LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Friday, April 22, 2022
Madam 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.
We acknowledge we are gathered on Treaty 1 territory and that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk nations. We acknowledge Manitoba is located on the Homeland of the Red River Métis. We acknowledge northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit. We respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
Good morning, everybody. Please be seated.
Madam Speaker: Introduction of bills? Committee reports?
Hon. Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness): Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to table the supplement to the Estimates of expenditure for the Department of Mental Health and Community Wellness for the year 2022‑2023.
Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister of Environment, Climate and Parks–and I would note that the required 90 minutes notice prior to routine proceedings was provided in accordance with our rule 26(2).
Would the honourable minister please proceed with his statement.
Hon. Jeff Wharton (Minister of Environment, Climate and Parks): Today, I rise to celebrate Earth Day and the ongoing efforts to raise awareness on environmental issues worldwide. This year's theme is Invest in Our Planet, calling upon the need to accelerate solutions to address climate change. The science is clear and conclusive: climate change is a real threat to the well-being of Manitoba's economy, ecosystems and communities. But we can invest in resiliency that builds on our strengths and positions us for a sustainable future.
Manitoba is well positioned to live up to this year's theme. Our Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan has set forth a solid strategy towards greenhouse gas emission reductions and protection of our land, air, water, while recognizing the importance of growing Manitoba's green economy and the ongoing need to address climate change.
Manitoba has a tradition of leading in this way. From hydroelectricity to protecting forests and wetlands, Manitobans have always understood the connection between nature and community. We continue to make smart investments in clean technology and green jobs, while reducing our carbon pollution. We understand the benefits that an integrated climate and green plan will have to both both our environment and economy. It is also imperative that we continue to work with Indigenous communities as we co-develop a greener Manitoba.
Over the past year, we reduced greenhouse gas emissions within transportation sector by providing incentives to heavy equipment owners to install fuel-saving devices on their trucks and trailers. We also increased the biofuel mandate for gasoline and diesel.
In Budget 2022 we invested $1.5 million into green initiatives through the Conservation and Climate Fund. This funding is used for pilot projects that advance the transition to green energy such as by converting vehicles from fossil fuels to electric power. It has also promoted healthy ecosystems by supporting projects that restore natural areas and improve water quality for the Lake Winnipeg basin through nutrient reduction efforts.
Budget 2022 also includes an investment of $50.7 million towards the cleanup of orphaned and abandoned mines across the province. This further illustrates our government's commitment to protecting the environment and contributing to environmental sustainability.
Our government is also working with expert consultants to develop a new, long-term energy strategy for Manitoba. This strategy will build on our existing value as producer of renewable, clean, low-carbon electricity.
Madam Speaker, making Manitoba a climate-resilient province is a vision that we can achieve with the help of all Manitobans. As I join all Manitobans, we are celebrating Earth Day today, I encourage everyone to think of how you personally can contribute to making a greener, cleaner Manitoba.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): This year's Earth Day theme is Invest in Our Planet.
We need to take a moment to reflect on what sorts of investments we're making for Earth as individuals, as a province and as a country.
Many Manitobans have taken real steps to become more environmentally conscious as the threat of global warming increases by composting, choosing electric vehicles and giving back to environment organizations.
Unlike other provinces, like Saskatchewan and Alberta, who rely heavily on coal and gas for their electricity needs, Manitoba is perfectly situated to be a leader in sustainable, renewable energy through hydro and wind energies.
Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, we have a PC government that has done less than the bare minimum since 2016 when taking office.
This PC caucus invested Manitoba tax dollars in costly and failed legal battles against the federal government. They've only invested 9 per cent of the federal government's Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, compared to 100 per cent fund allocation from Quebec and British Columbia.
And right now, Madam Speaker, they're focused on allowing more pesticides into Manitoba soil. It's approaches like this that degrade our environment and have led to a 10 per cent increase in CO2 admissions since the PCs took office. These decisions will provide a poor return on investment.
As temperatures and ocean levels rise, we need to make better, more comprehensive decisions for a more sustainable future. Our NDP team will continue to champion environmental justice and reduce carbon admissions in this province and certainly around the world, including working in partnership with Indigenous peoples all across our province.
Finally, today, and every day, Madam Speaker, here are some small steps to help sustain and honour our earth: reduce your carbon footprint–become a vegetarian or a vegan or, at a minimum, reduce your meat and dairy consumption. Believe and listen to scientists. Elect people who are truly committed to the environment. Build a better public transit system. Reduce waste. Reusable utensils, cups, dishes, bags–recycle and reuse.
And, Madam Speaker, finally, think seven generations ahead as Indigenous peoples have done–
Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired.
Mr. Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): I ask for leave to speak in response to the ministerial statement.
* (10:10)
Madam Speaker: Does the member have leave to respond to the ministerial statement? [Agreed]
Mr. Lamont: It's Earth Day, and we've been talking about climate change for a very long time–long before Earth Day, in fact.
This is from an article from the Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal; the headline is coal consumption is affecting climate: The furnaces of the world are now burning about 2 billion tons of coal a year. When this is burned, uniting with oxygen, it adds about 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere yearly. This tends to make the air a more effective blanket for the earth to raise its temperature.
That was from 1912, fully 110 years ago, in a mining journal.
We've seen commitment after commitment over climate change fail, unfortunately–the Kyoto Accord–and we've seen active opposition for decades, either watering down or outright obstruction by political parties, governments and interest groups.
Conservation is about protecting what is precious to us and not needlessly wasting resources. This is from the Auditor General's report of 2017, said that the December 2015 plan had only high‑level strategies. It lacked accompanying details as well as estimates of expected emissions, reductions and costs.
It was also short-lived. After Manitoba's provincial election in April 2016, the government announced it was developing a new climate change plan and department officials told us the targets in the 2015 plan were under review. As of July 2017, no new plan had been released.
Yesterday, in an update, the Auditor General said, quote: The department has examples of plans, but no targets or costs. And the department has publicly issued one report with minimal information, just as we are being told we are at a 'tippiting'–a tipping point about whether the planet we live on will be livable.
Of all the parties in this province, Manitoba Liberals are the only ones who have committed to making Manitoba not just carbon neutral but carbon negative by 2030. And of all the jurisdictions in Canada, Manitoba has the most to offer and the most to gain from action on climate change. We know that things can change and get better when we put in the effort.
Manitoba is home to some of the greatest conservation and comeback stories in the world.
A former Métis Speaker of this House, James McKay, together with Charles Alloway, helped bring back the bison in a conservation effort across North America. At one point there were only 1,000 bison in North America, and they gathered a herd whose descendants are still at the Assiniboine zoo–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Lamont: –Banff and across North America. The North American bison herd–thanks, in part, to James McKay–is now at 500,000.
We can heal and recover, and we can leave a better province to our children and our future.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Hon. Rochelle Squires (Minister of Families): Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honour a remarkable woman who lives in my constituency of Riel.
Shayna Giesbrecht is a master's candidate in microbiology at the University of Manitoba and recently competed in the University of Manitoba's 10th annual Three Minute Thesis competition, placing as a finalist for her presentation titled: Molecular detection and quantification of the prevalence of sexually transmitted blood-borne infections in Canadian waste water samples.
Shayna is a hard-working student. In June 2021, she completed her bachelor of science degree at the University of Manitoba, managing to spend every single semester on the dean's honour list.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a major source of motivation for Shayna to pursue her studies in microbiology, and she has since dedicated much of her time to her thesis, which focuses on developing and optimizing methods to detect commonly sexually transmitted blood-borne infections from wastewater. She hopes her work will be especially impactful in remote communities where access to STI testing can be limited.
Beyond the classroom, Shayna is an outstanding athlete. Competing on both the track-and-field and cross-country teams at the University of Manitoba, Shayna has been an Academic All-Canadian star five times.
Recently, Shayna has also won the Howard Lees Scholarship in Microbiology and was offered a Canadian Institute of Health Research award through the Tri-Agency.
Shayna is a remarkable role model for women and girls in STEM. Outside of her studies, she is also a devoted sister, daughter and granddaughter to a large and loving family living in my constituency of Riel.
I ask all my colleagues to help me honour Shayna Giesbrecht for the contributions that she has made to our great city and province.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Adrien Sala (St. James): I'm honoured to rise in the Chamber to recognize St. James resident and acclaimed songwriter, producer, poet and multi-instrumentalist, Scott Nolan, for his contributions to music and the arts in Manitoba.
Manitoba has a rich and vibrant musical landscape, one that Scott has had a hand in shaping and greatly contributing to. He's a master storyteller and performer with a keen interest in the human condition, and his songs have been recorded by some of the most well-known artists and roots and Americana music, including Hayes Carll and Mary Gauthier. Scott has released a total of nine albums, all of which are marked by his craftsman-like approach to songwriting.
In addition to his work as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Scott is also a talented producer who has recorded and produced records for some of the most beloved names in modern folk music, including Adam Carroll and famed Canadian folk songwriter Stephen Fearing. He also produced and recorded the debut record by the incredibly talented Indigenous songwriter William Prince, who he continues to collaborate with on musical projects.
In 2019, Scott published a book of his poetry entitled Moon Was a Feather, which evolved from a routine of long walks he began to help him quit smoking. The poems within are spare and eloquent, with a healthy dose of grit, and they chronicle a difficult youth, friendships and his experiences as a musician.
With a desire to work with people, Scott also shares his gifts with the community by visiting prisons and inner-city schools to provide inclusive musical programming for all.
At a time where social divisions seem heightened, the power of music reminds us about the importance of fostering connection and unity among people from all walks of life.
I'd like to ask all members to join me in thanking and honouring Scott Nolan, who joins us here today in the Chamber along with his parents, for his extraordinary contributions to music and the arts in Manitoba.
Hon. Andrew Smith (Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage): I rise today to talk about the importance of autism awareness.
Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a lifelong neurodevelopment disorder that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people in the world around them. It affects the–one's sensory processing capabilities, their body language and posture, their social interactions and relationships and how they engage with others regarding their interests.
ASD exists in all cultures, ethnicities, races and genders, and has been increasingly on the rise, not only globally, but right here in our own communities. Statistically, boys are four more–four times more likely to have ASD than girls: one in 42 versus one in 165; 20 years ago, those statistics were three times less than they are today.
Currently, approximately 1 per cent of the world's population–about 75 million people–have ASD. Canada's percentage is statistically higher, twice the global average, with about 2 per cent of Canada's population, which is around 800,000 people who have ASD, predominantly children and youths. In our own province, the total is 1.7 per cent or about 30,000 Manitobans.
A couple of those Manitobans I do know personally, as they live in my constituency. Tristian de Rocquigny, a very bright 11-year-old boy, whose parents are Francois and Chantal de Rocquigny; and Cyrus Banjavich, a clever two-year-old boy, whose parents are Ashley Gaboury and Geoff Banjavich, who is my constituency assistant.
Being a parent to an ASD child is often challenging, one that requires many community supports. Early diagnosis and subsequent enhanced educational needs are crucial to the proper development of children with ASD.
Our government takes this matter very seriously, as we recently announced in the Budget 2022 that will provide $5 million to reduce wait times for services provided to Children's disABILITY Services program.
Even with our current highly advanced medical technology, experts have yet to determine the cause of ASD, nor is there any sort of cure–
Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired.
