LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Wednesday, March 26, 2025


The House met at 1:30 p.m.

The Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom 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, that Manitoba is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, 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.

      And just before we begin today, I'd like to remind all members, if you've got notes or cell phones on your desk to please keep them away from the microphones. Even if you have stacks of books piled too close to the microphone, it causes feedback, which makes it hard for the folks in Hansard to hear what's going on. So they would ap­pre­ciate that, and so would I.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Introduction of Bills

Bill 225–The Public Schools Amendment Act
(Universal Screening for Learning Disabilities)

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I move, seconded by the member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw), that Bill 225, The Public Schools Amend­ment Act (Uni­ver­sal Screening for Learning Dis­abil­ities), be now read a first time.

Motion presented.

MLA Lamoureux: It is my pleasure to intro­duce Bill 225, The Public Schools Amend­ment Act (Uni­ver­sal Screening for Learning Dis­abil­ities). The bill recognizes Manitoba students' right to read and will improve Manitoba's literacy rates and better identify students who may struggle with learning dis­abil­ities.

      In short, the bill requires students in grades K to 3 to be screened twice per year using assessment tools approved by the minister.

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

Bill 221–The Wildlife Amendment Act

Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): I move, seconded by the member for Riding Mountain (Mr. Nesbitt), that Bill 221, The Wildlife Amend­ment Act, be now read for a first time.

Motion presented.

Mr. Wowchuk: I rise today as a proud hunter and conservationist to intro­duce a bill that targets those who break the law and threaten Manitoba's protected wildlife species.

      Bill 221 proposes to increase statutory fines for the illegal killing of protected species in our province. Strengthening these penal­ties will send a clear mes­sage to poachers that we take the con­ser­va­tion of our wildlife seriously in Manitoba.

      It will also bring our penal­ties in line with those in other western provinces. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to join me in educating Manitobans about respon­si­ble hunting practices and protecting the wildlife we hold dear to our heritage and our shared way of life.

      Thank you.

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

Bill 222–The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amendments to The Occupiers' Liability Act

Mr. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli): I move, seconded by the member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Piwniuk) that Bill 222, The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amend­ments to The Occupiers' Liability Act, be now read a first time.

Motion presented.

Mr. Johnson: The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amend­ments to The Occupiers' Liability Act will make changes to the law governing civil claims for damages made by trespassers against occupiers of premises.

      The act aims to protect property occupiers from civil liability for injuries or death of individuals ages 12 and older who trespass with the intent to commit a crime. Occupiers may still be held liable for their actions are willful or grossly dis­propor­tion­ate, so i.e., you can't have any booby traps on your property.

      The act amends The Limitations Act to pause the limitation period for claims against occupiers until any related criminal charges are resolved.

      The act extends the limited duty of care pro­visions to all individuals age 12 or older who enter the premises without permission; and the legis­lative changes will align Manitoba's approaches with other provinces such as Alberta, which have imple­mented similar measures to protect property owners from liability involv­ing criminal trespassing.

      This bill balances the right of property owners while preventing and denouncing vigilant attacks like actions.

      And, Mr. Speaker, if you offer me a little bit of latitude, I wish to wish Denise Agbrall [phonetic] a happy 83rd birthday. She continues to faithfully serve our great Legislature from 269.

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I would once again remind members to use the  correct pronouns. It's Hon­our­able Speaker, not Mr. Speaker.

Committee Reports

Standing Committee on Justice


First Report

MLA David Pankratz (Chairperson): Hon­our­able Speaker, I wish to present the first report of the Standing Com­mit­tee on Justice.

* (13:40)

The Speaker: Tabling of report.

Clerk (Mr. Rick Yarish): Your–

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

The Speaker: Dispense.

Your Standing Committee on Justice presents the following as its First Report.

Meetings

Your Committee met on March 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building.

Matters under Consideration

·         Bill (No. 2) – The Provincial Court Amendment Act / Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Cour provinciale

·         Bill (No. 5) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Impaired Driving Measures) / Loi modifiant le Code de la route (mesures en cas d'infractions de conduite avec facultés affaiblies)

·         Bill (No. 31) – The Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act (Various Acts Amended) / Loi sur les instruments de contrôle de biens-fonds visant des épiceries et des super­marchés (modification de diverses lois)

·         Bill (No. 42) – The Buy Canadian Act (Government Purchases Act Amended) / Loi sur l'achat au Canada (modification de la Loi sur les achats du gouvernement)

Committee Membership

·         Mr. Balcaen

·         Mr. Guenter

·         Hon. Min. Naylor

·         Mr. Oxenham

·         MLA Pankratz

·         Hon. Mr. Wiebe

Your Committee elected MLA Pankratz as the Chairperson.

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

Substitutions received during Committee proceedings:

·         Hon. Min. Sandhu for Hon. Mr. Wiebe

Non-Committee Members Speaking on Record

·         MLA Lamoureux

Public Presentations

Your Committee heard the following three presentations on Bill (No. 2) – The Provincial Court Amendment Act / Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Cour provinciale:

Susan Dawes, Provincial Judges' Association of Manitoba

David Grant, Private citizen

Cory Hoes, Private citizen

Your Committee heard the following four presentations on Bill (No. 5) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Impaired Driving Measures) / Loi modifiant le Code de la route (mesures en cas d'infractions de conduite avec facultés affaiblies):

David Grant, Private citizen

Karen Reimer, Private citizen

Ida Marie Poitras, Private citizen

Garth Steek, Private citizen

Written Submissions

Your Committee received the following one written submission on Bill (No. 5) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Impaired Driving Measures) / Loi modifiant le Code de la route (mesures en cas d'infractions de conduite avec facultés affaiblies):

Tanya Hansen Pratt, MADD Canada

Bills Considered and Reported

·         Bill (No. 2) – The Provincial Court Amendment Act / Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Cour provinciale

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amend­ment.

·         Bill (No. 5) – The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Impaired Driving Measures) / Loi modifiant le Code de la route (mesures en cas d'infractions de conduite avec facultés affaiblies)

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

THAT Clause 7(3) of the Bill be   amended in the proposed subsection 264(1.2.3) by adding "unrelated" after "two".

THAT Clause 8 of the Bill be    amended in the proposed subsection 264.1(2) by adding "unrelated" after "two".

·         Bill (No. 31) – The Property Controls for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Act (Various Acts Amended) / Loi sur les instruments de contrôle de  biens-fonds visant des épiceries et des super­marchés (modification de diverses lois)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amendment.

·         Bill (No. 42) – The Buy Canadian Act (Government Purchases Act Amended) / Loi sur l'achat au Canada (modification de la Loi sur les achats du gouvernement)

Your Committee agreed to report this Bill without amend­ment.

MLA Pankratz: Honourable Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon­our­able member for McPhillips (MLA Devgan), that the report of the com­mit­tee be received.

Motion agreed to.

Introduction of Bills

(Continued)

Bill 222–The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amendments to The Occupiers' Liability Act

(Continued)

The Speaker: We just have to go back a step, because the member for Interlake‑Gimli (Mr. Johnson) carried on a little after his intro­duction. We neglected–as in I neglected–to see if it's the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion.

So is it the pleasure of the House to adopt The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amend­ments to The Occupiers' Liability Act?

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

Tabling of Reports

The Speaker: In accordance with section 28.1 of The Auditor General Act, I'm tabling the following Auditor General's reports: Preparing In­car­cer­ating Indi­viduals for Transition from Custody and Follow‑up of Previously Issued Recom­men­dations.

Ministerial Statements

National Procurement Month

Hon. Mintu Sandhu (Minister of Public Service Delivery): I rise today to highlight a key aspect of our economy and public service: procurement. March is National Procurement Month, a time to recognize the importance of what we buy, how we buy it and the procurement professionals who ensure fairness and transparency for both the vendors we work with and the taxpayers we serve. It's an opportunity to ac­knowledge the vital contributions of procurement professionals across the Manitoba government, the broader public sector and beyond.

      This month serves as a reminder of our critical procurement plays in the effective functioning of our government and the advancement of our economy. Procurement is much more than simply acquiring goods and services; it is a powerful driver of economy growth. Whether it is securing materials for infra­structure development or acquiring services to deliver essential public services, procurement is fundamental to government operations.

      Here in Manitoba, we treat procurement as policy in action. This is how we uphold our commitments to climate action, support diverse‑owned businesses, advance truth and recon­ciliation and build resilient supply chains that do not rely on any single trade partner.

      Honourable Speaker, we recognize procurement month; it is important to address the challenges we are  facing due to recent actions by the US Trump administration. In response to these economic pressures, our government introduced Bill 42, The Buy Canadian Act, which prioritizes the procurement of Canadian‑made goods and services. This is a crucial step in supporting local businesses and strength­ening our economy in the face of external pressures.

      The current economic climate highlights the importance of being mindful not only of the impact our purchasing decisions have, but also of how our commitment to fairness and transparency ensures that the Manitoba government remains a preferred buyer for businesses across Canada and internationally.

      Manitoba is bringing public sector organizations together to boost efficiency and value. This approach focused on collaboration, not competition. By using a modern category management approach, Manitoba is moving beyond simple buying. We study markets, understand needs and align procurement with our strategic goals and showcasing the public sector innovation Canada needs.

      The Department of Public Service Delivery is home to our Procurement and Supply Chain Division, which sets gov­ern­ment‑wide procurement policy, col­laboration with other broader public sectors to meet shared needs and supports best practices across the public sector through a centre of excellence. We also have a procurement professional in teams across gov­ern­ment, including Transportation and Infrastructure, Health, Com­muni­cations, Engagement and division and many others, who work tirelessly to meet the unique needs of goods, services and con­struction across government.

      I would like to take the opportunity to thank exceptional procurement staff across the government, particularly our team with the Department of Public Service Delivery. Their dedication, professionalism and hard work ensure that our procurement processes are not only efficient and timely, but also 'imtractful'–impactful and aligned with our broader goals.

      Today in the gallery, we have with us Paris Fragkoulis, assistant deputy minister from the Procurement and Supply Chain Division, along with his team. Honourable Speaker, I also like–I ask all members to join me in recognizing and appreciating the important work they do every day for Manitobans.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, I would also like to add the names of my guests to the Hansard.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

Munjir Ahmed, Alfred Akuamoah, Shorya Angrish, Ju Auditor, Sikander Billing, Adam Brooke, Paris Fragkoulis, Jim Fraser, Sarabjit Kaur, Kim Kostenlyk, Meytal Lavy, Alena Lukes, Tamanna Punia, Greg Reader, Dhruv Sharma, Shabbir Shawkut, Marlon Watts.

Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): It's an honour to celebrate procurement month.

      More than ever, it's im­por­tant that gov­ern­ments buy local and buy Canadian. It was our previous PC gov­ern­ment that signed on to the New West trade part­ner­ship with our neighbours to the west: Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, strength­­­ening interprovincial ties. And it's im­por­tant that we continue this work.

      Procurement month is also a time to recog­nize and ap­pre­ciate the invaluable con­tri­bu­tions of pro­curement pro­fes­sionals across Canada. Procurement professionals are the unsung heroes behind the seam­less operation of public services.

      Procurement is the backbone of public organ­izations. It ensures that essential goods and services are acquired efficiently and strategically, allowing organizations to operate smoothly and deliver vital services to the public.

      Procurement professionals are responsible for the meticulous planning, negotiation and management of resources that keep organizations running effectively. And because of these hard‑working people, health‑care facilities remain stocked, schools receive necessary resources and cities continue to grow efficiently.

      The role of procurement goes beyond just pur­chasing; it involves strategic decision making that aligns with long‑term organizational goals. Pro­curement professionals analyze market trends, assess risks and establish procurement plans that promote efficiency and sustainability. Their work ensures that public organizations remain resilient and adaptable to ever‑evolving challenges.

      Beyond cost savings, procurement professionals focus on maximizing value. Their decisions impact the financial health and operational success of organ­izations to get the best possible value while main­taining high standards of service and efficiency.

      Procurement month is an opportunity to recog­nize and celebrate the impact of procurement pro­fessionals. They are the innovators, problem solvers and leaders who empower the future of our cities, institutions and essential services. Their com­mit­ment to excellence upholds the highest standards of procure­ment practices.

      And, on behalf of all those who benefit from your work, I extend my sincere gratitude. Thank you for your dedication, expertise and unwavering com­mit­ment to efficiency and ethical procurement. Your con­tributions are invaluable, and today we honour and celebrate you.

      Thank you.

* (13:50)

Introduction of Guests

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Prior to moving on, there's some guests in the gallery I'd like to intro­duce. We have seated in the  public gallery, from École Margaret‑Underhill, 65 students under the direction of Jordyn White. The group is located in the con­stit­uency of the hon­our­able member for Transcona.

      Further, I'd like to draw attention of all hon­our­able members to the public gallery where we have with us today from the Mining Association of Manitoba Incorporated: Jason Colomb, Stacy Kennedy, Chad Vinkle and Landice Yestrau, who are the guests of the hon­our­able Minister of Busi­ness, Mining, Trade and Job Creation, the hon­our­able member for St. Vital (Mr. Moses).

      We welcome you here today.

      And I would like to draw the attention of all hon­our­able members to the loge to my right where we have with us today Drew Caldwell, former MLA for Brandon East.

      And, on behalf of all hon­our­able members, we welcome you here today too.

* * *

      Now, just to make it official, today is a very big day for an esteemed member of our Legis­lative Assembly family. Denise Abgrall is celebrating her 83rd birthday. Denise has served at the Legis­lative Assembly since 1989. Thus, over one third of her life has been spent at the Assembly.

      It goes without saying that Denise has seen many changes over the years. And if you leave through the east message room, please wish her a happy birthday.

Happy Birthday was sung.

The Speaker: And for future reference, there's no singing in the Chamber.

Members' Statements

Rabbi Yosef Benarroch

Hon. Mike Moroz (Minister of Innovation and New Technology): Honourable Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Rabbi Yosef Benarroch, a respected leader in Winnipeg's vibrant Jewish community and a valued contributor to the broader social fabric of our city and province and someone I'm honoured to call my dear friend.

      Born in Morocco, Rabbi Benarroch came to Winnipeg as a young child. His family exemplifies the very best of Manitoba: hard working, com­mu­nity minded and deeply committed to building a better future.

      Rabbi Benarroch's journey began in Winnipeg's public and Hebrew school systems before he pursued degrees in physical education and teaching at the University of Manitoba. However, his true calling emerged while studying at a religious seminary in Israel where he also met his wife, Elana. Together, they have raised a beautiful family of seven children.

      Honourable Speaker, Rabbi Benarroch's warmth, energy and unwavering dedication to others have made him a unifying force within the Jewish com­munity and a cherished friend to many of all faiths. His ability to connect with individuals of all ages, his deep compassion and his tireless work to strengthen our society have left a lasting impact.

      His commitment to his congregation has required great personal sacrifice, as he has spent many years away from his family in Israel to serve the community in Winnipeg.

      With mixed emotions, I inform this Chamber that Rabbi Benarroch will be retiring as the spiritual leader of Herzlia at the end of June.

      I ask members of this Chamber to join me in extending our heartfelt gratitude to Rabbi Benarroch for his lifetime of service and contributions to our com­­­munity, city and province.

      We wish him a well‑earned retirement, knowing that he is deeply respected, greatly loved and will be profoundly missed.

      He joins us in the gallery today, with members of his family, and I'd like to add their names to Hansard.

Kim Bailey, Al Benarroch, Michael Benarroch, Yosef  Benarroch

McKiya Mazur

Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): Hon­our­able Speaker, I rise this afternoon to bring attention to this House to an inspiring athlete from my con­stit­uency who's already attracting attention among television viewers right across Canada.

      McKiya Mazur has undertaken what she des­cribes as the most incredible and transformative experience while competing in the CBC reality series  Canada's Ultimate Challenge. And now this 22‑year‑old from Angusville, in the Russell area, is putting her passion and background as a hockey player and triathlete to great use in the TV competition that has challenged her like nothing else before.

      On Canada's Ultimate Challenge, McKiya is part of a team with three other athletes, travelling from coast to coast through one gruelling challenge after another in a sort of cross‑country obstacle course. Competing against four other teams, she has tested not  only her physical conditioning but her mental toughness and skills in teamwork.

      And teamwork is what McKiya knows well, having played four seasons of hockey with the St. Francis Xavier University X‑Women in Nova Scotia. She now coaches and trains athletes in part through an online business, while using social media to encourage healthy and active living.

      McKiya might yet win Canada's Ultimate Challenge. But she is already a winner in pushing past her limits, empowering female athletes to become the best they can be, and as she has told the Crossroads This Week newspaper, experiencing our beautiful country in such a special way.

      On behalf of the residents across the constituency, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating McKiya Mazur who is watching virtually with her family.

      Thank you, Honourable Speaker.

Two-Spirit and Trans Day of Visibility

Mr. Logan Oxenham (Kirkfield Park): Honourable Speaker, I stand before you as a proud and joyous transgender man.

      Monday, March 31, marks the first Two-Spirit and Transgender Day of Visibility here in Manitoba.

      In a world facing alarming rates of violence against trans individuals, especially BIPOC folk, we  urgently need peace. All we desire is to live authentically, in peace, without fear of harm for simply being ourselves. Here in Manitoba, gen­der‑diverse individuals can find some comfort knowing that your NDP government stands firmly against any efforts to erase or dehumanize transgender people.

      The Two-Spirit and Transgender Day of Visibility Act affirms our existence, recognizing that two‑spirit and trans individuals have always been a part of our history. Despite historical attempts to erase us from public life, our existence shines as bright as the stars, and just like those stars, transgender people will continue to shine on well into the future.

      In living authentically, trans individuals find joy, a joy that is deeply human and profoundly powerful. This joy is an act of resistance, a declaration that we will not be defined by others' limitations. In our happiness we find peace, and in our peace we find strength.

      Honourable Speaker, Manitoba stands as a beacon of hope for diversity. The world watches as trained physicians seek to practise gender‑affirming care right here in our province. I'm immensely proud of my team and incredibly proud of our Health Minister.

      To any two‑spirit and trans individuals watching, especially the young ones, we see you, we love you, we lift you up and you are worthy of being the best version of yourself. You are genuine and you are valid.

      Miigwech. Merci. Thank you, Honourable Speaker.

