LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Wednesday, March 19, 2025


The House met at 1:30 p.m.

The 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, 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.

      Please be seated.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

The Speaker: Intro­duction of bills? Com­mit­tee Reports? Tabling of reports? Min­is­terial statements?

Members' Statements

River Heights Faith Council

Hon. Mike Moroz (Minister of Innovation and New Technology): Hon­our­able Speaker, it's my pleasure to rise in this House to recog­nize the in­cred­ible work of the River Heights faith council. Since being elected, members of churches and synagogues in my con­stit­uency have given their time to come together to tackle the challenges we face, not only in River Heights, but across our city and province.

      These faith locations share a commit­ment to social justice and equity, not only for their own mem­bers, but for the com­mu­nity at large. By bringing multiple perspectives to our quarterly meetings, and then to subcom­mit­tee meetings on affordable housing, food security and child care in between, I've been amazed by the level of interest in problem solving brought forward by these com­mu­nity champions.

      In an era where we often seem more–we seem more divided than ever, the faith council brings for­ward a shared vision for a healthier, more vibrant and connected com­mu­nity. I'm honoured to play a small role in convening these key grassroots leaders as they bring their ideas forward to our gov­ern­ment.

      Many of the members of the council have expressed their ap­pre­cia­tion for the opportunity to build relation­ships and learn from other faith locations facing similar challenges. While my role as MLA has been to bring these groups together, I'm in­cred­ibly excited to see what these community conversations will lead to.

      I look forward to continuing our work with these groups, and I ask for leave for their names to be entered into Hansard.

      Thank you.

Adas Yeshurun Herzlia, Congregation Etz Chayim, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg, Harrow United Church, Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Church, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, St. Aidan's Anglican Church, St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, St. George's Anglican Church, St. Ignatius Parish, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, St. Peter's Anglican Church, Temple Shalom, The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre, Westworth United Church

Genesis House

Mrs. Carrie Hiebert (Morden-Winkler): Today, we honour the incredible staff and volunteers at Genesis House Women's Shelter located in the constituency of Morden-Winkler. This safe haven for women just cele­brated their 40th anniversary this past year.

      Genesis House provides emergency shelter and crisis services to women of–all over Manitoba ex­per­iencing gender‑based violence. It's not a secret that Manitoba has one of the highest percentages of inti­mate partner violence in the country.

      Women from all walks of life find themselves in situations beyond their control and we need to remove the stigma that goes along with asking and needing for help.

      Through counselling, advocacy and guidance, Genesis House empowers women to rebuild their lives. Their tireless efforts make a profound differ­ence every day, and we are deeply grateful for their ongoing con­tribution to the community and to the province.

      Their dedicated team offers not only emergency shelter but also essential support services like coun­selling, legacy–legal advocacy and skill build–skilled working–building workshops.

      This holistic approach empowers women to rebuild their lives, offering them the strength and tools they need to regain independence. The compassion and–sorry–the compassionate and culturally sensitive environment they foster enjoy–is for every woman who walks through their doors, receives the support and care necessary to heal and thrive.

      I have my own personal journey, and I needed to use a shelter services when I was a young mother. It set me on a path to my own healing.

      We need to get the message out that it's not good–that it's okay for–to ask for help.

      In Manitoba, intimate partner violence affects one in three women, a staggering statistic that highlights the urgent need for support and intervention. We must continue to work together to raise awareness and that provide the resources that are needed.

      I want to thank the wonderful staff and volunteers at Genesis House. Your dedication, compassion and tireless efforts do not go unnoticed.

      Please join me in honouring: Angela Braun, executive director; Angela [phonetic] Ross, program manager; Madison Fehr, housing outreach co‑ordinator; and Denise Thiessen, board chair.

      Thank you.

Filipino Health‑Care Aide Association of Manitoba

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I rise this afternoon to introduce a relatively new association here in Manitoba. Today we are joined by five members of the Filipino health‑care aide association of Manitoba.

      They are a wonderful group of individuals who have made it their mission to ensure that health‑care workers here in our province have a voice that is heard by bridging gaps in many areas.

      Members of the group work in collaboration with health‑care facilities, departments, union repre­sentatives and other groups in scenarios where, for example, language could be a barrier or rights of work­ers could be better or further explained.

      Honourable Speaker, as we know, health care in our province is in a dire situation, as it has been for several years now. Changes need to happen for improvements and better patient outcomes. They need to happen up north, rurally and here in Winnipeg, and they need to factor in what health‑care workers are sharing.

      I believe it is important that we empower groups such as the Filipino health‑care aide association of Manitoba as they will provide ideas and advice to improve our health‑care system and ensure people are being respected and action is being taken.

      Now, to learn more about the group, everyone is invited to attend their first anniversary gala on May 17 at PCCM, the Philippine‑Canadian Centre of Manitoba, located at 737 Keewatin St., right in the heart of Tyndall Park.

      In closing, I would like to introduce those who have joined us here today in the gallery. We have Tita Edda Pangilinan, Tita Malda Macalino, Tita  Digna Arcedo, Ate Charmaine Hernandez and Ate Stacy Balding.

      And I ask that my colleagues join me in rec­ognizing them for the important work that they do.

* (13:40)

Randy and Joyska Tkachyk

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): It always brings me great pleasure to recognize the outstanding residents of La Vérendrye. Just recently, Sundown farmers, Randy and Joyska Tkachyk, who we have with us today, have won the Manitoba watershed association's Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District Award for regenerative agriculture practices.

      Randy and Joyska have been practising regener­ative agriculture for 15 years largely due to their passion for responsible farming and their eagerness to protect our environment.

      I have known Randy my entire life and he has forever been open to new and innovative ways of responsibly farming the land and caring for his livestock.

      The Tkachyk farm is a third‑generation farm that was established in 1907 and boasts about 1,200 acres with 80 rotational grazing paddocks, ranging in size from two to 25 acres, used to raise cow calf pairs. Cattle are placed on fresh grass every three to five days during the summer and bale graze in the winter, which allows for them to fertilize a patch of new land and minimize their tractor use.

      You can see Randy's passion when he explains how rotational grazing helps soil health by improving soil biology, organic matter and carbon sequestration. Randy and Joyska have tremendous appreciation of the land and livestock that have provided their liveli­hood for gen­era­tions, and this award is a terrific example of that.

      I encourage everyone who is interested in learn­ing more about the Tkachyk farm and regener­ative agri­cul­ture to follow Randy on their YouTube channel, called Life on a Manitoba Farm.

      Join me in congratulating Randy and Joyska, who we have here today.

Vincent Massey Trojans Hockey Team

Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): Honourable Speaker, today, I'm proud to rise in the House and recognize the Vincent Massey Trojans hockey team, who join us in the gallery after an absolutely historic season.

      This team started the year strong, winning the Husky Classic tournament in October. They then had the incredible opportunity to represent their league in Anaheim, California, at the Thanksgiving Day classic, showcasing Manitoba talent on the international stage.

      Throughout the season, the Trojans proved them­selves as a dominant force, boasting the best goal dif­ferential in the league and demonstrating their resilience with four thrilling overtime victories. But it was the playoffs where they truly made history.

      The Trojans went undefeated in the post‑season, securing their first-ever high school championship in Vincent Massey history. And just this Monday, they claimed the provincial championship, earning a hard‑fought 3‑2 victory over the River East Kodiaks; a rare and remarkable feat to win both the city and provincial titles in the same year.

      This victory is only the second provincial title in school history. The Trojans achieved this in­cred­ible season with only five grade 12 players, meaning this young and talented team will be a powerhouse next year as well.

      Today we celebrate the dedication, skill and team­work of these student athletes. Their commitment to excellence has brought pride not only to Vincent Massey Collegiate but to the entire Fort Garry community.

      I invite all members to join me in celebrating these players and coaches of the Vincent Massey 2025 provincial championship team, and I ask that the team roster be included in Hansard.

Will Bader, Adam Blair, Colby Bru, Luca Buoncore, Braxten Cockell, Aiden Dilay, Nathan Dyck, Rhett Forbes, Karst Gruener, Trevor Johnstone, Carter Kaczmarz, Sam Kinnear, Emmett Kraft, Ben Penner, Kyle Peters, Colton Roberts, Gavin Savage, Theo Sie, Aapo Tuominen.

Introduction of Guests

The Speaker: Prior to preceding to oral questions we have some more guests seated in the public gallery. From Maples Met School, 30 students under the direction of Sara Germain, and they're from the con­stit­uency of the hon­our­able member for The Maples, the hon­our­able Minister of Public Service Delivery (MLA Sandhu).

      We welcome you here today.

Oral Questions

Transcona By‑election Results
Candidate and Volunteer Appreciation

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): I'd like to give a big shout-out today to Mr. Shawn Nason and his wife Jen and their family for competing and putting their name forward to try to represent Transcona under the PC banner.

      I'd like to thank all the volunteers who came out in addition to all of the voters and con­stit­uents of Transcona who came out to vote and partici­pate in their demo­cratic rights. And at this time as well, I would like to also extend a con­gratu­la­tions to the NDP candidate, Shannon Corbett, on her victory last night and look forward to greeting her in this Chamber in the next couple weeks.

      Thanks, Hon­our­able Speaker.

Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): I want to take this op­por­tun­ity to con­gratu­late the Vincent Massey hockey team on being able to lift that cup in this amazing Chamber. Congrats, everybody.

      And I also want to say welcome to the students from Maples Met and I hope that you feel like this is your building, the people's building. I celebrate both of you. Still got to say, I'm a Kelvin fan for life.

      When it comes to the people of Transcona, a great honour. An amazing person was elected yesterday. Con­gratu­la­tions to the new MLA for Transcona, who will soon take her seat in this amazing Chamber. We're so proud that the people invested their trust in our team to keep fixing health care and keep standing up to Donald Trump.

The Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question.

Crime and Public Safety
Release of Repeat Offenders

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): Hon­our­able Speaker, the Premier said multiple times, there is no need to wait for other levels of gov­ern­ment to take action when it comes to public safety.

      But what have we seen? Just this morning, arson is up, crime is up, sex offenders are being released, drug traffickers are being released, pedophiles are being released.

      What's next, Hon­our­able Speaker? Robbery? Possession of a weapon? And a failure potentially to comply, not just once but twice, while attacking another innocent person with a weapon?

      So I ask the Premier, he says his Justice Minister is doing a great job–doing a great job at releasing criminals?

Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): That's why they lost in Transcona yesterday and it's why they're going to continue losing. They talk down to you, the people of Manitoba. They insult your intelligence.

      Everybody knows that it's judges and the judiciary who run the justice system. The thing that we do here with the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) leading is we invest in law en­force­ment.

      So I would ask you, the people of Manitoba, what do you think makes this city safer, the PCs who cut 50 members of the Winnipeg Police Service? Or this Minister of Justice, who has added 36 new police of­ficers to the streets since we took office?

      But at the same time, we're not just tough on crime; we're tough on the causes of crime. That's why we're investing in recreation; we're investing in edu­ca­tion; we're addressing the needs in the com­mu­nity to keep you safe for gen­era­tions to come.

The Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Ewasko: Hon­our­able Speaker, these are not my words; they're his. He said he would fix it, and he hasn't. He's failed.

      Crime is up. Arson is up. People are feeling less safe today than they were 18 months ago, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      March 18, Brandon police received a call for a male walking on 21st Street wearing a mask, dressed in black, with a machete in his hand. He also had possession of a long-handled spade modified to be a weapon. He was also charged for possessioning a weapon from a previous incident on March 15. We thank the Brandon Police Service for their work in arresting this dangerous criminal.

      But what was the Minister of Justice's response on the 15th? You let him go. When he was charged again only three days later, what was the Minister of Justice's response? Let him go.

* (13:50)

      So when can victims expect this Premier to stand to his word, make–do some action, instead of just adjusting his tie and smiling for the camera–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Mr. Kinew: All the students here, you know you're losing an argument when you go personal, right? And you just saw that. I see the head nods in the gallery.

      Here are the facts: this Minister of Justice banned the sale of machetes to young people in Manitoba. You know what happened as a result? Walmart took them off the shelves nationwide. So not only is this minister making things safer in Manitoba, he's making it safer right across Canada.

      The members opposite, you know, where were they yesterday in Transcona? Well, they weren't talking to the people. In fact, they were having a fundraiser in–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Kinew: –west Winnipeg, the complete opposite end of town.

      Again, they don't want to talk to the people in a real, straight­for­ward fashion. They want to have a  little insular club where they can keep telling them­selves that if they keep repeating the mistakes of the past, every­thing's going to be okay.

      Well, they can keep doing that. We're going to keep–

The Speaker: The member's time has expired.

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

Removal of Interprovincial Trade Barriers
Economic Benefit for Manitobans

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): Hon­our­able Speaker, just last week, a 15-year-old stabbed a man–just last week. Nobody's buying anything that this Premier is selling.

      Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs and disre­spectful language has created an unprecedented wave of support for Canadian products. Manitobans want to shop Canadian and shop local, whether it's in Hamiota or Halifax. Interprovincial trade barriers and regula­tions remain an obstacle. Their removal would sup­port Canadian consumers and companies.

      Can the Premier table any analysis on the econo­mic benefits of internal trade for Manitobans?

Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): I invite the member to stick around for tomorrow when we table the budget that's going to be full of great economic news for the people of Manitoba.

      Now I guess we know what went–they were doing instead of campaigning in Transcona yesterday: huddled together comparing notes; I think we've got to be tougher on Trump tomorrow. Because for the people watching in the gallery who weren't here yesterday, you know what he was doing yester­day? Please, Mr. Premier, take it easy on Donald Trump. Don't say anything mean about the American President while he's attacking our economy, while he's attacking our jobs.

      You know what? I won't buy any–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Kinew: –lessons from you today when you were begging me yesterday to take it easy on Trump.

      I say that respectfully through you, the Chair.

The Speaker: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, on a supplementary question.

Mr. Ewasko: Once again, Manitobans watching, people in the gallery are watching how this behaviour of this Premier is absolutely unbecoming of a premier to represent us, not only in Manitoba but across the world, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      The federal Transport and Internal Trade Minister has stated that interprovincial trade barriers could be  wiped out in 30 days. Unfor­tunately, Hon­our­able Speaker, that was many, many months ago. President Trump's irrational behaviour and messaging will continue negatively impacting our economy, and Manitobans want local shopping options. They want Canadian options.

      This Premier is getting in the way of entre­preneurs' success right here at home.

      When can Manitobans expect free trade in Canada, Hon­our­able Speaker?

Mr. Kinew: I want to invite people right across the province to come down to your building, the people's building, take a selfie out front of the amazing, huge, giant Canadian flag, post it on social media and let's build up that Canadian pride. [interjection]

      I can't believe that the PCs are heckling while I'm talking about how great Canada is. How far that party has fallen. Shame on you. We stand up for Canada; you're heckling somebody who's talking about Canadian pride.

      When it comes to supporting our economy, we've got an amazing shop local campaign going on. Our minister of trade, who is over my right shoulder, later this week will be meeting with his colleagues from every province and territory and the federal gov­ern­ment, and you know what he's going to do? He's going to do even more great work to stand up for busi­ness here.

      So here's the thing: this party on this side of the House, we put in the work.

      You know what they do? They complain.

      When there's–

The Speaker: The member's time has expired.

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

Mr. Ewasko: As the weeks go on, Hon­our­able Speaker, we will point out how similar our Premier of Manitoba is to the President, Donald Trump.

      The NDP called the New West Part­ner­ship–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Ewasko: –bogus. The Premier even urged the Manitoba gov­ern­ment to walk away from the New West Part­ner­ship.

      But since the MLA for Fort Rouge has come into power, he's changed his tune.

      What's not changed is the Premier's resistance to free trade.

      The premiers are meeting with the Prime Minister Friday.

      Will the Premier commit Manitoba to imme­diately fast-tracking the removal and alignment of internal rules and regula­tions as part of that call, or will he just sit there, listening to his music?

Mr. Kinew: Well, you know, I'll be listening to my Kendrick Lamar, thinking about the PCs, saying, they not like us.