Some Honourable Members: Leave.
Madam Speaker: Is there leave to allow him to conclude his statement? [Agreed]
Mr. Smith: Even with our highly advanced medical technology, experts have yet to determine the cause for ASD, nor is there any sort of cure. Unfortunately, there is no simple medical test for ASD, as the vast majority of cases currently seem to lack a clear genetic component.
I encourage all members–encourage all Manitobans to understand and learn more about ASD and how it affects people living in our communities.
Thank you.
Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): I rise today to recognize the outstanding work of the Concordia Foundation and the important work that they have played in–the role that they have played in building and expanding health care in northeast Winnipeg, even as this PC government has cut services.
* (10:20)
Concordia Foundation has been a consistent leader on–in health care, always with a new and innovative project on the go. Over the years, they have spearheaded the Concordia Child Care Centre, Concordia Place PCH, the Concordia Community Clinic and the establishment of the hip and knee institute, including its recent addition of a chair in 'arthoplasty' research.
Working with Concordia Wellness Projects, they were instrumental in developing Concordia Village, including 45 units of affordable housing for adults and families with mental health needs. Their most ambitious project remains the Concordia health and fitness centre, a project I was proud to help secure provincial government support for in writing.
Sadly, as this government's first order of business, the member for Radisson (Mr. Teitsma), the member for Rossmere (Mr. Micklefield) tore up that agreement and refused to advocate for their constituents.
I'm happy to report that, six years later, the foundation still intends to move forward, albeit still without provincial government support, develop–to develop this fitness centre as part of a larger housing project.
Six years of PC cuts have left our health-care system in shambles. Their reckless cuts have resulted in exhausted staff, excruciatingly long wait times and closed services. Now, with 170,000 people on the surgical wait-list, this government still won't abandon their austerity agenda, and their latest plan to rely on fundraising by the community to help clean up their mess is a day late and a dollar short. Instead of having the freedom to–and ability to work on new projects, the Concordia Foundation has been forced to focus on filling the gaps in health care.
Thank you to all the donors and supporters of Concordia Foundation for working tirelessly for the community. I'll continue to advocate for strong health care in Manitoba to ensure that local organizations like Concordia Foundation can turn their focus on developing new projects, not just cleaning up the mess left by this PC government.
Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): A Rapid City veteran was recently honoured for his 75 years of service to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 49.
Arthur Garnet Bayes, who will celebrate his 102nd birthday on May 22nd, received a certificate of recognition and a pin to mark this significant milestone at a private luncheon at the Brandon Legion club room.
Art was born on the family farm in the Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan and was educated at the McBride School. He was forced to leave school in grade 9 after his appendix ruptured, and then decided to stay home to help his father on the farm.
When war broke out, Art tried several times to enlist, but was denied each time for medical reasons. Finally, in 1944, he was accepted and joined the infantry corps at the age of 24.
While undergoing basic training in Fort Garry, Art came down with scarlet fever and spent a month in the hospital. He was then sent to the casualty re-training centre in Portage la Prairie to recuperate before returning to Fort Garry to complete his basic training. He then moved on to Camp Shilo for advanced training.
Art figured he missed his chance to go overseas in the fall of 1944 while on leave to help his father during harvest. When he inquired as to why he wasn't called to join the war in Europe, he was told he was medically unfit for action.
Art Bayes was discharged in the fall of 1945 and returned to the Rapid City area to farm, where he joined the Legion, along with his four brothers. He farmed until 1988, when he and his wife Helen retired to Minnedosa.
On behalf of all Manitobans, I want to thank Mr. Bayes for his determination to join the Canadian army despite his medical issues, and congratulate him on 75 years of service to the Royal Canadian Legion in Rapid City.
Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): Madam Speaker, the waits at St. Boniface emergency room are the longest that the doctors working there have ever seen. All the beds are filled when a doctor starts their shift, and there's nowhere to transfer those patients to over the ensuing hours that those physicians serve.
They are saying this is the worst that it's ever been, and they say that the government is, quote, afraid to be seen to be open about their problems and to actually listen to good advice. End quote. Sure sounds like this government, I'll say.
Why is the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) ignoring the worst crisis ever in our hospitals?
Hon. Cliff Cullen (Deputy Premier): The member opposite is completely wrong.
We are investing $7.2 billion in health care in this year's budget. Madam Speaker, a record investment in health care–over $1 billion more than the NDP ever put into health care in Manitoba.
In respect of St. Boniface, we've committed $100 million capital to the ER in St. Boniface Hospital.
Madam Speaker, are the opposition members going to vote for that $100‑million investment, or against it?
Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question.
Mr. Kinew: Madam Speaker, the Deputy Premier talks about capital when we know that the issue is a staffing crisis. They need operating, so their plan is wrong with a capital W.
Madam Speaker, nearly one in three patients left the Health Sciences emergency room without even being seen by a doctor last July. We can measure the PC failure when it comes to health care in how it impacts the patients, one in three of whom were not even seen by a doctor after trying to go to an emergency room–an emergency room.
Medical emergencies, people being turned away without health care: such is the state of health under the PCs in Manitoba.
Why is the Premier and the Deputy Premier refusing to listen to the experts on the front lines?
Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, what's happened, in fact, is the experts are telling and–to make investments in health care, and we are making historic investments in health care to the tune of $7.2 billion.
We recognize there's challenges in terms of the surgery and diagnostic backlog. That's why we've got a group of experts at the table, in terms of the task force on how to reduce that backlog. We've also committed $110 million to reduce that backlog. In addition to that, we've set in contingencies in this budget to deal with the backlog as well.
So, we are taking advice from experts in the field, and we're making strategic and historic investments in health care.
Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary.
Mr. Kinew: It's funny that my colleague across the aisle raises the subject of advice, because those doctors at the St. Boniface emergency room who were speaking out, they've touched on the topic of advice as well. Turns out they've been offering advice to this government for years and all they've been greeted with, and I'll quote here, is silence or pushback. End quote. [interjection]
And, again, as the member for Morden-Winkler (Mr. Friesen) heckles the doctors right now, much as he attacked them on a personal level during the darkest periods of–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Kinew: –the pandemic, I don't think anyone in Manitoba–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Kinew: –is surprised–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Kinew: –to hear that this government greets physicians with, quote, silence or pushback.
Will the Premier listen? Will the member for Morden-Winkler apologize? And will this government stop their cuts to health care?
Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, our government is committed to record investments: $7.2 billion in health care, $1 billion more than the NDP every put into health care.
We're addressing the backlogs; we've made commitments for additional beds in hospitals here in Manitoba, additional ICU capacity as well. We're also adding areas for education–'eduking'–educating nurses to the tune of 400 additional spaces.
We're dealing with those challenges. We're taking advice from the experts in the field. We have a plan to make sure that Manitobans get the health care they deserve, when they deserve it; as opposed to the NDP, who has no plan.
Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a new question.
Mr. Wab Kinew (Leader of the Official Opposition): Madam Speaker, who can believe this government on health care? They've made all those commitments before, and they've broken them every single time.
Now Manitobans are confronted with a cost-of-living crisis, and this government, once again, is failing them.
We know that inflation was at 7.4 per cent in Manitoba last month–on an annual basis. That's higher than the Canadian average. It is impacting families when they go to the grocery store, when they go to the gas station and, of course, when they open their Manitoba Hydro bills each and every month.
The PCs have no plan to help Manitobans. Their only plan is to make life more expensive, and then to send a reminder to everyone's email inboxes about the higher bills we have to pay under their watch.
Will the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) simply reverse course and stop raising hydro rates today?
* (10:30)
Hon. Cliff Cullen (Deputy Premier): Well, Madam Speaker, I think Manitobans will remember what happened under the NDP watch in health care. That was the party that closed 20 emergency rooms in Manitoba.
We're not going back to the dark days under the NDP. That's why we're making record investments in health care.
Madam Speaker, Manitobans, I know, recognize affordability, and we are taking steps in this budget to assist Manitobans, and I think top priority for Manitobans is $10-a-day child care. We're making investments in that. We're working with the industry in that. We're going to educate more ECEs–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Cullen: We're going to open more spaces and we're going have more child-care educators on-hand in Manitoba.
Those are the kind of things that Manitobans have asked for and those are the things we're delivering in the budget, and the NDP have no plan.
Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question.
Mr. Kinew: Madam Speaker, I simply have to note that the usual PC criticism of the federal Liberals is, for some reason, muted this morning, and all of a sudden they're bigging up the federal investments in child care.
But we know where the PCs are failing Manitobans, perhaps, most greatly: it's when we talk about the cost of living. They've been an absolute failure on health care and under their watch, the cost of living continues to rise.
At the Cabinet table, they sign off on increases to the price of milk. Under their watch, not only do they encourage Manitoba Hydro to raise rates on hard-working Manitobans, but they actually march in here time and time again to legislate those rate increases where they all stand and vote to be counted as their constituency names are read off, making life more difficult for their constituents.
Why are they so out of touch? Why won't they stop raising hydro rates and raising the cost of living on Manitobans?
Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, we recognize affordability is a challenge for Manitobans, and that's why we've provided probably the biggest tax rebate in Manitoba history when it comes to property taxes. This year we're increasing the property tax rebate to 37 and a half per cent. That amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars back in the pockets of Manitobans.
And when it comes to affordability–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order. Order.
Mr. Cullen: And when it comes to affordability in terms of gas tax, maybe the federal Liberals would like to take the advice of the western premiers and actually pause the carbon tax on Manitobans so that hard-working Manitobans aren't taxed, aren't forced to pay extra taxes.
Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final supplementary.
Mr. Kinew: Well, that is the PC approach in a nutshell, isn't it, Madam Speaker? You post a letter on Twitter and then you go back to the Cabinet table and preside over increases to hydro rates, increases to the cost of milk and increases to the cost of living–writ large–as it affects the good people of Manitoba.
On this side of the House, we say that hydro bills should be cheaper. That's why we oppose this government's Bill 36, because it will only make the situation worse. The government should withdraw this terrible bill today.
With the cost of living crisis being what it is, why is the Deputy Premier so intent on ramming through legislation that's only going to make life more expensive for people in Manitoba?
Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, the member opposite is dead wrong in this file.
Madam Speaker, we recognize–and Manitobans recognize–the last construction under the NDP watch was over $4 billion over budget. They said that Manitobans wouldn't foot the bill. Manitobans know now they got to foot the bill for NDP mismanagement, and this was going on for years.
We have brought Bill 36 in so that we are addressing affordability for Manitobans.
The NDP don't care about affordability for Manitobans. We do. Provisions under Bill 36 will protect Manitoba Hydro and it will 'potect' Manitoba ratepayers.
MLA Uzoma Asagwara (Union Station): Throughout the pandemic, front-line professionals were not given the equipment that they needed. Twelve-year-old masks were distributed. Daycare centres and residential care facilities were given expired surgical masks. This government even bought $16 million worth of masks that can't even be used.
Now, over two years into this pandemic, we're receiving reports of expired personal protective equipment being distributed to ICU nurses and health-care aides.
Why does the minister think it's okay to hind up–to hand out expired PPE to front-line health professionals?
Hon. Reg Helwer (Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services): Well, perhaps the member opposite lived in a different world during the pandemic.
