LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Friday, March 21, 2025


The House met at 10 a.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, and that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.

      We acknowledge we are gathered on Treaty 1 territory and that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk nations. We acknowledge Manitoba is located on the Homeland of the Red River Métis. We acknowledge northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit. We respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partner­ship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.

      Please be seated.

Introduction of Guests

The Speaker: Before we get to routine proceedings, there's some special guests up in the gallery I would like to intro­duce at this point in time.

      Seated in the Speaker's Gallery is the hon­our­able wife of your Speaker, Sharon Lindsey, and her cousin, Sandra MacKenzie.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

The Speaker: Intro­duction of bills? Com­mit­tee reports?

Tabling of Reports

Hon. Mike Moyes (Minister of Environment and Climate Change): Hon­our­able Speaker, I'm pleased to table the Nutrient Targets Regula­tion Report on Nutrient Levels Through 2023 and Action Underway.

      Thank you.

The Speaker: Further tabling of reports?

Hon. Matt Wiebe (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I'm pleased to table for Manitoba Justice the '21‑24 annual report of the Manitoba Court of Appeal.

The Speaker: Further tablings?

Ministerial Statements

Inter­national Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Hon. Nellie Kennedy (Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism): Today, we recog­nize the Inter­national Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a day that calls on all of us to reflect on the harmful impacts of racism and recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of building a more just and equitable society.

      Our gov­ern­ment believes in one Manitoba. We believe that all Manitobans of all cultural groups and identities should be safe, celebrated and have every op­por­tun­ity to succeed.

      While members opposite thank Donald Trump for tariffs and celebrate harmful actions that target Indigenous, Black and racialized com­mu­nities, on this side of the House, we know that diversity is our strength and we believe that we are stronger together.

      As Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, I have seen first-hand how lifting up com­mu­nities and sharing values of inclusion make our province better. We also know that racism has very real impacts. Racialized com­mu­nities ex­per­ience higher rates of chronic illness, mental health chal­lenges and barriers to accessing care. Our gov­ern­ment is committed to ensuring that all Manitobans have access to the services that they need.

      There's so many groups in Manitoba that do so much work to address racism. Our gov­ern­ment supports these organi­zations and we work col­lab­o­ratively to make a better Manitoba.

      This day reminds us that addressing racial dis­crimin­ations demands meaningful action and systemic change. On this day, I encourage all Manitobans to reflect on the role each of us plays in eliminating racial discrimination. That may mean engaging in difficult con­ver­sa­tions about race and privilege, educating ourselves about the histories and experiences of Indigenous, Black and racialized com­mu­nities, or chal­lenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviours when we encounter them.

      Every action, no matter how small, contributes to the broader work of building a more inclusive and stronger society.

      Thank you.

Mr. Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): March 21 is a–the day of remembrance when police killed 69 people during a peaceful protest against apartheid in Sharpeville, South Africa.

      Racial discrimination is the practice of treating people differently solely based on their rate, ethic origin, skin colour. Racial discrimination does not stop at individual instances.

      Another way it has manifested is through sys­tematic racism where the discrimination is built into the foundational in­sti­tutions of our society. System­atic racism can be subtle and ingrained in our society as normal.

      Similar to the unfor­tunate event on March 21, racial discrimination can be perpetrated by actors in the systems meant to protect, such as our health‑care system and law en­force­ment. Minority com­mu­nities such as African, Asian and our Indigenous com­mu­nities are continuously 'dispropriate' in poverty and in contact with the law.

      In April of 2023, the Anti-Racism in Sport campaign was provided by the previous PC gov­ern­ment. With the help of com­mu­nity partners, the Anti‑Racism in Sport campaign was esta­blished. This additional funding brought attention to the racism and discrimination that First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Black, racialized and religious minority com­mu­nities in Manitoba face.

      As well as our con­tri­bu­tions to the sports sector, organi­zations, notably those led by Indigenous, francophone and ethno‑cultural com­mu­nities, would be able to innovate and address new demands thanks to this funding.

      We can perpetuate racism when we don't see the bias it has in our lives, and refuse to change and develop. Therefore, you must educate others and ourselves by sharing our under­standing of the origins and current forms of racial prejudice with friends, family and co‑workers. We must speak up against incidents of racism or prejudice in our homes, schools and social situations.

      We can celebrate diversity engaging and attending cultural events–

The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

      And, order, please.

      I'll take this op­por­tun­ity to remind all members that racism is in language, and suggesting that Indigenous people are our Indigenous people is completely wrong in this day and age. So please don't do it. [interjection]

      And I would remind people not to clap when the Speaker says things, because it applies to everybody equally.

      The hon­our­able member for Fort Richmond.

MLA Jennifer Chen (Fort Richmond): Hon­our­able Speaker, I'm honoured to rise today to recog­nize the Canadian Yazidi–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I have to say members' statements first.

* (10:10)

Members' Statements

Canadian Yazidi Association

MLA Jennifer Chen (Fort Richmond): I am honoured to rise today to recognize the Canadian Yazidi Association, founded in 2014 by Nafiya and Jamileh, in response to the ISIS‑led genocide against the Yazidi people in Iraq. They   have made out­standing contributions to the Yazidi com­munity in Manitoba, and provided critical resettle­ment services and the trauma‑informed programs that focus on psychological healing, eco­nomic em­power­ment and the cultural preservation.

      I have had the privilege of working with various refugee communities over the past 10 years. Many Yazidi families, who endured unimaginable trauma, have settled in Fort Richmond, such as Baylor Avenue, where they have found they have become part of our vibrant community.

      I had the privilege of attending the Yazidi New Year and Ida Rojit Ezi festival in 2024, where I wit­nessed first‑hand the strength and resilience of the Yazidi people.

      This year, the Yazidi com­mu­nity will celebrate this new year, known as Carsema Sor or Red Wednesday, on April 16. This sacred occasion symbolizes renewal, the arrival of spring and the triumph of light over darkness. It commemorates the creation of the universe by Tawuse Melek, the Peacock Angel, a central figure in Yazidism. The new year is celebrated with vibrant traditions, including decorating homes with red flowers, exchanging dyed eggs symbolizing life and lighting candles to represent hope and divine blessings.

      I invite all members to join me in expressing our gratitude for their unwavering commitment that has transformed the lives and created a space where survivors feel safe, empowered and connected.

      Honourable Speaker, I want to add the names of the following individuals to Hansard: Nafiya, Jamileh, Asmaeil, Hesso, Manal, Sara, Harbiya, Fani, Khanse and Michel.

      Thank you, Honourable Speaker.

Manal Alhussein, Michel Aziza, Hesso Elias, Asmaeil Hassan, Harbiya Hilo, Jamileh Naso, Nafiya Naso, Sara Qasim, Khanse Zghla, Fani Zndnan.

Warren Curling Club 100th Anniversary

Mr. Trevor King (Lakeside): Honourable Speaker, I  rise today to recognize and celebrate the Warren Curling Club on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

      This past fall, the club hosted a special bonspiel to commemorate this significant milestone. I was honoured to bring greetings as the MLA–was also delighted to participate in the tournament alongside my family and felling–fellow community members.

      A particularly memorable moment of the event was the presence of lifelong friend and lifetime honor­ary member, Isla Hagborg. Isla threw the ceremonial first rock, a fitting tribute to her nearly eight decades of involvement with the club.

      Isla reflected on many changes that she has seen over the years, from the ice, to rules, equipment, to technique. Much has changed but Isla emphasized that one thing has remained constant: the unwavering dedication and enthusiasm of community members in keeping the Warren Curling Club thriving.

      Curling has been an enduring tradition for many families in this community, spanning multiple gener­ations. As we recognize 100 years since the esta­blish­ment of the club, it is important to reflect on its deep-rooted connection to Warren.

      Over the years, countless individuals have par­ticipated in junior curling, women's, men's and mixed leagues, and numerous bonspiels. Many have also served in executive roles, ensuring the continued success of the club. While some members have taken breaks due to other commitments, the love for the sport always finds a way back into their lives.

      Just this past Tuesday evening, the Warren ladies league crowned its champions; the men's last night. And this weekend, the season will conclude with the Falcons hockey team bonspiel, where community members of all ages will come together once again to celebrate the sport.

      Colleagues, please join me in congratulating the Warren Curling Club, its past, present executives, board members, volunteers and curlers on 100 years of promoting one of Manitoba's greatest sports.

      The club's centennial celebrations not only honour its rich history but also highlights its ongoing commitment to community engagement and the future of curling.

      Thank you, and hurry hard.

MAHCP Collective Agree­ment Settlement

MLA Jim Maloway (Elmwood): The Manitoba Association of Health Care Pro­fes­sionals, MAHCP, led by its president, Jason Linklater, and his team, has reached an agreement with Shared Health and the Winnipeg-Churchill and northern health regional employers organizations, averting a strike scheduled for March 7, 2025, earlier this month.

      MAHCP represents more than 7,000 allied health professionals in more than 20 regulated health pro­fessions, including audiologists, cardiology tech­nologists, diagnostic medical sonographers, medical laboratory assistants and technologists, radiation technologists, occupational therapists, paramedics, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists and speech language pathologists. These professionals are indis­pensable to our health‑care system and work around the clock in a variety of settings.

      The negotiated settlement between the MAHCP and Shared Health and Winnipeg-Churchill and Northern Health Region Employers Organizations is another meaningful step in resetting and restoring our health‑care system and more properly aligning wages within our system.

      Elmwood residents recog­nize that restoring our health‑care system is very much a work in progress. We have much more work to do. The cracks in our health‑care system did not appear overnight and they will not disappear overnight.

      A major step forward with our government's recruitment of 873 net‑new health‑care workers into Manitoba's public health system. After all, our health-care system depends on the workers.

      This important settlement reflects everyone's commitment to the collective bargaining process and more fairness in the system for our workers.

Invest­ment Concerns for Westman Region in Budget 2025

Mr. Grant Jackson (Spruce Woods): It's such a pleasure to be able to rise again as the member for Spruce Woods. And you know, our colleagues here on the Conservative side of the House who represent Westman, in parti­cular, it is such a privilege for us to work as part of this team: the member for Riding Mountain (Mr. Nesbitt), the member for Brandon West (Mr. Balcaen), the member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Piwniuk) and the member for Agassiz (Ms. Byram).

      And Westman is such a great region of this province, and you know, the day after the budget, I just wish we had more to rise to talk about that came from yesterday's budget. I'm not sure, you know, in the shortest budget speech in the recent memory from the gov­ern­ment side, here, on the NDP side, didn't mention the region one single time. No mention of Westman.

      A very brief mention in the speech of two recycled–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Jackson: –schools from the previous Progressive Conservative gov­ern­ment for the Wheat City, and that's all this gov­ern­ment had to offer for western Manitoba. What a shame.

      No mention from the Infra­structure Minister about prov­incial trunk highways, an invest­ment in rural roads, absolutely nothing for Highway 34, Highway 2 and Highway 5 in Spruce Woods con­stit­uency that all need major rehabilitation from this gov­ern­ment. The Finance Minister and the Infra­structure Minister are failing Spruce Woods residents there.

      No mention for health care in rural Manitoba. No mention for the Glenboro Spirit Sands Medical Clinic expansion project. No mention of the Carberry ER which they announced was open and then closed again. No mention for the Brandon Regional Health Centre expansion.

      No mention of the Brandon Uni­ver­sity medical school. In fact, the president of BU is quoted in the paper as having spoken with the Advanced Edu­ca­tion Minister, who said: You know, no, we're very supportive of the project, but–just about timing. Because of course, why would we want to move faster to train more doctors in Manitoba when we got a medical crisis on our hands?

