LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY OF
Monday,
May 11, 1992
The House met at 1:30
p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE
PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTING
PETITIONS
Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Sharon Shewchuk, Dana Cooke, Dennis Still and others requesting the Minister of
Family Services (Mr. Gilleshammer) consider a one‑year moratorium on the
closing of the Human Resources
Mr. Elijah Harper
(Rupertsland): Mr. Speaker, I beg to present the petition of
Robert Wavey, Dennis Anderson, Cindy Arthurson and others requesting the
government show its strong commitment to aboriginal self‑government by
considering reversing its position on the AJI by supporting the recommendation
within its jurisdiction and implementing a separate and parallel justice
system.
Ms. Becky Barrett (
MINISTERIAL
STATEMENTS AND TABLING OF REPORTS
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister
of Education and Training): Mr.
Speaker, I have a statement for the House.
In May 1990, my honourable colleague the
Minister responsible for Multiculturalism (Mrs. Mitchelson) released
Understanding, accepting and building on
our cultural and racial diversity is crucial to our economic, social and
community success. As the Minister of
Education and Training, as a Manitoban and as a Canadian, I am proud to
introduce this policy which will play an important role in building our
province and bringing together all Manitobans.
The multilingual, multiethnic composition
of our province is clearly reflected in
The integration of multicultural education
within curriculum areas acknowledges the need to prepare all students for life
in a multicultural society. Integral to
the school program are those educational objectives that recognize the various
cultural forms, assist students to develop and to retain a personal identity
through an awareness of their own cultural and historical heritage and to
develop an understanding and respect for the cultural and historical heritage
of others.
The Multicultural Education Policy that I
am introducing today affirms the continuing commitment of Manitoba Education
and Training and reaffirms our government's commitment to the multicultural
ideal. This policy also reflects our
government's dedication to building awareness in schools of the cultural and
racial diversity of our province.
* (1335)
The policy on multicultural education is
founded on three guiding principles:
education for full participation in society; education for cultural and
linguistic development; education for intercultural understanding.
As is recognized in my department's five‑year
strategic plan,
The education system must prepare our
young people to achieve effective participation. Effective language programs, cultural
awareness programs and the identification of community resources, to name a
few, are the keys to our goal of full participation of all students. We in
Integral to this commitment is the
provision of instruction in both English and French and opportunities for
heritage language study. Programs that
promote and support cultural development in areas other than language study are
equally valuable.
The principle of education for
intercultural understanding recognizes that education should assist students in
developing self‑esteem and a strong sense of personal identity. This can be achieved through positive
portrayals of their cultural and historical heritage.
Multicultural education will assist
students in developing an understanding and respect for the cultural and
historical heritage of others. I believe
this knowledge will assist our young people in dealing with stereotyping,
prejudice, discrimination and racism.
As part of this policy, I am pleased to
note several initiatives which will support our objectives of full
participation, cultural and linguistic development, and intercultural
understanding. Professional development
programs and in‑service sessions for teachers and administrators will
concentrate on multicultural, intercultural and race‑relations
education. Instructional materials will
be monitored and evaluated according to guidelines which identify bias and
stereotypes.
I also anticipate the September release of
four companion documents to this policy:
a policy for heritage language instruction; a funding policy for
language programs; race‑relations guidelines for schools; and guidelines
for multicultural library services.
These documents will further strengthen and enhance the objectives and
principles set down in multicultural education, a policy for the 1990s.
As the Minister of Education and Training,
I am proud to introduce this policy. I
believe that it will provide a solid foundation to assist our schools in
meeting the challenge of multicultural education throughout the province and
assist Manitobans in preserving and enhancing our province's multicultural
tradition. Thank you.
* (1340)
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, as the New Democratic Party
critic in the area of Education, I welcome the opportunity of rising to speak
to this statement that has been tabled in the House by the minister.
Although any number of critics and any
number of members on this side of the House, and any individuals on this side
of the House, could quite aptly rise and speak to the whole question of
multiculturalism and the whole approach that successive governments in this
province have taken, an approach that has been generally consistent‑‑[interjection]
and I notice there are comments from the Premier (Mr. Filmon) on the opposite
side of the House‑‑except recently we have heard more statements
and less actual positive action from members opposite in terms of policy.
I note that we have been promised, for
example, a bill from this government. We
have been promised it and promised it, and we are still awaiting the passage,
in fact, the introduction of this bill, Mr. Speaker.
Having said that, there is no question
that it is in the area of education that the whole approach to multiculturalism
and racism and attitudes in general must be dealt with, Mr. Speaker, because it
is in the playground and it is in the classroom, where most of our
characteristics are developed and grow and evolve. It is in the playground
where we can deal with some of the difficulties and problems that are occurring
in our society, can remedy them, and it is in the playground where some of the
best examples in our public school system are found about the whole policy that
we have adopted in this province for the past 100 or 150 years.
It is in the playground where we have had
kids come together of every background, every religion and every race to work
together to build this province. It is
in the playground in our public school system where some of our most tolerant
and most beneficial aspects of life in this province, in this society, have
developed.
We, on this side of the House, do welcome
many aspects of this policy announcement, Mr. Speaker. We agree wholeheartedly with the comments of
the minister that education is for the full participation of society;
something, unfortunately, that has not been achieved necessarily by all. The whole question of access, access to education
for all and equal access to education for all, remains just a goal in this
province of ours.
We do welcome the announcement of this
policy, and we look forward to the release of the companion documents to which
the minister has made reference. We hope
that, through the development of a policy like this and policies similar to
this, all members of society in
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
I would suggest to you that in fact the
foundation of combating racism or addressing the needs of the multicultural
society is to look in on reports such as the report that the minister was
giving on combating racism.
The Minister of Education has recognized
the importance of education; the Minister responsible for Multiculturalism has
not. Time after time, we have asked this
minister to provide every member of this Chamber an opportunity, a day for
cross‑cultural awareness, and she has failed to do that. Mr. Speaker, this minister has politicized
multiculturalism like no other minister in the history of this province, and we
have asked the minister to bring forward the multicultural act. Rumour is that we might see that
multicultural act, but last week that is all it was, nothing but talk. The Minister of Culture, Heritage and
Citizenship (Mrs. Mitchelson) has not taken, as the Minister of Education has
demonstrated, the high road in dealing with multiculturalism.
Again, I commend the Minister of Education
on taking the initiative on this particular program. I suggest that she talk to the Minister of
Culture, Heritage and Citizenship and educate her on the importance of acting
on multiculturalism, not just giving multiculturalism in the
* (1345)
Mrs. Vodrey: I am also pleased to table the Multicultural
Educational Policy for the 1990s for the House today.
Introduction
of Guests
Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, may I direct the
attention of all members to the gallery, where we have with us this afternoon,
from the
Also from the
On behalf of all members, I welcome you
here this afternoon.
ORAL QUESTION
PERIOD
Health
Care System Reform
Government
Strategy Release
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of
the Opposition): Over the last six months, we have had a series
of deliberations that are resulting in potential massive bed cuts in hospitals
being announced informally throughout our health care system.
We have had chaos in terms of where the
government is going, in terms of health care decisions, Mr. Speaker, of
potential cuts and massive cuts which are offset by government responses of:
There is a so‑called reform package coming; there is a so‑called
reform announcement coming from the government.
They have said that for week after week and month after month.
We, in fact, have asked the Premier (Mr.
Filmon) questions on this issue, March 13, 1992, in this Chamber, to ask
him: What is the plan? Is there a plan? Will you please make it public?
Today, we have received a letter from the
Manitoba Health Organizations, which are the health administrators in this
system, calling out for the same thing that the public and the patients and the
health care workers are calling for, Mr. Speaker. They are saying that there is a general
feeling that the plan is incomplete and requires consolidated presentation.
They talk about the frustration and the lack of knowledge of what the
government's specific reform direction is.
They call upon the government to let the public know and let the
administrators know what is the so‑called government reform package.
I would ask the Premier today: Will he instruct his Minister of Health (Mr.
Orchard) to immediately let us know and let the public know what the so‑called
reform package is today to offset the massive cuts that are being announced
informally throughout our health care system?
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, there have not been any informal
announcements. There has been
speculation, there have been rumours fueled primarily by the health critic for
the New Democratic Party.
