The House met at 1:30 p.m.

Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.

Good afternoon, everyone. Please be seated.

Speaker's Statement

Mr. Speaker: I have a statement for the House.

I must inform the House that Mr. Larry Maguire, the honourable member for Arthur-Virden, has resigned his seat in the House effective October 18th, 2013. I am therefore tabling his resignation and my letter to the Lieutenant Governor‑in-Council advising of the vacancy created in the House membership.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Petitions

Mr. Speaker: Seeing no introduction of bills, move on to petitions.

Provincial Sales Tax Increase–Referendum

Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

These are the reasons for this petition:

(1) The provincial government promised not to raise taxes in the last election.

(2) Through Bill 20, the provincial government wants to increase the retail sales tax, known as the PST, by one point without the legally required referendum.

(3) An increase to the PST is excessive taxation that will harm Manitoba families.

(4) Bill 20 strips Manitobans of their democratic right to determine when major tax increases are necessary.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

To urge the provincial government to not raise the PST without holding a provincial referendum.

This petition is submitted on behalf of E. Docking, B. Docking, K. Bezan and many other fine Manitobans.

Mr. Speaker: In keeping with our rule 132(6), when petitions are read they are deemed to have been received by the House.

Further petitions?

Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Midland): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

These are the reasons for this petition:

The provincial government promised not to raise taxes in the last election.

Through Bill 20, the provincial government wants to increase the retail sales tax, known as the PST, by one point without the legally required referendum.

An increase to the PST is excessive taxation that will harm Manitoba families.

Bill 20 strips Manitobans of their democratic right to determine when major tax increases are necessary.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

To urge the provincial government to not raise the PST without holding a provincial referendum.

And this petition is signed by J. Dyck, L. de Rory, J. Harder and many more fine Manitobans.

Mrs. Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

And these are the reasons for this petition:

(1) The provincial government promised not to raise taxes in the last election.

(2) Through Bill 20, the provincial government wants to increase the retail sales tax, known as the PST, by one point without the legally required referendum.

(3) An increase to the PST is excessive taxation that will harm Manitoba families.

(4) Bill 20 strips Manitobans of their democratic right to determine when major tax increases are necessary.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

To urge the provincial government to not raise the PST without holding a provincial referendum.

And, Mr. Speaker, this petition has been signed by L. Dueck, E. Janzen, M. Rempel and many, many other fine Manitobans.

Mr. Dennis Smook (La Verendrye): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

These are the reasons for this petition:

The provincial government promised not to raise taxes in the last election.

Through Bill 20, the provincial government wants to increase the retail sales tax, known as the PST, by one point without the legally required referendum.

An increase to the PST is excessive taxation that will harm Manitoba families.

Bill 20 strips Manitobans of their democratic right to determine when major tax increases are necessary.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

To urge the provincial government to not raise the PST without holding a provincial referendum.

This petition is signed by D. Turchyn, P. Panych, J. Cobert and many more fine Manitobans.

Mr. Cameron Friesen (Morden-Winkler): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

And these are the reasons for this petition:

(1) The provincial government promised not to raise taxes in the last election.

(2) Through Bill 20, the provincial government wants to increase the retail sales tax, known as the PST, one point without the legally required referendum.

(3) An increase to the PST is excessive taxation that will harm Manitoba families.

(4) Bill 20 strips Manitobans of their democratic right to determine when major tax increases are necessary.

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

To urge the provincial government to not raise the PST without holding a provincial referendum.

And this petition is signed by C. Wolfe, K. Sitompul, B. Hildebrand and many other Manitobans.

Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

These are the reasons for this petition:

The provincial government promised not to raise taxes in the last election.

Through Bill 20, the provincial government wants to increase the retail sales tax, known as the PST, by one point without the legally required referendum.

An increase to the PST is excessive taxation that will harm Manitoba families.

Bill 20 strips Manitobans of their democratic right to determine when major tax increases are necessary.

* (13:40)

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

To urge the provincial government to not raise the PST without holding a provincial referendum.

And this is signed by K. Cross, M. Langrell, M. Langrell and many others, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Reports

Standing Committee on Human Resources

Third Report

Ms. Melanie Wight (Chairperson): I wish to present the Third Report on the Standing Committee on Human Resources.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Human Resources presents the following–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on HUMAN RESOURCES presents the following as its Third Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on October 1, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration

· Bill (No. 5) – The New Home Warranty Act/Loi sur la garantie des maisons neuves

· Bill (No. 6) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Flexible Short-Term Regulation of Vehicle Weights and Dimensions)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (réglementation provisoire des poids et des dimensions des véhicules)

· Bill (No. 11) – The Proceedings Against the Crown Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les procédures contre la Couronne

· Bill (No. 17) – The Consumer Protection Amendment and Business Practices Amendment Act (Motor Vehicle Advertising and Information Disclosure and Other Amendments)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur la protection du consommateur et la Loi sur les pratiques commerciales (publicité et communication de renseignements visant les véhicules automobiles et autres modifications)

· Bill (No. 27) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Charter Bus Service)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (services d'autobus nolisés)

· Bill (No. 29) – The Land Surveyors and Related Amendments Act/Loi sur les arpenteurs‑géomètres et modifications connexes

· Bill (No. 35) – The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Compliance and Enforcement Measures)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur la protection du consommateur (observation et exécution)

· Bill (No. 41) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Enhanced Safety Regulation of Heavy Motor Vehicles)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (sécurité accrue liée aux véhicules automobiles lourds)

· Bill (No. 42) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Enhancing Passenger Safety)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (sécurité accrue des passagers)

· Bill (No. 46) – The Statutes Correction and Minor Amendments Act, 2013/Loi corrective de 2013

Committee Membership

· Hon. Mr. Ashton

· Hon. Mr. Bjornson

· Ms. Blady

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Eichler

· Mr. Graydon

· Mr. Helwer

· Hon. Ms. Irvin-Ross

· Hon. Mr. Rondeau

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Ms. Wight

Your Committee elected Ms Wight as the Chairperson.

Your Committee elected Ms. Blady as the Vice‑Chairperson.

Public Presentations

Your Committee heard the following two presentations on Bill (No. 5) – The New Home Warranty Act/Loi sur la garantie des maisons neuves:

Mayor Chris Goertzen, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Mike Moore, Manitoba Homebuilders Association

Your Committee heard the following eight presentations on Bill (No. 27) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Charter Bus Service)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (services d'autobus nolisés):

Niel Henry, Prairie Coach Charter Services Ltd.

Gordon Hrechka, Brandon Bus Lines Limited

Shari Decter Hirst, City of Brandon

John Fehr, Beaver Bus Lines

Winston Gordon, Private Citizen

Hernan Silva, Free Enterprise Bus Lines

Peter Hamel, Grey Hound Canada

Walt Morris, Winnipeg Exclusive Bus Tours

Your Committee heard the following three presentations on Bill (No. 29) – The Land Surveyors and Related Amendments Act/Loi sur les arpenteurs‑géomètres et modifications connexes:

Andre Van De Walle, The Association of Manitoba Land Surveyors

Les McLaughlin, Private Citizen

Rick Sherby, Private Citizen

Your Committee heard the following presentation on Bill (No. 41) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Enhanced Safety Regulation of Heavy Motor Vehicles)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (sécurité accrue liée aux véhicules automobiles lourds):

Ken Neufeld, Manitoba Trucking Association

Written Submissions

Your Committee received the following written submission on Bill (No. 6) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Flexible Short-Term Regulation of Vehicle Weights and Dimensions)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (réglementation provisoire des poids et des dimensions des véhicules):

Doug Dobrowolski, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Your Committee received the following five written submissions on Bill (No. 27) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Charter Bus Service)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (services d'autobus nolisés):

Doug Dobrowolski, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Don and Vel McAdam, Kelsey Bus Lines Ltd.

Carolynn Cancade and Nate Andrews, Brandon Chamber of Commerce

Kim MacDonald, Private Citizen

Chris Henry, Intermountain Leasing Bus Charters

Your Committee received the following written submission on Bill (No. 35) – The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Compliance and Enforcement Measures)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur la protection du consommateur (observation et exécution):

Ben Kolisnyk, Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Bills Considered and Reported

· Bill (No. 5) – The New Home Warranty Act/Loi sur la garantie des maisons neuves

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 11) – The Proceedings Against the Crown Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les procédures contre la Couronne

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendment:

THAT Clause 2 of the Bill be amended by striking out the proposed section 236.

· Bill (No. 27) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Charter Bus Service)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (services d'autobus nolisés)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 29) – The Land Surveyors and Related Amendments Act/Loi sur les arpenteurs‑géomètres et modifications connexes

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 35) – The Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Compliance and Enforcement Measures)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur la protection du consommateur (observation et exécution)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendments:

THAT Clause 2 of the Bill be amended

(a) by replacing the proposed definition "commercial truck" in clause (a) with the following:

"commercial truck" means a truck that is not a public service vehicle, but does not include

(a) a truck, regardless of registered gross weight, that is used solely for personal transportation,

(b) a farm truck,

(c) a limited-use commercial truck, or

(d) a truck or class of trucks that is excluded from this definition by regulation; (« véhicule commercial »)

(b) in clause (b),

(i) by adding the following definitions:

"limited-use commercial truck" means a truck

(a) that

(i) is operated within 35 km of the place of business of the truck's registered owner if the place of business is outside Winnipeg,

(ii) is operated in or within 20 km of Winnipeg if the place of business of the truck's registered owner is in Winnipeg,

(iii) is used for transporting gravel, sand or other material for use in highway construction or maintenance, or

(iv) is designated as a limited-use commercial truck by regulation, and

(b) that would be a commercial truck in the absence of this definition; (« véhicule commercial à usage restreint »)

"limited-use public service vehicle" means a truck

(a) that

(i) is used for transporting gravel, sand or other material for use in highway construction or maintenance, or

(ii) is designated as a limited-use public service vehicle by regulation, and

(b) that would be a public service vehicle in the absence of this definition; (« véhicule de transport public à usage restraint »)

(ii) by replacing the proposed definition "regulated vehicle" with the following:

"regulated vehicle" means a commercial truck, limited-use commercial truck, self-propelled public service vehicle, limited-use public service vehicle, school bus or other motor vehicle that meets either or both of the following criteria:

(a) its registered gross weight is 4,500 kg or more,

(b) its seating capacity is 11 or more persons, including the driver,

but does not include a motor vehicle or class of motor vehicles that is excluded from this definition by regulation; (« véhicule réglementé »)

(c) by adding "and" at the end of clause (c) and adding the following after clause (c):

(d) in the definition "public service vehicle", by adding "limited‑use public service vehicles," after "does not include".

THAT Clause 27 of the Bill be amended by adding the following after clause (d):

(e) by adding the following after clause (ttt.1):

(ttt.2) excluding

(i) trucks or classes of trucks from the definition "commercial truck" in subsection 1(1), or

(ii) motor vehicles or classes of motor vehicles from the definition "regulated vehicle" in that subsection;

(ttt.3) designating trucks or classes of trucks

(i) as limited-use commercial trucks for the purpose of the definition "limited-use commercial truck" in subsection 1(1), or

(ii) as limited-use public service vehicles for the purpose of the definition "limited-use public service vehicle" in that subsection;

· Bill (No. 42) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Enhancing Passenger Safety)/Loi modifiant le Code de la route (sécurité accrue des passagers)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 46) – The Statutes Correction and Minor Amendments Act, 2013/Loi corrective de 2013

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

Ms. Wight: I move, seconded by the honourable member for Concordia (Mr. Wiebe), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Human Resources

Fourth Report

Ms. Melanie Wight (Chairperson): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Human Resources presents–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on HUMAN RESOURCES presents the following as its Fourth Report

Meetings

Your Committee met on October 7, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration

· Bill (No. 9) – The Teachers' Society Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'Association des enseignants du Manitoba

· Bill (No. 12) – The Community Schools Act/Loi sur les écoles communautaires

· Bill (No. 14) – The Education Administration Amendment and Public Schools Amendment Act (Parent Groups for Schools)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'administration scolaire et la Loi sur les écoles publiques (groupes de parents œuvrant en milieu scolaire)

· Bill (No. 44) – The International Education Act/Loi sur l'éducation internationale

Committee Membership

· Hon. Ms. Allan

· Mr. Briese

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Goertzen

· Mr. Marcelino

· Mrs. Mitchelson

· Mrs. Rowat

· Mr. Saran

· Hon. Ms. Selby

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Ms. Wight (Chairperson)

Your Committee elected Mr. Marcelino as the Vice‑Chairperson.

Public Presentations

Your Committee heard the following presentation on Bill (No. 9) – The Teachers' Society Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'Association des enseignants du Manitoba:

Ken Pearce, Manitoba Teachers’ Society

Your Committee heard the following three presentations on Bill (No. 14) – The Education Administration Amendment and Public Schools Amendment Act (Parent Groups for Schools)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'administration scolaire et la Loi sur les écoles publiques (groupes de parents œuvrant en milieu scolaire):

Marilyn Kolody, Manitoba Association of Parent Councils

Gladys Hayward Williams, Private Citizen

Doraine Wachniak, Private Citizen

Your Committee heard the following five presentations on Bill (No. 44) – The International Education Act/Loi sur l'éducation internationale:

Karen Strobel, Manitoba Council for International Education

Gary Gervais, Heartland International English School

Jeremy Read, University of Winnipeg

Wayne Palendat, Manitoba Association of Career Colleges

Bilan Arte, Canadian Federation of Students of Manitoba

Written Submissions

Your Committee received the following three written submissions on Bill (No. 44) – The International Education Act/Loi sur l'éducation internationale:

Brent Poole, Pembina Trails School Division

Christian Perron, Université de Saint-Boniface

Grant Ganczar, St. James-Assiniboia School Division

Bills Considered and Reported

· Bill (No. 9) – The Teachers' Society Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'Association des enseignants du Manitoba

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, without amendment, on division.