      So this gov­ern­ment failed, and this party will continue to stand up for Spruce–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Providence Uni­ver­sity College and Theological Seminary

Mr. Richard Perchotte (Selkirk): Today I want to recognize a significant milestone in higher education in Manitoba: 2025 marks Providence University College and Theological Seminary's 100th anniversary year. Since its founding, Providence has been a pillar of academic excellence and leadership development, shaping students who make a difference in our province, across Canada and worldwide.

      Today we have the 'provo,' Dr. Nicholas Greco, and his family joining us in the gallery.

      Providence, rooted in faith, knowledge, integrity and service, has consistently adapted to the challenges of each era. Through economic hardships, global conflicts, pandemics and technological advances, it has stayed true to its mission and values. A beacon of learning and resilience, Providence equips students to lead with wisdom and compassion.

      As Providence celebrates its centennial, we honour the leadership, faculty, staff and students whose dedication has driven its success. Looking forward to the institution remains committed to expanding its opportunities in education, fieldwork, athletics and community engagement, ensuring a lasting impact on future gen­era­tions.

* (10:20)

      As they enter the next century, Providence faces the future with con­fi­dence, guided by the same pioneering spirit that defined its first hundred years.

      May they continue to embody the values of faith, diversity of thought, com­mu­nity and curiosity, as they send graduates into their careers. Alumni, now serving in various fields like health care, social work, busi­ness and min­is­try, will continue to shape a world that reflects the best of Providence, a legacy since 1925.

      Please join me in acknowledging this accomplish­ment.

Oral Questions

Tax Increase Concerns in Budget 2025
Impact on Manitobans and the Economy

Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): The very foundation of the NDP's budget yesterday is nearly $1 billion more in higher taxes, hitting Manitoba families and busi­nesses hard: $292 million more in income taxes, $154 million more in busi­ness taxes, $178 million more in retail sales taxes, $182 million more in prop­erty taxes and $81 million more in assorted other taxes. That's $887 million, almost $1 billion more pulled from the pockets of hard‑working Manitobans.

      And that's not all. Bracket creep is back under the NDP. The CTF calls this budget punishing and a stealth tax hike.

      Why is the NDP hitting Manitobans with nearly $1 billion more in tax hikes during a cost‑of‑living–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired. [interjection]

      Order.

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): Hon­our­able Speaker, yesterday, our gov­ern­ment was so proud to deliver a budget that benefits Manitobans, our budget, delivered just exceptionally well by the best finance minister in the country.

      This is a historic invest­ment in building our pro­vince: $3.7 billion to build, build, build and bring people together during this really tumultuous time.

      While members opposite thank Donald Trump for tariffs, on this side of the House we bring Manitobans and Canadians together, and we're going to build a brighter future.

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

Mrs. Cook: Hon­our­able Speaker, it's a long-standing tradition in this House for the premier to get up and answer the first two questions. He can't even be bothered to stand up and defend his own budget.

      Somehow, the NDP expects to pull–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Speaker: Order.

Mrs. Cook: –nearly $1 billion more in new taxes from hard-working, middle-class Manitobans in the middle of an affordability crisis and on the brink of a potential recession.

      Yesterday–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Speaker: Order.

      I need to be able to hear what's being said, and when you're all screaming and hollering, I can't hear what's being said. So let's tone it down.

Mrs. Cook: Yesterday, a Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg economist called this ex­pect­a­tion unrealistic, saying, would you take this docu­ment to a bank and try to get a loan? I think it would be difficult.

      The NDP's budget is built on a house of cards.

      How do they expect to squeeze nearly $1 billion more from Manitobans at a time of economic uncertainty and on the cusp of a trade war with our largest trading partner?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, while our in­cred­ible Finance Minister was doing the work of building this in­cred­ible budget for Manitobans, while he was consulting and listening to Manitobans and making sure that we had $3.7 billion to build, build, build, what were members opposite doing? They were busy thanking Donald Trump for tariffs.

      On that side of the House, that very same member was knocking on doors with the member for Fort Whyte (Mr. Khan), saying: We thank Donald Trump for tariffs, and you can count on us to turn our backs on Canada.

      On this side of the House, we brought forward a great budget that puts Manitobans first and represents the values of Canadians.

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

Mrs. Cook: In the middle of an affordability crisis, the NDP have built a budget centred around taking as  much money as possible out of the pockets of Manitobans.

      Let me remind the minister: un­em­ploy­ment is up, inflation is up and Manitoba is staring down the barrel of a probable recession. Yesterday, the CFIB reported that small busi­ness optimism has plummeted to an all-time low. And more than half of Manitobans are just $200 or less away from being unable to pay their bills. What Manitoba busi­nesses and families need is relief right now, not next year.

      How can the NDP justify making life even more expensive for Manitobans at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, the member's wrong. Our budget builds a brighter future for Manitobans; $3.7 billion to put Manitobans to work–put Manitobans to work.

      Our budget focuses on protecting jobs right here in Manitoba and enhancing them, giving Manitobans more op­por­tun­ities to be a part of building a stronger economy.

      The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce had to say this: We are pleased to see the gov­ern­ment's commit­ment to a reduction in the payroll tax and its focus on eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. The Chamber was pleased that Budget '25 included a commit­ment to enhance labour mobility, improve credential recog­nition and stream­line regula­tions–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Tax Revenue Forecast in Budget 2025
Economic Uncertainty and US Tariffs

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Hon­our­able Speaker, what cloud is this NDP gov­ern­ment living on? It is so clear from this budget that they are completely out of touch with the economic realities that Manitobans are facing today.

      The entire budget hinges off half a billion in addi­tional taxation that the minister says he's forecasting, yet workers are working at layoffs, busi­nesses are looking at losing all kinds of supply chain contracts, and instead of supports, this NDP gov­ern­ment, at this time in society and economic uncertainty, are actually facing higher taxes.

      How does this minister justify forecasting half a billion dollars in extra income tax revenue?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): Hon­our­able Speaker, busi­ness leaders love this budget. The Chambers love this budget. Manitobans love this budget.

      And Hon­our­able Speaker, I have to say, when that member stands up and talks about being out of touch, I wonder if she's really reflecting looking in the mirror. That member went out yesterday in response and thanks Elon Musk. That member is defending one of the wealthiest people on the planet instead of standing up for Manitobans.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, the only people who are out of touch are the members on that side of the House. While she stands up for Elon, we stand up for Manitobans.

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

Mrs. Stone: Hon­our­able Speaker, when this minister is planning on collecting 9.4 per cent more in personal income taxes and 4.2 per cent more from businesses, other provinces are more realistic in their projections. In New Brunswick, they're forecasting less than 4 per cent for each. In Saskatchewan, 1.3 per cent from busi­ness and 0.1 per cent less from individuals.

      Why does this minister paint a picture of sunny days when the economic reality knows, and Manitobans know, that we're headed for an economic storm?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, our gov­ern­ment recognize–Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) recognize that the threat of tariffs from Donald Trump are very real, which is why our budget prepares us and positions us to respond as needed and appropriately. Our budget is focused on protecting jobs, putting Manitobans to work and a historic $3.7-billion invest­ment in making that happen.

      On that side of the House, what are they doing? What is that member doing? That member is defend­ing and standing up for Elon Musk, one of the wealth­iest people in the world, who's directly attacking Canada, who's trying to make life for Manitobans more expensive. We will take no lessons from that member while she stands up for the wrong country.

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

Mrs. Stone: Hon­our­able Speaker, this minister loves to twist words and deflect from the realities that this budget is failing Manitobans, Manitoba families and Manitoba busi­nesses.

      This Premier (Mr. Kinew) and this minister should be ashamed of their budget. Real leaders have stood up and shared the numbers of what their tariff impacts would be ahead of time, yet this NDP won't even share what the real numbers are in their own budget.

      In Nova Scotia, we see a budget that looks to the impact of tariffs, collecting 7.8 per cent less in personal income taxes and 10 per cent less from busi­nesses.

* (10:30)

      Yet this minister and this Premier seem to paint a ray–rosy, sunny day picture in Manitoba when the economic realities of today do not reflect that. Layoffs, higher taxes, cost-of-living crisis is what Manitobans are facing. That is the reality of today.

      Why is this–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

MLA Asagwara: Our gov­ern­ment is doing the hard work of standing up for Manitobans, the im­por­tant work of bringing Manitobans and Canadians together.

      That member, what is she saying about what's going on in the world, when our gov­ern­ment takes a real step and says, you know what? We're not going to support Elon Musk. What does she say in response? I–this is a quote–I'm not a fan.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, standing up for Manitobans, standing up for Canadians, and that member says she's not a fan of doing that? She should stand up in her place and explain her position. On this side of the House, we put a great forward–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

MLA Asagwara: –a great budget forward for Manitobans. We're standing up Canadians, and we will never apologize for doing that.

Child Care
Budget 2025

Mr. Grant Jackson (Spruce Woods): The–yesterday's budget, Budget 2025, the shortest budget speech in recent Manitoba history, was a complete miss on child care. Was it even mentioned in the speech? I don't think the words actually came out of the Finance Minister's mouth: a very im­por­tant industry entirely missed.

      In fact, Jodie Kehl from the MCCA con­firmed to the Free Press that while he's talking about adding imaginary jobs, all those people are going to need child care. So where is the commit­ment to child–the child-care sector and their workers?

      Why did this NDP gov­ern­ment abandon child-care workers and the child-care sector at a time when Manitobans need it most?

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning): Before I answer the question I would also just like to recog­nize the Inter­national Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimina­tion.

      I would like to lift up all of our early child­hood educators that do that good work in child-care facilities in our province, and I would like to acknowledge some of the legis­lation that we intro­duced earlier in this session to expand our Indigenous framework policy in edu­ca­tion beyond just the K‑to‑12 system into the early child­hood edu­ca­tion system. Because we believe that that sort of edu­ca­tion, edu­ca­tion on treaties edu­ca­tion, edu­ca­tion on the con­tri­bu­tion of Indigenous Manitobans, should start as early as possible.

      That is just one of the invest­ments we are making in early child­hood edu­ca­tion. I cannot wait for the next question from the–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

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

Mr. Jackson: Well, I'm glad the minister can't wait for the next question, because she certainly didn't answer the first one, so let's see if she'll do better this time around.

      Perhaps early child­hood edu­ca­tion wasn't mentioned in the budget because buried deep in the budget docu­ments, not in the minister's speech, certainly, is a $135-million decrease in the Canada-Manitoba, Canada-wide early learning and child-care agree­ment as a result of the annual renegotiation of the Canada-Manitoba action plan.

      Does this gov­ern­ment actually believe that the federal Liberals, who are des­per­ately handing out cash to try and stay in office, are cutting child care in Manitoba, or is this NDP gov­ern­ment just that bad at renegotiating bilateral agree­ments with the federal gov­ern­ment?

MLA Schmidt: I know that the member opposite would like to waste this House time campaigning for Pierre Poilievre, Trump's little buddy over there.

      On this side of the House, what we have been doing is renegotiating a new Canada-wide child-care benefit for Manitobans, to the tune of $1.9 billion. That is a five-year extension that's going to allow Manitoba and our gov­ern­ment to keep investing in kids, investing in child-care centres. Hon­our­able Speaker, $1.9 billion that we were able to secure that the former gov­ern­ment failed to deliver on.

