LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Tuesday, October 7, 2025


The House met at 10 a.m.

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

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

      Please be seated.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Speaker's Statement

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for–so I have received a letter from the Deputy Gov­ern­ment House Leader (MLA Pankratz) indicating that the gov­ern­ment caucus has identified Bill 210, The Indigenous Veterans Day Act (Com­memo­ra­tion of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended), as their first selected bill for this session.

      As a reminder to the House, rule 25 permits each recognized party to select up to three private members' bills per session to proceed to a second reading vote.

      In accordance with this letter and rule 25, the question will be put on second reading motion of Bill 210 at 10:55 a.m.

Debate on Second Readings–
Public Bills

Bill 210–The Indigenous Veterans Day Act
(Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended)

The Speaker: Therefore, we will now resume second reading debate of Bill 210, standing in the name of the hon­our­able member for Lakeside (Mr. King), who has seven minutes remaining.

      Is there leave for the bill to remain standing in the name of the hon­our­able member for Lakeside?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Some Honourable Members: No.

The Speaker: I hear a no. I hear no, therefore leave has been denied and the bill will not remain standing in the name of the honourable member for Lakeside.

      So we will now resume debate on Bill 210. The floor is open for debate.

      The hon­our­able member for Spruce Woods (Mrs. Robbins)–the hon­our­able member for La Vérendrye.

Mr. Konrad Narth (La Vérendrye): Thank you for the op­por­tun­ity to speak on Indigenous Veterans Day and the act that's been brought before us.

      I think, on our side of the House, we all agree in the importance of recog­nizing those that had fought and protected for–our country here in Manitoba.

      When I was last able to speak to this bill in the past session, I had the op­por­tun­ity to speak about some of the veteran–Indigenous veterans that I had the honour of personally working with, knowing and becoming friends with. These are people that stepped up for their neighbours, they stepped up for their province and they stepped up for their country.

      These are people like Richard Hayden, the Roseau River First Nation. This individual has learnt, through his experiences serving in the Canadian mil­itary and serving our country, the value of pro­tecting and working for his neighbours, his friends.

      And he's brought those values back to his home, and that has been the guiding light to him and for him through­out his life. This is somebody that has then gone on to work at building his com­mu­nity, growing and pros­pering his personal life and his family's life.

      The military personnel in our country in general have always been respected and recog­nized for the work that they have done to provide the life that we all enjoy today.

      Indigenous veterans are no different. They had walked alongside non-Indigenous soldiers, not only in the wars that had shaped the country that we're able to enjoy today, but they've also served in the military, to be there as a force to protect our country and defend the rights that we all enjoy.

      So I'm happy to stand today, I'm happy to stand with my colleagues in this Legislature to speak about the im­por­tance that Indigenous veterans played on shaping the Canada that we enjoy today.

      Indigenous veterans have served in the defence of Canada since the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 between Great Britain and France, in what was a time new–in the time of New France–present day Quebec City in Quebec. It's esti­mated that as many as 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people served in the wars of the 20th century, and at least 500 of them lost their lives according to Veterans Affairs Canada.

      The first Indigenous Veterans Day took place across Canada on November 8, 1993. And Manitoba proudly was the first province to recog­nize Aboriginal Veterans Day on November 8, 1994. It speaks to the guidance that Manitoba has been able to provide on recognizing the value that Indigenous people have played in the military presence of our country.

      It's unfor­tunate that Indigenous people in these times that I mentioned were not recog­nized the same as other Canadians and Manitobans. I think it's im­por­tant to recog­nize that all friends and neighbours come together in this province to defend who we are, what we are and what we stand for.

* (10:10)

      And those of Indigenous back­ground are no dif­ferent. And I think, as Manitobans, we've recog­nized that for a long time, but I'm proud to stand today to support The Indigenous Veterans Days Act and put this into legis­lative law.

      The Manitoba Legislature unanimously recog­nized Aboriginal Veterans Day by private member's reso­lu­tion to honour the con­tri­bu­tions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people who served in the Canadian military.

      This was done by George Hickes, and Indigenous veterans have served Canada during times of war and inter­national conflict, as well as in peacetime, serving with honour and distinction in all branches of the Armed Forces.

      And I think that's also im­por­tant to recog­nize, is the importance that not only those who've served in wartimes and in conflict, but the valuable presence that Indigenous soldiers have played in peacekeeping efforts, peacekeeping efforts that have not only made Manitoba and Canada a better place, but has also brought peace and consistency to the political struc­ture and economy of many countries across this world.

      And I think we need to all stand together and recog­nize the con­tri­bu­tions that Indigenous veterans have made to this country.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

The Speaker: Prior to recog­nizing any further speak­ers on the bill, I have to clarify my comments at the start of this. There was a mistake made. The bill did remain standing in the name of the hon­our­able mem­ber for La Vérendrye (Mr. Narth), who just spoke, contrary to what I'd said at the member for Lakeside (Mr. King).

      So the member for Lakeside retains his spot in the rotation to speak.

      The hon­our­able member for Waverley.

House Business

MLA David Pankratz (Deputy Government House Leader): Con­sid­ering that we have guests in the gallery today, I would ask for leave from the House to have a recorded vote today at 10:55 a.m. to then allow for the bill to pass to com­mit­tee for con­sid­era­tion tomorrow evening. So I would ask for leave for those two things from the House.

     

      Thank you.

The Speaker: Is there leave for the House to call this bill to a vote at 10:55 a.m. and–[interjection]

      The deputy House leader, please restate his request.

MLA Pankratz: If today there is a recorded vote requested, I would ask for leave from the House to make that recorded vote happen at 10:55 a.m. today, and then allow for the bill to pass to com­mit­tee tomorrow evening for con­sid­era­tion, Wednesday, October 8.

      Thank you.

The Speaker: So–is there leave that, if a recorded vote has been requested, that the vote take place at 10:55 this morning, and then is there further leave to ensure the bill goes to com­mit­tee on October 8?

      Is there leave?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Some Honourable Members: No.

The Speaker: I heard a no.

* * *

The Speaker: And now we will resume debate–[interjection]

      Order. We will now resume debate on Bill 210.

Mrs. Colleen Robbins (Spruce Woods): As the critic for military affairs, it is an honour to rise in support of Bill 210, The Indigenous Veterans Day Act.

      This legis­lation is a solemn and meaningful rec­og­nition of the 'extranory'–extra­ordin­ary con­tri­bu­tions, sacrifices and enduring legacy of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis veterans who have served our country with courage and distinction. [interjection]

The Speaker: Order, please.

       I would caution both members that are hollering back and forth to stop it because I won't tolerate it anymore. I've said that, and today you don't want to be the first ones.

Mrs. Robbins: Every November 8, Manitobans join together to pay tribute to Indigenous veterans, a day first recog­nized right here in Manitoba three decades ago. It is fitting that our province, the birthplace of this national day of remembrance, is now on the path to enshrining it in law through this bill. And it is equally fitting that this House stands united in doing so.

      The legacy of Indigenous military service is one of bravery, loyalty in the face of profound inequity. From the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759 to the peacekeeping missions of today, Indigenous men and women have stood in defence of Canada, not for recog­nition or privilege but for the duty, honour and community.

      It is esti­mated that as many as 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people served in the wars of the 20th century, and at least 500 never returned home. These are not just numbers. They are family members, knowledge keepers and leaders who carried with them the strength of the nations and the hope of their people.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, during the First World War, more than 4,000 Indigenous soldiers answered the call. Many brought with them exceptional skills of pat­ience, endurance and marksmanship, rooted in gen­­era­tions of lively–closely with the land. These gifts made them remark­able scouts and snipers. And many earned decorations for braving on the front lines of Europe.

      Again, in the Second World War, Indigenous Canadians answered the call of duty. They served not only on the battlefield but also as code talkers, using the Cree language to secure radio com­muni­cations the enemy could not decipher. Others con­tri­bu­ted on the home front, donating funds, clothing and food to support the war effort and 'eving'–even allowing reserve lands to be used for airports, training grounds and defence installations.

      And when war broke out in Korea, Indigenous soldiers again answered the call. Sergeant Tommy Prince, an Ojibway man from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, exemplified that service–a descendent of Chief Peguis. Sergeant Prince became one of Canada's most decor­ated Indigenous war heroes, earning 11 medals for his service in the Second World War and the Korean War. His legacy continues to inspire gen­era­tions of Canadians, a reminder that courage knows no boundary of race or back­ground.

      Indigenous veterans did not stop serving when they came home. Many continued their leadership in their com­mu­nities, building schools, founding organi­zations and advocating for their fellow veterans: names like Rufus Prince of Long Plain First Nation, who went on to become chief and help found the Dakota Ojibway police force, Canada's first Indigenous law en­force­ment agency; Leon Fontaine of Sagkeeng and who fought for equality and fairness for Indigenous veterans; Randi Gage, an Ojibwe woman from the Winnipay [phonetic], whose advocacy helped esta­b­lish Indigenous Veterans Day itself. Their stories are a testament not only to the heroism in uniform but to 'prosep' in peace.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, it must also be acknow­ledged that the path home for Indigenous veterans was not an easy one. Many returned home to discrimi­nation and broken promises. They were denied the same benefits, land grants and supports extended to non-Indigenous soldiers. Some even lost their treaty rights as a con­di­tion of military service.

* (10:20)

      Yet despite these injustices, they serve–continued to serve their com­mu­nities, their country and the cause of remembrance. They kept faith even when the faith was not returned. This is why this bill matters. The Indigenous Veterans Day Act is more than symbolic; it is an act of recon­ciliation. It is a statement that their sacrifices will not be forgotten, that their service is woven permanently in the fabric of Manitoba's story.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, this bill also builds upon im­por­tant moment in this Legislature: the rules com­mit­tee. All of the Manitoba legis­lation assembly with the unanimous consent of all parties, passed a rule enduring that the House will no longer sit on digit–Indigenous Veterans Day. That decision was not taken lightly; it was a deliberate act of respect and recog­nition that some days transcend politics. It was brought forward by our members on the rules com­mit­tee, and we are proud to have stood together in the moment of unity.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, by pausing the work of this Chamber on November 8, we honour those who gave their lives so that this Chamber and the demo­cracy it represents could endure. It ensures that every member, regardless of party, has the opportunity to stand their communities, at ceremonies and memorials to reflect and to give thanks.