· Bill (No. 12) – The Community Schools Act/Loi sur les écoles communautaires

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, without amendment, on division.

· Bill (No. 44) – The International Education Act/Loi sur l'éducation internationale

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, without amendment, on division.

Ms. Wight: I move, seconded by the honourable member for St. Norbert (Mr. Gaudreau), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Third Report

Mr. Reg Helwer (Chairperson): I wish to present the Third Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Public Accounts–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on Public Accounts presents the following as its Third Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on the following occasions:

· June 19, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. (1^st Session, 40^th Legislature)

· June 19, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. (1^st Session, 40^th Legislature)

· July 5, 2012 (1^st Session, 40^th Legislature)

· August 23, 2012 (1^st Session, 40^th Legislature)

· September 12, 2012 (1^st Session, 40^th Legislature)

· February 25, 2013 (2^nd Session, 40^th Legislature)

· October 30, 2013 (2^nd Session, 40^th Legislature)

Matters under Consideration

· Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature – dated January 2012

o Chapter 3 – Animikii Ozoson Child and Family Services Agency: First Nations of Southern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority; Department of Family Services and Consumer Affairs

· Auditor General's Report – Annual Report to the Legislature – dated January 2013

o Chapter 4 – Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Program

o Chapter 6 – Office of the Fire Commissioner

· Auditor General’s Report – Follow-Up of Our December 2006 Report: Audit of the Child and Family Services Division Pre-Devolution Child in Care Processes and Practices

· Auditor General's Report – Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations – dated January 2013

o Section 7 – Special Audit: Society for Manitobans with Disabilities

Committee Membership

Committee Membership for the June 19, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Ms. Braun

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha

· Mr. Maguire (Chairperson)

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mrs. Stefanson

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Mr. Whitehead

Committee Membership for the June 19, 2012 (6:30 p.m.) meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Ms. Braun

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha

· Mr. Maguire (Chairperson)

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mrs. Stefanson

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Mr. Whitehead

Committee Membership for the July 5, 2012 meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Ms. Braun

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Maguire (Chairperson)

· Mr. Marcelino

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mrs. Stefanson

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Mr. Wiebe

Substitutions received prior to committee proceedings on July 5, 2012:

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park) for Mr. Jha

· Mr. Wiebe for Mr. Whitehead

Committee Membership for the August 23, 2012 meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Ms. Braun

· Ms. Crothers

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Maguire (Chairperson)

· Mr. Marcelino

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mrs. Stefanson

· Mr. Whitehead

Substitutions received prior to committee proceedings on August 23, 2012:

· Ms. Crothers for Mr. Jha

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park) for Hon. Mr. Struthers

Committee Membership for the September 12, 2012 meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Ewasko

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha

· Mr. Pedersen

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Mr. Whitehead

· Mr. Wiebe

Your Committee elected Mr. Helwer as the Chairperson at the September 12, 2012 meeting.

Substitutions received prior to committee proceedings on September 12, 2012:

· Mr. Ewasko for Mrs. Driedger

· Mr. Wiebe for Ms. Braun

Committee Membership for the February 25, 2013 meeting:

· Ms. Crothers

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mrs. Driedger

· Mr. Ewasko

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer (Chairperson)

· Mr. Jha

· Mr. Pedersen

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Mr. Whitehead

· Ms. Wight

Substitutions received prior to committee proceedings on February 25, 2013:

· Ms. Crothers for Mr. Allum

· Ms. Wight for Ms. Braun

· Mr. Ewasko for Mr. Cullen

Committee Membership for the October 30, 2013 meeting:

· Ms. Crothers

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mrs. Driedger

· Mr. Ewasko

· Hon. Mr. Gerrard

· Mr. Helwer (Chairperson)

· Hon. Ms. Howard

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park)

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mr. Saran

· Mr. Wiebe

Substitutions received prior to committee proceedings on October 30, 2013:

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park) for Mr. Jha

· Mr. Saran for Mr. Whitehead

· Mr. Ewasko for Mr. Cullen

Officials Speaking on Record

Officials speaking on the record at the June 19, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Hon. Mr. Kostyshyn, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

· Barry Todd, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

· Hon. Ms. Oswald, Minister of Health

· Milton Sussman, Deputy Minister of Health

Officials speaking on the record at the June 19, 2012 (6:30 p.m.) meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Hon. Ms. Allan, Minister of Education

· Gerald Farthing, Deputy Minister of Education

Officials speaking on the record at the July 5, 2012 meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Hon. Mr. Swan, Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act

· Marilyn McLaren, President and CEO, Manitoba Public Insurance

Officials speaking on record at the August 23, 2012 meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Hon. Ms. Irvin-Ross, Minister of Housing and Community Development

· Joy Cramer, Deputy Minister of Housing and Community Development

Officials speaking on record at the September 12, 2012 meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Doug Harold, IT Audit Principal

· Hon. Ms. Oswald, Minister of Health

· Milton Sussman, Deputy Minister of Health

· Hon. Mr. Ashton, Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act

· Winston Hodgins, President and CEO of Manitoba Lotteries Corporation

Officials speaking on record at the February 25, 2013 meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Hon. Mr. Struthers, Minister of Finance

· John Clarkson, Deputy Minister of Finance

Officials speaking on record at the October 30, 2013 meeting:

· Carol Bellringer, Auditor General of Manitoba

· Hon. Ms. Braun, Minister of Labour and Immigration

· Jeff Parr, Deputy Minister of Labour and Immigration

· Hon. Ms. Howard, Minister of Finance

· John Clarkson, Deputy Minister of Finance

· Hon. Ms. Irvin-Ross, Minister of Family Services

· Joy Cramer, Deputy Minister of Family Services

Agreements:

Your Committee agreed to conclude consideration of the following chapters of the Auditor General’s Report – Annual Report to the Legislature dated January 2012:

· Chapter 1 – Accounts and Financial Statements: Section 10 Annual Report at the February 25, 2013 meeting.

· Chapter 2 – Appointment Process to Agencies, Boards and Commissions at the August 23, 2012 meeting.

· Chapter 3 – Animikii Ozoson Child and Family Services Agency: First Nations of Southern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority; Department of Family Services and Consumer Affairs at the October 30, 2013 meeting.

· Chapter 4 – Food Safety: Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives and Department of Health at the June 19, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) meeting.

· Chapter 5 – Personal Injury Protection Plan: Manitoba Public Insurance at the July 5, 2012 meeting.

· Chapter 6 – Special Needs Education: Department of Education at the June 19, 2012 (6:30 p.m.) meeting.

· Chapter 7 – Taxation Division, Audit Branch: Department of Finance at the February 25, 2013 meeting.

· Chapter 8 – Wireless Network Security: Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba eHealth; Manitoba Lotteries Corporation at the September 12, 2012 meeting.

Your Committee agreed to conclude consideration of Section 7 – Special Audit: Society for Manitobans with Disabilities of the Auditor General's Report – Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations – dated January 2013 at the October 30, 2013 meeting.

At the October 30, 2013 meeting, your Committee agreed to refer the following agenda items to a future meeting:

· Chapter 4 – Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Program of the Auditor General’s Report – Annual Report to the Legislature dated January 2013.

· Auditor General’s Report – Follow-Up of Our December 2006 Report: Audit of the Child and Family Services Division Pre-Devolution Child in Care Processes and Practices

Report Considered and Adopted:

Your Committee has considered the following report and has adopted the same as presented:

· Auditor General’s Report – Annual Report to the Legislature dated January 2012

Reports Considered but not Passed:

Your Committee has considered the following reports but did not pass them:

· Auditor General’s Report – Annual Report to the Legislature dated January 2013 (Chapter 6 – did not conclude consideration of)

· Auditor General's Report – Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations – dated January 2013 (Section 7 – concluded consideration of)

Mr. Helwer: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Lac du Bonnet (Mr. Ewasko), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development

Fourth Report

Mr. Tom Nevakshonoff (Chairperson): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Social and Economic–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT presents the following as its Fourth Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on October 15, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration

· Bill (No. 7) – The Planning Amendment and City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act (Affordable Housing)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire et la Charte de la ville de Winnipeg (logement abordable)

· Bill (No. 22) – The Planning Amendment Act (Subdivision Approval)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire (approbation de lotissements)

· Bill (No. 32) – The Manitoba Institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'Institut manitobain de l'Association canadienne de gestion des achats

· Bill (No. 39) – The Government Efficiency Act (Various Acts Amended or Replaced to Consolidate Boards and Agencies and Eliminate Government Appointments)/Loi sur l'efficacité gouvernementale (modification ou remplacement de diverses lois — fusion d'organismes et non-participation aux nominations)

· Bill (No. 43) – The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act and Liquor and Gaming Control Act/Loi sur la Société manitobaine des alcools et des loteries et Loi sur la réglementation des alcools et des jeux

Committee Membership

· Mr. Allum

· Hon. Mr. Chomiak

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar

· Mrs. Driedger

· Mr. Eichler

· Hon. Mr. Lemieux

· Hon. Ms. Melnick

· Mr. Nevakshonoff

· Mr. Pedersen

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

Your Committee elected Mr. Nevakshonoff as the Chairperson.

Your Committee elected Mr. Allum as the Vice‑Chairperson.

Public Presentations

Your Committee heard the following six presentations on Bill (No. 7) – The Planning Amendment and City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act (Affordable Housing)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire et la Charte de la ville de Winnipeg (logement abordable):

Glen Kruck, Brandon Affordable Housing Coalition

Arnold Grambo, Private Citizen

Mike Moore, Manitoba Homebuilders Association

Josh Brandon, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

George Pasieka, Private Citizen

Clark Brownlee, Right to Housing Coalition

Your Committee heard the following presentation on Bill (No. 32) – The Manitoba Institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'Institut manitobain de l'Association canadienne de gestion des achats:

Jay Anderson, Supply Chain Management Association

Your Committee heard the following eight presentations on Bill (No. 43) – The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act and Liquor and Gaming Control Act/Loi sur la Société manitobaine des alcools et des loteries et Loi sur la réglementation des alcools et des jeux:

Connie Clauson, Private Citizen

George Fraser, Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba

Wayne Anderson, Private Citizen

Jim Baker, Manitoba Hotel Association

Leo Ledohowski, Canad Inns

David Kaisaris, Private Citizen

Scott Jocelyn, Manitoba Restaurant and Food Services Association

Dwayne Marling, Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association

Written Submissions

Your Committee received the following written submission on Bill (No. 7) – The Planning Amendment and City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act (Affordable Housing)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire et la Charte de la ville de Winnipeg (logement abordable):

Jason Zinko, Brandon Community Builders Inc.

Your Committee received the following written submission on Bill (No. 22) – The Planning Amendment Act (Subdivision Approval)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire (approbation de lotissements):

Doug Dobrowolski, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Your Committee received the following four written submissions on Bill (No. 43) – The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act and Liquor and Gaming Control Act/Loi sur la Société manitobaine des alcools et des loteries et Loi sur la réglementation des alcools et des jeux:

Doug Dobrowolski, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

David Carriere, Keystone Motor Inn

Anne Fitzgerald, Cinemax Entertainment LP

Nuria Bronfman, Movie Theatre Association of Canada

Bills Considered and Reported

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 22) – The Planning Amendment Act (Subdivision Approval)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire (approbation de lotissements)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendment:

THAT Clause 12 of the Bill be amended by striking out "September 30, 2013" and substituting "January 31, 2014".

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendment:

THAT Clause 16(3) of the Bill be amended by striking out "October 1, 2013" and substituting "January 1, 2014".

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

Mr. Nevakshonoff: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Radisson (Mr. Jha), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development

Fifth Report

Mr. Tom Nevakshonoff (Chairperson): Mr. Speaker, I wish to present the Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT presents the following as its Fifth Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on October 29, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration

· Bill (No. 4) – The Personal Health Information Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les renseignements médicaux personnels

· Bill (No. 13) – The Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund Act/Loi sur le Fonds de mise en valeur du poisson et de la faune

· Bill (No. 15) – The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act (Minimum Wage Protection for Employees with Disabilities)/Loi modifiant le Code des normes d'emploi (protection du salaire minimum pour les employés ayant des incapacités)

· Bill (No. 19) – The Waste Reduction and Prevention Amendment and Environment Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur la réduction du volume et de la production des déchets et la Loi sur l'environnement

· Bill (No. 24) – The Endangered Species Amendment Act (Ecosystem Protection and Miscellaneous Amendments)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les espèces en voie de disparition (protection des écosystèmes et diverses modifications)

· Bill (No. 26) – The Accessibility for Manitobans Act/Loi sur l'accessibilité pour les Manitobains

· Bill (No. 28) – The Health Services Insurance Amendment and Hospitals Amendment Act (Admitting Privileges)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'assurance-maladie et la Loi sur les hôpitaux (privilèges d'admission)

· Bill (No. 30) – The Forest Health Protection Amendment Act (Heritage Trees)/Loi modifiant la loi sur la protection de la santé des forêts (arbres remarquables)

· Bill (No. 45) – The Competitive Drug Pricing Act (Various Acts Amended)/Loi sur les médicaments à prix concurrentiel (modifications de diverses lois)

Committee Membership

· Mr. Altemeyer

· Hon. Ms. Braun

· Mr. Briese

· Mr. Friesen

· Hon. Ms. Howard

· Hon. Mr. Mackintosh

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Nevakshonoff (Chairperson)

· Mrs. Rowat

· Mr. Smook

· Hon. Ms. Selby

Your Committee elected Mr. Altemeyer as the Vice‑Chairperson.