There was a world-wide shortage of PPE, Madam Speaker, and we scoured the world and we partnered with 'manutoba' manufacturers to create that PPE to be made in Manitoba.
We received some PPE from–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Helwer: –the federal government, and we followed their guidelines and the guidelines of Public Health on what and when and where it should be used, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Union Station, on a supplementary question.
MLA Asagwara: Madam Speaker, I've been living in the same city that these health-care workers are working in and receiving expired PPE from this government. I'll table the pictures taken by ICU staff right here in Winnipeg. They show gowns that expired last August–more than eight months ago. Nurses report to us that their skin breaks out in a rash if exposed to this PPE.
Madam Speaker, this is unacceptable. Our ICU nurses and allied health-care professionals have worked under incredibly difficult circumstances for the past two years now. They should have current supplies that are safe for them to use.
Why is expired personal protective equipment being given to ICU nurses and allied health-care professionals?
Mr. Helwer: Well, again, we followed the guidelines of Public Health and Shared Health on what is provided for PPE. They ensure that it's safe for use.
We want to make sure that our front-line staff is safe in the world that they work in, Madam Speaker, not the world of members opposite, because it encompasses all of Manitoba. We're working to keep our staff safe.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Union Station, on a final supplementary.
MLA Asagwara: Madam Speaker, the PC government sent 10-year-old masks to teachers and to daycares.
In 2020, long-expired PPE was given to our front-line health workers. This government spent millions on a haphazard campaign that included $16 million on masks that couldn't even be used.
Now, two years into this pandemic, there's still expired PPE in rotation that causes rashes and irritation for nurses and health-care professionals. This should never have happened, Madam Speaker, and it needs to be fixed by this minister and government.
Why is expired personal protective equipment being given to ICU nurses and allied health-care professionals here in Winnipeg?
Mr. Helwer: Well, I can't say enough about the partners that we've created throughout the pandemic that partnered with us from the private sector, Madam Speaker, to make sure that we had PPE available for Manitobans, PPE available for those front-line nurses and doctors.
Entire companies changed their entire factories over to supply gowns for us, Madam Speaker. [interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Helwer: They changed things on a dime and they were able to respond and they are still responding to the needs of Manitobans.
Mrs. Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): Last month, I raised a serious situation.
When a person claims CPP early, it results in a large reduction to the money they receive for the rest of their lives. I raised the case of Bertrand Murdoch, who has now been cut off EIA because he refused to take CPP early. Mr. Murdoch is now facing eviction and is having to borrow food from his children.
Why won't the minister help Mr. Murdoch and immediately stop this practice of forcing EIA recipients to claim CPP early?
* (10:40)
Hon. Rochelle Squires (Minister of Families): The member well knows that EIA clients who are receiving the disability income stream do not have to take the CPP early. That is–that was a change that our government made, something that side never made.
Our government is going through a major transformation with EIA and ensuring that we move all people with disabilities into a separate income support program for people with severe and prolonged disabilities.
We're doing many other initiatives to enhance the lives of people who are on EIA, something that government never did.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, on a supplementary question.
Mrs. Smith: That minister will know that they cut off Bertrand Murdoch from EIA disability benefits three months prior without even giving him so much as a letter.
The Manitoba Court of Appeal already found that it was inappropriate for the government to force people on EIA disability to claim CPP early. Rather than accept this precedent, the government continues to fight, force those on regular EIA benefits to claim CPP early. This should stop. Mr. Murdoch deserves a life of dignity. Fortunately–that is not how he is being treated.
Why won't this minister help Mr. Murdoch and immediately stop this practice of forcing EIA recipients to claim CPP early?
Ms. Squires: Well, in addition to kicking 26 per cent of all recipients on a Manitoba Housing wait-list, that government, when they were in office, they never moved any on the CPP issue and that all people, whether they had disabilities or not, were compelled to take the CPP at their earliest convenience. Our government changed that practice.
Our government is also investing $650 million in the Department of Families to provide employment and income and rental assistance to Manitobans in this year's budget. The question is, is why are they going to vote against $650 million for families, low-income families, like the constituent that the member opposite raises today?
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Point Douglas, on a final supplementary.
Mrs. Smith: It's unfortunate that that minister continues to kick people off of EIA that are eligible for CPP just so they can force them to take CPP.
The cost of living is going up by 6 per cent. Mr. Murdoch, like all Manitobans, is concerned whether he will have enough money just for the basics as he gets older. Forcing early CPP means people like Mr. Murdoch will get less–one third less–for the rest of their life. It locks elderly people into poverty.
Why won't the minister help Mr. Murdoch and immediately stop this practice of forcing EIA recipients to claim CPP early?
Ms. Squires: In addition to quadrupling the Rent Assist budget since our government took office, this year we are investing $22 million more in EIA–in Rent Assist programs so that people, whether they're living on EIA or not, can find suitable arrangements, a place to live.
We are also making other significant investments in this year's budget to enhance the lives of people living on EIA or who are low income, including investing in the Single Parent Employment Program, including helping give people the skills and the opportunities that they need and including working with people with disabilities so that they can have a separate income support program that is separate and apart, taking them off of EIA and into a separate income support program, something that government never did.
Mr. Ian Bushie (Keewatinook): Yesterday, the Auditor General released a scathing report into this government's lack of action on its legislated–legislated–responsibilities towards reconciliation.
In reference to The Path to Reconciliation Act, he says, and I quote: It has been over five years since the act was passed. Although required by the act, we found the government of Manitoba had not developed a strategy for reconciliation.
Why hasn't this government developed a strategy as required by law?
Hon. Alan Lagimodiere (Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations): On behalf of the Manitoba government, I'd like to thank the Office of the Auditor General for its review of the–Manitoba's Implementation of The Path to Reconciliation Act.
We respect and appreciate the Auditor General's taking the time to review and report back on Manitoba's path to reconciliation. It's important for us to have all departments have independent reviews and, as a government, we embrace transparency, openness, accountability and responsiveness.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Keewatinook, on a supplementary question.
Mr. Bushie: The transparency of that is they're, in fact, doing nothing.
Madam Speaker, the Auditor General surveyed Indigenous leadership: 94 per cent of leadership felt the Province had not been respectful in their interaction with Indigenous peoples. Leaders told the Auditor of examples of disrespect, including meetings where decisions had already been made and then publicly claimed engagement had occurred.
This government's first step was supposed to be to complete a strategy, something they haven't done in six years.
Again, why haven't they developed a strategy, as required by law?
Mr. Lagimodiere: Thank you for the question.
I would like to thank my colleague, the former minister of Indigenous and Northern Relations, for building a strong foundation for reconciliation within the department. I would like to remind the member that this is–the report is a historical review now; however, it is still important to us.
I would like to thank our new Premier (Mrs. Stefanson). Within her time as leader, we have a new path, a new direction for respectful and collaborative approach to reconciliation.
Reconciliation is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to advancing a provincial reconciliation strategy built on meaningful engagement with all Manitobans and developed in partnership with Indigenous people.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Keewatinook, on a final supplementary.
Mr. Bushie: They 'caim' to be on a new path, but still have the same Cabinet at the table.
Madam Speaker, we all know that Brian Pallister did serious damage to Manitoba's relationship with Indigenous people. This government has taken so many wrong steps in their approach, but the same people–the same people, mind you, who helped and enabled Brian Pallister–are still around that Cabinet table today.
The problems the Auditor General highlights are as true today as they were eight months ago. The PCs have not developed a strategy for reconciliation, as required by legislation.
Why has this government failed in its obligations? Why haven't they developed a reconciliation strategy, as required, again, by law?
Mr. Lagimodiere: I just want to put on the record that, in the coming days and weeks, our department will be doing–examining the Auditor General's report in further depth and detail, and we look forward to continuing our work with First Nations, Métis and Inuit leadership and communities across the province.
I want to point out to everyone here in the House today that there is a historic event happening today with an announcement that's going to be made a little later on regarding the historic Hudson Bay building in Manitoba.
So, stay tuned.
Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): We know that there's one set of rules for the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) and one set of rules for the rest of us.
First, she brushed off failing to disclose her $31 million in property sales and, again, Madam Speaker, she called it an oversight. Then she helped award a contract to the Exchange Income Corporation, despite her husband having a direct financial interest in that company: another conflict of interest.
The Province just announced a notice of proposed procurement for medical aviation services, an industry in which EIC is directly involved. I'll table the documents now, Madam Speaker.
Will the Premier recuse herself from any dealings with EIC today?
Hon. Cliff Cullen (Deputy Premier): In fact, members opposite actually haven't brought any proof to the table whatsoever. Obviously, it's day after day of wild allegations, you know, with no credibility attached to them, Madam Speaker.
I will say, we actually are tendering, and that is something positive, because the previous government, under the NDP, did not tender. They provided sole-source contracts, Madam Speaker.
What do they have against tendering?
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Johns, on a supplementary question.
Ms. Fontaine: Given the Premier and her family's financial interest in EIC, she should recuse herself from any dealings with them, Madam Speaker.
Maybe she's being blinded by the $43,000 that EIC executives and their related lawyers donated to her leadership campaign–again, Madam Speaker, nearly 8 per cent of her total funding.
* (10:50)
Contracts for–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Ms. Fontaine: –government services, never mind one as important as medical aviation services, should not be determined by campaign donations.
Will the Premier do the right thing and recuse herself from awarding any contracts to EIC?
Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, again, groundless accusations being made by members opposite here against the Premier and her family.
Certainly, exchange income group is a fine, upstanding, Manitoba-based company. They have hundreds of jobs here in Manitoba, hundreds of jobs all across Canada. They should be praising Manitoba companies that are doing great work here in Manitoba: companies like exchange, creating jobs; companies like Pallister [phonetic] furniture, creating jobs; companies like Ubisoft that are coming here, creating jobs; companies like WestJet here creating jobs; companies like Roquette here creating jobs.
Madam Speaker, thousands–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Cullen: –hundreds of Manitobans donated to the Premier's campaign, Madam Speaker, and Manitobans all across the province donated. I wonder why the previous NDP candidate–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired. [interjection]
Order. Order.
The honourable member for St. Johns, on a final supplementary.
Ms. Fontaine: When EIC benefits, so does the Premier's family. It's very simple. The Premier having any involvement with awarding contracts to EIC is therefore a conflict of interest. Plain, Madam Speaker.
However, we've seen that the Premier believes the rules don't apply to her, and that's simply just wrong, Madam Speaker.
Will the Premier start following the rules like the rest of us by recusing herself from any dealings with EIC today?
Mr. Cullen: Well, Madam Speaker, this is typical of the NDP: a campaign of fear and slander, preambles that are completely dishonest.
Just because she comes and repeats the allegations day after day does not make them truthful. Madam Speaker, there's no conflict of interest here. The member should step out and talk about it with the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, because there's no conflict of interest here.
Manitobans have worked hard to build this province. Companies work hard to build this province, Madam Speaker. We should be supporting those companies that support Manitobans to create jobs, create wealth here in Manitoba, because these companies support public health, education and all those other social services that Manitobans come to respect.
Mr. Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface): There aren't many surprises in the budget, but there is some alarming news.
On page 117, which I table, there's a chart that shows the number of people leaving Manitoba–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Lamont: –in 2020-21 was 19,265, the highest it's been in 24 years.
