a few minutes from now in this House, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, the government is cooking the books. We are going to see another demonstration of cooking the books a little bit later this afternoon.
How does the Premier say that the provincial auditor, which is an independent office, is wrong? It is very clear. We had a $600-plus million deficit in 2004. The provincial auditor is not wrong. I will believe him over I will believe this government.
My question to the
Premier is this: When is this government going to stop cooking the books, do
what other governments across
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, the member opposite should not mislead the public because the Auditor's statement–
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order. I remind all honourable members that when the Speaker is standing all members should be seated and the Speaker should be heard in silence. I would like to, once again, remind all honourable members the honourable First Minister has the floor.
Mr. Doer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The budget under the Auditor's statement said the legislation that has been passed in this Legislature dealing with balanced budget legislation is basically completely and totally complied with because if it had not been complied with, the members of the government would have to take a pay cut under the legislation brought in by the former Premier, Mr. Filmon.
We are following the laws of this Legislature. I know the member opposite who walks around with a McDonald's hamburger does not respect this Legislature, but members on this side respect the laws of the land and that is what we followed, Mr. Speaker.
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Ambulance Service
East and
Mr. Ron Schuler (
Joyce of Clydesdale Drive in
Hon. Tim Sale (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I was informed that the time that it took to arrive for that case was 18 minutes and, regrettably, that was too long for the person in question. I regret that as much as any member of this Legislature does. I would tell the member that the ambulance situation in that community is a serious issue which is being carefully studied. New data has been received recently concerning the need in that community, and I am very carefully reviewing that data.
I also want to just remind the House that we have more than doubled spending on emergency response and transport services to $28 million from $11 million when his party was in power. I would remind the public that in the previous election they promised 2 percent. Mr. Speaker, 2 percent is not 120 percent, which is what we provided to ambulances.
Mr. Schuler: Mr. Speaker, David and Esther
of Wallace Avenue in East St. Paul said, and I quote, "We called an
ambulance and the driver did not know how to get to the
Mr. Sale: First, Mr. Speaker, if the member has information about a specific incident, a specific failure and wishes to bring that to my attention in a way that is able to be responded to, I would be glad to respond to that particular issue. As I said in my previous answer, the response times to communities of significant size are very important to us. We will continue to work to bring response times down.
I would remind the member
opposite that when we formed government there were virtually no top-line
ambulances in this province. Today there are 120 top-line ambulances, managed
centrally, more effectively and efficiently than under the previous system. We
will be improving the ambulance service throughout
Report Release
Mr. Larry Maguire (Arthur-Virden): Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that on the budget day, 2005, the Minister of Health just stated in this House that $7 billion was cut by the federal government during the years prior to his election in 1999, and I will add that the Conservative government on this side of the House balanced the books in spite of those difficult times. My question: Was the spiralling number of broken promises made by this Premier (Mr. Doer) and the NDP government–
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Mr. Speaker: Order. The honourable Member for Arthur-Virden has the floor.
Mr. Maguire: Mr. Speaker, my question deals with the spiralling number of broken promises made by this Premier and his government; broken health care promises, one after another; broken promises to balance the budget and broken promises to help our farmers.
My question is to the
Minister of Transportation and deals with the 10 people who died on a single
weekend just over one week ago on
Hon. Ron Lemieux (Minister
of Transportation and Government Services): I appreciate
the question. This government has continually put money into the transportation
infrastructure system. We are now going to be extending the Highway No. 1 going
by the minister opposite's backyard. Move your water fountain out of the way.
The highway is going to be to
Mr. Maguire: Mr. Speaker, we are talking about 10 deaths on
Mr. Lemieux: We appreciate the consultation that took place with the public. We
really count on that kind of consultation and input from the public of
This government has put
more money into transportation, a record amount of money compared to members
opposite in transportation. We are looking also at the North with regard to it
is the first time that a government specifically dedicates 25 percent of its
budget to the North, as opposed to members opposite. Mr. Speaker, all the
dollars that have been put towards transportation infrastructure with regard to
the $600 million in
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite continually talk about safety issues. We are dealing with safety issues in a practical way.
Mr. Speaker: The time for Oral Questions has expired.
International Women's Day
Mr. Stuart Murray (Leader
of the Official Opposition): Mr. Speaker, today is
International Women's Day, and it is a wonderful day to celebrate the wonderful
women in various people's lives. I would like to mention one wonderful lady.
Her name is Jean Merle Low. She was born in
Mr. Speaker, Jean was
involved in the high school band and after high school she served in the
Canadian military. Upon the end of the war, she graduated from the
Mr. Speaker it is interesting to note at that time the banks would not bankroll women, so her father had to lend her the money to start her own business. She married Victor Murray on October 6, 1951, and they had two sons. During that time, Jean Murray served on the town council. She proved that she was a leader. She proved that she had inspiration. She proved that she was a determined woman and she proved that hard work certainly paid off.
I am very, very proud to rise today, Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to my mother because she has been a great inspiration to me. In addition, I would also like to pay my proud accomplishments to the other three women in my life, my wife Ashleigh, my two daughters Sarah and Hayley. Thank you very much.