Public Presentations

Your Committee heard the following two presentations on Bill (No. 13) – The Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund Act/Loi sur le Fonds de mise en valeur du poisson et de la faune:

David Carrick, Fish Futures

Paul Turenne, Private Citizen

Your Committee heard the following four presentations on Bill (No. 24) – The Endangered Species Amendment Act (Ecosystem Protection and Miscellaneous Amendments)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les espèces en voie de disparition (protection des écosystèmes et diverses modifications):

Peter Marykuca, Private Citizen

Christian Artuso, Bird Studies Canada

Doris Ames, Native Orchid Conservation Inc.

Shaunna Morgan, Canadian Boreal Initiative

Your Committee heard the following 19 presentations on Bill (No. 26) – The Accessibility for Manitobans Act/Loi sur l'accessibilité pour les Manitobains:

David Lepofsky, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance

Gail Mores, March of Dimes Canada

Kevin Rebeck, Manitoba Federation of Labour

Patrick Falconer, Barrier-Free Manitoba

Laurie Helgason, Private Citizen

Libby Zdriluk, Independent Living Resource Centre

David Steen, Private Citizen

Samuel Unrau, University of Winnipeg Students' Association

Megan Fultz, Canadian Federation of Students of Manitoba

Jeannette Delong, Abilities Manitoba

Ruth Enns, Private Citizen

Oly Backstrom, Private Citizen

Jess Turner, Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities

Dr. Jennifer Frain, New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults and Families

Ross Eadie, Private Citizen

Rob McInnes, Diversity World

George Pasieka, Canadian Mental Health Association, Manitoba Division

John Ruppel, Private Citizen

Geraldine Sage, Private Citizen

Your Committee heard the following presentation on Bill (No. 28) – The Health Services Insurance Amendment and Hospitals Amendment Act (Admitting Privileges)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'assurance-maladie et la Loi sur les hôpitaux (privilèges d'admission):

Geralyn Reimer, Manitoba Association of Midwives

Your Committee heard the following three presentations on Bill (No. 45) – The Competitive Drug Pricing Act (Various Acts Amended)/Loi sur les médicaments à prix concurrentiel (modifications de diverses lois):

Barret Procyshyn, The Manitoba Society of Pharmacists

Kristine Petrasko, Canadian Pharmacist Association

Amy Oliver, Private Citizen

Written Submissions

Your Committee received the following two written submissions on Bill (No. 13) – The Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund Act/Loi sur le Fonds de mise en valeur du poisson et de la faune:

Cherry White and Stu Jansson, Manitoba Trappers Association

Doug Tesch, The Netley Marsh Waterfowl Foundation

Your Committee received the following seven written submissions on Bill (No. 24) – The Endangered Species Amendment Act (Ecosystem Protection and Miscellaneous Amendments)/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les espèces en voie de disparition (protection des écosystèmes et diverses modifications):

Helios Hernandez, Private Citizen

Cam Dahl, Manitoba Beef Producers

Bruce Ford and Elizabeth Punter, University of Manitoba Department of Biological Sciences

Ron Thiessen, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Terry Galloway, Private Citizen

C-Jae Breiter, Wildlife Society, Manitoba Chapter

David Punter, Private Citizen

Your Committee received the following two written submissions on Bill (No. 26) – The Accessibility for Manitobans Act/Loi sur l'accessibilité pour les Manitobains:

Doug Dobrowolski, Association of Manitoba Municipalities

Karen Wittman, The Manitoba Bar Association

Bills Considered and Reported

· Bill (No. 4) – The Personal Health Information Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur les renseignements médicaux personnels

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 13) – The Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund Act/Loi sur le Fonds de mise en valeur du poisson et de la faune

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 26) – The Accessibility for Manitobans Act/Loi sur l'accessibilité pour les Manitobains

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendments:

THAT Clause 2(2) of the English version of the Bill be amended by striking out "impairment" and substituting "disability".

THAT Clause 3(1) of the Bill be replaced with the following:

What is a barrier?

3(1) For a person who has a physical, mental, intellectual or sensory disability, a barrier is anything that interacts with that disability in a way that may hinder the person's full and effective participation in society on an equal basis.

THAT Clause 6(4) of the Bill be amended by adding "residential" before "premises".

THAT Clause 8 of the Bill be amended by adding the following after subsection (3):

Terms of reference — significant progress in initial 10 years

8(4) The minister must ensure that the terms of reference prepared under this section will enable the implementation of the measures, policies, practices and other requirements necessary to make significant progress towards achieving accessibility by 2023.

THAT the following be added before Clause 36 of the Bill and after the centred heading "GENERAL".

Providing copies in accessible format

35.1 The following information must be provided in an accessible format and at no charge to a person within a reasonable time after the person requests it from the person or body indicated:

(a) in the case of the minister,

(i) the minister's annual plan,

(ii) the terms of reference for a proposed accessibility standard,

(iii) a proposed accessibility standard and the council's recommendations;

(b) in the case of the council, the council's summary of its meeting;

(c) in the case of a public sector body, its accessibility plan.

Accessibility — Legislative Assembly

35.2 In carrying out its duties and responsibilities under The Legislative Assembly Management

Commission Act, the Legislative Assembly Management Commission must

(a) have regard for any accessibility standards; and

(b) report to the public — at the times and in the manner the commission considers appropriate — the measures, policies, practices and other requirements implemented by the commission to make progress towards achieving accessibility in respect of the Assembly and its offices.

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendments:

Your committee voted to defeat Clause 3 of the Bill

Your committee voted to defeat Clause 6 of the Bill

THAT Clause 2 of the Bill be replaced with the following:

2 The definition "in‑patient" in subsection 2(1) is amended by adding ", registered nurse (extended practice) or midwife" after "practitioner".

THAT Clause 5 of the Bill be replaced with the following:

5 The definition "in‑patient" in section 1 is amended by adding ", registered nurse (extended practice) or midwife" after "practitioner".

· Bill (No. 30) – The Forest Health Protection Amendment Act (Heritage Trees)/Loi modifiant la loi sur la protection de la santé des forêts (arbres remarquables)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

· Bill (No. 45) – The Competitive Drug Pricing Act (Various Acts Amended)/Loi sur les médicaments à prix concurrentiel (modifications de diverses lois)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill, with the following amendment:

THAT Clause 10(2) of the Bill be amended by striking out "September 30, 2013" and substituting "March 31, 2014".

Mr. Nevakshonoff: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Radisson (Mr. Jha), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Crown Corporations

Fifth Report

Mr. Bidhu Jha (Chairperson): I wish to present the Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Crown Corporations–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on CROWN CORPORATIONS presents the following as its Fifth Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on the following occasions in the Legislative Building:

· May 30, 2011 (5^th Session – 39^th Legislature)

· April 4, 2012 (1^st Session – 40^th Legislature)

· April 9, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

· October 2, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

Matters under Consideration

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013

Committee Membership

Committee membership for the May 30, 2011 meeting:

· Mr. Borotsik

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Ms. Howard

· Mr. Martindale

· Mr. McFadyen

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mr. Reid (Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Robinson

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Hon. Ms. Wowchuk

Committee membership for the April 4, 2012 meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Hon. Mr. Chomiak

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park)

· Mrs. Stefanson

· Ms. Wight (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Wishart

Substitutions received during committee proceedings on April 4, 2012:

· Mr. McFadyen for Mrs. Stefanson

Committee membership for the April 9, 2013 meeting:

· Hon. Mr. Chomiak

· Ms. Crothers (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Eichler

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Ewasko

· Mr. Friesen

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mr. Marcelino

· Mr. Schuler

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Mr. Wiebe

Committee membership for the October 2, 2013 meeting:

· Hon. Mr. Chomiak

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Ewasko

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mr. Maloway

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino (Logan)

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall-Park)

· Mr. Schuler

· Mrs. Stefanson

· Hon. Mr. Swan

Your Committee elected Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall‑Park) as the Vice-Chairperson at the October 2, 2013 meeting

Officials from Manitoba Hydro speaking on the record at the May 30, 2011 meeting:

· Mr. Bob Brennan, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Vic Schroeder, Chairman

Officials from Manitoba Hydro speaking on the record at the April 4, 2012 meeting:

· Mr. Scott Thomson, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Bill Fraser, Chairman

Officials from Manitoba Hydro speaking on the record at the April 9, 2013 meeting:

· Mr. Scott Thomson, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Bill Fraser, Chairman

Officials from Manitoba Hydro speaking on the record at the October 2, 2013 meeting:

· Mr. Scott Thomson, President and Chief Executive Officer

Report Considered and Passed

Your Committee considered and passed the following report as presented:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010

Reports Considered but not Passed

Your Committee considered the following reports but did not pass them:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013

Mr. Jha: I move, seconded by the honourable member from Tyndall Park, that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Crown Corporations

Sixth Report

Mr. Bidhu Jha (Chairperson): I wish to present the Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Crown Corporations–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on CROWN CORPORATIONS presents the following as its Sixth Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on the following occasions in the Legislative Building:

· March 21, 2012 (1^st Session – 40^th Legislature)

· April 15, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

· October 16, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

Matters under Consideration

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission for the year ended March 31, 2011

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission for the year ended March 31, 2012

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission for the year ended March 31, 2013

Committee Membership

Committee Membership for the March 21, 2012 meeting:

· Ms. Crothers

· Mr. Ewasko

· Mr. Gaudreau

· Mr. Goertzen

· Mr. Nevakshonoff (Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Robinson

· Hon. Mr. Rondeau

· Mr. Schuler

· Mr. Smook

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Ms. Wight (Vice-Chairperson)

Committee Membership for the April 15, 2013 meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Eichler

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Marcelino

· Hon. Mr. Rondeau

· Mr. Smook

· Mr. Wiebe

· Ms. Wight (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Wishart

Committee Membership for the October 16, 2013 meeting:

· Mr. Allum

· Hon. Mr. Chief

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Friesen

· Mr. Gaudreau

· Mr. Graydon

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Rondeau

· Mr. Saran

· Mr. Wishart

At the October 16, 2013 meeting, your Committee elected Mr. Allum as the Vice-Chairperson.

Officials Speaking on Record at the March 21, 2012 meeting:

· Roman Zubach, Acting President and CEO

· Carmen Neufeld, Chair Board of Commissioners

Officials Speaking on Record at the April 15, 2013 meeting:

· Winston Hodgins, President and CEO

· Tannis Mindell, Chairperson of the Board

Officials Speaking on Record at the October 16, 2013 meeting:

· Winston Hodgins, President and CEO

· Corrine Scott, Director Regulatory Services

Report Considered and Passed

Your Committee considered and passed the following report as presented:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission for the year ended March 31, 2011

Report Considered but not Passed

Your Committee considered the following report but did not pass it:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission for the year ended March 31, 2012

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission for the year ended March 31, 2013

Mr. Jha: I move, seconded by the honourable member from Tyndall Park, that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Crown Corporations

Seventh Report

Mr. Bidhu Jha (Chairperson): I wish to present the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Crown Corporations–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on CROWN CORPORATIONS presents the following as its Seventh Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on the following occasions in the Legislative Building:

· April 3, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

· October 16, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

Matters under Consideration

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012

Committee Membership

Committee membership for the April 3, 2013 meeting:

· Hon. Mr. Ashton

· Mr. Briese

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Graydon

· Hon. Ms. Irvin-Ross

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mr. Maguire

· Mr. Maloway

· Mr. Marcelino

· Mr. Saran

· Ms. Wight

Your Committee elected Ms. Wight as the Vice‑Chairperson at the April 3, 2013 meeting.

Committee membership for the October 16, 2013 meeting:

· Hon. Mr. Ashton

· Ms. Blady

· Ms. Braun

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Friesen

· Mr. Gaudreau

· Mr. Graydon

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mr. Nevakshonoff

· Mr. Pedersen

Your Committee elected Ms. Braun as the Vice‑Chairperson at the October 16, 2013 meeting.