So, no wonder there are labour shortages. We need to give people reasons to stay for–but, for six years, this government has given Manitobans thousands and thousands of reasons to leave.
Given that minimum wage is low and the PCs' respect for workers is even lower, is there a plan to actually encourage people to stay in Manitoba?
Hon. Cameron Friesen (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his newfound interest in the budget.
I would probably suggest to him he doesn't need to table the budget. I was proud to actually table the budget and budget information last week on Tuesday when our government delivered our plan to recover from the global pandemic to build the Manitoba economy, to invest in health care and to help keep life affordable for all Manitobans.
I would direct that member's attention to the budget, which really provides some historic relief to Manitoba families, which we think will go a long way towards helping people stay in Manitoba and attract newcomers to Manitoba.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Boniface, on a supplementary question.
Mr. Lamont: During the U of M strike, it was clear that our biggest university struggled to keep people just to teach nursing and computer science because salaries weren't competitive.
Doctors, educators, young people have all left this province for lack of government support, and it's not just last year. The number of people leaving Manitoba has been getting worse every single year since this government was elected in 2016. I table the StatsCan document. Since the PCs were elected, 86,916 people have left Manitoba, not counting this last year.
We've had half a dozen economic panels that are supposed to be advising this government.
Why hasn't this government come up with anything concrete to keep people in Manitoba after more than half a decade in power?
Hon. Jon Reyes (Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration): Madam Speaker, our government has been consulting with our post-secondary partners as we are working collaboratively to improve the Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy, which focuses on four high-level objects: anticipate skills needed for the future; align post-secondary education and training and immigration to labour market needs, and help students and newcomers succeed now and into the future; foster entrepreneurial and innovative skills; grow, attract and retain talent.
Madam Speaker, our government will continue to support our post-secondary partners–who took the 'ideolocological' approach to post-secondary education in Manitoba.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for River Heights, on a final supplementary.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, a notable outcome of overall government policy is whether more people come to Manitoba for–from other provinces or more people leave.
In the first full year, 2017, of this Conservative government, Manitoba had a net out-migration to other provinces of 5,542 people. In the last year, 2021, as I table, Manitoba saw a net out-migration of 12,529 people. The six Conservative years have seen a total net out-migration of over 44,000 people, more than 3 per cent of Manitoba's population. The river of out-migration under the NDP has turned into a flood under the Tories.
What measures is the government taking to reverse this disastrous trend–
Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired.
Hon. Cameron Friesen (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, it's regrettable that the member, when he tabled that page 107 from the budget, he didn't put it on his colleague's desk, because that same page indicates to all members that Manitoba is seeing immigration levels recover.
As a matter of fact, our net migration rebounded by 12.5 per cent compared to the previous year. Our Provincial Nominee Program approved the largest number of nominations to date with a record of 6,200 new nominations. And besides that, Manitoba has now completely recovered all jobs lost during the pandemic and is leading the country on job gains.
Mr. Brad Michaleski (Dauphin): Madam Speaker, can–you can hear me fine?
Madam Speaker: Yes, we can.
Mr. Michaleski: Okay, thank you.
This PC government absolutely deserves to be recognized and congratulated for their outstanding leadership and commitment to positive and inclusive growth and development across Manitoba. [interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Michaleski: This government is committed to expanding the availability of high-speed Internet connectivity to over 600 communities over a three-year period starting last November.
Can the Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services outline the progress of this commitment to rural, remote and Indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker: Before I recognize the honourable minister, I just want to remind everybody that, when somebody is on virtual, it is very hard sometimes to hear them if there's a lot of heckling and noise in the House, so I'm going to ask for everybody's co‑operation please so that we can respectfully hear these questions that are being asked–or, by everybody when they are virtual.
Hon. Reg Helwer (Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services): Thanks to the–my great colleague, the member from Dauphin, for the opportunity to credit the amazing work that has been done so far in Manitoba.
Of the 600 communities in Manitoba that were originally identified as having no access or limited access to broadband, 290 are now receiving dramatically increased connection to broadband networks in Manitoba. Madam Speaker, 52 of these communities are in fact well in–well ahead and in advance of their original forecast, and in just six months–five months into a three-year agreement, we're almost halfway done.
Madam Speaker, our agreement with Xplornet Communications is allowing these communities to connect to the Internet at speeds they–allow modern access, capitalizing on Manitoba Hydro's–
* (11:00)
Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired.
Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): Madam Speaker, what is happening in Ukraine is nothing short of a humanitarian crisis. Manitoba can play an important role by not only accepting Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, but ensuring that they're well-supported once they've settled.
However, we are concerned that Ukrainian families will be forced to pay student fees for their children to attend public schools. We wrote the minister asking for confirmation that student fees would be waived. We didn't receive it. I will table the minister's response now.
Will the minister commit to ensuring that Ukrainian children can attend public schools free of charge?
Hon. Wayne Ewasko (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): I appreciate the opportunity to be able to stand in the House today. And it's interesting that the member tables a letter that was actually addressed to another member of his party, but that's okay, Madam Speaker.
In fact, Madam Speaker, we are working closely with our federal partners and our–all our education partners all across this great province of ours to make sure that, as our Ukrainian refugees and students come to Manitoba for education, that we're here; we've got our arms wide open; we're making arrangements with our school partners to make sure that these students are getting the education they deserve.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Fort Garry, on a supplementary question.
Mr. Wasyliw: Madam Speaker, it's really simple: this minister, with the stroke of the pen, can ensure today that Ukrainian refugees do not pay student fees in Manitoba, and he has stood in this House and has refused to do so.
We want this government to ensure that every Ukrainian child can attend public school free of charge, regardless of how they got here.
The minister should know that actions speak louder than words.
Will the minister provide, in writing, explicit confirmation that Ukrainian children will not to–have to pay school fees to attend Manitoba schools?
Mr. Ewasko: Madam Speaker, you know what, I'm going to say I appreciate the question coming from the member, because it's interesting, though, the member for Fort Garry stands up and speaks on behalf of his member for Notre Dame (MLA Marcelino), who actually wrote and asked me some of the questions.
Madam Speaker, we are working with our education partners. As I've said in my previous answer, we're working with them to make sure that the students of the–[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Ewasko: –parents that are coming in from Ukraine are coming to Manitoba. We're providing them with the education. [interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order.
Mr. Ewasko: We're providing them with the wraparound services. [interjection]
It's unfortunate the member for Union Station (MLA Asagwara) doesn't want to listen to the answer and is shouting from their seat, but, Madam Speaker, we on this side of the House are making sure that we are accepting–
Madam Speaker: The member's time has expired. [interjection]
Order.
The honourable member for Fort Garry, on a final supplementary.
Mr. Wasyliw: That was a sad, sad display, Madam Speaker.
We could clear this up today. The minister could just say no fees today, and he's dodging and weaving and refusing to commit to Manitobans.
And I wish I could say that that was, you know, a bad day, or the minister's not, you know, prepared today, but that just seems to be the pattern of this government, and Manitobans are losing trust. They want to see, in writing, commitment from the minister that Ukrainian children, no matter how they got here, won't have to pay public school fees.
Will the minister do that today?
Mr. Ewasko: So, Madam Speaker, in the letter that was tabled by the member for Fort Garry on behalf of the member for Notre Dame, my response to them was: Canadian Ukrainian authorization for emergency travel, a temporary residence stream which allows Ukrainian nationals to apply for extended visitor visas, work permits and study permits with no charge. This program may be helpful for your constituents–to the member of Notre Dame–Ukraine families members who may wish to stay in Canada for a longer period.
Madam Speaker, we in Manitoba have our arms wide open for our Ukrainian friends. Education for all. We're going to make sure that they have the services and the supports that they need right here in Manitoba when they get here.
Madam Speaker: The time for oral questions has expired.
Petitions? Not seeing any, orders of the day, government business.
Madam Speaker: Oh, the honourable Official Opposition House Leader?
Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (Official Opposition House Leader): On House business.
I would like to table a list of one of the five bills designated by the official opposition in this Fourth Session of the 42nd Legislature.
One of our designated bills for this session is Bill 22, The Environment Amendment Act (Pesticide Restrictions).
Madam Speaker: The honourable government–Acting Government House Leader.
Hon. Derek Johnson (Acting Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, can we continue debate for the budget?
Madam Speaker: Resuming debate on the proposed motion of the Minister of Finance (Mr. Friesen) and the amendment and subamendment thereto, standing in the name of the honourable member for St. James, who has seven minutes remaining.
Mr. Adrien Sala (St. James): Thanks, folks.
Honoured to have an opportunity to put a couple more words on the record about this government's new budget. It is Earth Day, and I do want to make a few more comments about this government's failure to take action on the climate crisis and their failure to invest.
This budget, Madam Speaker, was an opportunity for this government to demonstrate that they are concerned about future generations and the planet we're going to leave for them in this province. It was an opportunity to demonstrate that they take the climate crisis seriously, and it was an opportunity for them to demonstrate that they understand the relationship between making investments and getting to a cleaner energy future, and what that can do for our economy here in Manitoba. But instead, this budget has proven that they have no interest in doing what's necessary to get us to that cleaner energy future.
We are in year seven of a PC government. We've seen no investment in expanding electric vehicle charging in this province. We've seen almost no investments or additional investments in increasing energy efficiency in the homes of Manitobans. Instead, we've seen them take money away from Efficiency Manitoba, dollars that were sent here by the feds that should have been used to expand home retrofit programing. Instead, government stole those revenues away and put them towards general revenue.
They've got no plan to update our building codes. Our building codes in Manitoba are ancient. It's one of the easiest ways that we can in this province help Manitobans to not only save money, but to clean up their personal climate infrastructure in their homes. We can do so much by updating our building codes. It's a great opportunity. This government has done nothing in this budget to demonstrate that they understand that.
This budget shows no interest in helping Manitoban industry to electrify and make the switch to cleaner energies, leaving them to figure that out on their own and ultimately delaying their ability to get to that cleaner form of energy use so that they can reduce their overall emissions. And we've been told by this government the only commitment we've seen is that they've got an energy and climate policy that's supposedly in the works, but, again, we've got no timeline for that and we're running out of time.
Mr. Dennis Smook, Acting Speaker, in the Chair
This government has allowed emissions to rise year after year after year that they've been in government. They've allowed this huge opportunity that we have as a province with this massive hydroelectric resource, with this huge clean energy opportunity, to sit idle while they allow emissions to rise year after year. This budget is a significant failure on the climate front. They're letting our future generations down. They're allowing this opportunity to slide.
We need to take action on the climate crisis now and we need to do what we can to invest in bringing us to a cleaner energy future in Manitoba not only because it will help to ensure that we can preserve a livable planet for future generations, but also because it will create a significant number of green jobs in this province while saving Manitobans huge amounts of money. And as we know, we're in the midst of an affordability crisis and Manitobans needed that help, but they aren't getting it from this government.
With that, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I'm going to leave it here. There is no way I can possibly support this budget.
Glad to have an opportunity to put some words on the record today.
Thank you very much.
* (11:10)
Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Midland): Certainly look forward to putting a few words on the record about the budget that's been tabled last week. There's lots of good news in this budget for Manitobans all across the province, no matter where they live. For my constituency, the good people of Midland, they will see advantages the budget brings to them.