Mr. Speaker, I would say that is not
something that we on this side want to have happened. We have said that there will be indeed a plan
that will be unveiled that will provide a full and complete review. I would say that is the kind of planned,
orderly approach that this government always takes, unlike, for instance, in
We have continually increased our funding
to health care. In fact, this year in the
budget it is three times the rate of inflation, the increase. That is the kind of approach that we are
taking. We are also working on an
overall plan, a plan that will be unveiled shortly by the Minister of Health
(Mr. Orchard), a plan that has been the product of extensive work
collaboration, co‑operation and consultation, and will in fact give the
basis for future discussion with members of the health care community and
members of the public at large. We
believe that kind of balanced, planned approach is what is warranted, Mr.
Speaker, and we look forward to the unveiling of that plan so that the Leader
of the Opposition can work on factual information instead of the speculation
that seems to fuel his questions each day in the House.
Mr. Doer: I will table the letter from the health
administrators, a group of people who are as close to the government on the so‑called
plan as anyone. You can understand why
nurses and patients and others are so concerned about the lack of a public plan
from this government and lack of leadership from this government. They are basically saying, in a diplomatic
way, that this government's health care reform package is in a state of chaos,
and they are absolutely frustrated by the lack of any announcements by this
government.
I would ask the Premier: Will he instruct his Minister of Health (Mr.
Orchard)‑‑obviously, if they are making decisions to cut beds, they
have what they say to be the other side of the coin, a so‑called health
care reform package‑‑to announce forthwith the so‑called
reform package, if indeed there is one, for the patients and people of
* (1350)
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, I just inform and remind the
Leader of the Opposition that in
Mr. Speaker, that is not the approach of
this government. There will be a well‑considered plan that will be
produced and laid on the table for the discussion of all members of the House,
and I look forward to their input when that plan is unveiled by the Minister of
Health.
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, I have a set of minutes from the
ministerial council on nursing education, where the chairperson, Professor T.
Anderson, states in two places in the minutes that there is a prevailing
uncertainty as to the future of development in
Will the Premier who has stated weekly,
along with his Minister of Health, that there is a so‑called reform
package instruct his Minister of Health to release it so that the cutbacks and
the massive bed reductions that are going on in some of our health care
facilities‑‑[interjection] Well, the Minister of Health from his
seat may want to talk to the nurses at the St.
Will the Premier put everything on the
table so that, as the health care administrators have stated, we can all
discuss the impact of the various decisions that the government is making on
our health care system?
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, when we want to talk about
foolish statements, we will just look at the preamble of that Leader's
question. When he calls an increase in
funding to hospitals in excess of 5 percent this year, in excess of three times
the rate of inflation as a cutback, that is a foolish statement indeed. By
comparison to his New Democratic friends and colleagues who are chopping from
one year to the next, reducing the funding by 1 percent this year in
Health
Care Facilities
Operating
Budgets
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
I would ask the Premier if he would, given
his comments today, call then upon the Minister of Health to table and provide
for all of us the actual budget going to each hospital in the
* (1355)
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, with all the respect I can
muster, I have to disagree with my honourable friend. All of the speculation around the health care
system is fueled by New Democrats, period and paragraph.
Mr. Speaker, it is fueled by New Democrats
governing in
Mr. Speaker, we have been around health
care expenditures for 52 hours already.
My honourable friend not once has commented on how she rationalizes a
statement of cutbacks with $102 million increased spending this year over last
year, $53 million of which goes to increase the funding of hospitals in the
Mr. Speaker, little wonder people are
confused when New Democratic arithmetic in
Mental
Health Care Facilities
Bed
Closures
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
Would he clear up the confusion about cuts
to psychiatric beds, since last Wednesday he tabled a report recommending the
closure of the psychiatric ward, 21 beds, at
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The question has been put.
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, again,
my honourable friend the New Democrat is in a little bit of a policy
dilemma. My honourable friend has a
fixation in mental health in psychiatric care on the number of acute‑care
beds. Now if one was to follow New
Democratic Party policy, one would never replace services with budgets from the
acute‑care side; in other words, the budget to fund the bed moving to the
community. You would never do that if
you were a New Democrat, because they have this fixation on beds.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, a recommendation came
forward: 21 beds at
Health
Care System
Reform
Consultations
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Question, please.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: I would like to ask the Minister of Health if
he will at least respect and respond positively to the words of the chairperson
of the Manitoba Health Organization board, Mr. Myron Musick, in the letter that
my Leader just referred to and, in the spirit of co‑operation and the
desire to facilitate change for the achievement of a more effective health
system, meet with‑‑before he announces a health care reform
strategy or in conjunction with that announcement‑‑the Manitoba
Health Organizations,
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, when I
avail myself of that letter‑‑I do not know whether it was addressed
to me or not‑‑when I take a look at that letter and review its
specifics, I will provide my honourable friend with a response.
Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my honourable
friend that the Manitoba Health Organization has been very, very much a part of
the system‑wide reform, the planning, the underpinning of change in the
system. They have been very much
partners with this government in terms of difficult negotiations and fully
aware, as the Manitoba Health Organization is, of the rather dramatic changes
in provinces around the country of
Mr. Speaker, my honourable friend might be
interested to know that they consider their relationship with the government of
* (1400)
Health
Care System Reform
Meeting
Request
Mr. Gulzar Cheema (The
Maples): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister
of Health.
The problems in the health care area are
not unique to this province and any specific government in this country. There is a growing concern, a real concern
that people want to know what the definition of health care reform is in this
province. I will simply ask the minister
now. It has been for a long time now
that everyone is questioning in terms of a nonpolitical basis. If the minister
wants to keep that kind of attitude, then he has to tell us two things.
Can he tell us when the health care reform
package will be released so that all these letters, all these rumours can be
stopped?
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, as I
have indicated to my honourable friend, going back six weeks ago when we
started the Estimates process, I was embarking upon a discussion paper, an
action plan which would take
I look forward to that opportunity,
because a number of initiatives will be accomplished. First and foremost, it will bring an action
plan for discussion to avoid all of the rumours that my honourable friends the
New Democrats love to feed on, but more importantly, it is going to require
members of the opposition political parties to stake their ground. Do they believe $102 million more to the
health care system in
Mr. Cheema: Mr. Speaker, the minister knows full well that
each and every member of this House has a serious concern. We are not questioning the consultation
process. That has taken place for a long
time, as of 1971 in some areas.
The question is basically, can the
minister tell us‑‑or will he make a commitment to release the
package in front of all the health organizations, make sure they are at the
same table? That way, no organization
can blame any government or anything. It
is very important to have that package released on a nonpolitical basis to have
the support of the political parties, to have that reform take place in
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, the intention is to undertake a
very wide circulation of the discussion paper, action plan when released,
because it is important for each of the individual components as far as
professional caregiving, the institutional level, long‑term care, the
community health sector and the citizens of
In the past, we have been plagued, Sir, by
the narrow individual facility, individual professional, individual discipline
within professions coming to government with a narrowed focus and asking for
immediate reaction. That has led to a
system that does not communicate, is not co‑ordinated, and we inherited
that four years ago.
Mr. Speaker, today the system is much more
understanding of its complete ability from institutions through the community
to deliver needed care. That discussion
paper will demonstrate how we can meet the challenges of the future. Those who say it will not work will have the
opportunity to say what will work, rather than simply come and say, your plan
is no good, give us more money.
Mr. Cheema: Mr. Speaker, the question is again
simply: Can the minister tell us‑‑to
have his health care reform, which he thinks and we believe is a realistic one,
and that is what we want to really believe in the long run, to achieve the
goals of this government and the people of
Can he at least give a time frame when the
plan will be released so that we can have some comment on that plan?
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, I hope to have it tabled publicly
in the very near future. I would have
liked to have had that two weeks ago. I
would have liked to have had it a month ago because then my honourable friend
the New Democrat would have had to all of a sudden start taking some
positions. My honourable friend the New
Democrat would have had to make a decision‑‑is
It is going to be very enlightening, Sir,
to have opportunity for my honourable friends the critics to take a position
and to let the people of
Irrigation
Purposes
Ms. Marianne Cerilli
(Radisson): We are concerned that people are being misled
in terms of the
I would like to ask the Minister of
Natural Resources how the minister explains the similarity of these two
proposals and claims the current
Hon. Harry Enns
(Minister of Natural Resources): Mr.