Tannis Saunders and Diedrich and Sara Unger

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Normally I'm excited to share the great stories of La Vérendrye, but today I rise following a difficult weekend in my  hometown. This past weekend, the community of Vita and surrounding area has seen the loss of three community members within 24 hours, as the result of two tragic car accidents.

* (14:00)

      Early Saturday morning, Tannis Saunders, a resident of Sundown, was taken far too soon at age 46 as the result of a single vehicle rollover. Tannis was a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and friend to many.

      Only 24 hours later, tragedy struck again west of Zhoda. Local community members and active farmers, Diedrich and Sara Unger, were tragically taken from their family as a result of a head‑on collision. Their adult son survived the accident and was transported to hospital by STARS air ambulance in critical con­di­tion, along with the driver of the other vehicle. Diedrich and Sara have been dedicated community members, active farmers, loving grand­parents and passionate foster parents.

      Out of all this weekend's tragedy, our first res­ponders and specifically the community volunteer fire­fighters deserve tremendous recognition. These heroic members of our community are true heroes. Not only did they perform an unimaginable task, but these tragic victims in a small town are often friends, neighbours and even family.

      I want the families of Tannis and the Ungers, along with all the first respon­ders, to know that the com­munity and myself are here for you. We recognize how difficult these days will be and we are praying for you to find peace and comfort.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, I'd like to ask for a moment of silence to recog­nize the families lost this past weekend.

The Speaker: Is there leave for a moment of silence to recog­nize the loss the member spoke of? [Agreed]

A moment of silence was observed.

Uni­ver­sal Screening for
Learning Dis­abil­ities Legislation

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Hon­our­able Speaker, earlier this afternoon I had the honour of introducing Bill 225, The Public Schools Amendment Act (Universal Screening for Leaming Disabilities). I wanted to share a bit of background on the bill.

      Bill 225 will improve Manitoba's literacy rates by further identifying students who may struggle with learning disabilities.

      The bill does this through tangible action by amending The Public Schools Act requiring that students from kindergarten to grade 3 be screened twice a year. These screening assessment tools would, of course, be approved by the minister responsible.

      Honourable Speaker, through nearly a year of consultation, this bill was created by those working in our education system. It was created to improve Manitoba's literacy rates by not only informing educators which students are meeting their literacy goals, but also to identify students who may require additional supports.

      Currently, Manitoba's 37 school divisions do not have a clear or consistent direction with respect to screening assessments for reading. This bill allows Manitoba to join the many other jurisdictions in Canada who mandate universal screening for all students.

      We can learn from our neighbouring province, Ontario, as well as from Alberta and New Brunswick, who have some of the highest literacy rates in the country, and Saskatchewan has recently committed to implementing this, too.

      My hope is Manitoba will do the same because this will not only help students thrive with the tools they are required to use to learn to read, but it will also help educators who do what they do best: teach.

      In closing, Honourable Speaker, I have an open door to any MLA or minister, of course, who would like to have a bill briefing and I look forward to having this bill brought to second reading.

      Thank you.

Oral Questions

Death of Ashlee Shingoose
Con­dol­ence to Family

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): Today, Hon­our­able Speaker, I'd like to express my heartfelt sympathies and con­dol­ences to the family and friends of Ashlee Shingoose and, of course, the com­mu­nity of St. Theresa Point. I want to express my deepest sympathies to her parents, Albert and Theresa, and I know that they must have suffered greatly since their daughter went missing, and with that uncertainty.

      I could not imagine losing a child, never mind to a horrendous crime. And I hope this infor­ma­tion pro­vided today starts to bring some form of closure to  the family and the com­mu­nity. And I ask the Assembly, when you see fit, Hon­our­able Speaker, because I know that we're not able to do this during question period, but to have a moment of silence for the Shingoose family.

      And I would like–I do have some questions, but I will stand down to allow the Premier (Mr. Kinew) or others from the NDP caucus to make a statement to the com­mu­nity and to the family.

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): Certainly, I think all members of this House–certainly our gov­ern­ment–extends our con­dol­ences to the entire Shingoose family, the com­mu­nity of St. Theresa Point.

      And certainly, I do think it's im­por­tant to recog­nize and reflect on the fact that many, many Manitobans have been standing with that family for some time. And that family have been tre­men­dous advocates for them­selves and their com­mu­nity.

      I want to recog­nize the Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine), the Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness (Ms. Smith) as being folks who have stood with the family, stood with families not just in recent years and months, but certainly for decades.

      And this is a time for all Manitobans to reflect on how we ensure that our province is safer for all women and girls, and certainly do the work of making sure that MMIWG2S is some­thing that we take seriously and address moving forward.

The Speaker: Just before we move on, if we could stop the clock, please.

      Is there leave for a moment of silence to honour the memory of Ashlee Shingoose? [Agreed]

A moment of silence was observed.

Impaired Driving Law
Stricter Penal­ties for Drivers

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): Hon­our­able Speaker, we can all agree that one impaired driver is one too many.

      While many Manitobans have been affected, the family of Jordyn Reimer have made the decision to honour her memory by ensuring that laws change for the better.

      During last night's com­mit­tee hearing, the family noted that if someone uses a gun or a machete during a course of a violent crime, they receive a lifetime ban on possessing such items. A vehicle with an impaired driver behind the wheel is as dangerous as any gun or knife. The Reimers recom­mended no second chance be given to an impaired driver to kill or injure again.

      Will the Premier stand with the Reimer family today and ensure impaired driving con­se­quences are equivalent to the crime?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): Hon­our­able Speaker, certainly, our heart goes out to the family–the Reimer family. This is a tragic situation that, of course, we never want to see happen anywhere–we never want to see happen in Manitoba.

      I want the House to know that the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) has met with the Reimer family multiple times, and the Minister of Justice will con­tinue to meet with the Reimer family and have very im­por­tant con­ver­sa­tions.

      In addition to that, now while we recog­nize there's no single piece of legis­lation that will solve the issue of impaired driving, legis­lation has been brought forward that has been supported by MADD Canada and MADD Winnipeg, and that takes an imme­diate step to address this very im­por­tant area of concern. And we hope that all members of this House–on that side of the House–will support it.

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

Mr. Ewasko: It is interesting that the Deputy Premier brings up the piece of legis­lation because it just took a few seconds last night for the Minister of Justice to dismiss the Reimer family's suggested amend­ments.

      He cannot be bothered to take any of their sug­ges­tions back to the de­part­ment and have them review it for potential imple­men­ta­tion. The minister put a lot of words on the record last night condemning impaired drivers and their dangerous behaviour.

* (14:10)

      What he did not do was accept any sug­ges­tion that his bill could be improved. In fact, the only amend­ment that the minister voted in favour were correcting minor typos, Hon­our­able Speaker. Yes to fixing a typo, not to real con­se­quences.

      Instead of intro­ducing new impaired drivers bill every session, as the minister said he will, can the Premier (Mr. Kinew) direct his minister to fix the legis­lation today?

MLA Asagwara: As I stated previously, Hon­our­able Speaker, we–on this side of the House we recog­nize that no single piece of legis­lation is going to fun­da­mentally fix the issue of impaired driving, but there are steps that we can take to move things in the right direction.

      Bill 5 is a piece of legis­lation that was developed in part­ner­ship with MADD Canada, has the support of the president of MADD Winnipeg. And to correct some­thing that the member opposite put on the record, the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) has done a lot of work, working, getting legal advice and expertise to help inform what is a durable approach in terms of legis­lation. I think that's a really im­por­tant point to understand.

      I'd encourage the member opposite to not politicize this. Let's take a step in the right direction on behalf of all Manitobans and certainly on behalf of the Reimer family.

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

Eascan Automation
Layoffs Due to US Tariffs

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): So then have the Deputy Premier stand in their place today, accept the amend­ments and move forward, at least with them to the de­part­ment and bring back some recom­men­dations.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, the Premier talks about Trump‑proofing the economy, and he talks about how he's respecting–or, protecting jobs. Unfor­tunately for one Winnipeg‑based robotics company, all the NDP talk about preparing for Trump since 2023 hasn't altered the fact that 23 employees are now without a job. Twenty-three families have lost a good-paying job, and 23 families are going to have a more difficult time meeting their financial choices as how they navigate through the new economy.

      One third of robotics and custom machine manu­facturers, entire workforce laid off, and not a peep from their local MLA for Wolseley. The local NDP MLA has not made a single statement or reference to this company or its workers.

      Why has the NDP failed Eascan Automation and its employees, Hon­our­able Speaker?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Deputy Premier): Hon­our­able Speaker, our gov­ern­ment has taken real action to ensure that we can respond to the tariffs brought forward by Donald Trump and the US administration. On that side of the House, they've taken a very con­cern­ing approach. They have members in their caucus who have thanked Donald Trump for the tariffs. They have members in their caucus who want Manitobans to become Americans.

      On that side of the House, while they're thanking Donald Trump, on this side of the House we introduced a '25-26 budget led by our Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) that builds our economy better: $3.7 billion to create jobs and to stand up infra­structure that's going to benefit Manitobans, and we're going to keep doing that work of Trump-proofing our economy.

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

Mr. Ewasko: Hon­our­able Speaker, this minister con­tinues to stand up, day in and day out, and makes excuses for the lack of their effort to actually improve anything in this great province of ours. The NDP's budget promised to, and I quote, bring more manu­facturing jobs to Manitoba, end quote. The reality is the NDP can't even keep the current jobs in Manitoba; never mind bring new ones to us.

      Eascan is just the tip of the Trump tariff iceberg. So much for supporting Manitoba small busi­nesses. The 90-day tax deferral is more of a snake oil sales­men's solution. The Premier said he is, and I quote, engaged daily with industries that are navigating tariffs, end quote.

      Why is the Premier–was he made aware of–Eascan Automation was laying off one third of its workforce due to the ongoing trade war?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, our gov­ern­ment is focused on making our province as strong as it can be, and Trump-proofing our economy, which is why just yesterday, the Premier, the minister of busi­ness, mining, jobs and trades and the minister of natural resources were in Lynn Lake, announcing that we are standing up a gold mine, some­thing that is going to create 450 to 600 well-paying jobs.

      Our gov­ern­ment has invested in NFI, more jobs in Manitoba, supporting a good local busi­ness. Our gov­ern­ment is taking real steps to make sure we can respond to Trump's tariffs.

      On that side of the House, they cut the economy, they damaged the health-care system–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

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

Mr. Ewasko: Hon­our­able Speaker, there they go again, taking credit where credit is definitely not due over there.

      The budget says the NDP say, and I–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Ewasko: –quote: responding to tariffs with supports for impacted busi­nesses and workers. End quote.

      One-third reduction in manufacturing jobs are gone. Hon­our­able Speaker, 23 very high-paid, good jobs are now gone.

      The Premier (Mr. Kinew) won't even rise in his place today, despite decades of legis­lative tradition, to even defend his own budget, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      The Minister of Trans­por­tation and Infra­structure (MLA Naylor) won't rise in their place to address the layoffs in their own backyard.

      Can anybody–can anyone, Hon­our­able Speaker, on that side of the House, offer real action for Eascan Automation and its staff, or do they even see the financial struggle Manitobans are facing now that the NDP gave them­selves $15,000 increase to their front bench?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, that member has zero credibility. That member on that side of the House wants to take credit for jobs that we are making real today in Manitoba–600 jobs in Lynn Lake.

      And, Hon­our­able Speaker, I know that member opposite knows our gov­ern­ment is doing a great job because he was at the an­nounce­ment we made in Lac du Bonnet where we're building the personal-care home he refused to build for two terms of a failed PC gov­ern­ment.

      So we'll take no lessons from that member. We are building in our province. We are fixing the damage they did to health care, and we're creating great Manitoba jobs for Manitobans.

      On that side of the House, they can continue to thank Trump. We're Trump-proofing our economy.

Prov­incial Deficit
Balanced Budget Concerns

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Hon­our­able Speaker, this Minister of Finance is collecting a billion more in taxes and reve­nues, $82 million more in personal income taxes on the backs of Manitoba families, $182 million more in edu­ca­tion property taxes on homeowners, which is on top of the double-digit school division tax increases that Manitobans are facing.

      Yet, he's still planning to run up to a $1.9-billion deficit. Even TD and RBC economists have ques­tioned this minister's revenue outlook.

      So I ask the minister: What happens when his wishful revenue projections don't come true? How high will the deficit actually go?

Hon. Adrien Sala (Minister of Finance): Hon­our­able Speaker, while the members opposite were arguing internally about whether they support Trump, whether they don't support Trump, whether they support the tariffs, whether they don't, what was this team doing? We were building a budget that is going to see the biggest capital construction plan in this province's history.

      We know that now is the time to be Trump-proofing our economy. That's why that plan's going to  see us building 11 schools, some­thing members opposite never took care of, ensuring we had schools for our kids where we needed them.

      We're going to be building three new PCHs, some­thing they never touched in their time. In fact, we're building one in the backyard of their interim leader. And, of course, we're finally going to build energy infra­structure, some­thing they didn't do for seven and a half years–not one single megawatt.

      They took us backwards. We're moving us ahead. We're–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The hon­our­able member for Midland, on a sup­ple­mentary question.

Mrs. Stone: Had this minister actually moved forward and built the schools a year ago, like the PCs had planned and had announced, then those schools would have caused a lot–mess–less–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mrs. Stone: –from their capital budget.

      How is this minister going to return to balance? Is he going to raise taxes, or is he going to cut spending? [interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mrs. Stone: Last week's budget makes it clear he has no plan to ever return to balance and all he is going to do is raise taxes on Manitoba families and grow the deficit.

      The minister is spending $2.3 billion on interest payments, all going to Wall Street and Bay Street lenders. So this minister's spending; debt, deficits and interest payments are growing.

      What is this minister's plan to return to balance? Is he going to cut, or is he going to raise taxes?

MLA Sala: Hon­our­able Speaker, this is coming from a party that left Manitoba with a $2-billion hole that we need to climb out of. That's their record.

      What's our record? We saw with our last report we cut that deficit by one third in this fiscal, and we're committed to that path to balance, because you know what, Hon­our­able Speaker? On this side of the House, we know some­thing about respon­si­ble budgeting, about fiscal sus­tain­ability. On that side of the House they left Manitobans a giant hole to climb out of.

* (14:20)

      We're doing the work. We're committed to invest­ing in health care and affordability while we balance the budget because that's what Manitobans sent us here to do. They took us backwards; we're moving us ahead.

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

Mrs. Stone: Hon­our­able Speaker, the hypocrisy and misinformation that this minister continues to put on the record. Three-hundred-and-forty-million-dollar surplus is what the former PC gov­ern­ment left.

      Clearly, this Minister of Finance has no plans to ever return to balance. This budget is so bad, it actually included two deficits.

      So I give the minister the op­por­tun­ity to explain: How is he going to balance the Province's books? Will  it be cutting? Will it be increasing taxes on Manitoba families?

MLA Sala: Hon­our­able Speaker, one of the worst things that we saw from the members opposite during the election was that they hid the state of fiscal affairs for our province. And they did that for a very clear reason. It's because they wanted to get back into office.

      We know what they did. They hid the fiscal situa­tion to pretend to Manitobans that we were in a better position than when we were actually were. That tracks with that party. There's never trans­par­ency; there's never accountability.

      On this side of the House, what can Manitobans count on? A party that's going to continue investing in health care, affordability, edu­ca­tion while we ensure fiscal respon­si­bility. That's what we're going to deliver, and that's why Manitobans sent us here, and that's why they sent them packing.

Compliance with Bail Conditions
Penal­ties for Surety Breaches

MLA Jeff Bereza (Portage la Prairie): Hon­our­able Speaker, individuals continue to offend while out on release con­di­tions. The Kellie Verwey tragedy is the most recent occurrence of this failure of this justice system. Sureties play a crucial role in the justice system by guaranteeing that an accused individual complies with the release con­di­tions. It is im­por­tant to understand the scope of their involvement.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, will this minister provide data on how many accused individuals released on the strength of a surety have breached their con­di­tions in the past year? Let's fix this bail reform now.

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Acting Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I thank the member opposite for the question.

      And it's im­por­tant to remind this House that under the leadership of our Premier (Mr. Kinew) and of our Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe)–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

MLA Schmidt: –that we–our gov­ern­ment has acted and we have imple­mented the National Police Federation's recom­men­dations on bail reform.

      Under the leadership of our Premier, he joined premiers across Canada, calling on the federal gov­ern­ment to act. And we are taking–unlike members opposite, who would prefer to peddle in division, on this side of the House we are happy to work with our partners. We are working with the National Police Federation; we will work with the federal gov­ern­ment, and we are taking action on bail reform here in Manitoba.

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

MLA Bereza: When an accused person breaches their release con­di­tions, the surety is held respon­si­ble for failing to ensure compliance and may them­selves face legal con­se­quences.

      The public must have con­fi­dence that sureties are being held accountable.

      What con­se­quences does a surety face if the accused breaches release con­di­tions, including failing to attend court, violating terms of release or not residing at the designated address? Let's fix this bail reform here now.

MLA Schmidt: I'm very proud to stand, again, with our Premier (Mr. Kinew) and with our Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) and update the House on some of the in­cred­ible work that they have been leading on when it comes to bail reform and when it comes to public safety here in Manitoba. Public safety, which is some­thing under the leadership of the previous failed PC gov­ern­ment we saw get worse than ever before.

      So, here in Manitoba, under the leadership of our Minister of Justice we brought back the ankle monitoring system–the ankle monitoring system that the PC gov­ern­ment cancelled that led to less oversight on people out in our com­mu­nity. So when the member opposite gets up here and feigns that he has some interest in protecting Manitobans, he needs to look to his left–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

MLA Bereza: Honorary Speaker, a strongly worded letter is not going to change anything. Forfeiture courts is an im­por­tant mechanism for enforcing account­ability. When a surety fails to meet their obligations, the court may require the surety to pay any sums that they promised to pay if the accused breaches their release con­di­tions. However, questions remained about how often this tool is actually used to hold sureties respon­si­ble.

      I'm being heckled about somebody's death, across the way.

      When will this gov­ern­ment do some­thing to fix this poorly–bail reform in this province today?

MLA Schmidt: I find it–thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker. I find it very con­cern­ing that the member opposite would denigrate the actions of our Premier standing alongside every other premier in this country and writing a letter to our federal gov­ern­ment to work with our federal gov­ern­ment, some­thing that the members opposite obviously know nothing about.