Now, in Midland, agriculture and manufacturing are the main industries in my constituency. It's been a couple of very tough years for both the agriculture and the manufacturing sector with a drought, three‑year drought, going on in agriculture, has made for some real difficulties for many agricultural producers. In the manufacturing sector, the supply chain issues continue, as anyone who is ordering parts these days soon finds out that it's just difficult to maintain a supply chain.
Now, I know that we had the big snowfall last weekend and we're–the predictions are, for this weekend, for another big amount of precipitation, and I know many people are sick of winter, but this–these two storms are really helping to resupply and recharge our water reserves. In south central Manitoba, we are in a water deficit position, and the water strategy will go a long ways towards helping that. These two precipitation events will also go a long way in terms of recharging our water systems. Whether it's our creeks and water reservoirs, our water supply issues are–will really benefit from this. Even our lakes and that–which were at record lows going into last fall, this is going to go a long ways towards helping them.
In this budget, there–in–under agriculture, there are some really good news for agricultural people and those who are involved in the industry. There's a $200,000 increase in the animal disease diagnostics, which, as most people are aware, the avian flu is in the news these days, with some wild birds having that. There's been commercial barns in other provinces who have been affected by avian flu. This will go a long ways to helping in the diagnostics of these, detecting these diseases; as well as for the hog industry, the African swine fever continues to be a real concern, so this will help a lot.
The Protein Advantage strategy continues with another $150,000 in this budget. Our protein strategy has worked very well with companies such as Roquette, NutriPea increasing their production in Manitoba as well as other companies coming too; the forage pilot project, which was brought in, which will help a lot of Crown land producers improve the quality and quantity of the forage that they're producing on their particular operations, as well as changes to the insurance–forage insurance, which creates a backstop for producers when they do have a production issue, there.
The Innovation Growth Program continues to help finance up–starting companies. And, of course, the big news item for agricultural producers is the education property tax refund going from 25 per cent to 37.5 per cent, to plans to go to 50 per cent for next year. The agricultural sector has really borne the brunt of education taxes because of the increased in value of the ag land, and ag producers are paying a disproportionate share of their–of taxes when it comes to education tax. So this refund will go a long ways to evening the playing field in that.
Under economic development, that $50‑million venture capital fund will be a terrific help to businesses. Those new businesses that want to get started, it will provide some cash to get started, capital–cash for those companies who need that cash in order to be able to get started in their business. So that venture capital fund has been long overdue and this budget does deliver on that.
And, of course, building new schools across the province, 22 new schools, is something the NDP never did, but it's–they're coming now. They're on stream now. Some are already in–built and working, and more to come in the next couple years.
Today being Earth Day, the–under the environment and parks department, the parks endowment fund, that $20‑million endowment fund means that there will be $1.1 million in this budget to improve capital projects in our parks. Parks were really neglected by the previous government, and this is putting capital funds into them for all of us to enjoy our provincial parks.
There's also $1.5 million in the Conservation and Climate Fund–an additional $1.5 million which goes a long way. Being Earth Day and to address climate change, we all know that climate change is real and we need to address that and this does.
The watershed districts have been a real success when they were redone to actually follow the actual watershed of the areas. This budget puts another $570,000 to add four more municipalities into those watershed districts, which is a great program that the watershed districts are doing.
There's trust funds, whether it's Endow Manitoba–the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation is managing our Conservation Trust, a $102‑million Conservation Trust. There's the $50‑million GROW Trust. These trust funds will continue in perpetuity to put money into projects that help our environment on the rural landscape.
And, of course, there's the Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Fund. I recently spoke with a group that's in my constituency that will be applying for this money to do–it's called creel studies–creel, c‑r‑e‑e-l, which is the fish populations of one of our locals lakes. Lots of enthusiasm in the fishing–recreational fishing, and, of course, there's also the commercial industry that the department is working with.
In the Health Department, you know, $7.2-billion total 'funit,' that's a huge amount of money, and there's been $3.1 billion in pandemic supports. That $812‑million in capital investment in Ashern, Brandon, Dauphin, Morden, Winkler, Selkirk, Steinbach–you know, the NDP closed 20 rural ERs and we're building back better so that you get care sooner, at home sooner and better condition.
There's $110 million in surgical and diagnostic–for the backlog. The pandemic has created a backlog in surgeries and this is something that's across Canada, around the world. It's not new, but we are addressing this.
I want to give a special shout-out to Boyne Care Holdings in Carman, a personal-care home. This is a new facility. Stage 1 was the new facility. Stage 2 is under way right now with redoing the existing Boyne Lodge into additional beds and office space. And then stage 3 will be redoing the Boyne Towers for assisted living, and so you have that staged care for our seniors who are so important to our communities.
There's many other things in this budget. Sport, Culture and Heritage, the military memorials fund–my community of Roseisle has managed–has applied for funds in there; they've got a really nice memorial there for our veterans.
The arts and culture support community fund of $100 million, that will come back into our local communities and helping our communities do celebrations. Post-pandemic, we will be able to do this in person.
Under Transportation and Infrastructure, the three-year capital plan, $1.5 billion. Unlike the NDP, which was raid, raid and then parade just prior to the election year, we're putting money into that every year and the–we're rebuilding the highways, the St. Mary's overpass and the Perimeter Highway, the McGillivray Boulevard will be an overpass. Those are very important projects that will be going ahead.
And, of course, you can't not mention Manitoba Hydro, the NDP overspending spree. They were over budget by over $4 billion on Wuskwatim, Keeyask, Bipole III. The–Manitoba Hydro's debt has now surpassed $25 billion, and when Manitoba–Manitobans pay their hydro bill, 40 cents of every dollar of their bill goes to pay interest only. That's not–no capital repayment, that's interest only. And Manitobans will be faced with repaying this debt for generations to come.
* (11:20)
So, there's many things in this budget, Mr. Deputy Chair; that's just a few of the highlights. This is a budget Manitobans can depend on. It's certainly different than the out-of-control budgets from the dark days of the NDP of higher taxes, poorer services. This budget should be supported by all members and it's going to move Manitoba forward.
Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
Ms. Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns): So, I'm pleased to get up this morning to put a couple of words on the record in respect of the PC government's 2022 budget.
I mean, let me just start by saying, like, I think that it's, you know, very apparent that those of us on this side are thoroughly disappointed in the Premier's (Mrs. Stefanson) first budget. I think that it's important to recognize that, you know, the Premier had an opportunity to do things differently, had an opportunity to move away from her predecessor, Brian Pallister, which we saw, you know, from the start of when he was premier here back in 2016. All we saw was cut after cut after cut after cut after cut. That's all we saw from Brian Pallister.
And the Premier had an opportunity to do things different, and yet she chose not to. I know that members opposite are trying to, kind of, convey or present this budget as if it's like a feel-good budget, but there's actually nothing in it, Deputy Speaker, and it's quite disappointing. It's really quite disappointing that the Premier, you know, didn't do anything transformative.
And I think it's important to recognize, you know, that the Premier is, you know, made history here in Manitoba. Nobody can deny that. The Premier made history; she will go down in Manitoba history books as being the first woman Premier elected to Manitoba, and that's an important milestone. It's an important milestone for Manitoba, for Manitobans, for women, for little girls, for gender-diverse folks. And that's why it's so disappointing. It's so, actually, quite offensive that even though she has that honour of that, you know, that privilege of making history, she did nothing in her budget.
And so, you know, she had an opportunity to make things easier for Manitobans and she hasn't since she got elected. I'm going to just go through a little bit–I'm not going to stand up too long because there is several folks on our team that want to get up and talk about this, you know, disastrous non-transformative budget, here.
You know, the Leader of the Opposition said earlier in QP–he noted that, you know, last month we saw a 7.4 per cent inflation rate, the highest that it's been in years and years. And what is this government doing, trying to mitigate that for Manitobans? Absolutely nothing.
In fact, we know that the PC government here, under the leadership of the Premier (Mrs. Stefanson), is going to raise Manitoba Hydro rates for Manitobans, and actually, you know, has no qualms about doing that–absolutely no qualms about raising Manitoba Hydro rates, even though they've raised them successfully year after year after year. And also in the midst of a global pandemic, when everyone–people lost their jobs, when more people were at home needing to use electricity, what did these members opposite do? They raised Manitoba Hydro rates. Like, talk about, like, not standing for Manitoba families.
We've seen, you know, the cost of food go up. We've seen the cost of rent go up. We've seen the cost of, again, hydro go up. We've seen the cost of milk go up. The cost of living continues to increase. And we've seen nothing from this government trying to help Manitobans through this–like, absolutely nothing, Deputy Speaker. In fact, so much so that, you know, one of the things that we've seen under this new government is–or under the leadership of the Premier is, you know, the collapse of our health-care system, really.
And, you know, we get up in this House every single day and we talk about the 170,000 Manitobans that are waiting for surgery and diagnostic testing. That is, like–I don't know if members opposite really, truly, get it. That is an overwhelming statistic. It's an overwhelming number of Manitoba citizens that are waiting, in some cases, to get life-saving surgeries. And, you know, we've said it here in this House before that, you know, there are Manitobans that are waiting for surgeries that will, you know, impact on their overall health.
You know, I've been told by constituents that Manitobans waiting for surgery and diagnostic testing, some have died in the midst of this waiting. And, you know, I–there's not a sense of urgency from members opposite in tackling what is an astronomical amount of people that are waiting for health care that they are entitled to, that our health-care system should be able to respond to when Manitobans need it, particularly when we're talking about folks that their health is on the cusp of, you know, whether or not they live or die.
I don't see a sense of urgency or even a sense of comprehension from members opposite about just how huge a mess and how critical this is on the part of Manitobans–so much so that, you know, in some announcement in respect of trying to get a new OR in Concordia, they've asked Concordia to help raise money. They've asked Concordia to help raise money. I can't remember what it is, $350,000?–[interjection]–$350,000.
So, to contribute to Manitobans' accessing the surgeries that they need, this government asked a foundation to raise the money, instead of just saying, you know what, this is urgent–first off, acknowledging that it's their fault that we're in this mess anyways when they closed down all of these ERs, and all of that, you know, refusing to acknowledge that it's actually–it–all of this, this whole mess right now, is predicated on the decisions that they made starting back in 2016.
But instead of saying, this is urgent, we need to do this, we're going to give the full amount of money so that we can get this up and running–they've asked a foundation, the Concordia Foundation, to raise money, raise $350,000.
At the same time, Deputy Speaker, they have no qualms about giving $500,000 to their friend, their friend who went on to run for them in Fort Whyte. That makes absolutely no sense that the PC caucus can ask a hospital that will end up servicing thousands and thousands of Manitobans to get the care that they need–they're going to ask them to raise $350,000, but they give their friend, who, again, I want to remind folks, who went on to publicly endorse the Premier in her leadership campaign and then went on to run for the Premier in Fort Whyte. They had no qualms giving this individual $500,000.
That's absolutely shameful. It's absolutely shameful that they would give $500,000 to this individual and not $350,000 to a hospital that services a heck of a lot more people than this individual ever will. It's shameful, and I know that on–personally, I will never let Manitobans forget that, during the pandemic, they asked a hospital to raise money but gave their friend $500,000. It's absolutely shameful.