      Child care grew none under their watch. On this side of the House, we value the early child­hood edu­ca­tion system–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

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

Mr. Jackson: Here's the previous gov­ern­ment's record on child care: the first wage grid ever imple­mented; the first province in the country to sign on to the Canada-wide national plan; the first province in the country–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Jackson: –to reach the average of $10 a day; 14,000 new spaces created in the province; and the first province to pilot the RTM model for daycares, getting them built faster, and getting the facilities out into com­mu­nities faster than ever done before and faster than was done anywhere else in the country of Canada.

      I don't have any time for the minister who wants to label me as Trump. Donald Trump has no place in Canada. They have no place calling us the 51st state.

      Will the minister get back to talking about Manitoba and Manitoba's child-care sector that she and Budget 2025 absolutely failed?

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

MLA Schmidt: Hon­our­able Speaker, while on this side of the House, we are focused on building one Manitoba, on that side of the House we know that the member for Fort Whyte (Mr. Khan) is thanking Donald Trump for tariffs that is going to make life more expensive here on this–in Manitoba.

      And while the member from Spruce Woods denies it, the CBC reports that Khan's MLA endorsements come from former premier–

The Speaker: Order.

      I would just remind the minister that we can't refer to other members by their name. Either their min­is­terial title or their con­stit­uency name.

      The hon­our­able Minister of Health–hon­our­able Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning.

MLA Schmidt: While the member from Spruce Woods denies that he supports the MLA from Fort Whyte, the MLA from Fort Whyte, who has thanked Donald Trump, the CBC, in fact, names the member from Spruce Woods as endorsing the member from Fort Whyte. I will table this for the House.

      On this side of the House we–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Infra­structure Spending
Budget 2025

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Infra­structure spending in this year's budget is even more misleading than it was last year. Once again, this gov­ern­ment has ignored carry-over funding, which has been asked for by industry organi­zations and adopted by our previous gov­ern­ment, meaning that money budgeted was money spent.

      The details get much more con­cern­ing. Under this minister, operating infra­structure capital projects took a 12.7 per cent cut, all while Cor­por­ate Services saw a 195 per cent increase.

      Could the minister tell us how operating capital projects saw a sig­ni­fi­cant decrease and Cor­por­ate Services were nearly tripled?

Hon. Lisa Naylor (Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure): I want to thank the member opposite for the question. It seems like they've remembered that trans­por­tation and infra­structure matter in this pro­vince. It's my first question since last November.

      So I'm pleased to stand to talk about how we are building this province, and we're building this province through infra­structure. We are investing in highways, we're investing in airports; we're building strategic infra­structure projects across the province. The over­all infra­structure budget for Trans­por­tation, infra­structure for water, for airports, general capital is a 10 per cent increase from Budget 2024. So we are investing more money than has been invested in many years in this de­part­ment.

      I will remind–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The hon­our­able member for La Vérendrye, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Emergency Management
Operating Budget for 2025

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Hon­our­able Speaker, this minister does not need to worry about the amount of questions coming; there's much more to keep this minister accountable, things like the budget talking about climate resilience. All of us in this Chamber saw the devastation of the recent California wildfires, and myself, I've seen the devastation in my hometown.

      This year's operating budget for emergency manage­­ment will see a 15.5 per cent cut. Last year we saw a sig­ni­fi­cant cut in emergency capital, and now we are seeing the cut in operating. This means less money for disaster recovery and less money for emergency preparedness.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, does this minister not believe in climate change any longer, or how can she justify these cuts?

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Minister of–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Speaker: Order.

Hon. Lisa Naylor (Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure): I thought we cleared up some con­fusion around that parti­cular budget line last year. But just to be clear, there are multiple places across the budget, both within Minister Moses's–sorry, the Minister–

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Once again I must remind members, we don't use each other's names; we–min­is­terial title. Even though his is quite long, that's the proper way to address members.

MLA Naylor: Thank your Hon­our­able Speaker, and you have identified my weakness.

* (10:40)

      So I will say the minister respon­si­ble for forest fire­fighting is–has sub­stan­tial invest­ments in that account.

      I will also point out, that in my budget, we have–there's a 121 per cent increase for flood mitigation.

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The honourable member for La Vérendrye, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

Lake Manitoba-Lake St. Martin Channel Project


Request to Table
Environ­mental Assessment

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): It's great that the minister tried to bring up flood mitigation efforts.

      The NDP's off-again, on-again approach to infra­structure only drives up costs and delays much-needed pro­tec­tion.

      Last fall, the minister advised in Estimates that she had formally requested the federal gov­ern­ment to pause environ­mental assessments for flood relief in the channels of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin and cut the entire project from the budget.

      Yesterday, the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) said that the projects are a go.

      So, in the span of a few months, we've gone from no project to an approved project?

      Will the minister table the federal environ­mental assessment that greenlights this project, or is the assess­ment about as real as an NDP balanced budget?

Hon. Lisa Naylor (Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure): I'm really proud of our gov­ern­ment's work on progressing the outlet channels project.

      What we saw year after year under the previous gov­ern­ment was money entered into the budget and never spent, year after year. We saw an extremely underwhelming approach to flooding in this province. We saw a complete lack of con­sul­ta­tion and respect for affected First Nations com­mu­nities.

      And our gov­ern­ment has turned that around. We're working on MOUs, we're working with com­mu­nities and we are so pleased to be able to progress this project forward and to enter it in the budget in the year in which the work is happening, not carrying it forward unspent year after year and pretending–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Safe Con­sump­tion Site and Addiction Treatment
Funding Concerns in Budget 2025

Mrs. Carrie Hiebert (Morden-Winkler): The disappoint­­­ing NDP budget is spending $4.6 million for the imple­men­ta­tion of a drug injection site, plus another $1.3 million for operations. That's almost $6 million.

      The residents and busi­nesses and other concerned organi­zations in Point Douglas were not consulted about the proposed location for this drug injection site.

      Is the million dollars for one, two or three more injection sites, because that's a lot of dollars; there will be–sorry, where will they be located; and will the neighbourhoods be consulted?

Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Acting Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness): I just want to take a moment to recog­nize my colleague, my amazing colleague from Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, who, since assuming that position, has gotten to work cleaning up the mess of members opposite.

      Seven and a half years of putting their head in the sand while Manitoba was ravaged with a toxic drug crisis. They put their head in the sand, they had no respect for Manitobans who were struggling with addictions–[interjection]

The Speaker: Member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Piwniuk) will come to order.

MLA Fontaine: They acted as if they didn't even exist.

      Our minister is hard at work ensuring that our gov­ern­ment under her leadership is saving lives, and that's what we're going to do.

The Speaker: Time has expired.

      The honourable member for Morden-Winkler, on a supplementary question.

Mrs. Hiebert: Hon­our­able Speaker, drug injection sites only help 15 per cent of the popu­la­tion around them.

      The NDP put very little thought into this budget. On page 75, the budget–of the budget, this NDP gov­ern­ment is promising to spend, I quote, $1.5 million to expand access to addictions.

      What does this mean? Exactly how is this minister spending 1.5 dollars to expand access to addictions?

MLA Fontaine: It's so disappointing that the first op­por­tun­ity that members have to get up to discuss our budget, it is under the 'aupsices' that we are spending too much money on Manitobans that are struggling with addictions. We're spending too much money to save Manitoba lives.

      I think it is in­cred­ibly shameful that the member opposite would get up and question the resources that we're putting in to save lives, to help Manitoba families that are struggling with addictions.

      This is what Manitobans have asked us to do; this is why they sent us to gov­ern­ment. And under the leadership of the minister, we're doing just that.

The Speaker: The honourable member for Morden-Winkler, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

Mrs. Hiebert: Hon­our­able Speaker, this gov­ern­ment is spending almost $6 million to create a drug injec­tion site, but has only committed $1.5 million to addictions treatment in the city of Winnipeg.

      Why is this minister spending significantly less money on recovery and treatment? Is this gov­ern­ment planning to expand–adding more injection sites or more–do they want more treatment for people who need help?

MLA Fontaine: Again, it's in­cred­ibly disappointing; the member opposite getting up and asking a question that is based on the premise that we're spending too much money to support Manitobans that are dealing with addictions.

      I do want to say, one thing that was mentioned in our budget was our–we're looking forward to our part­ner­ship with the Anne Oake foundation, who is doing–is going to be doing phenomenal work offering those supports to Manitoba women that are struggling with addictions.

      We're on the same page with Anne Oake and Scott Oake and the good work that they're doing. I don't know why members 'opposin' aren't.

Canola Growers and Hog Producers
Request to Support Agri­cul­ture Industry

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): The Finance Minister talked in a lot of hypotheticals yesterday when it came to farmers.

      Farmers are some of the largest busi­nesses in our province and they're getting ready to plant a crop. The farmers don't need hypotheticals; they need a plan, just like their bankers and suppliers demand.

      When will this Minister of Agri­cul­ture be ready to provide a plan for farmers so they can plant a crop this year?

Hon. Ron Kostyshyn (Minister of Agriculture): I want to thank the MLA for Portage asking an agri­cul­ture question that relates to my personal lifestyle, what I did for 40 years of my life. And I don't have to get any questions from that individual that probably never had dirt under his fingernails because agri­cul­ture pro­ducers do–are the ones.

      I want to ensure the agri­cul­ture producers that are listening and in partaking in this con­ver­sa­tion that we're here as gov­ern­ment to work with them along with the federal gov­ern­ment as we work on team Canada's scenario.

      You'll see in our budget that had been presented yesterday of the importance of helping out agri­cul­ture producers, not only today but into the future–

The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

      The honourable member for Portage la Prairie, on a supplementary question.

MLA Bereza: And, again, there was no answers given. Our poor farmers, some of the biggest economic drivers, can't get an answer.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, our Manitoba farmers grow 3.3 million acres of canola, and $100 million is worth $30 per acre. Right now, farmers have lost $180 and the Chinese tariffs haven't taken full effect.

      When will this Ag Minister start treating the ag industry with the respect it needs and give it some answers?

Mr. Kostyshyn: Let me quote some comments that have been brought forward by a couple of the farm organi­zations that we continue to com­muni­cate regard­ing challenges that we all face moving forward with tariffs, and the Chinese tariffs as well.

      KAP, the organi­zation that was supporting the increase in funding and loan limits; that will help Manitoba farmers and their operations, said KAP president Jill Verwey. These include a $500,000 more for the stability agri­cul­ture, SAM program, and young farmer rebates increasing to $40,000, accompanying the loan limits to $400,000. MASC direct loans limits are increasing by $5.25 million to $5.75 million, and stocker loan limits will also be increasing from $1 million to 1.4–

The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

      And the member for La Vérendrye–

      Order, please.

      The member for La Vérendrye (Mr. Narth) can stop hollering back and forth across.

      The honourable member for Portage la Prairie, on a final sup­ple­mentary question.

MLA Bereza: Again, thanks to the Ag Minister for wanting to put the farmers into more debt.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, our hog industry is just another example of how much this Ag Minister and gov­ern­ment don't understand the impact of agri­cul­ture on our economy in Manitoba.

      What is the gov­ern­ment's plan to save jobs in Neepawa, Winnipeg, Brandon, Altona, just to name a few? What are you doing for rural Manitoba?

* (10:50)

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Just remember to address questions through the Chair, not ask members directly what you're doing.

Mr. Kostyshyn: Thanks again for the question from the critic from Portage la Prairie.

      It's kind of ironic that the critic is going to stand up and try and educate our side of the gov­ern­ment about what we're doing wrong. What about the 300 per cent tariff that they put on Crown lands when they were in existence? And the young gen­era­tion of farmers that you chose–you chose–to pick on them.