      During their time in office, they would have rather picked fights with the federal gov­ern­ment, refused to work with the federal gov­ern­ment. The members opposite did absolutely nothing on bail reform, and they dare to stand up in this House and criticize the in­cred­ible work under the leadership of our Premier and our Minister of Justice. I will take absolutely no lessons from the member opposite.

      On this side of the House, we are with team Canada–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Health-Care Listening Tour
Health Worker Feedback

Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): The NDP has hyped up its listening tour in throne speeches, budgets and at least five separate news releases. Unfor­tunately, front-line workers are pretty public about the fact that this tour hasn't done anything for them.

      Earlier this month, the president of MAHCP told media that despite the listening tour, quote: it doesn't seem anyone is being heard.

      And the Manitoba Nurses Union's white paper, released earlier this year, said regarding the tour, that, quote: these strategies have largely been ineffective.

      After months of promoting this tour as the solution to health care in Manitoba, why do front-line workers say their concerns are still being ignored?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care): Hon­our­able Speaker, it doesn't surprise me at all that that member stands up and devalues listening. It doesn't surprise me at all that members on that side of the House don't think it's im­por­tant to go to the front lines and listen to people who provide care at the bedside of Manitobans.

      They still don't get it. Manitobans sent them to that side of the House because of the way they mis­treated health-care workers, and they're still saying that listening to health-care workers is a mistake.

      The member for Roblin needs to get on board and understand that listening to experts and working with them is how we make health care better, and it's what our gov­ern­ment will continue to do.

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

Mrs. Cook: Freedom of infor­ma­tion docu­ments, which I table, reveal that the NDP gov­ern­ment charged taxpayers almost $10,000 for pro­fes­sional video and film production on the listening tour. This means hours and hours of footage exist somewhere on  the minister's hard drive, yet Manitobans, and especially the health-care workers who were sup­posedly being consulted, have yet to see any of it.

      So if the gov­ern­ment truly values trans­par­ency and respects the input of the front lines, will they commit today to releasing this footage? Or is the real reason they're keeping it locked away the fact that this proves that the tour was nothing more than a PR stunt, not an attempt to meaningfully listen to front-line health-care workers.

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, I dare to say that this line of questioning is beneath the member opposite.

      Our gov­ern­ment making the effort to go out to the front lines and listen to health-care workers and then take steps like adding over 260 beds to our health-care system, adding 1,255 net-new health-care workers, adding millions of dollars to improving capacity on the front lines, those ideas come directly from the health-care workers we listen to.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, what do they spend money on for advertising? Huge billboards that attack the victims of a serial killer, bus benches that target trans kids. I don't think we should listen to how they want to talk to Manitobans.

      On this side, we'll continue to do it–

* (14:30)

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

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

Mrs. Cook: With nearly $10,000 worth of footage collected from these events, the NDP should have had no trouble compiling a com­pre­hen­sive and detailed report on what they heard from health-care workers. Yet despite all this material, the gov­ern­ment only released a vague five-point summary of their findings in the back­grounder to a news release.

      Even worse, freedom of infor­ma­tion docu­ments that I'll table now reveal that the Premier's (Mr. Kinew) office produced zero docu­ments related to the listening tour; not a single briefing note, internal report or, what we heard, docu­ment was created.

      How can the Premier stand before Manitobans and claim to have listened to front-line health-care workers when their own office has absolutely nothing to show for it?

MLA Asagwara: Hon­our­able Speaker, one of the first things I heard when we started our listening tour was that they never saw a member of the previous failed PC gov­ern­ment in their hospitals. They didn't get a visit from the Health minister, they didn't get a visit from a premier, they didn't get a visit from any member on that side of the House.

      What we've been able to do as a gov­ern­ment in just under 18 months, by listening to the front lines, is to do the work of fixing the historic damage done by that member and members on that side of the House.

      Budget 2025 invests 1.2 additional billion dollars to shrinking health care; $770 million to respect the workers they disrespected for seven and a half years. We're going to keep doing that work, because that's what we're hearing from the front lines when we go and see them: to keep showing up.

      On that side of the House–

The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

Impaired Driving Causing Death or Bodily Harm
Individuals Charged More Than Once

Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Last night at com­mit­tee we heard from Manitobans about Bill 5, The Highway Traffic Amend­ment Act. Pre­sen­ta­tions were impassioned and heartfelt and anyone who has lost a loved one to impaired driving knows the pain.

      Karen Reimer, in memory of her daughter Jordyn, has become a tireless advocate for reform. The format of the committee did not allow Mrs. Reimer to have an op­por­tun­ity to ask the minister a question about the effectiveness of this legis­lation. So, on behalf of her, I'm asking the minister if he can share with this House how many Manitoban drivers were charged with two counts of impaired, causing bodily harm or impaired, causing injury during the last decade.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning.

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Acting Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker, and I would like to take a moment to add my voice to that of the Premier and the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) and our whole team and the member opposite, who has spoken on this issue many times, and extend my own personal heart­felt con­dol­ences to the Reimer family.

      And the member opposite and I do agree on one thing, and that is how in­cred­ible and how much respect we have for the family of the Reimers and the way that they have taken this terrible, unfor­tunate tragedy and turned it into some­thing that the com­mu­nity can really rally around. And we are going to work with them to ensure that what happened to Jordyn Reimer never happens again here in Manitoba.

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

Impaired Driving Legislation
Effectiveness of Bill 5

Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Hon­our­able Speaker, it's shocking that the minister is unable to answer even the most basic question about his own signature bill.

      The answer to Ms. Reimer's question would give Manitobans an idea about the effectiveness of Bill 5, about whether it will have a real impact or it's simply window dressing. Surely, the minister must know the answer.

      Why won't he share with Manitobans? Will it–will Bill 5 impact 500 people, zero? We don't know.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care. No, sorry–the hon­our­able Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning.

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Acting Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker. And I find it quite unfor­tunate that the member opposite would take the op­por­tun­ity to call Bill 5 window dressing. We don't believe that any Manitobans would agree with them and would call this sig­ni­fi­cant step that we have taken window dressing.

      This is a step that we have worked, in col­lab­o­ration with the sector, including MADD Canada and including MADD Winnipeg. We have worked with them to develop this bill and we have their support. And I will read for the House a quote from the national president of MADD Canada: We recog­nize that there is no one single piece of legis­lation that will solve impaired driving and we welcome the gov­ern­ment taking steps to–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

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

Impaired Driving Charges
Increased Penal­ties When Minors Present

Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): Hon­our­able Speaker, the shutters absolutely closed on the Reimer family last night. While this minister and his col­leagues rejected every sentiment put forward to strengthen this bill, I remain optimistic that common sense will prevail and not politics.

      In 2009, with all-party support, the gov­ern­ment banned smoking in a motor vehicle if a child was present, a reasonable action that protects children and ensures there are con­se­quences.

      A reasonable amendment that was put forward on Bill 5 would impose con­se­quences if an individual is charged with impaired driving when a minor is present. Children strapped in a car seat don't have a choice, and we can make a difference today.

      Will the minister now tell Manitobans that drinking and driving with children present is not only wrong but illegal–

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

      The Hon­our­able Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning.

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Acting Minister of Justice and Attorney General): As the Minister of Justice has said before, and as is recog­nized by MADD Canada, there is not one panacea, there's not one silver bullet that we can do as gov­ern­ment to solve this–the problem of impaired driving.

      But this is an im­por­tant step, and it's one that we've taken in col­lab­o­ration with the experts at MADD Canada And it's one that our Minister of Justice has met with the Reimer family on, will continue to meet with the Reimer family on, met with them just yesterday at com­mit­tee and after com­mit­tee.

      We know that there is nothing that we can do to bring back Jordyn Reimer. And if we could, Hon­our­able Speaker, we would. Bill 5 is an im­por­tant and excellent step, and the members opposite should get on board.

The Speaker: Member's time has expired.

Vaccine for Shingles
Absence in Budget 2025

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful and debili­tating rash that can occur anywhere on your body. It typically looks like a single stripe of blisters and nearly one in three Canadians develop shingles in their lifetime. This proportion increases after 50 years of age. The virus comes from the infection that causes chicken pox and can remain dormant for many years in a person.

      Why has this gov­ern­ment not included the Shingrix vaccine, a cost-effective and pre­ven­tative health-care measure in the 2025 budget?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care): I thank the member for that really im­por­tant question and I want to reassure the member that our gov­ern­ment is taking a look at additional vaccines. We know that there are folks, seniors in parti­cular, who are advocating for a whole host of vaccines to be added to our formulary and to be more accessible via Pharma­care or other­wise.

      Our gov­ern­ment has taken real steps to strengthen our formulary, strengthen access to pharmaceuticals. And we'll keep doing that work and certainly we'll continue to look at shingles as being an option that we move forward.

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

Pharma­care Coverage

MLA Lamoureux: Hon­our­able Speaker, a study in 2019 found that vac­cina­tion against shingles in Canada is an inter­ven­tion that is cost-effective. In fact, the national vaccine recom­men­dations include that all adults 50 and older should receive two doses. Each dose of the vaccine costs approximately $150, and this is simply not affordable for many Manitobans.

      Will this gov­ern­ment commit to provide coverage for the shingles vaccine for those who are living below the poverty line or are living on a limited fixed income?

MLA Asagwara: Again, I ap­pre­ciate the member's advocacy on this issue. We recog­nize as a gov­ern­ment the importance of vaccines being available to the public.

      I'm going to take this moment to actually, Hon­our­able Speaker, to encourage folks to get vaccines that are available, spe­cific­ally around flu and influ­enza.

      We know that there's challenges for folks in terms of misinformation that's out there. Measles vaccine is a really im­por­tant one that we want to see families use and access for their little ones, for their kids.

      And so I just think it's really im­por­tant for folks to work with their primary care providers to make decisions that best meet their needs.

      But certainly we encourage folks to get vac­cinated, especially young kids, get the measles vaccine and other vaccines as per the advice of your doctor or nurse prac­ti­tioner.

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

Cost to Treat vs. Pre­ven­tion Costs

MLA Lamoureux: I'd like to thank the minister for their comments and advocacy.

      Over the years, my con­stit­uents have continued to push for the accessibility and affordability of the shingles shot. This is a con­ver­sa­tion I have had on multiple occasions with our minister.

* (14:40)

      Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Yukon are all examples of juris­dic­tions in Canada that already provide the vaccine free of cost. In Canada, the average cost to our health-care system for being hos­pitalized for shingles is around $12,038 for roughly 14 days.

      Does the gov­ern­ment feel that this money could be better used on the side of pre­ven­tion?

MLA Asagwara: I really ap­pre­ciate that point raised by the member.

      Our gov­ern­ment takes pre­ven­tion very seriously. We've made invest­ments, and in this '25-26 budget: $1.2 billion added to health care, $770 million added to funding renumeration, compensation, wages for health-care workers.

      And one of the most im­por­tant things we can do to take a pre­ven­tative approach is to make sure we have the people in our health-care system, in our com­mu­nities to deliver that pre­ven­tative care, which is why our gov­ern­ment is making those invest­ments.

      I recog­nize there's a long way for us to go. We're talking about cleaning up the mess and fixing the damage of the failed PC gov­ern­ment before us. But our gov­ern­ment is doing that work and we're going to continue to lean into taking pre­ven­tative approaches for Manitobans of all ages, but certainly, our seniors.

Prescription Birth Control Program
Number of Manitobans that Accessed

MLA Carla Compton (Tuxedo): On this side of the House, we know that reproductive health care is health care, that birth control is health care.

      We also know the members opposite in the PC  caucus don't agree. But despite PC leadership candidates' attempts to stigmatize and shame women for accessing this health care, our NDP gov­ern­ment will always stand up for the reproductive rights and freedoms.

      Can the Minister of Health please update the House on the success of this program and remind us why it is so im­por­tant?

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara (Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care): Hon­our­able Speaker, I am so proud to say that since we launched our program in October, 32,000 Manitobans have accessed free birth control in our province.

      Our gov­ern­ment is committed to repro­ductive rights and freedoms and I'm so excited that Budget 2025 expands our coverage to include Plan B. And, of  course, it was just earlier this month that PC leadership candidates said that all this program does is encourage, and I quote, poor women to be more sexually active, end quote.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, the real question is, why has no one on the PC side of the House condemned those shameful remarks? Why has the member for Roblin (Mrs. Cook), who sat by at that debate silently, said nothing to condemn those remarks? Who on that side of the House is going to join–

The Speaker: Member's time is expired.

Premier's Travel on Charter Flight
Request for In­de­pen­dent Inquiry

Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): Hon­our­able Speaker, it's not the crime; it's the cover-up.

      We're seeing this with the Premier (Mr. Kinew) violating the Conflict of Interest Act, not once but twice, by accepting flights on the Bomber plane, an organi­zation that receives prov­incial funding.

      CBC looked into this story in September 2024. The Premier's office refused to release their records. The ombudsman had to warn the Premier that he's breaking the law. This was followed by a quote from CBC: Weeks of staffers provi­ding inaccurate and contradictory infor­ma­tion regarding the Premier's expenses, arguing the story wasn't worth reporting.

      This then led to the Premier violating the law again in November 2024. That's three violations of Manitoba law by this Premier.

      Will the Premier commit to an in­de­pen­dent inquiry into this very sordid affair?

Hon. Tracy Schmidt (Acting Minister of Justice and Attorney General): It's unfor­tunate that the member for Fort Garry continues on his witch hunt and his obsession, trying to besmirch the great reputation of our Premier, a Premier who is today, Hon­our­able Speaker, more popular than ever.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, I don't know if the member from Fort Garry has seen the most recent polls, but the NDP's stock is rising under the leadership of our in­cred­ible Premier.

      The only one who's in a conflict of interest here, Hon­our­able Speaker, is the member for Fort Garry. And I can't wait to get into why in the–in my next answer.

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

Mr. Wasyliw: When CBC began their in­vesti­gation into the Premier's conflict of interest, it's clear the Premier's story didn't add up.

      Online disclosures for November 2023 indicated he expensed his hotel for the Grey Cup. It was taken off the website only last week, over a year after the fact. Now, he says he's paid for it.

      If you have expensed that hotel stay and then pay for it, why would you do that? That makes no sense. The Premier declined to answer questions. He refused to provide an invoice he paid to the Bombers. He even refused–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Wasyliw: –to answer whether he consulted with the Manitoba Ethics Com­mis­sioner. We know he didn't.

      Will the Premier order an in­de­pen­dent inquiry so Manitobans can learn the truth?

MLA Schmidt: Here on this side of the House, including–we stand with our Premier on team Blue Bombers. We also stand with our Premier on team Canada. On this side of the House, there is no ques­tion.

      The member for Fort Garry is in a–again, I  mentioned, a conflict of interest. Who does the member for Fort Garry stand with? Does he stand with team Canada? I don't think so, Hon­our­able Speaker. On his social media, the member for Fort Garry called the Canada flag outside thirsty. Shame on him; he thinks that pride is thirsty? Not even his buddy–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

MLA Schmidt: –not even his buddy, the member from Steinbach, would agree with him. They like to sit over there and buddy up.

      Does the member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen) also think that patriotism–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

MLA Schmidt: –is thirsty?

The Speaker: The time for question period has expired, thankfully.

Petitions

New Neepawa Health Centre

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): I wish to present the following petition to the Legis­lative Assembly, and the background to this petition is as follows. [interjection]

      Hon­our­able Speaker, it's a great afternoon. Health Minister might even want to listen to this one.

The Speaker: Order, please. Order, please.

      The hon­our­able member has the floor. He can pick up where he left off and stick to what's on the paper.

Mr. Ewasko: 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 Yellow Quill 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 diagnoses 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.

      The average–(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 diagnoses 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, Hon­our­able Speaker, is signed by  Kimberly Yerex, Lacey Comptay [phonetic], Marion Lebedynski and many more fine Manitobans.

* (14:50)

      Thank you.

Death of Jordyn Reimer–Judicial Review Request

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

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

      (1) On May 1, 2022, Jordyn Reimer, 24 years of age, was killed by an impaired driver while she was acting as a designated driver.

      (2) There are two people legally culpable for her death: the impaired driver and the accomplice. The driver was charged, but the second criminal, the accomplice, has not been held accountable.

      (3) A concerned citizen took the keys from the impaired driver earlier in the evening to ensure he could not drive impaired. The accomplice retrieved the keys from this citizen under false pretenses and knowingly provided the impaired driver with access to the vehicle.

      (4) The Winnipeg Police Service, WPS, their in­vesti­gation provided adequate evidence to meet the charging standards and recom­mended charges be laid against the accomplice. The Crown prosecutors declined to prosecute the accomplice.

      (5) The family of Jordyn Reimer has called for the prosecution of the accomplice and that the decision to not prosecute be reviewed in­de­pen­dently.

Mr. Tyler Blashko, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair

      (6) As recent as 2022, there is precedent to refer criminal files of decisions to not proceed with pro­secution to extra‑prov­incial de­part­ments of justice for review. This was done with the Peter Nygård file, which ultimately led to a reversal in the decision not to prosecute, and charges were laid.

      (7) An out-of-province review is supported by MADD Canada, MADD Manitoba and by Manitobans.

      (8) The family has exhausted every avenue within the existing system, and, in the absence of a prescribed process when a disagreement exists on charging standards, the only option is to request an in­de­pen­dent out-of-province review.

      (9) In December 2024, the WPS reported an alarm­ing number of impaired drivers in the holiday Check Stop program. Extending criminal culpability beyond the driver to those who engage in overt actions to facilitate impaired driving will save lives.

      (10) Manitobans deserve to have con­fi­dence in the prov­incial gov­ern­ment and justice systems to make decisions that achieve true justice for victims and their families.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to order an out-of-province review of the prosecutor's decision to not prosecute the accomplice in the death of Jordyn Reimer.

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

Funding for Outlet Channels Project

Mr. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli): I wish to present the following petition.

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

      (1) Since 1958, the Province of Manitoba has known about the potential increase in Lake Manitoba water levels due to the operation of the Portage Diversion and the necessity of increasing outflows from Lake Manitoba at these times.

      (2) The Province of Manitoba commissioned studies into the control of Lake Manitoba water levels in 1958, 1973, 1978 and 2003, in addition to studies conducted after the devastating 2011 Lake Manitoba floods. In all of these studies, the residents surround­ing Lake Manitoba made it known that they were not pleased with the way Lake Manitoba levels were being managed.