Substitution received during committee proceedings:

· Mr. Pedersen for Mr. Wishart

Officials Speaking on Record

Official Speaking on Record at the April 3, 2013 meeting:

· Winston Hodgins, MLC President & Chief Executive Officer

Official Speaking on Record at the October 16, 2013 meeting:

· Winston Hodgins, MLC President & Chief Executive Officer

Report Considered and Passed

Your Committee considered and passed the following report as presented:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012

Mr. Jha: I move, seconded by the honourable member from Tyndall Park, that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Crown Corporations

Eighth Report

Mr. Bidhu Jha (Chairperson): I wish to present the Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Crown Corporations–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on CROWN CORPORATIONS presents the following as its Eighth Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on the following occasions in the Legislative Building:

· September 21, 2010 (4^th Session – 39^th Legislature)

· May 24, 2011 (5^th Session – 39^th Legislature)

· April 18, 2012 (1^st Session – 40^th Legislature)

· April 4, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

· October 21, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

Matters under Consideration

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2010

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2011

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 29, 2012

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2013

· Audited Financial Statement of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2013

Committee Membership

Committee Membership for the September 21, 2010 meeting:

· Ms. Blady (Chairperson)

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Faurschou

· Mr. Graydon

· Mr. Jha (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Lemieux

· Mr. Martindale

· Hon. Mr. Struthers

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Mrs. Taillieu

Committee Membership for the May 24, 2011 meeting:

· Mr. Borotsik

· Mr. Cullen

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Graydon

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Martindale

· Mr. Nevakshonoff (Chairperson)

· Mr. Saran (Vice-Chairperson)

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Mrs. Taillieu

· Mr. Whitehead

Committee Membership for the April 18, 2012 meeting:

· Mr. Caldwell (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Gaudreau

· Mr. Graydon

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Pedersen

· Mr. Saran

· Mr. Schuler

· Hon. Mr. Swan

Committee Membership for the April 4, 2013 meeting:

· Mr. Briese

· Ms. Crothers (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Ewasko

· Mr. Gaudreau

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mr. Maloway

· Mrs. Rowat

· Hon. Mr. Robinson

· Hon. Mr. Swan

Committee Membership for the October 21, 2013 meeting:

· Mr. Caldwell

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Eichler

· Mr. Ewasko

· Mr. Helwer

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mr. Maloway

· Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park)

· Mr. Smook

· Hon. Mr. Swan

· Mr. Wiebe

At the October 21, 2013 meeting, your Committee elected Mr. Marcelino (Tyndall Park) as the Vice‑Chairperson.

Officials Speaking on Record

Officials speaking on the record at the September 21, 2010 meeting:

· Ms. Marilyn McLaren, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Jake Janzen, Board Chairperson

Officials speaking on the record at the May 24, 2011 meeting:

· Ms. Marilyn McLaren, President and Chief Executive Officer

Officials speaking on the record at the April 18, 2012 meeting:

· Ms. Marilyn McLaren, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Jake Janzen, Board Chairperson

Officials speaking on the record at the April 4, 2013 meeting:

· Ms. Marilyn McLaren, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Jake Janzen, Board Chairperson

Officials speaking on the record at the October 21, 2013 meeting:

· Ms. Marilyn McLaren, President and Chief Executive Officer

· Mr. Jake Janzen, Board Chairperson

Report Considered and Passed

Your Committee considered and passed the following report as presented:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2010

Reports Considered but not Passed

Your Committee considered the following reports but did not pass them:

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2011

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 29, 2012

· Annual Report of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2013

· Audited Financial Statement of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2013

Mr. Jha: I move, seconded by the honourable member from Tyndall Park, that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Standing Committee on Crown Corporations

Ninth Report

Mr. Clarence Pettersen (Chairperson): I wish to present the Ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations.

Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): Your Standing Committee on Crown Corporations–

Some Honourable Members: Dispense.

Mr. Speaker: Dispense? Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on CROWN CORPORATIONS presents the following as its Ninth Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on the following occasions in the Legislative Building:

· June 6, 2011 (5^th Session – 39^th Legislature)

· April 11, 2012 (1^st Session – 40^th Legislature)

· October 23, 2013 (2^nd Session – 40^th Legislature)

Matters under Consideration

· Annual Report of The Workers Compensation Board for the year ending December 31, 2011

· Annual Report of The Workers Compensation Board for the year ending December 31, 2012

· Annual Report of the Appeal Commission and Medical Review Panel for the year ending December 31, 2010

· Annual Report of the Appeal Commission and Medical Review Panel for the year ending December 31, 2011

· Annual Report of the Appeal Commission and Medical Review Panel for the year ending December 31, 2012

· Five Year Plan of The Workers Compensation Board for 2011 to 2015

· Five Year Plan of The Workers Compensation Board for 2012 to 2016

· Five Year Plan of The Workers Compensation Board for 2013 to 2017

Committee Membership

Committee Membership for the June 6, 2011 meeting:

· Mr. Altemeyer

· Ms. Brick

· Mr. Briese

· Mr. Dewar (Vice-Chairperson)

· Mr. Graydon

· Hon. Ms. Howard

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Reid (Chairperson)

· Mrs. Rowat

· Mrs. Taillieu

· Hon. Ms. Wowchuk

Substitutions received during committee proceedings:

· Mr. Cullen for Mr. Graydon

· Hon. Mr. Struthers for Mr. Altemeyer

Committee Membership for the April 11, 2012 meeting:

· Ms. Blady

· Mr. Briese

· Hon. Mr. Chief

· Mr. Dewar

· Mr. Goertzen

· Hon. Ms. Howard

· Mr. Jha (Chairperson)

· Mrs. Rowat

· Mr. Saran

· Mr. Schuler

· Ms. Wight (Vice-Chairperson)

Substitutions received during committee proceedings:

· Mr. Eichler for Mrs. Rowat

Committee Membership for the October 23, 2013 meeting:

· Hon. Ms. Braun

· Mr. Briese

· Mr. Caldwell

· Mr. Dewar

· Hon. Ms. Howard

· Hon. Ms. Marcelino

· Mr. Pettersen

· Hon. Mr. Robinson

· Mrs. Rowat

· Mr. Schuler

· Mr. Wishart

Your Committee elected Mr. Pettersen as the Chairperson at the October 23, 2013 meeting

Your Committee elected Mr. Caldwell as the Vice‑Chairperson at the October 23, 2013 meeting

Officials Speaking on Record

Officials Speaking on Record at the June 6, 2011 meeting:

· Michael Werier, Chairperson of the Board

· Doug Sexsmith, President and CEO

Officials Speaking on Record at the April 11, 2012 meeting:

· Michael Werier, Chairperson of the Board

· Winston Maharaj, President and CEO

Officials Speaking on Record at the October 23, 2013 meeting:

· Michael Werier, Chairperson of the Board

· Winston Maharaj, President and CEO

Reports Considered and Passed

Your Committee considered and passed the following reports as presented:

· Annual Report of The Workers Compensation Board for the year ending December 31, 2011

· Annual Report of the Appeal Commission and Medical Review Panel for the year ending December 31, 2010

Reports Considered but not Passed

Your Committee considered the following reports but did not pass them:

· Annual Report of The Workers Compensation Board for the year ending December 31, 2012

· Annual Report of the Appeal Commission and Medical Review Panel for the year ending December 31, 2011

· Annual Report of the Appeal Commission and Medical Review Panel for the year ending December 31, 2012

· Five Year Plan of The Workers Compensation Board for 2011 to 2015

· Five Year Plan of The Workers Compensation Board for 2012 to 2016

· Five Year Plan of The Workers Compensation Board for 2013 to 2017

Mr. Pettersen: I move, seconded by the honourable member for St. Norbert (Mr. Gaudreau), that the report of the committee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Speaker: Any further committee reports? Seeing none–

* (13:50)

Introduction of Guests

Mr. Speaker: Prior to oral questions, I'd like to draw the attention of honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery where we have with us today Commander Pascal Belhumeur, captain of HMCS Winnipeg, and Chief Petty Officer Michael Rochford.

On behalf of honourable members, we welcome you here this afternoon.

And also, seated in the public gallery we have today from Balmoral Hall 26 grade 4 students under the direction Ms. Sharla Chochinov. This group is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Wolseley (Mr. Altemeyer).

On behalf of honourable members, we welcome you here this afternoon.

Oral Questions

PST Increase

Government Intention

Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): Welcome everybody back, Mr. Speaker, you included.

The circus came to town yesterday. It's too bad the kids had to miss it, but it wasn't the three-ring variety. It was a 15-ring variety, one for every year that this government's been in power, 15 top priorities.

This government should be embarrassed about yesterday's Throne Speech. They should actually apologize for it. It is beneath contempt. They should apologize to the Lieutenant Governor for making him read it. It was a rambling re-election recipe which contained all the ingredients except those necessary to give nourishment and flavour to the listener, everything except the words deficit or debt, everything except an admission that their spending continues to be out of control.

Would the Premier simply admit that yesterday's Throne Speech was another pathetic attempt to deceive Manitobans into believing that his PST hike is justified when it is not?

Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): I do welcome everybody back as well. It just seems like a few short weeks ago we were hugging in the Chamber here and here we are again.

And, Mr. Speaker, the Throne Speech yesterday was a focused plan, $5.5 billion in new core infrastructure to grow the economy of Manitoba, grow the economy of Manitoba and as a result allow us to skill up another 75,000 Manitobans for the jobs that we're going to need to build this economy.

That's a real contrast to what the Leader of the Opposition has offered the people of Manitoba: across-the-board cuts. He says, I don't want to talk about the '90s anymore, but he brings every policy implemented in the '90s right into the present day. He wants to lay off people. He wants to privatize Hydro. He wants to shut down the government as a factor in growing the economy of Manitoba.

We take the opposite view. We believe that a partnership between the private sector, the communities and government can grow the Manitoba economy and create prosperity for the future.

Infrastructure Spending

Mr. Pallister: Well, P.T. Barnum would be proud, Mr. Speaker. He said famously, there's a sucker born every minute, and the Premier seems to think Manitobans are suckers.

The fact of the matter is the Premier just used a claim. He just claimed that the PST is all about core infrastructure, and yet his feeble attempt to change the dial yesterday failed miserably, as has his campaign over the last number of months to sell the PST hike. Why has it failed miserably? Because Manitobans understand what the spenDP government does not get. The NDP says everything is a priority, and Manitobans understand that when everything is a priority nothing is a priority and nothing gets done.

Now, for the last eight months this Premier and his Cabinet members have paraded around this province in a ribbon-cutting exercise unprecedented to try to sell the PST to Manitobans, 160-plus different announcements, and how many of those were about core infrastructure? A third. Two thirds had nothing to do with core infrastructure.

Now, the government wasn't about core infrastructure for the last 15 years, so why should Manitobans believe that they're about core infrastructure as of yesterday?

Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, the cynical tone cast by the Leader of the Opposition is nothing new that we've seen in this Chamber.

Let's compare records. We've said we'll put $5.5 billion into new core infrastructure in Manitoba. We started today with a $215-million announcement on Highway No. 75. A new announcement of $215 million on Highway 75 builds on the $125 million we've already spent there, Mr. Speaker.

It will improve our major artery to our major export market, the United States. Over two thirds of our trade occurs with that jurisdiction in the United States. We're part of the mid-continent corridor. We have to be part of that.

We have major trucking companies in Manitoba. We had the privilege of being at Bison trucking this morning: 1,200 units of trucks that flow through the provinces, throw–flow through western Canada and will flow down Highway No. 75 bringing jobs and prosperity to the people of Manitoba.

Mr. Pallister: Well, the PST's up by 8 per cent, and NDP integrity's down to zero and it can't get any lower. They just can't get their story straight. They have 192 communications staff and they need that many because it's very complicated to lie this much, Mr. Speaker.

The fact of the matter is that no other government across this great country has raised the PST to fund Building Canada Fund that we've known about for years and we knew it was coming. No other provincial government has jacked up taxes as much as this provincial government, and this is a government that just two years ago ran on a promise not to raise the PST and broke that promise. This is Manitoba's answer to P.T. Barnum.

Will the Premier simply admit that the key thing Manitobans should understand from his speech yesterday and his behaviour is that he genuinely believes that the dollars Manitobans work so hard for are better spent by him at his Cabinet table than they are by them at their kitchen table?

Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, the biggest promise ever broken was the Leader of the Opposition saying they wouldn't privatize the telephone system, and why did he privatize the telephone system? To enrich his cronies all throughout Manitoba for private benefit.

Decisions we've made are in the public interest, which is why we're rebuilding Highway No. 75, which is why we're going to be repaving and improving Highway No. 1, which is why we're going to be improving Highway No. 59, which is why we're going to be improving Highway No. 10 and Highway No. 9. The commitment to new core infrastructure is transparent. It is one for which we will be accountable.

We listened to Manitobans. Manitobans said, if you're going to generate revenue, ensure that it goes into things that will make a critical difference to the future of Manitoba, and the Highway 75 announcement today will make a critical difference to the future of Manitoba. The trucking association knows it, the heavy construction knows it, CentrePort knows it. All people involved in the transportation sector and the export sector know that that highway is critical to our future and it will–

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. First Minister's time has expired.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question.

Request to Reverse

Mr. Pallister: Of course, the Premier's fundamental problem is he cannot be trusted and he cannot be believed, and Manitobans know why he has the shovel in his hand and they know what he's trying to shovel too.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier said two years ago that it would be nonsense to raise the PST, and he's right. It is nonsense. It's nonsensical, it's insensitive, it makes no sense. It makes no sense to raise the PST and it makes no sense for him to break his promise, yet he will persist and he is not using his senses.

He is not listening to Manitobans. He is not seeing the problems he is causing. He is not feeling the pain that Manitoba seniors are feeling in their own homes due to diminished purchasing power, due to ridiculously high inflation pushed forward by this government. He is not feeling the pain of middle‑income families who are dealing with the higher costs of living imposed on them by a tax‑friendly government. He is not feeling the reality of Manitobans today.