Ukrainian Presidential
Election
Mr. Doug Martindale
(Burrows): In December 2004, we witnessed a triumph
for democracy in
I was one of 500
Canadians sponsored by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and had the privilege
of participating as an election observer in the city of
The presence of
12 000 international observers and international media made election fraud
almost impossible. I want to congratulate all the
I am happy to report that this election resulted in the Ukrainian people having a strong voice in shaping the future of their country.
* (14:30)
Mrs. Leanne Rowat
(Minnedosa): I rise today to congratulate the
Souris Women's Institute on its 91st anniversary. First organized in 1914, the
Souris Women's Institute has been a long-standing presence in the community of
The institute came into being when Ms. Adelaide Hoodless founded the first group in 1897. Ms. Hoodless's group eventually grew to become an extensive network of women all over the world. Although the women's organizations have different names in other countries, they are all affiliated with the Associated Country Women of the World, whose groups work to improve the situation of women and families throughout the world.
The Souris Women's
Institute international link is fully participating in international activities
as well and is currently assisting with a project in
In
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Souris Institute on their successes over the past 100 years and offer my thanks for unwavering commitment to family and community in the Souris community and worldwide. Thank you.
Affordable
Energy-Efficient Housing
Mr. Rob Altemeyer (Wolseley): Mr. Speaker, it is with no small amount of pride that I share, today, a remarkable success story of community groups working with our government to achieve a national policy victory. In January, I attended the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association's conference, entitled "Affordable and Efficient Housing towards a National Energy Efficiency Strategy for Low-Income Canadians," held in Halifax.
The goal of this event
was to provide feedback to the federal government on how it might best include
energy-efficiency goals as part of its affordable housing strategy. Given the
culture of environmentalism in the Wolseley riding and the large number of
successful affordable housing projects that our government is working on in the
West Broadway and Spence neighbourhoods, I was keen to attend this conference.
Community representatives
from Thompson, Brandon, West Broadway, Spence and North End Renewal Corporation were also present in
From the start, our
The West Broadway
delegate, in fact, pointed to two projects just completed on
In conclusion, I commend
the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association for sponsoring such an important event, and I wish to acknowledge
the
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member have leave to conclude his comments? [Agreed]
Mr. Altemeyer: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to conclude, the participants, as well, who were there were Laurene Viarobo from Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and Meenu Nanda of the Thompson Housing Renewal Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
International Women's Day
Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me on International Women's Day to put a few words on the record about women's accomplishments.
As we have heard, the provincial theme for Women's Day this year is celebrating rural and northern women. As a rural MLA representing Morris, I am pleased to recognize some of the women in my constituency who have made a tremendous difference in their communities through their involvement in their local government. In St. Pierre-Jolys, Claudette Closson was elected in October 2002 and is currently serving as the deputy mayor.
In St. François Xavier, Yvonne Wood was also elected in October 2002 and serves as a councillor in Ward 1.
Linda Morin was elected in 2001 in a by-election in the R.M. of Ritchot, and she is the deputy mayor of St. Adolphe.
Valerie Rutherford has
served the people of Ritchot for a number of years from 1987 to 1995 and from
1998 to the present day. She represents
The town of
In Macdonald, Cynthia Bisson was elected in 1998 and currently serves as a councillor for Brunkild.
Margaret Mills, currently the deputy reeve, was elected in 1995 in Headingley. Tammy Wood was elected in 1998 and Marly Mustard, elected in 2002, also serve the people of Headingley.
In De Salaberry's Ward 1, Marie-Thérèse Lefèvre was elected in 2002.
Mr. Speaker, I know each of us in this Chamber have outstanding women in our constituencies who have made valuable contributions, but these are some of the women in the Morris constituency who are worthy of recognition and heartfelt thanks. These women have taken an interest and active role in local governance. I am proud to represent Claudette, Yvonne, Linda, Valerie, Jeanette, Ruth Murray, Cynthia, Margaret, Tammy, Marly and Marie-Thérèse and am proud of the accomplishments and contributions these women have made.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Hon. Greg Selinger
(Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Justice (Mr.
Mackintosh), that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the
government.
Motion presented.
Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, today it gives me
great pleasure to introduce Budget 2005: Balancing Priorities, Building
Opportunities, Investing in Tomorrow.
Budget
2005 is built on four key pillars: paying down debt; making strategic
investments; keeping our promises on tax reductions; saving for our future.
Budget
2005 reflects the growth and optimism Manitobans are experiencing. More young
people are moving to our province, housing starts are up, employment and
investment have reached record levels; and earnings growth is among the best in
Mr.
Speaker, this is not a record to rest on, but a record to build on. We need to
balance our priorities, build opportunities for all our citizens and continue
to invest in tomorrow.