      Then I'll skip a–forward to another track by Kendrick, and you know what the words are to that one: don't tell lies about me and I won't tell the truth about you.

      So here's the thing about the members opposite: we stand up for busi­ness; we stand up for you and health care; we stand up for rural; we stand up for people inside the city–every step of the way complain, complain, complain.

      The only barriers we're knocking down are the PC barriers that stand in the way of Manitoba's future success.

      Come back for the budget tomorrow. Great news on health care, great news on jobs, great news for Manitoba's future.

Removal of Interprovincial Trade Barriers
Need for Legis­lation to Address

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Hon­our­able Speaker, the reality is, is the NDP has had months to come up with a solid trade strategy. Businesses and stake­holders across the province had said that this NDP gov­ern­ment is not moving fast enough. Other provinces and other juris­dic­tions are well ahead of Manitoba when it comes to a solid trade strategy.

      So will this minister stand up and commit to bringing forward legis­lation to break down inter­provincial trade barriers.

Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): Hon­our­able Speaker, this team is fighting against those Trump tariffs, and that's very different from what we're hearing from the members opposite, some of which have expressed support for those same tariffs.

      We brought in, right out of gate, tax deferrals to support busi­nesses with better cash flow. We've invested in–ensuring we're standing up a Washington trade office to make sure Manitoba's voice is repre­sented at the tables where it needs to be represented. We're standing up a US trade advisory council that's provi­ding us with great insights daily from industry and labour, making sure we're up to speed on what we need to know so we can keep fighting for Manitobans. We're doing the work.

      And, again, that's very opposite and very different from what we've seen from the members opposite, who seem to be supporting Donald Trump and his tariff measures.

      In fact, one of the individuals running to be the leader of the members opposite is fighting to support those tariffs and has expressed his support for their engagement–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The honourable member for Midland, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Credential Recog­nition to Address Skill Shortage

Mrs. Stone: Honourable Speaker, it was a very simple question as to whether legis­lation is going to be brought forward that reflects other legis­lation across the country to remove interprovincial trade barriers.

      Fixing labour and skill shortages in the province of Manitoba is key to supporting busi­nesses here in this province. Nova Scotia and other provinces are moving forward with legis­lation to break down these trade barriers and to recog­nize equivalency for licences and certifications.

      Will this minister commit to also recog­nizing equivalency for licensing and certification regimes here in Manitoba?

MLA Sala: Hon­our­able Speaker, this team is on team Canada. And I know our minister got it right. Our minister respon­si­ble for Trade is doing in­cred­ible work, working with colleagues across the country to work together to break down interprovincial trade barriers. Of course, our Premier (Mr. Kinew) is also leading that work and building those relationships across the country.

      Our team is fighting on team Canada. We're fighting for Manitobans, we're fighting for jobs and we're going to keep doing that work.

      And we've got a lot more exciting things to say tomorrow when we table our budget, which is going to be a budget that's going to focus on fighting for jobs, fighting for health care, fighting for afford­ability.

      We stand on the side of team Canada.

* (14:00)

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Midland, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

Canadian Energy Independence
Support for East-West Pipeline

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Hon­our­able Speaker, if this gov­ern­ment is truly team Canada, then they will have no problem saying yes to this next question.

      Leaders in Canada have stood up and supported energy projects built on national self-reliance. Premiers Moe and Smith have been vocal on this. Premier Houston is calling on Quebec to embrace a team Canada approach.

      Last week, I asked this Premier (Mr. Kinew) if he would also commit to supporting east-west pipelines. I did not get an answer.

      So I will ask him again, a very simple yes or no question: Will the Premier commit to supporting and approving all east-west energy pipelines for energy inde­pen­dence here in Canada?

Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): On this side of the House, we're getting it done when it comes to energy. We released our affordable energy plan where we committed to developing 600 megawatts of new wind energy in part­ner­ship with First Nations.

      Now, the members opposite have a lot to answer for, Hon­our­able Speaker. Again, someone running to be their leader celebrated an inter­ference in our sovereignty. Let's let that resonate for a second. What members on the opposite side of the House stand with that member who made those comments? Who on that side of the House stands–actually stands on team Canada? Manitobans are confused. Whose team are they on?

      Are they fighting for Manitobans, or are they fighting for Donald Trump?

Edu­ca­tion Property Tax Increase
Impact on East St. Paul Homeowners

Mr. Grant Jackson (Spruce Woods): The munici­pality of East St. Paul has confirmed that the River East Transcona School Division's notice of tax require­ments for 2025 is increasing school-based property taxes by 25.75 per cent on homeowners in that munici­pality this year. I will table confirmation of that for the House.

      How does the Minister of Edu­ca­tion feel that a 25 per cent increase is acceptable for homeowners in East St. Paul?

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): Well, since we're talking about the River East Trans School Division, Hon­our­able Speaker, what I'd like to say first is the only thing better than a new school in Devonshire Park is a New Democrat in Transcona.

      We are bringing relief to the–Manitobans when it comes to affordability, thanks to the great work of our Minister of Finance and the Homeowners Afford­ability Tax Credit, which we know, despite what the member wants to get up here and say and put misinformation on the record, we know that the vast majority of Manitobans, including the vast majority of folks that live in River East Transcona School Division, are going to see a reduction in their school property taxes, thanks to the Homeowners Afford­ability Tax Credit.

      Thank goodness–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The hon­our­able member for Spruce Woods, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Jackson: For the record, Hon­our­able Speaker, the Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning just called a letter, on official letterhead from the rural munici­pality of East St. Paul, signed by their chief admin­is­tra­tive officer, as misinformation.

      I would encourage the minister to read the letter and then reflect on this docu­ment that I will also table, which say that the gross levy going up on River East Transcona School Division residents living in East St. Paul is going up by almost $1,000 this year–a $1,000 increase–and this is based on the average home value, which is higher than qualifies for their $1,500 tax rebate. So this is a $1,000 increase on munici­pal property taxes.

      How–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

MLA Schmidt: Manitobans know who they can trust when it comes to edu­ca­tion, and that's the Manitoba NDP.

      Just yesterday, Hon­our­able Speaker, we elected yet another educator to this Legis­lative Assembly to join the team of many educators that we have elected that Manitobans have sent here because Manitobans know that the Manitoba NDP understand edu­ca­tion. The people of Manitoba know that it's the Manitoba NDP that have finally ended the freezes and the cuts under the Tories and that they have reliable and predictable funding, thanks to our gov­ern­ment.

      Not only that, Hon­our­able Speaker, we are building schools, we are hiring teachers–more than 630 teachers in only our first year–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The hon­our­able member for Spruce Woods, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Jackson: The only thing that this minister has accomplished as edu­ca­tion is the largest tax increase for school properties in the history of the city of Winnipeg. That's what this minister's largest accomplishment is: $100 million more this year out of  the pockets of Winnipeg families, and now a 25 per cent increase on the hard-working families of East St. Paul.

      Will this minister apologize and increase funding in tomorrow's budget so that these school divisions can reduce these tax hikes and keep this money in the pockets of hard-working middle class Winnipeg families?

MLA Schmidt: The truth of the matter is, that on this side of the House–and you're going to see more details tomorrow in Budget 2025, which is a great budget–on this side of the House we are investing in kids, and that is because every child matters. We're going to continue to work with school divisions, including River East Transcona and divisions all across the province, to make sure that kids in this province are receiving the edu­ca­tion that they need.

      We believe in investing in kids. That is our plan on edu­ca­tion. What was their plan on edu­ca­tion? Defund and division. In fact, the front-runner in the PC leadership race is out there spreading lies and division, trying to convince Manitobans that there's pornography in Manitoban schools.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, if there's pornography in Manitoba schools, I will walk down there and remove it tomorrow.

The Speaker: The member's time has expired.

Safe Con­sump­tion Site in Point Douglas
Com­mu­nity Safety Concerns

Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): This week, the minister of addictions said in reference to the planned NDP public injection site that, quote, safety and security are our No. 1 priority.

      Our Lady of Lourdes Church, which is located near the planned public injection site, recently took steps to surround them­selves with chain link fencing, topped by barbed wire as a security measure. I have the pictures to table for the House. The minister can't even protect the churches in her con­stit­uency, but now she's saying that the residents need to trust her.

      Clearly, safety and security are nothing more than talking points for the minister.

      Why should the residents trust this MLA to pro­tect them when she hasn't done so to date?

Hon. Bernadette Smith (Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): And safety, security is our No. 1 concern on this side of the House. We've been working with the Winnipeg police. En­force­ment is some­thing that we are very concerned about; that's why under our fine Justice Minister we've hired 36 new officers. Under that former gov­ern­ment they were firing police officers.

      We're going to continue to meet with folks. We're going to continue to listen to their concerns. We have community wellness workers that are going to be working outside in and around. We also are working with Downtown Com­mu­nity Safety Part­ner­ship, some­­­­­­­­thing the members opposite never did when they were in gov­ern­ment.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Brandon West, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Balcaen: I think the Winnipeg Police Service would differ with this–that opinion. Safety and security is our No. 1 priority: empty words from this minister of addictions. Safety and security of local residents is so far down the list of priorities for this minister that it barely even registers, Hon­our­able Speaker. The minister couldn't even be bothered to give the Winnipeg Police Service a heads-up.

      To quote the WPS at the meeting, quote: The plan gets developed in response to the con­sul­ta­tions and feedback provided, and so far we haven't been privy to this other than Tuesday.

      For someone allegedly so concerned about security and safety, why did the minister fail to invite the Winnipeg Police Service until two days before the January 30 meeting?

Ms. Smith: And I can assure that member that the police have been at the table from day one. We've been working with them. We've been collaborating with them. We've been working with the City. We've–the mayor has even been at the table.

      So I can assure that member I've been meeting with the mayor. Mayor was at–in this House a couple of days ago, along with super­in­ten­dents. We've been talking about safety and security in and around the site. Wherever that lands, that is going to be our No. 1 priority.

      They're on board; we're on board. They need to get on board.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Brandon West, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

* (14:10)

Mr. Balcaen: Hon­our­able Speaker, local residents don't trust this minister of addictions. They stated unequivocally at the January 30 meeting that the minister of addictions was not repre­sen­ting them. Instead of repre­sen­ting her con­stit­uents, she chose to represent her boss.

      For many residents, this is a safety issue for them and their children. But the minister made it clear that safety was not a topic she was prepared to discuss.

      Is this the future of Point Douglas under the NDP: chain-link fences and razor wire?

The Speaker: Just before the member rises to answer, I'd remind all members, when speaking about a member, to use their con­stit­uency name or their proper min­is­terial title.

      The hon­our­able minister of addictions, homeless­ness–[interjection] Now I've got to do it right.

Ms. Smith: Under their leadership, they watched people die of overdoses. These are people. These are Manitobans. These are someone's loved ones.

      On this side of the House, we are going to support these folks. We're going to make sure that they get the support that they need to get off of substance uses.

      We are working with the Winnipeg police. Safety and security is our number one concern. We will have wellness workers. Wherever this site lands, we will have amped up more police service in and around. They have assured us that that will happen, because they are just as concerned as we are. So safety and security in and around.

      So that member needs to get on board and help save Manitobans' lives.

Post-Secondary Institutions
Equitable Funding Concerns

Mr. Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): Hon­our­able Speaker, the NDP has no darn plan when it comes to  funding our many post-secondary in­sti­tutions through­­­out Manitoba.

      When I met with the student leaders at the University of Winnipeg, they high­lighted the high tuition, lack of resources and chronic underfunding at their institution. The University of Winnipeg is facing a multimillion-dollar deficit, program cuts and layoffs because this NDP gov­ern­ment refuses to fund them fairly and equitably.

      The minister, in today's Winnipeg Free Press, dismissed the uni­ver­sity's urgent call for equitable funding to be in line with the Uni­ver­sity of Manitoba and Brandon Uni­ver­sity.

      When will this minister finally commit to fixing this unfair funding model?

Hon. Renée Cable (Minister of Advanced Education and Training): Hon­our­able Speaker, it is a privilege to get up any day to talk about post-secondary, because in the last two years, funding to the U of W has increased by 22.6 per cent, $14.5 million.

      Members opposite took the wrong approach to post-secondary. They didn't talk to anybody at post-secondaries. In fact, year over year over year, they froze and cut funding to post-secondaries.

      We have rebuilt that relationship. We are working on a long-term sus­tain­able plan for post-secondary. And I will take no answers–questions–any advice from the member opposite on post-secondary. [interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

      The hon­our­able member for Selkirk on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Perchotte: The NDP has no darn plan. The NDP should provide equitable multi-year funding for post-secondary in­sti­tutions.

      We hear that some students at the Uni­ver­sity of Manitoba are relying on music artist Jelly Roll to help pay off their student loans. This shines a light on the fiscal crisis facing Manitoba students under this NDP gov­ern­ment. And I quote US singer at one of his recent concerts, I quote: I tell you what–you don't got any student loans no more. I'm going to pay them off. Unquote.

      Is this minister and her NDP gov­ern­ment em­barrassed that Manitoba students have to rely on the charity of Americans instead of adequate funding and support from their own gov­ern­ment?

MLA Cable: Hon­our­able Speaker, while I didn't have the privilege of attending that concert, I've heard from the member from Point Douglas that it was awesome. I want to con­gratu­late those two students for catching the attention of Jelly Roll. That's pretty amazing.

      And I want to just point out to the House that student loans in Manitoba continue to be interest-free. We have enhanced Manitoba student bursary initiatives. We've pro­vided additional supports for Indigenous scholars. And we will continue to work to make sure that post-secondary edu­ca­tion in Manitoba is accessible, afford­able and open to all Manitoba students.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Selkirk, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Perchotte: Again, Hon­our­able Speaker, the NDP has no darn plan, plain and simple.

      In­sti­tutions are chronically underfunded, hiring freezes are in place and inter­national students are not coming to study in Manitoba, all because–a failed NDP gov­ern­ment and inaction with the changing post-secondary landscape.

      Tuition has gotten so out of control under the NDP that Manitobans will need to look south to music artists to bail them out. The Premier (Mr. Kinew) and member for Fort Rouge is just not up to the job of keeping higher edu­ca­tion affordable for Manitoba youths.

      I ask the Premier and his minister: Do they have a made-in-Manitoba solution when it comes to post-secondary edu­ca­tion in Manitoba?

MLA Cable: Hon­our­able Speaker, I am proud to get up every day to talk about the great things happening in post-secondary in Manitoba. We have great working relationships with all of our in­sti­tutions and we are welcoming more students than ever to our post-secondary in­sti­tutions.

      I want to take the member for a walk down memory lane here. So when the folks on that side of the House, where we know how they got there, were in power, there was extended times of freezes and cuts.

      Dr. Lynda Balneaves, who is now the associate dean of research of College of Nursing, has to say this about the PCs' push to illegally freeze wages: If we're not able to attract our instructors and lecturers to come to a uni­ver­sity setting, if they are choosing–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg
Funding Challenges

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Last month, I met with executives and student repre­sen­tatives from the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg Students' Association to discuss their concerns regarding the lack of funding from this prov­incial gov­ern­ment.

      During our meeting, it was shared with me the unique challenges that the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg is facing. One example is the sig­ni­fi­cant amount of their budget that has to be spent on security to keep their students safe.

      Does this gov­ern­ment feel it is equitable that the amount of money they are being forced to spend on security detracts from the money that could be spent on pro­gram­ming supports and services necessary for students?

Hon. Renée Cable (Minister of Advanced Education and Training): Hon­our­able Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question.

      The Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg is a beloved jewel in our city and in our province and I know a number of us attended that school, are proud alumnus of that school, and we want the best for the students who attend there. That includes, first and foremost, safety on campus and ensuring that every student is able to attend in their–as their full selves.

      We continue to work with the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg to ensure that their financial needs are met and that the student out­comes are as positive as possible.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Tyndall Park, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

MLA Lamoureux: In today's Free Press, which I  table, the U of W clearly explains the dire financial situation, reporting a $4-million deficit due to the chronic underfunding.