      Do you honestly think that was a worthwhile–and we talk about taking over an idea that comes from the North Dakota state, they chose to go Trump style.

      We in Manitoba, we in Canada stick up for agri­cul­ture. We stick up for our producers that is very vital to our economy, not only today but into the future. And I want to guarantee you: our budget will help farmers in the long run.

The Speaker: The member's time had expired.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

The Speaker: Order, please. Order. Order.

      I would just caution the Minister of Agri­cul­ture that he should not be saying: do you honestly think some­thing. Questions should obviously be directed through the Chair, not to individual members.

      No further questions? Oh, sorry.

US Trade Dispute with Canada
Supports for Jobs and Businesses

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I'm happy to hear that this gov­ern­ment recog­nized the importance of the trade war in yesterday's budget and that they have committed to helping employees, busi­ness owners and industries.

      Many Manitobans work for US-based companies, most notably retail and restaurant chains, and because of the trade war, more than ever people are making a moral choice to not support US goods and services. The livelihood of these employees and their families are at risk.

      How are they to support them­selves if laid off and how will this gov­ern­ment help them pivot like they promised busi­nesses?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): Really ap­pre­ciate and welcome that question from the mem­ber for Tyndall Park.

      You know, we know that Manitobans and Canadians right now are worried about the economic climate, and that's why our gov­ern­ment brought for­ward under the leadership of the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) a budget that invests a historic $3.7 billion to build our province.

      And building our province is really saying that we are making sure Manitobans have jobs–well-paying jobs that can support them­selves, their families and communities. We've taken additional steps as well to make sure that we can support local busi­nesses and, quite frankly, just protect our Manitoba economy.

      So our gov­ern­ment is well positioned to address those threats, while members opposite on that side of the House embrace them.

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

MLA Lamoureux: Hon­our­able Speaker, we need to stand up for employees who are both directly and indirectly impacted by the trade war. This includes everyone from floor factory employees to farmers to those working in human resources and everyone in between.

      If a Manitoban loses their income because of the trade war, what will this gov­ern­ment do to support them directly?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, I thank the member for that really im­por­tant question. Our gov­ern­ment took steps imme­diately to ensure that local busi­nesses, Manitoba busi­nesses can defer their resources and ensure they can keep workers on the front lines of their busi­nesses as needed.

      I want to quote, you know, some folks who have made really strong statements in response to our budget. So the executive director of Manitoba Building Trades, Tanya Palson: It's a really good budget, all good things. We've been waiting for a capital spend like this to help people this area go in and support union jobs. So yes, we're in a good spot. End quote.

      Our government is working hard on behalf of all Manitobans to protect jobs and create jobs so we can build a better and brighter future in our province. On that side of the House, they're doing the opposite; they need to join team Manitoba, join team–

The Speaker: Time is expired.

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

MLA Lamoureux: We have a lot of big industries, such as the pork, aerospace and agri­cul­ture industry, as well as many small busi­nesses, whether that be coffee shops, restaurants or grocery stores–just as examples–that may very much need additional supports from this gov­ern­ment due to the trade war.

      Economic uncertainty affects all of us, and many busi­nesses will be looking for alternatives in terms of supplies and raw materials.

      What is this gov­ern­ment doing interprovincially to build up new suppliers?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, on this side of the House, we happen to have not only the most popular premier in the country, but we have a Premier (Mr. Kinew) that is really leading the way in working with the other first ministers and working with the federal gov­ern­ment to put the needs of Manitobans first and make sure we're protecting our local economy and our Canadian economy.

      Whether it's the Manitoba Building Trades council, Manitoba Federation of Labour, CUPE Manitoba, City of Winnipeg, agri­cul­ture, the Manitoba pork producers, Keystone agri­cul­ture, everybody is on board, working together, supporting this great budget, because they know our gov­ern­ment is investing in bringing Manitobans together, building a better pro­vince and making sure we're protecting our economy.

      Team Canada, team Manitoba approach. I encourage all members of this House to join that approach. We are stronger together.

Women's Health Care
Budget 2025

Mr. Logan Oxenham (Kirkfield Park): Hon­our­able Speaker, yesterday was a great day for women's health care in Manitoba. After two terms of a PC govern­ment that cut women's health care, closed the Mature Women's Centre and fired nurses from the front lines, Budget 2025 is a sharp contrast.

      Finally, we have a gov­ern­ment that isn't afraid to talk about women's health and invest in it unapologetically. This budget is full of invest­ments in women's health.

      Can the Minister of Health please elaborate on these remark­able invest­ments and how they will make life better for Manitobans.

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care): I thank my colleague from Kirkfield Park for that great question.

      We couldn't be prouder of our gov­ern­ment's invest­­ments in women's health. Given comments made by wannabe leaders of the PC Party and attacks on women's health globally, now, more than ever, is the time we should be firmly on the side of women's health care and put the money behind it to support it.

      I'm so proud of our Finance Minister for standing up yesterday and, for the first time ever, including the words menopause and perimenopause in a Manitoba budget speech.

      Those are words that the op­posi­tion is afraid to say–they were afraid to say when they were in gov­ern­ment for two terms.

      We're adding Plan B to our free birth control pro­gram; we're covering hormone re­place­ment therapy medi­cation; we're investing $10 million in the Women's Health Clinic, and we're reopening the Mature Women's Centre–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Moose Hunting Tags
Reduction in Number Issued

Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): Since con­ser­va­tion was non-existent in Budget 2025, I'm going to ask a simple question here.

      In July of 2024, Virden resident, Moe Massart [phonetic] wrote the Premier (Mr. Kinew) regarding the reduction in the moose draw. The Premier couldn't be bothered to answer. The minister of economic dev­elop­ment, invest­ment, trade and natural resources couldn't be bothered to answer. Instead of ignoring Mr. Massart [phonetic], perhaps the minister will respond today.

      What substantive evidence exists that supports a 75 per cent reduction of moose hunting tags as it pertains to the four game hunting areas?

Hon. Ian Bushie (Minister of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures): Hon­our­able Speaker, it's interesting the member stands up and talks about en­gage­ment, because there was absolutely no en­gage­ment what­so­ever from members opposite when they were in gov­ern­ment to Indigenous com­mu­nities, Manitoba Wildlife Federation, Manitoba Métis Federation, and now they want to stand in their place and talk about con­ser­va­tion and talk about moose draws and talk about the numbers that are there when they do not believe in science what­so­ever.

      We're enhancing moose surveys so we can have accurate figures to actually go out and talk to com­mu­nities and deal with this issue first and foremost at the front.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Swan River, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Mr. Wowchuk: Here, the minister continues to avoid answering Mr. Massart's [phonetic] very valid ques­tion. So he has this infor­ma­tion in regards to game hunting area 21.

      Could the minister provide an explanation as to why this zone was closed?

Mr. Bushie: I thank the member for the question, because it gives us the op­por­tun­ity to actually talk about the realistic op­por­tun­ities to be able to engage com­mu­nities, to be able to engage the areas and talk about game hunting overall and really get into the science of what this is.

      I have not made political decisions like members opposite did first and foremost, each and every day, to please their friends, please their family and–[interjection]–oh, now they talk–I can hear chirping on the side, talking about their friends. So that's all they care about, being able to stand up here and talk about being able to support only what they want to be able to do to further their own personal interests.

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

* (11:00)

Mr. Wowchuk: Obviously, the minister is getting quite upset by a simple question.

      Finally, Mr. Massart [phonetic] asked the minister: What substantive evidence supports that it remains closed? Very simple.

Mr. Bushie: I guess that's the problem with having somebody like Shannon Martin prepare all their ques­tions over there. Brian Pallister banished him to the basement; Heather Stefanson kept him there. And the reason that he's coming out now, because he's totally out of touch with reality and out of touch with the en­gage­ment that our gov­ern­ment wants to be able to take each and every day.

      So we're having that en­gage­ment with Manitobans, across all spectrums, across all aspects of Manitoba, across all game hunting areas of Manitoba, so we can purely come with the science of what this is and we can make informed decisions, some­thing the members opposite have no idea what informed decision means.

Prov­incial Revenues
Deficit Projections

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Hon­our­able Speaker, this out-of-touch NDP gov­ern­ment is collecting a bil­lion more in taxes and revenue, $82 million more in personal income taxes on the backs of Manitoba families, $182 million more in edu­ca­tion property taxes on homeowners and small businesses, and that is on top of double-digit increases on education taxes on families. Yet he's still planning on running a $1.9‑billion deficit.

      So I ask the minister: What happens when his wish­ful thinking and revenue dreams do not come true this year? Will this minister stand up, be honest with Manitobans and tell us what exactly the deficit will become?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): So nega­tive, so negative, Hon­our­able Speaker. Our Finance Minister intro­duced a historic budget, so historic he's on the front page of so many newspapers, being celebrated for investing $3.7 billion to build, build, build.

      He's investing money to make sure women's health care is stronger than ever; building school after school after school after school after school after school after school in Manitoba.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, it's a great budget for Manitobans, it's a great budget that brings Canadians together, and on this side of the House we encourage that side of the House to finally, finally join team Canada.

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I would caution the member for Midland about using the term that the minister wasn't being honest. That's getting very close to crossing the line of what's acceptable and what isn't acceptable. So a little more thought into your questions and choosing the right words.

      And the time for oral questions has expired.

Petitions

New Neepawa Health Centre

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): Hon­our­able Speaker, I wish to present the following petition.

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

      (1) Thanks to the investment made under the previous PC provincial government and 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 nearly double the size of the existing hospital and will better serve patients from the 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.

Mr. Tyler Blashko, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair

      They perform critical diagnosis–diagnostic pro­cedures that support the diag­nos­tic–diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of injuries and diseases, and the new equipment will be able to complete these important scans faster, with a sharper and clearer image.

      (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 procedures.

      (5) The new CT scanner will reduce these wait times as it would decrease the need for patients to travel long distances, 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 care that they need sooner.

      (7) A CT scanner in the Neepawa Health Centre will enable further treatment and diagnosis to take place in a community, reducing the 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 Jamie Ellis, Cheryl Unger and Sheri Malgman [phonetic] and many, many more Manitobans.

      Thank you.

Introduction of Guests

The Deputy Speaker: Before we continue on with petitions, I just welcome all members to direct their attention to the gallery. We have with us from the Fédération des aînés de la francophonie manitobaine 13 students under the direction of Nadège Tuo, and they are in the con­stit­uency of the hon­our­able member of St. Boniface.

* * *

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 Yellowhead Highway, PTH 16. It will be nearly double the size of the existing hospital. It will better serve patients from its 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, sometimes involving overnight stays, to access the care they need.

      (6) The new scanner will reduce pressure on the 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.

* (11:10)

      (7) A CT scanner in the Neepawa Health Centre will enable further treatment and diagnosis to take place in community, reducing the wait times for patients in surrounding areas and allowing more people to get the care they need sooner. A CT scanner in the Neepawa Health Centre will enable further treatment and diagnosis to take place in com­mu­nity, reducing the 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 Kathryn Jasienczyk, Robert Walker, Jim Sas and many, many other Manitobans.

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 Tracy Gould, Emma Filion, Joe Filion 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.

      (2)  Changes to the Canada-US Safe 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; and

      (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.

      (2)  To urge 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 imme­diate measures be taken to dismantle and destroy all human smuggling net­works operating in Manitoba.

      This petition has been signed by Jody Houle, Sarah Bueckert, Mary Reimer and 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.

      While growth is welcome and encouraged, Morden has long faced a critical need for infra­structure upgrades to meet current demands and support future development.

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

      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 $108 million.

      (5) These revised estimates 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 approved capital projects, taxation is not enough.