We
want to ensure that
We
recognize the setback cattle and ruminant producers are experiencing following
the recent
Through
our ongoing commitment to the Repositioning the Livestock Industry Strategy, we
will continue to support our producers. We will work closely with our
provincial and federal counterparts and the
Despite
global economic pressures and the challenges of a high dollar,
Budget
2005 is balanced. It maintains our policy of fiscal responsibility while
continuing to grow the economy and keep
Reducing the Debt
Mr.
Speaker, when it comes to reducing debt, the first pillar of Budget 2005 is
investing in tomorrow by keeping our government affordable today. We have
implemented a balanced and responsible fiscal plan without imposing health care
premiums, without selling off public assets and without stepping back from our
promised tax reductions.
Mr.
Speaker, I am proud to note that all our budgets have been balanced in
accordance with
In
2001, for the first time, a summary budget was included as part of our budget
presentation. The budget I am presenting today is balanced under both balanced
budget legislation and summary budget financial statements.
Nous
continuerons à travailler avec le vérificateur général pour pleinement mettre
en œuvre les principes comptables généralement reconnus.
Translation
We will continue to
work with the Auditor General to implement Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
English
In
the 2007-08 fiscal year, the summary budget will become
Mr.
Speaker, one of our first tasks after coming into office was to develop a plan
to deal with the "monster" which was
The
"monster" emerged in 1962, the year the
In
October 2002, we implemented the second part of our plan, matching the pension
contributions of new employees from within existing resources.
Dans le
cadre de notre plan, la croissance de l’obligation découlant des régimes de
retraite sera ralentie et inversée. D’ici 2032, elle sera éliminée.
Translation
Under our plan, the growth
of the pension liability will be slowed and reversed. By 2032, it will be
eliminated.
English
If
the
Mr.
Speaker, tackling the public pension liability monster is part of a longer and
larger long-term strategy. In our first six budgets, including today’s, we put
a total of $594 million into the Debt Retirement Fund to pay down general
purpose debt and pension liabilities. This is the largest six-year payment in
* (14:50)
In
1999, the debt payment was $75 million. In Budget 2005, we are increasing our
debt payment from a budgeted $96 million last year to $110 million.
Since
1999,
Our
commitment to reducing the number of civil servant positions is on track. To
achieve efficiencies, we are amalgamating administrative services into seven
clusters and have reduced the number of health authorities from 13 to 11. A
voluntary reduced week for the public service saved $2.4 million in 2004, and
will be continued in 2005.
We
have embarked on a civil service renewal strategy which will ensure that we are
going to keep and attract the talent we need to deliver important government
services.
Nous
augmentons le nombre de centres de services bilingues pour assurer à notre
communauté francophone un meilleur accès aux services.
Translation
We are
expanding the number of bilingual service centres to ensure our francophone
community has better access to services.
English
Building
The
second pillar of Budget 2005 is investing in the priorities of Manitobans:
accessible health care, cleaner water, quality education and better roads.
In
1999, our government identified "infrastructure deficits" in a range
of key areas, and we acted. We began a five-year program of strategic
investments in health care and education facilities, water systems and flood
protection, roads and highways, and municipal infrastructure.
Mr.
Speaker, action has replaced the inaction of the 1990s, when government
promised but never delivered projects such as a major hospital upgrade in
Today,
a new engineering and information technology building is under construction at
the
We
are building the facilities Manitobans need to compete and prosper in the 21st
century. Budget 2005 is committed to accelerating this strategy with new
investments in important infrastructure areas.
A
key element of our strategy is revenue sharing with municipalities. Today,
Mr.
Speaker, Budget 2005 increases our support for municipal infrastructure
spending through the creation of a new Building Manitoba Fund.
Our
new Building Manitoba Fund provides $86 million, equivalent to the income tax
revenue shared under the former Provincial Municipal Tax Sharing agreement. It
significantly increases transit operating grants for the cities of
In
total, the fund will provide $119 million to municipalities, an average
increase of 8 percent over 2004.
Our
plan means that municipalities will receive the equivalent of $165 million in
provincial fuel tax revenues over the next five years. It complements the
federal government’s initiative to share gas tax revenues with municipalities.
We
will consult with municipalities across
The
Building Manitoba Fund will contain accountability features to ensure that new
funding in Budget 2005 is targeted for upgrading water and sewer facilities and
roads and transit systems in keeping with Manitobans’ priorities.
Growing
Our Cities
The
new investments in Budget 2005 will add to a strategic renewal of
infrastructure underway in communities across
In
Budget
2005 invests $56 million in the Red River Floodway Expansion. This is the
single largest infrastructure project in
Important
projects like the Kenaston underpass and upgrades to
Over
the next six years,
As
promised, for the first time, we will begin sharing casino revenues with
Monsieur
le Président, il s’agit là d’un niveau d’appui provincial sans précédent pour
notre capitale.
Translation
Mr. Speaker, this is
an unprecedented level of provincial support for our capital city.
English
We
will increase the 15-year exemption from rent controls for new construction to
20 years in order to encourage further apartment development.