Speaker, I would invite the honourable member to ask that kind of a question
during the consideration of my Estimates.
It is the one that would provide the opportunity for greater
information.
The issue before us is one that is not
being proposed by my department as such but by a number of municipalities that
have come together in the southern part of the province under the corporate
title of the Pembina task force group, and they will be making their position
known to this government.
Ms. Cerilli: To the same minister: Why, if this diversion is not for irrigation,
is our caucus being lobbied by farmers claiming that there will be benefits for
irrigation in the southern area of
Mr. Enns: Mr. Speaker, my understanding of the proposal
is that there are not irrigation components involved in the request made by the
Pembina task force group. It is a
request to provide domestic, municipal and residential water only.
Employment
Creation
Ms. Marianne Cerilli
(Radisson): To the same minister, when asked previously
about this proposal, the minister claimed that there would be some 20,000 jobs
created by this diversion. Can the
minister explain what those jobs might be in, if this project is not for
irrigation?
Hon. Harry Enns
(Minister of Natural Resources): Mr.
Speaker, it is probably a question better asked of my colleague the Minister of
Rural Development (Mr. Derkach), or indeed the minister of trade and
technology.
I am very pleased and proud to indicate to
her, should she travel that district, that the communities of Morden, Winkler,
Altona, Carman, just to name a few, are probably the most productive
communities within our province in rural
ACCESS
Programs
Funding
Reductions
Ms. Jean Friesen
(Wolseley): Mr. Speaker, on February 21 of this year the
Minister of Education said, and I quote:
"We have not wavered on our commitment to access" education. As the member for
I would like to ask the minister why she
has cut the provincial funding this year to four programs: to ACCESS North, cut by 12 percent; to the
Medical Program, cut by 4 percent; to the Pre‑Medical Program, cut by 11
percent; and to the ACCESS South Program, a cut of 31 percent.
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey
(Minister of Education and Training): Mr.
Speaker, I will be very happy to talk about the details of funding to programs
in the Estimates process, but I would remind my honourable friend that we, as a
provincial government, have not wavered in our support. In fact, we have also reinstituted the ACCESS
program in the area of engineering, which she forgot to mention.
* (1410)
Ms. Friesen: Mr. Speaker, the federal funds have remained
constant, and the government is now cutting provincial funds.
Will the minister confirm that the
implication of this government's plans to systematically reduce provincial
support for ACCESS has been a 23 percent reduction in students over the last
four years, a rate which, if it continues, means that by the year 2001‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The question has been put.
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the
honourable member again that we, as a provincial government, have maintained
our commitment to the ACCESS programs, and some of the reduction which she
notices is through reduction of federal funding through the Northern Development
Agreement.
I would like to tell her again that we
continue to be committed to ACCESS as a method for individuals to attend post‑secondary
education.
Ms. Friesen: Will the minister acknowledge that by the
year 2001, 25 percent of Manitoba's new labour force will be aboriginal and it
s now that we must train the teachers, the social workers, the doctors, the
dentists, the people who are needed for self government? This is an inept policy. Will she reconsider it?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, we recognize very fully that the
aboriginal Manitobans would and should have significant opportunities over the
next few years. As a result of that
recognition, we do continue with our ACCESS programs. We do continue with increased funding and
programming at our community colleges.
We do continue with our very specific commitment in the area of New
Careers, training and opportunities for aboriginal Manitobans to become fully
involved in the
Federal
Trade Tribunal
Mr. Reg Alcock
(Osborne): Mr. Speaker, some two months ago, the federal
trade tribunal mentioned that
I asked the Premier some three weeks ago
if he was prepared to take action and make representations to
Hon. Gary Filmon
(Premier): Mr. Speaker, I said that I was awaiting
response from the Finance department as to their interpretation of exactly what
the tribunal ruling meant on the issue.
I have yet to deal with the matter.
Mr. Alcock: Well, Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Premier could
tell us: Why, when he has known about
this or his department has known about this for more than two months, when I
asked him a question nearly three weeks ago, they have still not managed to
come to a decision?
Mr. Filmon: When you are dealing with legal reviews of a
complex situation, Mr. Speaker, in which the matter was not settled in favour
of the appellant‑‑the matter was in fact not settled at all‑‑then
we have to know whether there is any legal basis for any action on our part.
Mr. Alcock: Mr. Speaker, we are not asking the government
to go to court. We are asking them to
make representations to their federal cousins.
Why have they failed to even call the minister
of revenue?
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, I indicated that we were reviewing
the matter, and that continues to be the case.
Child
Poverty
Federal
Minister's Statements
Ms. Becky Barrett (
What has‑‑this provincial
government and particularly the Minister of Family Services‑‑been
their response and the answers to this cynical, politically motivated series of
statements to the urgent problems facing
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Mr.
Speaker, the federal minister has been touring the country and visiting with
groups in the Maritimes, in
The child development initiative was
unveiled last Monday. All provinces and groups within the province are being
given an opportunity to look at how the $500 million is being allocated in the
areas of prevention, promotion, protection, partnership and a special fund to
spend on reserves to deal with some of the many needs that aboriginal families
and children face.
We in
Child
Development Initiative
Per Capita
Policy
Ms. Becky Barrett (
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): Yes, I
have. The question was asked of the
federal minister, on what basis these funds will flow. One of the criteria is population. That is
understandable.
Secondly, he is very aware of the
situation in
I am given to understand that special
consideration will be given province by province as departments and government
are able to make their case with the federal government.
We have instructed staff in our department
to move quickly to present the
Federal
Transfer Payments
Government
Strategy
Ms. Becky Barrett (
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer
(Minister of Family Services): This
government has taken a strong stand on federal transfer payments and will
continue to do so. I specifically took a
stand on the social allowance monies that flow into
I can assure her that we will continue to
work with the federal government and put forward the
Home Care
Program
Service
Reduction
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
he
minister continues to boast about increases to home care spending. We hear about health care reform, but quite
frankly, people are very nervous about this minister's reform if the cuts to
home care are any indication of what is coming.
Can the minister tell us why services to
most people are being eliminated in the
* (1420)
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, my honourable friend brought
this issue to Estimates one Monday night when we sat in this very Chamber and
she sat rather graciously in the chair of the honourable member for Dauphin
(Mr. Plohman). We discussed this
issue. My honourable friend knows that
there are not cutbacks in the home care budget.
There is $7 million more this year. There is $5.5 million more expended last year
with more services.
My honourable friend persists in saying
that we are cutting home care and its provision of needed services. That is not right, Sir. Mr. Speaker, what is happening is, where there
are alternatives for routine housecleaning or meal preparation, such as Meals
on Wheels, which is part of every community through Support Services for
Seniors and other funding mechanisms, where those programs are available to
seniors, then the seniors access them, we provide home care for the needed
nursing, support care, orderly care and other areas of need to maintain
independent living in the homes.
My honourable friend's language around
cutbacks is incorrect, as explained to her some two weeks ago, Sir.
Services
List
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
During Estimates, he indicated a list of
services in the communities were provided to clients, and we have not been able
to find a copy of that list of services provided to clients.
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, each
community has a different array of services.
In Dauphin, for instance, where the Support Services to Seniors funding
program provides community resource council, they provide Meals on Wheels, they
provide friendly visiting, they provide driving to the hospital or doctor's
appointments, they provide driving services, chauffeuring services to take
seniors to social events, church, medical appointments. That varies community by community.
If my honourable friend wants to know what
sort of community‑supported programs there are in
Private
Services
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, I am getting a little sick and
tired of my honourable friend's blanket accusations. If my honourable friend provides me with the
name of one of my continuing care co‑ordinators who said just such a
thing, I want to tell you that it is beyond the policy of home care. My honourable friend will not provide any
name because this is a phantom allegation designed to blackball every single
person in delivering home care‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Point of
Order
Mr. Steve Ashton
(Opposition House Leader): Point of order, Mr.
Speaker, our rules are very clear, and indeed all members of our caucus follow
it, that matters raised in this House are matters that are known to be facts,
according to members of the opposition.
If this minister does not know what is
going on in his department, he should not make accusations, because the member
for
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member does not have a point
of order.
Child
Guidance Clinic
Audiology
Program
Mr. Dave Chomiak
(Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of
Health.