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

      We petition the Legislative Assembly 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 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 ensure no hindrance to growth and economic development for Morden and southern Manitoba.

      This petition has been signed by Henry Penner, Gordon Hoeschen and Janice Myers and 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.

* (11:20)

      (3)  A new bridge is currently being constructed over the Assiniboine River at PTH 34, north of Holland, 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 Robert Pittet, Rachel Claeys, Jacqui Hurton 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 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 in 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.

      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 continued victimization of law-abiding Manitobans while granting repeat offenders additional rights.

      This has been signed by Tyson Langrell, Steven Dearman, Juliana Wouda and many, many Manitobans.

      Thank you.

Provincial Road 210

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Hon­our­able Speaker, I wish to present the following petition to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

      The background to this petition is as follows:

      (1) Provincial Road 210, PR 210, is a 117.3 kilometre–or 72.8 mile–highway in the Eastman region of Manitoba that connects the towns and communities of Woodridge, Marchand, La Broquerie, Ste. Anne, Landmark, Linden, Île des Chênes and St. Adolphe.

      (2) A significant portion of PR 210 also runs through the constituency of La Vérendrye.

      (3) PR 210 is a significant commuting route for Eastman families and is also notably used by those in  the agriculture, tourism, trade and commerce industries.

      (4) The condition of PR 210 from Woodridge to Highway 12 is in an unacceptable state of disrepair.

Mr. Diljeet Brar, Acting Speaker, in the Chair

      (5) The planned pavement upgrade was promised more than 20 years ago when it was constructed with a flat surface suitable for pavement but has yet to be completed.

      (6) The condition of PR 210 from Woodridge to Highway 12 is in such bad shape that firefighters, police and paramedic services are severely delayed when responding to emergencies.

      (7) The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Premier have a duty to respond to infrastructure needs identified by rural communities.

      We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure to prioritize the reconstruction of Provincial Road 210.

      (2) To urge the provincial government to include the stretch of Provincial Road 210 from Woodridge to Highway 12 in its reconstruction plans.

      This petition has been signed by Kyle Okapiec, Julianne [phonetic] Gagnon and Ingrid Koch.

New Neepawa Health Centre

Mr. Greg Nesbitt (Riding Mountain): Good morning, acting 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) 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 this 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.

* (11:30)

      (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, 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 Harvey Ebner, Sheila Douglas, Randy Dowd and many, many more fine Manitobans.

      Thank you, hon­our­able acting deputy Speaker.

Medical Assistance in Dying

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

      These are the reasons for this petition:

      (1) Persons struggling with mental health as their sole con­di­tion may access medical assistance in dying unless Parliament intervenes.

The Speaker in the Chair

      (2) Suicidality is often a symptom of mental illness, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for Canadians between the age of 10 and 19.

      (3) There have been reports of the unsolicited intro­duction of medical assist­ance in dying to non‑seeking persons, including Canadian veterans, as a solution for their medical and mental health issues.

      (4) Legal and medical experts are deeply con­cerned that permitting Canadians suffering from depression and other mental illnesses to access euthanasia would under­mine suicide pre­ven­tion efforts and risk normalizing suicide as a solution for those suffering from mental illness.

      (5) The federal gov­ern­ment is bound by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to advance and protect the life, liberty and security of its citizens.

      (6) Manitobans consider it a priority to ensure that adequate supports are in place for the mental health of all Canadians.

      (7) Vul­ner­able Manitobans must be given suicide pre­ven­tion counselling instead of suicide assist­ance.

      (8) The federal gov­ern­ment should focus on increasing mental health supports to provinces and improve access to these supports, instead of offering medical assist­ance in dying for those with mental illness.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      (1) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to lobby the federal gov­ern­ment to stop the expansion of medical assist­ance in dying to those for whom mental illness is the sole con­di­tion.

      (2) To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to lobby the federal gov­ern­ment to protect Canadians struggling with mental illness by facilitating treatment, recovery and medical assist­ance in living, not death.

      This petition has been signed by Nitam Avova [phonetic], Lucia Toth, Caroline [phonetic] Facioli and many other Manitobans.

The Speaker: No further petitions? Grievances? So–

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Budget Debate

(Second Day of Debate)

The Speaker: In accordance with our rules, the House will now resume debate on the budget motion moved by the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala), standing in the name of the hon­our­able member for Midland.

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): This NDP gov­ern­ment has completely missed the moment and missed the mark on this budget for Manitobans at a time of economic uncertainty and US and China tariffs.

      This budget seems like an unplanned docu­ment that does not reflect the realities of today's economic climate. There are a lot of words but not a lot of foundation, and certainly, no action plan.

      As is typical with NDP gov­ern­ments–and this one is proving no different–this is a budget of tax, tax, tax, spend, spend, spend and borrow, borrow, borrow.

      The NDP have been taking the economy–have not been taking the economy and cost of living seriously since being elected, and Manitobans are now seeing that reflected in this budget and are now paying the price: higher taxes, higher deficits, higher spending, higher borrowing, at a time when Manitoba families and Manitoba busi­nesses can least afford it.

      Instead of making the urgent invest­ments needed to support Manitobans facing rising costs of living, US tariffs, China tariffs, they have failed to add any meaningful, long‑term tax relief for families and busi­nesses.

      Un­em­ploy­ment has increased over six per cent. Manitoba is leading the nation in food and housing inflation. We are last in the country for energy, mining and forestry invest­ment, and we have big declines in our economy. And that was before tariffs and the trade wars took effect.

      The NDP have been taxing us out of competitive­ness. They've been spending beyond their means. And now we're hitting an economic crisis and the NDP is trying to play catch-up on the backs of Manitobans and Manitoba families.

      The NDP has put off building the Manitoba economy for 17 months, and now during a tariff war–an economic slowdown–they finally decide to speed things up, but with lofty and unrealistic goals. Expecting Manitobans to spend into the economy while not offering any relief to do so is the NDP sitting on clouds and not facing the economic realities of today.

      For a budget that is supposedly trying to Trump‑proof the economy, this budget fails to deliver and fails to implement any actionable items. There is little to no long‑term, meaningful tax relief for Manitoba families who are facing 'foodflation,' job risk, housing afford­ability. Property taxes have skyrocketed and edu­ca­tion taxes have skyrocketed. And this NDP is sitting back and enabling it to happen.

      They made the decision over a year ago to increase taxes on Manitobans, to increase taxes on busi­nesses and to ignore growing the economy. And what we're left with is a weak economy heading into a possible economic recession.

      So what we've seen over the past year since those poor fiscal decisions were made by the NDP, is families are struggling and stretched, Manitoba has the highest 'foodflation' in the country, property taxes have skyrocketed and un­em­ploy­ment has increased. Job growth has declined and Manitoba fell in invest­ment dollars in key sectors like critical minerals.

      They have had 17 months to try to grow the economy and they have failed at it. Manitobans are struggling, they are stretched, they don't have any money left in their pockets to give to this NDP gov­ern­ment, yet the NDP has decided to take from them anyway.

      The NDP have shown that they are terrible fiscal managers and did not plan for any future challenges that could arise like we are seeing today.

* (11:40)

      They have in no way supported Manitobans in the way that Manitobans need support right now, today. We're not talking about next year or the year after that, or delays, deferrals, holiday freezes. We are talking about long‑term, meaningful relief for Manitobans who are struggling.

      They have not supported busi­nesses, and they have skyrocketed the deficit and the debt that Manitobans will be paying for years to come. In addition to $2.3 billion in interest costs going to Bay Street and Wall Street lenders, there is no meaningful long‑term affordability measures in this NDP's budget. Affordability is the number one issue Manitobans are facing: affordability, costs of living and the economic uncertainties of China and US tariffs.

      I have cited and I have tabled polls week after week in this House, stating that this has been the No. 1 issue for Manitobans, yet the NDP has failed to capture that moment. The NDP has had 17 months to make life more affordable for Manitobans, but stead all we have seen are ad hoc, poorly thought‑out temporary tax policies that do not provide any long‑term meaningful relief to Manitoba families and Manitoba busi­nesses, and certainly no busi­ness certainty at this uncertain economic time.

      Yet, they still increased our projected deficit in December to $1.3 billion, and now with economic tariffs possibly $1.9 billion. But yet they're still taxing Manitobans. So where has all this spending gone? And Manitobans are paying the price. They're paying the price today, they're going to be paying the price tomorrow and they're going to be paying the price for years to come.

      Affordability, the economy and jobs are clearly not a priority for this NDP gov­ern­ment. The reality is, is that the NDP continues to tax Manitobans; they continue to tax us out of competitiveness; they are overspending; they have overspent; and now we're headed into an economic recession, and the NDP clearly does not know how to respond; and that is clearly reflected in this year's budget, with the lack of thought, the lack of planning and the lack of recog­nition of the challenges that are facing us today, as well as the challenges that lie ahead.

      Not only have they been taxing Manitobans over the past year, but they continue to do so in this budget. It is unacceptable to hike taxes on families and Manitoba busi­nesses today in these uncertain economic times. It is irresponsible to hike taxes on Manitoba families and Manitoba busi­nesses during a trade war.

      This NDP gov­ern­ment is bringing back bracket creep rather than slashing income taxes on Manitobans like they should be doing, and that Manitobans des­per­ately need right now. They're actually increasing them to $82 million. The gov­ern­ment is raising taxes on Manitobans by not indexing income tax brackets and B‑P-A–personal–basic personal exemptions–by inflation.

      Inflation is going up, which can put income earners into a higher tax bracket just by receiving the slightest wage increase. Even though prices and costs continue to go up, many taxpayers are going to be paying more in income taxes as a result of this NDP gov­ern­ment.

      Taxpayers, Manitoba families: they're already stretched. Their pockets and bank accounts are getting emptier and emptier, and this gov­ern­ment–this NDP gov­ern­ment–thinks it's okay to keep taking and taking while giving them­selves increase in wages.

      This NDP is completely out of touch with the reality that Manitoba families and Manitoba busi­nesses are facing today. Earlier this week, this minister stood up and committed that this was going to be a, quote, edu­ca­tion-focused budget. Yet double‑digit property tax increases across the province in every single school division in the city of Winnipeg.

      The NDP gov­ern­ment failed to plan for the 2025 City of Winnipeg assessment that happens every two years, while cutting edu­ca­tion funding; and as a result, hard-working Winnipeggers and hard-working Manitobans are paying the price as a result of their poor fiscal decisions and their poor fiscal planning.

      We sounded this alarm a year ago for Manitobans. We drew attention to future assessment increases and property value increases, and the result of increasing taxes that this would have on Manitoba families. And we are now seeing this today.

      This NDP decided not to plan for what these future challenges were. They were ignorant. They were ignorant to what was coming over this next year, and now we're seeing it. Winnipeggers and Manitobans are seeing it as a result of these double‑digit edu­ca­tion tax increases across the province, and now this minister is enabling it. He's letting it happen. He's sitting back and letting school divisions tax Manitobans at historic rates.

      The City of Winnipeg finance chair has said that he has never seen this high school taxes in his 18 years on council. Mayor Scott Gillingham has said this is historic increases.

      The NDP is capitalizing on the assessment changes to underfund schools and let the school divisions run rampant with tax hikes so they could avoid account­ability and making difficult and hard financial decisions. And families, they're the ones that are paying the price. Manitobans, Winnipeggers, they're the ones paying the price as a result of this NDP's gov­ern­ment poor planning and poor fiscal manage­ment.