In
Rural
and Northern
Continuing
our commitment to better roads, Budget 2005 invests over $145 million in the expansion,
improvement and preservation of highways, a $16 million increase in provincial
spending from Budget 2004. This investment will result in almost $700 million
of highways infrastructure and preservation investments throughout the
province since we came into office.
Nous
sommes heureux de constater que le gouvernement fédéral commencera à partager
une part des taxes sur l’essence avec les municipalités. Malheureusement, il
n’y aucun investissement semblable des taxes sur l’essence pour l’amélioration
des liens avec les collectivités et les marchés d’exportation à l'aide des
infrastructures routières.
Translation
We are pleased the
federal government will begin to share a portion of gas tax with
municipalities. Unfortunately, there are no similar gas tax investments to
improve links with communities and export markets through highway
infrastructure.
English
Highway
infrastructure is important to
Housing
and transportation needs are a priority across
Balancing
Health Care Priorities
In
September 2004, Canada’s First Ministers unanimously signed a health care funding
agreement which puts our health care system on a more sustainable and
predictable path.
Le
rétablissement du financement fédéral prévu au cours de l’entente représente
une augmentation d'aide qui correspond à 3 pour cent des dépenses de santé
de notre gouvernement.
Translation
Over
the course of the agreement, the reinstated federal funding means an increase
in support equivalent to 3 percent of our government's health expenses.
English
Mr.
Speaker, since 1999, we have been working to rebuild a seriously troubled
health care system. We have reduced wait times for life-saving treatments,
provided services closer to home, implemented new prevention initiatives and
trained more health professionals.
Our
efforts have attracted national attention. The Health Council of Canada’s
January 2005 report noted
Reducing
wait lists remains our No. 1 health care priority. Over the past five years,
The
reductions in wait times have been a result of focussing on the health care
priorities of Manitobans. Budget 2005 will continue to build on our wait-list
strategy by investing in an ambitious plan for hip and knee surgery.
Our
vision for improved health care includes all of
* (15:00)
Mr.
Speaker, since 2001, we have purchased 120 ambulances, and I am pleased to note
that Budget 2005 invests in 20 more new ambulances.
Budget
2005 will continue investing resources to move health care closer to home,
including: new and expanded community cancer care programs in Deloraine, Pinawa
and Steinbach; an expanded surgical program at
Monsieur
le Président, le nouveau financement est une partie de la solution pour les
soins de santé. L’innovation et l’efficience font également partie de la solution.
Translation
Mr.
Speaker, new funding is one part of the solution for health care. Innovation
and efficiencies are also part of the solution.
English
We
have begun creating centres of excellence, bringing together the top
professionals and the latest medical technologies.
Our
innovations include: the new state-of-the-art operating rooms at Concordia
Hospital, Winnipeg’s new centre of excellence in knee and hip surgery; the
largest health care capital project in Manitoba’s history, modernizing the
emergency and operating rooms at the Health Sciences Centre, the new prostate
cancer centre which focusses on treatment and prevention and fulfills a
commitment we made to Manitobans in 1999, as well as providing funding for the
Institute for Advanced Medicine, focussing on "surgeries of the
future" such as computer-assisted surgery.
Budget
2005 will increase the number of medical school spaces, nursing education,
training for health care technologists and cross-training for technologists who
work in rural communities and support for home care.
In
the Speech from the Throne, our government launched a Diabetes Prevention
Strategy, applying community health and prevention principles to fight a
disease that is growing to epidemic proportions.
Monsieur
le Président, il faut avoir des communautés en santé pour avoir une population
en santé. Les initiatives tels le nouveau programme de prévention du diabète et
des maladies chroniques, et le groupe de travail Des enfants en santé, pour un
avenir en santé, permettent de promouvoir un mode de vie sain.
Translation
Mr.
Speaker, healthy communities mean healthy citizens. Initiatives such as the new
diabetes and chronic disease and prevention program and the Healthy Kids,
Healthy Futures Task Force promote healthy living.
English
Budget
2005 provides $3.6 million to support healthy living initiatives.
Prescription
drugs continue to be one of the fastest-growing costs in the health care
system. In the absence of a national strategy, drug costs continue to outpace
all other areas of health spending. Budget 2005 supports an increase of 16
percent in Pharmacare spending, and also increases deductibles between $1 and
$5 per month for most
Quality
Education
Our
government has made education a top priority. To have a successful economic
strategy, you first need an education strategy.
We
have supported an aggressive capital campaign to spur private investment for
our universities, funded public education at the rate of economic growth and
continued to phase out taxes on university property.
Mr.
Speaker, in the last decade, the federal share of provincial spending on
post-secondary education is roughly half what it used to be, declining from 15
percent in 1995-1996 to just over 7 percent in 2004-2005.
Budget
2005 reflects the commitments our government has made to increase
post-secondary enrolment, increase apprenticeship training, provide specialized
training in key knowledge-based sectors and keep post-secondary education accessible
and affordable for Manitobans no matter where they live.
There
are over 13 000 more students enrolled in
Education
and training initiatives for Aboriginal and northern residents are critical
components of the Northern Development Strategy. We are making a major
reinvestment to upgrade the Duke of Marlborough School in Churchill.