Will he come to his senses today and will he stop this unnecessary and immoral PST hike?

Mr. Selinger: Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is overly reliant on his Beauchesne approach to being in the Legislature, something we've seen many times before.

When we talked to Manitobans, they said they want to see their children have good jobs so they can remain and live in Manitoba. That's what they told us, which is why we have a skills agenda to train another 75,000 young Manitobans to have the jobs we need–we know are going to be necessary to build the economy in Manitoba.

When we talk to Manitobans, they tell us they want us to look after their parents and the elderly, which is why we're building personal-care homes and QuickCare clinics and assisted living housing in Manitoba, all the items of which the member opposite wanted to cut in his approach to the spring budget.

* (14:00)

He wanted across-the-board cuts. He wanted to lay off nurses. He wanted to lay off health-care professionals. He wanted to stop building. He said two thirds of the announcements we made were not worth the expenditure. He's cancelling Sage Creek school. He's cancelling QuickCare clinics around the province. He's cancelling the five personal-care homes–or at least two thirds of the five personal-care homes we've announced–

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable First Minister's time has expired.

Manitoba Economy

Job Creation

Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): The Premier's continued indifference to the truth reveals his frailties, not my own, not the members' on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier has the audacity to reference his ability to create jobs, his ability to grow the economy. Let's look at the Canadian labour report of just last Friday. Canadians–not governments, Canadians–created 214,000 new jobs over the last 12 months. Good for them. And the NDP's job creation record here in Manitoba over the last year, how many new jobs, Mr. Speaker? None. Zero–zero.

High spending doesn't do it for job creation. High spending and high taxes are a problem. The NDP's high-spending problem has become Manitoba's high-tax problem, and it's becoming Manitoba's low-job problem too.

Rather than just creating a shiny, new profile portfolio for his highest spending minister to prance around and do ribbon cuttings, why not give credit where credit is due, to the real job creators of our province, the real people of this province who are the ones who know how to create jobs? Why not lower the PST and let Manitobans create their own jobs with their own money?

Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I thought I heard the Leader of the Opposition just slam the federal government that seems to think their stimulus program is creating jobs all across the country. He just said the federal government didn't create any jobs in–across the people of Canada.

Look, here's the reality. Private sector job totals are up 8,300, 1.8 per cent above the national growth across the country, Mr. Speaker. Public sector employment is actually down 1.7 per cent or 2,900 jobs. Full-time employment is up 2,700. The labour force is up 5,400 people. We have a growing population. We have more people working.

The overwhelming number of jobs are being created in the private sector. What has the Leader of the Opposition got against 8,900 more private sector jobs in Manitoba?

Mr. Pallister: Well, the Premier–or the Premier of Manitoba should look up the word sustainable, because the federal government is creating jobs by allowing Canadians to create jobs. And they actually are moving to balance a budget. Balancing a budget, that could be part of sustainable management, but the Premier doesn't get that. He's asked if he's going to balance the books; he says, probably.

The Premier's tried to convince Manitobans that they should pay him more taxes and more PST. He's failed to do that. He's failed to do that, but what he has done is created a less competitive province. What he's done is hurt small business. What he's done is hurt Manitoba shoppers by cutting into their purchasing power. What he's done is created fewer jobs. What he's done is separated more family members as they look for opportunities in neighbouring jurisdictions that are better governed than this one is.

Now, the NDP's 160-plus ribbon cuttings have failed because Manitobans understand what this Premier just doesn't get. Manitobans' money is better positioned to create jobs and wealth in this province on their kitchen table than it ever will be on his Cabinet table. Does he get that today?

Mr. Selinger: In every home I visit, people like going to the kitchen table when they have a job, Mr. Speaker. That's what they like to do because they can put food on the table; they can put food on their table for their families.

And 8,300 new private sector jobs this year in Manitoba is nothing for the Leader of the Opposition to diminish or sneeze at, which is exactly what he's doing: 8,300 more Manitobans working in the private sector, taking home a paycheque to the kitchen table and feeding their families.

When the leader was in the government in the '90s, people were leaving Manitoba; 33,000 people left Manitoba. The participation in the economy went down, disposable income went down, and he raised the minimum wage once every four years if Manitobans were lucky.

Minimum wage is higher, disposable income is better, people are working in Manitoba and we're growing the population.

Balanced Budget (2016)

Government Commitment

Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Well, Mr. Speaker, this Premier has no credibility because nobody's believing what he says anymore. It's just a lot of spin.

Mr. Speaker, this NDP government has been promising to balance the budget by 2016. Yesterday this Premier shocked everybody by saying he would probably balance the budget by 2016.

So I'd like to ask the new Minister of Finance to tell us: Is her mandate to balance the budget by 2016, yes, no or probably?

Hon. Jennifer Howard (Minister of Finance): I want to thank the critic for the question. I know we both had a similar reaction to being put in the position of minister and critic, and I won't share that reaction, but it does enrich government coffers, so I'm thankful for that.

But what I will say is that we have made a commitment to balance. That is an important commitment that we've made. And we are going to work very hard to make that commitment and to make sure that we have a balanced budget for all Manitobans.

But what we're not going to do is take the short‑sighted approach of the past. I'll give you one example of that. When the last government decided in the short term to stop training nurses and doctors, we paid for that over and over and over again. We paid for that because they had to work overtime, which we had to pay for. We paid for that when we had to bring nurses back–

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister's time has expired.

Mrs. Driedger: Well, Mr. Speaker, this Minister of Finance's answer is as bad as the answers were from the past Finance minister.

Either this NDP government is going to balance the budget or they're not going to balance the budget. They made a promise, and I think it's a fair question, and Manitobans are interested in a clear answer from this NDP government.

Will they balance the budget in 2016 as they promised, yes or no?

Ms. Howard: I am–I do recall the last election, the commitment from members opposite. The commitment that the member opposite campaigned on was to balance the budget a year later than we have committed to balancing the budget. That was the commitment that she felt was strong enough to take to the door of Manitobans. That was the commitment that she felt was strong enough to warrant election to government.

We have made a commitment to balance in 2016-17. What we will not do–what we will not do–is repeat the mistakes of the past. We will not stop the training of nurses and doctors so that we are paying for that mistake for generations, not only in cost to the budget but in human misery as people had to wait longer for medical care. Those are not the mistakes that we are going to repeat, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker: The honourable member for Charleswood, a final supplementary.

Government Timeline

Mrs. Driedger: Mr. Speaker, this Minister of Finance couldn't balance the budget in her previous department for years. And it sounds like the Premier (Mr. Selinger) right now doesn't have enough confidence in this new Finance Minister to balance a provincial budget by 2016 as promised, so he was waffling yesterday and he is now indicating that the budget will probably be balanced by 2016. So I think we need a very, very clear answer.

Will that budget be balanced by 2016, or are we going to see another broken promise by this NDP government?

Ms. Howard: As I've said before and I'll say again, our commitment is to balance the budget in 2016-17. We're working very hard to meet that commitment.

What we will not do, we will not do the things that members opposite not only did when they were in government but asked us to do just a few short months ago. We will not make deep cuts to the things that matter to Manitobans, not only because that's hard on Manitoba families, but when you make short-sighted cuts today, when you lay off teachers today, when you lay off nurses today, when you stop the training and the skills for this generation of Manitobans, our kids, people's grandkids, you pay for that for generations, not only in a cost to the budget, not only in a cost to the bottom line, but you pay for that in lost opportunity for Manitobans and lost potential for Manitobans.

We won't make those choices. We're going to invest in the future. We're going to grow the economy. We're going to create–

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

The Finance Minister's time has expired.

Manitoba Economy

Job Creation

Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Eighteen ERs closed, 24 Hydro offices closed: those are all front‑line services that have been cut just recently.

* (14:10)

Mr. Speaker, across this country Canadian employers have created 214,000 jobs in the past year. The number of jobs Manitoba has created is the same–in the same time frame: zero. Manitoba lost 4,300 full-time jobs in the minister's first month on the job. She has shown that she's not–that not only is the economy not growing, it's failing under her watch.

Mr. Speaker, when will this minister show some respect, stop allowing Manitobans to be at the bottom of the barrel? Will she just admit that her high-tax-and-spend politics have failed Manitobans?

Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Jobs and the Economy): Yes, I thank the honourable member for the question. Certainly, while tempted to speak about a reduction in wait times and the Cancer Patient Journey strategy, I will, in fact, answer the member's question by saying that, indeed, I believe he well knows that Manitoba has the third lowest unemployment rate in the nation.

And, Mr. Speaker, while I did hear the leader of his party come forward on the day that the report came out on a fluctuation from month to month, that he did blame the entire thing on the increase in the PST, but, in fact, there was absolutely no change in the whole and retail sector, and, in fact, we saw the private sector increasing the number of jobs, which, if I recall, is what he's been pleading for all along.

Mr. Graydon: Mr. Speaker, we had the lowest unemployment rate when she took office. Today the reason we have a low unemployment rate in Manitoba is because they're working in Alberta.

Mr. Speaker, the 14 per cent increase–14 per cent PST increase, inflation that is growing at the fastest rate in Canada, losing 4,300 full-time jobs, this is in her first month in the office, and being a net exporter of jobs is not the hallmark of a good economy. Mediocracy is not what Manitoba was built on. The Minister of Jobs and Economy is running out of skilled jobs in the province and the economy is going downhill fast.

Mr. Speaker when will this spenDP government stop the spin and admit that they're failing Manitobans each and every day?

Ms. Oswald: Well, yes, I will reiterate for the member that, indeed, we're working hard to maintain that low unemployment rate. And we do know, Mr. Speaker, that those individuals in Manitoba that do not have a job are those that are seeking opportunities to have additional training and to upgrade their skills so they can come into the workforce, and I would humbly say to the member opposite that that's exactly what the labour market agreement was all about that his federal cousin is presently trying to shatter. I would respectfully ask him to get Mr. Kenney on the blower and tell him it's a bad idea.

Mr. Graydon: Mr. Speaker, the numbers are not promising. A 14 per cent increase–PST increase, inflation rates that lead the country, families and job seekers leaving Manitoba, an economy that is the bottom of the barrel is a record of this government, and they have failed Manitobans.

Will the Minister of Jobs and Economy just admit that the high-tax-and-spend policies of this government have had a negative effect on jobs and the economy in our province? When will she acknowledge this and respect Manitobans?

Ms. Oswald: Well, Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for businesses and workers in Manitoba. Indeed, I have such respect for them that I will read the facts for the member that Manitoba's real GD growth–GDP growth was 2.7 in 2012, which was the second fastest rate of growth in the nation, which he neglects to mention.

But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, what I can say to the member is that the investment of the money for infrastructure, new core infrastructure projects that will not only work very hard to help Manitoba as a trade and transportation hub, but the people that are going to be building that infrastructure are Manitobans. These will be Manitobans with good paying jobs that will help them buy those homes if they want, buy their cottages and live a great life here in Manitoba.

Food Bank Usage

Low-Income Manitobans

Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Speaker, those on limited and fixed incomes got little attention in yesterday's Throne Speech. Basically, the commitment was to do more of what you've been doing, and what you have been doing has led to a 44.8 per cent increase in food bank usage since 2008. This is a record of this government.

Is this what those on limited and fixed incomes can expect in their future?

Hon. Kerri Irvin-Ross (Minister of Family Services): I can assure the member opposite that what people can expect is opportunities in Manitoba, opportunities for jobs and for training. We are committed to be working with all of our partners to ensure that there are those opportunities for Manitobans.

We have addressed the issue of poverty; we know we have more work to do and we're committed to doing that. We are not going to be cutting income rates. We are not going to be cutting the National Child Benefit. What we are going to do is we reinstated the National Child Benefit. We are providing more child care. We are providing more social housing and affordable housing for Manitobans. Therefore, there would be much more opportunities for Manitobans.

EIA Housing Allowance

Request for Increase

Mr. Ian Wishart (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Speaker, I've got to wonder how much more opportunity there is at the food bank. This government talks about what matters most to families, yet 45 per cent of the 63,482 users of food banks are children. I'm pretty sure that is not something Manitoba families would approve of.

Mr. Speaker, raising the basic personal exemption could give Manitobans more money to put food on their table and clothes on their children's backs, yet there was no commitment to change this in yesterday's Throne Speech.

Has this government forgotten about the poor in this province? Can the poor in this province only expect more excuses?

Hon. Kerri Irvin-Ross (Minister of Family Services): As I've stated numerous times, the best way out of poverty is jobs, and that's what we're committed to, 75,000 more jobs by 2020. That's going to make a difference for Manitobans.

I need to put some facts on the table. These are facts that we do not want to brag about, but the rate of individuals accessing the food banks has reduced by 5.1 per cent. That's a fact. That's what the research shows.

We are not proud about–that there are still Manitobans using food banks. We have more work to do, but because of the initiatives that we are doing around jobs, education, employment and child care and affordable housing, that is making a difference for Manitobans.

Mr. Wishart: Close to 5 per cent of Manitoba's population depends on food banks. This is more than double the percentage of neighbouring provinces, with almost half of the dependants being children.

Mr. Speaker, the EIA housing allowance hasn't changed in 20 years, and that would have given a huge helping hand to the citizens who really need help. Instead, this government decides that the needy need a 14 per cent PST increase, forcing them to choose between food and shelter.