And the member, you know, has been elected for two minutes and is right in there–right in there–defending what his government now is doing–defending–I mean, which is, like, so ironic–here's the member, like, so gung-ho, defending a government asking a hospital to raise $350,000. That makes absolutely no sense when you think about that he was given $500,000–horrible, horrible, horrible.
* (11:30)
And so, Deputy Speaker, you know–and again, you know, talking about, you know, folks on the other side that are, like, so gung-ho and so proud and, you know, such 'champoning' what this government does, you know. The MLA for Morden-Winkler, you know, again, I–sits in here day after day after day, you know, chirping from his seat when we're asking questions about the health care, which, again, I can't wrap my around, considering that he chastised–he questioned–doctors here in Manitobans–in Manitoba, which he still hasn't apologized. And yet, he belongs to–he's a part of this PC caucus, a part of this cohort of folks here that have systematically collapsed the health-care system, and he's so proud about that as well.
And then we have this budget, Deputy Speaker, which they're, again, they're trying to tout out, like, you know, most investment in health care–well, again, I would suggest that they thank Justin Trudeau for that extra money that they got. And just because you put something on paper–just because you put something in paper and you say, well, we're going to spend, you know, $100 million towards, you know, hospitals, or, you know, deal with a diagnostic testing and surgical backlog, doesn't mean that this government is actually going to spend that money. We have seen time and time and time again this government announce dollars and then not spend those dollars.
We–I mean, even in the point of going through a pandemic, when the federal government gave dollars, like, $85 million towards education to deal with the pandemic–we don't even know where those dollars–they didn't spend those dollars. So, even when money comes from the feds, they don't end up spending that money. Because again, at the end of the day, members opposite–the only thing they care about is doing things on the cheap and about money. That's literally the only thing that members opposite care about.
So, you know, spare me when members opposite get up and talk about, you know, how much money they're spending in this budget, long–you know, greatest investments in–since the time of the Stone Age. Nobody believes–nobody believes–any single member opposite. Nobody believes them.
I would love to be able to, like, read out the messages, the emails, the DMs, the tweets, everything that I get day in and day out–and I know several members on this side of the House–about how much Manitobans don't appreciate or like this government. They don't appreciate the way this government handled, or lack thereof, the pandemic–a time, a crisis, when leaders should have, you know, rose to the test, they should have came forward, they should have leaned in with leadership, they should have leaned in to taking care of Manitobans. They didn't do that.
And Manitobans tell me all the time they wish that 2023 would come today; they say that they–it can't come soon enough. So nobody believes members opposite, nobody likes members opposite, everybody wishes that there was an election today and nobody believes what they're trying to espouse in this Budget 2022–the Premier's (Mrs. Stefanson) first budget that she had an opportunity to do something transformative.
Finally–I'm going to keep my comments very brief, here–you know, the Premier, if she believes so much in the work that this PC caucus is doing, you know, I would encourage her to call an election. Call an election; let's go to the polls. Let Manitobans decide what kind of government they want.
Do they want a government like we've seen, particularly over the last two years, that, you know, often said that the government can't help Manitobans, didn't want to help Manitobans, didn't care to help Manitobans? Or do they want a government with people that truly are committed to Manitobans, that believe we have a responsibility, a sacred responsibility, to take care of Manitobans, to treat Manitobans with respect, to come to the table with real commitment and ideas and a plan? Do they want to–a government that is committed to protecting the environment, to keeping the cost of living low for Manitobans, not only for us right now in the immediate, but for future generations?
I know that I want my two sons to stay in Manitoba. I want my sons to be able to build their life as they start their new journey. I want to have my grandkids here, whenever that may be. You know, do we want a Province that works for all of us and that ensures that we are all taken care of?
And so I would encourage them to call an election. We have phenomenal candidates that are ready to go, that have–we've had our nominations–that have been door knocking for months now, that are involved in the community. We have candidates that were involved in, you know, encouraging folks to get their vaccine shots, to get their boosters, worked as volunteers. We have candidates that have been working in–volunteering in respect of folks that, you know, don't have food or shelter.
I mean, we have some phenomenal, phenomenal candidates that are ready, willing and able to serve as public servants in the best interest of Manitobans. We're ready and we're looking forward to the next election.
Miigwech.
Hon. Sarah Guillemard (Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness): I'm happy to stand today and put a few words on the record in support of our government's historic investments within this budget. I am incredibly proud of my colleague, the Minister for Finance, for the hard work that he and his department have put into this very detailed and effective and high-investment budget.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, we are making historic investments in all departments, but today I'd like to speak specifically to the department that I am responsible for.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, we need to speak about what had not happened in 17 years under the previous NDP government. I'm happy to put on the record a few of those areas–or, a list of the NDP failed to do in 17 years: they failed to accomplish co‑ordinating services and making them more accessible to Manitobans; they failed to build and fund Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine facilities; they failed to expand eating disorder beds and programs; they failed to increase supportive recovery housing units; they failed to consult with Indigenous leaders and communities in order to develop culturally responsive programs.
In fact, there are 125 areas that they failed in, according to the 2018 VIRGO report. Dr. Rush, who authored the VIRGO report, encouraged evidence-based investments. He made 125 recommendations based on what the previous NDP government never accomplished and didn't even attempt to begin. Mr. Deputy Speaker, our government is committed to addressing those recommendations, and we are well on our way to addressing each one of them.
The previous NDP government's message today, and consistently, has been: hurry up and do what we never did. Mr. Deputy Speaker, this goes across all departments. This is their message: hurry up and do what we never did, never wanted to do and were not capable of doing.
Not only will our government do what the NDP never did, we are going to go above and beyond the supports that Manitobans need.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, I realize that the majority of the members currently sitting in the opposition were not here during those 17 years, save for three of them: the member for St. Johns (Ms. Fontaine), the member for Concordia (Mr. Wiebe) and the member for Elmwood (Mr. Maloway). And I know each one of them is aware of the deficits and the feet-dragging and just the wilful–just turning their heads to the issues and the needs when it comes to Manitobans with mental health issues and needs. They didn't accomplish anything. They, in fact, ignored the issues that were coming from their own constituents, from Manitobans who were desperate to have access to care and mental health support.
* (11:40)
But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I'm not here to talk about all that the things the NDP never did. I'd like to focus on what our government is doing and has done. The new Mental Health and Community Wellness Department was created in January of 2021 in direct response to the increased prevalence and complexity of mental health and addictions issues and increasing demand for services and supports as a result of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
We are the first government in Canada to bring mental health, substance use and addiction services, as well as wellness and health promotion programs, together under one department. By leading a whole-of-government approach to improve and expand services, we will work to–towards our vision that Manitobans experience optimal physical, mental, emotional, cultural and spiritual well-being across their entire lifespan.
In 2021, the department led the province-wide consultations, speaking to thousands of Manitobans, service providers and experts about opportunities to improve mental health, substance use, recovery and wellness programs and services throughout the province. Through these consultations, the department heard that the pandemic has placed added pressure on an already stretched mental health and addictions system. The pressures of increased demand and ensuring physical distancing have impacted program and service capacity and increased wait-lists for many programs.
The consultations informed our department's new five-year road map, titled A Pathway to Mental Health and Community Wellness: A Roadmap for Manitoba. And this was launched in February of this year. The road map focuses on enhancing the capacity and availability of services and ensuring that there's an effective system so that Manitobans can access the care that they need when they need it.
The system improvements and investments focus on the following five key areas: equitable access to–and co‑ordination, mental well-being and chronic disease prevention, quality and innovation, Indigenous partnership and wellness, governance and accountability. Through a whole-government approach, the department will move forward with implementation of initiatives identified in this road map, including investments in front-line core services to ensure that Manitobans have access to care as close to home as possible.
As identified in Budget 2022, an investment of $17.1 million in funding will be used to support year 1 of implementation of the road map. Key priorities for the first year are increasing the capacity of mental health and addictions core services throughout the province, improving access and co‑ordination of the mental health and addictions system and decreasing wait times for services.
Budget 2022 will also ensure the continuity of successful mental health and addictions initiatives. This includes an investment of $23.7 million to support ongoing funding for over 30 effective mental health and addictions programs and services across the province. This will be led through a whole-of-government approach with a focus on mental health promotion and universal supports: children and youth with complex, multi-system needs; mental health and addictions; and trauma support.
Additional initiatives receiving funding through this budget include the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral initiative. Through the federal Substance Use and Addictions Program, the Canada and Manitoba governments are providing $650,000 over three years.
The crisis stabilization unit expansion, where we're investing over $500,000 to add six crisis stabilization units at the Crisis Response Centre; telepsychiatry expansion–our government is investing over $342,000 to increase access to emergent psychiatric assessments for rural emergency departments and First Nations to decrease unnecessary hospital admissions and patient transfers.
We're also investing in supportive recovery housing units. Mr. Deputy Speaker, over the last two years our government has invested in 100 new supportive recovery housing units. Most recently, this has included two new projects in Thompson and in Brandon.
We know that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder. Ensuring that Manitobans have access to eating disorder supports and treatment services when they need them is a priority for our government. Therefore, we are investing $304,000 to expand the Women's Health Clinic's provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program to expand program capacity and reduce their wait-lists.
There's also been an increase in the number of Manitobans and Canadians turning to substance use as a way to cope with pandemic-related stressors. As a result of this, we are seeing a significant surge in the number of opioid-related overdose deaths across the country. Throughout the pandemic, our Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine, or RAAM clinics, in Winnipeg have observed an increase in demand and in visits.
The recent Public Health Agency of Canada's 2021 report indicates that Manitoba is second lowest in hospitalizations for opioid use, and we have the lowest rate of overdose deaths west of Quebec per 100,000 people.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, our government recognizes that there is more work to do in this area. We will make sure that we get done what the NDP turned a blind eye to for 17 years.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
Mrs. Bernadette Smith (Point Douglas): Mr. Deputy Speaker, this budget is more of the same from this government and this tired, old story is getting old. Manitobans are getting tired of it. There's a very simple economic concept here that the government seems to be missing: a budget increase that does not match inflation is not an increase–it's, in fact, a cut.
During his speech to introduce the budget, the Minister of Finance (Mr. Friesen) called health-care workers front-line heroes. You'd be pressed to find anyone who disagrees with the sentiment, but this government sure has a funny way of thanking them. Showing gratitude is nice, but showing gratitude without backing it up with the desperately needed funding and policy changes we've been asking for and the front-line heroes have been asking for is nothing more than lip service to protect the government's austerity agenda.
Considering the concerns of the Finance Minister had about raising inflation in Manitoba, you'd think the government would put forward a budget that actually factors in inflation, which is over 5 per cent. It's basic math, Deputy Speaker. A budget increase under 5 per cent leaves our front-line heroes with less to work with when they've been barely hanging on for years.
Of course, we know that this has never been the motivation for this government. It's only about virtue-signalling and covering their tracks as they cut services and dole out corporate tax cuts to their friends. It seems that property funding–properly funding our public services is the only thing this government won't do in order to get credit for properly funding public services.
This bunch could close an entire hospital, and then without any shame whatsoever, invite the media to the grand opening of a new warehouse. And, on top of that, there's no guarantee this government won't just up and decide to make even more cuts, even deeper, with absolutely no consultation and no accountability.