Le Budget
2005 prévoit l’amélioration du Programme de prêts-étudiants du gouvernement du
Manitoba, l’expansion du programme de bourses du Manitoba et le doublement de
l’investissement dans le programme manitobain de bourses d’études supérieures.
Le Budget maintient aussi la réduction des droits de scolarité.
Translation
Budget 2005 enhances
the
English
In
2004, we provided $4.5 million over three years to strengthen
technical-vocational education in
Mr.
Speaker, providing stable and predictable funding for
Public
school funding levels in 2005-2006 will increase 2.8 percent. Since 1999,
funding levels have increased by $130 million.
Mr.
Speaker, we are dedicating $135 million over three years to school capital
infrastructure. This brings our total funding to $333 million since 2000,
double the previous five-year period.
Budget
2005 commits new resources to support a community school initiative.
Safer
Communities
Mr.
Speaker, reducing crime and increasing community involvement are important
parts of keeping our communities safe and secure.
Feeling
safe no matter where you live is important to all our citizens. That is why
policing throughout Manitoba will be strengthened through the new and ongoing
funding of 40 additional police officers to serve Winnipeg, Brandon, rural
Manitoba and the North.
Partnerships
with communities across the province have provided recreational, educational
and social opportunities for youth at risk. Since 2000, we have supported the
establishment of 34 after-school Lighthouses across
La
stratégie provinciale de lutte contre le crime organisé sera renforcée de façon
significative dans des domaines comme les mesures législatives antigang
innovatrices, les poursuites judiciaires contre les gangs, et les
renseignements de sécurité.
Translation
The province's
strategy against organized crime is being significantly strengthened in areas
such as innovative anti-gang legislation, gang prosecutions and security
intelligence.
English
For
example, legislation passed by our government has resulted in the closure of
more than 90 drug dens, sniff and prostitution houses.
Budget
2005 provides a continuing commitment to supporting prosecution services. We
will work with downtown organizations and agencies to proactively deal with
street crime and dangerous offenders.
Manitobans
can expect enhanced safety initiatives such as new resources to combat domestic
violence; the development of a strategy to deal with illicit drug
manufacturing; an expansion of Aboriginal justice through Aboriginal policing,
courts and probation services; new resources to protect Manitobans from sexual
predators and dangerous offenders; and a renewed focus on preventing auto
theft.
Water Protection, Natural Areas and Climate
Change
Water
is one of the most important natural resources. Water stewardship is a priority
for Manitobans.
Budget
2005 builds on our commitment to
The
extension of the Riparian Tax Credit, sewage and septic field regulations, and
a critical cross-border agreement with
Partnering
with communities across
Mr.
Speaker, following a decision by the Clean Environment Commission, we have
supported the expansion and upgrading of sewage treatment facilities in Portage
la Prairie and Lac du Bonnet, with current upgrades for Garson/Tyndall,
Winnipeg and Gimli. Acting on the recommendations of the Clean Environment
Commission has resulted in higher standards for sewage treatment in
Since
1999, we have invested in water projects totalling over $80 million, with clean
water projects in 81 different communities and waste water treatment projects
in 43 different communities.
La
stratégie verte du Manitoba rassemble toutes nos nouvelles initiatives
environnementales. Il nous aidera à travailler de concert avec les Manitobains
et Manitobaines afin de mettre sur pied des initiatives de protection de notre
environnement.
Translation
English
Manitobans
have always enjoyed the outdoors and the opportunities our beautiful province
has to offer. Budget 2005 gives Manitobans more opportunities for outdoor
living by offering more cottage lots for sale and improving campgrounds. To
accommodate a larger number of visitors, Budget 2005 increases funding for one
of
* (15:10)
This past year, we designated Manigotagan
River as the province’s newest provincial park; nous avons créé une réserve
écologique pour préserver une forêt de plaine alluvionnaire unique, au sud de
Saint-Adolphe; nous avons pris des mesures pour préserver près de 80 acres sur
lesquelles s’étend le Bois des Esprits, dans le sud-est de Winnipeg.
Translation
We
created an ecological reserve for a rare river-bottom forest south of St.
Adolphe and took action to protect and preserve almost 80 acres of the Bois des
Esprits in southeast
English
We committed to a proposal for a
boreal forest region on the east side of Lake Winnipeg as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and protected four new areas and added land to two existing parks
as well as providing $600,000 for sustainable forest management and renewal.
The
Clean
We
have a 99-megawatt wind turbine facility, one of the largest in
Cette
opération injecte 187 millions de dollars dans l'économie rurale de la
province et rapporte 10 millions de dollars de revenu à des propriétaires
fonciers de la région.
Translation
This
project is injecting $187 million into rural
English
And
this is only a beginning. Our government is examining plans that could see up
to 1000 megawatts of wind power developed over the next decade.
In
2005, we will see the final stages of pre-development for the Wuskwatim dam.
This project is the first of its kind, based on a full partnership with
Nisichawayasihk First Nation.