      The level of Lake Manitoba is regulated between 810-and-a-half and 812-and-a-half feet above sea level. In 13 of the last 18 years, lake levels has exceeded this range.

      In 2011, Lake Manitoba levels reached 817 feet above sea level; on May 31, 2011, record-high water levels combined with northwest wind gusts to nearly 100 kilometres an hour caused levels to approach 820 feet above sea level, which resulted in un­pre­cedented flooding and widespread damage to areas around Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Previously, lakefront properties found them­selves three kilometres offshore.

      (5) 2011: over 7,100 people were evacuated due to Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin flooding, including over 4,000 First Nations residents. Many people did not return to their homes until years later.

      Flooding on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin is a well-known and documented occurrence. It has, for gen­era­tions, cost Manitobans billions of dollars in compensation, lawsuits, lost agri­cul­ture productivity, lost economic activity and flood recovery projects, all of which has taken an incalculable social and emo­tional toll on its victims.

      We petition the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

      To urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to reverse its decision to cut the funding for the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin out to–outlet channels project and to imme­diately take steps to expediate its completion.

      This petition was signed by many, many Manitobans.

Prov­incial Trunk Highway 34

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

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

      (3)  A 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 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 M. Fehr, C. Zacharias, Abe Zacharias and many more Manitobans.

* (15:00)

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 go–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 Brandon Barter, Lori Renton, Bruce Brezden and many, many other Manitobans.

The Deputy Speaker: Seeing no further petitions.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT busi­ness

House Business

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): Hon­our­able Speaker, could you please canvass the House for leave to allow me to swap my members' statement scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, with one al­located to the official op­posi­tion caucus on Thursday, May 22, 2025. For clarity, this would mean that, (1) on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the official op­posi­tion caucus will have three member statements and I will not have one; (2) on Thursday, May 22, 2025, I will have a member statement and the official op­posi­tion caucus will have one member statement.

      This agree­ment does not affect the allocation of member statements for the gov­ern­ment caucus or the hon­our­able member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw).

The Deputy Speaker: Is there leave to allow the hon­our­able member for Tyndall Park to swap her member statement, scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, with one allocated to the official op­posi­tion caucus on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

      Is there leave? [Agreed]

Budget Debate

(Third Day of Debate)

The Deputy 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 Tuxedo, who has 15–sorry, 14 minutes remaining.

MLA Carla Compton (Tuxedo): Now, last day we–I ended on the cusp of telling a story, and over the past few days, I've had a little bit of time to reflect. And I've decided I'm going to save that story for another day because I want to be mindful of time, and I want to give my colleagues op­por­tun­ity to also put some words on the record on this great Budget 2025 that we have here.

      So moving back to more of the specifics of Budget 2025, there is a couple more things that I do want to high­light about how we're building one Manitoba.

      So, again, we're building a strong, Trump-proof economy with $3.7 billion in capital projects. We're building schools, highways, flood channels and we're building and rebuilding health care.

      So we're going to build new ERs, like at the Victoria Hospital and Eriksdale com­mu­nities. We're going to renovate the Children's Hospital emergency room. We're going to build a health-care centre of excellence in downtown Winnipeg; a new CancerCare Manitoba headquarters; new personal-care homes in Transcona, Lac du Bonnet and Arborg; and a mobile MRI for the North, travelling between Thompson and The Pas, which we know is going to help increase accessibility to folks that live in those areas of the province.

      And we're investing in or building capacity in, and we're decreasing barriers for women's health care in Manitoba by continuing the momentum that we started with the an­nounce­ment of birth control–the free birth control program–in fall 2024. And that program is making Manitoba a leader in reproductive freedom for women and gender-diverse folks here in Manitoba.

      I've had many health-care pro­fes­sionals, as well as Tuxedo con­stit­uents, tell me how great and how impactful that program has been since it started back in February. I've even had people reach out to me from other provinces saying how excited they are that we're doing that here in Manitoba, and they wish that that was happening in their provinces.

      And we're building on that. We're building more access to reproductive freedom by funding to protect safe abortion services at the Women's Health Clinic; funding to include Plan B in our free birth control program; provi­ding a transformative invest­ment in health care for women in menopause and peri­menopause, which includes building the Mature Women's Centre at the Victoria Hospital.

      Having full body autonomy, no matter your gender, is an essential foundation for every Manitoban. And women and gender-diverse folks–for health care for women and gender-diverse folks–is health care. And our NDP gov­ern­ment is a champion for everyone to have accessible, equitable health care, and this Budget 2025 is a testament to our values in action.

      So, to close, I do want to thank again the amazing work and leadership of our Minister of Finance and his team. This budget shows that in times of uncertainty, we can double down on edu­ca­ting Manitobans, pro­tect­ing Manitobans, creating jobs for Manitobans and making life more affordable for Manitobans. And, most especially, caring for Manitobans. Together we are building one Manitoba.

      Thank you.

MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Tyndall Park): I'm happy to rise here this afternoon and put a few words on record with respect to the Budget 2025.

      Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, I believe that the prov­incial budget is a true demon­stra­tion of what gov­ern­ments are intending to prioritize through­out the coming years, through­out their mandate. It's an op­por­tun­ity for them to put on paper and put numbers to their commit­ments to show Manitobans what they are truly taking seriously, and many of these ideas and concerns and issues, they come from election promises. Many of them come from ministers learning their portfolios and seeing what is im­por­tant for the province of Manitoba.

      And I try my best that, when a budget is intro­duced or a throne speech is made, to start off by recog­nizing what I believe are good ideas; in this case, within the budget. I think this is im­por­tant, no matter which party is in gov­ern­ment. There are always good things and bad things, things that are forgotten, things that are included in a budget, and I think it's im­por­tant to recog­nize the good things that have been included.

      So, to start off, a couple of the positive items that were included in Budget 2025 is the stance on the US. I am proud to be part of a province who is taking a strong stance on the US, who is taking a strong stance against President Trump. We need to stand united on this, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, and I am very grateful that the gov­ern­ment took a strong stance in Budget 2025.

      I am also glad they have a plan for tariffs. I think that there is always more that can be done, but it was some­thing that I was watching for with respect to this budget, and they came off–they came out strong out of the gate, and now we would like to see them put actions to their words here in Manitoba.

      Another item in the budget that I parti­cularly liked to see was the free entrance to prov­incial parks. I think this is so im­por­tant. It's some­thing I've spoken about in the past, here in the House too. We want to encourage Manitobans to go and visit our prov­incial parks, to go camping, to go hiking, to go swimming. And by making prov­incial parks free of charge, this enables people; it encourages people to go and use the prov­incial parks, honourable Deputy Speaker.

* (15:10)

      I can talk about how I'm excited that extended coverage came for diabetes and birth control, in part­ner­ship with the national Pharma­care program. It's a wonderful program. I'm glad to see that the province is getting on board with it and pursuing it further. There are more things that we should be adding to the extended coverage, and I'll get more into that shortly, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker.

      Lastly, I am glad to see that Victoria Hospital is getting a–shovels in the ground is the terminology being used. I'm not sure if they're building a brand new hospital or if they're going to fix up the infra­structure that is currently there, but I'm glad to see there's move­ment on this. But this creates further problems with different areas and neighbouring com­mu­nities, honour­able Deputy Speaker.

      So with my remaining time, I'd like to talk a little bit about the gaps in the budget. One thing that has been a unanimous consensus from anyone you speak to within our health-care system is morale continues to decline. We need to make tangible changes here in the province that will fix health care from coast to coast, from all–from up north to here in the city of Winnipeg, every single Manitoban deserves quality health care and to feel safe and protected that no matter where they go to receive these–this health care, that they are going to in fact receive it.

      We can talk about how the wait times, they've only increased under this gov­ern­ment. I've been a politician now under both PC gov­ern­ment and NDP gov­ern­ment and it's always a back and forth. It's your fault. It's your fault. It was longer under your time. It was longer under your time. And the bottom line is, we know that health-care wait times are longer now than they were two years ago.

      And I've heard from con­stit­uents directly about this, whether they've been waiting in hospital ERs, or even in health-care facilities. I received a message a couple of weeks ago on Instagram from a con­stit­uent, and they were sharing with me how in the dead of winter, they were waiting outside Dynacare for hours. Now, fortunately, this con­stit­uent is a younger individual, well-bodied. But what happens for seniors, for example, who are expected to wait outside in ‑20°‑plus weather to be able to go in and access, in this case, Dynacare?

      The wait times have only increased under this gov­ern­ment when they promised that they would do the opposite. So I was hoping to see a little bit more of this in the budget.

      We can talk about home care, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker. Home care hasn't been very strong here in the province for years. And if you go back decades, home care was actually created to be so much more than it is today. Currently, home care often involves a person going to someone's house and helping out for 15, 20 minutes, rushing out the door, having to drive to the other side of the city.

      When home care was first created, it also included things like helping homeowners with their groceries, going grocery shopping. Sometimes it included shovel­ing the driveway, shoveling the walkway. They used to do a whole lot more, but because our home-care workers are so stretched thin, they're being rushed from house to house. And, again, from the stories I am hearing, it's only getting worse. And the stories I'm hearing include home-care workers not even having time to show up for their shifts, having to completely skip over houses and call the residents on their way to the next ap­point­ment that they have.

      We need more home-care workers. We need an invest­ment in home care to better enable, in many cases, seniors, for example, to stay in their homes. We need to focus on home repairs, encouraging people not to be forced out of their com­mu­nities where they–we know that they're going to prosper more.

      A couple of other thoughts that I have heard from com­mu­nity groups who have reached out since the budget include the elimination of sick notes. This wasn't even mentioned in the budget. It includes investing in team-based care; again not included.

      Earlier today in question period, I talked about the shingles shot here in Manitoba. And just a few facts to put on record here, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker. Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful and debilitating rash that can occur anywhere on your body. And nearly one in three Canadians develop shingles in their lifetime. This proportion increases sharply after 50 years of age. It's a virus that comes from the infection that causes chicken pox and can remain dormant for many years. And the national vaccine recom­men­dation includes that all adults 50 and older should receive two doses.

      I can hear my colleague sharing that he received his two doses. And we need to make sure that we allow all Manitobans, whether–if you cannot afford it or access it, this gov­ern­ment needs to do a better job to ensure that those who are on fixed incomes, under the poverty line, can in fact get their shingles vaccine.

      This is a wonderful form of pre­ven­tative care. Right now, when people have to go and be hospitalized for usually up to 14 days if they do not get the Shingrix shot and they get–if they get shingles, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, this ends up costing our health-care system way more than we could be saving.

      Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, one of the biggest issues with health care for myself, personally, because it's what I hear every single day from my con­stit­uents, is how the Seven Oaks Hospital continues to be neglected under this NDP gov­ern­ment. During the elec­tion, they stood in front of the Seven Oaks Hospital and they shouted loud and proud that they were going to open the emergency–re-open the emer­gency room services, and they've done nothing on it. In fact, they haven't even begun talking about it, not even preliminary plans.

      They're talking about other hospitals, and that's wonderful. But that–North End, again, begins–or con­tinues to be neglected under the gov­ern­ment. And they can't go on one side and say they're going to do it and then just completely ignore it, not even mention it in the budget, in throne speeches.

      And the hospital itself, Seven Oaks, for those who may not know, it was created to be a major hospital here in Manitoba. It has a helicopter pad right on top. It could be–when the Pope was going to be coming to Manitoba, that was going to be his hospital if he needed services at the hospital. And yet it continues to be cut and disregarded and can't even be mentioned by the NDP in their 2025 budget?

      I'm disappointed. What about my colleagues from Burrows? What about my colleagues from The Maples? They're in the North End; they're con­stit­uents; they use the Seven Oaks Hospital. Someone needs to be advocating for them.

      Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, $3.7 billion in capital projects, and nothing in the North End–3.7. We can talk about the schools being built, we can talk about health-care facilities being built. If we think more about seniors, here in our province–I know we've spoken about them a little bit but I want to go a little bit deeper. In Budget 2025, it has zero increase into seniors and long-term care. If you look at the budget and you go to the line into seniors and long-term care, there's a zero-dollar increase.

      We need to think about day programs for seniors. Unfor­tunately, under the former gov­ern­ment, day pro­grams did go up in price. These are im­por­tant programs for seniors in the province. These are programs that help get seniors out of the house, help esta­blish social­izing, help give a purpose through­out the day. And we know how im­por­tant this is for a person, mentally, socially, just for your overall health and well-being. And they continue to be completely disregarded now, under both former PC and new NDP gov­ern­ment.

      We can talk about how seniors are often forced to choose between remaining in their residence and per­haps prescription medi­cation or being able to afford a bill. We should be having con­ver­sa­tions, for example, about cell phone bills. Let's ensure that every senior in Manitoba, if they want a cell phone, they can have an affordable plan.

      Let's talk about transit. If they want to be able to take transit here in the city of Winnipeg, they shouldn't have to worry about the cost of having to go on. And this gets into the issue of safety too, which I'll get into shortly, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker.

      Another issue that is often forgotten about with respect to seniors is the topic of long-term care facilities. Often we talk about personal-care homes spe­cific­ally, and that's great–we need more personal-care homes in all areas of Manitoba. But we can't forget about the other facilities as well.

      We need sup­port­ive housing homes. For example, 55-plus homes, infra­structure in place for people to remain in their homes if they so choose. Currently, seniors, when they need to leave their home, whether it's for a financial reason or for specialty reasons, like perhaps a ramp into their front door, or they can no longer do stairs, some­thing of that such, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, they're often forced to move to dif­ferent com­mu­nities entirely. And again, this is terrible for one's social and mental well-being.

      Hon­our­able speaker, I spoke a little bit about that $3.7 billion in capital projects, and again, nothing being in the North End. This NDP gov­ern­ment cut the school that was to be built in Tyndall Park. I've been the repre­sen­tative now for Tyndall Park spe­cific­ally for six years–six, seven years. Prior to that I was MLA for Burrows; there was a lot of crossover.

       And I know how des­per­ately we need a new school in Tyndall Park. Every school I visit, they have portables. They've got–what we call it hallway edu­ca­tion now happening under this NDP gov­ern­ment. We need a new esta­blish­ment and I want to encourage this NDP gov­ern­ment: do what's right; bring back the school that was planned to be built in Tyndall Park. It will affect hundreds and thousands of residents, not only in my com­mu­nity, but some of the members in the gov­ern­ment's com­mu­nity as well. They need this new school, and I would encourage them to bring it back.

* (15:20)

      We know that there's chronic underfunding for the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg. And I'm well aware that the minister is aware of this because the students who come to speak with me share with me the con­ver­sa­tions that are occurring. Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, the amount of funding that is being cut from the Univer­sity of Winnipeg is becoming detrimental.

      If we want to see the uni­ver­sity succeed–and I don't understand why the NDP members wouldn't want the uni­ver­sity to succeed when I know many of them went there. Hon­our­able Speaker, I went there myself; I did my undergrad in political science and religion and culture there; I got my master's in marriage and family therapy from the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg. I know many of the other members have edu­ca­tion from the Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg, and they are allow­ing the school to dwindle down.

      The school des­per­ately needs prov­incial funds; they need the Province to step up and ensure that programs don't continue to be cut, like English learning. That was recently cut under this NDP gov­ern­ment. Like the women's soccer team: that was recently cut under this NDP gov­ern­ment. These are programs that need to be coming stronger here in our inner city, in Winnipeg. The Uni­ver­sity of Winnipeg is literally in the middle of the city of Winnipeg and we're losing control of it. We need this gov­ern­ment to step up, do their job and protect post-secondary edu­ca­tion here in the province.

      The last thing I'd like to share on edu­ca­tion, honour­able Deputy Speaker, is with respect to inter­national students and their health-care coverage. No–my thoughts on this has changed over the last couple days and I've been very pleasantly surprised because of question period.

      I think it was just yesterday or the day prior, and I had the op­por­tun­ity to ask the minister why health-care coverage was not included for inter­national students in this budget after they campaigned on it. They cam­paigned, made their promises that they so do during the election, insisting that inter­national students and their health care would be reinstated.

      I can remember members of that NDP gov­ern­ment sitting on this side not long ago yelling across the way at the PC gov­ern­ment saying, reinstate health-care coverage for inter­national students. And almost two years into their mandate, they haven't done it. They're barely talking about it: not even mentioned, not even the preliminary plans for it.

      But I am grateful–and I don't want to take it for granted–that yesterday in question period, I asked about it, and the minister respon­si­ble said before the end of their mandate, they are going to reinstate health-care for inter­national students. So I look forward to seeing that come to be.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, there's so much more to say. I want to talk a little bit about child welfare here in the province of Manitoba. At this moment in time, there are over 300 hard-working people who are on strike fighting for a living wage. This shouldn't even be a ques­tion. We need to do–it's a moral responsibility; it's an ethical standpoint. We need to do absolutely every­thing we can to protect children here in Manitoba. But instead, this gov­ern­ment just finished cutting over 60 critical workers, just finished cutting programs where children had some shelter.

      And now, there's words going around that they might end up going back to hotel rooms. Again, when this NDP gov­ern­ment were in op­posi­tion, they yelled at the top of their lungs, saying, we would protect children in care. Then let's see it; let's see invest­ment into it; let's see action; let's see children being uplifted out of care.

      But instead, we're seeing more and more tragedy, unfor­tunately. We're seeing children not be protected, not be taken care of, and I believe that the prov­incial gov­ern­ment has an ethical role to play in this.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, with respect to our environ­ment, we need goals to be esta­blished for reducing green­house gas emissions. Someone emailed me saying we can do much better in the approach to treating the sewage in Winnipeg to reduce phosphorus going into our water­ways and into Lake Winnipeg. I'm noticing the time; I only have a few more minutes, so I'm going to speak quickly through this.

      With respect to justice, there's been an increase in crime. And again, I don't want to play the game that crime increases under one gov­ern­ment or another gov­ern­ment. I don't care who is in gov­ern­ment. Whoever is in gov­ern­ment has a respon­si­bility to do what they can to improve the safety, to get rid of crime as much as possible all through­out Manitoba. But instead, we're hearing and seeing preventable accidents, honour­able Deputy Speaker.