      The NDP removed the cap on how much school divisions could increase–the cap at 2 per cent protected homeowners–while the former PCs increased edu­ca­tion funding to historic levels. By removing this cap, this NDP is hiding from Manitobans. They are hiding from being accountable to the people who elected them and has led and enabled school divisions to hike their taxes by up to 25 per cent at East. St. Paul. By allowing school divisions to hike taxes this aggressively, the NDP are adding more homes into paying higher taxes.

      With an underwhelming $1,600 tax credit, more families will actually pay more in property taxes as the general assessment takes effect and these double‑digit edu­ca­tion property taxes get hiked. This tax credit is window dressing for Manitobans and Winnipeggers that are being faced with these double‑digit tax increases.

      So there are going to be many middle‑class Manitobans that'll be paying significantly more in edu­ca­tion property taxes because this NDP removed the 50 per cent edu­ca­tion tax rebate and allowed edu­ca­tion taxes to skyrocket to up to 25 per cent.

      This NDP gov­ern­ment is clearly caught between ideology and reality. The reality is, is that busi­nesses cannot absorb any more, and with a $1.9‑billion deficit, I would have expected a lot more tax relief coming to Manitobans and a lot more tax relief coming to Manitoba busi­nesses. But this is not the case that's reflected in this year's budget.

      The NDP cannot keep taxing us out of competitive­ness. We need to phase out the payroll tax imme­diately, not next year. This needs to happen today. And quite frankly, Hon­our­able Speaker, it should've happened a year ago if the NDP had kept up with the PC plan to start phasing out the payroll tax. But instead, busi­nesses are left with the economic uncertainty and tax uncertainty of waiting a year, of which this NDP could repeal it anyways, for that payroll–job‑killing payroll tax threshold to come into place.

      This is about Manitoba workers and growing our homegrown busi­nesses. You can't tax economic growth. It doesn't work like that.

      The NDP have made fake commit­ments to increase the payroll tax threshold a year from now in 2026, but with tariffs and high costs, some busi­nesses might not even be around by next year. That is what this minister does not get. That is what this NDP does not get.

      They are delaying and deferring in order to deflect from the realities and the hard fiscal decisions that they need to be making, and they have chosen not to make those decisions. Businesses need the support today, not a year from now and not two years from now. Busi­nesses need tax certainty, and they need to be competitive with other juris­dic­tions. That is the only way that Manitoba will grow.

      They had 15 months before Trump's tariffs to sup­port busi­nesses and Manitobans, and they failed to do anything. They chose not to provide that support. They made their choice, and Manitoba busi­nesses are now paying the result of those poor decisions.

      Unfor­tunately, for Manitobans, this NDP gov­ern­ment significantly falls short in standing up for families and busi­nesses at a time when those families and busi­nesses need their support the most.

      Last year's budget targeted small busi­nesses with higher taxes. The NDP budget removed edu­ca­tion property tax rebate for com­mercial properties. Many small busi­nesses own their property, and this year, they had a much higher tax bill.

      In addition, the NDP is actually, in this year's budget, taxing small busi­nesses with a PST charge to cloud computing software. At a time when busi­nesses are actually shifting to modern tech­no­lo­gy and services to cloud, the NDP is capitalizing on that and actually charging a PST on it. What a ridiculous tax hike, an increase in red tape in the era of modern tech­no­lo­gy and an economic uncertainty that these small busi­nesses are now going to have to deal with.

* (11:50)

      One of the most disappointing facts about this NDP budget is there is no true economic plan. This budget did fail to capture today's economic reality and they failed to commit to a straight trade strategy. There is little support for busi­nesses trying to navigate these tariff wars right now.

      There is no trade strategy, despite the fact that other provinces–Alberta, Saskatchewan, eastern Canadian provinces–are coming out with theirs. They are making sig­ni­fi­cant invest­ments into a trade strategy and exploring other export markets. And what's this NDP's response? Sit on their hands, not plan, not have a strategy, no action, no imple­men­ta­tion and Manitobans will pay the price.

      The NDP gov­ern­ment has actually said in their budget, labour mobility threatens Manitoba jobs. One of the biggest barriers to interprovincial trade is labour mobility for Manitoba. Premier Houston has put for­ward legis­lation to break down those barriers. Smith, Moe and Ford are following suit with their commit­ments, but the NDP is actually saying the exact opposite of what this Premier (Mr. Kinew) said to the cameras and to his premier counterparts and fellow premiers.

      This budget completely falls short on unleashing our economic potential. There is virtually nothing in the budget on energy in­de­pen­dence and building our east‑west pipelines. Where is that commit­ment to building pipelines in the province? Where is the commitment to building critical minerals across the country? Where is the commitment to Canadian energy and Canadian energy self‑reliance? This is where this NDP is caught between reality and ideology.

      The reality is, we do need pipelines; we need to move Canadian resources. But unfortunately for Manitobans, this NDP government is refusing to put their ideology aside and refuses to stand up for what Canadians need right now.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, in the lead up to this election, this NDP government promised that they would be on track to balancing the budget and eliminating the deficit in four years. How will this even be possible unless the NDP starts taking fiscal respon­si­bility seriously and stop making promises to everyone everywhere and start allowing busi­nesses to flourish without the additional tax burdens. This will be another broken promise that this NDP can add to their list of growing broken promises.

      They are continuing to tax Manitobans, yet running larger deficits, with or without tariffs. An $800‑million deficit is the best case scenario for this NDP gov­ern­ment; in reality, it could be $1.9 billion. The NDP is putting a sig­ni­fi­cant amount of con­fi­dence in extra revenue from economic activity at a time when the economy is actually slowing down. Manitobans are stressed, cost of living is going up, taxes are going up.

      This NDP is so out of touch with Manitobans and the economic reality that Manitobans are facing. They're living in the clouds and they're promising a lot as we're entering an economic storm. This new NDP gov­ern­ment is much like the former: they tax, they spend, they borrow, and when crisis hits, they try to play catch‑up, but they do not know how because they have already weakened our economy so much.

      This budget is a signal of what is to come, and Manitobans will see the con­se­quences of electing this NDP gov­ern­ment. This budget suggests they plan to 'ren'–run large deficits, large debt; and deficits, debt, borrowing and interest costs for many, many years to come despite federal transfers growing significantly.

      This budget was not thought out properly, it was not planned, it does not reflect the true economic realities that Manitobans and Manitobans are facing today. If this NDP gov­ern­ment was truly in touch with what Manitobans needed, we would have seen tax relief for Manitobans; we would have seen a slash in income taxes; we would have seen the phase‑out of the job‑killing payroll tax; we would have seen relief for Manitoba busi­nesses. But we are not seeing any of that today.

      They are deferring, they're deflecting, they're hoping Manitoba businesses forget about this promise a year from now. They'll repeal it; that's–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mrs. Stone: –what they'll do, because against their ideology to actually support busi­nesses in their pro­vince and make this a tax‑competitive province to other juris­dic­tions in Canada. This budget has failed, this NDP gov­ern­ment has failed: they've failed Manitobans, they've failed Manitoba busi­nesses and they've failed Manitoba families.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I'd ask members to quit hollering back and forth so that at least one of us can hear what's being said.

MLA Billie Cross (Seine River): You know, I can honestly say that the negative cloud that hangs over this side of the room has not hit me yet, so I'm going to talk in a more positive manner.

      I'm proud to stand up today to talk about the in­cred­ible budget our team has worked so hard to develop for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year.

      Budget 2025 focuses on building. We are a party that builds Manitoba. The members opposite, they like to tear it down. Building a resilient and protected Manitoba that cannot only withstand the challenges we are facing, but for us to come out stronger as a listening gov­ern­ment. And we really do listen.

      I was at an event last night for the Manitoba School Boards Association, and I couldn't believe how many members came up to thank our gov­ern­ment for being col­lab­o­rative, for listening, for meeting with them. Even a member from this side, his relative, came over and thanked us for the work we do.

      As a listening gov­ern­ment, our members have travelled across this province to hear what issues are most im­por­tant to Manitobans, and we've heard you loud and clear. You care about health care, about our economy. You care about creating more Manitoba jobs, having better infra­structure, more schools and daycares. Budget 2025 is built on these commit­ments and is exactly what Manitobans have been asking for.

      We're facing uncertain times. Threats of tariffs and trade wars loom over Manitobans every day. But just know that we've got your back and we will get you through this time. This budget should provide comfort for this uncertainty. And Manitobans can rest assured that we have a contingency plan and funds earmarked to mitigate the effects of these tariffs. Our gov­ern­ment has been working hard to protect your jobs and safeguard a prov­incial economy so that you can continue to provide for your families and keep building the good life that you've worked so hard for. Budget 2025 will help us continue to do this with the additional tariff budget. It's im­por­tant that we support one another as we weather this storm. We are in this together as one Manitoba with one future.

      As the wife and mother to a small‑busi­ness owner and the daughter of a small‑busi­ness owner, supporting local busi­nesses in our province is one of my priorities, and I'm so proud to see the passion reflected in the budget. We're cutting payroll taxes, which will help create more jobs and save busi­nesses $8.5 million annually. We're investing $500,000 into the export support program that will help Manitoba busi­nesses diversify their sales outside of the United States, making them stronger and giving them access to new markets. We're also investing $10 million into a new busi­ness security rebate program that will help busi­nesses stay safe in our province, preventing the thefts and break‑ins that cost busi­nesses precious dollars.

      Since being elected, our NDP gov­ern­ment has made sig­ni­fi­cant progress in rebuilding health care after the PC cuts and mis­manage­ment for seven and a half years. We've hired 1,255 net‑new health‑care workers, added staff beds, opened minor injury and illness clinics across our province. And we are helping more Manitobans access the quality care they deserve right here in Manitoba.

      Budget 2025 will build on our efforts to bring care closer to home across Manitoba. We will put shovels in the ground and start the work of rebuilding the Victoria Hospital emergency room that the previous gov­ern­ment shuttered, which forced com­mu­nity mem­bers to travel halfway across the city to access emergency health care. With this new budget, we are bringing more health care back to south Winnipeg. And as the MLA for Seine River, I know that this is what my con­stit­uents has been–have been asking for.

      Our budget will help us continue the good work we have been doing to reduce emergency and surgical wait times. When the previous gov­ern­ment fired hun­dreds of health‑care workers, wait times surged dramatically, leaving Manitobans in pain and suffering for hours. They created a toxic culture in health care, where staff were overworked, underpaid and over­whelmed. And the PCs treated them like they were expendable.

* (12:00)

      Our gov­ern­ment values health‑care workers and understands that they are the backbone of our health‑care system. We can't rebuild health care in Manitoba without them. We must invest in them and change the culture so that they want to stay and work in our great province. This means paying them fair and decent wages, which our amazing Budget 2025 is allowing us to do. We are setting new records in health‑care invest­ments, with a 1.25–$1.2-billion increase with nearly 70 per cent of that going directly to our crucial front-line staff.

      I have elderly parents that are aging in place, and I know how im­por­tant it is to age with dignity in your own com­mu­nity. The PC gov­ern­ment let seniors down time and time again. They made life more expensive and failed to protect those living in care homes during the pandemic due to poor planning.

      Even now, they continue to let them down. They stalled The Seniors' Advocate Act from being passed, a bill that establishes a seniors' advocate office that will identify, review and in­vesti­gate systemic issues and concerns that face seniors here in our province.

      Despite their attempts to block this bill, our NDP gov­ern­ment got it passed. This year, we're doing even more: investing in new personal-care homes in com­mu­nities, both in Winnipeg and rural areas, including the area of Transcona, where my parents live.