Mr.
Speaker, we were pleased to see that our strong statement of
While
we are working on new power generation options, our government, along with
Manitoba Hydro, continues to free up power for export through energy efficiency
measures.
Since
2000, Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart program has saved more than 240 megawatts, enough
energy to power Steinbach, Dauphin, Carman, Neepawa and Morden. Manitoba Hydro
offers the best energy efficiency programming in
Efficiency
Research
and Innovation
Knowledge-based
industries are at the forefront of future economic growth in
Through
the Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund and its partners, projects like the
Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Neutraceuticals and Manitoba Breast
Cancer Research Centre are now operating. Budget 2005 builds on this success by
increasing funding to Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund.
Mr.
Speaker, since 2002, revenues from
Canada
West’s February 2005 The Best Places to do Business stated that
The
life sciences sector is one of the most intensive research and development
sectors in
In
2004, we became home to the Canadian Centre for Disease Control and the new
home to
Putting
People First
Mr.
Speaker, today is International Women’s Day. It is appropriate, therefore, that
Budget 2005 includes new resources to address many of the barriers that prevent
women from achieving full equality. This year, increased resources will be
devoted to family violence programs, maintenance enforcement, midwifery and
critical family supports such as child care.
Over
the past five years, we have worked hard to forge strong partnerships among
business, labour and government. Since changes were made in 2000 to The Labour Relations Act, the
number of days lost to strikes and lockouts declined 60 percent and the injury
rate has declined by 19 percent.
Since
taking office, we have increased the minimum wage by 21 percent. The latest increase,
to $7.25, will take effect April 1, and we are one of the few provinces that
does not have a lower minimum wage for our young people.
Regular
increases to the minimum wage are one way to support
Selon
Statistique Canada, il y a eu une diminution de 32 pour cent du nombre d'assistés sociaux en 2003 par
rapport à la période des cinq
Translation
According
to Statistics
English
To
protect thousands of Manitobans, we are preparing to introduce legislation in
2005 to address issues in the payday lending industry.
Our
government has made Aboriginal participation in
The
Premier’s Economic Advisory Council sponsored a summit on Aboriginal economic
development in
Mr.
Speaker, quality child care is an integral part of supporting families.
In
2002 we announced the Five-Year Plan for Child Care, a made-in-Manitoba plan,
developed in consultation with over 24 000 Manitobans. That plan commits
to 5000 funded spaces, increased wages and training opportunities and increased
subsidies.
The
recent federal budget announced that
Although
this budget does not reflect the federal contribution, once an agreement is reached
we will be committing all additional federal money for child care to the
fulfillment of the five-year plan. This further investment will build upon one
of the best child care systems in the country.
By
prepaying support for
It
has long been recognized that effective parenting is the single most important
factor in laying a strong foundation during the early years of a child’s life.
Mr.
Speaker, Budget 2005 provides new funding for an internationally recognized
program in support of parenting that we will unveil in the next few weeks.
This
continues to build on our groundbreaking Healthy Child program with its focus
on early childhood development.
Providing
for our most vulnerable citizens, children and seniors, is an important part of
Budget 2005.
In
keeping with our government’s goal of improving supported living for adults
with mental disabilities, we have invested over $17 million in Budget 2005 to
expand community living supports. Since we came into office, the budget for the
Supported Living Program has more than doubled, increasing by $80 million.
Expansion
of home care services and the construction of new personal care homes have
increased residential options for those in need of care. New laws have been
passed to prevent fraud and elder abuse.
In
2005, legislative changes will be introduced to improve consumer protection for
life-lease and condominium owners.
An
important challenge for a growing province is making certain that all citizens
can take advantage of what a vibrant economy offers. That is why we continue to
address poverty in
For
Manitobans, especially for those on lower and moderate incomes, our auto
insurance, child care and utility rates, provide some of the lowest cost of
living in
To
make certain that everyone receives fair and equal access to our low hydro
rates, we passed legislation to equalize northern, rural and urban electricity
rates throughout
Les
propriétaires et les locataires à faible revenu ont tiré parti de notre
décision d’augmenter le crédit d’impôt foncier en matière d’éducation. Par
ailleurs, les nouvelles majorations de crédit d'impôt et le nouvel allègement
fiscal au profit des familles ont eu pour résultat d’exonérer plus de
15 000 Manitobains et Manitobaines à faible revenu de l’impôt sur le
revenu.
Translation
Low-income homeowners
and renters have benefited from our increase in the Education Property Tax
Credit, while our new family tax reduction and tax credit increases have
resulted in more than 15 000 low-income Manitobans paying no income tax.
English
Budget
2005 continues these efforts with $3 million for a new Integrated Shelter
Benefit Program and a 20% increase to the northern income assistance allowance
to offset the high cost of healthy foods for northern residents.
We
are also pleased to integrate BabyFirst and Early Start into a new and expanded
Families First program. This new model recognizes challenges such as poverty,
isolation and language barriers.
* (15:20)
Families
First will improve access to home visiting services, strengthen parent-child
relationships and improve outcomes for children.