      Today, First Nations, Inuit, Métis Canadians serve in the Canadian Armed Forces in uniform, at  home and aboard. They carry the spirit of their ancestors with them, a legacy of courage, service and pride that stretches back centuries. They serve in the Arctic as rangers, protecting Canada's north with skill and local knowledge. They serve in the peacekeeping missions around the world and in humanitarian efforts here at home.

      From flood relief in Manitoba to wildfires in British Columbia, we owe them and all Indigenous veterans our deepest gratitude.

      Bill 210, The Indigenous Veterans Day Act, ensures the future gen­era­tions of Manitobans will continue to remember and honour those who served. It ensures that the courage and sacrifice of Indigenous veterans are recog­nized not just in ceremony, but in law. It is a small step but a meaningful one, a step forward: remembrance, under­standing and respect.

      As Manitobans, we are bound together by many things: our love of com­mu­nity, our connection to the land and our shared history of service in defence of freedom. Indigenous veterans are part of that story, and service strengthens that bonds that unite us all.

      On November 8–and every day–may we remem­ber them with humility, with gratitude and with pride.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker. It is my–

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Gov­ern­ment House Leader.

Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): Is there leave, should there be a recorded vote on Bill 210, that the vote occurs today at 10:55 a.m.?

The Speaker: Is there leave that, if a recorded vote is requested, that the recorded vote take place today at 10:55 a.m.? Is there leave?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Some Honourable Members: No.

The Speaker: I hear a no.

Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Minister of Families): I just want to put a couple of words on the record this morning in respect of Bill 210–so when I see the clerks start to do things, I always stop here.

      So, first and foremost, I actually just want to acknowledge my colleague, the member for Waverley (MLA Pankratz), for bringing forward this bill. I know that this is an im­por­tant bill to all of us on this side of the room. But I also just want to acknowledge our colleague and the dedi­cation and commitment that  he's taken since assuming his role and really try­ing to lift up and honour all veterans. But obviously, this is  also near and dear to his heart, to ensure that Indigenous veterans are recog­nized formally here in law in our beautiful province.

      To that end, I want to acknowledge our guests that are in the gallery today. I'm not entirely sure, I think this is maybe their third or fourth time that they've been here to watch the debate on Bill 210. I think that they've–I can't speak on their behalf, but I would imagine that it's quite disappointing to see members opposite routinely, every time that we've got guests in the Chamber, speak out this really, really im­por­tant bill.

      So, on the one hand, members opposite get up and  they, you know, talk out of both sides of their mouth when they say, like, yes, we want to honour Indigenous veterans and we care about Indigenous veterans. And then every op­por­tun­ity that they have to just sit down and allow this bill to go to second reading, they just continue to talk it out, or when they're given the op­por­tun­ity to allow a recorded vote to happen and–so that we can get this vote done today and that we can get it to com­mit­tee tomorrow and start the process for third reading–they also decide that it's in their best interest to say no again.

      So I want Manitobans to know that that's what members opposite routinely do in this Chamber. They're not a serious caucus. In fact, they just had a member, just a recently new member elected who's a resi­den­tial school denialist, and so they thought that this morning, while we have guests in the gallery that are the children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews of resi­den­tial school survivors, that it was a good idea to put up a resi­den­tial school denialist, who has not stood in this Chamber yet, to apologize for her remarks in respect of residential schools.

      And somewhere along the lines that the architects–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Second caution about members hollering back and forth across the way. There won't be a third caution. Action will follow.

MLA Fontaine: Again, so the member opposite hasn't stood in this House in her place to apologize for  the comments in respect of resi­den­tial schools–which, again, the crux of the comments were that the architects of resi­den­tial schools had good in­ten­tions; they had good in­ten­tions of the esta­blish­ment and dev­elop­ment of resi­den­tial schools.

      She has not apologized, and they've just asked her to speak for 10 minutes or nine minutes as she did. It's  in­cred­ibly disingenuous for the member or any member opposite to get up in this Chamber and say, on the one hand, that they support Indigenous veterans, and then in the next–on the next hand get up and deny leave and continue to talk out this bill

      I want to just say this: several people have mentioned Randi Gage; Randi Gage is in the gallery. Randi Gage is a matriarch that I've known for many, many, many years. And you know, every year, as folks know in this Chamber, or may not all know, she  puts on a memorial every year in honour of Indigenous veterans. And she puts it on in Riverton.

      And the Op­posi­tion House Leader will show up there and, you know, try to feign some type of respect and honour for Indigenous veterans, and yet, in the presence of Randi Gage will say no to allowing this bill to go forward. It is the quintessential example of hypocrisy and politicizing some­thing that shouldn't be politicized.

      We shouldn't be politicizing the right for Indigenous veterans to have law–to be fully recog­nized for their con­tri­bu­tion to ensure that Canada is free. So I want to acknowledge Randi Gage; I have an enormous amount of respect for the work that she does and has been doing for so, so many years and all the years that I've known her.

      And I just want to acknowledge all of the veterans that are in the gallery today for their service, and for all of the veterans that are not here with us today, those that have gone, those that, when they came back, were afforded some of the worst con­di­tions in the country that they just fought for.

      And I want to acknowledge my grandfather. I know I've spoken about my grandfather, Henry Charles Fontaine. And, actually, the member for Spruce Woods (Mrs. Robbins) talked about Leon Fontaine; that is my uncle. I want to acknowledge both of them. In Sagkeeng, we have a monument in honour of all of our veterans, and my grandfather's name is on there; Leon's is–name is on there as well.

* (10:30)

      And I just want to, as the granddaughter and the niece of so many of our veterans in Sagkeeng, I just want to lift them up today and say that, in their memory and all of our Indigenous veterans' memories, we're fighting for them to get the recog­nition that they are so–deserve right now.

      Miigwech.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Brandon West.

Mr. Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West): On a point of order.

Point of Order

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Brandon West, on a point of order.

Mr. Balcaen: I think it's been a rule in this House, and I know this Hon­our­able Speaker has made mention of it many times, using the word lying or accusing others of lying is not parlia­mentary and is not acceptable in this House.

      And you've also ruled, Hon­our­able Speaker, that talking out both sides of your mouth is akin to lying, and during the speech from the minister we heard exactly that, that members of this side talk out of both sides of their mouth.

      So I would request that the minister be called on that point of order and apologize to this Chamber.

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Gov­ern­ment House Leader (MLA Fontaine), on the same point of order.

MLA Fontaine: Quite honestly, Hon­our­able Speaker, it's not my fault that members opposite keep trying to play politics with what is a non-political issue, here. It should not be a–you know, Indigenous veterans and honouring the con­tri­bu­tions that Indigenous veterans have done for Canada shouldn't be some­thing that members opposite say, again, on one side we support it and then on the other side get up in the Chamber and routinely speak out this bill, do not grant leave so that we can have–

The Speaker: Order, please.

      I just caution the member that she should be addressing her comments spe­cific­ally to the point of order.

MLA Fontaine: I ap­pre­ciate that, Hon­our­able Speaker, and I am trying to just point out that every day in this Chamber, members opposite have the audacity to claim that they are victims of some conspiracy from folks on this side of the House. We are just simply pointing out their actions that they do, day in and day out. And so the member for Brandon does not have a point of order.

The Speaker: I thank both parties for their comments. The use of both sides of their mouth has been previously cautioned by the Speaker and I would caution members again. It hasn't necessarily been ruled as unparliamentary, but it has been cautioned as becoming dangerously close to becoming unpar­liamen­tary. So I would caution all members to be mindful of the language they use. And I would ask the hon­our­able Gov­ern­ment House Leader to apologize.

An Honourable Member: Hon­our­able Speaker, if it's a caution, why am I being requested to apologize if it's not breaking the rules?

The Speaker: The hon­our­able Gov­ern­ment House Leader does have a point. In the spirit that I'm trying to get us to treat each other more collegially, I did ask for an apology. However, because it wasn't deemed to be unparliamentary, the hon­our­able Gov­ern­ment House Leader does have a point. I think it would still be nice if an apology came; however, it's not a require­ment.

      And the hon­our­able member for Brandon West (Mr. Balcaen) did have a valid point of order.

* * *

Mr. Josh Guenter (Borderland): Hon­our­able Speaker, we saw it right there. This NDP House leader–this failed NDP House leader, this failed NDP Families Minister takes all the time she wants in debate on Bill 210–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Guenter: –but then castigates the op­posi­tion for putting a few records about Bill 210, a bill that we support.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, this same minister, this same NDP Families Minister–[interjection]

The Speaker: Order.

Mr. Guenter: –blocked Indigenous reporters from her social media this summer.

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Two things. I would caution the member to keep his comments relevant to the bill we're discussing. And I would caution other members not to be hollering how the Speaker should be doing his job.

Mr. Guenter: I was responding to remarks put on the record by the Minister of Families (MLA Fontaine) in her debate.

      But I will just say, I would encourage that NDP Families Minister to do Manitobans–and, frankly, her own gov­ern­ment–a favour and resign.

The Speaker: Order, please. Order.

      I've asked the hon­our­able member for Borderland to keep his comments relevant to the bill we're discussing. I shouldn't have to ask him twice, and I won't ask him three times.

Mr. Guenter: Speaker, it's my pleasure to rise to rise this morning to put a few words on Bill 210, a bill that we support, a bill that would formally recog­nize November 8 as Indigenous veterans day in Manitoba. And I ap­pre­ciated hearing from my colleagues on this side–the member for Spruce Woods (Mrs. Robbins) as well as the member for La Vérendrye (Mr. Narth)–and ap­pre­ciate their comments in support of Bill 210.