On April 24, when we asked this minister
about the cut of the $43,000 audiological program to Child Guidance Clinic, the
minister said, inside and outside the House, that the good Tory government
managers would look after it and that there were alternative programs in place.
Why did it take two months for Department
of Health officials to finally visit the clinic to see that the program that it
was offering is being cut in the first place?
Why did it take two months for his own department to visit and find out
what program was being cut and would supposedly be offered by the Department of
Health?
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, my
honourable friend failed to deal with the accuracy of the information that I
provided some two weeks ago.
There are four audiology clinics in our
hospitals in the city of
There are alternatives to that
service. In a time when all of our
finances are being stressed and taxpayers are saying they do not want to be
loaded with taxes, as they are in other provinces, we ask for co‑ordination
of services throughout the system and, when alternatives are available, that
they be used rather than parallelling and duplicating funding program after
program throughout the system.
That is something my honourable friend
fails to come to grips with because those alternatives are there, Sir.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, my supplementary to the same
minister is: Is the minister aware that
5 percent of all kindergarten children who are tested fail the prescreening
testing and, at the cost of even a minuscule amount, a few of these students
who do not get tested and do not get discovered would be long saved by allowing
the $43,000 grant to continue at the Child Guidance Clinic? Is the minister not aware that the loss of
this will result in more expenses to the government and greater costs to the
taxpayer‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, I do not accept my honourable
friend's foregone conclusion that without this $43,000, the whole program
collapses and fails. That is not
accurate, Sir. There are alternatives in
place.
I believe, if my honourable friend were to
follow the budget increases to Winnipeg School Division No. 1, he might find a
rather significant increase this year compared to last year. If, as my honourable friend says, this is the
greatest priority in Winnipeg School Division No. 1, they might be able to find
$43,000. That is not the issue. The issue is, there are alternative available
services in four community hospitals in the city of
Mr. Chomiak: My final supplemental to the same
minister: Will the minister therefore
answer what I asked for in the first question?
Why did it take two months for his health officials to go out to the
Child Guidance Clinic to see what program they were replacing, what program
they supposedly had alternatives for? Why did it take two months for‑‑
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
The question has been put.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Speaker, it may well be they were invited
to go two months later. If my honourable
friend is now saying that some visitation of staff is predicated on the policy
where he has not yet acknowledged there are significant alternatives available
to preschool children in the city of
Mr.
Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has
expired.
NONPOLITICAL STATEMENTS
Mr.
Neil Gaudry (St. Boniface): Oui,
Monsieur le president, est‑ce que je peux avoir la permission pour une
declaration apolitique? [Agreed]
Monsieur le president, premierement, laissez‑moi
vous feliciter et vous remercier pour la fin de semaine que nous avons passee
ici dans la chambre avec l'Association internationale des parlementaires de
langue francaise. C'est avec plaisir et
enthousiasme que je demande aux membres de cette auguste assemblee de se
joindre a moi en felicitant l'honorable juge Alfred Monnin qui a recu samedi
dernier la decoration de l'Ordre de la Pleiade et le grade d'officier, decerne
par l'Assemblee internationale des parlementaires de langue francaise.
La
Pleiade, ordre de la Francophonie et du dialogue des cultures est l'ordre prive
de l'Assemblee internationale des parlementaires de langue francaise. A vocation internationale, elle est destinee
a reconnaitre les merites eminents des personnalites qui se sont distinguees en
servant l'ideal de la cooperation de l'Association des parlementaires de langue
francaise.
J'aimerais aussi souligner que la conference
de l'AIPLF qui a eu lieu du 7 au 10 mai dernier, a aussi marque l'entree
officielle de la section du Manitoba au sein de cet organisme
international. Mes felicitations a vous‑meme,
Monsieur le president, comme premier president de la section manitobaine.
Monsieur le president, il serait trop long de
meme essayer d'enumerer les possibilites et les richesses offertes par l'AIPLF,
mais j'aimerais tout de meme sensibiliser les membres de cette chambre
parlementaire au but primordial de cette organisation, qui est de favoriser les
initiatives de toute nature pour le rayonnement de la langue francaise.
Monsieur le president, permettez‑moi de
conclure en souhaitant une tres longue vie a l'AIPLF au Manitoba. Encore une fois, merci pour l'accueil
manitobain que vous avez donne en fin de
semaine. Merci.
* (1430)
[Translation]
r.
Speaker, may I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?
Mr.
Speaker, firstly, allow me to congratulate you and thank you for the weekend
that we just spent here in the Chamber with the International Association of
French-language Parliamentarians. It is
with pleasure and enthusiasm that I am asking the members of this august
Assembly to join with me in congratulating the Honourable Justice Alfred Monnin
who received last Saturday the Decoration of the Order of the Pleiade and the
rank of officer awarded by the International Assembly of French-language
Parliamentarians.
Mr.
Speaker, the Pleiade, which is an order of Francophones and of cultural
dialogue, is the private order of the International Assembly of French‑language
Parliamentarians. Having an international vocation, it is intended to recognize
the eminent achievements of persons who have distinguished themselves in
service of the AIPLF's ideal of co‑operation.
I
would also like to note that the AIPLF conference, which took place from May 7
to 10, also marked the
It
would take too long even to try to enumerate the possibilities and riches
offered by the AIPLF, but I would like to make members of this House aware of
the fundamental objective of this organization, which is to facilitate
initiatives of any type toward the development of the French language.
Allow
me, Mr. Speaker, to conclude in wishing long life to the AIPLF in
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
Je voudrais
ajouter mes mots a ceux du depute de Saint‑Boniface (M. Gaudry) et
exprimer combien c'etait un honneur pour moi de participer aussi a quelques
evenements cette fin de semaine a l'Assemblee regionale americaine de
l'Assemblee internationale des parlementaires de langue francaise.
Comme le depute de Saint‑Boniface, je
voudrais vous feliciter, Monsieur le president, pour votre role majeur dans
cette conference, qui a contribue au succes de cette neuvieme assemblee ici a
Winnipeg. Je voudrais aussi remercier
les membres de votre bureau pour leur aide et aussi Bev Bosiak dans le bureau
du greffier, et aussi Kathleen Brown du bureau du protocole du Gouvernement du
Manitoba.
Comme le depute de Saint‑Boniface, je
voudrais souligner deux evenements tres importants cette fin de semaine. D'abord c'est la ceremonie de remise d'une
decoration de l'Ordre de la Pleiade a l'honorable juge Alfred Maurice
Monnin. C'est un evenement tres
important pour le Manitoba.
Surtout je voudrais souligner le fait que nous
sommes maintenant officiellement membres de l'AIPLF. Cette fin de semaine, nous avons ete
installes comme la section manitobaine de l'Association internationale des
parlementaires de langue francaise.
J'imagine que nous sommes tous, dans cette
chambre, fiers de cet evenement, et encore, nous voudrions vous feliciter,
Monsieur le president, pour votre role tres important dans ce developpement. Merci.
[Translation]
I
would like to add my words to those of the member for St. Boniface (Mr. Gaudry)
and express what an honour it was for me also to participate in a number of
events this weekend at the American region assembly of the International
Assembly of French‑language Parliamentarians.
Like
the member for St. Boniface, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, for
your important role in this conference which contributed to the success of this
ninth assembly which took place here in
Like
the member for St. Boniface, I would like to note two very important events
this weekend. Firstly, there was the
ceremony of the Order of the Pleiade, which was conferred upon Honourable
Justice Alfred Maurice Monnin which was a very important event for
Above
all, I would like to note the fact that we are now officially members of the
AIPLF. This weekend, we were installed
as the
I
imagine that all of us in this House are proud of this event, and once again,
we would like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, for your very important role in
this development. Thank you.
Mr. Marcel Laurendeau
(St. Norbert): May I have leave, Mr. Speaker, to make a
nonpolitical statement? [Agreed]
Il me
fait plaisir aujourd'hui, Monsieur le president, de dire quelques mots. Laissez‑moi commencer par vous
complimenter pour votre role cette fin de semaine. Cela a bien marche et je veux dire merci aux
membres de votre bureau aussi, puis a Bev, de nous avoir aides pendant la fin
de semaine.