      As a result, the U of W has imple­mented a hiring freeze and has had to cut critical programs, including ESL and the women's soccer team. The president of the faculty has indicated that there was nothing left to cut other than programs and faculty, and I quote, which are already bleak in comparison to other campuses.

      Does this gov­ern­ment believe it is fair and sustain­able for the U of W to have to depend on declining student tuition more than any other post-secondary in­sti­tution in Manitoba?

MLA Cable: Hon­our­able Speaker, again, I thank the member for the question and I thank her for putting some key words on file here. She used the word chronic underfunding. That chronic underfunding is thanks to seven and a half years of PC freezes and cuts.

      The other contributing factor is thanks to her federal cousins. So the federal–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

MLA Cable: –gov­ern­ment cut inter­national student allotments across the board, across the country, with­out con­sul­ta­tion. We knew there would be impacts and this is part of the result.

      Again, we're working with every post-secondary in­sti­tution to ensure that every student has the best possible outcome.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Tyndall Park, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

MLA Lamoureux: Hon­our­able Speaker, again, in today's Winnipeg Free Press, the article that I just tabled, a consulting firm shared how this NDP gov­ern­ment continues to underfund the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg.

      The minister, in response said, and I quote: You can't compare apples to oranges.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, does the minister believe that students at the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg deserve the same level of edu­ca­tion, services and experiences as those at other post-secondary in­sti­tutions here in Manitoba?

* (14:20)

MLA Cable: Hon­our­able Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe in equity. We believe in lifting people up. And we believe in ensuring that every individual has the best op­por­tun­ity possible to become the best version of them­selves. Of course, I believe that every student deserves an equal op­por­tun­ity to achieve greatness.

      I want to put some facts on the record. In the last two years, funding to the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg has increased by 22.6 per cent. That's $14.5 million. We continue to work with them to address the financial challenges that are long-standing, and will continue to enhance that part­ner­ship and make sure that we take care of every student that's in Manitoba.

Transcona Con­stit­uency Investments
New School and Personal-Care Home

MLA JD Devgan (McPhillips): Hon­our­able Speaker, there are a lot of exciting things happening in Transcona these days, including the invest­ments our gov­ern­ment's been making: a new school with capa­city for 600 students and 104 child-care spaces; and a 90-bed personal-care home at Park Manor.

      Our gov­ern­ment is listening to com­mu­nities across the province and delivering on our mandate that the good people of Manitoba sent here–sent us here to deliver on.

      Can the Premier tell us more about these awe­some invest­ments and how they'll benefit the good folks of Transcona?

Hon. Wab Kinew (Premier): I thank the MLA from McPhillips for the best question so far today. Great job.

      Amazing invest­ments being brought forward by Health and Finance and Edu­ca­tion: a new school coming forward for Transcona, a new personal-care home that was cut by Brian Pallister, back on the table so people can age in place.

      People in Transcona go to work every day and work super hard. They have a humble attitude and a great sense of humour. My heart is full from the fact that they've elected one of their own, Shannon Corbett, to elect that great con­stit­uency right here in the Manitoba Legislature.

      On the other side of the aisle, what do they have to offer? Well today, Brian Pallister's former cam­paign manager David McLaughlin said, Big Manitoba NDP win: 64 per cent. PC Manitoba has a lot of work ahead.

      I don't know how many times I'm going to be able to say this in my life–maybe just one–this one time–but you know what? For this one time, I agree with David McLaughlin.

Tariffs on Canola Producers
Support for Manitoba Growers

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): Hon­our­able Speaker, canola is one of Manitoba's most valuable crops, contributing billions to our economy and sup­porting thousands of farm families.

      With the United States imposing tariffs and China shutting out Canadian canola, our farmers are faced with tough hardships, including new crop canola pricing coming out at between 30 and 50 per cent below what it was last year.

      Will the minister commit to imme­diate financial support for affected producers to offset these devastating losses?

Hon. Ron Kostyshyn (Minister of Agriculture): Thank you to the member opposite for asking an im­por­tant question about agri­cul­ture.

      And it's no doubt, being a farmer for 40 years of my life, for a farmer who went through the BSE scenario, it's a small example. But I can relate to the challenges we face today–the farmers face–of tariffs that have been brought in by the US gov­ern­ment and the Chinese tariffs as we move forward.

      I want to assure member opposite, we work on a team Canada approach. That is why we've been in contact twice with all agri­cul­ture ministers in the last two months, that we start to work toward some­thing in a united front.

      We're not going to run rogue, being an in­de­pen­dent province. We work together as team Canada for the betterment–

The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

Large Grocery Retailers
Price Manipulation Concerns

Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): Last year, Manitoba had the largest increase in grocery store prices in the entire country. This Premier (Mr. Kinew) promised–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Wasyliw: –Manitobans that if the big grocery store chains didn't lower prices, that he would make them.

      Not only has he broken this promise, grocery store prices have skyrocketed in Manitoba. He is making–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Wasyliw: –it easier for the big grocery store chains to gouge Manitoba families.

      CBC News revealed that Walmart was breaking Manitoba law. In fact, they were charging 30 per cent more than the law allows for milk. And I'll table the article.

      Why has this Premier allowed Walmart to gouge Manitoba families, and why is he–refuse to prosecute them for price gouging?

The Speaker: Before we hear the answer to that question, I would ask all members, but parti­cularly on the gov­ern­ment side, to calm down a little.

Hon. Mintu Sandhu (Minister of Public Service Delivery): Thanks to the member for that question.

      Bill 31 will open up the market and create com­petition in the grocery sector. Our priority is stabilizing the grocery prices in Manitoba. That's why we are taking action. This bill gives Manitobans more access to their groceries.

      We will keep working hard and make more–life more affordable for all Manitobans.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

The Speaker: The time for oral questions has expired.

Petitions

Op­posi­tion to Releasing Repeat Offenders

Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Kellie Verwey, a beloved young woman from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was tragically killed in a car crash caused by a repeat violent offender with a long criminal history.

      (2) Despite repeated violations of his bail conditions, the offender was free to roam the streets and to ultimately claim Kellie's life. The tragedy was entirely preventable.

      (3) While the Criminal Code falls under federal jurisdiction, provinces have been given the responsibility for the administration of justice, allowing for meaningful provincial action on bail reform to ensure public safety.

      (4) Other provinces have taken proactive steps to strengthen bail enforcement, but Manitoba has not used all of the available tools to address this issue effectively.

Mr. Tyler Blashko, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair

      (5) The provincial government has the ability and the responsibility to advocate for the implement–for and implement measures that protect its citizens by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are not released into our communities without prior–or, sorry, without proper safeguards.

      (6) Immediate action is required to close gaps in the justice system that allow dangerous criminals to remain free, which puts Manitobans at risk.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the provincial government to take immediate and decisive action on bail reform to address serious deficits in enforcement by utilizing all available provincial mechanisms to strengthen warrant enforcement, increasing bail supervision and opposing release of offenders, thus ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable and that the public safety is prioritized over leniency; and

      (2) To urge the provincial government to lobby the federal government to immediately repeal pro­visions of the Criminal Code that allow for continued victimization of law-abiding Manitobans while granting repeat offenders additional rights.

* (14:30)

      This petition has been signed by Doug Denning, Colleen Robbins, Eileen Clarke and many, many other fine Manitobans.

New Neepawa Health Centre

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      Thanks to the–(1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative services plan, con­struction for the new Neepawa Health Centre is well under way. The facility and surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of a CT scanner.

      (2) The new hospital is being built east of Neepawa, on the north side of the yellow quill highway. It will be nearly double the size of the existing hospital and will better serve patients from this broader, western Manitoba geographical area.

      (3) CT scanners are standard equipment that combine X-ray images from several angles to create detailed, three-dimensional models of structures inside the body. They perform critical diagnostic procedures that support the diag­nos­tic–diagnoses and treatment of a wide range of injuries and disease, and the new equipment will be able to complete these important scans faster, with sharper and clearer images.

      (4) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive a CT scan is currently seven weeks, and there are over 14,000 patients on the wait list to receive the diagnostic imaging procedure.

      (5) The new CT scanner will reduce these wait times, as it would decrease the need for patients to travel long distances, some­thing–sometimes involving overnight stays, to access the care they need.

      (6) The new scanner will reduce pressure on emer­gency response services, who would no longer have to transport these patients, opening up appoint­ments in other communities and allowing more people to get the care they need sooner.

      (7) A CT scanner in the Neepawa Health Centre will enable further treatment and diagnoses to take place in a–in community, reducing wait times for patients in certain–surrounding areas and reducing the burden of travel to other facilities.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of a CT scanner machine in the Neepawa Health Centre in Neepawa, Manitoba.

      This is signed by Lorri Pederson, Leslie McLaren, Rosalie Bautista and many, many more Manitobans.

      Thank you.

Ms. Jodie Byram (Agassiz): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative services plan, construction for the new Neepawa Health Centre is well under way. The facility and surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of a CT scanner.

      (2) The new hospital is being built east of Neepawa, on the north side of the Yellowhead Highway, PTH 16. It will be nearly double the size of the existing hospital and will better serve patients from the broader, western Manitoba geographic area.

      (3) CT scanners are standard equipment that com­bine X-ray images from several angles to create detailed, three-dimensional models of structures inside the body. They perform critical diagnostic procedures that sup­port the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of injuries and diseases, and the new equipment will be able to complete these important scans faster and with sharper and clearer images.

      (4) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive a CT scan is currently seven weeks, and there are over 14,000 patients on the wait list to receive the diagnostic imaging procedure.

      (5) The new CT scanner will reduce these wait times as it would decrease the need for patients to travel long distances, and sometimes involving over­night stays, to access the care they need.

      (6) The new scanner will reduce pressure on emer­gency response services, who would no longer have to transport these patients, opening up appoint­ments in other communities and allowing more people to get the care they need sooner.

      (7) A CT scanner in the Neepawa Health Centre will enable further treatment and diagnosis to take place in community, reducing wait times for patients in surrounding areas and reducing the burden of travel to other facilities.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of a CT scanner machine in the Neepawa Health Centre in Neepawa, Manitoba.

      This petition has been signed by Kelly Malanik, Elsie [phonetic] Malanik, Ruth Hanke and many, many more Manitobans.

      Thank you.

Phoenix School

Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): I wish to present the following petition.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      Phoenix School, a kindergarten to grade 5 school located in Headingley, has experienced consistent enrol­ment growth over the last several years. Enrolment is expected to reach 275 students in the next two years.

      Because the school is now over capacity, the school division has had to install portable classrooms on site as of fall 2024.

      For several consecutive years, the top capital priority of the St. James-Assiniboia School Division has been the renovation and expansion of Phoenix School.

      In 2022, the Phoenix School expansion and renova­tion project was approved to proceed to the design phase. The project included, among other amenities, a new gymnasium, two new classrooms, a multi-purpose room and room for 74 child‑care spaces.

      In June 2024, the school division received notice from the provincial government that the project has been deferred. There is no guarantee if, or when, the project will move forward.

      There are currently hundreds of children on a wait list for child care in Headingley. The daycare operator in Phoenix School has been told that they will continue to have space within the school for the 2024‑2025 school year only, that further expansion of child‑care space within the school is not possible and that space may be reduced moving forward due to the shortage of classrooms. If new space is not con­structed as planned, many families may be left without child care.

      It is critical that the expansion and renovation of Phoenix School proceed as planned in order to support the needs of students, teachers and families in the growing community of Headingley.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the provincial government to proceed with the planned renovation and expansion of Phoenix School without further delay.

      And this petition is signed by Jessica Gillespie, Scott Lillie, Taylor McMillan and many, many other Manitobans.

Support for Border Communities

Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): Hon­our­able Speaker, I wish to present the following petition.

      To the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba, the back­­ground to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Illegal border crossings into Manitoba have increased 14 per cent in 2024, raising sig­ni­fi­cant public safety and security concerns parti­cularly in border commu­nities.

* (14:40)

      (2) Changes to the Canada-USA third country agree­ment have driven migrants deeper into hiding to avoid apprehension, making law en­force­ment efforts more difficult.

      (3) Border patrol officials believe that criminal organi­zations, including Mexican cartels, are involved in smuggling operations at the border, posing serious security threats to Manitoba.

      (4) Human smuggling networks are abandoning vul­ner­able migrants, including families, in isolated and dangerous locations, exposing them to severe risks, especially during Manitoba's harsh winters.

      (5) Border com­mu­nities are preparing for a pos­sible surge in illegal border crossings, which could over­whelm local resources and emergency search-and-rescue services; and

      (6) Despite these challenges, there has been little com­muni­cation or support from the prov­incial and federal gov­ern­ments regarding their plans to assist border com­mu­nities, leaving them under-resourced and unprepared to manage this escalating crisis.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to lobby the federal gov­ern­ment to develop and implement a com­pre­hen­sive plan to assist border com­mu­nities in managing the rise in illegal border crossings into Manitoba; and

      (2) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to work closely with the federal and local author­ities to ensure adequate resources, including funding and support for emergency services, are available to protect local com­mu­nities and that imme­diate measures be taken to dismantle and destroy all human smuggling networks operating in Manitoba.

      And this petition has been signed by many, many Manitobans.

Morden Waste Water Project

Mrs. Carrie Hiebert (Morden-Winkler): I wish to present the following petition to the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Between 2011 and 2021, Morden's population grew by an impressive 27 per cent, outpacing the national average by 16 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.

      (2) While growing–sorry, while growth is welcome and encouraged, Morden was–has long faced the critical need for infrastructure upgrades to meet current demands and support future development.

      (3) Morden's waste water system has operated beyond capacity for years, prompting the Province in 2019 to halt property subdivisions due to insufficient waste–winter waste water storage.

      (4) As of 2024, after exploring all options, the City announced in July that the estimated cost for critical infrastructure upgrades has risen from $70 million to $88 million to now $108 million.

      (5) These revised estimates have–leave Morden with a significant funding shortfall of 13 to 33 million dollars.

      (6) Despite efforts to address the gap, including plans to raise utility fees for residents and businesses, such increases that have been delayed since 2017 due to the lack of an approved capital project, taxation is not enough.

      (7) The lack of waste water capacity has severely impacted economic activity and growth in Morden and the surrounding communities. Without much-needed waste water infrastructure investments, growth and economic development will be hindered in all of southern Manitoba.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the provincial government to take immediate action and recognize the critical need of this waste water project for economic growth and environmental sustainability by committing to ad­vo­cating and working with the federal government to close the gap with additional funding for Morden's waste water treatment system.

      (2) To urge the provincial government to ensure all levels of government and regulatory bodies will expedite necessary funding and approvals necessary to advance the Morden waste water project with no further delay and ensuring no hindrance to growth and economic development for Morden and southern Manitoba.

      This petition has been signed by Mary Anne Dyck, Josephine Obordo and Gillian Douglas and many, many other Manitobans.

Prov­incial Trunk Highway 34

Mr. Grant Jackson (Spruce Woods): I wish to present the following petition to the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The back­ground to this petition is as follows:

      (1)  Prov­incial Trunk Highway 34, PTH 34, is a two-lane prov­incial primary highway that runs from the US border where it meets with ND 20 to PTH 16 at the town of Gladstone.

      (2)  PTH 34 runs north-south in the south-central region of the province. It is the main highway for the towns of Crystal City, Pilot Mound and Holland, serving as a main corridor for semi-trailers, farm equip­ment, daily drivers and local school bus routes.

      (3)  A new bridge is currently being constructed over the Assiniboine River at PTH 34, north of Holland and in the RM of Victoria. The bridge serves as an im­por­tant north-south link over the Assiniboine River between the Trans-Canada Highway and PTH 2.

      (4)  The deterioration of PTH 34 has raised major concerns due to its narrow shoulders and numer­ous deep potholes that pose serious safety risks con­sid­ering farmers often need to use the highway to trans­port heavy equip­ment.

      (5)  Construction of a new bridge in accordance with current design codes and the RTAC standard, located on PTH 34 crossing the Assiniboine River, will support trade and commerce and improve public safety in the area, and also accommodate flood events on the Assiniboine River.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to address the con­di­tions of Prov­incial Trunk Highway 34, making the necessary upgrades to RTAC standard and to resurface the road once the new bridge has been completed.