      It is an im­por­tant piece of legis­lation and one that  we feel is a worthy initiative. The first Indigenous Veterans Day took place across Canada on November 8, 1993, and Manitoba was the first province to recog­nize Aboriginal Veterans Day on November 8, 1994. And so it's fitting that, here we are, the first province to reckon–formally recog­nize–to put forward this bill to formally recog­nize November 8 as Indigenous veterans day in Manitoba.

      And my colleagues have put words on the record about those who have served, and I know as someone who appreciates Canadian history and recall the debate–a couple of years ago, I believe it was–a reso­lu­tion this House put forward calling on the federal gov­ern­ment to put Sergeant Tommy Prince on the $5  bill, which is some­thing that I support and I think all Manitobans and all Canadians could get behind.

      Sergeant Tommy Prince is an outsized figure in Canadian history and one that I enjoyed–you know, whose biography I enjoyed reading, and one that we can all be proud of as Manitobans. He was an Ojibwe from Manitoba; he served with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Korea and he was the second-in-command of a rifle platoon and he drew upon his extensive infantry ex­per­ience in the Second World War.

      He also took part in the bitter Battle of Kapyong in April of 1951, which saw his battalion subsequently awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation for its distinguished service, a rare honour for a non-American force.

      And so, Hon­our­able Speaker, there are other figures such as Tommy Prince strewn through­out Canadian and Manitoba history, and ones that I think we need to bring out of the shadows and we need to high­light. And to have that op­por­tun­ity each year on Indigenous veterans day in Manitoba, I think is very im­por­tant.

      The reality is–and others have said it as well–that, you know, despite putting their lives on the line, Indigenous veterans were not always treated as heroes upon their return to Canada. And that's a shame. Many returned home with nothing; some were forced to give up their treaty status and were not eligible for land grants offered to non-Indigenous soldiers, while others were denied jobs and access to full veteran benefits and support programs. This discrimination made their transition to life back home even harder.

* (10:40)

      And so it's for us today–those who are alive and who remain–to honour their memory, to do what we can to rectify the wrongs and honour their sacrifices.

      Many of them served in World War I. Through­out our history, as colleagues have said, in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, they served in the defence of Canada; in the First World War, from 1914 to 1918, more than 4,000 Indigenous people served.

      Many Indigenous men brought valuable skills with them when they joined the military. Patience, stealth and marksmanship were well honed traits and helped many of these soldiers become suc­cess­ful snipers and reconnaissance scouts to gather infor­ma­tion on enemy positions. Indigenous soldiers earned at least 50 decorations for bravery during the war.

      In the Second World War, just 22 years later–21 years later, when the Second World War began, many Indigenous people again answered the call of duty and joined the military. By March of 1940, more than 100 of them had volunteered, and by the end of the conflict in 1945, over 3,000 First Nations members, as well as an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits had served.

      While Indigenous soldiers again served as snipers and scouts, they also took on interesting new roles such as code talkers, disguising and translating sensitive radio messages into Cree so they could not be understood if they were intercepted by the enemy.

      On the home front, Indigenous people contributed significantly to the war effort, donating large amounts of money, clothing and food to worthy causes and also granting the use of portions of the reserve lands to allow for the construction of new airports, rifle ranges and defence installations.

      One hundred and twenty-five Indigenous people from Manitoba made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives during the Second World War.

      And I indicated in the beginning of my remarks, Hon­our­able Speaker, that I enjoy Canadian history and–as a young man, one of the subjects I really appreciated was the War of 1812 and I always thought it–you know, it's a real shame that more attention isn't placed on that parti­cular conflict and the actors, the figures in that parti­cular conflict, especially given the dynamic, shall we say, between United States and Canada today.

      And I think that there are so many things as Canadians that we can be proud of and even draw our identity from that come out of the War of 1812 from people who said, you know, we have a different way of life. We have a different set of values. We believe in a different system of gov­ern­ance. And they said no to American offers to take over Canada at that time and they took up arms, Canadians did.

      And so what's interesting, though, as well, and what I ap­pre­ciated reading about as I read through that whole–Pierre Berton has some great books and, of course, there are others on the War of 1812–but the con­tri­bu­tion of Canada's Indigenous com­mu­nities, of the Indigenous people of Canada, chief among them Tecumseh, who is a giant in Canadian history.

      And so you know, I would just call on all my fellow Canadians and Manitobans to take the time to reflect on our history and to appreciate the contri­butions of Indigenous Canadians and Manitobans, to our history and to the defence of our liberties, of our demo­cracy and our freedom.

      So with that, thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

House Business

Mr. Mark Wasyliw (Fort Garry): On House 'beesness,' Mr. Speaker–or, Hon­our­able–

 

The Speaker: Order, please.

      Hon­our­able Speaker.

Mr. Wasyliw: I apologize.

      Could you please canvass with the House to–for leave to waive rule 25(2) to allow myself to have two selected bills this session.

The Speaker: Is there leave of the House to waive rule 25(2) for the hon­our­able member for Fort Garry to have two selected bills this session?

      Is there leave? [Agreed]

* * *

The Speaker: The hon­our­able member for Midland.

Mrs. Lauren Stone (Midland): Thank you, Honourable Speaker, and–

An Honourable Member: Hon­our­able Speaker, I was standing first. You did not recog­nize me.

The Speaker: Please sit down. There is a rotation of speakers, and I apologize for not recog­nizing that member.

      The hon­our­able member for Seine River has the floor.

MLA Billie Cross (Seine River): I hope that didn't sound rude. It wasn't meant to, I just wanted to get your attention.

      Hon­our­able Speaker, should a recorded vote be requested, I would ask for leave to have the recorded vote today at 10:55 so that our guests in the gallery may be present for that recorded vote.

The Speaker: Is there leave, if a recorded vote is requested, to have the vote at 10:55 this morning so that the members in the gallery can be present? Is there leave?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Some Honourable Members: No.

The Speaker: I hear a no.

MLA Cross: Hon­our­able Speaker, I'm only going to take a few minutes because I don't want to speak out this bill. This is a very im­por­tant bill to so very many people.

      This is not a political issue. Members opposite seem to be playing games with it. One moment they say they're supporting it, yet they don't want to support it in way that we can move it to com­mit­tee in a timely manner.

      One thing I did want to say and put on record, I  want to acknowledge my uncle, Bill Miller, who passed earlier this year, who was a member of the Princess Patricia's light infantry and even into his years of retirement came back and helped with training for our young soldiers out of Shilo.

      And so I love you, Uncle Bill. Thank you for your service, and I wish you were still here to see this happen.

Mrs. Stone: This is the first op­por­tun­ity that I have had to stand up and speak to the importance of this bill. And I do want to thank my colleague, the MLA for Waverley, for bringing forward this bill to  formally recog­nize November 8 as Indigenous Veterans Day in Manitoba.

      So I am pleased to put just a few words on the record in support of this bill, as November is just a few short weeks away. Where we recog­nize those veterans that served our country, we reflect and we honour the courage and the sacrifice of all the men and women who put their lives at risk in the name of freedom.

      First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Manitoba and across Canada have a long and proud tradition of military service in our country and have always played a part in the defence of Canada and the principles for which our country stands for.

      Manitobans should be very proud of our province's Indigenous veterans who have served our country and our freedoms in uniform. Many things unite Manitobans, and common service to our country in times of war and conflict is one of the bonds that ties us together very strongly.

      Both my grandfathers served in World War I and World War II; in World War II, one as a pilot and one as a mechanic. So I recog­nize the importance of recog­nizing our veterans and Indigenous veterans, not just on November 8 and November 11, but every day of the year so that we can stand in this free country.

      This bill also does serve as a reminder and a step forward in recon­ciliation, acknowledging Indigenous veterans that served our country while facing prejudice and obstacles.

      The day of November 8 holds sig­ni­fi­cance, as it was chosen in 1991 when First Nations were denied per­mission to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial on Remembrance Day.

      For the more than 4,000 Indigenous peoples who served our country during the First World War, and the thousands who bravely served in the Second World War, it is esti­mated, as my colleagues have point out, that as many as 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people served in the wars of the 20th century and at least 500 of them lost their lives, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.

      Today, nearly 3,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Canadians serve in the Canadian Forces, both at home and abroad. Indigenous women also con­tri­bu­ted overseas, often as nurses, while women at home supported war efforts to raise money and aid in the manufacturing of key materials and supplies required by Canadian troops.

* (10:50)

      The first Indigenous Veterans Day took place across Canada on November 8, 1993 and Manitoba was the first province to recog­nize Aboriginal Veterans Day on November 8 in 1994. In fact, Winnipeg was also the first munici­pality to mark November 8, when former mayor Susan Thompson signed an official proclamation in 1993.

      So November 8 is more than just a date, but a recog­nition; a memory to honour those Indigenous veterans who served our great country. For gen­era­tions, Indigenous peoples have answered the call to defend our country and the country that we all call home.

      Despite answering this im­por­tant call, they experi­enced discrimination and racism, and many were not treated as heroes when they returned home. They were denied fun­da­mental rights like the right to vote, denied jobs and denied access to benefits and supports that other veterans received. They faced barriers just to enlist, yet they continued to answer the call to serve.

      They bravely put their lives at risk, leaving behind their families, their homes and their culture to serve in the name of freedom. Indigenous men and women in  service faced sig­ni­fi­cant obstacles that others in  uniform did not face. While many Indigenous veterans served with honour and distinction, their con­tri­bu­tions often went unrecognized for many years.

      This is why the bill that the MLA for Waverley has put forward is so im­por­tant to mark that recog­nition and bravery that for so long was forgotten and ignored.

      Two memorials of sig­ni­fi­cance that are im­por­tant are the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in Ottawa, that honours the con­tri­bu­tions of all Indigenous peoples in war and peace operations from the First World War until today.

      There is also the Sergeant Tommy Prince Memorial in Winnipeg that is dedi­cated to the memory of Sergeant Tommy Prince, one of Canada's most decorated Indigenous war veterans. He was awarded a total of 11 medals for his service in World War II and the Korean War. Prince, initially from Brokenhead First Nation, he left to serve during the Second World War and the Korean War.