For example, Deputy Speaker, last year they underspent on their 'stategic' infrastructure budget by over half a billion dollars–half a billion dollars. It begs the question, what's the point of even having a budget if this government is just going to ignore the commitments they make and do whatever they want? They seem to think that starving public services and infrastructure by cutting and 'underspenting'–underspending is something to brag about. The way they speak about this feels like a clever tax accountant who saved a client a few income-tax dollars.
Well, Deputy Speaker, there's no accounting trick in the world that can make up a half-billion dollars that was supposed to be spent repairing crumbling infrastructure. It's irresponsible and it has a cost. This is something that only–you can only get away with for so long, and this government has been losing credibility for years. Free Press columnists have–says that the PCs have, and I quote, cut too deep, end quote, and that their track record of underspending, and I quote, raises serious questions about the credibility, end quote.
* (11:50)
The minister talked about balance in his speech last week. Well, this isn't balance. This is more austerity, more cuts. It's reckless and dangerous for Manitobans, and they won't tolerate it any longer. Like my colleague from St. Johns said, call an election. Let's see who Manitobans have–who want to run this province, because certainly, this government has lost the credibility of anything on health care, education. They say they're going to spend this money; they underspend it purposely. Manitobans don't believe them.
They've been cutting funding for years. It's dangerous because there's fatal crashes on our highways that have fallen into disrepair because of underspending of nearly $60 million last year alone. It's dangerous to freeze funding for supporting children in care and clawing back the federal child special allowance for Indigenous children in care. It's dangerous to refuse real action while the addictions crisis is getting worse day after day, year after year, budget after budget, under this government.
Manitobans are suffering, Deputy Speaker. Manitobans are dying. And Manitobans are tired of this government.
It's what we expected, though, from the beginning of this Pallister-Stefanson PC governments, and it's exactly what we got, with dire consequences, especially to our health-care system. The cuts to health care would be–wouldn't–would be unjustified even in a world without COVID‑19. The 18 ICU beds put in consolidation were desperately needed once the pandemic broke out, as were the 56 inpatient surgical beds. In total, the PCs have cut 124 hospital beds–124 hospital beds here in Winnipeg over the last four years. It's a sad reality, but in no way surprises–surprising that this obsession with cuts continues through the pandemic and continues under this new Premier (Mrs. Stefanson).
It's going to take years to repair the damage that this government has done. The CCF, under Premier Tommy Douglas, won universal health care for all Canadians more than a half a century ago. And the key philosophy is that if you need health care, you get it and you get it for free, as simple as that. And this Premier wants to privatize health care. That's simply not right, and Manitobans won't stand for it.
Deputy Speaker, we know that the PCs, you know, want to privatize health care in Manitoba. They're using the tax dollars of hard-working Manitobans to pay a premium for deals that they've cut with American health-care providers like Sanford medicine, going so far as to ship Manitobans across the border to care for the policy–for care with their policy of highway medicine. The use of agency care has surged by millions. They're doing with the–this while funding for physician recruitment remains frozen.
It's a simple formula, Deputy Speaker. They create the problem by refusing to staff and fund health-care facilities properly, like when they left $36.3 million in surgical backlog funding on the table last year. When the health-care system 'predicly'–predictably struggles, they pretend that relying on private-sector health care is the only option.
Well, Deputy Speaker, Manitobans aren't going to be gaslit and they're certainly not going to tolerate the attacks from this government on our universal health-care system, not now and not ever. The idea that this government is investing in our public health-care system is a joke, and Manitobans know what their real intentions are.
One of the most striking examples of this is the neglect of Manitoba's long-term and personal-care homes. Not one–not only was not a single new personal-care-home bed announced in the budget, but the health-care infrastructure budget was frozen for the last three years. With this approach, Deputy Speaker, caring for our seniors, I doubt the government will last that long.
Care homes were not spared from the slash-and-burn script that the PC government followed when they took office. They cancelled new projects like the previous NDP had been building on, such as QuickCare clinics. One of the first moves was to cancel the 80-bed facility in Lac du Bonnet as well as a hundred-and-twenty-four–twenty-bed facility in Bridgwater. The government took advantage of PCH residents for their austerity agenda by allowing accommodation costs to rise by thousands of dollars, by cutting funding by $2 million.
The Progressive Conservative vision for Manitoba health-care system is a vision for private health care and personal-care homes are a window into that future. The Revera-owned Parkview personal-care home showed us that when they placed patients infected with COVID‑19 beside uninfected patients what would happen. You'll never–they'll never let the government forgo the loss of the lives at Maples Personal Care Home because they allowed private facilities to utterly collapse, even though we, the NDP, we were asking–we asked them to refute. We asked them to take over management. They would rather risk further loss of life than take over that facility and run it publicly, even temporarily.
They aren't isolated incidents and they're not freak accidents, Deputy Speaker; it's obvious the results of cuts to long-term care and refusing to invest and preparing for the future. Even after the second wave of COVID‑19 struck, they're still going down this path without appropriate investments in personal-care homes for seniors, which will only contribute to the problem of overcrowding and understaffed facilities.
They love to hold up reports and reviews, like the one from Dr. Lynn Stevenson or the mental health roadmap, as though these are real actions, but they've yet to follow through on recommendations from the VIRGO report from a half decade ago. There's no reason to believe that they're going to start now. Come to think of it, Deputy Speaker, I don't think any reasonable person should need a review to tell them it's a bad idea to cut hundreds of personal-care homes, just like this government did as soon as they gained power.
Well, personal-care homes show us how much this PC love the idea of private health care: the non-response to the growing overdose death rate shows how much they really actually care about providing care.
I've long since lost count of how many times I've raised this issue about RAAM clinics being so understaffed and under-resourced that they're only open a few hours a week. And even RAAM clinic staff are now starting to raise this alarm, and this minister is not listening, nor is this government. Every single person at that Cabinet table has made the decision to underfund the services that people struggling with addictions deserve. Mr. Deputy Speaker, 407 people lost their lives last year. They deserve to get the resources that they need to stay alive, and families are struggling each and every day while this government does nothing. They've plugged their ears; they've covered their eyes; they pretend like it's not happening.
Well, Deputy Speaker, those are 407 loved ones; those aren't just numbers. Those are people who have lost their lives. This government refuses to be transparent. They can't even let the public know how many people are losing their lives monthly. What is the drug that they're losing their life on? Other provinces are doing it. You go onto the federal database, the only province that isn't transparent about overdose numbers is Manitoba. Why is that? Because they don't want to be accountable. They don't want to invest the money. They think it's a moral failing.
Well, I can tell you, I've lost a brother-in-law five months ago. I lost my own father. It's not a moral failing. This is rooted in trauma and this government needs to start investing, making real investments so that people can make life-changing–life changes. And are they doing that? No. Their idea is let's invest one more million dollars for two Winnipeg RAAM clinics.
First of all, I shouldn't have to mention that the addictions crisis also affects Manitobans outside of Winnipeg. Setting that aside, that's not even enough. Mr. Deputy Speaker, $1 million–there's 407 lives that were lost. Those lives could have been saved. Does this government care? They care enough to put $1 million; that's a drop in the bucket. That's not even going to open the RAAM clinics another hour a day–a week, no.
You know, these RAAM clinic employees are speaking out and they're telling this government they need more services. They don't want to open up the Free Press on a Saturday and look at the obituaries and see someone that they've had to turn away because this government is underfunding them. That's shameful; it's disgusting, and this–the RAAM clinics are tell–employees are telling this government.
Why aren't they listening to front-line workers, the actual people who are servicing those who are struggling with addictions? They've even gone so far as to invite the minister to come spend a half a day–and I encourage the minister to go spend a half a day, see actually what's going on out there instead of putting blinders on and earplugs in.
* (12:00)
Budget 2022 allocates only 5.8 per cent of total health-care dollars to mental health spending. Alluding to what I said earlier: clever accounting. Even if that were the reality, this government can't make up for chronic underfunding and cuts. And in recent years, we've had two co-occurring public health 'crisises' in the COVID‑19 pandemic, with the social isolation that it's caused, and the addictions crisis. Both of these have caused a massive increase in Manitoba's need for mental health services here in our province. Do we see this government investing any more money? Absolutely not; they're underfunding every single department.
So, Deputy Speaker, you know, like the member from St. Johns said, this government should call an election. Let's see who Manitobans have confidence in, because they've lost confidence in this government to govern. They've made bad decisions. This Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) had the opportunity to change course; she's continued on the same Pallister government course, and we don't support this budget. This budget doesn't support Manitobans. It's a cut in all areas and this government should be ashamed of themselves for supporting something like this.
Miigwech.
Hon. Reg Helwer (Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services): I am pleased to rise to address the budget today.
And, you know, I've been listening to the opposition members oppose spending money in Manitoba. They just don't want to see investments in health care, apparently. I really can't understand. They want–don't want to see investments in roads. They're very clear on that.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, and we know that they love raising taxes. That's what we saw when they were in government: taxes and fees constantly went up, hidden fees that you would run into time and again.
I know you were a businessperson, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and we saw that, as business, under the NDP, you tried not to be recognized because you didn't want them to pay attention to you. If they paid attention to you, your taxes would go up even more. There'd be ever more inspectors. There'd be ever more fees coming in–don't–nothing to see here as a business, you know, just let us do what we do best.
And it was a sad time in Manitoba. Mr. Acting Deputy Speaker, we know that businesses were at risk. We know many businesses left and they went to other provinces. They went to other countries where they were not suppressed like they were in Manitoba. And a very, very dismal time to be in business. It was sad to watch. I, in fact, had an interaction with one of their ministers at the time about payroll taxes, which are a very punitive tax, and I'm pleased to see in this budget that we're addressing payroll–the payroll tax and that we are finding a path to have some companies removed from paying it so that they can create more jobs.
We know that businesses take that money–if they were able to not pay that tax–and they would invest it in their companies. They would invest it in their employees. They'd hire more staff. They'd end up paying more taxes to the government because of the growth of the company; that's what business does. They hire people and they pay more tax as they grow, and that's how you grow an economy.
Madam Speaker in the Chair
But the NDP just wants to tax them more and put them out of business. They hate business; we know that they hate business, Madam Speaker. So it's prevalent. It's obvious throughout all their discussions that they 'albusely'–absolutely hate business; just despise them.
So, you know, this budget, I think, does a lot of great things for Manitoba, and the things that we are very positive on moving forward and protecting Manitobans–I've talked about the Manitoba Emergency Response Warehouse before, that we have set up. Nothing like that existed under the NDP. There was no pandemic response available, Madam Speaker, and we set that process up.
And now we're ready for emergencies to come into Manitoba, to make sure that we have supplies of personal protective equipment, of other things that are necessary for any emergences that we might have in Manitoba, and that that warehouse is there to make sure that we don't have to search the world for scarce products anymore. We will make sure that we have them here. We have some great partners in Manitoba that are now manufacturing in Manitoba and distributing to the world, Madam Speaker.
We also have the Manitoba centre for cyber security, and that is a big topic right now, especially with the war in Ukraine. We know that there's lots of Russian hackers out there that like to attack and they attack our systems, and we want to make sure that we share information with all of not just Manitoba Crowns, but Manitoba government and other governments across Canada and the world to make sure that we are aware and they are aware of what's happening in the–in cyber security, Madam Speaker.