      This petition has been signed by K. Mawby, Tracy Mawby [phonetic], Ron Hofman and many other fine Manitobans.

Op­posi­tion to Releasing Repeat Offenders

Mr. Trevor King (Lakeside): I wish to present the following petition.

      To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the background to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Kellie Verwey, a beloved young woman from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was tragically killed in a car crash caused by a repeat violent offender with a long criminal history.

      (2) Despite repeated violations of his bail con­ditions, the offender was free to roam the streets and to ultimately claim Kellie's life. This tragedy was entirely preventable.

      (3) While the Criminal Code falls under federal jurisdiction, provinces have been given the responsibility for the administration of justice, allowing for mean­ing­ful provincial action on bail reform to ensure public safety.

      (4) Other provinces have taken proactive steps to strengthen bail enforcement, but Manitoba has not used all the available tools to address this issue effectively.

      (5) The provincial government has the ability and the responsibility to advocate for and implement measures that protect its citizens by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are not released into our com­munities without proper safeguards.

      (6) Immediate action is required to close gaps in the justice system that allow dangerous criminals to remain free, which puts innocent Manitobans at risk.

* (14:50)

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the provincial government to take immediate and decisive action on bail reform to address serious deficits in enforcement by utilizing all available provincial mechanisms to strengthen warrant enforcement, increasing bail supervision and opposing release of offenders, thus ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable and that public safety is prioritized over leniency; and

      (2) To urge the provincial government to lobby the federal government to immediately repeal pro­visions of the Criminal Code that allow for the contained victimization of law-abiding Manitobans while granting repeat offenders additional rights.

      This petition is signed by Sheena Westwater, Kailey Langrell and K. Petrie.

      Thank you.

Prov­incial Trunk Highways 12 and 210

MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly.

      To the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the background of this petition is as follows:

      The intersection of Provincial Trunk Highways 12 and 210 is known as a dangerous intersection, resulting in a safety review published in the fall of 2023.

      In the summer of 2024, the Province presented four options for public consultation, and area residents were promised a presentation of a final option by the fall of 2024.

      Delays in the renovation of this intersection have put Manitobans at risk, as the safety review identified that changes are needed.

      The provincial government failed to meet its own timeline of the fall of 2024, and as such, area residents are concerned that the project has not been designated as a priority.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the provincial government to imme­diately implement work on renovating the intersection of Provincial Trunk Highways 12 and 210, to keep area residents and travellers safe.

      This has been signed by many Manitobans.

Green Valley School Expansion

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): I wish to present the following petition.

      To the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba, the back­ground to this petition is as follows:

      (1) The residents of La Vérendrye and other areas around Manitoba are extremely frustrated and con­cerned by the prov­incial gov­ern­ment's decision to cancel the school expansion project for Green Valley School in Grunthal.

      (2) In 2021, the PC prov­incial gov­ern­ment committed funding to expand Green Valley School for a new gymnasium and classrooms.

      (3) The school is so crowded that three mobile classrooms were added to alleviate overcrowding in the classrooms.

      (4) In order for construction to begin, the school removed all three portable classrooms, leaving Green Valley in a further critical state of overcrowding.

      (5) As a result of overcrowding, parents are choosing to home-school their children due to safety concerns and the challenges associated with the overcrowding.

      (6) The current Premier of Manitoba and the Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning have said they are committed to investing in edu­ca­tion.

      (7) The concerns of residents of La Vérendrye and the surrounding area are being ignored by the prov­incial gov­ern­ment.

      (8) The lack of space in the school is affecting the quality of edu­ca­tion and extracurricular activities for students.

      (9) The minister and Premier have a duty to respond to the edu­ca­tional needs of children and youth identified by rural com­mu­nities.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning to imme­diately bring back the three portable classrooms to help alleviate the stress and overcrowding classrooms.

      (2) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to reinstate the expansion project for Green Valley School.

      This petition has been signed by Jasper Falk, Celeste Esau, Ernest Toews and many, many other Manitobans.

Teaching Certification

Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The back­ground to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Ensuring that teachers have a robust back­ground in the subjects they teach is essential for maintaining high-quality edu­ca­tion and fostering well-rounded learning experiences for all Manitoba students.

      (2) The recent amend­ments by the Province of Manitoba to the Teaching Certificates and Quali­fi­ca­tions Regula­tion under The Edu­ca­tion Administration Act have significantly lowered the standards for subject-area expertise required for teacher certification.

      (3) These amend­ments eliminated all subject-area require­ments for teacher certification, including major and minor teachable subjects and subject-specific require­ments for early- to middle-years streams.

      (4) Spe­cific­ally, the amend­ments removed: senior years credit require­ments in an approved teachable major and minor; early- to middle‑years credit require­ments in an approved teachable major and minor; and early- to middle‑years credit requirements for specific subjects, including: math; physical or biological science; English or French; and history and/or geography.

      (5) Key stake­holders, such as parents, post-secondary educators outside the faculties of edu­ca­tion and business partners were not consulted about the changes.

      (6) The removal of subject-specific require­ments undermines the edu­ca­tional quality in Manitoba schools by permitting teachers to enter the classroom without sufficient training in core academic areas, thereby compromising the edu­ca­tion that Manitoba students receive.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning to reverse recent amend­ments to the Teaching Certificates and Quali­fi­ca­tions Regula­tion that weaken subject-area require­ments for teacher certification and to reinstate teachable majors and minors and early- to middle‑years require­ments, which are essential for ensuring teachers have strong knowledge in core subject areas.

      (2) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to address teacher shortages through alter­na­tive measures that uphold rigorous subject-area standards, which are critical for provi­ding quality edu­ca­tion to all Manitoba students.

      This petition has been signed by many, many, many fine Manitobans.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker.

Carbon Tax and Rising Food Prices

Mr. Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The back­ground to this petition is as follows:

      (1) In 2022, according to Statistics Canada, there was an 11.4 per cent increase in food prices.

* (15:00)

      (2) Staple food products such as baked goods, mar­garine and other oils, dairy products and eggs have seen some of the largest price increases.

      (3) Agri­cul­ture and agri-food sectors contribute close to 10 per cent of Manitoba's GDP.

      (4) There are increased costs added at every step of the process for Manitoba's agri­cul­ture producers. In order to make 18 cents from one bread loaf worth of wheat, farmers are paying carbon tax at every stage of production to grow the crop and get it to market.

      (5) Grain drying, fertilizer and chemical produc­tion, mushroom farming, hog operations, the cost of heating a livestock barn, machine shops and utility buildings are all examples of how the carbon tax on natural gas and other fuel costs farmers and con­sumers more each year.

      (6) In food production, there are currently no viable alternatives to natural gas and propane. The carbon tax takes money away from farmers, making them less profitable and hindering rural agri­cul­ture producers' ability to invest in upgrades and improve efficiency while reducing emissions.

      (7) The prov­incial gov­ern­ment neglected farmers in the six-month fuel tax holiday until the op­posi­tion critic and local stake­holder groups called for their inclusion.

      (8) Other prov­incial juris­dic­tions and leaders have taken action on calling the federal gov­ern­ment to remove the punishing carbon tax and stop collecting the carbon tax altogether.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to call on the federal gov­ern­ment to remove the punishing carbon tax on natural gas and other fuels and farm inputs for Manitoba agri­cul­ture producers and the agri-food sector to decrease the cost of putting food on the table for Manitoba consumers.

      This petition has been signed by Kent Shackleford, Barry Harrosh [phonetic] and Rick Rivers, as well as many other Manitobans.

Support for Border Communities

Mr. Doyle Piwniuk (Turtle Mountain): Hon­our­able Speaker, I wish to present the following petition as follows to the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The back­ground to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Illegal border crossing in Manitoba has increased 14 per cent in 2024, raising sig­ni­fi­cant public safety and security concerns, parti­cular in border com­mu­nities.

      (2) Changes to the Canadian-US Safe Third Country Agree­ment have been–migrates deeper into hiding to avoid apprehension, making law en­force­ment efforts more difficult.

      (3) Border patrols office–officials believe that the criminal organi­zations, including Mexican cartels, are involved in smuggling operations at the border, poising–posing serious security threats to Manitoba.

      (4) Human smuggling networks are abandoning vul­ner­able immigrants, including families in isolation and dangerous locations, exposing them to the severe risk, especially during Manitoba's harsh winters.

      (5) Border com­mu­nities are preparing for a pos­sible surge in illegal border crossings, which could overwhelm local resources and emergency search-and-rescue services.

      (6) Despite these challenges, these are–been little com­muni­cation or support for the prov­incial and federal gov­ern­ments regarding their plans to assist border com­mu­nities, leaving them under-resourced and unprepared for–to manage this escalating crisis.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to lobby the federal gov­ern­ment to develop and implement a com­pre­hen­sive plan to assist border com­mu­nities in managing the rise of illegal border crossings into Manitoba.

      (2) Urging the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to work closely with federal and local author­ities to ensure adequate resources, including funding and support for emergency services, are available to protect local com­mu­nities; and that the imme­diate measures to be taken to 'disemmantle' and destroy all human smuggling networks operating in Manitoba.

      This has been signed by Scott Samberg [phonetic], Glenn Vercaigne and Garry Serruys, and many other Manitobans.

MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility

Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield-Ritchot): I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government as part of the clinical and preventative services plan, construction for the new Portage regional health facility is well under way. The facility and surrounding community would greatly benefit from added diagnostic machinery and equipment, but specifically the addition of an MRI machine.

      (2) An MRI machine is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the human body. It is used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

      (3) Portage la Prairie is centrally located in Manitoba and is on the No. 1 Highway in the Southern Health/Santé Sud Health Authority. Currently there is only one MRI machine in the regional health authority.

      (4) An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will reduce transportation costs for patients as well as reduce the burden on stretcher service and ambulance use. It will bring care closer to home and reduce wait times for MRI scans across the province.

      (5) Located around Portage la Prairie are the Dakota Tipi, Dakota Plains, Sandy Bay and Long Plain First Nations reserves. Indigenous peoples in Canada disproportionately face barriers in access to services and medical care. An MRI machine located in the Portage regional health facility will bring care closer to their home communities and provide greater access to diagnostic treatment–testing.

      (6) Located in close proximity to the new Portage regional health facility is the Southport airport. This aerodrome has a runway length that is more than adequate to support medical air ambulance services. This would provide the opportunity to transport patients by air from more remote communities to access MRI imaging services.

* (15:10)

      (7) The average wait times for Manitobans to receive an MRI scan is currently six to eight months. Having an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility will help reduce these wait times for patients and provide better care sooner.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the provincial government to support the investment and placement of an MRI machine in the Portage regional health facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

      And this is signed by Agnes Campbell, Eugenia Vasilarakis, Nicolas Vasilarakis and many, many other Manitobans.

Breast Screening

Mr. Jeff Wharton (Red River North): Hon­our­able Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The back­ground of this petition is as follows:

      (1) Due to evolving scientific evidence, the Canadian Cancer Society is now urging all provinces and territories to lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.

      (2) Based off the 2023 treatment standards, it is esti­mated that the screening–that screening women annually for breast cancer starting at age 40 will save the Canadian health-care system $460 million annually.

      (3) After non-melanoma skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among Canadian women. One in eight Canadian women will be diag­nosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, and one in 36 will die from it. This is 30,500 diagnoses and 5,500 deaths each and every year, and 84 diagnoses and 15 deaths every day.

      (4) Early detection of breast cancer will lead to better out­comes in patients, with better odds of survival and less severe cases. Women in their 40s who have access to mammograms have a 44 per cent lower mortality rate from breast cancer than those who don't receive screening.

      (5) Every other province and territory in Canada has already lowered the breast screening for cancer age or announced their in­ten­tion to do so. Other pro­vinces in Canada have already commenced the work of expanding screening programs and hiring additional technologists into their public health-care system.

      (6) Manitoba is currently behind the rest of the country and has no formal plan to increase its screen­ing capacity or lower the breast cancer screening age.

      (7) Lowering the breast cancer screening age to 40 in Manitoba will reduce long-term costs in the health-care system because cancers that are caught early are typically less complicated to treat.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, we petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba:

      To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to imme­diately put forward a plan to increase breast cancer screening capacity and lower the breast cancer screening age to 40.

      This petition is signed by Jennifer Decasio [phonetic], Curtis Velum [phonetic] and Danielle Renée Smith.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker: Seeing no more petitions, grievances?

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

House Busi­ness

Hon. Bernadette Smith (Acting Government House Leader): On House busi­ness.

The Deputy Speaker: The hon­our­able Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness.

Ms. Smith: I'd like to announce that the Standing Com­mit­tee on Justice will meet on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 6 p.m., to consider the following: Bill 2, The Prov­incial Court Amend­ment Act; Bill 5, The Highway Traffic Amend­ment Act (Impaired Driving Measures); Bill 31, The Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act (Various Acts Amended).

The Deputy Speaker: It has been announced that the Standing Com­mit­tee on Justice will meet on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 6 p.m., to consider the following: Bill 2, The Prov­incial Court Amend­ment Act; Bill 5, The Highway Traffic Amend­ment Act (Impaired Driving Measures); and Bill 31, The Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act (Various Acts Amended).

Ms. Smith: I'd like to announce that the Standing Com­mit­tee on Legis­lative Affairs will meet in camera on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 6 p.m., to consider the following: the hiring process for a seniors advocate.

The Deputy Speaker: It has been announced that the Standing Com­mit­tee on Legis­lative Affairs will meet in camera on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 6 p.m., to consider the following: the hiring process for a seniors advocate.

* * *

Ms. Smith: Can you please call second reading of Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act (Gov­ern­ment Purchases Act Amended), followed by Bill 32, The Resi­den­tial Tenancies Amend­ment Act (Measures to Address Unlawful Activities).

Debate on Second Readings

The Deputy Speaker: It has been called for second reading, Bill 42, The buy Canadian gov­ern­ment–The Buy Canadian Act (Gov­ern­ment Purchases Act amendment–Amended), followed by second reading of Bill 32, The Resi­den­tial Tenancies Amend­ment Act (Measures to Address Unlawful Activities).

Bill 42–The Buy Canadian Act
(Government Purchases Act Amended)

Hon. Mintu Sandhu (Minister of Public Service Delivery): In the light of pressing economic–

The Deputy Speaker: Sorry, just one second. Oh.

      The hon­our­able Minister of Public Service Delivery, with unlimited time.

MLA Sandhu: In light of the pressing economic chal­lenges imposed by US tariffs, our gov­ern­ment is standing up for Manitobans, standing up for Canadians.

      This will signal our gov­ern­ment's commit­ment to prioritizing goods and services that are made in Canada. This will direct gov­ern­ment to esta­blish a buy Canadian policy. This policy will outline the steps gov­ern­ment will take to stand up for Manitoba jobs and our local economy. It establishes a framework to prioritize the procurement of Canadian‑made goods and services.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, we know that in these chal­lenging times, we must all work together to support our local economy. Our gov­ern­ment is committed to standing up for Manitobans and changing our practices in order to protect the jobs of Manitobans and Canadians.

      In response to the US tariffs, we are bringing forward this legis­lation to support Canadian suppliers. This will reinforce our commit­ment to supporting local industries and protecting jobs. By supporting Canadian‑made goods, we will aim to contribute to the overall growth of the Canadian and the Manitoba economy.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Questions

The Deputy Speaker: A question period of up to 15 minutes will be held. Questions may be addressed to the minister by any op­posi­tion or in­de­pen­dent member in the following sequence: first question by the official opposition critic or designate; subsequent questions asked by critics or designates from other recognized opposition parties; subsequent questions asked by each independent member; remaining ques­tions asked by any opposition members. And no question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds.

Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): I wonder if the minister could share with the House who he consulted with in the dev­elop­ment of this legis­lation. Did he consult with the federal trade de­part­ment, and did he also talk to our New West trade part­ner­ship partners in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta?