      During the Second World War, he would gain exper­ience in missions like snatch patrol raids, which would later benefit his service with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry during the Korean War. Prince was second in command of a rifle platoon and courageously led his fellow soldiers into enemy camp, where they seized two machine guns.

      He also took part in the bitter Battle of Kapyong in April of 1951, which saw his battalion subsequently awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation for its distinguished service, a rare honour for a non-American.

      Alongside that, he was awarded the military medal, American Silver Star, for gallantry in the Second World War, the Korean medal, and United Nations Service Medal for his service in the Korean War and the Canadian service medal for voluntary service.

      There are also many ceremonies that will mark November 8 across our province and I just want to draw attention to a couple of them.

      This year, Indigenous veterans Manitoba will be hosting their very first annual Indigenous Veterans Day powwow at Sergeant Tommy Prince Place here in Winnipeg.

      And the week leading up to November 8, Southern Chiefs' Organi­zation will be hosting its third annual First Nations Veterans Summit to celebrate, honour and support First Nations veterans. I believe that is taking place on November 2.

      Many more gatherings and ceremonies will take place across the province on November 8 to honour Indigenous veterans.

      So to all the Indigenous veterans, those who are watching today, whose families are watching today, both past and present, thank you for your sacrifice and your courage to defending the freedoms that we all cherish today here in Manitoba and across our great country.

      Thank you, Hon­our­able Speaker.

The Speaker: Order, please.

      In accordance with rule 25 and as previously announced, I'm interrupting debate to put the question on second reading of Bill 210, The Indigenous Veterans Day Act (Com­memo­ra­tion of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended).

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

Mr. Derek Johnson (Official Opposition House Leader): We request a recorded vote, please.

The Speaker: Recorded vote has been requested.

Hon. Nahanni Fontaine (Government House Leader): Again, would–I'd like to see if there's leave of the House to have the recorded vote today?

The Speaker: Is there leave to have the recorded vote today when the rules presently state that a recorded vote, having been requested in accordance with rule 24(7), the division will be referred to 11:55 a.m. this morning? Is there–[interjection]–Thursday morning, I'm sorry.

      Is there leave to have the recorded vote now?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Some Honourable Members: No.

The Speaker: I hear a no.

      Therefore the–[interjection] Order. Order. Order.

      The recorded vote will be held on Thursday.

      The time for private members' busi­ness is now private–[interjection]–at 11:55 on Thurs.–[interjection]the Speaker is still standing.

House Business

The Speaker: So the hour is not quite 11 yet, so I do have a letter–I'm advising the House that I've received a letter from the Gov­ern­ment House Leader and the hon­our­able member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw) indicating that they have identified the following two bills as selected bills for this session for the hon­our­able member for Fort Garry: Bill 211, The Local Elections Voter Eligibility Act (Various Acts Amended); Bill 230, The Grocery Store Food Waste Pre­ven­tion Act.

      As a reminder to the House, rule 25 permits each in­de­pen­dent member to select one private member's bill per session to proceed to a second reading vote. Leave was previously given on October 7, 2025 to increase the number of selected bills for this session for the hon­our­able member for Fort Garry to two.

      I have therefore been advised that the question will be put on Bill 211 on October 14, 2025 at 10:25 a.m., and the question will be put on Bill 230 on October 14, 2025 at 10:55 a.m.

* * *

MLA David Pankratz (Waverley): Is there leave to see the clock as 11?

The Speaker: Is there leave to see the clock as 11? [Agreed]

Resolutions

Res. 20–Commending the Prov­incial Gov­ern­ment for Committing to Reopen the Victoria Hospital Emergency Room

The Speaker: The hour now being 11, it's time for private members' reso­lu­tions. This morning, we will be talking about reso­lu­tion 20, Commending the Provincial Gov­ern­ment for Committing to Reopen the Victoria Hospital Emergency Room, brought forward by the hon­our­able member for Lagimodière.

Mr. Tyler Blashko (Lagimodière): I move, seconded by the hon­our­able member for Tuxedo (MLA Compton),

WHEREAS the previous, failed PC Provincial Government closed three major emergency rooms in Winnipeg, including the Victoria General Hospital, resulting in cuts to vital services to Winnipeg communities; and

WHEREAS the closure of the Victoria Emergency Room resulted in South Winnipeg families and seniors losing access to the community emergency care they depend on; and

WHEREAS the closure of the Victoria Emergency Room exacerbated pressure on other Emergency Departments in Winnipeg, driving up bed block, emergency room overcrowding, and wait times; and

WHEREAS the previous PC Provincial Government cut rural emergency services, resulting in reduced hours and closures, including in Ste. Anne and Carberry; and

WHEREAS the previous PC Provincial Government's approach to healthcare was disrespectful to staff and damaging to patients' health outcomes, resulting in mass resignations, worse services, and a toxic culture in our health care system; and

WHEREAS the current Provincial Government has begun rebuilding health care, with a focus on restoring emergency services, including rebuilding the Victoria ER; and

WHEREAS the Provincial Government reopened Carberry ER within the first year of its mandate and have committed to building a new Eriksdale ER; and

WHEREAS the new Victoria ER will be complemented by the reopening of the Mature Women's Centre, which was also closed by the failed PC Provincial Government, and the creation of the Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre, ensuring wraparound care for women and families in Winnipeg; and

WHEREAS the Provincial Government's plan reflects the values of Manitobans by prioritizing timely access to care, reducing emergency wait times, and restoring trust in the health care system,

      THAT IT BE RESOLVED that the Legis­lative Assembly of Manitoba commend the prov­incial govern­ment for its commitment to restoring emergency health-care services, beginning with the commit­ment to reopen the Victoria ER, and urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to continue its effort to rebuild emergency care across Manitoba, reversing the damage caused by the previous PC prov­incial government's closures.

The Speaker: It's been moved by the hon­our­able member for Lagimodière (Mr. Blashko), seconded by the hon­our­able member for Tuxedo (MLA Compton), that whereas–that

      THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba commend the prov­incial gov­ern­ment for its commitment to restoring emergency health-care services, beginning with the commit­ment to reopen the Victoria ER, and urge the prov­incial gov­ern­ment to continue its efforts to rebuild emergency care across Manitoba, reversing the damage caused by the previous PC prov­incial govern­ment closures.

* (11:00)

      The hon­our­able member for Lagimodière–just before the hon­our­able member begins his comments, as I had called it 11 a.m. at 10:58, the noon recess will be called at 11:58.

Mr. Blashko: It's an honour to get up today and speak to this reso­lu­tion.

      The closure of the Victoria ER in 2017 by the previous PC gov­ern­ment was a devastating blow to south Winnipeg families, seniors and front‑line health‑care workers. And truly, anyone who was paying attention at the time around what the PCs were doing around health care, around their austerity, their long‑term vision for health care, you could anticipate the impacts, you could see the domino effect that we would see year after year because of the decisions they made.

      One of the most im­por­tant decisions or most impactful decisions they made was the closing of ERs. So in 2017, they decided to close three ERs in Winnipeg. A total of three; it's pretty impressive. There's the ER, obviously, of Victoria, Concordia and Seven Oaks. But there were also rural ERs that felt their impacts. Carberry and Ste. Anne both faced closures or reduced hours.

      These closures, one of the domino effects that we could have anticipated, led to longer wait times, overcrowded emergency de­part­ments and increased bed block across the system. This led to–this approach that the PC gov­ern­ment took created a toxic culture in health care, driving mass resig­na­tions and worsening patient out­comes.

      And so this is the situation the we're working from as a gov­ern­ment. We're two years in, we're happy to be doing this work and we're happy to be making invest­ments at the Victoria Hospital and across the province.

      The reopening of the Victoria ER is a beacon of hope and com­mu­nity for south Winnipeg residents who lost access to timely emergency care. It will relieve pressure on other emergency de­part­ments, helping reduce wait times and improve patient flow across Winnipeg.

      Let me tell you about a few of the amenities. The  new ER will include high observation–a high‑observation unit, more inpatient beds and expanded diagnostic capacity, allowing for higher acuity care and better out­comes. Victoria Hospital will continue to operate during construction during–ensuing continuity of care while building for the future.

      For those who spend time in Winnipeg, this isn't new infor­ma­tion, but south Winnipeg is one of the fastest growing regions in Manitoba. And so reopening this ER ensures that com­mu­nity–that the com­mu­nity's health‑care infra­structure keeps pace with its popu­la­tion. Seniors and family will no longer need to travel long distances driving by the general, the–sorry–by the Victoria general en route to another hospital for emergency care, restoring peace of mind and local access.

      And I know me and many of my colleagues were at com­mu­nity con­sul­ta­tions while we were envi­sioning this new ER, and the passion that folks in the com­mu­nity–parents, seniors, educators–but also the folks who work at Victoria ER–the nurses, the health–the doctors and those working in admin­istration–they were passionate about what their hospital provides and what it could provide with a new ER. So it was really wonderful to see the com­mu­nity coming together determining what the com­mu­nity needs.

      The ER will be reopening as part of a wrap‑around care model that includes the Mature Women's Centre and the Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre, creating a hub for women and family health.

      The Mature Women's Centre, closed in 2017 by the PCs, provided specialized care for menopause, gynecological issues and post‑hysterectomy recovery. This closure was called an un­pre­cedented attack on women's health.

      And for those who are familiar with the history of medicine and women's health, we know that women's health has never been taken seriously historically by the broader health‑care system. And so the fact that we had this centre, this centre for mature women, and it was closed by the PC gov­ern­ment, just reinforced that idea that women's health isn't a serious issue and shouldn't be taken seriously.

      So the reopening of the centre reflects a commit­ment to gender-responsive care and ensures older women and gender-diverse people receive dignified, expert care. This invest­ment addresses a long-standing gap in women's health services and affirms that women's health matters at every stage of life.