Will this government admit that the NDP's failure to address the rental allowance for EIA recipients is shameful and an example of their lack of commitment to this very vulnerable sector of society?

Ms. Irvin-Ross: What I can sure all members of this House is that we are committed to supporting all Manitobans.

We are not going to do what happened in the 1990s, slashing income assistant rates, looking at clawing back the National Child Benefit. We are not going to do that. We are not going to freeze minimum wage.

We are going to work with Manitobans. We are going to ensure that there are opportunities, opportunities for employment and training, and that's what we're committed to. We will work with all of the sectors.

I must inform the House that we have a working group where we're working on the issue of childhood hunger and we co-chair that with Rick Frost from The Winnipeg Foundation, as well as David Northcott is a partner on this.

We will continue to work with all partners to ensure that all Manitobans have opportunities.

St. Vital Transmission Complex Expansion

SCRA Consultations

Mr. Ron Schuler (St. Paul): Mr. Speaker, in a letter to the NDP, it states, and I quote: I'm writing on behalf of the Sage Creek Residents' Association regarding our disappointment with the proposed expansion of the St. Vital Transmission Complex. The SCRA, or Sage Creek Residents' Association, is very dissatisfied with the lack of community engagement and feel this project was not effectively communicated to the residents.

My question is: Is this the new normal for this NDP government when consulting with the residents of Sage Creek or the people from the Southdale constituency, or is this just further proof that the NDP can't be trusted?

* (14:20)

Hon. Stan Struthers (Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro): Mr. Speaker, the new normal was established back in 1999 when this government became committed to consulting with the people of Manitoba on this and every other project. These are very important projects to build Manitoba's economy. These are very important projects to Manitoba families who depend on the jobs that they create.

We will make sure that we move forward in the best interests of all Manitobans in building Hydro and building our economy. We'll do so as we consult with people, as we move along the way. As part of the process, that will be done.

Mr. Schuler: In the same letter, the residents state: We're extremely disappointed that the only open house in Winnipeg was not located within the community that is most greatly affected.

They go on to say: It has also been brought to our attention that some home builders are not aware of this proposed project and therefore cannot advise potential homeowners of this proposed expansion when purchasing a home in Sage Creek, which is in the constituency of Southdale.

The question is simple: Why is this NDP government not consulting with Sage Creek residents, or is this again an example that this NDP government cannot be trusted?

Mr. Struthers: Well, Mr. Speaker, Manitoba Hydro takes very seriously its consultation process. It does open houses and locates those open houses where people can come and talk to them about what their concerns are. Our expectation is that Manitoba Hydro will continue to do that. They've assured me that they will. So the commitment of Manitoba Hydro or this government is to consult with people.

But let's not make any mistakes. This side of the House will not mothball projects. We will not cancel projects. We will not delay until cancellation projects, all for the purpose of privatizing Hydro like members opposite will.

Mr. Schuler: Mr. Speaker, in a Free Press article dated September 24th, 2013, it says, and I quote: "It is incredible no details were available five months ago for three new transmission lines that will have . . . a major impact on landowners. And now the plans for these lines are all but finalized." Even when meetings are being held, they're being held to tell people what's going to happen and not consult with them.

My question is: Is this the new normal for NDP consultation or just more proof that this NDP government cannot be trusted? What should the residents of Southdale think when this minister won't commit to proper consultation with the Sage Creek Residents' Association? Why doesn't he stand up and address the issue?

Mr. Struthers: Mr. Speaker, within 10 years, this province could run out of power. We have a growing economy. We have jobs to create. We have an increasing population. For those reasons, we need to continue to invest in Manitoba Hydro. We need to continue to invest in generation stations and we need to continue to invest in the infrastructure that carries that power to our markets.

Manitoba Hydro is serious about consulting with members of the public who are interested. We're interested to see that happen as well. Our expectation is that those consultations will take place and that we will move forward in a positive way to help to grow our economy and help to create jobs.

Middle-Class Families

Government Position

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I want to first recognize our newly elected Liberal leader, Rana Bokhari, who is in the gallery.

Mr. Speaker, under this NDP government, Manitoba families have continually been left behind over the last 14 years. With two-income and single‑parent families watching their incomes disappear in a myriad of taxes and increasing costs, the majority of Manitoba's workers are being squeezed. Enough is enough.

What will the Premier do to end his neglect of Manitoba's middle-class families?

Hon. Greg Selinger (Premier): Middle-class families benefit by an economy that's generating jobs and employment, and that's exactly what this agenda is. This agenda will spend $5.5 billion on infrastructure, it will skill up another 75,000 workers. It will do it while increasing the minimum wage and ensuring people have access to good jobs.

When you have trades–trade wages are very strong in Manitoba, Mr. Speaker. When you're a plumber, an electrician, when you're a millwright, when you're a carpenter, all of those are good opportunities to make a good living in Manitoba.

And we do it at a time when we keep the bundle of electricity, home heating and auto insurance rates the lowest in the country, Mr. Speaker, and we will continue to do that so that we make sure that Manitoba families have an affordability advantage, which is why–under the Conservatives, they cut the property tax credit to $250; we've increased it to $750.

So good jobs, good schools, good opportunities to grow the economy is the way forward for all families in Manitoba.

Mr. Gerrard: Yes, Mr. Speaker, you know, the Throne Speeches over 14 years have hardly changed. The promises have hardly changed. And the status of Manitoba's middle class has hardly changed; they have consistently experienced a flat line in their disposable incomes after inflation year after year. Incomes are barely keeping up with inflation.

You know, good government is much more than just about new jobs. It's about improving the well‑being and the livelihoods of Manitobans.

I ask the Premier: How will creating more short‑time jobs help currently employed and struggling Manitobans keep up?

Mr. Selinger: That's exactly why I'm hoping the member from River Heights will support the building agenda we've put in front of the people of Manitoba in the Throne Speech. A five-and-a-half-billion-dollar investment in new core infrastructure, 75,000 more skilled workers in the province, more investment in people's education and training at the apprenticeship level, at the college level, at the university level.

Our university tuition rates are in the top three for affordability in the country, Mr. Speaker, and we're investing record amounts of money in our universities, in our facilities, in new programs. In the Throne Speech there was a new master's degree in health sciences put in place for Brandon University; that's just one concrete example of things we're going to do to generate more opportunities for Manitobans to have a good life in this province of Manitoba.

I hope the member for River Heights will support the Throne Speech because it's moving exactly in the direction he would like us to go.

Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, too often the Premier doesn't even have clear plans. Today he announced Highway 75 and we don't even know if he's going to increase the bridge height in Morris or have another plan. You know, that $215 million, is that just a back-of-the-envelope guess because we don't even know what the final plan is going to be? Where is this Premier?

Mr. Speaker, many middle income earners are feeling frustrated, financially squeezed and worried about slipping backward as they try to keep a roof over their heads and feed their families.

After 14 years of neglecting the middle class in Manitoba, what does this Premier propose that will truly guarantee their incomes will grow?

Mr. Selinger: What we're going to do is we're going to generate a growing economy with major investments in infrastructure. We're going to ensure that there's R & D investment in the province with the best tax credit in the country. We're going to ensure that families get access to good education by ensuring that we don't cut the budget for public schools, we don't cut the budget for post-secondary education and enhance the opportunities for apprenticeships in Manitoba. Good jobs means young families will settle and continue to work in Manitoba. And, Mr. Speaker, every graduate from a post-secondary program in Manitoba can get 60 per cent of their tuition back by putting down roots and living and working in the province of Manitoba.

The leader–the member from River Heights should vote for the Throne Speech because the agenda in the Throne Speech is good for Manitoba families and it's good for the middle class in Manitoba, Mr. Speaker.

Highway 75

Flood Protection Upgrades

Mr. Dave Gaudreau (St. Norbert): It's great to be back. Unfortunately, it feels a little bit like Groundhog Day with the same rhetoric from the opposition: cuts and crumbling infrastructure just like the last time they were in–

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Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

I thought we were doing really, really well. We've nearly gotten all the way through question period without me having to stand up and caution honourable members with respect to the volume in the Chamber. So I'm asking for the co-operation of honourable members to keep the level down a little bit, please, and allow the honourable member for St. Norbert to pose his question.

Mr. Gaudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I was saying, it's great to be back. Unfortunately, it feels a little bit like Groundhog Day with the same rhetoric from the opposition: cuts to infrastructure, crumbling infrastructure just like they were in the '90s.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that Highway 75 is an–important to our economy and it's a major road link between us and the United States and the rest of North America for trade and commerce. Any road closure, even for one day, can have massive impact on businesses in Manitoba. And the people of Morris deserve to know that their government is with them.

So can the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation please inform the House of the new developments announced today, this government's plan to upgrade Highway 75 that runs through the heart of St. Norbert?

Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation): Mr. Speaker, I think it's absolutely incredible members of the opposition wouldn't even ask a question about infrastructure.

Today, with the Premier's announcement, we're going to put the biggest investment in Highway 75 in its history since it was constructed. And, Mr. Speaker, especially for the Leader of the Opposition, the 1 cent on the dollar that he's opposed to is going to allow us to flood protect in 2009-level floods. It's going to allow us to have interstate standards. It's going to connect Winnipeg and Manitoba to the world.

But, of course, I'm not surprised they didn't ask the question because when they were in government Highway 75 was an embarrassment. We're fixing it, Mr. Speaker, and I encourage members opposite to get with the plan, the plan to build our core infrastructure in the province.

Mr. Speaker: Time for oral questions has expired.

Members' Statements

Mr. Speaker: It's time for members' statements.

Typhoon Haiyan

Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): I rise today to mark a unspeakable tragedy that our friends in the Philippines are facing, that of Typhoon Haiyan.

I would like to take a moment to express my most sincere condolences to all those who've been affected by this heart-rending disaster, on behalf of our party. Our party recognizes the incredible devastation that Typhoon Haiyan–also known as Yolanda–has inflicted on the Philippines. It's almost unbelievable, Mr. Speaker, the degree of damage and the incredible nature of the storm itself.

I've experienced 70-mile-an-hour winds in my life; it almost blew me off my feet. And the winds were reported to be over 230, 240 miles an hour. It's just incredible.

With over 2,200 confirmed dead, roughly 3,600 individuals injured so far that we know of, well over 600,000 people displaced and forced from their homes, this is a disaster of incredible proportions. It is clear that this tragic catastrophe has affected the country as a whole. It's completely unearthed the Philippines.

And this has been magnified by the uncertainty for our families and for Filipino families around the world–the uncertainty, the lack of communication, the inability to understand and learn about the location and well-being of relatives and friends, the uncertainty of access to food, to water, to basic shelter–these are enormous consequences to be faced by that country.

Manitoba has, of course, a large Filipino community. Manitobans, as a whole, are concerned with the suffering faced by Filipino citizens, friends and family that have been affected by this horrible event.

The Philippines is in a state of dire need. We stand together with all Manitobans in offering our support to our Filipino friends today, and we encourage all Manitobans, of course, to continue the fine Manitoba tradition of offering their support, as well.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have and are faced with the consequences of this storm in one way or another and are now left to pick up the pieces.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Mohinder Saran (The Maples): Mr. Speaker, this weekend thousands of families' lives were ripped apart by one of the most powerful typhoons in history. Typhoon Haiyan landed in the Philippines last Saturday morning, leaving thousands dead and displacing hundreds of thousands more. The loss of life and damage caused by this typhoon has been devastating.

Many people in Manitoba have family and friends in the Philippines, and I want them to know that the thoughts of the members of this Legislature are with them during this time of crisis.

The Filipino people are incredibly resilient, and I am confident that their courage, and support from the international community, will help them through this.

In the face of this disaster, Manitobans have come together to support those affected. The–several groups of Winnipeg are holding fundraising drives, and our own government has also pledged $200,000 in support of–to the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation which will be used for aid and reconstruction in the Philippines. The money raised by the different groups will be donated to help victims of the catastrophe.

Mr. Speaker, this disaster has changed so many lives, affecting many of us here at home. I want to thank all Manitobans for standing united with our friends and families in the Philippines as they work to recover from this tragedy. Thank you.

Remembrance Day

Mr. Cliff Graydon (Emerson): Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest honours of my job as an MLA is honouring veterans and–on November 11th.

I'm proud to say that my family was involved in the war effort in the Second World War. My mother's family and her nine siblings, seven were involved in the military–some overseas, others at home. My mother worked at Portage air base in the air force.

On my father's side of the family, there were four children, of which three were involved in the services, two of them overseas. One uncle joined at the age of 16, lying about his age, and was gone for five years with no contact with the family. He was reported missing in action and walked home one day.

I find it striking that the veterans are dying at a rate of 50-plus a week and the average age is 89. Many of our young people do not have a direct link to veterans.

New immigrants have come to this province and this country because we have a stable government, freedom of speech and assembly and religion without fear of prosecution, and, thanks to our veterans, we can live in peace. However, many Manitobans do not realize the price that has been paid for those freedoms.

Remembrance Day does not glorify war, but rather to remember and honour human sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy today. These sacrifices continue to this day and the human life continues to be the cost of these battles. Canadians' lives have been lost in both wars–both world wars, Korea, Bosnia and Afghanistan, and each and every November 11th we pause to remember them.

Every November 11th, the communities of Gretna, Emerson, Dominion City and St. Pierre-Jolys in my constituency hold Remembrance Day services, and Emerson holds a community dinner. And I'm proud that my constituency and those communities and hundreds of volunteers take time to remember the heroes that have made our country what it is today.