      If you go into any small busi­ness in the North End, and again, I know this affects many of my col­leagues in the North End, they have had recent break and enters. They have had so much theft. They have had weapons held up and used against them, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker. There is more that we can be doing.

      And this should be a round table con­ver­sa­tion. I believe I heard one of my colleagues talk about having a non-partisan com­mit­tee. I think that's a wonderful idea. Let's have a non-partisan com­mit­tee and let's focus on how we can improve the safety of Manitobans.

      Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, homelessness in the province: I remember, during the election, this govern­ment came out strong, saying that they were going to eradicate homelessness within eight years. Again, they are almost 25 per cent through those eight years–but let's just go mandate by mandate here–almost halfway through their mandate, and we aren't seeing an improve­ment.

      What is their plan? We've seen money be spent in arguably frivolous ways. We want to be careful there, but trips to Boston: How many staff have to go to Boston? What infor­ma­tion perhaps could have been conveyed over a Zoom call? These are all con­ver­sa­tions that I think should be held.

      But the bottom line is our homeless popu­la­tion is continuing to increase, and not just here in Winnipeg, but in cities like Brandon. There needs to be a better approach, and perhaps it's working more with munici­palities. Perhaps it's getting the federal gov­ern­ment, the prov­incial gov­ern­ment and the City to all come together and talk about a homelessness approach.

      I believe that the minister respon­si­ble for homeless­ness is spe­cific­ally doing a good job for the resources that she is being provided. But I think that this govern­ment is failing her a little bit, and she could be doing so much more.

      Hon­our­able Deputy Speaker, we also know EIA rates. They need to go up. We need to give people a fighting chance. Currently, EIA rates are less than the amount that a person has to pay for a single or a bachelor apartment. How can we expect someone to even get one leg up if we can't even have a place for them to reside here in the province?

      These are the actions that this gov­ern­ment needs to start to take. A lot of words being put on record, a lot of promises being made–and again, I do credit them for what they have done well in the budget–but there are a lot of gaps missing, and my hope is that they will start turning some of their rhetoric into action, hon­our­able Deputy Speaker.

      Thank you for the op­por­tun­ity to respond.

MLA David Pankratz (Waverley): I am so pleased to have the op­por­tun­ity today to stand up and speak about this in­cred­ible budget that has been brought forward by our Minister of Finance (MLA Sala). You know, and I want to start today by telling a little story that I think really speaks to what this budget is all about, and spe­cific­ally it's from when I was working as a fire­fighter.

      So, you know, we're at work; it's a night shift. I get a call at about one in the morning, and it's pitch black outside, very dark. And we called for a check well-being at this elderly woman's home. And her family hadn't heard from her. They usually hear from her all day; at some point, they'd hear from her. So we go, we knock on the door, there's no answer. It's one in the morning, again, it's kind of eerie, dark, nobody home, so we have to break in. We break in through the front door. Still nothing. Don't hear anything in the house.

      We come in, I start sort of fumbling my way through, trying to find some lights to turn on, to see what I'm going to do in this house. We're calling out, you know, fire­fighters–anybody home? I finally get to a bedroom. It's pitch dark, again, and so I try to find a light. So I'm, you know, feeling around, and all of a sudden–and I want to–I just want to say this–it was very quiet, kind of eerie, creaking floorboards. And from the darkness and the silence I just hear, hello, would you like some tea?

      And this woman is sitting there, she's sprung up from her bed, and now she's running to the kitchen and she's putting a kettle on before I know what's going on. And she's making me tea, and the crew. And so, you know, we go in, we're like, are you okay? Your family called in, we didn't know what was going on. And she turns to us like, oh yes, yes, no I'm fine, you know, but would you like to come and have a tea?

      We're at work, so we're thinking we should probably head out but, you know, the captain I was with was feeling gracious and he said, yes, yes, we'll have a tea. At one in the morning. And so we sit down with this woman at her dining room table and she loved it. You know, we sat down for 10 minutes. Con­ver­sa­tion, tea, she got to tell her friends that she had a VIP ex­per­ience with the fire de­part­ment at one in the morning. She loved it.

      And, you know, maybe it was sort of a VIP ex­per­ience because I think, ultimately, that's what build­ing com­mu­nity is about, right? And maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but it was one of these moments where I felt like, in my work, I got to really connect with some­body one-on-one.

* (15:30)

      And I think that that's what this budget does, and it's about showing up and turning on the lights, I sup­pose; offering some reassurance. And I would also say that sometimes people don't really need the–or know that they need that support until it shows up and it's sitting there beside them making sure they're okay.

      And, hon­our­able Speaker, I would just say that I think that's exactly what this budget is about. You know, building one Manitoba, it means investing in one another in our com­mu­nity. It means showing up for families, for busi­nesses or for com­mu­nities, and not just when they ask, but sometimes before they would even know it.

      And sometimes that looks like $3.7 billion invested in building hospitals, schools, roads and critical infra­structure, and sometimes maybe it just looks like having a tea at one in the morning.

      You know, this budget, it's bold, it's respon­si­ble, it's hopeful, and as I just said, we're investing $3.7 billion in building hospitals and schools, roads, critical infra­structure and the very foundations, you know, that allow com­mu­nities to thrive. And that's how you make that sort of idea of you're not alone a reality across this great province.

      And I want to start by talking about edu­ca­tion, and I want to thank the Minister of Edu­ca­tion for the in­cred­ible work that they are doing in their new role, following the footsteps of our dear colleague Nello Altomare, and the in­cred­ible work that she is doing to move forward on that in­cred­ible work that he started.

      You know, the–in Waverley, where I am fortunate enough to represent, we are building two new schools. That's right. Very exciting. And, you know, these schools obviously aren't just buildings, you know, they're where kids will make friends, they learn team­work, they find out who they are. And, yes, they learn math and science and all of those other things too.

      You know, and right now also, so many kids in Waverley–and I heard this at the door so often, can­vassing around the neighbourhood–they're being bused to different com­mu­nities, right, and I commend the school division, actually, for the in­cred­ible work that they have done in trying to work over the seven and a half years of cuts and freezes that they faced when the PCs were in power, and now they are seeing what a stable budget can do, and so promises of actual schools that go through Treasury Board and are actually pro­cessed in a reasonable and respon­si­ble way.

      So, you know, we talk about these schools and how they won't be busing any more, and that means that now kids that live a couple blocks apart will have that op­por­tun­ity to meet on their walk to school. Parents, when they go to pick up their kids, can talk about maybe a family barbeque, and that means building more com­mu­nity, right. And it's just so im­por­tant to be doing that work.

      So I am so in­cred­ibly proud and grateful as the MLA for Waverley, just to see our com­mu­nity's needs being so reflected clearly in this budget.

      We also need to talk about health care. In­cred­ibly im­por­tant. You know, on doorsteps as I was canvassing around the neighbourhood, I heard the same question over and over again: What happens if some­thing goes wrong? And with my history as a first responder, there were a lot of questions around why am I driving across town right now to get to an ER? And, unfor­tunately, that was due to cutting of ERs by this former gov­ern­ment. They closed the Victoria ER. They said they had a plan. I don't think that plan ever came to fruition, obviously.

      But now our gov­ern­ment, under a Premier (Mr. Kinew), Minister of Finance (MLA Sala), Minister of Health, we're delivering. And, you know, in 2025 we will break ground on a new Victoria emergency room. That's right. And that's–ultimately, that's peace of mind for families, that's trust restored. It's so im­por­tant for the com­mu­nity, the growing com­mu­nity in south Winnipeg.

      I also want to touch on the in­cred­ible work that our Minister of Housing and Addictions, Homeless­ness and Mental Health is doing with that Your Way Home plan, and her work with addictions and harm reduction, and the funding that we're doing to get people housed in our city as part of this budget. It is so in­cred­ibly im­por­tant.

      And I would actually just take a moment too to caution members opposite. I've been seeing some really harmful rhetoric and some pretty toxic language around this work that's being done to save lives, and as someone who has worked in that field, I would just encourage them to really think about the words they're using as we try to help folks, give them a hand up in their life in this budget and try to help with this scourge of opiates here in our city.

      So, you know, I also think it's im­por­tant for me to talk a little bit, because we're talking about one–building one Manitoba. And that also includes rural health care, as well, right? I worked as a paramedic in Virden and travelling to Russell, Minnedosa, Reston. I was out there for a while–great town.

      You know, there's small towns where people take huge pride in their com­mu­nities. They show up for each other. They volunteer. They coach. They make sure their neighbours are never left behind.

      In Spruce Woods, for example, is a great com­mu­nity. I know we've got a lot of friends and support out there, as well, for the work that we're doing. And, you know, folks in those com­mu­nities, they show up for each other. And what they've needed for too long is health care that shows up for them too, close to home. And that's exactly what we're delivering through this budget.

      You know, this–[interjection] Yes, it's right. That's right. After seven and a half years of the PCs, unfor­tunately, cutting rural health care. And this budget will invest in com­mu­nities, in Spruce Woods spe­cific­ally, for example, and Brandon and out in the Westman.

      It's really im­por­tant because building one Manitoba spe­cific­ally means building for everyone. You know, this budget, it invests in every corner of our province. Up north, as well, we're doing a ton of work. We're building hospitals and clinics. We're upgrading roads. We're expanding mental health services, strengthening water systems, because that is what a respon­si­ble gov­ern­ment looks like.

      And, you know, hon­our­able Speaker, I wasn't going to bring this up, but I have been chatting with a lot of first respon­ders about this budget, and they were pretty disappointed with some of the words they heard from the member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Piwniuk) last week, actually, who suggested that myself as a former fire­fighter might not have the mental horse­power to talk about payroll tax.

      And so they were deeply disappointed by this. I've had quite a few emails and phone calls, actually. It's been really disappointing. Well, you know, they were disappointed. And since the member brought that up, I'm more than happy to talk briefly about payroll tax and what we're doing in this budget, and how our govern­ment is actually cutting it.

      So we're raising the exemption threshold to 2 and a half million. We're increasing the point where busi­nesses pay the full rate to $5 million. That means over one thousand Manitoba busi­nesses will be better off. And that is how you support small-, medium-sized busi­ness, so they can hire, they can invest, they can grow. You know, and that's how you build one Manitoba, ultimately.

      And if the member for Turtle Mountain would like, I'd be happy to sort of talk about that policy a little bit more with him, maybe over a cup of tea. I could put the kettle on, as the woman did with us on our call in the middle of the night. Be happy to do that.

      So, you know, one bigger idea that I think is really im­por­tant to talk about that's touched on in this budget, spe­cific­ally, is our demo­cracy; it doesn't take care of itself. And the tariffs, the division, the disinformation, they really test the strength of our in­sti­tutions and as special envoy for military affairs, I've seen how fragile trust can be, and how quickly it can erode when leaders stop showing up for their people.

      You know, there's a historian that I really like, Timothy Snyder. And he talks about this idea that freedom isn't some­thing you're given; it's some­thing you build and you defend every single day.

      So this budget, it builds freedom through invest­ments and health care, through invest­ments in edu­ca­tion, infra­structure in com­mu­nities that lift people up and create good op­por­tun­ities. Because I would say real freedom, hon­our­able Speaker, isn't about slogans, necessarily. You know, it's about Manitoban families spending less time worrying about broken systems or closed ERs or schools that were promised in the campaign but not actually delivered through a budget, and more time maybe worrying about, I don't know like–things like how two parents are going to execute sort of a logistical masterpiece to get three kids to five different activities in one night.

      Maybe I'm speaking too close to home there, but I think that it's a pretty widely held concern here in Manitoba. You know, and it's about debating about what you're going to throw on the barbecue on the weekend with your friends, or who you're going to cheer for.

      And, you know, when the big things are taken care of, then those small joys can really come alive. And that's freedom, that's com­mu­nity, that's what we're building with this new budget.

* (15:40)

      So, hon­our­able Speaker, just to close, I'm so proud to stand here as MLA for Waverley. I'm proud to represent a com­mu­nity that has been heard and to be  part of a gov­ern­ment that listens and delivers. I want to thank the Premier (Mr. Kinew) and thank the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) and his in­cred­ible team for leading with vision and compassion and courage.

      And, to Manitobans, we see you. You know, we hear you, we're showing up and we're doing that for you, because of the work that you're doing. And some­times, if you'd like, even though I'm more of a coffee guy, myself, I'd love to sit down for a cup of tea.

      Thank you.

Mr. Rick Wowchuk (Swan River): It gives me great pleasure or–you know, standing up today, put a few words on the–hon­our­able Deputy Speaker. Gives me pleasure to put a few words on the record and we see–and I know a lot of times, everybody wants to take credit for certain things, et cetera, and we see all the jostling going back and forth in the House.

      You know, the gov­ern­ment had a chance to go up and–to Lynn Lake yesterday, and make a big an­nounce­ment on a gold mine that we really sowed the seed for a couple years ago and got through all the red tape that was created over a number of years.

      And I know that the hon­our­able member from Dauphin there, he–actually, one day, I stopped in at McDonald's and a guy came up to me and said: Boy, do you see the great job that our new minister had done on the highways in Dauphin? And I said, well, that's a couple of years ago that we got that in motion, and it finally came, you know, into being as soon as they stepped in, and another project–but those projects are running out.

      They're going to soon run out and they won't have any more of our an­nounce­ments to make, so hopefully they're going to be able to either fabricate a few of their own, just like we hear about these 1,200–or nurses, or the doctors, nurses, health‑care people that we never seen. And I asked one of the people in the health‑care system. I said: Where are these 1,200 nurses and doctors and health-care aides, et cetera? Well, they're sure not in Prairie Mountain Health, so we kind of wait to see where that's going to come.

      But, anyway, I think our member from–the MLA from Midland summed it up really well the other day when she said: tax, tax, tax, spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow. And that seems to be the way things go when we see the, you know, NDP come in, because they've got quite a history.

The Speaker in the Chair

      So today we gather in this Chamber to critically examine a budget that, on its face, boasts record figures and bold promises, but on closer inspection falls far short of addressing the real needs of rural Manitobans.

      And one of the interesting things that I seen in the budget, and we do need an–you know, I'm sure the minister for natural resources and Indigenous recon­ciliation worked hard to get these water bombers that they talked about. However, nobody said that a water–those three water bombers would cost about $80 million Canadian.

      And also, the other thing about those water bombers is that they mentioned, oh, we're going to fight the wildfires and the zebra mussels. And I know our former minister of Environ­ment, who is just nodding with me, saying, you know, you're absolutely right, well, they talked about the–they talked that they're going to fight wildfires and zebra mussels.

      And they–[interjection] Yes, and I thought, gee, maybe these water bombers, they better really maybe spend an extra $10 million on the bottom, because when they hit the bottom of that lake to try to scoop up those zebra mussels to dump on the inferno to get rid of them, it's liable to do a little bit of damage.

      So that's one of the–and the other thing is these water bombers, there's a six-year–six-year–waiting period for them, so–

An Honourable Member: Yes, you guys should've ordered them.

Mr. Wowchuk: Oh, yes, we should, hey? You betcha.

      And the Minister of Edu­ca­tion is really kind of standing with us, because she said: I know you did a lot of good things; you guys had nine schools in the making, you know, and you put it through your budget, so now those are nine extra projects that we can take credit for. So lots of neat things here.

      So the 2025 budget presented by this NDP gov­ern­ment promises much on paper. Yet, when we com­pare its broken promises and fiscal recklessness with the tangible achievements of the previous Conservative gov­ern­ment, the contrast is both stark and troubling.

      Rural Manitobans have been the backbone in–of the province, and sometimes we're forgetting about in rural Manitoba. I know our MLA from Dauphin ad­vocates really, really hard for our rural con­stit­uencies. And hoping he's going to make a couple meetings here on Thursday night, you know, to stand up for some of the things that the rural–that's really im­por­tant to rural people.

      Our com­mu­nities, our families and our local economies depend on sound invest­ments and infra­structure, edu­ca­tion, health care, affordability and 'responsical' fiscal manage­ment. Yet the policies in the budget not only neglect these core needs, but actively under­mine them. The figures don't lie. When the NDP toots a record capital invest­ment of $3.7 billion, they have simultaneously slashed essential maintenance budgets, a move that leaves rural roads, water systems in a state of rapid decay.

      Under the previous Conservative PC gov­ern­ment, targeted–[interjection] And I know the member–the MLA from Dauphin is just saying, God, I wish we could do the things that you did in the time that you were there. And he's just kind of agreeing with the things here. And I know that he stands behind a lot of our great work. But every dollar spent is translated directly into safer roads and more reliable water services.

      For example, while the current administration has cut $64 million from highway maintenance and $104 million from water infra­structure, our gov­ern­ment's committed the–an extra–our gov­ern­ment had committed an extra $120 million to upgrading these vital systems, a clear testament to the PC gov­ern­ment's commit­ment to long‑term sus­tain­able growth.

      And that's the difference. There's one fun­da­mental difference in budgets that our PC gov­ern­ment put forth, and the NDP, and that's we worked hard on economic growth, Hon­our­able Speaker. We worked hard because that's how revenue should be generated, with the economical growth, not the tax, tax, tax, spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow, you know, and all those kind of things.

      So let us be clear: strategic spending isn't measured by headline numbers; it's measured by quality and longevity of services delivered in Manitoba. And we worked hard to–when we brought in the New West Part­ner­ship, and that was some­thing we were bring­ing. But everyone, every one of those members across the floor, voted against every­thing that we tried to do to take down the barriers and the–you know, on those things that were happening–take down those inter­provincial barriers. They just–they fought tooth and nail. They would pull those bills and make sure that we didn't get some of those stuff through.

      But we did make some progress, and now they're going to be forced to have that interprovincial trade barriers taken down that they–the silo that they built over their 17 terrible, terrible years in gov­ern­ment.

      So those are some of the things. And a cut of $64 million in highway maintenance, and I–when I look at that, and they say, oh, well, we brought in the gas tax holiday and then we put money in the pockets, well, they brought it back with the biggest tax increase in the history of Manitoba. The–and then they said, oh, and we're going to cut 10 per cent permanently. Well, whoopee ding, 1 cent on a litre. And then we didn't see a lot of those things come about, but it's the messaging that fools a lot of Manitobans.

      But we can see that Premier (Mr. Kinew) has dropped to second. He's going to go to third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth place as time, you know, comes along here, and we're going to actually see that.