      As a former Indigenous educator, I am thrilled to see we are investing in revitalizing Indigenous lan­guages in our schools and finding ways to integrate land-based learning and knowledge keepers in our classrooms. Many Indigenous children have grown up not learning their ancestral languages or other aspects of their culture because of the structures of colonialism. This is why revitalizing Indigenous languages and culture is so im­por­tant. When children are immersed in their languages, they engage with their culture and they thrive.

      We must continue to create op­por­tun­ities for chil­dren to embrace this. Our budget will help us train new language teachers, create Indigenous language revitalization programs and make other massive strides in the area of Indigenous edu­ca­tion, some­thing I am so excited for.

      Every child deserves to have the best learning environ­­ment possible. The previous gov­ern­ment chronically underfunded school divisions and let classroom sizes get out of control. As a long-time teacher, I know when the PCs were in power, our school ran out of paper late April. How do you do lessons with kids? How do you photocopy work? How do you give them assignments if you don't have paper? We ran out of paper because we were not properly funded. Teachers in our school had to run out and buy paper just to print for our students.

      Members opposite are laughing. They think it's funny. I think it's ridiculous, and I still don't understand what they did during their seven and a half years in gov­ern­ment. All I can say, it must have been ineptitude for things to get as bad as they did. Students and teachers and parents and families were hurt while the PCs were in power in terms of our edu­ca­tion system.

      We know as a gov­ern­ment that we are investing in Manitoba's future when we invest in our children today. We are building 11–that's right, 11–new schools across this province, including two new schools in Brandon to meet the needs of the growing com­mu­nities who need them the most. These new schools will provide the best learning environ­ment for our young learners.

      Working families need to feel supported by their gov­ern­ment. This is why our NDP gov­ern­ment is investing in opening new child-care spaces so that families have more flexible and affordable options that meet their needs.

      I'm a grandmother; I have three grandsons. I have two that are under the age of one. You know, I under­stand first-hand how difficult it is to find daycare spaces.

      We're doing our best: we're going to continue opening more spaces and we're helping lower costs for families with the extension of the $10-a-day child-care program to cover school holidays. We've opened over 4,300 child-care spaces, and are on track to open 4,600 more since forming gov­ern­ment.

      We've made in­cred­ible strides, but in talking with my con­stit­uents, I know there's still more to do and they understand that change and repairing a system that was broken takes time. They ap­pre­ciate our hard work. I will always be there to support my con­stit­uents; they know this. I have wonderful relationships with so many of them. I'm always there to listen, and I know all the colleagues on my side of the Chamber do as well.

      Budget 2025 will allow us to keep expanding on the things that we have already done. We have accomplished so much in our first year of gov­ern­ment, and I can't wait to see what we do in the next year. As we make progress on the promises we made to Manitobans with this budget.

      This budget will help us build more than just new capital projects; it will help us build a brighter future for Manitobans everywhere.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Grant Jackson (Spruce Woods): It's a pleasure to get up and put a few words on the record today about yesterday's budget, Budget 2025, from the Finance Minister and this Kinew gov­ern­ment.

      You know, I think it's interesting, we went through question period earlier today; neither the Premier (Mr. Kinew) or the Finance Minister bothered to answer any questions about their budget the day after it was delivered. I think that's pretty telling about how the leadership of this budget feels and how proud or lack thereof they are of the budget that, one day after it was delivered, they couldn't even be bothered to answer any questions about it here in the Chamber.

      That's a shame, because Manitobans have a lot of questions about this budget, and I would say–[interjection] Well, members opposite are heckling me. I did actually ask questions about the budget today. Of course, they weren't listening, and the–neither the Premier or the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) bothered to answer them, nor did they answer any of my colleagues' questions.

      So it's unfor­tunate. Perhaps the members opposite should listen a little bit more in question period, and they might actually know what topics are being covered here because they're im­por­tant questions for Manitobans.

      Now, we know, of course–that this budget is pro­bably, at least for many ex­per­ienced colleagues, certainly ones more ex­per­ienced than me, the shortest budget speech in recent memory, and maybe that's why, you know, the members opposite have so little to say about it, because it is so thin.

      It is probably the thinnest budget in recent memory. It was certainly the shortest budget speech in recent memory, and I think that speaks to the lack of preparedness of this NDP gov­ern­ment. We know they're good at the performative stuff; they certainly are, you know. They get the clips and the zingers and the one-liners, but it–when it comes down to actually talking about, for example, a looming trade war with Canada's largest trading partner, they don't have a whole lot to say. Because they don't have a whole lot of things to offer Manitobans.

      And that's a problem, because there is a lot of Manitoba's jobs and GDP that is on the line here with our largest trading partner. Members opposite seem to think I'm afraid to say it. The United States of America is Canada's largest trading partner, and yes, President Donald Trump has threatened a trade war with his country's oldest and most closest ally; that is com­pletely unacceptable. We have no interest in sup­porting that. I condemn it, universally. But what we expect is more than just words from the governing party, and that's all they have to offer.

      They took down the Canadian flag after four days because they got their press conference and their views. That's as deep as their patriotism goes. And then they got some bad press about it, so they put it back up again. And you know what, I bet you they used the same American-made caution tape to block off the traffic both times to get that flag back up on the building. So that is just a perfect example of how shallow the depth of this gov­ern­ment really is, and their budget is no different.

      We–they say they've got contingency funding set aside for potential tariffs and their impact. Finance Minister didn't have any more details than that yesterday. That's all he said: Oh, don't worry, I've got con­tingency funding. Oh, maybe it's $100 million, then I heard him say in a press conference it's maybe $200 million.

      We don't even have a clear dollar figure on it. Hon­our­able Speaker, $100 million. My colleague from Portage la Prairie, as our agri­cul­tural critic, will tell you, if the ag industry is facing tariffs from both the United States and China–100 million bucks? Three days? Is that about all that would last?

      About three days that this minister–that's all the planning that he's done to protect the core of Manitoba's economy from a looming trade war. Three days of financial contingencies in place. That's not very good planning. In fact, that is terrible planning for the future of Manitoba, the backbone of this economy and our hard-working agri­cul­tural sector. We find that completely unacceptable, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      In addition, our manufacturing sector. I'm not sure if it was mentioned; the Premier (Mr. Kinew)–or the Finance Minister mentioned he's going to create 18,000 jobs–we don't know where. Didn't know where. No idea how he's going to protect the jobs we have.

      You know, it's kind of interesting–the trade minister and the Finance Minister have been asked numer­ous times by my colleague from Selkirk and others: Where exactly has the min­is­try of trade been looking for new markets for our manufactured steel and other manufacturing products?

* (12:10)

      You know, you can just say, oh, yes, Manitoba first, Canada first, and then you actually have to find someone to buy the products that we make here that are now not going to be able to get into the United States and China and other markets. Minister of trade can't name a single con­ver­sa­tion he's had with another juris­dic­tion about who is going to buy our products. Has he been speaking to European allies? Are they going to take some of our steel that's produced in Selkirk? No answer.

      How about other Asian countries: India, et cetera; South Korea? Are they going to be taking our canola now that China is imposing tariffs on our canola? Has he reached out to counterparts there? No answer because this NDP has no plan to actually find invest­ment markets who want to come and invest here, and they have no plan to find new markets for our pro­ducts. And so that $100‑million contingency is going to disappear pretty quick, and after that this NDP has no idea where they are going to take our products and get them into markets, which is extremely con­cern­ing, and Manitobans should be deeply concerned that their jobs are on the line.

      In addition, the details are extremely vague on timelines, and the tax relief that is announced in this budget won't take effect until 2026. Last I checked, the tariffs are coming on April 2; that's less than a week away. So that's going to be impacted now, and you want to give people tax relief a year from now, well, who knows? They are likely going to be out of busi­ness by then, Hon­our­able Speaker. And then what is this NDP gov­ern­ment's plan? Well, we don't know because they've got couple of days' worth of con­tingency funds allocated and then we'll kind of take it from there; let's just wing it. Not a lot of preplanning in this budget from the Finance Minister.

      In addition to some minuscule tax relief proposed in 2026 or 2027 from the Finance Minister for busi­nesses, he's actually increasing taxes on hard‑working Manitoba families whose jobs are on the line. Income tax reve­nues in this budget are projected to increase by $446 million. Who did that projection?

      When trade–a trade war is imminent and tariffs are imminent, you think Manitobans are going to be making more in income, so therefore you can collect more in income taxes when they're losing their jobs and their busi­nesses are being destroyed by punitive, illegal tariffs? No, I don't think so.

      So this is a fairly lofty, and I would argue, ques­tion­able prediction from the Finance Minister that, for some reason, in spite of an impending recession, trade war all of a sudden. Oh, but don't worry, Manitoba's incomes are still going to go up and they're going to have more money to pay to this NDP gov­ern­ment. I think we will believe that when we see it, and I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      In addition, this gov­ern­ment's budget is relying on federal transfers continuing to increase by an addi­tional $639 million this year. I doubt it. With the Canadian economy under threat nationally, think there's going to be extra dollars coming from the feds? I don't think so. They're going to have some issues of their own, let me tell you, from President Trump and his illegal tariffs, and they don't have the cash flow to be propping up this NDP gov­ern­ment and their bad budgeting practices. And we see how bad that is.

      I mean, last year they projected a, oh, just an eensy, weeny, teeny, tiny, little six-, seven-hundred-million-dollar deficit last year, which ballooned to $1.3 million. Course, we know they got it up to $1.2 million–$2 billion in the first year that they were in office for six months after we handed them a $230‑million surplus.

      So we've got a $1.2-billion deficit for the first six months they were in office. Then the next 12, we've gone up to another $1.3-billion–or deficit, and now they're projecting another $700-million surplus. We'll see, Hon­our­able Speaker, at the end of this fiscal year, how many billions of dollars that racks up to be.

      Of course, as early child­hood edu­ca­tion critic for the official op­posi­tion caucus, I'm pleased that the NDP has stopped their 18-month freeze on our plan to build nine new schools. Not sure why that took 18 months for them to realize that school divisions had prior­itized these schools, not the gov­ern­ment. They weren't political decisions where they were located. And if the members opposite feel like they were political, it's strange, then, that they're building them in the exact same locations that we proposed them.

      So I think it's clear that they delayed these nine schools in­ten­tionally for political purposes to try and save face and repackage them in today's budget, so that–or, yesterday's budget–so that they can try to claim credit for them, even though they're building them in all the same places that were previously proposed.

      So listen, it's too bad that these school divisions have had to suffer with larger class sizes for longer under this NDP gov­ern­ment, but I will give them credit that they are finally building those nine PC‑proposed schools. Thank you very much to the Edu­ca­tion Minister and the Finance Minister for build­ing those schools. I'm sure the school divisions and parents and students and teachers will ap­pre­ciate it.

      Sadly, no mention of child care in the budget speech at all. I don't think the minister–I don't think the words came out of his mouth a single time in the entire budget speech. For a party in the NDP that claims to be about families and children and supporting the ECE sector, couldn't even get a shout-out in the budget speech? I mean, it was the shortest speech in recent memory; there's no doubt about that, but half a sentence even, Hon­our­able Speaker, would have been nice.

      Nope, not from this NDP gov­ern­ment, because child care, just like edu­ca­tion, is on the back burner for this gov­ern­ment. So, you know, we're looking forward to seeing whether they add some things–some details, going forward here. Are they going to support the wage grid? Are they going to build new centres?