And, Mr. Speaker, I ask the indulgence of the members of this House to share a moment of silence, honouring those that have gone before us and currently protecting us.

Mr. Speaker: Is there leave of the House to observe a moment of silence, for Remembrance Day? [Agreed]

Honourable members, please rise.

A moment of silence was observed.

Mr. Speaker: Further member statements?

Aboriginal Veterans Day

Mr. Frank Whitehead (The Pas): Mr. Speaker, from November 5th to 11th, Canadians marked Veterans' Week with commemorative ceremonies across the country. These ceremonies are acts of gratitude for all Canadian veterans who bravely served and sacrificed for their country.

Since 1994, Manitobans have observed Aboriginal Veterans Day on November 8th. This day is one of recognition and remembrance for the commitment First Nations, Metis and Inuit men and women have made to our country. We commemorate our Aboriginal citizens, past and present, who have risked and often lost their lives on front lines.

* (14:40)

During the First and Second World Wars, thousands of Aboriginal men and women voluntarily enlisted in Canada's Armed Forces. This tradition continues today with more than 1,200 First Nations, Inuit and Metis Canadians serving at home and overseas. These men and women represent over 640 distinct bands and 55 languages.

On Opaskwayak Cree Nation, we observe this with pride and gratitude. OCN itself is home to over 40 veterans from First and Second World Wars to Korea, Bosnia, Cyprus, Afghanistan. Aboriginal soldiers have volunteered for every war Canada has been involved in, and each of these men and women is honoured on November 8th.

Most of these veterans went straight into service from residential schools, as my dad did. They were young and brave, totally committed to complete their tasks no matter how difficult, no matter how dangerous their missions were. So, when I see an Aboriginal veteran, old or young, I shake their hand.

The Aboriginal community is proud to have contributed to restoring and maintaining peace in volatile and unstable countries throughout the world.

My dad once told me that veterans have a different flavour of freedom than those who were protected from the horrors of war and conflict. I think I understand what he meant.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rana Bokhari

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize that a page has turned and to congratulate Rana Bokhari, who was elected Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party on October 26th. Rana grew up on the family chicken farm near Anola in rural Manitoba. You name the job that needs doing on a chicken farm and she's done it. She then went on to take a degree in psychology, a degree in criminology and a law degree, and she's practised law before becoming the Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party two and a half weeks ago.

Rana is a caring and compassionate person who has spent countless hours helping to raise funds for causes in Manitoba and around the world, from the Kidney Foundation to those affected by the earthquake in Haiti, by floods in the Philippines and in Pakistan, by famine in Somali. From her roots she brings a deep concern for her fellow Manitobans, many of whom are struggling from paycheque to paycheque under this NDP government.

With the start of this new session as well, hopefully, another page has turned. After a long session of partisan posturing, bickering and very little progress, I'm hopeful that we all, as members of this Legislature, as servants of the people of Manitoba, at least all share in Ms. Bokhari's concern for the citizens of this province. Though Manitobans have little to look forward to with more of the same from yesterday's Throne Speech, we can all move forward from here to work together to provide a better life for all Manitobans.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to mention the disaster in the Philippines as a result of the recent typhoon. My heart and that of Rana Bokhari's go out to our friends in the Philippines in the wake of this terrible tragedy. We commiserate and sympathize with their terrible situation and wish them that under the circumstances, that the best possible outcome can be achieved. Thank you.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Mr. Speaker: Hold on. Hold–the acting Government House Leader.

Hon. Jennifer Howard (Acting Government House Leader): Sorry, out of practice, it's been so long.

Would we please move into Throne Speech debate.

THRONE SPEECH

(First Day of Debate)

Mr. Speaker: We'll now call for consideration of the House–consideration of the speech of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.

Ms. Melanie Wight (Burrows): I've practised, so I will be really good this time. Thank you.

I move, seconded by the honourable member of Concordia, that the following address be presented to His Honour the Lieutenant Governor: We, the members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, thank Your Honour for the gracious speech addressed to us at this Third Session of the 40th Legislature of Manitoba.

Motion presented.

Ms. Wight: Mr. Speaker, I'm so honoured to be here today, to move the Throne Speech and to put some words on the record with regard to it.

I would like, like other members have done, to just put a few words on with regard to the devastation of the–in the Philippines. I have many constituents, as do we all, and we know how hard it is to sit at home and watch those images on our–on the television and wait to find out whether or not your family and your friends are alive and well or not. And our hearts go out to them, and I know that's true for every side of the House. And we're grateful that the government was able to also make a donation towards that and we're thankful, as will many Manitobans. We know that Manitobans will also be out giving.

I'd also like to thank my constituents for putting me here to do my best to represent them. We have had some excellent things going on in the north of Winnipeg, from large to small: the completion of the access centre on Keewatin; the commencement of construction of the food centre in the previous NorWest space, which I am so glad we were able to be a part of, with many other partners; the new school field at King Edward that was so needed and is well on its way to completion; the infrastructure work at the Maples recreation centre and the Northwood Community Centre improvements; the road improvements that came our way on McPhillips and Keewatin this past summer, and so many more.

Burrows, Mr. Speaker, is a diverse constituency with people from all over the world, living and working together to make Manitoba better for themselves and their families and their communities.

Last week, I was at several of the schools at Remembrance Day service and I couldn't help but notice that the kids there were every possible–not only size and shape but every possible shade of the rainbow there, all learning together and learning early, Mr. Speaker, that it doesn't matter what colour you might be, what your religion or beliefs are, what country you originated in, it is possible for everyone to live together in peace. I followed those services with a huge celebration at the Maples Collegiate for Diwali–joyful, colourful and a packed gymnasium.

We don't think that much about these things in Manitoba and, Mr. Speaker, we're used to people working together and getting along from very diverse backgrounds and beliefs. But in many parts of the world, what I witness all the time in my schools and communities is unheard of. So I am grateful for what we have here.

I know I say this whenever I have the opportunity to do so, and I don't want to miss it, Mr. Speaker. I am forever amazed at the great work done by the people of Manitoba in our non-profits, in volunteer organizations, millions of hours of work put in every year by so many people in these areas, making Manitoba's communities better and stronger. One of my colleagues often talks about the fact that Manitoba is No. 1 in the volunteering category and Manitoba is No. 1 in the charitable-giving category and, as I mentioned earlier, millions of hours are donated every year in Manitoba. This may surprise people outside of Manitoba, but no one inside the province, I think.

Manitobans are people who care about others. That's who they are. They want everyone to have a chance at a good life. Yes, they care about themselves and their own families. They want a quality life for themselves, but you know what, Mr. Speaker? It doesn't have to be fancy for them. It doesn't have to involve the most expensive house or numerous vehicles or diamonds and furs. It needs to be affordable, needs to be comfortable, needs to be homey.

When I first began in this job and started knocking on doors, that's what I loved most about the people, was that they cared about everyone in the province, not just their own little world, not just Burrows, but the north, the south, the flood-affected, everyone. Manitobans are, themselves, pretty balanced. They care about a wide variety of things and they want everyone to have a chance.

The ones I've spoken to, for example, are often mystified by the fact that our cousins in the south don't have health care for all of the people. To them, it's a basic right. You shouldn't have to be worried about only getting health care if you're rich or have great insurance. It's about the dignity of the human being, Mr. Speaker, and it's clear to me that Manitobans believe in dignity for all, in the innate right to be valued and receive ethical treatment.

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I believe that this Throne Speech is balanced because that is what we have learned from Manitobans, that Manitobans want a balanced approach that helps all Manitobans, north, south, east and west, have a good quality of life. And being the givers that they are, they are willing to invest so that every Manitoban has this opportunity.

And Manitobans are practical, Mr. Speaker, they're not big on fluff. Tell them the facts, make sense, great, get on with it and get it done, and that's what we're doing. We have a long-term, focused plan described in this Throne Speech to keep doing that, getting what needs to be done, done, continuing to see Manitoba's economy grow even as the rest of the world has been suffering a significant recession. Whenever possible, we as a government are reducing costs. Those were laid out very clearly in the Throne Speech, things like the WRHA reduction, the reduction of civil servants, many others.

And there are no drastic cuts being foreshadowed in the Throne Speech. Things that matter most to Manitobans, like health care for all and education for all and programs for our youth and home care for those who want to remain in their family home as long as possible, and free cancer-care drugs, so people's focus on healing isn't diverted to fear of debt for drugs to stay alive. I think these are key for everyone in Manitoba.

Manitoba's economy is doing well. It's been doing well in spite of very serious economic uncertainties around the world. Around the world people have lost their jobs and some their homes. You know, recently the RBC, Canada's biggest bank, said that Manitoba is positioned as one of the strongest economies in Canada through the end of 2014. The miracle talked about in Maclean's in 2010 continues. I say not bad for the little province without the big ticket items like big oil or potash. But you know what, Mr. Speaker, it didn't really happen through a miracle. Government is about choices.

This Throne Speech is about choices. Our government, over the years, has been making good choices. Not perfect choices, because we're human, but good, solid, balanced choices that have led to that report by the RBC on Manitoba's economy. We're able to make these good choices because we listen to what Manitobans want. There are a number of factors, of course, and one important one is that this government continued to invest in Manitoba. No drastic slashing of the budget to throw thousands of people out of work. Careful investment in things like the expansion of the floodway and the building of access centres and schools and hospitals. We need these things and we need Manitobans working.

Robert Hogue, Toronto-based senior economist to the RBC, predicts the Manitoba economy will churn out 2.5 per cent GDP growth this year, compared with 1.7 per cent for all of Canada, with only a slight slowing for 2014. He also noted that Manitoba's unemployment rate will continue to be well below the national average, and that is huge. Investing in the economy, investing in training opportunities for our youth so that they have a chance for a future, investing in core infrastructure projects like those Manitobans have identified as being key such as roads and bridges and flood mitigation–those are essential to the province's future. Ignoring them only increases the cost for future generations. We need to keep building Manitoba as we have been. It has worked and it will continue to work and Manitobans will have jobs.

I don't know, Mr. Speaker, how many people in this room have experienced being jobless. I have not, personally. I've always been very fortunate to have had work, enough so that I could provide for my daughter and feel useful, that I could provide a place for her to live and eat and clothes for her. And I think I've mentioned before, I did have parents who lived through the depression. My dad would describe the fear he had of not being able to pay the bills, of possibly losing the farm because he couldn't pay the mortgage, the sense of hopelessness, the men he would see riding the rail searching for work so they could provide for their families. The fear of debt never left him. And I have a good imagination, and when I think about the drastic cuts to the budget that our opposition recommends, I feel sick about it. I know it will lead to job losses, possible homelessness; legislation that benefits the average Manitoban will not reach the floor.

You know, I used to train a course in which we gave a scenario about how a seemingly okay family could break down through a series of events that could happen to any one of us, Mr. Speaker. And the major event that led to that family breakdown in our scenario was that provider not being able to find work. It's not only the obvious loss of money that is essential to survival, but the feeling of being a failure in not taking care of your family.

In Manitoba right now, thankfully, we are used of working. Our unemployment rate continues to be one of the lowest in the country. I think sometimes we're so used of it that we don't realize how good we have it. Manitoba's unemployment remains in the 5s. In England, 7.5. In France, it's 10.9. In Spain and Greece, they're both in the 26s. The Greece youth unemployment rate, Mr. Speaker, is 57.3 per cent. There is nothing more important than having a job.

Major cuts to the budget and major cuts to essential projects are not the answer. We saw it in the '90s; it didn't work then, it won't work now. The 1‑per-cent-on-the-dollar increase to the PST, it was a difficult decision, but it was the responsible decision. It needed to be done in order to keep Manitoba growing. Not long ago, the federal government, as you know, announced their Canada build program. It's a much-needed acknowledgement by the federal government of the tremendous costs that need to be spent across the entire country on infrastructure projects. It's a 10-year program. It's an opportunity, Mr. Speaker, for Manitoba. And it requires a dollar‑for-dollar matching in order to access it. You could not afford to miss that opportunity. The Manitobans I've talked to understand that it isn't practical or smart to miss out. And they realize that none of these other needs, like schools and hospitals and personal care homes, are going to disappear. The 1-cent increase allows us to put the money into core infrastructure that is needed and still build the other essential projects.

Flood mitigation work, Mr. Speaker, needs to continue. The most recent report requires an output of $1 billion. We ignore that at our peril. As noted in the Throne Speech, every dollar raised will be fully dedicated to new investments in core infrastructure, and because of that 1-cent-on-the-dollar increase, 'we're'll' not have to cut and slash the programs and services that matter the most to the people of Manitoba. The continued uplift to our economy will contribute to our youth having the opportunity for a great future right here in Manitoba, by ensuring that there are good jobs and that they have the skills needed for those jobs. We will improve our higher education facilities and programs being offered around the province, not only in Winnipeg, but in Brandon and in the North. We will not cut early education or early childhood development, so our little ones will be able to reach grade 1 at the right level, ready to learn. Those are the keys to ending poverty.