Mrs. Rachelle Schott, Acting Speaker, in the Chair

      The Anne Oake centre will provide addictions treatment for women, allowing children to stay with their mothers during recovery. We've been working with Scott Oake to make this vision a reality and we are well on our way.

      And so we're talking quite a bit about infra­structure right now, but our gov­ern­ment early on knew that staffing was the key piece to rebuilding the health-care system. I remember early on hearing–and I always remember this–a hospital bed without a nurse is just really expensive furniture. So we took that to heart and we really focused on the staffing side to ensure that we could rebuild the capital side of a health-care system.

      So when I first heard our initial target for staffing,  1,000 new health-care workers, net-new health-care workers, that sounded–I won't speak for my colleagues, but for me–that sounded ambitious. I was like, can we do this? This is an intense timeline; we care about Manitobans, we're going to try our best.

      Well, I have good news for folks: two years in, we have far surpassed that 1,000 net-new health-care workers, and we've actually reached 3,400 net-new health-care workers. And these folks play all kinds of roles across the system. We have 1,100 nurses within that 3,400 net-new health-care workers, and also 285 doctors.

      So that's the staffing piece that we continue to be committed to. We know we're not–we haven't attained perfect staffing. We continue that work, but we recog­nize that there's infra­structure projects that we can take on as we continue that work.

      So we put $635 million towards capital projects, including the Victoria and Eriksdale ER, new primary-care clinics and diag­nos­tic upgrades. The Carberry ER was reopened in May 2024 after being closed by the PCs, and three new doctors were hired to restore services. The Eriksdale ER is in active planning with com­mu­nity con­sul­ta­tion underway.

      And some of our team went to the Ste. Anne Hospital a few weeks ago and we really ap­pre­ciated the energy and enthusiasm that the leadership team there met us with and they recog­nized a gov­ern­ment willing to hear their concerns and work with them, so we're excited to continue that work.

French spoken

      Respecter les travailleurs de la santé ne consiste pas seulement à réparer les dommages causés par les Conservateurs dans le passé, mais surtout à instaurer un futur durable. Lorsque nous donnons la parole aux travailleurs de première ligne, que nous investissons dans leur santé mentale et que nous leur offrons une rémunération équitable, nous envoyons un message clair : le système de santé du Manitoba ne sera plus jamais guidé par l'austérité au détriment de la population.

      Lorsque ceux qui prennent soin de nous se sentent valorisés et soutenus, c'est tout le système qui s'en trouve renforcé, et c'est ainsi que nous offrons aux Manitobains les soins de santé qu'ils méritent.

Translation

Respecting health-care workers is not just about repairing the damage done in the past by the Conservatives: more importantly, it is about building a sustainable future. When we give front-line workers a voice, invest in their mental health, and offer them fair compensation, we send a clear message: Manitoba's health-care system will never again be guided by austerity at the expense of the population.

When those who care for us feel valued and supported, the entire system is strengthened, and that is how we provide Manitobans with the health care they deserve.

English

      All of these pieces I've mentioned: the mess this gov­ern­ment inherited, the invest­ments we've made in staffing, the role of front-line health-care workers and their ex­per­ience have led us to this point where we're building a new ER at the Victoria Hospital.

French spoken

      Le rév – la réouverture du service d'urgence Victoria ne se résume pas à la restauration d'un service, mais aussi à celle de la confiance des familles du sud de Winnipeg qui, pendant des années, ont dû se passer de soins d'urgences à proximité.

      Le Vic ER soulagera à la pression exercée sur les autres services d'urgences de Winnipeg, réduisant ainsi la surcharge et les temps d'attente. Avec des milliers de visites aux urgences et aux soins d'urgence chaque semaine à Winnipeg, la réouverture d'un  service d'urgence complet dans le sud de Winnipeg signifie un triage plus rapide, des temps de trajets plus courts et de meilleurs résultats lorsque chaque seconde compte.

Translation

The reopening of the Victoria Hospital emergency department is not just about restoring a service: it is also about restoring confidence among south Winnipeg families, who have had to do without nearby emergency care for years.

The Victoria Hospital emergency department will relieve pressure on other Winnipeg emergency departments, reducing overcrowding and wait times. With thousands of visits to emergency rooms and urgent-care centres each week in Winnipeg, the reopening of a full-service emergency department in south Winnipeg means faster triage, shorter travel times and better outcomes when every second counts.

English

      Reopening the Victoria ER is more than restoring a service; it's restoring con­fi­dence for families in south Winnipeg who have gone without nearby emergency services for years. The Vic ER will relieve pressures on other Winnipeg emergency de­part­ments, reducing overcrowding and wait times.

* (11:10)

      With thousands of emergency and urgent care visits happening every week in Winnipeg, adding back a full-service ER in south Winnipeg means faster triage, shorter travel times and better out­comes when every second counts. This ER will not stand alone but be part of a broader vision for integrated care.

      After years of closures and chaos, reopening the Vic ER signals a clear commit­ment to reversing past mistakes and prioritizing timely local care for Manitobans.

      This im­por­tant shift is only possible because of the leadership of our Minister of Health, their amazing team–

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Order. Order.

Questions

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): A question period of up to 10 minutes will be held, and questions may be addressed in the following sequence: the first question may be asked by a member from another party; any subsequent questions must follow a rotation between parties; each independent member may ask one question. And no question or answer shall exceed 45 seconds.

      The floor is now open for questions.

Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): ER wait times through­out the city of Winnipeg are worse today under the NDP than they were two years ago; that is a fact. With wait times–the median wait time is now 3.87 hours across the city with much higher wait times at Grace Hospital, Seven Oaks, Victoria.

      If the NDP won't keep their promises and won't actually make im­prove­ments to ER wait times in Manitoba, can the member for Lagimodière stand today and promise that his gov­ern­ment would at least stop making it worse?

Mr. Tyler Blashko (Lagimodière): Clearly, the member for Roblin wasn't listening, because I listed a whole bunch of promises that were kept over these past two years.

      We know emergency and urgent care wait times remain too long and that is frustrating for patients, families and staff. Manitobans deserve timely access to care, and that is why the lower wait times and systems im­prove­ment team was created, bringing together front-line providers and health system leaders to reduce bottlenecks, speed up admissions and discharge and strengthen alternatives to emergency care.

      What the members opposite need to understand is that emergency rooms are one part of a larger system. If they had understood that while they were in gov­ern­ment, they may have thought twice about closing personal-care-home beds.

      Of the 222 personal–

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Member's time has expired.

      The hon­our­able member for Southdale–the honour­able Minister of Advanced Edu­ca­tion and Training.

Hon. Renée Cable (Minister of Advanced Education and Training): I'm so thrilled to stand up and ask my colleague a question on this really im­por­tant reso­lu­tion. And I'd like to know, after seven and a half years of the former failed PC gov­ern­ment, hundreds of vital health-care worker positions cut and closures that really caused chaos in our system, can you please share how many net-new health-care staff our government has hired and how will they help the new Victoria emergency room?

Mr. Blashko: Thank you for that wonderful question.

      Our gov­ern­ment has hired 3,400 net-new health-care workers, including 1,100 nurses and 285 doctors since 2023, and these workers will be helping to bring timely and quality emergency care back to south Winnipeg. They are an integral part of building capacity in health services right here in Manitoba. They are the people who are going to staff our hospital beds, our rebuilt ERs and our new minor illness and injury clinics.

MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): The president of the Manitoba Nurses Union recently shared things are not rosy in health care. Despite what's being said, we are in a terrible crisis. She noted that the NDP ignored the MNU when it comes to decision making.

      My question is, when did the MLA meet with the MNU to share his reso­lu­tion?

Mr. Blashko: I ap­pre­ciate the question from the member from Dawson Trail.

We are regularly meeting with all groups when we're discussing legis­lation, when we're 'discushling' private members' bills, private members' reso­lu­tions.

      And that's really a difference the com­mu­nity really sees in our gov­ern­ment: we're willing to meet, we're willing to talk and hear their perspective and really work that into the plans we're putting in place for this–for the work of the gov­ern­ment but also for the province.

      Because this a col­lab­o­rative project we're all working on. That's what I always like to tell students. It's almost like a class project that everyone contributes to and we're all doing our best to bring the best stuff forward.

      So we've been working closely with–

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Member's time has expired.

      The hon­our­able member for l'Agassé [phonetic].

Ms. Jodie Byram (Agassiz): So my question is to the member opposite. Has he ever had to drive in rural Manitoba to access health care in–outside of the Perimeter or, heaven forbid, seek ER services?

      He did mention in his preamble there that people would have to drive shorter distance to access ER services.

      I'm just wanting to know from the member opposite how this helps those living in rural Manitoba and what benefit this is in rural Manitoba.

Mr. Blashko: Thank you for that question. And yes, I was happy to talk about, like Eriksdale, Carberry, Ste. Anne during my opening speech but I'm happy to speak a little bit more.

      So planning for a reopened ER in Eriksdale is under way. So I believe that would support the health of folks in rural Manitoba. And also, Carberry was a wonderful ER that our Minister of Health did a ton of work reopening. So we're doing work in the Perimeter, we're doing work across the province.

      And I just want to thank again the team from Ste. Anne, who met with our team and really spoke about the care and quality of care that they provide to their com­mu­nity and those surrounding Ste. Anne.

MLA Cable: The victory–oh, Victoria ER isn't the only health-care services that the PCs cut.

      Can the member from Lagimodière please fill us in on some of the other devastating cuts that were made under the previous administration?

Mr. Blashko: Thank you to the member from Southdale for the question.

      We are also committed to reopening the Mature Women's Centre that the PCs cut–that'll be at Victoria Hospital, and that was cut back in 2017 by the previous gov­ern­ment–along with funding to build additional health-care infra­structure across the prov­ince, bringing in thousands more health-care workers and continuing to provide support to our workers so we can retain them.

      We also intro­duced uni­ver­sal birth control, which I don't believe was ever on the PCs' radar when they were in power. We've also brought in more nip–hip and knee surgeries in Manitoba, 800 new surgeries, mostly out of Selkirk–

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Member's time has expired.