      So it's–I know that the Minister of Edu­ca­tion, she kind of put her, you know, her hand on her forehead, saying, God, I just hope it doesn't happen as quick as it looking like it may.

      Similarly, a reduction of the $104 million in spending spells trouble for com­mu­nities. Can the gov­ern­ment honestly claim that this reallocation of funds reflects a fair and balanced approach when it sacrifices the foundations that support rural health?

      Even more troubling is the budget's approach to edu­ca­tion–and all of a sudden there's a little bit of a perk of interest here–a sector that holds the promise of a better future for our youth. And that's why we bud­geted for nine new schools–nine new schools. You know, and now they're announcing 11 now coming up.

* (15:50)

      But, fortunately, after those nine new schools are announced, there's going to be nine less an­nounce­ments that we kind of set–sowed the seed for the NDP and they're–you know, to take credit for.

      Yet it's been undermined by some shortsighted fiscal decisions. The NDP gov­ern­ment allocated the $700 million for new school construction. However, while building can be a welcome sight, they're not a substitute for the operational supports that keep schools running smoothly day in and day out.

      Under our–

An Honourable Member: The school division taxes.

Mr. Wowchuk: Yes, that's–yes; taxes, tax, tax, tax, and we're seeing that all over Winnipeg with these huge, huge increases.

      I mean, we capped and we kept the reign on those school divisions to keep it down to 2 per cent. Now they can go ahead–hey, and you know what, who do you blame? Blame the school divisions. It's not our respon­si­bility if they want to put it up to 25, 26, 27, 28 per cent, you know, and it's probably going to go, go, go. So, those are some of the stuff.

      Instead the budget raises property taxes by $182 million, a move that increases the financial burden on rural families already grappling for the soaring living costs. And it's sad to see that so many families are within $200 of disposal income. You know, with $200 away from not being able to go to the grocery store, not being–oh, I forgot the gas tax holiday–and able to stop at McDonald's on the way to the hockey game.

      But the, you know, other various things there is–there's a lot of things that families struggle in today and affordability is a big thing. And this budget does not help with affordability.

      The phasing out of the edu­ca­tional tax credits 'previoudly' provided and wait until all those homes around the edge of the cities, et cetera. Not too much–there's not too many homes that aren't valued at $434,000 and when they see their tax bill, that's when it's going to go to No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 position for the Premier (Mr. Kinew).

      You know, and it's a lot of those things. Consider the broader context: under the PC stewardship, reforms in post‑secondary edu­ca­tion focused not only in ex­pand­ing access, but ensuring affordability and–wow, I've got 30 pages yet, and I only got eight minutes left here, so I think I better just kind of–maybe we'll go to health care.

      Health care, arguably the most–in Swan River, we have had 10 beds that in the personal-care home where families have to get taken away or elderly people, loved ones, have to get taken to places two and three hundred miles away. They don't have many friends left, you know, one or two elderly friends. Some of them don't have family. And, I'll be honest, when they go away to these places, they just–their loneliness suc­cumbs to mortality, and that's what happens.

      And that's why it's im­por­tant. Those 10 beds in Swan have been vacant for this whole 18 months that the PC gov­ern­ment–I mean the NDP gov­ern­ment–has been in power. And I'm getting calls every day, and they claim staffing shortages. Well, where are these 1,200 staff members that they have hired? Surely we can get a couple down to Swan River to open those 10 beds so that some of our loved ones can stay in their local community and have the support of friends and family and extend their lifeline, because.

      By contrast, the–and I can see the member from Dauphin is just saying, God, you guys, you did such a great overhaul in our hospital while you were in power. They gave us every­thing. You built a beautiful twin highway coming in there. We got all these off­shoots. We love you for it. And I thank him for those kind remarks because we like Dauphin, too.

      We must ask ourselves: How can we expect our children to thrive when the very structure meant to support their edu­ca­tion is burdened by policies? And the health care? Well, for too long Manitobans have endured long ER wait times, and it has not got any better.

      You know, just claiming that we're going to fix this health care when we get in, within six months everything's going to be beautiful. Has it happened? Of course not. It's gotten worse. The ER wait times have gotten worse.

      You know, I phoned my doctor the other day, and he said, well, unfor­tunately, the person taking the schedule: in three months, I can see him in person. If you want to see–talk over the telephone, in six weeks we can maybe arrange it.

      So things aren't getting better. Things are getting worse. And this–the failed Health Minister knows it, but every day tries to defend her dismal record.

      So the NDP gov­ern­ment promises to add new hospital–

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Once again I must remind the member that proper pronouns are required, and please use them going forward. I shouldn't have to keep standing up reminding members. We've all been here long enough now that we should know that.

Mr. Wowchuk: Yes, I apologize on that, okay. I'll be more mindful of that. Sometimes when you get talk­ing, you kind of get into it and you get forgetful, so my apologies.

      The NDP gov­ern­ment promise to add new cap–new hospital beds and recruit more health‑care workers–is vague and insufficient. Their plans don't address the unique challenges, the tracking and retaining medical pro­fes­sionals in rural and northern regions.

      And we all know, whether we're in Flin Flon or the member from The Pas‑Kameesak or Swan River, it's tough to get doctors up there. Lot of good boards work on incentives to try to keep them there, and there's–it's definitely a challenge. You know, there's not much to do, and I give our health board a lot–in Swan River–a lot of credit on–they have a lot of health‑care workers, doctors that come in, visit, and they do a great day of fishing, skidooing, visiting the ski hill and showing them all the perks that Swan River and Swan Valley and area has to offer.

An Honourable Member: The roundup in the summer?

Mr. Wowchuk: Yes, you betcha. The Northwest Round Up, that's a great time.

      Instead, nearly 9 per cent of the budget, or over $2.3 billion is funnelled into debt servicing, siphoning resources that could've been used to modernize rural clinics.

      And that's what I–it just–it's so painful to watch the amount of money that is spent when we run a deficit and we, you know, spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow like the NDP is doing, and knowing how much that is taking away from our health‑care system, from the op­por­tun­ities to have all these great things happen. How can the gov­ern­ment justify a scenario when debt obligations take precedence over life-saving health services?

      And I got to give the old toot-out out to our CT scan. Like there's probably been over 2,000 CT scans administered in the Swan Valley. We were told under the NDP's previous disaster that you get–you know, that Swan River does not need a CT scan.

      Well, you think 2,000 trips to Dauphin or The Pas or Winnipeg or Brandon, where people have to take time off of work, that was a revolution, and that was all because of our hard‑working premier at that time that made that happen. And I don't care what anybody says, we are forever grateful for that.

      The impact of these decisions extends well beyond infra­structure, edu­ca­tion and health care. Afford­ability, property taxes and the overall cost of living are direct barometers of the gov­ern­ment's commit­ment to its citizens.

      And I'm just kind of wrapping down, so I'm going to, you know, bypass about 20 pages here and get maybe to my summing up here.

      Let us remember more spending is not 'synoposis'–with better out­comes. The NDP's gov­ern­ment or gov­ern­ment's budget with its inflated figures and grand promises ultimately delivers less, failing to improve the services that rural Manitobans rely on. The choice before us is clear: we can either accept the future where fiscal mis­manage­ment and broken promises dictate policy or we can demand a return to a model of gov­ern­ment that 'priortorizes' respon­si­bility, fairness and sus­tain­able invest­ment.

      The Progressive Conservative vision for Manitoba is built on that, okay, that latter principle, a vision where every policy is measured by its real‑world impact, and every dollar is spent with the well-being of rural Manitobans in mind.

* (16:00)

      And I call on this gov­ern­ment to re‑evaluate its approach. The time for empty promises is over; the time for meaningful, effective actions in now. Let us build a better, fairer and more prosperous Manitoba, a Manitoba where the legacy of respon­si­ble gov­ern­ment is renewed, where every rural road is safe, every school is well‑funded and every Manitoban can share in the prosperity of our great province.

      Thank you.

Ms. Amanda Lathlin (The Pas-Kameesak): It's always an honour to put a few words on record as the MLA for The Pas-Kameesak. I've been here for 10 years and I still get a little bit nervous before speeches. But the 10 years I've been here have been absolutely fuelled by the support that I get from my con­stit­uents and especially from my family.

      So, in speaking of support, I want to talk about health in northern Manitoba, some­thing very foreign to every single person in this room that I sit in, except for Eric and you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      I've attended many, many funerals in the past three weeks. Friends, con­stit­uents, dying of diabetes. A child­hood friend of mine, couple of weeks ago, had a heart attack. We spoke to her that morning, said we would meet her at the hospital that evening, and she had a heart attack due to diabetes. Her poor little body, no legs, amputated off. In a wheelchair.

      She didn't make it. So–excuse me. It was trauma­tizing talking to her in the morning and then getting a call that night from the nurse that she died, right before her heart surgery. So she died just two weeks away from her late son's death, who also died from complications from diabetes, and that's a main prob­lem where I come from. Even I'm a diabetic.

      All these funerals that I've attended were all results–because of diabetes, and that's why I always pushed for health in northern Manitoba. The My Health Team, which we announced, maybe it was a couple of months ago, I was really proud to support, because My Health Teams is basically a way to recruit and sur­round yourself for supports to deal with mental health. And people who have been here with me for the past 10 years, I've dealt with mental health, which is not dealt with in northern Manitoba when you're a child 18 and under.

      You have to be medevac'd out to the city or to Brandon, and I've been medevac'd out four times with my young girls due to thoughts of suicide, mental health. And I can tell you, it's not fun at all to be flown or driven at 140 kilometres per hour and make it to–The Pas to Winnipeg–in five hours, and then sit in a dark room of a psychiatrist at the Health Sciences Centre, only for your child to be assessed for, like, 10 minutes. And no follow‑up plan as well.

      So that is why I am happy that we're starting at home first to provide these supports for our children in northern Manitoba when they have thoughts of suicide or mental health problems.

      In terms of diabetes as well, dialysis units, this gov­ern­ment will be looking at provi­ding dialysis treat­ment in northern Manitoba. And once again, I've seen so many people die at this home care–this health facility that's on River Avenue near where I live. I've seen three people removed that I know personally, removed from their com­mu­nities to come here for dialysis, and all three died. All three gave up on their dialysis and said screw it. This is–this loneliness is killing me. Three people, one as young as 19.

      So I'm looking forward to provi­ding that crucial service to our people in northern Manitoba instead of ripping them apart from their family and their sup­ports to come here and die alone.

      Also, too, foot care not existing in Thompson? That's outrageous. Do you know how many diabetics are up in northern Manitoba? That's all we are. First Nations. Number one for diabetics. Because of food. It costs so goddamn crazy that we can't even afford fresh food. We've got to eat bologna; we've got to eat KD. No wonder we're diabetics.

      Also, too, kidney checks program in northern Manitoba. Anything that will address our health‑care concerns will always be helpful to us. I come–I've come a long way and seen our health-care services slowly grow from when I first moved back home in 2007.

      I also want to talk about the medevac situation. Ever since, you know, when somebody gets sick, like I've–when somebody gets sick back home in The Pas or Thompson, Flin Flon, we usually are medevac'd out, once again ripped away from your families, ripped away from your job, ripped away from your school. And we need services provided in north Manitoba. And that's why I was happy to hear that money will be invested into The Pas clinic, some­thing I've been talking about since 2016, some­thing that we need, some­thing that needs to be invested. And I'm glad that I'm on the team that sees that.

      Doctor recruitment–it'd be great if we could have doctors working in this Pas clinic. That would be an absolute way to attract new and keep our doctors as well, to have a great up-to-date facility for our doctors to practise in.

      So speaking of doctors, we have systemic racism that exists in your face every day in The Pas. I too, before I was an MLA, ex­per­ienced systemic racism. I went in there for an earache. I got heck from the doctor, thinking I only came in there for Tylenol for a cold. I gave him heck when I said he should take his bedside manner course over again, after he yelled at me for coming in for a cold.

      I have a con­stit­uent who lost her husband because she wasn't taken seriously when she was trying to ad­dress systemic racism and the doctors wouldn't even help her husband, so they had to go to Prince Albert to get health care there.

      What about that man from Nelson House who went to The Pas hospital and he had a serious illness. Instead, this doctor said, you're hungover. I'll give you Tynol [phonetic].

      And that's why I am looking forward to working with this new board, which does have First Nation repre­sen­tation, to ensure that this systemic racism does not continue. It's killing my people.

      And I can see it here, too. When our people have to be transferred from north to south and go through this systemic racism again. It just seems like there's a stigma, this thing that we only go there for free drugs, because it's covered under our treaty. That's what I see, and that's what I think. That's what our patients are all thought about.

      I also want to work with initiatives to address this systemic racism. I'm looking forward to working with the Minister of Health, who I've discussed this very im­por­tant issue many times. And I'm glad that we're going to have op­por­tun­ities to speak to our leadership in these–in our First Nation com­mu­nities up north who have to deal with this. You don't know how many times I get phone calls and emails about how our First Nations were treated cruelly at the hospital; not taken seriously; sent home. And I'm tired of that. That's why I'm looking forward to speaking to our Minister of Health, to correct that and get rid of it.

      And another thing that I want to address, that this budget addressed: I'm really extremely proud of the Manitoba's poverty reduction program. And I'm also extremely proud of the uni­ver­sal school food program.

* (16:10)

      The poverty reduction program, it was just an absolute delight to see how people's lives are being changed. Imagine going from a tent and going to an actual roof over your head, and getting those supports that you need. I know many, many people at Oscar's Place, our homeless shelter in The Pas, and I want to see initiatives like that too, as well, for our people in northern Manitoba; from tents to house, or shelter to house.

      And the uni­ver­sal school food program, some­thing that I hold dear to my heart. When I was a young kid, growing up on social assist­ance with my mom, single mother raising all of us, social housing, I remember, too, going to school with an empty stomach. You know, because we were just a few days away from the end of the month, when we can get groceries. And I'm very thankful that kids–sorry, it's my old age. I'm just crying a lot more these days. I'm just very thankful that these poor kids have an op­por­tun­ity to learn and not feel poor. Because that's how I felt when I grew up.

      So with that, these programs are very dear to my heart because they take care of people; things that this side of the House care about–that the things that I care about, the principles that I hold dear to my heart.

      And another thing that I hold dear to my heart is Uni­ver­sity College of the North. I'm absolutely proud how central stage they take when it comes to a ad­dressing what the North needs: to our economy, to our health-care system, edu­ca­tion, trades. I used to work there as a repre­sen­tative workforce co-ordinator, and I absolutely know the potential that that place holds and how much more it can hold.

      And Uni­ver­sity College of the North is some place that I will always hold dear to my heart, because it has a beautiful library named after my late father, the Oscar Lathlin Research Library. And all the invest­ment that has happened all these years is what he truly wanted to see, and it's fitting how they named the library after my father, and it's because he was No. 1 about edu­ca­tion.

      He always said edu­ca­tion is your weapon against poverty and un­em­ploy­ment. And a library assists you with your edu­ca­tion, some­thing my dad always wanted to do: help with education. So I thought it was very–quite fitting to name that library after my father, some­where I always go, and always take pictures of his name there.

      So with the Uni­ver­sity College of the North, with all these invest­ments, I'm looking forward to seeing 16 additional paramedic positions to be created. I'm also looking forward to the $3 million that was in­vested in a mobile MRI. And with this budget, I've read it, embraced it; of course, I fine-tuned it to make sure that we weren't left out but that is not going to be happening here with our gov­ern­ment. I'm looking forward to working with our ministers to ensure that the North will be invested in.

      And with that, I just want to thank my con­stit­uents and my friends and family who have been with me through­out this whole journey. It's the best job in the world, when you can actually help people and be there for them. So all of us should be here and be honoured that we have that position and not take it for granted.

      Ekosi.

The Speaker: Any more members wishing to debate?

MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): Hon­our­able Speaker, I rise today to share my thoughts on Budget 2025, the second budget presented by this gov­ern­ment.

      As I expressed last year, I'm once again taken aback by the briefness of the hon­our­able Minister of Finance's (MLA Sala) speech on this matter.

      I want to begin by saying this gov­ern­ment often takes credit for accomplishments they claim as their own. Today, however, I want to extend my applause to the residents of Dawson Trail. I commend the council, the RMs, the con­stit­uents, our schools, the teaching staff and all the com­mu­nity members and organi­zations who have tirelessly advocated for a new vocational school in Ste. Anne.

      Many may not yet be aware, since the Minister of Finance chose not to prioritize informing Dawson Trail con­stit­uents during his notably brief statement yesterday–or, sorry, a couple days back, that after numer­ous questions in this House, petitions and emails, the funding for the Ste. Anne regional high school has finally been approved by this gov­ern­ment, which, thinking back, had already been approved by our gov­ern­ment and budgeted for. This truly is fantastic news, and both the com­mu­nity and I are celebrating this achievement.

      In the Budget 2025 Building One Manitoba docu­ment, on page 65, it states, and I quote: Budget 2025 is investing over $20 million in adding four new K‑to‑8 schools in Manitoba's edu­ca­tion system. With seven more schools to follow in the next two years, these 11 schools represent over $700 million of in­vest­­ments in the next five years.

      The previous PC gov­ern­ment, back in March 2023, made a sig­ni­fi­cant amounts–an­nounce­ment: funding had been allocated for the construction of the new Ste. Anne vocational high school, with the promise that it would be fully operational by 2027, not just started.

      Now fast-forward 18 months, and this current gov­ern­ment has merely re-announced this project, the same project previously committed by our gov­ern­ment, and the commit­ment included the funds.

      I have–or, instead of adhering to the original time­line, it appears that the construction may only, again, begin in 2027, the very year the school was supposed to be complete. This delay highlights a disappointing prioritization of political maneuvering over the needs of the people. It's a frustrating setback for the com­mu­nity, which deserves much better.

      At this point, I must urge the Minister of Edu­ca­tion to offer clarity regarding the details of this vital project. Budget 2025 referenced seven more schools to follow in the next two years, but this statement raises several critical questions.

      Does this imply that, within the next two years, all planning and pre­par­ations will be finalized, allow­ing construction to com­mence in 2027? Or does it suggest that, in 2027, the planning and preparatory work will only begin, further delaying that timeline?

      The residents of Ste. Anne and the surrounding com­mu­nity deserve trans­par­ency and precise timelines for this initiative. When can we expect tangible progress: the com­mence­ment of construction? And can the Ste. Anne regional high school officially open its doors and begin–when can it officially open its doors and begin serving its students?