* (15:20)

Hon. Mintu Sandhu (Minister of Public Service Delivery): Thanks to the member for that question.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, we are consulting with Manitobans, and the good folks of Transcona has given us a mandate that, you know what, we want to protect our jobs here in Manitoba, and we want to protect our economy in Canada.

      We will listen to Manitobans, and we will listen to Canadians.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): The question that I might ask, hon­our­able Speaker–hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, is regarding who has been consulted with on here. Agri­cul­ture is a huge part of our economy in Manitoba, with billions of dollars being spent on it.

      Could the minister please tell us what agri­cul­ture organi­zations that were spoken to–organi­zations like KAP, like Manitoba Pork. What was their–what were they saying about this, or were they consulted?

      Thank you.

MLA Sandhu: We are listening to Manitobans and we are delivering on their priorities. And it's not only agri­cul­ture. Every Manitoban we are consulting with–that we were out on the doorsteps in Transcona, people were telling us, hey, you know what, protect­ing the jobs is–should be our No. 1 priority, and protecting the Canadian economy is also be–should our No. 1 priority.

      So we are listening to Manitobans; we are listen­ing to farmers; we are listening to everyone.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): The minister states the purpose of the bill is to implement a buy Canadian policy, which gives direction to–or gives direction to have the purchasing author­ity to give priority and preferential treatment to Canadian sup­pliers wherever possible.

      I guess my question today is–I'm assuming this bill is aimed directly at Donald Trump and the United States of America. My question today is: If a British or a Mexican company bids on a contract in Manitoba, will their bid be considered?

MLA Sandhu: Our No. 1 priority is protecting Manitoba jobs and Canadian economy. We will definitely fol­low the free trade agree­ments that we have signed with the Mexico and European countries. And, again, our No. 1 priority is looking after our Manitoba economy and Canadian economy.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Guenter: So the bill essentially sets–gives the gov­ern­ment the ability–the power to develop a buy Canadian policy. So, unfor­tunately, the House doesn't have the op­por­tun­ity today to take a look at the bill and debate the actual policy, the actual regula­tion.

      Can the minister explain when will members of this House be able to see the regula­tion, what the details of the policy are?

MLA Sandhu: The member got it right. This legis­lation is asking the gov­ern­ment to develop a policy. Once this bill passes–and work is already under way to developing that policy once this bill is passed, and Manitobans will have a chance to see it, and Canadians will have a chance to see it as well.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

MLA Bereza: Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker–you know, and I like what the minister had to say there about looking after the economy. One of the issues that our agri­cul­ture industry is running into right now is losing a whole sector of that busi­ness, being the canola busi­ness. Again, we all agree we want to look after the economy.

      But, again, I'll ask the question: What agri­cul­ture groups were talked to regarding this buy Canada policy, and how will that affect the canola busi­ness in Manitoba?

MLA Sandhu: Again, this bill is asking the gov­ern­ment to develop a policy that will prioritize Manitoba jobs and the Canadian economy.

      Our gov­ern­ment is working on that policy, and once this bill passes and that policy will be made available to Manitobans, as well as to our Canadian partners as well.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Nesbitt: There's no question we live in a global economy. And, you know, Canada and Manitoba deal with certain businesses through­out the world.

      If a busi­ness is headquartered in the United States, but has retail, wholesale or sub­sid­iary outlets in Canada, will that make it eligible as a Canadian supplier?

MLA Sandhu: This is exactly what this bill is asking the gov­ern­ment to do.

      As we speak, this bill should be passed–to pass today, and the policy work is already under way on this. And we are looking at what is Canadian and what is American companies, and how that will be–put it into policy to confirm which company is called Canadian and which is called as American companies.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Jeff Wharton (Red River North): The question I have for the minister: The minister's been talking about policy once a bill passes. Can I get some clarity for Manitobans today: is he referring to regula­tions after the bill passes or are they going to be writing new policy from–essentially from when the bill passes?

MLA Sandhu: This bill is asking the gov­ern­ment to develop a policy, which is what we are talking about today.

      And as I speak, my de­part­ment is looking into this, because most of the procurement is done through Public Service Delivery and we are looking into this, and again, we want to protect Manitoba jobs, we want to protect local economy. That's our No. 1 focus. We want to make sure people are working in the sector that they are working in right now, so we don't want to lose jobs. And again, we will prioritize Canadian companies or Manitoba companies where we can.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Wharton: Just building on that last question, I  really didn't hear an answer there, so I'd ask the minister again today. With this policy, I'm assuming it's going to be more along the lines of regula­tion, but my question is, for Manitoba busi­nesses, will he be con­sulting on this policy once this bill passes this House?

MLA Sandhu: As I said, hon­our­able Speaker, Manitobans will have a chance to see the policies where we will prioritize Canadian jobs and Manitoba jobs and the Canadian economy, Manitoba economy. We want to promote local, buy local, you know, on this.

      And we want to put Manitobans to working–to–putting working to–people to work wherever they are working right now.

      We want to make sure our economy is strong and that we can stand up to the Trump's tariffs, and we will definitely prioritize Canadian and Manitoba companies over American companies.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Wharton: Again, just want to make sure the record is clear. The minister has just stated that they'll be presenting the policies post writing them to busi­ness owners, to present it to them instead of actually consulting with the grassroots and the busi­nesses that we count on here as Manitobans that provide health care, social services, edu­ca­tion and all those things Manitobans count on every single day.

      I ask the minister again: Will he take the time to consult with Manitoba busi­nesses before he presents the policy?

* (15:30)

MLA Sandhu: Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, our gov­ern­ment is a listening gov­ern­ment. We will live in–listen to Manitobans.

      And we were out in Transcona the other day. The good folks of Transcona elected a very capable lady, that's like, the first female MLA from Transcona, so yes. So–can I even go back, hon­our­able Speaker? Like, all three by‑elections. The by‑election in Tuxedo, we have a female elected. And Transcona, federally, we have a female elected as the NDP there.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Guenter: I'm–wonder if the minister could talk about why this bill is needed, in the sense of: what is it going–what's the imme­diate impact? What is it going to impact?

      Gov­ern­ment procurement, obviously, is a big–you know, a big subject. But when we're talking about, you know, ambulances, snowplows, a wide variety of things that gov­ern­ment procures, what does the minister foresee being an imme­diate impact as a result of this bill?

MLA Sandhu: Thanks to the member for that question.

      Again, we want to prioritize–doesn't matter what busi­nesses. We want to prioritize the busi­nesses here in Manitoba. We want to prioritize busi­nesses in Canada. So those are our No. 1 priorities and we cannot do–wherever we can, give busi­ness to those local companies here and have more Manitobans working, and we can protect our economy.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

MLA Bereza: Hon­our­able Speaker, this bill proposal is to project–to protect jobs, buying Canadian. We're putting the cart some­what before the horse without the policy being in place yet.

      I'm wondering if the policies that will be put in place to protect Canadian jobs, if this gov­ern­ment will  be going to the Chinese gov­ern­ment or through the Canadian gov­ern­ment regarding the Chinese retaliatory tariffs on our canola, and will we be look­ing to reinstate so that the EV vehicles coming from China will be welcome–

The Deputy Speaker: The member's time has expired.

MLA Sandhu: This is–the aim of the bill is to develop the policy for the gov­ern­ment where we are prioritizing Manitoba jobs and we are prioritizing the Manitoba economy, so we want to work on those ones and we want to make sure we are protecting the jobs. And under this policy, the preference will be given to Manitoba jobs.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Nesbitt: The minister's leader, the Premier of Manitoba (Mr. Kinew), mentioned or mused that Manitoba Hydro may do procurement through countries like South Korea rather than the United States in the future.

      How will that be taken into account under this buy Canadian policy? Will this policy run counter to the Premier's wishes?

MLA Sandhu: As I said, we will prioritize Manitoba jobs, local economy where we can. If we cannot have those things that we need for Manitoba Hydro, we will definitely look at the other countries, but we won't be looking at the United States of America.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Guenter: I would just like–and I think Manitobans would be interested in, because, you know, buy Canadian policy is some­thing that we can all support, especially these days.

      But I really wish the minister could provide some more details on timelines and also where the gov­ern­ment would like to–where would the minister like to see the policy go? What direction, if he could give the regulators any–those who write the regula­tion, where would–what direction would he like to see them go in? I think Manitobans are interested in knowing.

MLA Sandhu: I know the member from Borderland wants to be the 51st state of the USA, but this will never happen. And he's free to choose if he wants to live in the States; he may move there. But our priority is Canadian jobs, Manitoban jobs, the Manitoba economy. We will deliver on these ones.

      Thank you, hon­our­able Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker: And with that, time for questions has expired.

Debate

The Deputy Speaker: The floor is now open for debate.

Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): I ap­pre­ciate the op­por­tun­ity to rise today to talk about this bill, buy Canadian initiative by the prov­incial gov­ern­ment.

      And, as I said and my colleagues indicated as well in our question and answer period, our side has long supported–we have a strong record on this side, of supporting our busi­nesses through a competitive tax and regula­tory regime in making Manitoba in­cred­ibly competitive. So, of course, we support buy Canadian in a buy Canadian policy initiative imple­mented by the prov­incial gov­ern­ment.

      It is disappointing, though, that the minister is unable to provide really any details about it. And that is a concern, you know, and it is also a concern when the minister chooses to get partisan and take cheap shots that are personal, and I understand this is some­thing they want to make–turn into a political thing for them. This is their–you know, they see as a political op­por­tun­ity for them.

      But there are Manitobans and Canadians–all Manitobans and all Canadians–are concerned by the tariffs that are hurting our economy even as we speak. And I have had the op­por­tun­ity to speak with con­stit­uents and with those who will feel the impact of these tariffs, and when you look at their faces, they're look­ing into the abyss. And priority No. 1 is no tariffs.

But in the meantime, we've got to support local and we've got to support our Manitoba suppliers and busi­nesses and we've got to stand united as a country, and that is some­thing that I have always called for and our caucus has as well.

      We are proud Canadians on this side of the House, and we have also observed–it has not gone unnoticed–that members of that caucus, the NDP caucus, will not sing O Canada. Members of the NDP gov­ern­ment will not sing O Canada. They will not sing God Save the King. They will not do that. They called for the can­cellation of–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Deputy Speaker: Order. Order. Order.

      When the Speaker stands–when the Speaker is standing, others in the room are expected to not be speaking.

Mr. Guenter: So my point was made. The member for Families–or the Minister of Families, the member for St. Johns (MLA Fontaine), did not sing O Canada. She cannot bring herself to do that. She believes Canadian nationalism is a racist project.

      That side has torn down statues. It was–[interjection]

The Deputy Speaker: Order. Order. Order.

      I will remember folks–or I will remind folks–what the topic of the bill before us is. It's a Buy Canadian Act, so it is about procurement, so I'd welcome comments to be kept to the topic of the bill.

Mr. Guenter: All Manitobans should remember it was the NDP members across the way and their sup­porters, their people who came onto the grounds of this Legis­lative Building with machetes and knives and took out–toppled statues on the grounds of this very Legislature, an outrage, an affront to our Canadian history, to Canadian symbols, to symbols of Canadian pride, and it hurt. It hurt Canadian patriotism, hon­our­able Speaker, and they did that on Canada–[interjection]

The Deputy Speaker: Order.

Mr. Guenter: –on Canada Day.

      This for them–these days that we're living through, they will not acknowledge; they do not–they don't understand the realities of blue collar, hard‑working Manitobans.

* (15:40)

      The–but that doesn't mean that they won't capitalize on this op­por­tun­ity and turn it into a political op­por­tun­ity to try to showcase their anti‑Americanism.

      There's no Canadian patriotism on that side, as I said. As I said, the member for St. Johns has said that Canadian nationalism is a racist project.

      So, unfortunately–[interjection]

The Deputy Speaker: Order.

Mr. Guenter: Unfor­tunately, as with every­thing with this NDP gov­ern­ment, it's window dressing, it's word salads, it's just–it's showmanship. That's all it is. It's gov­ern­ment by TikTok. It's slogans, and that's their style–[interjection]

The Deputy Speaker: Order.

Mr. Guenter: –but there's no substance. There's no substance.

      In this buy Canadian bill, there's no substance.

      The minister has told–[interjection]

The Deputy Speaker: Order.

      I'd invite all members to take a deep breath and maybe take a moment so we can speak to the sub­stance of the bill. And I will remind all members that while members might have opposing views, members need to treat each other with respect.

Mr. Guenter: A buy Canadian bill with no substance, no policy. The minister cannot share timelines, the minister has no idea what this will mean for Manitoba procurement. The minister has no idea about anything except that this is a buy Canadian bill, and that is it. That's all we're–that's all we're led to believe.

      And this is the legis­lative body of Manitoba. We were sent here by Manitobans, and these days it's in­cred­ibly im­por­tant. It's in­cred­ibly im­por­tant.

      With the threat that the tariffs pose on Manitoba workers, it's very im­por­tant that Manitobans understand what direction the provincial gov­ern­ment is going in and understand what the Manitoba gov­ern­ment is doing to stand up for their jobs, for their incomes and for our economy.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Speaker in the Chair

The Speaker: Order.

      It's kind of a shame that–the way you carry on, parti­cularly when the Deputy Speaker's in the Chair. So now we will have respectful debate.

      The hon­our­able member for Borderland has the floor.

Mr. Guenter: Hon­our­able Speaker, I ap­pre­ciate your inter­ven­tion, because it is im­por­tant. This is an im­por­tant debate.

      And I am disappointed, and along with my col­leagues. I'm disappointed that there is no substance to this legis­lation. I'm disappointed that the minister can't provide, the NDP gov­ern­ment can't provide answers beyond talking about a buy Canada bill.

      So that's what it is. It gives them the op­por­tun­ity to put out a press release and gives the Premier (Mr. Kinew) the op­por­tun­ity to go to the media. And it gives them the–it gives them cover, because it was those members, again, that came onto these Legis­lative grounds and took down and defaced statues. And they celebrated that. They called for the cancellation of Canada Day. My Canadian flag on my property was flying high and has always been flying high.

      This–I have always–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

      I would caution members about screaming back and forth, and I'd also caution members that are giving a speech designed spe­cific­ally to inflame people.

      The hon­our­able member for Red River North will remain seated and will remain quiet.

Mr. Guenter: And these are–this is–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order, please.

      The hon­our­able member for Red River North have some­thing else he wants to say? When it's his turn to speak, he will get that op­por­tun­ity. In the meantime, he will not talk back to the Speaker.

      The hon­our­able member for Borderland (Mr. Guenter)–

An Honourable Member: On a point of order.

Point of Order

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Red River North.

Mr. Jeff Wharton (Red River North): On a point of order. Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      I was heckled on the way out by the member from Point Douglas. I was referring to her comment to me, not to the Speaker.

      Thank you.

The Speaker: I thank the member for Red River North for that. Certainly, from this perspective, it appeared you were heckling the Speaker. So I apologize for that.

      That's what happens when everybody gets out of hand.

* * *

Mr. Guenter: I ap­pre­ciate your inter­ven­tion. These–this is an in­cred­ibly im­por­tant debate. These are in­cred­ibly im­por­tant days that we're living through. And there's a lot at stake and there's a lot on the line. And we have a job to do here as legis­lators. We were sent here by the voters in our con­stit­uencies. And these debates matter.

      And as I was saying, the buy Canadian policy–buy Canadian initiative–is some­thing we all support. It's in­cred­ibly im­por­tant these days that we–not only gov­ern­ment but all Manitobans–and many are already taking the initiative to check labels and make sure that we're supporting our local busi­nesses and that we're staying united in these difficult times.

      Because, as I said, jobs are on the line, incomes are on the line, and unfor­tunately, this NDP gov­ern­ment–this NDP gov­ern­ment–is leaving Manitobans high and dry. There is no–they like to talk. And as I said, this is a gov­ern­ment by TikTok. And they like to put things in the window with no teeth.

      And I've said that before in this House in debate previously, and members–my colleagues have as well. Whether it's on crime or health care or affordability, or now, talking about tariffs and the buy Canadian initiative in gov­ern­ment procurement, that there's absolutely nothing. The title sounds great, but that's all we have. That's all this legis­lation is; it's a title. That's all we have.