So–but, you know, some of the things that we ran into when we formed government was a lot of things that weren't in the briefing books, and we found that there were unsupported systems, computer systems in Manitoba that the software was out of date. It was no longer supported by the company–in many cases by Microsoft–and we had to pay additional money to Microsoft to make sure that they were secure as we found a path to upgrade them. They were several systems, several iterations old.
Nothing like–of that was included in the briefing books–no awareness. None of them paying attention to anything that was necessary to make sure that those systems were secure in Manitoba–much like FleetNet, a $380‑million system that was necessary for the safety of first responders of emergencies in Manitoba: not in the briefing books.
The government was buying parts off of eBay to try to make these systems work, to make sure that they held them together with duct tape and binder twine. It was horrible, Madam Speaker, putting our first responders at risk. So we had to make those investments and now we make even more investments in responses and things of that nature.
I can't say enough, Madam Speaker, about the staff from all departments, from all Crowns and from the health-care system that came together during the pandemic response, that we found a path forward through this; that we worked with our federal partners and other provincial partners to make sure that we had PPE available; that we found a path with the federal government that vaccines were made available to Manitobans.
And the vaccination process, it was something that had never, ever been done in Manitoba before or other provinces. And to start that up from the ground up was an exemplary process that was done with a lot of planning, with a lot of foresight and response to the changing world, because sometimes we didn't know what we were getting for vaccines in Manitoba. We had to book appointments and we didn't know what was coming in, and I know the federal government was challenged, as well, with the manufacturers on what they received.
So it was a very dynamic process, Madam Speaker, even to just set up these locations where Manitobans could go and get vaccinated and to find the staff for those vaccination centres, and the testing sites. It was remarkable how it all came together and it changed dramatically over those two years–ramping up, phasing down, making sure that Manitobans had an option and an availability of vaccines when we had them available. They were a scarce commodity as well, as I'm sure you know.
So a lot of planning had to happen. It didn't happen by accident, Madam Speaker. It is a remarkable process that I can't thank the people, the staff that did that enough. They really worked tirelessly, you know, long, long nights, long days, long weekends, working through all this process to make sure that we could help Manitobans and keep them safe.
And we learned a lot about different methods of communication with Manitobans, different ways to book a vaccine appointment, created the proof of vaccination record that we saw early on, that we would need to provide some proof of vaccination, whether you were travelling or going somewhere that we would need to make that available to Manitobans.
So we found a secure process to put that in place and that pretty much came off seamlessly. We're–worked with a lot of partners for how they used that system, and it continues to be available now, Madam Speaker. You know, we'll see how long we need to make sure that we continue to support that or if it will, indeed, become something different or what it's going to become. But it was a–just a very quick reaction and something that worked very, very well in Manitoba.
So some tremendous information resources and partners that we worked with–the private sector really stepped up during the pandemic, Madam Speaker, and this budget supports the private sector and the public sector.
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The investment that we're seeing in health care is historic and I'm pleased to see that we're working forward on venture capital, that the minister now has a $50 million venture capital fund to help develop the economy and businesses in Manitoba, because those are the people that pay taxes in Manitoba, Madam Speaker: the businesses and the workers in those businesses. That is what supports the economy and enables us to have a health-care system like we have, and to expand the health-care system.
So, I'm thrilled to see a budget of this type coming forward. I think it is a great investment in Manitoba. And I know there's many others that want to speak to the budget, Madam Speaker.
Thank you for the time.
Mr. Diljeet Brar (Burrows): Thanks for the opportunity to speak about the budget, which we, on this side of the Chamber, would be voting against because we are not impressed.
This is a budget that Manitobans did not expect. After the previous premier ran away, Manitobans were thinking that things would change. And the PCs, they tried their best to portrait a picture: a picture of Manitoba's political landscape that now, it's a new leader; now, there would be new polices; now, you won't see what happened under the previous leadership.
But that was only talk. Because actions speak louder than words, and that's what we're witnessing now. After the new Premier (Mrs. Stefanson) took over and made some decisions in various fields–health, education, environment, agriculture, families, hydro and so on–it tells us that nothing has changed. They're trying to give an impression that we have changed the channel, but nothing–nothing–has changed.
It's, again, same leadership. It's, again, the same plan that Brian Pallister had for Manitobans. And the plan is to privatize to the maximum. The plan is to cut funding to our schools, cut funding to health, care about the rich, ignore the poor, do not care about the environment, leave the ranchers alone, don't support them, but to make some decisions that favour the wealthier, that favour their friends.
Because the regular Manitobans, they deserve better. The regular Manitobans expect something that this government is not bringing on the table.
If we just think about the state of affairs in health care in Manitoba: it's sad. It's very sad. Look at the people who are waiting for their life-saving surgeries: 170,000 people are lined up for the surgeries.
And Manitobans were expecting that this government would say something in this budget. That was an opportunity, that was a hope for Manitobans who are waiting, and their families and friends, to listen something positive–that this is the deadline; this is the date when we would clear this backlog. But unfortunately, there was no such announcement in this budget. No timeline to clear the backlog.
This government would not stop cutting health care. They actually put a 1.6 per cent de facto cut to hospitals and during the pandemic we have seen patients, I would say ICU patients and seniors, being transferred out of the province or being transferred away from their homes–hundreds of kilometres away from their homes.
There were media stories published; there were questions asked in this Chamber in the question period, that–what the government is doing to improve the things in health care. There were questions asked about the families, about the kids who lost one of their parents during a transfer. But instead of addressing that issue, the First Minister, she preferred to talk about her son's hockey game.
Just think about their priorities. Just think about how they value the time in the Chamber. Just think about how they dodge such important questions that are important to be answered because Manitobans are looking at this leadership to address their issues.
Staffing is the biggest issue in the health care. We have shortages in urban and rural health-care centres. What this government is doing to address that issue: Nothing. What is in the budget? Nothing significant; nothing. Nurses are burnt out. They are being forced to work overtime and the vacancy rate in ICUs goes up to 26 per cent, 31 per cent, 28 per cent in various hospitals and, as we all know, we have 2,300 nurses' positions vacant.
Is there a plan to fill those positions? This government is spending taxpayers' money on agency–hiring of agency nurses, up to the tune of $40 million, and when we raise this question in the question period, the First Minister says it does not matter whether we invest in public health care or private. Madam Speaker, it does matter–it does matter. We need to go back to Manitobans, we need to go back to the professionals who work in health care and ask them how does it matter. They would tell us.
We have raised questions about northern health care and the state of affairs there. My colleague from Flin Flon has been raising some very important concerns that PCs are not listening to. Just imagine, these health-care facilities are not having hot water. That's the state of affairs. That's the state of affairs in the North. And they're freezing–cuts–they don't have enough ambulances in rural Manitoba.
So, after this government assumed office in 2016, what I have seen in this city–northern part of this city–Burrows–I represent those regular Manitobans living there–they have cut ERs, they have cut CancerCare. And people living in my constituency, they are being impacted by those cuts, and there's no hope in this budget that they would get those facilities and services back.
Wait times–they are getting longer. It's obvious: if we have six or seven ERs and you cut three of them, it's obvious that the others would be totally packed. That's what happened to our health-care system. They made it happen because they have priorities.
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And internationally educated nurses, this government is not simply listening to them. When we talk about their lives–their family lives, their professional lives–we get to know that these families and these hard-working professionals, they are suffering. Many of them, they live in Manitoba with their families, but they have to stay away from their families for days to work in Ontario. Why? Because the system, because their credential-assessment system that needs to be improved, needs government's attention, but the government is not listening.
Just imagine about a nurse who is working six days in Ontario and coming back to their family and touches their six-year-old after six days, how does that feel? They deserve better, but this government is not listening. This budget doesn't address these things.
Seniors care: just talk, talk, talk. We have a new minister that takes care of the seniors. Well, that's a talk. We know what happened to the seniors in Manitoba during the pandemic. Manitobans will not forget what happened at Maples PCH. Many seniors died. Go to their families, feel their feelings and try to understand what went wrong. Try to understand what was the accountability on the part of this government. Did they take steps, the right steps at the right time, or not? They didn't. Those families suffered. We lost those loved ones.
And the PCH funding cuts, Madam Speaker, between 2017 and 2019, we saw $2 million cut, which was a PCH funding cut, between these two years. And the seniors were living in conditions where there was no proper separation between an infected patient and uninfected patient.
And, so far, I have just touched the health part of the budget, and I'm still coming to mental health. We are in an addictions crisis. RAAM clinics, they are not open enough hours to serve those who need them. Madam Speaker, 407 people died of drug overdoses in 2021.
Recently, I got a chance to meet a family who organized a small gathering to remember those who lost to overdose. And when you talk to such families, when you talk to a mom who lost her son, her daughter, when you talk to such parents who are grieving for their family members lost to drugs and at the same time taking care of their grandsons and daughters, how would that feel? It's not easy.
They are demanding that something should be done to address our addictions crisis. We need to invest more in mental health because we are losing our loved ones, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, sons and daughters.
Coming to education, I still remember when I got a bunch of lawn signs that said, fight bill 64. And people were, like, phoning, phoning, phoning, I need a sign, I need a sign, I need a sign. And there was no other bill where, at committee stage, there would be hundreds of people signed up to speak against that bill. It was bill 64.
And the bill 64, it took hours and hours of our time and energy, resources, researchers' time. And it was tabled, it was debated and all of a sudden, when the political scenario changed, the PC leader, they decided to just simply take it back. Wow. Why did we spend energy, time, resources on a piece of legislation that a majority, a big majority, of Manitobans disliked and protested?
Cuts to education, they have impact. They impact Manitobans. They impact my family, your family and families of all of us because it leads into cuts by the school divisions. If school divisions don't have enough money to run the school divisions and their schools and to educate our children, what would they do? They have to make tough decisions.
That's what Brandon School Division did. They cut 20 teaching positions. What Seven Oaks did, they cut eight teaching positions and 20 staff positions. That is going to impact my son's learning, who is nine years old. And I am preparing myself, under this government's leadership, to see bigger class sizes, less resources for my son–for my son and his friends because this government is all about money. They don't think about regular Manitobans and the impact of the cuts that they are making.
Advanced education: I talk to so many international students and the students from various universities and colleges. Their tuition is up. PCs are interfering in the bargaining, collective bargaining, of their teachers, the faculty members. I don't need to repeat it, but all of us have witnessed what happened. They were out in front of the Legislature. They were out protesting, asking for their rights, but this government did not listen. International students, they bring in millions of dollars to our province. They stay away from their families. They struggle settling in a new culture. They try to settle them in a new country they know nothing about, and they are not very mature. Some of them are just 19 years, 20 years, 21 years old. They bring in dollars to this economy. They work here at the same time they study. But this government, they are not providing even the basic thing, health care, to these students.
Just imagine their state of mind, those young students who are struggling with their finances, struggling with culture shock, struggling with targets, struggling with their permanent resident status and whatnot. But this government is not even providing the basic needs, which are very important for their survival.
Today is Earth Day, Madam Speaker, and myself and a few of my colleagues, we're wearing–
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
When this matter is again before the House, the honourable member will have one minute remaining.
The hour being 12:30 p.m., this House is adjourned and stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Friday, April 22, 2022
CONTENTS