      It is imperative that the gov­ern­ment provide answers to these pressing questions so that the com­mu­nity can have a clear under­standing of the project's trajectory and timelines.

      When our previous gov­ern­ment announced the dev­elop­ment of a new vocational school in Ste. Anne, it had included an exciting plan to add nearly 100 new child-care spaces to the com­mu­nity. As we await more details from the minister about the timeline for this school's completion, it is equally im­por­tant to under­stand the gov­ern­ment's plans for expanding child-care spaces across the entire Dawson Trail region.

* (16:20)

      The com­mu­nities of Dawson Trail are growing rapidly, and the demand for accessible, affordable child-care options continues to rise. Therefore, it is essential to build–to know whether new child cants–care centres will be built and where they will be located to meet the needs of our expanding popu­la­tion.

      In addition to expanding child-care spaces, it's crucial to ensure there are sufficient work forces of qualified early child­hood educators to staff these centres. It's one thing to build more spaces, but with­out enough trained pro­fes­sionals to operate them, the centres won't be able to provide the quality care needed. The recruitment, training and retention of ECEs must be a priority for the gov­ern­ment to ensure these new centres can run effectively.

      As these plans move forward, it would be helpful to have more clarity on both the physical infra­structure of the child-care centres and the necessary work force to support them, ensuring that Dawson Trail com­mu­nities are prepared for the growing demand of child care in the future.

      Now let's turn our attention to the issue of taxes. At this moment, our province, and indeed our entire country, find them­selves in a precarious situation. The state of our economy is fragile, with many uncertainties clouding the future. Manitobans are grappling with affordability in an affordability crisis and families are facing increasing pressures as the cost of living con­tinues to rise.

      Busi­ness owners of all sizes, whether small, medium or large, are deeply concerned about the averse effects that tariffs and other economic policies may have on their operations, threatening both their probability and their livelihood–their 'profability', sorry, and their liveli­hoods of their employees.

      Workers, too, are anxious at the looming pos­sibility of layoffs as layoffs become more real with every passing day. And yet, as we look ahead to Budget 2025, it is clear that the gov­ern­ment's response to these challenges is to impose nearly $1 billion in additional taxes on the very people who are already struggling the most.

      This is a worrying proposal, as it makes it even–as it takes even more money out of the pockets of Manitobans who can least afford it. For many, every dollar counts and adding such a sig­ni­fi­cant financial 'burdain'–burden during a time of economic uncertainty is a step in the wrong direction. This tax increase will only add to the pressures on families, busi­nesses and workers, making it even harder for them to navigate these already difficult times.

      So here's a breakdown of the taxes: there are $292 million more in income taxes, $150 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. I could elaborate further on this, but there's little need to do so. Manitobans have witnessed first-hand the con­se­quence of previous NDP gov­ern­ments in our province. Their approach has been simple: tax, tax, tax, tax.

      Not only do they burden the people with higher taxes, but they also use this revenue to increase their own salaries, engage in excessive spending and leave the province and its residents in an even worse posi­tion than they were before. The result is a cycle of financial strain that fails to address the root issue and not only deepens the challenges faced–and not only deepens the challenges faced by Manitobans.

      Now moving on to more takeaways from Budget 2025. Exploring our magnificent province has always been a source of great joy for me, from discovering its diverse landscapes to 'mancing' myself in the natural wonders that define our trails, lakes. Each journey feels like a celebration of beauty. I've had the privilege of visiting many of our treasured prov­incial parks, each offering unique experiences and breathtaking scenery.

      What makes these adventures even more memor­able are the connections I've made along the way, whether it's chatting with friendly campsite neighbours, meeting visitors from other provinces who are equally enthralled by our parks or engaging with dedi­cated individuals who work tirelessly to enrich these spaces. They have all con­tri­bu­ted to the richness of my experiences.

      The amounts–the an­nounce­ment to provide families a year of free access to prov­incial parks is undoubt­edly a welcome relief, especially during a period when Manitoba residents are grappling with an affordability and economic crisis. It's a gesture that will allow families to enjoy the natural beauty of our province without financial barriers of fostering–and fostering connections and well-being.

      However, alongside this I find myself deeply con­cerned about the potential of unintended con­se­quences of this decision, parti­cularly for those individuals who have been employed at our prov­incial parks in roles focused on checking and enforcing valid park passes. Were their positions considered during this decision-making process? Has the NDP gov­ern­ment evaluated how this initiative might affect the em­ploy­ment op­por­tun­ities of these work years–of these workers, many of whom rely on these roles, especially during the summer months, to support their livelihoods?

      Additionally, I would like to know if there were any meaningful discussions held with the parks de­part­ment regarding this policy. It is crucial to understand how this decision may impact summer em­ploy­ment figures and whether there are plans in place to mitigate any negative repercussions.

      While the intent behind free park access is admirable, it is im­por­tant that the gov­ern­ment provides assurances, taking into account that solutions are in place to address any challenges that may arise.

      So, as I was stating earlier, Mr. Hon­our­able Speaker, a lot of this budget has left me wondering what has been overlooked. I know we talked a little bit about–well, some examples of why this concerns me is when some of the legis­lation that's been brought forward regarding procurement of just Canadian goods, just the basic questions that were asked about policy and how this was going to be rolled out couldn't be answered by this gov­ern­ment.

      So these are just, like I said, a few of the things that concern me largely when any docu­ment is being produced by this parti­cular gov­ern­ment.

      With those brief words, Mr.–Hon­our­able Speaker, sorry, not Mr. Speaker, I would like to end my state­ment by saying I do ap­pre­ciate that the gov­ern­ment has taken into account and reannounced a school that was already announced under our gov­ern­ment, but, again, it goes to the com­mu­nity leaders and those who are genuinely concerned and–about these kinds of pro­­jects and advocate on behalf, through me, that deserve the credit, and not the NDP gov­ern­ment.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

MLA Robert Loiselle (St. Boniface): C'est un plaisir d'avoir cette opportunité de mettre quelques mots à l'avant au sujet de notre excellent Budget 2025-2026, un budget si rafraîchissant comparé aux budgets médiocres et absolument décourageants des anciens – de l'ancien gouvernement conservateur précédent, qui a failli et n'a pas écouté aux priorités des Manitobains et des Manitobaines.

      Et j'aimerais prendre ce moment pour vraiment remercier notre ministre des Finances (DAL Sala) pour avoir pris le temps d'écouter les priorités des Manitobains, des Manitobaines, de mettre ces priorités-là à l'avant, pour mieux répondre aux besoins des Manitobains et des Manitobaines.

      Et j'ai fait partie d'ailleurs des con­sul­ta­tions que l'honorable ministre des Finances a mis à l'avant. On est allés à la rencontre des Manitobains et des Manitobaines à Lac-du-Bonnet. C'était un plaisir d'aller à Lac-du-Bonnet, à la rencontre de gens qui veulent entendre parler de ce que ce gouvernement a à partager avec eux, un gouvernement qui est, comme je l'ai dit, à l'écoute. On a aussi eu la chance d'aller à Brandon pour rencontrer des gens qui étaient très contents de nous voir.

* (16:30)

      Et naturellement, on a pris le temps d'écouter les Franco-manitobains et les Franco-manitobaines en ayant une con­sul­ta­tion au Centre culturel franco-manitobain. La salle était remplie, pleine à craquer. Le Conseil jeunesse prov­incial était là; Santé en Français était là; la Société de la francophonie manitobaine était là; et plusieurs résidents de Saint-Boniface étaient là pour partager leurs priorités avec notre gouvernement.

      Alors, parlons de ces priorités, s'il vous plaît, Monsieur l'Honorable Président. On sait que la santé est encore en premier plan quand ça vient aux priorités des Manitobains et des Manitobaines. En tant que résident de longue date de Saint-Boniface, juste la semaine dernière j'ai eu la chance d'aller parler à la Fondation de l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface, et ce que j'ai entendu était absolument effrayant et décourageant.

      Il y a 10 ans, à l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface, on avait des soins cardiaques qui étaient de pure beauté, reconnus comme étant un modèle national et inter­national. Et au niveau personnel, j'ai un père, une mère et un frère qui ont passé à travers les soins cardiaques à l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface, et qui ont reçu des soins incroyables, avec un continuum de soin qui a tellement bien pris soin de ma famille.

      Mais ce que j'ai entendu la semaine dernière, c'est que, sous l'ancien gouvernement médiocre conservateur, les soins de santé cardiaques à l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface ont été saccagés. Et ce qu'on trouve maintenant à l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface est un piètre reflet de ce qui existait il y a 10 ans.

      Et c'est à cause de l'ancien gouvernement conservateur. C'est à cause d'eux. Et on a souffert sous sept années et demie de Stefanson-Pallister, qui ont absolument saboté les soins cardiaques qui existaient autrefois à l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface.

      Notre gouvernement s'engage à rebâtir les soins de santé, on le sait. On va commencer par investir en ressources humaines, en embauchant au-delà de mille travailleurs de la santé. Je crois qu'on en a embauché jusqu'à 1 255 jusqu'à date. Et on veut rebâtir les soins de santé, non seulement au milieu rural, mais au milieu urbain aussi. Et je suis fier de dire qu'à l'Hôpital de Saint-Boniface, on va rebâtir les soins cardiaques.

      Au niveau de l'éducation, Monsieur l'Honorable Président, je suis fier de dire que notre gouvernement va continuer à investir dans nos écoles, va continuer à investir dans nos centres de la petite enfance, et je suis fier de dire que notre gouvernement d'ailleurs a annoncé des nouvelles garderies, des expansions de garderie à Saint-Lazare, à l'École Roméo-Dallaire, à l'École Précieux-Sang et à l'École Lagimodière à Lorette.

       Alors, ce sont des écoles, naturellement, sous la Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, et on sait jusqu'à quel point que les centres de la petite enfance sont importants pour les Francophones manitobains, les Franco-Métis aussi, parce qu'on sait que la langue est le véhicule de la culture.

      Alors, ayant – c'est un ayant-droit : mes enfants sont allés à la garderie en français, ils sont allés à l'école en français, secondaire en français, et on continue de parler en français à la maison. Et d'ailleurs, je suis fier de faire partie d'un gouvernement qui, juste la semaine dernière d'ailleurs, a rencontré la Francophonie manitobaine, puisque c'est Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie en ce moment. Et on a célébré ensemble d'ailleurs le 20 mars dernier la Journée internationale de la Francophonie.

      Alors, étant un gouvernement à l'écoute, étant un gouvernement divers, étant un gouvernement qui veut aller à la rencontre des gens pour vraiment savoir c'est quoi leurs priorités, je trouve que ce Budget 2025‑2026 est précisément à l'écoute des Manitobains et des Manitobaines.

      Et ce qui est encore plus époustouflant, c'est que nous avons un plan pour construire 11 nouvelles écoles dans les trois prochaines années, qui est absolument incroyable. Et je suis fier de dire que nous allons même construire non seulement une nouvelle école d'immersion à Brandon ouest, mais aussi une école francophone – une nouvelle école francophone dans l'ouest du Manitoba, à l'ouest de Brandon, pour la Division scolaire franco-manitobaine.

      Qui veut dire, en autres mots, encore une fois, que notre gouvernement est à l'écoute. On s'est pas mis la tête dans le sable comme l'ancien gouvernement médiocre qui a pas écouté aux Franco-manitobains et aux Franco-manitobaines, qui n'a fait que saboter les efforts des communautés culturelles pour faire avancer leurs choses – leurs priorités. Et nous allons continuer à avancer avec les priorités des Franco-manitobains et des Franco-manitobaines.

      Étant éducateur de longue date, j'ai travaillé pendant 28 ans en français, en anglais, et comme le dit l'ancien – excusez, comme l’a dit le ministre des Affaires municipales très récemment, on a souffert sous l'ancien gouvernement. Mais, le temps de cette souffrance est maintenant venu à la fin, puisque nous avons un gouvernement capable de mettre à l'avant les priorités des Manitobains et des Manitobaines. Le temps de cette grande souffrance est fini.

      Alors, pour moi, le Budget 2025-2026, c'est comme si encore une fois le soleil brille sur la plaine manitobaine. Les gens sont encouragés. Les gens sont heureux de voir un gouvernement qui est finalement à l'écoute. Et nous allons continuer, non seulement d'écouter les Manitobains et les Manitobaines, mais nous allons les outiller. Nous allons leur donner les soins de santé, les écoles et les centres de la petite enfance que les Manitobains et les Manitobaines ont besoin pour vivre une belle vie, une vie sous un Manitoba, et comme l'a dit le ministre des Finances (DAL Sala) très récemment, nous allons « bâtir, bâtir, bâtir », Monsieur l'Hon­or­able Président.

      Alors, dans ce Budget 2025-2026, on parle aussi d'une autre priorité pour les Franco-manitobains et les Franco-manitobaines, et c'est la justice. Comme vous savez, la Francophonie manitobaine est en plein essor. Nos écoles sont pleines à craquer. Mais avec ça vient aussi des défis au niveau de la justice. Alors, nous avons annoncé l'été dernier, et nous allons avancer avec ce plan de mettre sur pied un centre bilingue de services au niveau de la justice où les Franco-manitobains et les Franco-manitobaines, les jeunes familles, les parents, vont être capables d'aller pour recevoir des services en justice, mais en français.

      Alors, non seulement nous avons des centres de bilingue – des centres de services bilingues ici au Manitoba qui d'ailleurs va aller à la rencontre des Manitobains et des Manitobaines, mais nous allons maintenant avoir à Saint-Boniface un centre de services de justice qui va opérer de façon bilingue.

      Alors, pour moi, ce ne sont que des bonnes nouvelles. Et quand nous allons à la rencontre des   Manitobains et des Manitobaines dans nos circonscriptions, nous rencontrons plusieurs, plusieurs citoyens qui nous disent qu'ils sont encouragés par le beau travail que nous faisons, qu'ils sont encouragés par ce qu'ils voient dans ce Budget 2025-2026. Et je vous assure que notre gouvernement va continuer à travailler fort pour s'assurer que nous donnons aux Manitobains ce qu'ils ont besoin pour réussir.

      Nous savons que pendant ces temps incertains, avec ce qui se passe aux États-Unis, nous allons devoir travailler extrêmement fort pour s'assurer que l'économie manitobaine reste résiliente. Et on reconnaît aussi que nos communautés culturelles comme la communauté franco-manitobaine est un engin économique. Et c'est en travaillant ensemble et en encourageant cet engin économique que nous allons être capables d'aller plus loin, de faire avancer les choses en concertation naturellement avec les autres provinces – parce que les échanges commerciaux avec les autres provinces, on l'encourage de façon très positive. Et c'est en reconnaissant que la Francophonie manitobaine est un engin économique que nous allons en faire avancer le logement, l'éducation, les soins de santé, la justice et toutes les autres belles priorités que les Manitobains ont partagées avec nous.

      Alors, sur ce, Monsieur l'Hon­or­able Président, je suis absolument encouragé par ce budget. Je remercie le ministre des Finances (DAL Sala) pour son excellent travail. Je remercie mes collègues pour l'excellent travail qu'ils ont fait en allant à l'écoute des Manitobains et des Manitobaines. Et je vous assure que, dorénavant, le Manitoba sera bien servi par ce gouvernement, puisque nous allons continuer à travailler fort pour nos Manitobains et nos Manitobaines, et nos communautés culturelles.

      Merci, l'Hon­or­able Président.

Translation

It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to say a few words about our excellent Budget 2025-2026, such a refreshing change from the mediocre and utterly discouraging budgets of the previous Conservative government, which failed to listen to the priorities of Manitobans.

I would like to take this moment to sincerely thank our Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) for taking the time to listen to the priorities of Manitobans and for putting these priorities first in order to better meet the needs of Manitobans.

I took part in the consultations that the Honourable Minister of Finance organized. We went to meet Manitobans in Lac du Bonnet. It was a pleasure to go to Lac du Bonnet, to meet people who want to hear about what this government has to share with them, a government that is listening, as I have stated. We also had the chance to go to Brandon to meet people who were very happy to see us.

And, of course, we took the time to listen to Franco-Manitobans by holding a consultation at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain. The room was packed, full to capacity. The Conseil jeunesse provincial was there; Santé en Français was there; the Société de la francophonie manitobaine was there; and many residents of St. Boniface were there to share their priorities with our government.

So, let's talk about these priorities. We know that health is still at the top of the list of priorities for Manitobans. I am a long-time resident of St. Boniface, and just last week, I had the opportunity to speak to the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation. What I heard was absolutely frightening and discouraging.

Ten years ago, St. Boniface Hospital had a cardiac care program of outstanding quality, recognized as a national and international model. On a personal level, I have a father, a mother and a brother who have been through the St. Boniface Hospital cardiac-care unit, where they received incredible care, within a continuum that looked after my family so well.

What I heard last week was that, under the former mediocre Conservative government, the cardiac health-care program at St. Boniface Hospital was trashed. What you find now at St. Boniface Hospital is a poor reflection of what existed 10 years ago.

And it is because of the former Conservative government. It is because of them. We suffered under seven and a half years of Stefanson and Pallister governments, who absolutely sabotaged the cardiac-care program that once existed at St. Boniface Hospital.

Our government is committed to rebuilding health care, as we know. We will start by investing in human resources, by hiring over a thousand health care workers. I believe that we have hired up to 1,255 to date. We want to rebuild health care, not only in rural areas but in urban areas as well. I am proud to say that at St. Boniface Hospital, we are going to rebuild the cardiac-care program.

In terms of education, I am proud to say that our government will continue to invest in our schools and in our early-childhood education centres. I am proud to say that our government has also announced new daycare spaces, with daycare expansions in Saint‑Lazare, at École Roméo-Dallaire, at École Précieux-Sang and at École Lagimodière in Lorette.

These schools are in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, of course, as we know how important early childhood education centres are for Manitoba francophones, as well as for Franco-Métis, because as we know, language is the vehicle of culture. It is a birthright: my children went to daycare in French, they went to school in French, they did their secondary education in French, and we continue to speak French at home. 

I am proud to be part of a government which, just last week, met with the Manitoban francophone community, as it is currently hosting Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. And, on March 20, we celebrated the International Day of La Francophonie together.