      The minister cannot give us a timeline. The minister cannot talk about anything beyond the fact that the regula­tion will be developed. Some people–I don't even know whose de­part­ment is going to be in charge of it. I have no idea what their names are, but they're going to write the regu­lation.

      And us as legis­lators, who were elected and sent here and have a job to do, will have no op­por­tun­ity to take a look at that regula­tion. There will be no op­por­tun­ity for regula­tory oversight–legis­lative oversight of those regula­tions.

      But even when we asked him simple questions about, what's the timeline on this, there's nothing. And so that leads Manitobans and that leads this caucus, the Progressive Conservative caucus, to believe that there's no substance. The gov­ern­ment–this gov­ern­ment is not serious. This gov­ern­ment must do more. They talk a great deal, as I said, but they do absolutely nothing.

      Those interprovincial trade barriers–Manitoba has the fewest interprovincial trade barriers among pro­vinces across Canada. Why is that? That's thanks to the previous Progressive Conservative gov­ern­ment.

      And we were–it was the previous Progressive Conservative gov­ern­ment that signed on to the New  West Part­ner­ship with our partners: Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The NDP refused to do that.

      And so it's im­por­tant, though, that this NDP gov­ern­ment be held to account, and that's what I intended to do in my remarks, was to call Manitobans to remember the record of this NDP gov­ern­ment. Because we're all being blitzed by their social media and by their ads and every­thing else in all the glitzy ads that they're putting out in press releases and whatnot. It all looks great, but there's nothing behind the veneer. And that's the concern because these are serious days, and we need a plan. We absolutely need a plan.

      The NDP have failed to negotiate a free trade deal for Manitoba. The NDP have failed to secure the border and crackdown on fentanyl drug trafficking. In fact, they're working hard at setting up–promoting drugs by setting up drug injection sites. The NDP have failed to protect workers and busi­nesses from these new tariffs. There is no plan. We are now last place, Manitoba is last place in the Canadian Federation of In­de­pen­dent Busi­ness red tape rankings. That's not good.

* (15:50)

      We're now last place in natural resource invest­ments over the next ten years. And what was really con­cern­ing last December was hearing that Vale, the–Manitoba's mining giant up north in Thompson–was looking at exiting Manitoba. That would be devastating to jobs up north.

      So this gov­ern­ment does not have the backs of Manitoba workers. They've had four months to safe­guard jobs and our economy, but they have failed to articulate a clear plan or vision. They have refused to share any details or analysis of the costs of tariffs on consumers, workers and busi­nesses, and as I said, the minister has no idea what direction he would like this bill to take. No idea what direction the regula­tion should take.

      Manitobans these days need certainty above all, and they need a plan. But they haven't received that from this NDP gov­ern­ment. What have they received? Well, we've seen gas taxes rise by 26 per cent in January of this year alone. Property taxes, way up. And you know what that does? It makes it that–these NDP tax hikes make it that much more difficult for Manitoba busi­nesses to stay afloat.

      On the one hand, you've got the NDP gov­ern­ment with this legis­lation making a show of their, you know, a pretense of supporting Manitoba busi­nesses and buying Canadian, but on the other hand, they're raising taxes on these very same busi­nesses, property taxes. And we're seeing some of them in the order of 15 per cent this year alone. Last year we saw some property taxes as high as 18 per cent. NDP school property taxes.

      This has a real impact on our busi­nesses, on workers, on families and consumers in Manitoba, and as a result, we've seen un­em­ploy­ment go up from 4 per cent when they took office to 6.2 per cent today. Busi­ness bankruptcies spiked by 23 per cent, consumer insol­vencies up by 4.4 per cent in 2024 and our deficit went from $800 million to $1.3 billion. That's the NDP deficit. They were left–and Manitobans should never forget–the PCs were–left the NDP gov­ern­ment with a $270‑million surplus, which they then turned into a $2‑billion deficit.

      It's an artificial deficit crafted when times were good, and now that times are bad, we're out of fiscal room. There is no more money left to spend, we're going further into debt and it's going to devastate Manitoba busi­nesses, Manitoba workers and Manitoba families.

      We have the highest inflation and food inflation in Canada; 50,000 Manitobans rely on food banks each month. That's devastating. And as I said–I've said earlier, is a record of failure on the part of this NDP gov­ern­ment.

      So there's no substance to this bill. There's no plan on the part of the Premier (Mr. Kinew) or on the part of this gov­ern­ment. The minister can't tell us what direction he'd like this bill to go in. And so Manitobans are being left high and dry at a time when they need support.

      So let me outline some of the things we should be doing. We should be building infra­structure across this province; it would employ Manitoba workers and construction companies. We need a better infra­structure, especially when it comes to roads and bridges. The gov­ern­ment could be lowering taxes, lessening the regula­tory burden. Of course, they were the ones that repealed the regula­tory accountability act that meant that, for every new regula­tion that was written, two had to be taken out. So it actually resulted in a lessening of the regula­tory burden on Manitoba busi­nesses.

      Well, the NDP gov­ern­ment repealed that, one of the first things they did. And so they've left Manitoba busi­nesses at a distinct disadvantage and made it in­cred­ibly difficult for them to compete at a time when it's very im­por­tant that they have the ability to do so.

      Interprovincial trade barriers, they've done nothing. Again, they talk–they'll talk about it, but there's no action.

      The NeeStaNan project, which would help get resources from Saskatchewan, from western Canada, to Hudson Bay to tidewater through Port Nelson, is a project that would greatly benefit Manitoba. This gov­ern­ment is nowhere on that.

      So, Hon­our­able Speaker, I think there's a number of problems with this legis­lation. I mean, it is in principle a good initiative, buy Canadian. I think it's im­por­tant that all Manitobans and all Canadians be supporting our local busi­nesses, those mom and pop shops across the province, those families that wake up early in the morning and go to work to run their busi­ness. It's im­por­tant that we all support them, and it's im­por­tant that this gov­ern­ment has their back. And unfor­tunately, that's not the case.

      And let me say finally to these people across the way who have toppled our statues, who have cancelled Canada Day and who are constantly, constantly shaming–making Canadians feel ashamed to be Canadian or expecting that some are supposed to apologize for our heritage, apologize for our country, we're supposed to hang our heads in shame, and their dismal record on the economy has left Manitobans with diminishing economic op­por­tun­ities. It's a pretty bleak state that they're leading us into.

      But the reality is that we do have a lot to be proud of as Canadians. And we can look to our past to take inspiration from those who came before us. Those who came before us–this country didn't just happen by accident. Those who came before us made deliberate choices, and through their hard work and great personal sacrifice built this beautiful, proud and free country that we enjoy today. And we have a respon­si­bility today to uphold and honour that proud heritage and to uphold and honour those values and freedoms that our ancestors fought to defend and also to pass those lessons on to future gen­era­tions.

      This is the land of the great explorers: Jacques Cartier and Samuel Champlain are the heroes of the War of 1812, Sir Isaac Brock and Laura Secord and Tecumseh. This is the land of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. And it was Sir Wilfrid Laurier who said that Canada shall be the star towards which all men who love progress and freedom shall come. Let's fulfill–let's as legis­lators in this body today work on fulfilling that dream of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, that Canada shall be the star towards which all men who love progress and freedom shall come. That's still possible today, even in these challenging times.

      Canada is the land also of Tommy Prince and Billy Bishop, one of the top-scoring pilots in the world during the First World War. It's the land of Frederick Banting and Charles Best, whose discovery of insulin in 1922 marked a great advancement in the field of medicine. It's the land of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone.

      This country has produced many great Canadians, none more so, perhaps, than the over 600,000 who put on a uniform to fight for this country in World War I, and the nearly 1.1 million who answered the call and did so again in World War II.

      But this is also the land of moms and dads working hard, trying to do what's right, raising their children and building a brighter future. This is the land of nurses, teachers, farmers, busi­ness men and women, tradesmen, truck drivers, ordinary Canadians waking up every day and going out there to build this country. Their lives are the true greatness of this country.

      Canada is not defined by our gov­ern­ment, by the media or by someone in a uni­ver­sity lecture hall. Canada is defined by her people, by you. And I think of the–in the words of the former primer minister, Stephen Harper, travelling around this great country, one gets a sense of its still greater potential. Nothing, not recession, not natural disaster, nor war have ever stopped the rise of this great nation.

* (16:00)

      There is a spirit in this land, the true spirit, the true character of the Canadian people. A courageous warrior, a com­pas­sion­ate neighbour and a confident partner. That's the spirit of the Canada I know, and it's for all members of this Chamber to protect and promote the peace, prosperity and freedoms that Canadians and Manitobans enjoy.

      May God bless Canada and God keep our land glorious and free.

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): I didn't mean to jump up so fast and not give the gov­ern­ment an op­por­tun­ity to speak on this bill, the Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act. And before I get into it, I want to say a few things that–my name is Jeff Bereza, and I'm a proud Canadian.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. Order.

      Just to caution members about continuing to talk and carry on when the Speaker's standing and trying to speak. I don't want to have to caution anyone again, at least not today. And the member will know it's a rule that we don't use people's names, even if it's yourself, your con­stit­uency name, or your min­is­terial title.

MLA Bereza: My apologies for that, Hon­our­able Speaker. I am a proud Canadian. I am a proud Manitoban. And I will never be part of a 51st state.

      So let's go over this bill. So, the analysis of this bill is the purpose of this bill is to implement buy Canada policy, which gives direction to purchasing author­ity to give priority and preferential treatment to Canadian suppliers wherever possible.

      In the bill briefing the minister said that this bill just authorizes the ministering de­part­ment to create buy Canadian policy. The bill does not, itself, esta­blish the buy Canadian policy. That will come through policy and regula­tion once the act is proclaimed.

      So, again–and that referred to many of my ques­tions–is, are we putting the cart before the horse? Have we consulted with a number of stake­holders in Canada regarding this? Have we consulted with–when we're talking about the buy Canadian policy, have we talked to those people that will be impacted heavily by this buy Canadian policy?

      Our agri­cul­ture busi­ness in Manitoba is very im­por­tant not only to the rural part of Manitoba but also to the urban part of Manitoba, too.

      So, again, as I said, I am always a proud Canadian, but, again, are we putting forth a bill just for the sake of a bill? The deputy minister, when asked about how you define a Canadian supplier, he said there are definitions under the Canada-US Free Trade Agree­ment. But that is–primarily revolves around the address of the company headquarters only.

      So, again, as much as I want to see a buy Canadian policy, should this not have some more strength and some more teeth behind it? There are many, many questions to be asked regarding this buy Canadian policy proposal, and whether it's workable in a globally integrated economy. And as we work as a nation to diversify our trade with other nations and markets in light of the impending United States tariffs, as well as the retaliatory tariffs on products like our canola busi­ness that is going to be impacted, but we don't want to seem to talk about it right now. We need to have some policies in place before we move forward with this.

      We need to diversify our markets to the Common­wealth, to Asia, to the United Kingdom and around the world to protect our nation and economy from this protectionism.

      As I had said before in the buy Canadian that I do support whole­heartedly, is when we look at canola even in–as a Canadian product, we have the US that have slapped heavy tariffs on it. We have retaliatory tariffs that the Chinese have slapped on that.

      Again, we need to look for other markets, but when we're talking about a product like canola, those two countries–we can't replace that busi­ness with the rest of the world because of the amount that those countries are buying.

      So I'm all for the buy Canadian, but what are we doing to make sure that we're esta­blish­ing some things here in the Canadian market itself? Are we opening up crushing facilities for more canola? Have we talked to the grain handlers? Have we looked at what we can do with canola oil?

      We know that canola oil is one of the best cooking oils in the world, but we cannot replace it by doing–by getting–by trying to esta­blish other markets. Again, as I said, with the US and the Chinese situation, we cannot do that.

      So where does that put us when we want to say that we buy Canadian, again? It's im­por­tant that we're buying–you know, when–as myself as the Ag critic, when I think about the impact of what canola can have, and I agree. You know what? Let's make sure that we're buying and using all the canola we can in Canada.

      But, again, we're seeing a market crisis happening here. The price of canola is plummeting like a stone. We've seen it drop by 30 or 40 per cent. How do we cover, in a buy Canadian market, for those farmers that are impacted so heavily by that?

      We need to reduce and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. Again, when we look at it, it is much easier, even in Saskatchewan, to build a barn when their building codes are not the same as ours when it comes to an agri­cul­tural building.

      Again, I'm for–all for buy Canada, but we must be supported by policies on that. We need to make our economy resilient by reducing taxes on productivity and investing in trans­por­tation and connectivity within Canada.

      You know, we talk about buy Manitoba, buy Canadian. We can do that as well, too, by working together with some of our partners out there to look at an east-west connection when it comes to a pipeline. We can do that again as well, too, by again, provi­ding op­por­tun­ities for our farmers to sell within Canada.

      But we do not have the capacity to do that. So what are we going to do with all this grain? Are we going to subsidize it because is that part of the buy Canadian policy? Will we be putting subsidies in for the farmers?

      We need to fight the Chinese and the US tariffs with every­thing that we can, including I–my belief is that we need to stand together as Canadians. There was some–maybe some decisions that were made that put the Chinese in a position where they felt that they had to put a retaliatory tariff on the canola by cutting off the Chinese from being able to bring EV vehicles into Canada.

      We have to look, when we say we're buying Canadian, what impacts things like battery plants in eastern Canada will have on that. How do we continue to do that? How do we continue to buy Canadian when we are shooting ourselves in the foot?

* (16:10)

      We need a team Canada and a team Manitoba approach to fight these tariffs. And we need a gov­ern­ment that will stand up, will talk to the people that are looking at things like canola. What are we going to do with the canola out there? I don't know; we don't have enough capacity for it.

      We–I have farmers calling me from Dauphin, Manitoba, crying because they can't get a hold of their MLA for that area and saying, what is this gov­ern­ment doing to protect the farmer? [interjection] I–they're shocked. They didn't know who to call.

      So, again, some of the questions that weren't answered there was: Does the buy Canadian policy violate any of our trade agree­ments with the EU? With Scandinavian countries? World Trade Organi­zation for trade? And the Asia-Parcific [phonetic] part­ner­ship?

      Like I said, we saw this with the battery plants that are going up in eastern Canada, and we decided to slap tariffs on the Chinese–that we wouldn't import EV vehicles from the Chinese. Now, we've caused a problem. Again, we need to answer some of these questions before moving forward.

      Does it violate our trade obligation with Mexico under the Free Trade Agreement? Is Mexico exempt? You know, again, another great question when it comes to agri­cul­ture. We can't seem to get any answers even in this House regarding agri­cul­tural questions about how we're going to handle this. How are we going to look after our own here in Canada, here in Manitoba? And we can't get a straight answer from our Agri­cul­ture Minister here of what's going on or where that's happening.

      Canada will never be the 51st state.

      If busi­nesses–again, the question was asked and there wasn't an answer given to this. If a busi­ness is headquartered in the US but has retailer wholesale outlets in Canada, is that a Canadian supplier? Again, shouldn't that–what is a buy Canadian policy, or what is a buy Canadian bill without some policy in place first?

      The Premier (Mr. Kinew) mentioned that Manitoba Hydro may do procurement through countries like South Korea rather than the United States. How will that be taken into account under this policy? I don't understand, and I don't think Manitobans or Canadians understand that. Is that truly a buy Canadian policy? I'm having a little trouble with the under­standing of that myself.

      You know, again, when it comes to cross-country–or, cross-province juris­dic­tions–and again, the Ag Minister's here in the room with us, too. You know, we look at–

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I previously cautioned the member on another day about saying whether members are present or–absence. I shouldn't have to keep cautioning the member about the same thing. So it's a well-known rule that we can­not say whether a member is present or absent.

      So I would caution the member to please pay atten­tion to what he's saying.

MLA Bereza: My apologies to you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      The farmers are being treated like second-class citizens. When we look at what Saskatchewan and Alberta are doing in order to create a buy Canadian policy, and a for-instance of that is looking into markets in Southeast Asia for pulses, attending events in the US where the US secretary of agri­cul­ture is at, attending meetings in Dubai and India to look at places of where we should be moving pulse products or protein products.