Monsieur le president, pendant la fin de
semaine, nous, les membres de la l'Assemblee du Manitoba, ont eu la grande
visite des parlementaires de l'AIPLF, des parlementaires du Quebec, de
l'Ontarion, du Nouveau‑Brunswick, de la Nouvelle‑Ecosse, et meme de
l'etat de Maine. Le secretaire‑general
de l'AIPLF etait la.
C'etait la recompense d'avoir pris soin de nos
Francophones, parce que c'est de cela qu'on parle: la protection de la culture, la facon de
vivre, et la raison d'etre. Les
organismes de la langue francaise etaient aussi la. Je veux les feliciter d'avoir ete capables de
dire leur mot ici dans la chambre. La
dialogue avec les communautes francaises est importante et je pense que c'est
cela qu'on a reussi cette fin de semaine.
Monsieur le president, aussi a cette occasion,
l'honorable juge Alfred Maurice Monnin a ete decore de l'ordre de l'AIPLF au
grade d'officier, et je suis fier que tous les membres de l'Assemblee du
Manitoba ont pu etre la. Merci.
[Translation]
It
is a pleasure for me today to say a few words.
I would like to begin by complimenting you for your role during this
past weekend. It went very well, and I
also would like to thank the members of your office, and Bev, for having
assisted us during the weekend.
Mr.
Speaker, during this weekend, we the members of the Manitoba Legislature had a
great visit from parliamentarians of the AIPLF, parliamentarians from
This
was our reward for taking care of our Francophones, because that is what we are
talking about: protection of culture,
way of life and raison d'etre. French‑language
organizations were also present, and I would like to congratulate them for
being able to put forward their words here in the House. Dialogue with French communities is
important, and I think this is what we succeeded in having this weekend.
Mr.
Speaker, also on this occasion, the Honourable Justice Alfred Monnin was
decorated with the rank of officer of the AIPLF, and I am proud that all the
members of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly were able to be there. Thank you.
* * *
Mr. Gerry McAlpine
(Sturgeon Creek): Mr. Speaker, do I have leave for a
nonpolitical statement? [Agreed]
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House to
pay tribute to a group of students at
The team consists of coach, Mr. Kopchuk,
and players, Marshall Patterson, Kris Kendall, Randy Ball, Ryan Murray, Shane
Graff, Jade Young, Shawn Auger, Jordon Koll, Brad Templeman, Bill Schmitt,
Ritchie Miller and Darrin Moore.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure all members will
join with me in congratulating the
* * *
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): Do I have leave to make a nonpolitical
statement? [Agreed]
Mr. Speaker, on a much sadder note, I
would like to perhaps ask all members of the Legislature to join with me in expressing
our condolences to the family members, the friends of the people who have
already died in the Westray mine accident in
Mr. Speaker, I represent a mining area and
the people in Flin Flon are all too familiar with mining tragedies, although I
have to say, nothing, thank goodness, compared to the scale of what happened at
the Westray mine. I am often reminded of
a conversation I had with the previous member for Flin Flon, Tom Barrow, who
grew up in
We are a long way away, but I think we
share the sorrow at what has happened and certainly hope that some of the other
members of the mine crews who are in the mine at the time may be rescued. I would like to say that on behalf of all of
the miners in my constituency, at a minimum, and I hope I am saying what is on
the minds of members in the Legislature here and in other Legislatures across
Mr. Steve Ashton
(Thompson): Might I also have leave to speak? [Agreed]
I would also like to indicate my own
sorrow with the events that have taken place in
I think it is important that we pass on
our condolences to the families of the deceased in
* (1440)
I think it is important that we in this
Chamber rededicate ourselves to ensure that this kind of event does not happen
in
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Committee
Changes
Mr. Edward Helwer
(Gimli): Mr. Speaker, I have some committee
changes. I move, seconded by the member
for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine), that the composition of the Standing
Committee on Private Bills be amended as follows: The member for St. Norbert (Mr. Laurendeau)
for the member for
* * *
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Minister of Labour): Mr. Speaker, before I
announce House Business, I wonder if members would grant me leave, too, for a
nonpolitical comment. [Agreed]
I would like to join with our two
colleagues opposite who represent constituencies in which mining is a major
employer. I, too, in the Lac du Bonnet
constituency have a mine operation at TANCO.
I think all members of this House, our thoughts go out today to those
families in Nova Scotia who are living with the knowledge that their loved ones
have been killed in this accident or with the anxiety of not knowing the final
result for those who are still trapped in that mine. I think this type of event again goes to
underline for us the importance of safety in our mines and for safety to be an
ongoing concern for all involved in that particular industry.
I have the honour as Minister of Labour of
being responsible for our Mines Inspection Branch, and I think there has been a
long history in this province going back over numerous administrations, indeed
I think it has been the intent of this Legislative Assembly to ensure that
efforts have always been made to have, as safe as possible, mines in our
province. For those, and I know in the
member for Thompson's (Mr. Ashton) constituency, the member for Flin Flon's
(Mr. Storie) constituency and my own, who are involved in mine rescue units,
their ongoing training and efforts for the day they hope never comes, this type
of event, again underlines the importance of their work, the importance to
avoid accidents and the importance of being able to respond when they do
happen.
So I join with my colleagues, as I am sure
all members of this Legislature do, in continuing to support the efforts of
miners, of unions, of employers and the mine safety branch in working towards
safe mining conditions in our province, indeed across the country.
House
Business
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Deputy Government House Leader): Mr.
Speaker, with respect to House Business, I would now like to move, seconded by
the honourable Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Findlay), that Mr. Speaker do now
leave the Chair, and that this House resolve itself into a committee to
consider of the Supply to be granted to Her Majesty.
Motion agreed to, and the
House resolved itself into a committee to consider of the Supply to be granted
to Her Majesty with the honourable member for St. Norbert (Mr. Laurendeau) in
the Chair for the Department of Health; and the honourable member for Seine
River (Mrs. Dacquay) in the Chair for the Department of Education and Training.
* (1500)
COMMITTEE
OF SUPPLY
(Concurrent
Sections)
HEALTH
Mr. Deputy Chairperson
(Marcel Laurendeau): Order, please. Will the Committee of Supply please come to
order.
This afternoon this section of the
Committee of Supply, meeting in Room 255, will be resuming consideration of the
Estimates of the Department of Health.
When the committee last sat, it had been
considering item 5. Health Services (a) Administration: (2) Other Expenditures, and a motion moved by
the honourable member for
THAT this committee condemn the Minister
of Health for failing to provide full and complete information on hospital
funding, thereby allowing bed cuts to proceed on an ad hoc, disjointed basis in
the absence of a comprehensive plan and without the benefit of public input.
Is there any further debate on the motion?
Hon. Donald Orchard
(Minister of Health): Mr. Deputy Chairperson, before we move on with
debate of the Estimates, I want to indicate that about this time a week ago, 12
hours ago, I agreed to my honourable friend the member for
I want to indicate to my honourable friend
that from passage of this motion on, we are dealing line by line as we always
have been. We will not be dealing with
any issue until the staff gets here to deal with the issue, if that is necessary,
but we are going to pass lines before we move on.
I have had it with the time‑wasting
tactics of my honourable friend, because it is abusive to my staff who sit here
not able to carry out their regular duties on the whim of the New Democratic critic
who does not know whether she is coming or going from one day to the next.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: Order, please.
Is there any debate on the motion?
Mr. Gulzar Cheema (The
Maples): Mr. Deputy Chairperson, can I have a copy of
the motion? I think I misplaced it.
I just want to tell the member for
First of all, as we have discussed and we
said from the beginning, the funding for the hospital has to be based on the
health care reform and some of the other consultation processes which are
taking place. We are asking and urging
the minister to come up with a reform as soon as possible, but keeping in mind
that the reform must be a full package.
If that means a further delay of another day or two, but we need an
approximate date and time, so that the people of
I also had the copy of the letter from
MHO, that was on Thursday. I had it and
I did not want to proceed with only one group, because there are a number of
other groups who are equally concerned about health care reform. I think it will be very detrimental to the
health care reform process if the package is not being at least first in this
building. The taxpayers should have the
first say before anybody else. As long
as the consultation has taken place, the minister has to explain to us and in
fact to the ad hoc member of his own caucus.