As a member of a government that listens, a diverse government, a government that wants to reach out to people to really find out what their priorities are, I think that this 2025-2026 Budget does precisely that: it listens to Manitobans.

What is even more amazing is that we have a plan to build 11 new schools in the next three years, which is absolutely incredible. I am proud to say that we are even going to build not only a new immersion school in Brandon West but also a French-language school for the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine–a new French-language school–in western Manitoba, west of Brandon.

Which means, once again, that our government is listening. We did not put our heads in the sand like the former mediocre government, a government who did not listen to Franco-Manitobans and who sabotaged the efforts of cultural communities to advance their priorities.

And we will continue to move forward with the priorities of Franco-Manitobans.

I am a long-time educator, having worked for 28 years, in both French and English. As the Minister of Municipal Affairs said very recently, we suffered under the former government. But the time for that suffering is now at an end, as we now have a government capable of putting the priorities of Manitobans first. The time for this great suffering is over.

For me, Budget 2025-2026 is like the sun shining again on the plains of Manitoba. People are encouraged. People are happy to see a government that is finally listening. And we will not only continue to listen to Manitobans, we will also empower them. We will give Manitobans the health care, schools and early learning centres that they need to live a good life, a life under One Manitoba. As the Minister of Finance (MLA Sala) said very recently, we will "build, build, build," Honourable Speaker.

In this 2025-2026 Budget, we also talk about another priority for Franco-Manitobans: justice. As you know, Manitoba's francophone community is booming. Our schools are bursting at the seams. But with that also come challenges in terms of justice. Last summer, we announced that we would be moving forward with a plan to set up a bilingual justice services centre where Franco-Manitobans, young families and parents will be able to receive legal services in French.

We already have bilingual service centres here in Manitoba, which to meet Manitobans’ needs, but we are now going to have a legal services centre in St. Boniface that will operate bilingually.

For me, this is all good news. When we go out and meet Manitobans in our constituencies, we meet a great many citizens who tell us that they are encouraged by the good work we are doing and by what they see in this Budget 2025-2026. And I assure you that our government will continue to work hard to ensure that we give Manitobans what they need to succeed.

We know that during these uncertain times, with what is happening in the United States, we are going to have to work extremely hard to ensure that the Manitoba economy remains resilient. We also recognize that our cultural communities, such as the Franco-Manitoban community, are economic drivers. It is by working together and encouraging these economic drivers that we will be able to go further, to move things forward in consultation with the other provinces, of course–because interprovincial trade is something we encourage in a very positive way. It is by recognizing that Manitoba's francophonie is an economic driver that we will make progress on housing, education, health care, justice and all the other great priorities that Manitobans have shared with us.

On that note, Honourable Speaker, I am absolutely encouraged by this budget. I thank the Minister of Finance for his excellent work. I thank my colleagues for the excellent work they have done in listening to Manitobans. And I assure you that, from now on, Manitoba will be well served by this government, as we will continue to work hard for our Manitobans and our cultural communities.

Thank you, Honourable Speaker.

* (16:40)

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Leader of the Official Opposition): I'm looking at the clock and it's interesting to know and to see that for as much as the NDP side of the House goes around and starts talking to Manitobans and sharing their own view of how great they actually think this budget is, they sure leave a lot of time on the clock about the amount of time to actually talk about good things about their budget.

      So today, Honourable Speaker, I'm going to start by talking a little bit about the budget and start talking about the amend­ment that we're going to be bringing forward to this budget within–you know, I believe I have unlimited time, so sometime between right now and the future, I'll be bringing forward that amend­ment.

      So I would like to start off in regards to budget. We start talking about various different celebrations, start talking about, you know, birthdays earlier today.

      Of course, I wanted to put on the record: Happy birthday to Denise, who, you know, I have been here for–this is my 14th year, I guess, that I've had the pleasure of working with Denise, and just want to wish her a happy birthday.

      But at the same time, I want to take this op­por­tun­ity to say happy birthday to a colleague of mine, the MLA for Lakeside. So a big happy birthday to the MLA for Lakeside, as well.

      And I know, Hon­our­able Speaker, we're all waiting to hear from the MLA for Lakeside, to talk, and now he'll be talking and speaking to an amend­ment that I'll be bringing forward, again, sometime between right now and the future.

      I–some of the things that are in Budget 2025 were absolutely–

An Honourable Member: Horrendous.

Mr. Ewasko: Well, horrendous is a word, and I thank colleague for saying that.

      But underwhelming–underwhelming. I think we were all sort of looking towards some­thing in the lines of–you know, I mean, this gov­ern­ment, the Kinew government's been in power now for 18 months. We've been watching and we've been waiting and I think Manitobans have been waiting for the fact that–you know what, they kept talking during the election, $3‑billion promise, and what did they do? They went and racked up the deficit to almost $2 billion.

      What did they inherit when they–well, when we lost the election, Honourable Speaker? We lost the election; they didn't win it. So, but what did they inherit? They inherited a $300‑million surplus. What did they do? They took that, they crumpled it into the garbage and they blew some more money and they went and racked up a deficit of $2 billion.

      That's on top of, Hon­our­able Speaker, in last year's budget, they had talked about a $1.3‑million deficit, and now we're looking at this budget and they are coming to–I don't know what they're coming to. What did they say in there? They're hoping to be–to bring in worst–or best‑case scenario, they're hoping almost $800 million.

      Now, you know, the economists, the financial experts–not the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe). Definitely not. I mean, he wants to get up and talk. I think he'll have his op­por­tun­ity to be able to speak to the amend­ment after this, so I'll encourage him to sit and do his fake listening tour and listen here for a while and see what he wants to put on the record later on.

      But they actually–in addition to running up that deficit to $2 billion, they actually received $900 million of an increased transfer payment from the federal government. So technically, their deficit last year was technically $2.2 billion.

      And so I know math is hard for the NDP. We know that. You know, we know that. I look across the way and that's what we have inherited here as a new gov­ern­ment. But, Hon­our­able Speaker, shortly–in about two and a half years at the most, probably sooner, because we know that the Premier (Mr. Kinew) can't help himself–probably sooner, he will call an election. And then our new leader, which will be chosen in just about a month from now, will be–then also be the next premier of Manitoba.

      I know that–you know, the members across the way–[interjection] Yes, that does deserve a bit of a round of applause for our new leader.

      So I know that one of the members the other way were talking about the Premier and his polling and various things. And we see that, due to his inaction and inability to show and actually bring anything forward to Manitobans in the Trump tariff battles that we're having, he's actually dropped to No. 2 in Canada, and actually, the No. 1 premier in Canada now is a premier that actually doesn't exist anymore; he's no longer a premier.

      So our Premier dropped behind a premier that doesn't exist anymore. And I think that's–it's funny–and not really funny–it's strange. It's one of those strange situations where, you know, our Premier at one time and the MLA for Fort Rouge–[interjection]

      Oh, and the MLA for Rossmere wants to speak, and I want to con­gratu­late them on their–and now–ap­point­ment to become the Edu­ca­tion Minister. So I would like to con­gratu­late her, the MLA for Rossmere, on becoming the Minister of Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning (MLA Schmidt). It was sort of interesting, Hon­our­able Speaker, when I think about all the educators on that side of the bench and not one of them were chosen to be the Edu­ca­tion Minister. Sort of interesting.

      But we also saw today, earlier in question period, the talents of the new Edu­ca­tion Minister when they stood up to talk about the member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw), who was one of their teammates, and just shows that type of personality. So it is sort of a little interesting because I guess where else was that minister going to be put unless they were talking about the budget and talking about edu­ca­tion?

      But the members across the way want to talk about relevance. Well, here's where–what's relevant, Honour­able Speaker. What's relevant to the budget, what's relevant to the MLA for Rossmere, what's relevant to the fact that they did not choose any other educators to be the Edu­ca­tion Minister–Edu­ca­tion and Early Child­hood Learning Minister, is the fact she singlehandedly had cut the edu­ca­tion budget. Cut the edu­ca­tion budget.

      School divisions all across this great province of ours were sitting there in February scratching their heads and wondering, what is with this NDP‑Kinew gov­ern­ment? It must be this new Edu­ca­tion Minister from Rossmere pulling the strings. Maybe it's the Finance Minister, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      But the fact is, they've cut the edu­ca­tion budget. They've cut the edu­ca­tion budget to the point where school divisions are now going back to the taxpayer–they're going back to the taxpayer–and they're doing double‑digit percentage increases on edu­ca­tion taxes, Hon­our­able Speaker, which that will be the record of this Edu­ca­tion Minister, and it's unfor­tunate that this Edu­ca­tion Minister decided to go that route because technically, she did have some very huge shoes to fill.

      And, again, I've said this on the record multiple times, but definitely the former MLA for Transcona, Nello Altomare, was a great repre­sen­tative, and as an educator myself, Nello and myself had many great con­ver­sa­tions about edu­ca­tion and moving edu­ca­tion forward in this province of ours and because we weren't really–our school divisions weren't really that far apart from one another.

      So with that I do wish the MLA for Rossmere luck. I'm hoping that they absolutely start turning the tide a little bit on their record on edu­ca­tion. Because when it comes to budgets, we know that on our side of the House, in the–within the most recent years, we had done the largest increase to edu­ca­tion in over 40 years. Some might say, Hon­our­able Speaker, some might say that it was an astronomical increase to edu­ca­tion. And now what has happened is with this budget, we're seeing absolute cuts to the edu­ca­tion. It's sad, but it's true. [interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Ewasko: And I ap­pre­ciate that the member from Rossmere, maybe they will have, you know, the oppor­tun­ity if her leader or her other members allow her to get up to put some words on the record. But I could see the performance in question period today, maybe that she will not be given that op­por­tun­ity today, because it shows the fact of how she would turn like that on a teammate that was Fort Garry.

* (16:50)

      The member for–minister–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Ewasko: –the Minister for Justice is also speaking from his seat quite abruptly.

      The fact is, is that this behaviour coming from the Edu­ca­tion Minister is unbecoming of an Edu­ca­tion Minister. That being said, Hon­our­able Speaker, it's not really a big surprise because the Premier (Mr. Kinew) talked about, you know, how he was the star candidate in 2016 for the then‑premier Selinger. Well, we saw what happened shortly thereafter: Premier Selinger actually got the knife in the back by his star candidate. And so now he's the Premier.

      And so some of the members across the way don't necessarily know the history. They don't know the history, but they should be talking, you know, to some of their colleagues that have been here for a long time. Like the MLA for Concordia, he's been here a long time. The MLA for Elmwood has been here for a long time. They could definitely reach out to them and talk about the history of the Selinger days, the history of the backstabbing that happened in the NDP back in the day there, as well.

      So, but getting back to this budget, Hon­our­able Speaker. Many Manitobans are emailing and they're upset. The Finance Minister talks about–and I brought one here, and I'm not sure if we're actually–if we're talking about this docu­ment, I'm not sure–I wouldn't hold it up, because I don't want to be called upon for using a prop or anything, but this budget docu­ment, I think, is very much some smoke and mirrors.

      It talks about building. Well, I'm not quite sure what they're going to be building, Hon­our­able Speaker, because a lot of the things that they've pledged to build here in Manitoba are things that they have recycled from Progressive Conservative an­nounce­ments, whether that's schools; whether that's early child­hood edu­ca­tion centres, the spaces; whether that's personal‑care homes; whether that's various infra­structure, bridges, right; repairing roads.

      We heard loud and clear from the Minister of Infra­structure within the last couple days talk about how they are concerned about public safety on the roads. Well, what they voted against last night–and the Justice Minister's nodding his head as well, because he was there–voted against some amend­ments that would strengthen the Justice Minister's Bill 5 on drinking and driving laws right here in the province.

      I think, again, when it comes to budget and putting money towards things to actually help Manitobans, I think–not I think–I know that this NDP Kinew gov­ern­ment has absolutely missed the mark.

      We look at the various different deficits that they are going to be having over the next few years. I know that the Finance Minister crowed about how he feels that he's still going to be able to balance the books by, I think–I don't know what he said, 2037 if he's still in power–no, I think he said 2027. I don't want to put false infor­ma­tion on the record, Hon­our­able Speaker. That's up to the NDP staffers to fill out their news releases and put absolute falsehoods in their news releases.

      So there's only two ways–and I think it's going to be a combination of those two ways–when this NDP gov­ern­ment are going to be able to balance the books. And that's–they're going to continue to cut things, like they've done to edu­ca­tion, or they're going to raise taxes, which they've already done. That is the NDP way, Hon­our­able Speaker.

      They're going to take money out of hard‑working Manitobans' pockets, put it into general revenue, because you know why? The Kinew gov­ern­ment is not that much different than the Selinger gov­ern­ment, and I'll tell you why. Because they feel that they know how to spend your hard‑earned money far better than you know how to spend your hard‑earned money. That's how arrogant the former–the current NDP gov­ern­ment is and the former Selinger gov­ern­ment is, and that's why they're much the same, Hon­our­able Speaker. They will run up our deficit, year after year, but they will also increase our debt.

      I mean, let's just take a look to see what some of the negative public reaction was to the budget. So the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce says, and I quote: We remain concerned about a lack of concrete measures to provide busi­nesses with the support they need moving forward. End quote.

      Well, what have we heard in the last couple weeks, Hon­our­able Speaker? We've been pushing for a bipartisan, or tri‑partisan–we're willing to have the Liberal come with us and have a con­ver­sa­tion with the NDP and talk about how can we fight these Trump tariffs together. One team Manitoba, part of team Canada approach. No: this Premier (Mr. Kinew) is so arrogant that, no, he's not going to take any help.

      So he's going to go on it on his own. So what's the plan, what has he come up with? Well, first of all, there's no plan. But he's come up with a plan to try to sell to Manitoba busi­nesses that they're going to defer certain taxes. Well, defer isn't a whole lot of help, because deferring just means that you're going to pay more later.

      He stands and he talks about the fact that they lowered the–or gave a gas tax holiday. Well, the best analogy that I've heard from this Premier–not the best, there's lots, there's lots of things that I'm open to sharing with Manitobans as far as many of the things that the Premier has said, not only as an elected official but prior to him getting in as an elected official.

      But the one thing that I thought was quite humorous, and I see some of the members across the way, they're sort of chuckling, and I see a prop going on over there, Hon­our­able Speaker, but that's okay. I'm not going to tell you how to do your job.

      What I see is, is that the Premier goes and talks about how, because we both are parents of our children that played hockey, his analogy was the fact that he ran into an individual that thanked him at a hockey arena for the gas tax holiday because they were then able, with the money they saved, with this family of four, to go to McDonald's and to buy supper for their kids and the family. [interjection]

      I ap­pre­ciate–this is telling, Hon­our­able Speaker. Here we go. So we have the Edu­ca­tion Minister and the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) clapping for what I just said. But here's how out of touch those two individuals are–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Ewasko: Unless, Hon­our­able Speaker, that individual who brought his two children and partner to the hockey practice and went to McDonald's after, unless that individual was driving some kind of 40‑foot motorhome to fill up, that is the only way that they could possibly save that type of money to go to McDonald's nowadays. It's laughable. It's laughable.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, I'm not sure–you know, and again, I'm hoping that the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) and Minister of Edu­ca­tion gets up and puts some words on the record, because it's unbelievable.

      So I think what's being–what's telling is that Manitobans are finally starting to see through that our Premier (Mr. Kinew) is a phony patriot, Hon­our­able Speaker. I've had the pleasure of being in the House in this Chamber now and serving the con­stit­uents of Lac du Bonnet now going on 14 years. I know the Minister of Justice has been here much longer than me, but you know, it happens, right? He was appointed and got into the former premier Doer's spot without any real life ex­per­ience over there, but that's okay.  And they're saying–and one of the colleagues from across the way on the–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Ewasko: –NDP side: fact, they said. That's a fact, they said. That's great. They agreed with me. That's okay.

      Well, so, you know, we take a look at what is happening here in the next–

The Speaker: Order, please.

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

      The hour being 5 o'clock, this House is now adjourned and stands adjourned until 1:30 tomorrow.


 

 


LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

CONTENTS


Vol. 34

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

Introduction of Bills

Bill 225–The Public Schools Amendment Act (Universal Screening for Learning Disabilities)

Lamoureux  929

Bill 221–The Wildlife Amendment Act

Wowchuk  929

Bill 222–The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amendments to The Occupiers' Liability Act

Johnson  929

Committee Reports

Standing Committee on Justice

First Report

Pankratz  930

Introduction of Bills

(Continued)

Bill 222–The Criminal Trespassers Act and Amendments to the Occupiers' Liability Act 931

(Continued)

Tabling of Reports

Lindsey  931

Ministerial Statements

National Procurement Month

Sandhu  931

Guenter 932

Members' Statements

Rabbi Yosef Benarroch

Moroz  933

McKiya Mazur

Wowchuk  934

Two-Spirit and Trans Day of Visibility

Oxenham   934

Tannis Saunders and Diedrich and Sara Unger

Narth  934

Universal Screening for Learning Disabilities Legislation

Lamoureux  935

Oral Questions

Death of Ashlee Shingoose

Ewasko  935

Asagwara  936

Impaired Driving Law

Ewasko  936

Asagwara  936

Eascan Automation

Ewasko  937

Asagwara  937

Provincial Deficit

Stone  938

Sala  938

Compliance with Bail Conditions

Bereza  939

Schmidt 939

Health-Care Listening Tour

Cook  940

Asagwara  940

Impaired Driving Causing Death or Bodily Harm

Balcaen  941

Schmidt 941

Impaired Driving Legislation

Balcaen  942

Schmidt 942

Impaired Driving Charges

Balcaen  942

Schmidt 942

Vaccine for Shingles

Lamoureux  942

Asagwara  943

Prescription Birth Control Program

Compton  943

Asagwara  944

Premier's Travel on Charter Flight

Wasyliw   944

Schmidt 944

Petitions

New Neepawa Health Centre

Ewasko  945

Death of Jordyn Reimer–Judicial Review Request

Balcaen  945

Funding for Outlet Channels Project

Johnson  946

Provincial Trunk Highway 34

Byram   946

Phoenix School

Cook  947

ORDERS OF THE DAY

GOVERNMENT business

Budget Debate

(Third Day of Debate)

Compton  948

Lamoureux  948

Pankratz  952

Wowchuk  955

Lathlin  958

Lagassé  960

Loiselle  963

Ewasko  966