Mr. Doyle Piwniuk (Turtle Mountain): I just want to know if the member for Lagimodière (Mr. Blashko) actually consulted with his colleagues, the member for Agri­cul­ture, the member for–Minister for Justice, about the Selinger days when they actually commis­sioned the Peachey report, spent tens of millions of dollars on the report but didn't do nothing.

      They were–all the hospitals were jack of all trades but master of none. We actually utilized that report like other cities across the country. And the fact is, has he consulted when it came to their–the previous NDP  gov­ern­ment when it came to com­mis­sion the Peachey report?

Mr. Blashko: Thank you so much for that question.

      I'd like to thank the Minister of Agri­cul­ture (Mr. Kostyshyn) and the Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe) for all of the work that they're doing not only in their de­part­ments but also across gov­ern­ment. This is a team that works together. We use the ex­per­ience of those who've been around longer than us.

      But maybe I'll take this op­por­tun­ity to high­light some of the work of the Lower Wait Time and System  Im­prove­ment Team. So we're talking about transitional care units that are opening up to access block tied to personal care homes, admissions, helping patients move more quickly from hospital to the right level of care. We've also increased physician assess­ments that are now happening in waiting rooms so patients begin receiving care sooner and even before they're admitted. In-patient work–

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Member's time has expired.

MLA Cable: I'd like to ask the member from Lagimodière one of my favourite questions, and one of my favourite things to talk about is training new health-care workers for the system.

      So how are we going to keep training more health-care workers to fulfill the need caused by the PCs that exist in the system?

* (11:20)

Mr. Blashko: Thank you so much for that question, and it's a part of the health-care system that I'm so excited about, and I know you've done really important work in this area, as ensuring the next genera­tion of health-care workers see a future in the system, see a gov­ern­ment willing to work and support them in their work caring for Manitobans.

      So I know we've expanded seats in nursing programs across the province–in paramedic programs, also, like, medical seats. So I know this is happening in Manitoba, this is happening in Brandon, this is happening in different centres across the province. And so we're talking about staffing today, but we're also talking about staffing two, five, 10, 15 years down the line.

Mr. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet): So as we've already heard this morning that the advanced education minister really has done nothing in regards to training. All the training spots, all the new doctors and nurses are thanks to the former PC gov­ern­ment for putting in those extra new seats into our post-secondary in­sti­tutions.

      So I'd like to ask the member today, who brought forward this reso­lu­tion: How many years does it take to become a doctor and a nurse, and why are you patting yourself on the back for those extra profes­sionals in the health-care profession?

Mr. Blashko: Thanks for that question. I'm not patting myself on the back. I'm just really thankful for all the people willing to work in the health-care system after seven and a half years of the PC government. And so I'll spend this time just thanking the health-care workers because, ultimately, we can build a great new ER. I'd of–we have a beautiful building, but it's really about the people who are working there.

      So I want to thank the people who've returned to their fields of work after years of PC gov­ern­ment. We know we've had different retention programs that have been suc­cess­ful. People have come back. People from the US are coming to Canada. People from all across the world are utilizing our recruitment and retention office to ensure that they can work in the fields that they have studied for.

      So I'll end it there and just say thanks–say thank you to all the health-care workers who make this work possible.

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): The time for questions is complete.

Debate

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): The floor is now open for debate.

Mrs. Kathleen Cook (Roblin): I just want to pick up on some­thing my colleague from Lac du Bonnet touched on in his last question, and the member for Lagimodière's (Mr. Blashko) response.

      By my count this is now the fifth private member's reso­lu­tion put forward by the NDP asking for their gold stars. Previous reso­lu­tions called on the Legislature to applaud them, to affirm them. This one wants us to commend them. My goodness, this NDP gov­ern­ment needs a lot of affirmation and validation to feel good about them­selves.

      They want their pats on the back. They want to hang the mission accomplished banner, and that hubris is insulting to Manitobans who are waiting longer than ever for the care that they need.

      Manitobans are rightly offended that members of the NDP caucus want to spend precious time in this Chamber patting them­selves on the back, hanging the mission accomplished banner, when they should be focused on addressing the issues that matter to Manitobans.

      This is also just laziness. The members opposite recycle the same tired talking points, churn out yet another reso­lu­tion asking for a pat on the back, slap a new title on it and come in here and play politics, rather than getting down to the real work that matters to Manitobans.

      The Minister of Justice (Mr. Wiebe)–[interjection]

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Order.

Mrs. Cook: –is heckling me–[interjection]

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Order.

Mrs. Cook: I would like to know–[interjection]

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Order. Order. Order.

       I'd like to remind all members to not be hollering across the floor. It's a general reminder. Thank you.

Mrs. Cook: I think it's worth noting that if a male member of our caucus got up and heckled a woman of  the NDP there would be such hue and cry from that  side of the Chamber, but they seem to think it's  perfectly fine for their Minister of Justice to heckle me.

      And I hate to do this to the member for Lagimodière, whom I respect, but so much of what he put on the record this morning was just incorrect, and I think it's im­por­tant that we get some facts on the record–my apologies to Hansard for covering the mic.

      To get elected, the NDP made all kinds of promises, but two years into their mandate it's clear: the Premier (Mr. Kinew) and this Minister of Health are in over their heads. They said whatever they needed to say to get elected and now, when Manitobans try to hold them to account for their promises, they can only engage in political spin and deflection. There is no accountability from the NDP.

      And you don't have to take my word for it. Front‑line health‑care providers have spoken out about this. You know, the member for Lagimodière talked about staffing. So let's hear from front‑line health-care workers about just that.

      Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson told the Winnipeg Free Press earlier this year, quote: Our nurses tell us continuously that things are not getting better in health care, that, in fact, there are areas where things are deteriorating. Nurses are frustrated. We were promised a change. Unquote.

      Health care is, first and foremost, about people, because without people there is no health care. Even the most advanced surgical robot, as cutting edge as it may be, needs a highly trained physician to operate it, and we know a bed is just a bed without a nurse to staff it.

      So since the NDP wants their gold stars today about staffing of all things, let's put some facts on the record about health-care human resources. Here in Manitoba under the NDP, morale is low, burnout is high, nurses are being forced to work mandatory overtime despite the NDP promising to eliminate it. Paramedics are stretched thin across the province, health-care workers are dealing with dangerous and in­creasingly severe violence in their workplaces.

      Again, front-line health-care workers are the best source of infor­ma­tion about what the situation is really like in the health-care system under the NDP, so I'd like to read some of their quotes into the record  again.

      I'd again like to quote MNU president Darlene  Jackson who told CBC in February of this year that nurses are not seeing an increase in staff and continue to be overworked.

      She said of the NDP's claim to have hired new health-care workers, quote: The day that an­nounce­ment came out, I had messages from members asking me, where are they? Unquote.

      In an interview with The Carillon earlier this year, Rebecca Clifton of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba was asked about the NDP's dismal failure to keep its promise to hire 90 new–net-new paramedics last year.

      She said, quote: It was such a big discussion at election time, so have they forgotten or have they struggled to find the ap­pro­priate measures to increase staffing? I don't know, but from our purview nothing has really changed and nothing has really improved. Was it just an election pawn? Unquote.

      And more comments from Darlene Jackson about staffing, and nurses would know, she said, quote: Whether that's net-new or just new hires, I don't know. In order to be very accurate, we need to know how many nurses have retired, how many have left the system, the profession, the province or gone to a private agency to know whether that's new.

      What we monitor is vacancy rates, agency nurse use and the amount of overtime, both mandated and voluntary, worked. Until we see some definitive change in those numbers, it's very difficult to say with accuracy whether that measure has been a benefit.

      So members opposite can get up and crow about numbers all they want. Front-line health-care workers are saying they're not seeing the impact. Still more from The Globe and Mail, quote: The Manitoba Nurses Union said despite the new hires, its members have yet to report any noticeable relief.

      The union said it would like to see im­prove­ments in the working con­di­tions for nurses, including a reduction in mandatory overtime. Without addressing the working con­di­tions, no matter how many nurses they hire, we will continue to struggle with retention, said Jackson. Unquote.

      And it's not just nurses, it's allied health as well. In a recent survey of MAHCP members, 48 per cent of respondents reported losing people in their de­part­ment in 2024, 59 per cent said morale has dropped and 62 per cent said their workload had increased.

      MAHCP president Jason Linklater told PembinaValleyOnline earlier this year, quote: It's depleting, absolutely depleting. We had full ex­pect­ation that fixing culture in health care, fixing the health system, was a priority. Unquote.

      Nurses, doctors, allied health staff, have told us over and over again that they feel unheard by this govern­ment. They don't feel supported. They feel left behind by a gov­ern­ment that promised better but delivered worse. And, hon­our­able deputy Speaker, it's worse by almost every metric.

      This is the same gov­ern­ment that spent the whole first year of their mandate on a quote, listening tour, that failed to produce so much as a briefing note or a report on what they've heard, and has certainly failed to result in any meaningful changes.

      In fact, time and time again, this NDP government is actually silencing front-line health-care workers. The culture they have created is one where health-care workers are afraid to speak out. I hear all the time from health-care workers who reach out to express their concerns about what's going on on the front lines, but they are scared to have their name out there because they fear retribution from this NDP gov­ern­ment.

* (11:30)

      A really good example is the home-care scheduling fiasco, and that's directly related to the way our ERs function and ER wait times, because when hospitals can't discharge patients to receive home care in the com­mu­nity, then the wards get locked–it's  called bed lock and it's a well-known, well-documented phenomenon. ERs can't move patients into the hospital and then the waiting room can't move patients into the ER.

      So the NDP's decision to centralize home-care scheduling services in the WRHA earlier this year resulted in an absolute disaster for home care in the city of Winnipeg. I heard about it all summer long and I'd venture to guess most of the members across the way heard about it from their con­stit­uents as well.

      Front-line health-care workers raised concerns about that back in March. I brought their concerns to the floor of this Legislature in April, only to be told that I was wrong and that I was fear mongering.