It is not something that is going to be
taken very lightly, this will cross the political boundaries. No question, the health care package will
cross the political boundaries. Keeping
that in mind, I would simply ask the minister to come up with a package and
give us an approximate time or date if this is possible at this stage, and have
an open consultation process continue to follow the same policy, but leave the
package here. Then a review has to take place and some of the tougher decisions
will be made, and I think they should be made.
In that regard, we have no problem.
Certainly, I want to make it very clear I am not supporting this motion
from that point of view.
Mr. Deputy
Chairperson: Shall the motion
pass? All those in favour of the motion,
please say yea.
An Honourable Member: Yea.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: All those opposed, say nay.
Some Honourable Members: Nay.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: In my opinion, the Nays have it.
Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis
(
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: I would like to remind the honourable member
she needs two members to ask for the recorded vote.
Ms.
Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Radisson, oui.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: A formal vote has been requested. This committee will recess, and we will go to
the House for a formal vote.
* (1510)
* * *
The
committee took recess at 3:10 p.m.
After
Recess
The
committee resumed at 4:16 p.m.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: When we were last sitting we were discussing
item 5. Health Services (a) Administration:
(2) Other Expenditures $71,200‑‑pass.
Item 5.(b) Hospitals and Community Health
Services: (1) Salaries $32,015,900.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I have a number of
questions in this area, and I would like to begin by noting that contrary to
the impression left by the minister prior to the vote that we were jumping all
over the place in this set of Estimates and causing great inconvenience to
himself and his staff, I think the records should show that by and large we
have not moved beyond the whole area of services and hospitals and community
facilities.
I know that we have made that request at
the outset of this section of Estimates, however, we have not yet had an
opportunity to skip all over the place in Estimates. In fact, we have been consistently and
persistently raising questions pertaining to health services as a general topic
area and specifically hospitals and community health services.
I would like to know, to begin this
section of Hospitals and Community Health Services, if the minister at this
point is prepared to provide us with details pertaining to the budget
allocation for each hospital and community health facility.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I realize my
honourable friend, much to the embarrassment of the NDP, is now trying to
backtrack on the fact that I have had staff here till one o'clock last Monday
night in anticipation of what my honourable friend indicated might be the
opportunity to finish these Estimates.
I had one staffperson who sat here until
one o'clock dealing with the ambulance service.
Not one single question was asked. That happened on Thursday. That individual will not be here tonight
because he lives out of town, and I am not going to abuse that person's
evenings by having him sit here and listen to my honourable friend prattle on,
so that is why we are moving line by line.
Which line are we on? Planning and development of programs,
establishes funding support levels, I presume that is the line we are at?
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: That is correct, Mr. Minister.
Mr. Orchard: Then I will answer any question my honourable
friend wants to deal with in terms of salaries for that line and Other
Expenditures.
* (1620)
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: Let me just, before I proceed with some more
questions, indicate to the minister that he can check the record to have this
verified that the opposition's questions have been short, there has not been a
lot of time taken up with long speeches.
But every time we have asked very short questions, we have had very long
answers. I think if anyone wants to talk
about prattling on and using up the time of the House and playing games, then I
think they only have to look as far as the Minister of Health (Mr. Orchard),
and he only has to look in the mirror to understand what has been happening in
this Estimates process.
We have many questions. I have been very serious about asking
questions for information. You will
know, Mr. Deputy Chairperson, that the lack of answers led to a frustration
about a month ago, April 16, which forced me at that time to put forward a
motion requesting that this committee ask the minister to come forward with
details about the budgeting process as it pertains to hospitals and the whole
health care reform agenda.
If we had information then, we would not
still be here today asking questions about more news from hospitals, more
rumours, more worries about what is happening.
We have said consistently that if we had the benefit of the information
that the minister is working with, if we had the benefit of the plan of this
minister and his officials, then we would not be here asking the same questions
over and over again.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I am wondering if
the minister could give us the breakdown‑‑and I am going to repeat
a question I have asked in the past‑‑in terms of beds being moved
within our hospital system, beds being transferred from different facilities to
other facilities, so that we can end the speculation, as the minister has wont
to call it, so that we can end the fear and anxiety in our hospitals. I simply ask for a breakdown of that formula,
the government formula, for the 240 beds apparently to be cut from our two
teaching hospitals, where those beds are being transferred to, what beds are
being cut from the community hospitals, where those beds are being transferred
to, what beds are being cut in total from our hospital system and how resources
are being moved into the community.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, since we are going
line by line, my honourable friend might want to pose those questions, and I
will provide as much information as possible when we reach line 7 in the
Estimates in which the increased spending of $53 million to hospitals is
budgeted, an increase from $892 million last year to over $946 million this
year.
If my honourable friend wishes to ask
questions regarding how we are expending $32 million of salaries, I would be
pleased to answer those, as they pertain to the planning process, as they
pertain to the general direction of care delivery in the province of Manitoba
and the role and function that $32 million worth of salary costs undertake to
provide those services. I would be glad
to answer my honourable friend's specific questions regarding this salary line.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: I will be happy to ask questions I have asked
in the past on that very theme and for which I have received no answers.
Let me start by asking the question I
asked last week, which is the evidence somewhere in these Estimates to indicate
there is in fact a movement from hospitals, from institutional health care to
community health services. Could the
minister indicate, in terms of this line that we are on, how staff, how
resources are being allocated to achieve these general principles and goals
that the minister enunciates, and where there is evidence that in fact we are
seeing the beginning of a real health care reform agenda and real movement
where patients' needs are met and quality of health services is maintained?
Mr. Orchard: I think that would become abundantly evident
with the total operating expenditures of $1.792 billion being expended and
adding to that $57 million worth of capital expenditures and some of the
significant increases. For instance, in
community care, $7 million more this year than last in the Continuing Care
Program. I think that those initiatives ought
to demonstrate to my honourable friend that the resource is going to support
increased community care.
I might indicate to my honourable friend
that had I followed the advice of the New Democrats I would have not put more
money into the Continuing Care Program, I would have put it all into the
hospital system, because that has been the sole fixation of my honourable
friend, that a $53‑million increase in budget to hospitals that I am
asking approval for, for this fiscal year, I believe my honourable friend, on
behalf of the New Democrats of Manitoba, is making the case that that is not
enough.
Well, I hope that we get a little more
definitive response from my honourable friend of what should be enough to
hospitals, since that is her only fixation in these Estimates. But we are putting $7 million more into home
care to enhance service opportunity in the community. Is that good, bad, in between, wrong? Because if the New Democrats would care to
suggest that is wrong, I would take that advice very seriously. I doubt if I would follow it, but at least I
would know what my honourable friend stands for or alleges to stand for at this
time of 4:25 on May 11. That may change
tomorrow, who knows? But at least I
would have some indication where my honourable friend stands at this moment in
the shifting sands of policy creation by the NDP.
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: I remind the minister that these are
Estimates for the Department of Health, for the Minister of Health to provide a
sense of his direction and his plans for health care. The minister is wont to, over the last 50
hours or more, at every turn, with every question, twist it around and suggest
that he is not required to answer the question and that the whole sole purpose
of being here is for the opposition to put their positions on record.
Well, Mr. Deputy Chairperson, you know the
purpose of Estimates is for the opposition to get information about the
government's spending plans. So much as
I would love to sit and go into lengthy diatribes and have all kinds of
friendly debate and discussion about my views, my personal leanings, my party's
philosophy as opposed to this minister and his party and his government's
policies and philosophy, this is not the time nor the place for that kind of
dialogue or diatribe.
What it is the time for is the minister to
provide some answers to some questions.
I asked, and I will ask again, where in this set of Estimates are we to
glean from the pages and the numbers before us, a movement along the health
care reform lines that the minister has touted and along the lines that many
advocate? I am certainly one of them,
have always been one of them.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson, the minister has
been very diligent about distorting every question we have asked. That has been no different when we have asked
questions about changes in hospital budgets and reductions in beds. Our job is to piece together this information
so we have a better understanding of where the government of the day is leading
health care, and so that we can offer our best advice and our most constructive
criticism.
* (1630)
Mr. Deputy Chairperson, that has not been
possible, because we do not get answers to basic questions. We are not privy to details. We are not treated with respect in this
supposed democratic Estimates process which has traditionally and historically
been a time for members of the Legislature to ask questions and for the
government of the day to provide responses to those questions.