      Why are we not doing that here in Manitoba when we're trying to create a buy Canadian policy but we're not looking for any partners out there to create that?

      In fact, I look at the Alberta situation right now, and I–it was raised as a question earlier on today, is, you know, we should be looking at ways to do things with our canola. Well, Alberta beat us to the punch again; they've already announced another crushing plant in Alberta. I guess we must have missed that day when we could see another crushing plant.

      You know, again, when we look at–and my back­ground is in agri­cul­ture. You know, have we consulted on this buy Canadian project with companies like Richardson Inter­national? Have we talked to Paterson Grain, who has made huge invest­ments all across Canada, as well as Richardson Pioneer? Have we talked to Parrish & Heimbecker, one of the oldest grain com­panies in Canada? They're located right here in Winnipeg. We could–we should be meeting with those people on the buy Canadian, on that right now. Have we?

      I have no idea, but, you know, if we want to buy Canadian, and if we want to look at things, ways that we can do that, it's im­por­tant to do that. We must look at ways to protect our own, we must look at ways to protect Manitobans and we must look at ways to buy and protect Canadian companies.

      When we look at–and a question regarding this buy Canadian policy, so I look at a company like Richardson Inter­national, Richardson Pioneer. They contract a pile of oats in Manitoba. Those oats go through the plant in Portage la Prairie. From there, they go down to companies like General Mills or other companies in the US. Richardson Inter­national is a Canadian company. Does that qualify as a Canadian product?

      When we look at companies now that are looking at the fish busi­ness, of manufacturing–or, sorry, of growing fish in Manitoba–

An Honourable Member: Aquaculture.

MLA Bereza: –aquaculture–sending them down to the US market and then coming back this way. Is that a Canadian company? Is that buying Canadian or not? I'm not sure.

      Even when it–a question regarding the buy Canadian as well, too: there's manufacturing plants in Ottawa–Oshawa, Ontario. There's plants in Mexico. Does that become a buy Canadian product, or is it buy Canadian because the paint comes from here or the steel might have come from here? How do we look at this as buy Canadian? What are the rules behind this?

      I think it's great. I think we should wrap ourselves in the flag and say buy Canadian, but we must have some policy around this. Without any details, I'm not sure where we start, or are we going to be behind the eight ball again, like we are in the agri­cul­ture busi­ness right now.

      We look at the agri­cul­ture busi­ness again, right now, and like I said, the deputy minister for–because the Ag minister in Saskatchewan is too busy out there, the deputy minister of Agri­cul­ture is off in one area trying to create and sell buy Canadian. The deputy minister is doing one thing, the Ag minister is doing another thing. The Trade minister in Saskatchewan is off in another location trying to sell their products.

      So again, how do we continue to support buy Canadian when we are not doing anything as–this gov­ern­ment is doing nothing itself on that. It becomes an issue of–you know, again, the buy Canadian, wrap ourselves in the flag. We see the great big flag out front of the building, but what are we doing?

* (16:20)

      I don't understand this. We have a blue com­mit­tee of some sort that none of us have heard who's all on the com­mit­tee or what's going on with the com­mit­tee.

      But I don't understand what this com­mit­tee's doing. I understand that they're listening, but listening to who? Are they listening to our farmers? Are they listening to people involved in aquaculture? Are they listening to anybody in the automobile industry? Are they listening to companies like Elmer's in southern Manitoba?

      What new markets has the Trade Minister been chasing for our canola? Has he found a single one? It would be great to know the answer on that.

      Again, with the blue com­mit­tee–no, the blue ribbon com­mit­tee, right–know anything about that of where that's going, where we are and how we're going to maintain that? It's a shame because I think everybody in this audience here wants to wrap them­selves in the flag and say, buy Canadian. But when I say that, we have nothing around it. All it is, is we're talking about it. Without a policy, without a plan, it's destined to fail. And I don't want to fail. I don't want to be part of a province that fails; I want to be part of a winning province.

      And that's what we're trying to do. So again I ask, what are we doing to develop new markets here? Where are we looking for new markets? Are we going to the Minnesota State Fair and riding the Ferris wheel? Are we going to conferences in the US and only talking to Democrats because the other–the Republicans may have a difference of opinion?

      No, we got to work together. We got to show them how im­por­tant it is to buy Canadian. We got to show them that we have a high-quality product. We have to show them that some of the best agri­cul­ture work that's done through­out the world is done right here, done right here in Manitoba, done right here in Canada.

      How do we keep companies like BASF that is the largest supplier of canola seed in the world? How do we keep those people employed? We have to take some respon­si­bility as a province and as a country for doing the right thing by making sure we're taking care of those agri­cul­tural companies. We don't want to get into a situation like what's happening down in the US right now with John Deere laying off hundreds and hundreds of people, because, again, the ag economy is being affected so much by that. Yes. Yes.

      And, again, when we talk about diversity, you know, when we talk about that to the–you know, when we're looking at the Asian markets, you know, we want to buy Canadian. I'd like to see a buy Canada logo on every­thing that we have there. But we have to have some policies around it that make sense here of what we need to do.

      We need to continue on the Chinese retaliatory tariffs to make sure that we're doing some­thing there. But again, I ask this: When we talk about buy Canadian, we have to make sure that we're protecting Canadians as well, too. We have to make sure that we are not just writing bills or handing out bills there to make us feel good, because it may make us feel good for the after­noon, or for an hour, or a few days, but we must do some­thing in order to make this bill be more than just a piece of paper to go on a shelf.

      So, again, I talk about this when–you know, have we consulted with the federal trade de­part­ment? You know, when I look at Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the op­por­tun­ities to work together when it does come to canola–and again, I can see why those other provinces as well, too, are doing so much to try and move that product, is, again, they're growing much more canola in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

      But again, that doesn't mean that we have to be asleep at the wheel like this gov­ern­ment seems to be when it comes to anything agri­cul­ture related. So this is not time to fall asleep. This is time for a gov­ern­ment to stand behind, to stand behind Manitobans, to stand behind Canadians and make sure that this buy Canada bill, Bill 42, has some teeth behind it, has some policy behind it.

      And I just want to thank everybody for the op­por­tun­ity today to get up in this great House in order to talk about this great country and this great province that we live in.

      Thank you very much, Hon­our­able Speaker.

MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): Good afternoon.

      Today, I stand to put words on the record for Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act, which is an amend­ment to the gov­ern­ment purchasers act. Thank you to the member opposite for bringing forward this bill.

      Although it does appear that the minister is not interested in con­sul­ta­tion and seems to feel only one con­stit­uency in Manitoba during an election campaign is enough to speak on behalf of all Manitobans, I would encourage him to reach out to all the con­stit­uencies in Manitoba. I'm now concerned, after listening to the question period, about the lack of con­sul­ta­tion based on the minister's lack of ability to actually answer the basic questions on this bill.

      As you have heard from my colleagues, and I will say it again: purchasing locally made goods benefits the economy, com­mu­nity, environ­ment and overall product quality, making it an im­por­tant practice for sus­tain­able and thoughtful con­sump­tion. I'd like to encourage people to be aware and conscious of their purchase decisions. These conscious efforts help con­sider the products that are brought–or bought, not only on their imme­diate needs, but also on the broader economy and the environ­ment.

      Whenever possible, prioritize Canada-made goods over products that are manufactured elsewhere in the world. This commit­ment stems from the desire to sup­port local busi­nesses, contribute to the growth of the Canadian economy and reduce the footprint associated with long-distance shipping. Choosing Canadian pro­ducts helps create jobs, promote sus­tain­ability and strengthens our com­mu­nities.

      As my colleague from Portage mentioned, John Deere had been closing down plants and we've seen the devastating effect of that when com­mu­nities also get closed down or shrink as a result of that. It is the small but sig­ni­fi­cant ways that I mentioned above that we can make a positive impact by supporting the hard‑working people in industries in our own country.

      Buying locally fosters a sense of com­mu­nity and connection, and allows people to interact directly with the creators and sellers, creating more personal relation­ships and strengthening local fabric within the com­mu­nities. When you buy locally made products, more money stays within your com­mu­nity, within our pro­vince and then within our country. This helps support local busi­nesses, creates jobs and stimulates economic growth.

      Small busi­nesses often rely on local customers and your purchases can make a big difference in their success. Supporting local busi­nesses can reduce reliance on global supply chains that might be vul­ner­able to disruptions and helps create a more resilient economy. Local producers typically have smaller carbon foot­prints since they don't need to be shipped long distances. This can help reduce environ­mental pollution and energy con­sump­tion.

      Many local busi­nesses also tend to prioritize sus­tain­able materials and production methods. Under Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act, gov­ern­ment purchasers act amended, it says under subsection 7(4), and I quote: Under the buy Canadian policy, preferential treatment may be given to a Canadian supplier when purchasing goods under the authority of this act.

* (16:30)

      Given that statement mentions preferential treat­ment may be given to Canadian suppliers, and I wonder–and I would like to em­pha­size the use of the word may–I'm left wondering what that specific criteria is and what is used to deter­mine when this preference is applied. And, again, earlier when the minister was answering questions, the policy just wasn't there, so it's left in the air.

      What factors come into play when deciding whether a Canadian supplier is prioritized over others? Are there certain situations or con­di­tions under which a Canadian supplier might be overlooked despite pre­ference being outlined?

      Furthermore, we know that some busi­nesses are headquartered in the United States but have retail and/or wholesale operations here in Canada. In this case, would these busi­nesses qualify as a Canadian supplier, or would they be excluded from such con­siderations due to their origins?

      Under­standing the full scope of the criteria and any potential exemptions is more im­por­tant to gain clarity on how these processes will work and ensure fair and con­sistent applications of these preferences.

      We all know that the US tariffs on Canada goods will have numer­ous negative effects in our country and for our busi­nesses. It's already evident in the world climate. It is im­por­tant that we stand on our–we stand our ground in a pro­fes­sional, productive way to show that we are here against these tariffs and we will push back.

      The negative impacts include economic slowdowns, reduced trade, higher prices for consumers and a poten­tial for disruptions to Canadian industries. However, they may also push Canada to diversify its trade relation­ships and explore new markets.

      The overall impact depends on the scale of tariffs and how other countries choose to respond. It is im­por­tant as a province and as a country that we aim to reduce our dependence on trade with the United States and do what we can to bolster our nation's economy.

      The member from Maples during first reading says, and I quote: This bill signals our gov­ern­ment's com­mit­ment to prioritize goods and services that are made in Canada. This bill directs the gov­ern­ment to esta­blish a buy Canadian policy. This policy would out­line the steps gov­ern­ment will take to stand up for Manitobans and local economy.

      An im­por­tant question that we need a clear, honest and direct answer to is what happens, again, from–with countries other than the United States when they submit bids for a contract in Manitoba? In these situations, will these companies from other nations be considered eligible suppliers?

      While it's clear that preferential treatment may be given to Canadian suppliers, it is crucial to understand the full scope of this policy, parti­cularly when it comes to inter­national competition. How will the process work if a company from, say, Europe, Asia or any other region bins–bids on contracts in Manitoba? Are there specific rules or criteria in place to deter­mine whether foreign companies, excluding those based in the US, can partici­pate in the bidding pro­cess? And if so, under what circum­stances would they be given a green light to supply goods or services within our provinces?

      Under­standing the approach to the inter­national suppliers will help ensure fairness in the bidding pro­cess, while also protecting local industries. It is im­por­tant to clarify these points so that all parties involved, whether they are local, national or inter­national sup­pliers, have a trans­par­ent under­standing of how the system works.

      Some­thing that we must remember and take into con­sid­era­tion is that inter­national trade is vital for economic growth. It is vital for our access to goods, our access to innovation, co‑operation and global stability. Inter­national trade helps countries thrive in an interconnected world, including ours.

      We advocate for a strong push in marketing Manitoba products to Asia, the EU and the Commonwealth, aiming to reduce our dependency on trade with the United States and bolster our nation's economy. By investing in domestic connections, including our ports, railways and trans­por­tation infra­structure, we can enhance Canada's internal market, making it more robust and resilient, while also embarking on our busi­ness to reach global markets more effectively.

      I want to put formally, on the record, that I'm in full agree­ment with the idea of supporting Manitobans by encouraging them to buy Canadian and to buy local in every possible way. This approach is not only essen­tial for strengthening our local economy, but helps foster a sense of com­mu­nity and pride in the products produced right here in Manitoba.

      By choosing these Canadian-made products and locally sourced goods, we are helping to create jobs, support small busi­nesses and reduce the environ­mental impact of long-distance shipping. I believe firmly that investing in local industries and products benefits everyone, and the individuals who will make and sell these products to the com­mu­nities that–and the com­mu­nities that will thrive as a result.

      The only problem with this, from what I am hearing from the answers that we got from the minister, is that there is no plan. So I may say that I agree with all these things, but without a firm plan, we can't actually im­plement any of these things.

      Supporting Manitobans means investing in the future of our province and ensuring that we build a resilient, self-sustaining economy. It is a practice I fully support and really wish there was a more clear plan from this NDP minister. And I am committed in my own life to promoting and advocating for these values whenever possible.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

The Speaker: There are no more member–the hon­our­able member for Riding Mountain.

Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): It gives me pleasure today to rise on Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act, an act to, I guess, amend The Gov­ern­ment Purchases Act here in Manitoba.

      And I first want to start off by saying I, myself, am a proud Manitoban, a proud Canadian, and I sup­port, and I know all my colleagues on this side of the House support buying local, buying Manitoba, buying Canadian, whenever we can. I don't think there's any doubt about that.

      Again, just like my colleagues have said, you know, we sort of support the premise of this bill, but the bill is not very robust at all. And I know the hon­our­able Minister of Public Service Delivery (MLA Sandhu) was given the task of intro­ducing this bill and put on the hot seat today with questions that the minister couldn't answer, basically. And they're very simple questions about how it related to trade in the world, how it related to trade with our other partners, how it worked into the Free Trade Agree­ment. Again, no answers, and we're–on this side of the House, we're supposed to sit back and wait for regula­tions, policy or some­thing to be developed.

      So basically what this gov­ern­ment is asking for is for us to rubberstamp Bill 42 and give the gov­ern­ment all the power to put in the regula­tions and the policy they want, without any assurances that Manitobans, or the op­posi­tion on this side of the House, will have any input into it. And that's con­cern­ing, I think. I think that concerns most of us over here. We're certainly not opposed to the concept, like I say.

      I mean, even in the bill briefing, it's my under­standing that there was very little answers in there as well. You know, same thing, no answers at the bill briefing, so that prompted our questions to the minister today. We thought the minister might have got further infor­ma­tion that he could enlighten us today.

      I mean, there's certainly–this isn't as simple situa­tion as saying: let's just buy Manitoba and we'll put a bill in place and we can buy from Manitoba, we can buy Canadian. What repercussions might that have in the whole trading world? I mean, we have companies here in Manitoba that may be associated with the United States, that supply Manitoba and things like that. Gov­ern­ment stops purchasing from them, well, they perhaps move out of Manitoba. Lots of questions.

      And, again, I don't envy the minister, I know he means well by this bill, and he has been–he's intro­duced this bill as he rightly should. This is his job. But, again, we certainly do have concerns.

* (16:40)

      And it would seem to me this is likely–this seems to be the fourth pillar in this gov­ern­ment's plan to address the Donald Trump tariffs, which everyone on this side of the House opposes as well. We certainly don't support any tariffs put in by Donald Trump, and I will speak for each and every one on this side of the House.

      Now we've seen the previous three pillars intro­duced, and that's all we've seen. So far, it's just been a lot of talk; no action on how we're going to deal with Donald Trump and his tariffs.

      So we're going to defer payroll taxes. As my col­leagues have made mention in question period or in other debates, deferring is not eliminating. The debt is still going to be there for the company at the end of the deferral payment, so they–basically, they don't want to spend that money; they'll need it in reserve to pay their taxes.

      The PST remittance deferral, same thing. They've collected this money. It belongs to the gov­ern­ment. You're going to let them keep it for a while, but that's really not going to solve a lot in the long run.