Keeping
The
third pillar of Budget 2005 is keeping
Mr.
Speaker, our economy is strong.
Balancing
the priorities of Manitobans, building opportunities and investing in tomorrow
all require an economic plan, a plan that is sustainable, equitable and long
term.
We
are continuing our seven-point Action Strategy for Economic Growth as
recommended by the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council. It is a vital framework
that builds on our success, and is our guide to keeping our province strong and
competitive.
One
important component of our economic plan is the continued expansion of
With
input from the new Manitoba Immigration Council, we are working to expand the
recognition of foreign credentials and degrees to enable more Canadians to work
in their trained professions.
Mr.
Speaker as the second-highest funder per capita of culture in
De plus,
notre province sera l'hôtesse en avril des prix Juno, un honneur dont nous nous
réjouissons.
Translation
English
Our
economic growth strategy is working. We achieved new record-high levels of
employment and investment last year, and virtually all industries posted gains.
There are other positive signs. Our population growth, including both
international and interprovincial net migration, is the strongest in more than
20 years. More young people are making
Mr.
Speaker, low commodity prices and cross-border trade issues have continued to
have a negative effect on
In
response to the continued closure of the
Budget
2005 continues to support our entire farm industry with a $2.2 million increase
to the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program. While continuing
support to the agri-food industry, we will also be increasing our activities in
value-added production, including the organic food market. Budget 2005 will
provide new crop insurance for organic crops such as oats, flax and all wheat;
resources to develop an organic industry strategy; and an organic industry
marketing specialist.
To
help continuously improve services in rural
For
2004, the Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation will pay
Mr.
Speaker, we believe investing in
Programs
like the Manitoba-Forintek partnership encourage forestry development as well
as job creation and business development.
Mining
in northern
Our
Business Advantage
Budget
2005 recognizes
Mr.
Speaker, there are many reasons businesses come here: a well-educated labour
force; excellent transportation linkages; leading-edge telecommunications and
information infrastructure; and, probably one of our greatest assets, the
lowest electricity rates in
A
recent KPMG study concluded
Monsieur
le Président, nous savons qu'il nous faut continuer de prendre toute mesure que
nous pouvons nous permettre si nous voulons que le Manitoba continue d'être un
milieu intéressant pour les entreprises.
Translation
Mr. Speaker, we know
that we must continue to take affordable steps to keep
English
Since
1999, we have reduced business taxes by $75 million. Today I am pleased to announce
new tax reductions for
In
1999,
The
small business rate will also be reduced again. In 1999, this rate was 8
percent and the threshold was only $200,000 in taxable income. Today, this rate
is 5 percent and the income threshold is $400,000.
Budget
2005 extends our five-year tax plan for small business. In 2006, the small
business rate will fall to 4.5 percent and again to 4 percent in 2007. We will
have doubled the small business threshold and cut the tax rate by half. There
has never been a better time for a small business to prosper in
Mr.
Speaker, I am pleased to announce three new measures to assist export and
research-focussed businesses in
Budget
2005 will also extend, for another three years, the Co-operative Education Tax
Credit, the Community Enterprise Development Tax Credit and the Equity Tax
Credit. In addition, the Film and Video Production Tax Credit will be enhanced.
Lower
Taxes for
Mr.
Speaker, we are committed to doing our part to keep
One
key focus has been tackling property taxes. In the 1990s, property taxes rose
significantly, while the property tax credit was reduced and the Education
Support Levy on residential property remained untouched.
We
reversed this trend in Budget 2000 when we began increasing the Education
Property Tax Credit, a two-stage approach that now saves taxpayers $53 million
annually.
Our
next target was the Education Support Levy on residential property, one of two
school taxes on homeowners. We promised to phase out this tax, and we continue
to keep that promise today with a further $30-million reduction.
Mr.
Speaker, this is significant property tax relief for homeowners. Today’s new
$30-million reduction in ESL will save the average family with a $125,000 home
$120 per year. In total, our annual reductions and credit increases mean the
average family with this type of a home has saved $1,425 in property taxes
since 2001.
And,
Mr. Speaker, our action on property taxes does not end there. While
agricultural producers have benefited from the increased credit as well as the
reduction in the ESL, we also took three additional steps that exceeded our
promises in tax reductions, including lowering the taxable portion of farm
property’s assessed value, saving farmers $7 million annually; cutting school
taxes on farmland by 33 percent by launching a rebate program in 2004; and by
reducing farmland education property taxes by 50 percent for 2005.
* (15:30)
In
total,
Today
I am pleased to announce further reductions in personal income taxes. Since
Budget 2000, we have exceeded our promises on reducing income taxes, and we are
continuing with a plan of affordable reductions.
I
am pleased to announce that January 1, 2006, the middle-income bracket will
fall from 14 percent to 13.5 percent, saving Manitobans $24 million per year.
This is a 19% reduction in the middle tax rate since 1999.
In
addition, beginning January 1, 2006, the basic personal amount will rise by
$100. This measure will save Manitobans $6 million and remove 2000 low-income
earners from the tax rolls.