      And then this NDP gov­ern­ment ignored those concerns all summer long. In July of this year, over 20,000 home-care visits were cancelled by the WRHA, leaving families scrambling to care for their loved ones, not to mention the impact this had on morale for home-care workers.

      I can't even tell you how many home-care workers I spoke to this summer who were absolutely in tears and feeling unheard by anyone at the WRHA, anyone in the minister's office, anyone in the Premier's (Mr. Kinew) office.

      It's absolutely shameful and this gov­ern­ment calls them­selves a listening gov­ern­ment but they're not, hon­our­able deputy Speaker.

      I want to touch on a couple of other things that the member for Lagimodière (Mr. Blashko) said when they were–during his comments.

      He talked about women's health. But this is the same gov­ern­ment that made empty promises about improving access to breast health screening almost a year and a half ago, and have done nothing since to improve access to breast cancer screening for women under the age of 50. Every other province in Canada has moved on this issue. This NDP gov­ern­ment has refused to.

      If your cancer is caught early and treated early, your chances are so much better at survival. But women in Manitoba are at a disadvantage, and they don't have the same access to care that women across the rest of Canada do.

      That's shameful, and the only ones who have the ability to change that right now are, unfor­tunately, the NDP, and they're doing nothing.

      So if the member wants to get up and talk about women's health, he should bear in mind that his govern­ment is dropping the ball right now on a critical issue for women's health in Manitoba.

      We all know women who are dealing with or who have dealt with a breast cancer diagnosis, and an increasing number of those women are under the age of 50.

      That is an–a moral imperative that the gov­ern­ment address this issue and stop avoiding it and stop just standing up in this House and saying what they need to say to make the issue go away and then ignoring it.

      Thank you, hon­our­able deputy Speaker.

House Business

MLA David Pankratz (Deputy Government House Leader): Hon­our­able Speaker, pursuant to rule 34(11), I'm announcing that the private member's reso­lu­tion to be considered on the next Tuesday of private members' busi­ness will be one put forward by the honour­able member for Fort Garry (Mr. Wasyliw). The title of the reso­lu­tion is Manitoba Needs to Address the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Pursuant to rule 34(11), I am announcing that the private member's reso­lu­tion to be considered on the next Tuesday of private members' busi­ness will be one put forward by the member for Fort Garry. The title of this  reso­lu­tion is Manitoba Needs to Address the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

* * *

MLA Bob Lagassé (Dawson Trail): A hundred days have come and gone, and health care is not better. In fact, it's now worse. So let's talk about the failure of this NDP gov­ern­ment. Something that matters to every Manitoban: their health care, and that in the growing crisis in surgical and diag­nos­tic wait times under the current NDP gov­ern­ment.

      One of the very first actions the NDP took when they came into office was to fire the top doctors and pro­fes­sionals leading the effort to reduce Manitoba's surgical and diag­nos­tic backlog. These were experts behind the diag­nos­tic and surgical recovery task force, the team that had suc­cess­fully cleared the pandemic backlog and had been expanding access to care right here at home.

      Instead of building on that progress, the NDP chose to throw dynamite into it and cancel dozens of critical contracts that had been signed with the public and private providers, both in Manitoba and out of province, that were helping patients to get care faster. These cancellations didn't just stall the momentum; they cut it–they cut down our surgical capacity and left patients with fewer options, even forcing some to pay out of pocket to get the care they needed in a timely manner.

      And now, we are seeing those results. Surgical and diag­nos­tic wait times in Manitoba are sky­rocketing, some of the worst we've seen outside of the pandemic. CT scan wait times are now as high as 32 weeks at Health Sciences Centre, and 25 weeks at Concordia and Seven Oaks.

      MRI waits are climbing too. Over 56 weeks at HSC and 31 weeks in St. Boniface. Hip and knee replace­ment waits are now the longest they've ever been in at least five years and worse than during the pandemic, and I personally can attest to that as someone who's waiting for a re­place­ment.

      And cataract surgeries at Misericordia have nearly doubled in wait times since last August with over a thousand fewer surgeries performed at western surgical centre this year, compared to 2023.

      These aren't just numbers; they represent real people, grandparents who can't walk without pain, workers sidelined from their jobs, and patients waiting in fear for a diagnosis.

      Before the NDP scrapped it, the task force had made real progress–opened a fifth OR at Grace Hospital, allowing a thousand more hip and knee re­place­ments, expanding surgical services at Grace, Victoria, and Ste. Anne's, creating a centralized surgical wait infor­ma­tion manage­ment system to better co-ordinate the care, and sign key contracts, including with top tier providers like the Mayo Clinic, to offer Manitobans timely, fully paid care when local times became unsafe.

       The NDP cancelled those contracts. They dismantled the system that was working, and now Manitobans are paying the price in longer wait times and greater uncertainty.

      And this isn't new for the NDP. Their track record shows a pattern. Under their previous gov­ern­ment, 16 rural emergency rooms were closed. That's right, 16–and now we're seeing the exact same thing.

      In the summer of 2024 alone, hospitals in the Prairie Mountain Health region were closed for a total of 391 days. The Carberry ER, which the Premier (Mr. Kinew) held a flashy press conference in to reopen, was closed more than half the time between June and September. The NDP promised better health care, but what Manitobans are getting is fewer services, longer wait times and empty promises.

      We need to return to a system that puts the patient first, one that expands access, empowers medical profes­sionals and gives Manitobans real choice for timely, quality care. That's what DSRTF was doing, that's what Manitobans deserve and that's what we should be fighting to restore.

      The Ste. Anne's hospital is currently facing a serious challenge: a shortage of doctors that has forced its emergency room to close for extended periods. This has left families in the region that I  represent without timely access to critical care, putting additional pressures on nearby hospitals and risking patient out­comes.

      Residents who once relied on their local ER are  now being forced to travel long distances for urgent medical attention, a situation that is not only  inconvenient, but dangerous in time-sensitive emergencies.

      This just isn't a staffing issue; it's a symptom of a broader problem. Rural health care in Manitoba has been under-supported and overlooked. The solution is clear: by designating Ste. Anne's hospital a regional hospital, it would become eligible for expanded funding, services and recruitment support.

      Regional designations comes with more robust infra­structure, better access to specialists and a stronger ability to attract and retain physicians who want to work in a fully equipped and supported environ­ment.

      Acting quickly on this designation is critical. Delays will not only deepen the staffing crisis and continue to jeopardize health out­comes with the surrounding com­mu­nities; a regional hospital in Ste.  Anne's would not only esta­blish–not only stabilize ER services but also expand care options for the entire southeast region of Manitoba.

* (11:40)

      It's time to invest where it's needed most, and to ensure rural Manitobans receive the same levels of care and access to those in larger centres.

      During our time in gov­ern­ment, we made historic invest­ments to strengthen our health-care system. We com­mit­ted $400 million to recruit, train and retain health-care pro­fes­sionals, and that was an invest­ment that paid off.

      Over two years, we successfully hired more than  2,000 health-care workers, we cleared over 80,000 surgeries and diag­nos­tic procedures from the backlog–work that directly improved people's lives. We added over 400 nursing seats and 80 new physician seats to Manitoba's edu­ca­tion system.

      That wasn't the NDP. That was our plan, our invest­ment, our results.

      We also launched the Philippines health-care worker recruitment program, an initiative that brought qualified pro­fes­sionals to Manitoba to fill critical gaps. The NDP–they've since cut that program.

      On the infra­structure side, we committed to over $1.2 billion in capital spending across the province, including renovations to the St. Boniface ER, ICU upgrades at the Grace Hospital and increased surgical capacity at HSC and Concordia.

      Major rural invest­ments like the new hospital in Portage la Prairie, in Neepawa–and upgrades in the Brandon, Flin Flon, Dauphin and more.

      And we didn't stop there. We started the process of the largest ever capital investment in Manitoba's health-care system: a $1.5-billion redevelopment of  the HSC. With the new patient rooms and an expanded medical campus to train more future doctors.

      We also signed the historic doctors service agree­ment in 2023, leading to record doctor recruitment, some­thing the NDP now claim credit for but did not create.

      Now let's talk about the NDP's claims and the reality. They say they're hiring record numbers of doctors and nurses, but front-line workers are sounding the alarm.

      Emergency rooms are overwhelmed. Grace Hospital's ER has been described by a doctor as catastrophic, with patients overflowing into hallways, some waiting nearly 12 hours for care.

      Promised beds haven't been delivered, promised clinics that are delayed and underperforming, the Brandon minor injury clinic, which the Premier (Mr. Kinew) claimed would be functioning like an urgent-care centre, is not open daily, not fully staffed, and does not–doesn't offer basic diagnostics. It's not accepting walk-ins despite the Premier promising you could be in and out in 20 minutes.

      And with that and much more to say, I'm going to turn this over to other of my colleagues who would like to speak on this topic.

      Thank you.

MLA David Pankratz (Deputy Government House Leader): I ask for leave to hold the vote on Bill 210 today at 11:55.

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Is there leave of the House to have the vote today at 11:55?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Some Honourable Members: No.

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): I heard a no.

Ms. Jodie Byram (Agassiz): Before I get to speaking to this reso­lu­tion, I do want to put a shout-out there to all the health-care providers: the doctors, the nurses, allied workers, other support staff that go in and show up, day in and day out, to provide health care to all of us here in Manitoba. Not always a healthy or a safe work environ­ment these days, I understand that, but you show up and you are there to help heal, help protect and to make Manitobans well on a health journey. So a big shout-out to all the health-care profes­sionals in Manitoba.

      I want to start off–obviously here–talking about the NDP's failure to provide safe environments for those that are working in health-care fields. They went out and campaigned on fixing health care, made big promises through­out that campaign and have failed. The minister has failed in delivering all those promises, and while Manitobans expected much better from this NDP gov­ern­ment.

      When the NDP took office, and I know some of my colleagues here on this side of the House have already raised this, but the first actions that they took  was to dismiss the top medical pro­fes­sionals responsible for addressing the surgical and diag­nos­tic procedures here in our province.