If the minister is not prepared to answer
that kind of a broad question since it may involve several lines, and I know he
is only going to go line by line in this new rigorous less‑than‑flexible
position, or inflexible position let me say, so perhaps we are not going to get
very far asking those general kinds of questions. If he is not prepared to answer that general
kind of question, perhaps, we can begin with something very simple and that is,
is the information on page 71 of our Estimates book under 5.(b) by and large
the information that was contained under Community Health Services of the
previous Estimates year‑‑and I am comparing Estimates books‑‑or
if it is not, what lines constitute the new line Hospitals and Community Health
Services, so I can make some precise comparisons? As you will know, Mr. Deputy Chairperson, it
is not possible for us to simply look at this book and compare the Estimates
for the year ending March 31, 1993, with the Adjusted Vote in '91‑92
since many adjustments took place to the point where there is often little
comparison between the Estimates we agreed to last year and the Adjusted Vote
for the last fiscal year.
I am trying to find the details of our
previous Estimates process that constitute this new line, Hospitals and
Community Health Services.
Mr. Orchard: I missed the question, but I will indicate to
my honourable friend that under the line we are now discussing, there are
Salaries, nine SYs for Managerial, 648 1/2 SYs for Professional/Technical, 141
and six weeks for Administrative Support.
There is a provision for term staff of approximately 12 SYs plus 44
weeks. There is a provision in the
Salaries for severance and vacation pay, something that is always budgeted
for. There is a provision for overtime;
there is a provision for standby because sometimes staff are on standby. There are shift and weekend premiums. There is staff turnover allowance.
Point of
Order
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: We are all capable of reading, Mr. Deputy
Chairperson. I did not ask the minister
to read the Estimates page, I asked him for some specific information. If he is not prepared to do that after making
a stink about sticking to this Estimates process on a line‑by‑line
basis, then why does he not just say so and say that he does treat this whole
process as a charade‑‑
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: Order, please. The honourable member does not have a point of
order. It is a dispute over the facts.
* * *
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, my honourable friend
last year made the same kind of accusations my honourable friend is making this
year. I guess maybe in terms of trying
to bring together Hospitals and Community Health Services so that they operate
not as separate and autonomous lines of spending which has been the tradition
up until last year's reorganization, that they work in a more co‑operative,
communicative fashion so that you are not narrowed one day dealing on one line
with hospitals alone, and then on the next day with community‑based
services as provided through regional services.
I know that that concept is foreign to my
honourable friend even though from time to time she claims that the NDP support
that kind of integration of service, communication, reorganization of the
department. I guess, maybe we should not
have staff involved with hospital spending talking to staff involved with
regional services. I mean they should
not communicate, according to the NDP.
Now that we have put them together in this, my honourable friend cannot
understand why. This is a strange sort of an approach. You might recall, Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I
asked‑‑
Point of
Order
Ms. Wasylycia-Leis: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, on a point of
order. I at no time suggested this was a
strange approach. I asked for the
elements of the previous Estimates process that constitute this new line. I did not add any kind of subjective
judgmental terminology around a very straightforward objective question. That is my question. That is what I would like an answer to.
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: Order, please. The honourable member did not have a point of
order.
* * *
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, here is the dilemma we
have. We do not know what my honourable
friend really believes in because you might recall during the course of my
honourable friend's last remarks, and I am going to review Hansard carefully
because my honourable friend made something to the effect that we really
believe in changing and shifting the health care system, I believe she meant
from institution to community, and I said, pardon me, because I had not heard
that before. Because all I have heard
from my honourable friend in the last‑‑well, let us just deal with
the last 12 hours since we have had this great flexibility. The majority of the questions from my
honourable friend have been on hospitals.
During the 52 hours we have been here, the vast majority of my
honourable friend's questions have been on hospitals, a sole and intense
fixation on hospitals. On the bed is the
power symbol.
I understand that my honourable friend may
not have a plan that she can put forward or any kind of a philosophical underpinning
that the New Democrats in
I will even give my honourable the
opportunity to say, okay, give us time and as opposition New Democrats, we will
come to grips with that and we will eventually understand the system and maybe
present something that is logical, that is understanding.
But a given that my honourable friend does
not like what we are doing in these Estimates‑‑well, maybe my
honourable friend will not now, but there is a member of the New Democrats
still in the crowd here. Maybe my
honourable friend, who is remaining, representing the New Democrats might be
able to indicate, if you do not like these Estimates in the Province of
Manitoba, then give us a little hint as to which provinces health care spending
we ought to follow, whether it be any province from Newfoundland to British
Columbia? If you find one that is doing
closer to the job that you think we should be doing in
The second thing, if New Democrats cannot
come to grips with a position for Manitobans to view in
I mean, let us hear which one is more
appropriate, then we get a little better semblance as to what it is they do not
like about our spending in this province right now with $102 million more to
spend this year than last, increase in community support programs through the
Continuing Care Program, increase even in hospitals. Not as much as they want. Not as much as my honourable friend's the New
Democrats would give the hospitals, but certainly an increase.
So, you know, even if they cannot lay out
their own ideals and their own philosophy and their own understanding of the
health care system, even a little hint as to which province most closely
emulates where they come from as New Democrats would be helpful, because I am
at a loss to understand where the New Democrats come from in Manitoba.
Earlier on, about 35 hours ago, the member
for St. Johns (Ms. Wasylycia‑Leis) said, when I mentioned, well, do you
like the way they do this in Ontario or this in Saskatchewan or this in British
Columbia, her statement was‑‑and I will remember it very carefully‑‑well,
we do not always agree with what New Democrats do when they are in
government. Well, that is pretty
obvious, because when New Democrats are in government they do things entirely
different than New Democrats in opposition.
I mean, that is a given. That is
the inconsistency they have to come to grips with.
In the absence of my honourable friend,
the critic‑‑
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: Order, please.
At this time, I would like to remind all honourable members that it is
unparliamentary to refer to the presence or absence of any member.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I apologize for that
slip. When my honourable friend the New Democratic Party critic decides that
she wishes to address those very pressing issues, I would be more than pleased
to listen.
* (1640)
Mr. Gulzar Cheema (The
Maples): When we started the process of discussing the
Department of Health with this commission at that time, first there was a so‑called
agreement that we may come back for four to six hours and discuss the whole
thing, because we did not have the package.
So I followed that, at least the word of the committee, and now 12 hours
or 14 hours later on, we are still discussing something we really do not know,
which direction the questions are coming and which direction the Department of
Health is going to be moving, because it is really unfortunate how things are
happening.
I think somebody could write a very good
book in terms of the politics in health care.
I think the last 14 hours will give them good material to write. I think the way it has been happening is very
unfortunate. Certainly, I would ask the
minister that, can he tell us when approximately the health care reform package
will be released and will they make sure that the public is first notified, because
today there was some question in terms of MHO wanted a consultation, but I
think other than MHO there are other people who are interested in turn?
Many other organizations are interested
and above all, I think the people of
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I do not have it with
me, but the letter that was flaunted around today by the Leader of the New
Democrats (Mr. Doer) trying to leave the impression that the MHO was not
willing to work with government, et cetera, is not an accurate reflection of
MHO's position. Correspondence came into
the office Friday laying out MHO's approach to reform of the health care
system, and I am just getting those letters brought down. I left them up in the office.
I am going to give my honourable friend a
copy of the MHO letter of May 8 because it is significantly different in its
tone and impression, and would be much more difficult for my honourable friends
the New Democrats to say, well, you know, they do not want to work with
government, et cetera, which is not the case, because MHO has had a quite close
working relationship with government over the last four years. We have not always agreed, and we never will‑‑that
is not the nature of the beast‑‑but where we have disagreed, it has
been on the basis of shared information, so they know where we are coming from.
To leave the impression, as the New
Democrats tried today, that MHO is not interested in working with government on
system‑wide reform is wrong. The
observation made by MHO in terms of the need for as wide as possible
consultation around the health reform directions and discussion paper is a
very, very valid suggestion. They are
not the only people who have made that suggestion. My honourable friend the member for The
Maples (Mr. Cheema) has been making that suggestion for six weeks now, and I do
not disagree. We are going to do that.