In
total, Budget 2005 will save Manitobans $80 million annually through the
additional personal and property tax reductions I have announced today, and when
fully rolled out they will be worth more than $140 million.
Mr.
Speaker, since 2000, personal income taxes have been reduced by $249 million
and property taxes by $142 million, for a combined total of $391 million.
Business taxes have been cut by a further $129 million.
Il s'agit là de la réduction d'impôt la
plus importante de l'histoire du Manitoba.
Translation
These are the
largest tax reductions in
English
Saving
for
Our
balanced fiscal plan that focusses on making strategic investments, keeping our
promises on taxes and reducing debt and pension liabilities includes a fourth
pillar, saving for the future.
Mr.
Speaker, today we are saving for our future, forecasting an historic $314 million
deposit into
I
am also pleased to announce that today’s budget projects no draw from the fund
for 2005-2006.
Mr.
Speaker, this fund is
The
replenishment of our rainy day fund is a priority. It was made possible in part
due to an increase in equalization payments for 2004-2005.
It
is also important to note the $314-million deposit to the Fiscal Stabilization
Fund includes funding to reduce wait times for specific health care services,
as committed at the September First Ministers’ meeting. The multiyear funding
was provided by the federal government from its 2004-2005 surplus. Under
Mr.
Speaker, the $314-million deposit is the second largest in the 10-year history
of the fund, surpassed only in 1996-1997 when the government of the day sold
the Manitoba Telephone System and deposited the proceeds in the fund.
The
2004-2005 deposit will be achieved without selling a Crown corporation, without
imposing health care premiums or cancelling promised tax cuts or debt
repayments, measures that have been used in the past and by other jurisdictions
in order to balance the operating budget .
It
is clear that increased federal transfers have helped us replenish this fund.
However, with the equalization program currently under review, we must
prudently manage this fund in a way that saves for the future and provides
resources for priorities such as health care.
Our
Fiscal Plan
Today’s
budget projects a positive balance of $3 million with no draw from the Fiscal
Stabilization Fund. One hundred and ten million dollars was dedicated to the
repayment of debt and pension liabilities.
Our
medium-term framework is now consolidated on a summary basis. It records not
only that the province projects a summary budget surplus of $417 million for
2004-2005 but also anticipates balanced budget legislation compliance and summary
budget balance compliance over the medium term.
For
2005-2006. our budget reflects the higher levels of federal transfers for
health care and equalization. The federal support is reflected in higher levels
of spending for health and other vital programs than in previous years.
Overall,
this budget's expenditures are 3.5 percent higher than the 2004-2005 current
forecast. Over the past five years, total expenditures have increased an average
3.7 percent annually, compared to 3.6 percent annually in the previous five
years.
Budget
2005 begins our program of fully implementing Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles, moves to full summary budgeting and reporting in 2007-2008. We have
given increased prominence to our summary budget projections in the documents
that accompany today’s budget speech.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, Budget 2005 is a budget for all Manitobans.
Mr.
Speaker, Manitobans have told us what their priorities are: accessible health
care, cleaner water, quality education, better roads and more opportunities and
support for Manitobans and their families, and Budget 2005 has delivered. We
have done all this while cutting taxes, paying down our debt and ensuring that Manitoba’s
future is secure by saving for tomorrow.
Les quatre
piliers du Budget 2005 représentent un fondement sûr et solide, symbole pour le
Manitoba de croissance, de compétitivité et d'inclusion.
Translation
The four pillars of
Budget 2005 are a solid, secure foundation that represents growth, inclusion
and competitiveness for Manitobans.
English
By
balancing priorities, building opportunities and investing in tomorrow,
Manitobans can feel confident and optimistic about their future.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Stuart Murray (Leader of the Official Opposition): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by
the Member for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Hawranik), that debate be adjourned.
Motion agreed to.
Messages
Hon. Greg Selinger (Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, I have two messages from His
Honour the Lieutenant-Governor as well as the budget documents which I would
like to table.
Mr. Speaker: Please stand for the reading of the messages.
The
Lieutenant-Governor transmits to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Estimates
of sums required for the services of the Province for capital expenditures and
recommends these Estimates to the Legislative Assembly.
The
second message is the Lieutenant-Governor transmits to the Legislative Assembly
of Manitoba Estimates of sums required for the services of the Province for the
fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 2006, and recommends these Estimates
to the Legislative Assembly.
You
may be seated.
* * *
Hon. Gord Mackintosh (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, before moving
adjournment, I would like to invite all of those in attendance, on behalf of
the Minister of Finance (Mr. Selinger), to Room 200 for refreshments.
Mr.
Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance, that this House do now adjourn.
* (15:40)
Mr. Speaker: For the advisement of all invited guests, you are all invited to Room
200.
It
has been moved by the honourable Government House Leader, seconded by the
honourable Minister of Finance, that this House do now adjourn.
Is
it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
The
House is now adjourned and stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. tomorrow
(Wednesday).