      This decision had far-reaching con­se­quences. Instead of building on momentum esta­blished by the  previous gov­ern­ment, which was–suc­cess­fully cleared some of the pandemic-related backlogs and expanded in surgical capacity–the NDP chose to cut these critical contracts with both public and private sectors–providers. And this has still had sig­ni­fi­cantly–or has significantly reduced the surgical capacity available here to Manitobans.

      The results of those decisions were stark and are stark. The wait times for CT scans and MRIs have skyrocketed. At Health Sciences Centre, for instance, the wait times for a CT scan has now exceeded 32  weeks, hon­our­able deputy Speaker. M-R wait times at the facility have climbed over 56 weeks.

      These figures are not just statistics; they represent real people who are in pain, waiting for care that they desperately need. These are soaring surgical diag­nostic wait times under this current NDP gov­ern­ment.

      We're witnessing some of the longest wait times for these vital procedures–knee and hip surgeries in the last five years, and this isn't some­thing that we can–be ignored. Families are being impacted by the decisions of this NDP gov­ern­ment.

      Our health-care workers, especially those represen­ted here in Manitoba by the Manitoba Nurses  Union, have voiced their frustrations. They feel unheard and disrespected by this current gov­ernment. It's a troubling sign of the system that is not functioning as it should or the way that this NDP govern­ment tries to lead Manitobans to believe.

      Instead of acknowledging the concerns of the health-care workers, the NDP seems more focused on self-con­gratu­la­tions than on making tangible improve­ments to the health-care system. Like we–I know the member from Roblin brought that forward, that they bring all this reso­lu­tions forward to pat them­selves on the back, hon­our­able deputy Speaker, looking and seeking for validation.

      Let's consider some of the promises that have been made. The NDP claims to be hiring record numbers of health-care pro­fes­sionals, but the reality is many of these positions remain unfilled. Reports indicate that wait times in ER are–ER rooms are longer, almost longer than anywhere else in Canada. The Manitoba Nurses Union has high­lighted a crisis in our health-care system and one that the NDP continues to address and fails.

      Furthermore, NDP's history of closing emergency rooms is con­cern­ing. And under the previous gov­ernment we saw significant invest­ment in rural health care, yet the current gov­ern­ment closed numer­ous emergency de­part­ments leaving many com­mu­nities without access to essential services.

      For example, the Carberry ER was closed–and I know the member from Dawson Trail referred to this as well–was closed for over half of the summer, honour­able deputy 'speakle,' which is unacceptable for residents who need it in a timely manner.

      And just so members opposite are well aware, the Carberry ER is closed today. So there are no ER services in Carberry today.

      The previous gov­ern­ment–and they want to go and talk about the good work that they did to reopen the Carberry ER services, well, I'll tell you, honourable deputy Speaker, it was the hard work and the dedication of the Health Action Com­mit­tee in the community of Carberry that worked, that invested and committed to seeing that that doctors recruitment and nurses and getting health-care workers to the com­munity was suc­cess­ful. That was because of the health action com­mu­nity–or Health Action Com­mit­tee in Carberry. So big shout-out to the Health Action Commit­tee in Carberry.

* (11:50)

      You know, I want to just reiterate some of the things that our gov­ern­ment did when we were in office, and we laid the groundwork for many of the health-care initiatives that this NDP gov­ern­ment still wants to go out and get credit for.

      We invested $400 million to recruit and retain health-care workers, cleared over 80,000 surgeries from the backlog and expanded medical training oppor­tun­ities. These efforts have been crucial in addressing the challenges that we face here today.

      Right now we have a new hospital being con­structed in Neepawa, and that was our PC government who got that intro­duced and started. It will be exciting to have that day in our town and see it serve many Manitobans.

      It would be great to see a CT scanner put into the Neepawa Hospital; an MRI in the Portage hospital would certainly help alleviate some of the backlog under those diag­nos­tic services that this gov­ern­ment is failing to take the pressure off, in terms of wait times.

      Hon­our­able deputy Speaker, the NDP gov­ernment has created some of the longest wait times, like I have mentioned, for the hip re­place­ment. It's the longest it's ever been in five years. People are suffering because of this, losing mobility.

      And you know, that adds to pressure that we see show up in our doctors' offices and our ER wait times. We all know that the wait times in these ERs is escalating, and, again, that is a growing concern; it's the highest it's ever been. I know colleagues have had family members show–having to go to the ER and spent hours and hours waiting.

      Again, we can talk about the unsafe work environ­ments in many health facilities, leaving many of these health-care pro­fes­sionals feeling like their safety is com­pro­mised. We need not look too far.

      The Health Sciences Centre's been greylisted by Manitoba Nurses Union. This is telling us it's an unsafe working place and should be a clear sign to this gov­ern­ment that things have not gotten better, but they continue to get worse under this NDP gov­ern­ment.

      It is essential that we focus on creating health-care system that truly serves the needs of Manitoba. The gov­ern­ment must prioritize expanding surgical capacity and addressing the staffing crisis in our health-care system. This means not just hiring more health-care pro­fes­sionals but ensuring that they are supported and respected in their roles.

      The soaring surgical and diag­nos­tic wait times under the NDP gov­ern­ment is a serious concern for all Manitobans. It affects all of us. We must advocate for a health-care system that prioritizes patient care, respects health-care workers and delivers on its promises. And this NDP gov­ern­ment continues to fail on any of those promises.

      But I want to work together to ensure that the health-care system we build is one that we can all be proud of, one that meets the needs of our com­munities, provides timely and accessible care for everyone here in Manitoba.

      Thank you, hon­our­able deputy Speaker.

Mr. Doyle Piwniuk (Turtle Mountain): I'm glad to put some words on the record when it comes to the–basically the private member reso­lu­tion that was passed by the member for Waverley (MLA Pankratz)–or wanted to be passed by member for Waverley.

      I have to say, you know, health care, since they took over in the last two years, has gotten worse. The fact is my wife had just retired from health–the health-care industry, and she says right now that she was a manager; she was executive director of a de­part­ment for ERS for the Province of Manitoba.

      And the–when it comes to demo­gra­phics, we are in a crisis when so many people are retiring. She–we're seeing very few baby boomers right now in the work­place, and we're going to see more of them retiring–all of them retiring–in the next few years. We're starting to see Gen­era­tion X retiring.

      So where is this gov­ern­ment going to get resources to man another hospital? They were–actually had seven ERs in Winnipeg, hon­our­able Speaker–deputy Speaker. And the fact is they–the wait times in these hospitals were–is atrocious.

      They commissioned the Peachey report. They didn't do anything to act on it because they knew that the unions would go against them, and that was what their issue was right now, is that they're trying to satisfy unionized individuals.

       But at the same time, it's all about–should be about the patient care. And the fact is, if you don't have the resources to actually man–when it comes to the ER at Health Sciences Centre, it's for trauma and strokes.

      When it comes to centre of excellence for the heart surgery, is in St. Boniface. These hospitals are now dedi­cated for teams of people to make sure that our loved ones, even in rural Manitoba, are going to be rushed, and knowing that darn well, they're going to get to St. Boniface if they have a heart attack.

      The paramedics right now have–are equipped with the tech­no­lo­gy they have. They can triage a patient in their own living room to see exactly where that patient should go. Are they going to go to the Victoria ER and make–there's the false sense of security, thinking that there's a well-equipped ER? No, they're going to be rushed back to St. Boniface when it comes to heart attacks.

      This is exactly what this Preachey [phonetic] report was all about, that we acted on. And we made the health care–improved the health care. Because it–during COVID, if we didn't have that system in place with Shared Health, we would be in a lot–difficult issues when it came to COVID, hon­our­able deputy Speaker.

      And the fact is, to look at another hospital, I know my–a lot of my wife's colleagues said this is backwards, this is go–this is basically going back­wards. We do not have the resources to equip for this. They have to make sure that they actually have the equip­ment and the people, because right now, demo­gra­phics are showing that there's going to be a lot of retirees.

      And then the philosophy of this gov­ern­ment when it comes to doctors, wanting doctors to come to Manitoba, when they're actually taxing them higher now. They're actually take–doctors who will make over $200,000 when it comes to–easily, and now the personal exemption is going to be eroded from them. So they're going to be paying more taxes than if they go to Saskatchewan, Alberta.

      And then if also at the same time, their property taxes on a bigger home are going to go up. So what is the advantage?

      Like, right now Saskatchewan and Alberta are already trying to attract those pro­fes­sionals, and we're seeing that right now in rural Manitoba, especially at the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.

      A lot of those pro­fes­sionals are going into Saskatchewan because they are more prepared, they have a better financial situation and they actually focus on the economic activity that helps pay for health care.   And this government is basically saying, join a union, become a part of the middle class. But where is that invest­ment going to come to pay for health care, to actually have another ER that they can equip and have valuable people working in those locations.

      This is ludicrous. This is actually going backwards. And the fact is, if you talk to a lot of health-care workers, pro­fes­sionals, especially in the industry, they will tell you that they are–they don't have enough people in the hospitals that they have already.

The Acting Speaker (Rachelle Schott): Order, please.

      When this matter is again before the House, the hon­our­able member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Piwniuk) will have six minutes remaining.

      The hour being 12 o'clock, the House is recessed and will stand recessed until 1:30.


 


LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

CONTENTS


Vol. 70a

ORDERS OF THE DAY

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Speaker's Statement

Lindsey  2805

Debate on Second Readings– Public Bills

Bill 210–The Indigenous Veterans Day Act (Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended)

Narth  2805

Robbins 2807

Fontaine  2808

Guenter 2810

Cross 2812

Stone  2812

Resolutions

Res. 20–Commending the Provincial Government for Committing to Reopen the Victoria Hospital Emergency Room

Blashko  2814

Questions

Cook  2818

Blashko  2818

Cable  2818

Lagassé  2818

Byram   2818

Piwniuk  2819

Ewasko  2819

Debate

Cook  2820

Lagassé  2822

Byram   2824

Piwniuk  2826