      And then the third big one that really hit Donald Trump hard, I think, was taking American liquor off our shelves. I think Donald really couldn't sleep at night when he heard that one. That was a really tough one for him.

      So then this fourth one is, we're going to buy local. We're going to hurt the United States by buying local. And, again, I support buying local. I support buying in Manitoba, but I'm not sure that this is the right tact to battle tariffs. But again, have to give this gov­ern­ment credit. They're doing a few things, but I don't think it's enough.

      My colleague from Portage la Prairie, the great Agri­cul­ture critic from Portage la Prairie, here, brought up the concerns his farmers are talking about with canola. And in my great con­stit­uency of Riding Mountain, which I'm sure the Minister of Agri­cul­ture (Mr. Kostyshyn) knows that they grow a lot of canola in Riding Mountain–and as much as in Dauphin or maybe more, we're not sure, but our producers are very concerned as well. But yet we get no answers on how they're going to sell their canola crops this year. They've invested in inputs. They're committed to plant­ing canola this year, but yet they may lose their shirts. Day after day, our critic is asking for answers and we're getting none.

      So those are real things that are bothering Manitobans. I'm sure this buy Manitoba policy will get the odd headline in the newspaper, a mention on the radio, but what's it really going to do to fight Donald Trump and his tariffs? I don't believe it's going to do a lot.

      So Manitoba really needs to diversify our markets, you know? There's no question about that. And our gov­ern­ment certainly–our gov­ern­ment–our previous gov­ern­ment certainly believed in building prosperity and wealth here in Manitoba and Canada by strengthen­ing an expanded interprovincial free trade agree­ment, the New West Part­ner­ship. Can anyone say that? Because in the previous–when we were in gov­ern­ment, they wouldn't admit the New West Part­ner­ship even existed, Hon­our­able Speaker. They wouldn't men­tion it existed, and I'm happy to see they're now recog­nizing that it's im­por­tant to be a part of a New West Part­ner­ship, as we did.

      We need to lower trade barriers; any barriers to doing trade here in Manitoba–[interjection]

      And now the Agri­cul­ture Minister is talking today–I wished he would give more answers in question period when we ask the questions. And I will cede the floor to him if he would like to tell us about canola today and how he's going to take care of the producers. If he can assure me of that–

      So, again, we have to diversify our markets all around the world. We have to increase our trade and dealing with other provinces, signing contracts for things in other provinces and hopefully they will sign them with us.

      But more im­por­tantly, we need a competitive tax regime here in Manitoba. That's what we need. That's what busi­nesses are looking for here in Manitoba. And in order to buy local, buy in Manitoba, we need strong busi­nesses in Manitoba that can invest and have the products that we need as consumers and as gov­ern­ment. So I think that's very im­por­tant.

      Aggressive marketing of Manitoba's production to Asia, the European Union and the Commonwealth to reduce our reliance on trade with United States and strengthen our nation, we have to do that. We've heard no mention of that already. We've heard no mention.

      We need to continue investing in our connections within Canada; our ports, the Port of Churchill. Our gov­ern­ment took the large step of investing in the rail line to Churchill, ensuring that producers could get product to port, which is very im­por­tant in dealing with other countries. And I'm pleased to see this gov­ern­ment continuing to invest in Churchill–very, very im­por­tant.

      So, again, on this side of the House, we certainly support standing up to the United States and to Donald Trump in this trade war. We support a team Canada, a team Manitoba approach. What we would like is clearer answers. We need answers on what this gov­ern­ment is actually doing.

      And agri­cul­ture, again, contributes immensely to our gross domestic–to our GDP here in Manitoba–

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I would ask members on both sides of the House to quit screaming back and forth. I have to be able to hear what the member's saying, and I can't do that when everybody else is carrying on.

Mr. Nesbitt: Well, thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker, for the guidance, and, yes, I was losing my train of thought a little bit with all the heckling coming from the other side. They seem to want to talk now, but yet I want to tell everybody at home that nobody from the gov­ern­ment side got up to speak to this bill besides the minister. So how im­por­tant is the bill to that side if they don't want to speak to it to tell people why Manitoba should buy locally?

      This side of the House, we're very passionate about supporting local. Many of us–many of us–from this side of the House are from rural Manitoba. We know how much–how im­por­tant it is to buy local, how much the dollar spins around in the com­mu­nity, and that would be the same in Manitoba. The more the gov­ern­ment can buy in Manitoba–and maybe we didn't even need a policy for this; we should just buy locally when we can.

      You know, we should encourage busi­nesses to be competitive in Manitoba by having a good tax regime so they pay less taxes; they can hire more employees, they'd be more competitive. We can buy those pro­ducts in Manitoba.

      So, again, this–on this side of the House, we're looking for clarity on Bill 42, and we would certainly ap­pre­ciate if the minister could provide clarity, or one of his colleagues here could provide clarity, on this bill. I know the minister has spoken on the bill, but we'd welcome someone from the other side to get up and clarify some of these things we're–sorry–we're talking about today.

      So, again, we need to work as a province and work as a country to ensure that we're strong, that we can stand on our own two feet as Canadians here. We can battle the United States, we can battle Donald Trump when we–when he–if and when he does put in tariffs on October–on April 2–sorry–it's–it'll be a ter­rible April Fool's joke, one day late if he does, and hopefully we'll see his foolishness in doing that.

      But, again, all of this, even if he does back off, I think it shows that gov­ern­ments need to prepare–be prepared for the future. We need to ensure we have the proper tools, we have the proper economic things in place to keep busi­nesses competitive in Manitoba and in Canada so that we can have the industry and the services we need right here in Canada and be less reliant on the world. We'll never be completely in­de­pen­dent of the world. It's a global economy and we certainly need to do what we need to always be trading with our partners around the world.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, again I can't stress how im­por­tant the agri­cul­tural situation is here in Manitoba, and, you know, I get many, many calls from producers. The Agri­cul­ture Minister and myself were at a ban­quet on Saturday night at the Elkhorn Resort, had a great time, had the op­por­tun­ity to sit at the table and enjoy his hospitality, and it was a great event where we saluted young farmers here in Manitoba, the future of agri­cul­ture in Manitoba.

      And minister gave an eloquent speech there, very well received by the audience. And when every­thing was over and dessert was served, producers were coming up to me, and it was pretty much an agri­cul­tural audience, as you might expect at a young farmers event, and they were concerned–they were concerned. They weren't blaming. They weren't naming the Agri­cul­ture Minister and saying he's not doing enough. They're concerned. And I have to take the minister on his word that he's going to talk to his counterparts in Ottawa and come to a resolution on this.

* (16:50)

      But again, I think it's incumbent upon this gov­ern­ment to let Manitobans know what they're planning to do. I mean, it's a feeble response to the tariffs so far in my opinion–very, very little. And that's all we're asking for on this side.

      You know, we need a unified approach to the tariffs. We're all Canadians; we're all Manitobans. We will never be the 51st state. All of us on this side of the House are in unanimity on that. We are Canadian; we'll always be Canadian.

      So, again, I salute the minister for–he has a tough job to do. I mean, agri­cul­ture is so im­por­tant, and I think he needs to maybe convince his colleagues here in the city. I mean, he's one of a minority of gov­ern­ment MLAs, the only two ministers in rural Manitoba. He has a tough row to hoe, and I would hope the Cabinet and his caucus consider what he says and take into account that, you know, farming is huge in Manitoba; there's a lot of invest­ments in Manitoba; they support local, and the health of the farming industry will certainly deter­mine the health of the province. I think we all know that; we know that from the past. And they say when farmers have money, everybody has money, and that's true, and I think the Agri­cul­ture Minister will agree with that as well.

      So, Hon­our­able Speaker, there's been many words put on this, and I think we're all on the same theme here. We just keep talking about it in different ways.

An Honourable Member: Well, lots more words from our side. Not so much from theirs. Too bad.

Mr. Nesbitt: Well, yes, on our side of the House, as my friend from Spruce Woods says, you know, it's only been our side of the House talking on this bill, and we don't know what anyone else wants on that side of the House.

      So–but again, I want to reiterate that we're in sup­port of this bill. We think the minister's had a tough go of it here, putting forward a bill with nothing really sub­stan­tial in it, and no support from his colleagues, so–that's tough. And I feel for the minister, who is a rookie, and I really like the minister, and I know he will do a good job, and he's very serious. But I think the leadership has put him in a tough spot with this bill.

      And, again, any of our comments today are not intended to demean the minister or anything like that. It's just a tough bill for him, and I just wished he had some more support from his caucus colleagues in talk­ing about this bill today.

      And, you know, our–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Nesbitt: It's projection. [interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Nesbitt: So again, Hon­our­able Speaker, I'm just about at the conclusion of my remarks here. There's likely a few more things I want to say.

      But I really do want to encourage this gov­ern­ment to–and I believe they're concerned about the tariffs; I really do. But I would really like to see more action, rather than just talk. I think Manitobans would like to see that. And I guess on this side of the House, we're holding hope that maybe the budget tomorrow might reveal a few things of their plans of–I mean, maybe add another few pillars to their four little pillars now and maybe come back with a robust plan to deal with the Donald Trump tariffs.

      I think the inaction sort of speaks volumes about what's happening on that side of the House, and maybe–let's just give them the benefit of the doubt–maybe they're waiting for the budget tomorrow.

      Tomorrow's going to be the defining moment, and we'll see. I'm sure they've all read it by now on that side of the House. They all know what's in it. They've had input into it; they've got their talking points ready, and hopefully tariffs fill up four or five pages. And I'm sure maybe even the buy Canada, buy Manitoba, one Manitoba thing might be a theme in there. You just never know.

      So it's always an interesting day when it's budget day, and I guess I'm sure the Manitobans are ready to see what this gov­ern­ment can do tomorrow, and on this side of the House we're certainly willing to stand up and talk on behalf of Manitobans and ensure that all Manitobans are represented and that the gov­ern­ment takes care of all Manitobans and busi­nesses when it comes to dealing with the tariffs here in Manitoba.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, the time is starting to wilt here. I've got about four or five minutes left; I don't know.

An Honourable Member: Question.

Mr. Nesbitt: The member for St. Boniface (MLA Loiselle) seems to have a question. Maybe he wants to get up and talk, I'm just not sure, but I don't think he does. I think he'd like to vote on this bill today.

      And I think on this side of the House, we're certainly–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Nesbitt: –may not take up any more time than needed. Again–ap­pro­priate amount of time.

      We like to give as much time to a bill as it deserves and I think we had a fulsome chat on this bill today. Again, we just wish the op­posi­tion would have put–or the gov­ern­ment, sorry–would have put a few words on the record today.

      And I salute the minister for putting this bill for­ward and thank him for putting this bill forward and for the sentiments expressed in it. I guess we'll still–we'll be looking forward to holding the gov­ern­ment to account when it comes to the actual policy and frame­work for this bill.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Grant Jackson (Spruce Woods): I'm going to just put a very few words on the record here today because, obviously, our Progressive Conservative caucus supports buying local. Most of us are from rural Manitoba and we do that every day because the big Walmarts and the big cor­por­ate chains that all of our colleagues from the NDP side support regularly don't even exist in most of our com­mu­nities.

      So, of course, we know how to support local. We do it every day in every aspect of our lives. We've done it and we'll continue to do it every day moving forward.

      But this bill has no substance. And so while we will support the bill based on its title, and the premise of it because we believe in supporting Manitoba and buying local, this is just another step from a wholly absent-of-substance gov­ern­ment that is all performative.

      And nothing is more performative than what they've done on the front of the building. They hung up a giant Canada flag, they took a big photo op, it was up for four days and then what did they do, Hon­our­able Speaker? They took it back down again because they'd had their photo op and that is as far as the sub­stance of this gov­ern­ment goes. [interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Jackson: And then they got some bad press that it had come down, and so now what have they done? They hung it back up again because they can't make up their minds, Hon­our­able Speaker. And that is because this gov­ern­ment is so lacking in substance about how they actually plan to support Canada, they cannot keep their minds straight.

      So we look forward to some actual details as to how they're going to buy local coming forward. We look forward that to com­mit­tee. I'm sure we'll have amend­ments because there is substance on this side of the House.

      We will be bringing forward amend­ments to actually support the buying of local and we hope that the gov­ern­ment members will get onboard.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

The Speaker: Are there any other members wishing to debate?

      Seeing none, is the House ready for the question?

An Honourable Member: Question.

The Speaker: The question before the House is second reading of Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act (Gov­ern­ment Purchases Act Amended).

      Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]

House Business

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Minister of Justice, on House busi­ness.

Hon. Matt Wiebe (Acting Gov­ern­ment House Leader): I'd like to announce, in addition to the bills previously referred, that Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act (Gov­ern­ment Purchases Act Amended), will also be con­sidered at the March 25th, 2025, meeting of the Standing Com­mit­tee on Justice.

      Thank you.

The Speaker: It has been announced that, in addition to the bills previously referred, that Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act (Gov­ern­ment Purchases Act Amended), will also be considered at the March 25, 2025, meeting of the Standing Com­mit­tee on Justice.

Bill 32–The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act
(Measures to Address Unlawful Activities)

The Speaker: We will now resume debate on Bill 32, The Resi­den­tial Tenancies Amend­ment Act (Measures to Address Unlawful Activities), and the debate stands in the hon­our­able member of Justice, who has unlimited time remaining.

Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Hon­our­able Speaker, where was I? Oh, that's right, the members opposite have no credibility when it comes to public safety.

      Now, we have taken a different approach. We want to act, we want to take the steps necessary to support com­mu­nities, to work with law en­force­ment, to sup­port the work that's already being done in com­mu­nity and that's the kind of work that we've–we are under­taking.

* (17:00)

The Speaker: Order, please.

      When this matter is again before the House, the honour­able minister will have unlimited time remaining.

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


 

 


LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

CONTENTS


Vol. 29

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Members' Statements

River Heights Faith Council

Moroz  767

Genesis House

Hiebert 767

Filipino Health‑Care Aide Association of Manitoba

Lamoureux  768

Randy and Joyska Tkachyk

Narth  768

Vincent Massey Trojans Hockey Team

Wasyliw   769

Oral Questions

Transcona By‑election Results

Ewasko  769

Kinew   769

Crime and Public Safety

Ewasko  770

Kinew   770

Removal of Interprovincial Trade Barriers

Ewasko  771

Kinew   771

Removal of Interprovincial Trade Barriers

Stone  772

Sala  772

Canadian Energy Independence

Stone  773

Sala  773

Education Property Tax Increase

Jackson  773

Schmidt 773

Safe Consumption Site in Point Douglas

Balcaen  774

Smith  774

Post-Secondary Institutions

Perchotte  775

Cable  775

University of Winnipeg

Lamoureux  776

Cable  776

Transcona Constituency Investments

Devgan  777

Kinew   777

Tariffs on Canola Producers

Bereza  777

Kostyshyn  778

Large Grocery Retailers

Wasyliw   778

Sandhu  778

Petitions

Opposition to Releasing Repeat Offenders

Balcaen  778

New Neepawa Health Centre

Bereza  779

Byram   779

Phoenix School

Cook  780

Support for Border Communities

Guenter 780

Morden Waste Water Project

Hiebert 781

Provincial Trunk Highway 34

Jackson  781

Opposition to Releasing Repeat Offenders

King  782

Provincial Trunk Highways 12 and 210

Lagassé  782

Green Valley School Expansion

Narth  783

Teaching Certification

Nesbitt 783

Carbon Tax and Rising Food Prices

Perchotte  784

Support for Border Communities

Piwniuk  784

MRI Machine for Portage Regional Health Facility

Schuler 785

Breast Screening

Wharton  785

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Debate on Second Readings

Bill 42–The Buy Canadian Act (Government Purchases Act Amended)

Sandhu  787

Questions

Guenter 787

Sandhu  787

Bereza  787

Nesbitt 787

Wharton  788

Debate

Guenter 790

Bereza  794

Lagassé  797

Nesbitt 799

Jackson  803

Bill 32–The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Measures to Address Unlawful Activities)

Wiebe  804