      We know there was an RFP for child-care centres that were approved in 2023. The RFP closed in January. It's now midway through March: no news. Those applicants have no news from that RFP that closed two and a half months ago about whether the contract to build those centres has been awarded. What are they waiting for? They already delayed it. The approval letters went out in July of 2023. They paused it because, again, the NDP wouldn't want to give the PCs credit for anything, so they're going to repackage them and roll them out.

      Well, it's been 18 months, and two and a half months since the RFP closed. Hasn't Treasury Board met? They were preparing this budget; they must have been in Treasury Board meetings. Haven't they met? Did they–did the RFP for the child-care centres just not make the cut for those Treasury Board agendas? Where is this Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning (MLA Schmidt) on advocating to build child-care spaces in this province?

      Well, we know she renegotiated the annual action plan as part of the broader Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agree­ment and she signed off, because her signature is on the agree­ment to the action plan. She signed off on a $135-million decrease in the annual action plan. I think that tells you all you need to know about how much of a priority building daycare spaces is for this Edu­ca­tion Minister. And it's not even in the top 10 priorities for her, not to mention the top five, which is a real shame.

      Because, you know, we have no details on these 18,000 jobs that the Finance Minister said he's going to create. But if he does magically pull them out of his hat and find them, I bet you they're parents, a lot of them. Bet you those parents, if they're going to work, are going to need child care.

      And so, oh, that's right: no mention of new day­care spaces for those 18,000 new jobs; and tying those parents to child care and their jobs to child care so that they can partici­pate more fully in our economy.

      And we're going to need everybody we can get, Hon­our­able Speaker, if this trade war with our largest trading partner does proceed. We've got all kinds of creep here in terms of the prov­incial gov­ern­ment getting into other areas where they don't belong. We've got $5 million to support border security. Well, last time I checked, that's a federal respon­si­bility. And perhaps the argument is being made by the NDP that the federal Liberals have failed on border security, I don't know.

      But it's interesting that they seem to be buying in to this question mark raised by President Trump that the Canadian border isn't secure. Oh, is that the NDP gov­ern­ment following the lead of President Trump and agreeing with his policy positions that our border needs to be secured? Interesting, you know, they seem to accuse us of being big fans of Donald Trump–can't stand the man–and yet this gov­ern­ment is taking policy direction from the Donald Trump White House.

      Wow. Pretty con­cern­ing, I would think, to most Manitobans.

      Now I would say it's really, really quite hypocritical, as you go further into the budget. The Green Team will receive an increase of $1.3 million this year. Well, of course, Hon­our­able Speaker, Manitobans have long memories, and they'll remember that last year in Budget 2024, the NDP cut the program by $5.6 million.

* (12:20)

      And then after public outcry and the gallery being packed with hard‑working, non‑profit com­mu­nity organi­zations that provide summertime em­ploy­ment to students through high school and uni­ver­sity, they added a meagre–the MLA for Keewatinook was the minister at the time–itsy‑bitsy little $300,000 increase to his $5.6-million cut, and now he's adding $1.3 million back in this year's budget to try and save face.

      So we've added $1.6 million back on top of a $5.6-million initial cut. I guess we can only hope that after two more budgets and when this gov­ern­ment is defeated, they've got halfway to restoring the funding, and then we'll take it right back up to where it was when we get back into gov­ern­ment.

      It's a real shame, Hon­our­able Speaker. And I will just focus a little bit on western Manitoba, because you know, we know the members opposite don't have a whole lot of ex­per­ience out there, there's no doubt about that. And you know what, they repackaged our two schools for the Wheat City. We ap­pre­ciate it. The Brandon School Division needs those school divi­sions; they never should have been delayed for 18 months for political purposes.

      I'm glad the member for Brandon East (Mr. Simard) finally got a voice enough at the Cabinet table to get these back in the capital plan; thanks to somebody for listening to him over there. Not sure who that was, but good for them. Couldn't get it in the first budget, so now these schools are 18 months behind but they'll come eventually.

      But, very sad, you know, we had the Minister for Advanced Edu­ca­tion and Training tell the president of BU–he's quoted in the Brandon Sun today–as saying, well, the Advanced Edu­ca­tion Minister phoned me and said, sorry, there won't be any money in the bud­get for Brandon Uni­ver­sity's medical school. And the minister said, no, no, well, all of us really support this project, but it's just about prioritizing and the timing of it.

      Last I checked, we're in a doctor shortage here, Hon­our­able Speaker. The members over there talked about it lots. So why would we want to rush building a medical school in rural Manitoba? That's just–by gosh, what a silly idea. Let's just put that on the slow burner at the back of the NDP backbench over. Let's slow that project right down. That's the Advanced Edu­ca­tion Minister's commit­ment to training doctors in Westman, and Westman residents will not let this gov­ern­ment forget that, let me tell you.

      So, Hon­our­able Speaker, what else did they have to offer for western Manitoba? Zip in terms of infra­structure dev­elop­ment. Where's the Oak Lake Dam? Nowhere, despite a councillor from the RM of Sifton, which is–houses Oak Lake, being on the minister's blue ribbon infra­structure panel, didn't even make the mention. No sign of the Oak Lake budget–or the Oak Lake Dam in this budget.

      No sign of Highway 2, that also runs through that councillor and the chair's con­stit­uency in the Sifton munici­pality. Not sure if the Infra­structure Minister, to be honest, really had much to do with this budget at all. She–her de­part­ment was pretty silent in that speech.

      Nothing for the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, Hon­our­able Speaker, the premier events venue, a classic, historic space in the Wheat City that supports Westman's arts and culture scene. It's a build­ing that's very im­por­tant to me. This gov­ern­ment had nothing to say about the arts and culture scene in western Manitoba. Absolutely nothing for that facility, and nothing for any other facility. Nothing for the Aud Theatre in Virden, or anything to do with sports, culture or heritage in western Manitoba what­so­ever.

      So once again, with my colleague from Turtle Mountain and with my colleague from Agassiz and my colleague from Riding Mountain and my col­league from Brandon West, we as the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba will continue to stand up for Westman residents. This NDP gov­ern­ment is failing them, they've failed them every day since they were elected, they will continue to fail them and we will stand up for them and get back into gov­ern­ment in 2027 and put Westman back on the map to the prov­incial gov­ern­ment of Manitoba.

      Thank you.

MLA Carla Compton (Tuxedo): Before I get into what I've already prepared, I–folks who know me know I like to provide infor­ma­tion if someone shares they're uncertain or unawares of the event. The member from Spruce Woods was saying that he didn't hear anything about child-care spaces. Well, I do believe 4,600 child-care spaces are planned in our Budget 2025. So I did just want to offer that.

      But I am truly grateful to be here and have the op­por­tun­ity to speak to my very first budget, being an elected member–the new member–well, I'm not the newest member anymore, but member for Tuxedo.

      First and foremost, I do want to acknowledge the hard work that the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) and his team have done in creating our budget as well as–the tariff budget as well. So they prepared two budgets, basically. So they've done double the work in pre­par­ation for this. So I really want to commend them for the work that they've done, knowing that in these uncertain terms, it is so im­por­tant that we're creating plan Bs to keep things stable moving forward. So I really do commend the work that they've done.

      So how–so when we talk about stability, that's what leads to a healthy Manitoba, and a healthy Manitoba requires strong health care, edu­ca­tion, safe com­mu­nities, secure jobs, affordability and especially protect­ing Manitobans from Donald Trump's tariffs. And this budget is grounded in reality, and it's a practical budget.

      We are building one Manitoba with $3.7 billion in capital projects. This will create jobs; this will keep Manitobans working and get more Manitobans working. This is a budget about building as well as rebuilding.

      And one of the top priorities of Manitobans, as well as the con­stit­uents of Tuxedo, is health care. And I want to focus on a few parts in the health-care section.

      So with rebuilding health care, this involves strategic capacity building, and a few parts of that plan include human resources, capital projects and decreasing bar­riers to health care. So in the human resources section, some of what we've already achieved in this last year is 1,255 net-new health-care workers in Manitoba. That's 481 nurses, 386 health-care aides, 183 allied health pro­fes­sionals, 128 doctors, 39 residents and 28 physicians' assistants.

      So what this is showing us is that we have been attracting many pro­fes­sionals from the various parts within the health-care system, and they are all essential, and they will play a role in decreasing our wait times as well as increasing the health out­comes for Manitobans.

      And there is one im­por­tant data point that was in the budget that I want to bring special attention to, and it was that the WRHA reported a 45 per cent decrease in mandatory overtime for nurses between October 2023 and October 2024.

      This is sig­ni­fi­cant. This is a concrete, measurable result that the hard work of the Health Minister and their team have been doing over the last year. This is a statistic that directly impacts the recruitment and retention of nurses in Manitoba, as well as to Manitoba. We are investing $770 million in new funding to recruit and retain front-line health-care workers who care for Manitobans, and this will continue to lead to a further decrease in the mandatory overtime.

      And so what does it mean to decrease mandatory overtime? What is the importance of that? Well, as a nurse who has worked in our health-care system and has worked lots of overtime, it means better rested nurses; it means clearer thinking; it means safer practice; it means better health out­comes for patients; means better work-life balance, and it feels–it also leads to better job satisfaction and feeling like you have con­nection to purpose of what you've been called to do, which are all very, very im­por­tant in addressing burnout, which we know is one of the biggest chal­lenges for folks who are nurses and other health-care pro­fes­sionals.

      And so on that, I do want to just share a little bit of a story. People know I like to share stories. But I'm one of those nurses who, at more than one time in my career–

The Speaker: Order, please.

      The hour being 12:30, in accordance with our rules, the–no, that's the wrong speech. I'm sorry.

      The hour being 12:30, the time–this House is adjourned and stands adjourned until 1:30 on Monday.

      When we return to this, the hon­our­able member for Tuxedo (MLA Compton) will have 14 minutes remaining.


 


LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Friday, March 21, 2025

CONTENTS


Vol. 31

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Tabling of Reports

Moyes 825

Wiebe  825

Ministerial Statements

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Kennedy  825

Perchotte  826

Members' Statements

Canadian Yazidi Association

Chen  826

Warren Curling Club 100th Anniversary

King  827

MAHCP Collective Agreement Settlement

Maloway  827

Investment Concerns for Westman Region in Budget 2025

Jackson  828

Providence University College and Theological Seminary

Perchotte  828

Oral Questions

Tax Increase Concerns in Budget 2025

Cook  829

Asagwara  829

Tax Revenue Forecast in Budget 2025

Stone  830

Asagwara  830

Child Care

Jackson  831

Schmidt 831

Infrastructure Spending

Narth  832

Naylor 832

Emergency Management

Narth  832

Naylor 833

Lake Manitoba-Lake St. Martin Channel Project

Narth  833

Naylor 833

Safe Consumption Site and Addiction Treatment

Hiebert 833

Fontaine  833

Canola Growers and Hog Producers

Bereza  834

Kostyshyn  834

US Trade Dispute with Canada

Lamoureux  835

Asagwara  835

Women's Health Care

Oxenham   836

Asagwara  836

Moose Hunting Tags

Wowchuk  837

Bushie  837

Provincial Revenues

Stone  837

Asagwara  837

Petitions

New Neepawa Health Centre

Bereza  838

Byram   838

Phoenix School

Cook  839

Support for Border Communities

Guenter 840

Morden Waste Water Project

Hiebert 840

Provincial Trunk Highway 34

Jackson  841

Opposition to Releasing Repeat Offenders

King  841

Provincial Road 210

Narth  842

New Neepawa Health Centre

Nesbitt 842

Medical Assistance in Dying

Perchotte  843

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Budget Debate

(Second Day of Debate)

Stone  843

Cross 847

Jackson  849

Compton  852