I can't possibly cover everything in the Throne Speech in any detail. I would like to see every Manitoban take the time to read it–contains an exciting, dynamic vision for our future, covered a lot of areas: jobs and training; the economy; the fact that we're so fortunate in Manitoba to have clean, low‑cost, affordable energy, and the need to keep it that way by building for the future; literacy training; driver's licence; new technician courses; new master's programs; health care for all; consumer protection; quality child care and culture; investing in education, including the reduction of class sizes; improving shop classes so students can get a head start for later apprenticeships–and so many more–foundation to provide more young people in skilled trades with entrepreneurship, training and tools to start their own businesses; and helping bring newcomers to the province; reducing cancer and helping our kids to quit smoking; working to reduce poverty and create opportunities for folks with low incomes.

It covered a little bit of the legislation that I'm so proud of, Mr. Speaker, of being a part of, like the antibullying legislation and workplace health and safety. Who doesn't want our workers to go home at the end of the day alive and well? Well, no one on this side of the House, anyway.

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And why, why did we cover so many things, Mr. Speaker? Because that is what good government involves. That is what a balanced approach involves, multiple complex areas that cannot be covered in a 30-second sound bite. All work together to create a quality life for all. Good government means you look at the whole picture. You cannot have a one-pronged plan of drastic cuts to programs and services and the death of major projects that are our future, if you want Manitoba to be the kind of place we all want to live in and raise our families in and be proud of.

You know, the money going into these infrastructure projects and hydro projects and flood mitigation, that money will be going into the pockets of Manitobans, of construction workers, of truck drivers, of surveyors, of engineers, of electricians and heavy construction and food suppliers and so many others.

So Manitobans, Mr. Speaker, will be working. And because they're working, they will be spending in Manitoba's restaurants and stores and buying automobiles and homes. In fact, as noted by the RBC, the housing sector in Manitoba has been very robust over the last few years, and this year it continues to be a major generator of economic activity. And furniture and paint and furnaces and and and and and and. That is economic stimulation and growth.

Manitoba's a great place to live. It's family‑friendly and we're working to make it age‑friendly. It's affordable, with the lowest rates in the country for the basic utilities of electricity, home heating and auto insurance. It has the ballet, the symphony, big theatre and little theatre, with quirky, wonderful productions, musicians playing in bars–like the Bluesberries at the Windsor, who I think should have been famous–bands on the riverbank of the Forks, readings by our Manitoba writers and sports of all kinds, from soccer to football to hockey and kabaddi. Our kids here can afford to go to recreation centres and participate in all kinds of activities. They can afford to go to cultural events; they're often free in Manitoba. They can afford to get a higher education here after grade 12, because tuition fees are reasonable and 60 per cent comes back to you if you stay in our province.

The developments in hydro and in mining present a really exciting future for northern Manitobans, as thousands of jobs for skilled workers will be available. This offers so much possibility to the North and to those who live in the North, particularly with the young people of northern Manitoba. Our government will be working alongside the community leaders to make sure there is ample training to match the employment opportunities.

One of my colleagues recently went to the east coast for meetings where the other provinces were represented, and, you know, it's funny; outside of Manitoba, everyone recognizes how well Manitoba's doing and they want to know how we're doing it. Well, this Throne Speech should give them an excellent idea. We work with community in all the communities of Manitoba together to build Manitoba and to make it the kind of province that Manitobans want–a balanced, fair, visionary place that continues to build and move forward in every part of the province. As we said in the Throne Speech, we believe that all people deserve to have enough money to live with dignity and security, and I personally, Mr. Speaker, believe that that is the view of the majority of the giving, caring Manitobans that I have been privileged to meet because of this job.

Another of my colleagues was recently mentioning how humble Manitobans are, and perhaps that is part of the reason that so little is heard in Manitoba how well Manitoba is doing. Humility is a great virtue, but maybe it would be okay for Manitobans to give themselves a little applause on how well they are doing.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Before I begin, I would also like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines, and my thoughts and prayers are with the families and, in particular, members of this House who have family in the Philippines who are affected and to all my constituents who have family. It's been a humbling experience to see the devastation. And I know that those families could use all the support they can get, and I'm proud to be part of a government that's supplying that to them.

Mr. Speaker, it's a pleasure to rise in the House to support the 2013 Speech from the Throne. And, as much as I truly do love working in the constituency and appreciate the time that I'm able to be there and the time that I was able to be there since the last session and spend more time with the people of Concordia, I am excited to be back in this House and very excited to be working on legislation that I believe is very important to all Manitobans.

I do want to begin by thanking the–my constituents and thanking the people of Concordia. I'm so proud to represent them in this place. I believe the people of Concordia are hard-working people, and I continue to daily receive advice and support from them and I very much value this input, Mr. Speaker.

I believe the constituency of Concordia represents a fairly balanced snapshot of Manitobans, and so having their input I believe has helped make me a more well-rounded representative and proud to represent their interests and I believe all Manitobans' interests in this Legislature.

The constituents of Concordia put their faith in me. I look forward every day to coming to work to represent them the best that I can. And it's truly an honour to come to this building and to this place to work for them every day.

I also want to acknowledge some of my colleagues, those members of Cabinet–new members of Cabinet who have been appointed–and wanted to congratulate them in their new roles. We have, I think, an incredible government team here in this House, in Cabinet and in caucus and I really do think that we have the right dynamic, energetic group to lead us going forward in this province.

In particular, I wanted to mention my colleague from Rossmere, the new minister for immigration and labour. Congratulations. And, of course, she's an important part of our team in northeast Winnipeg, and as the new minister in our part of town, I know she's going to represent us very well. The member from Rossmere and I have worked together over the years in many capacities, and I think this is just going to be a great opportunity for us to continue that great relationship.

I also wanted to acknowledge those members who have moved on from Cabinet to new duties, to new challenges, to new stages in their lives.

And, you know, all members who have moved on, I believe, have handled themselves with incredible ability, with incredible poise and I've had the opportunity to work together with many of them in many different capacities, particularly in the committee hearings over the last few months. And it was awe-inspiring, I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, to see the value that they saw in input from the public and their ability to value every voice and to give the time to all Manitobans to express that opinion. And I think it's just an incredible testament to the quality of people that we have in this Chamber and the ministers that have served in that role; you've all been incredibly hard working.

You've given me as a new MLA so much guidance over the years and I really do appreciate the many things that you've done for myself, for all of us in caucus, in Cabinet and for all Manitobans. I wish you the best in your next steps in your careers.

As I said, Mr. Speaker, I'm very honoured to stand here today to second the 2013 Speech from the Throne and put on the record my support for this important document that I believe represents the values and priorities of all Manitobans. This Speech from the Throne in particular speaks to the pride Manitobans have in this province and speaks to their desire to see the province continue to grow and continue to move into the future.

Throne Speech 2013 focuses on the economy, and as a student of economics, I'm very much pleased to see that. But it doesn't just folk on–focus on the economy as an abstract; I believe it focuses on how the economy can work for people, how it can enable families to see a future and to build it here in this province. Manitobans want a strong, stable economy that works for them, not just for a select few. They want somewhere they can raise a family, where they can have opportunities for themselves and for their children and to see a bright future.

* (15:10)

Affordability is a big part of making a place livable for your average family. Manitobans are often called frugal; I believe this is a badge that we wear proudly. I know I do as a Mennonite and a Manitoban; I guess you could call that a double whammy. I can appreciate a good deal when I see one.

Affordability is key to ensuring quality of life–a good quality of life– and we've made great strides in that regard. Right now Manitobans pay the lowest rates in Canada for basic utilities, and in 2012 we enshrined that in legislation. We're sometimes compared to Saskatchewan–sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly. However, in this case, when compared to Saskatchewan, the average Manitoban would spend over $670 more on basic utilities as compared to Manitoba. And, in Ontario, the average Manitoban would spend $4,900 more every year per family. For those frugal Manitobans who make every penny count, these savings can be the difference between just squeaking by in other provinces and having real opportunities in Manitoba.

As a very recent graduate of the University of Manitoba–and I say very recent, as in the last six months–I've experienced our government's record on tuition first-hand. I'm not ashamed to say I began my undergraduate degree in 1999 and recently completed my master's degree in public administration, and so I got to see–I got to experience and to see the effects that the tuition freeze had over that career. It kept it affordable for myself and for other students that were in the same boat as me, working full time or part time to make ends meet in order to be able to experience and to take the opportunity of going to university. By tying tuition increases now to the rate of inflation, we've managed to keep tuition for university and college among the lowest and most affordable in the country, and, coupled with our nation-leading tuition rebate program, I believe it's a strong incentive for young Manitobans to stay in this province and to contribute to our society and to contribute to our economy.

I'm also proud to be part of a government that continues to make protecting consumers a top priority. We've been leaders in the country on consumer protection issues, such as car repairs, home warranties, cellphone contracts and payday loans. We will now continue to enact legislation that helps protect consumers, such as protecting car buyers, those seeking to renovate their home, addressing high-cost credit products that contribute to consumer debt and tackling misleading and unfair cable and Internet promotions. We will also be expanding the Pay As You Save program offered through Manitoba Hydro, and I know many of my constituents who have taken advantage of this program or currently taking advantage of this program, and I know just what a difference that can make in the quality of their lives. We're now expanding that to rental units to allow landlords to further improve living conditions in our communities without increasing rent for our tenants. I believe our government, by partnering with the private sector and leveraging our support with private investment, can make our communities a better place to live for all Manitobans.

But we understand, Mr. Speaker, that affordability is only one piece of the puzzle that makes Manitoba a great place to build a future. Giving people the tools that they need to access good jobs is both vital to our social well-being and to our economy. Throne Speech 2013 commits to creating 75,000 new jobs in Manitoba by 2020. By committing to building and repairing our existing infrastructure and building new infrastructure–a commitment of over $5 billion–we believe we can meet this goal, but we need to ensure that we have the trained and educated workforce of tomorrow to reach this goal. That's why we've worked very closely with the business community and with our schools and universities to ensure that we have the well-trained workforce that we require.

We know that skilled trades lead to well-paying, rewarding and meaningful jobs. A challenge we have is matching the right people to the right jobs, and it's a challenge that we're ready to meet head-on. Our government is committed to providing new tools that better help match apprentices to job openings and provide incentives for employers to hire more apprentices and grow their labour force. Training now begins at the high school level. I recently toured the technical-vocational programs at Kildonan-East in my constituency and got to see first-hand the incredible skills that students are learning to prepare them for the jobs of the future.

Kildonan-East features a variety of first-rate programs that all allow students to be more prepared and more focused on good careers than ever before; for instance, Kildonan-East features a successful culinary and pastry arts program that, coupled with the Red River College Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, which our government supported, has helped prepare students for the jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry, a growing industry in our province and beyond. It's enabled them to succeed in this exciting career, and I can say, Mr. Speaker, that I enjoy going to the school and enjoying their gourmet lunches that they provide for the community, and it's a real testament to the students and their ability that they can prepare and serve a meal for the community and bring people in to experience that incredible program.

Another program at Kildonan-East is the HVAC, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning program that gives students the basic training necessary to be successful in this challenging career. HVAC is a growing industry, as we know, and just in my constituency alone, Price Industries, which is a world leader in HVAC technologies and equipment and offers one of the best opportunities possible for students who are pursuing this field. I joined with other members of government to tour the Price facility recently, and we got to see first-hand the cutting-edge technology that they're developing. It's an exciting career, one that students at Kildonan-East will have access to, and they can start in high school, continue it on through college and actually work right here in our community.

Other programs such as the automotive program which we just announced support for and electrical for training students in electrical to become electricians. This was an incredible experience to see students actually working on framed–in a framed classroom where they can actually use the technology that's available to people in the industry and to make use of this exciting opportunity to be better in that field.

I'm also excited about our government's commitment to infrastructure, and this 2013 Throne Speech certainly speaks to that.

I know my constituents enjoy spending time outside of Winnipeg, and one of the places that they enjoy spending time are the beaches. Highway 59, Highway 9 are important vital access points to those communities, and I believe that by investing and committing to those infrastructure projects we'll continue to support the communities outside of Winnipeg and their local economies. Highway 75, our vital link, of course, to the United States, has seen record investment and will see more investment as we go forward. This is a historic commitment, unprecedented really, and one that I believe is unprecedented since the 1960s. We're seeing levels of investment in our province that we haven't seen in decades.

I could go on. The Throne–Speech from the Throne includes many, many elements that I believe will be helpful to my constituents and will speak directly to their values.

But I wanted to just end by saying this Speech from the Throne captures a sense of pride and optimism that I believe the people of Manitoba feel. It's the Manitoba way. We're practical, we're modest sometimes, but we're also compassionate and we're giving. We look out for each other. We also look after each other. We know that we're better as a province when we work together not just in our own self-interest and we're willing to meet the challenges of the future head-on.

We've made tough choices to put Manitobans on the right track, and we're playing the long game, not caving to media pressures. We believe that we're going to be well positioned to give the people of Manitoba the opportunities that they deserve.

By investing in the future and focusing on what matters most to families, we will continue to see our province grow and prosper, and we'll continue to be a place that I'm proud to call home.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

* (15:20)

Mr. Brian Pallister (Leader of the Official Opposition): I move, seconded by the member from Steinbach, that debate now be adjourned.

Motion agreed to.

* * *

Hon. Jennifer Howard (Acting Government House Leader): Would you see if it's the will of the House to call it 5 o'clock?

Mr. Speaker: Is it the will of the House to call it 5 p.m.? [Agreed]

The hour being 5 p.m., this House is adjourned and stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.