The paper, when available, will have a
very, very wide circulation. I intend to
undertake meetings with various organizations and groups to present the essence
of the paper and to try and create a greater understanding of where the
direction of government is in terms of reform of the health care system. I have also had some meetings with the
leadership of some of those very organizations in the past ten days wherein I
have indicated that this major paper is coming down and will be part of a very
wide public consultation.
I indicated to the leadership of these
organizations that my expectation is that they will be the significant players
in the discussion. I also offered the
caution to them, as I have offered today in Question Period to my honourable
opposition critics from the NDP, that I am quite prepared to listen to their
opinion of what is inappropriate or wrong with the process that we are
undertaking, but I will not accept it in isolation.
If what they believe we are proposing is
the wrong thing to do, I want them to propose what they believe the right thing
is to do. If I heard correctly, that is
exactly what the critic for the New Democrats just five or ten minutes ago said
that she would do on behalf of the New Democrats, that they would put down
their position. They would offer a
critique of our proposal and our plan and offer what they would do
instead. I think that would be most
refreshing to see and to hear.
If there is one thing that bothers me
about the discussion paper and its completion and its public presentation is
that I did not have it available six weeks ago at the onset of these Estimates,
because I think it would have been just absolutely ideal to have it here. When I indicated the direction on capital
program, I also said that by then we would have the discussion paper available
and we can have a three‑, four‑, five‑, six‑hour debate
on both of them after they are made available to the public, because I am
interested in listening to the observations, the critiques, the criticisms of
where we can improve the process and make it work better. As in the past, I have suggested changes‑‑or
accepted changes suggested by others, my honourable friend the member for The
Maples (Mr. Cheema) being one. That is
not unusual. That will be a natural
process of change and evolution in the system that we will adhere to.
My honourable friend the member for
But still the appropriate care for the
individual is the general reform direction we are taking, and it was spelled
out in rather significant detail‑‑in general terms, I will admit‑‑in
my opening remarks; no secrets, no hidden agenda, a very definitive explanation
of where the system can and will go.
I am absolutely looking forward to the
debate that will emanate when we have the opportunity to make our discussion
paper and our action plan public and with wide circulation to get feedback as
to what is right, what is wrong, what needs to be changed and how it can be
changed.
Mr. Cheema: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, in fact, I had the
copy of the MHO stuff, I received on May 5.
When we went through the copy, I found something which I was very
pleased they were offering, and this said:
In the spirit of co‑operation and desire to facilitate the changes
and for the achievement of a more effective health care system, the board of
directors of MHO urges you to convene a special meeting of the health care
providers and the stakeholders.
I thought that was a good suggestion. I am even asking the minister to go one step
further. We said from the beginning, get
each and every health care provider at the same table when you are releasing the
package and ask them to comment at one time. It is going to be very easy for
each and every organization to work for themselves. They have to work for the health care people
of
The best way is to release it is through
this House. We are in session now, and I
think that is one good opportunity for all of us to put our comments. It was said earlier that this is not the
place to debate, and I disagree. This is
the place to debate, because in 54 hours you have to tell exactly and at least
in some direction where you are coming from.
Questions are very easy to ask, but to implement some of the policies on
behalf of the taxpayers is very difficult.
* (1650)
Simply we are asking the minister and
urging him again to follow the advice he is getting from all people in terms of
the health care professionals and the health care groups and the taxpayers and
each and every person. The letter was
self‑explanatory. It is very
clear. I am sure that, when the MHO is
going to read what happened in Question Period, they will be very disappointed,
because I think they are trying to co‑operate, they are trying to send
the right message. When the messenger is
not being right, I think that is the problem.
I want the minister to expand the issue of health care reform to the
other groups so that they could have advance warning what is coming.
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, my honourable friend
and I have had fairly substantive discussions on this issue. I am going to give my honourable friend a
copy of a May 8, 1992‑‑[interjection] the May 8 one, from MHO? I do not think you have that, because it just
came into my office on Friday. It is
addressed to myself.
The covering letter says: "In November, 1991, as part of a
planning exercise, the Board of Directors of Manitoba Health Organizations
acknowledged the challenges facing the Canadian and
"In April, 1992, the Board adopted a
series of position statements concerning its values as a basis for decision‑making
in matters pertinent to health system reform.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors,
I am pleased to share MHO's Position Statements on Health System Reform as an
indication of our intention to take an active part in working towards improved
system reform. Chairman of the
Board."
Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I am going to take
the liberty to table this, because it puts a significantly different light on
the issue compared to the April 28 letter, because I would not, in any way,
shape or form, want to have the impression remain, as alleged by the New
Democrats in Question Period today, that MHO does not want to co‑operate
with government and does not have ideas around helping government and working
with government.
I think my honourable friend, even the
member for
Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin
Flon): I have a lot of sympathy for the member for
He also can misinterpret what other people
have written to him and what other people have said to him, and his latest
twisting of the MHO letter is perhaps the best example.
The MHO were never saying, we are not
interested in working with government.
What they are saying is, we cannot work with this minister. This minister is not prepared to listen.
[interjection] Yes, that is what they are saying, and I have talked to other
people, people who have served with the MHO who have said exactly the same
thing.
So I mean, it is rather a leap of
rhetorical logic or something to say that somehow MHO is not interested in
working it when it is completely the opposite.
It is the minister, they are saying, who has not put a plan in place
which would allow any of the health care providers to respond in any kind of
coherent fashion.
This minister has misled and misinformed
the Legislature and health care providers across the province. There is no better example than the $50 user
fee. It relates very much to this
section, because one of the objectives of this branch is to ensure that
efficient and appropriate patient care is delivered across the total breadth of
the province.
When I asked questions the other day, the
minister said in his first answer, well, of course there has been a reduction
in the use of the Northern Patient Transportation Program because there are not
as many physicians in rural and northern
The fact of the matter is that the
Northern Patient Transportation Program was implemented without any
consultation with any major health care provider, without consulting the users
of the Northern Patient Transportation Program or the communities that it
affects. It is just one small example of
a direction taken by a stubborn minister who has subsequently refused, despite
the best evidence he has at hand.
Despite the best efforts of people to convince him that the policy is
wrong, he has steadfastly refused to correct his mistake, and it is a mistake.
It is rather ironic and ludicrous to hear
a Minister of Health say, well, yes, I know that people in Winnipeg use the
health services twice as often, but I think what we should do is take the
people who use it half as often and penalize them, make access for them more
difficult. That is the ticket.
How that can be consistent, how that can
be logical is beyond me. I have been in
this committee before, and I have asked the minister previously to tell me with
whom he consulted to develop this genius of an approach to health care
policy. Who did he consult with? Did he consult with the northern health task
force that he created? Did he ask them
what the impact of a $50 user fee would be?
Well, no, it is not apparent that he did. Did he ask any of the other myriad of task
forces that he put together how they viewed it?
No, I do not think he did. Does
he appear at this point to be willing to contemplate changing the policy based
on the fact that the number of people using the system is declining despite the
increase in virtually every other area of health service delivery in the
province? No, he is not prepared to
move.
So, how can you expect MHO or any other
group to have much faith that consulting with this minister is going to lead to
any kind of enlightened change? The fact
of the matter is that this minister has his own agenda and he is trying to hide
it very cleverly behind a whole series of task force reports that are pending. Mr. Deputy Chairperson, what we need to know
is what the plan is. That is what was
asked today. That was what was asked by
MHO, and that is what has been asked by members of the committee who came
forward before the Estimates process. I
guess that is my question as well. Can
the minister tell us today whether the Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation
or any other group in the research and planning area of the Department of
Health are evaluating the impact of the Northern Patient Transportation $50
user fee?
Mr. Orchard: Mr. Deputy Chairperson, I know that
information will not necessarily change my honourable friend's approach, but I
would just like to share some information with my honourable friend so that he
might more appropriately understand the chart that he referred to on page 46 of
the MHSC annual statistics. My
honourable friend might be made aware that
There is a private lab in Westman. There is a private lab in the Interlake which
accounts for, I would have to assume, those two regions being above the other
regions for which there are no private labs, and what happens in terms of the
services throughout Eastman, Parkland, Norman Central and Thompson is that
LAXes, the provincial laboratory service, as part of the hospital budget is
undertaking those laboratory testings, and they are not billed as separate
services. They are part of the global budgets
of hospitals. Therefore, if you were to
pull out of the
Mr. Deputy Chairperson: Order, please.
The time now being 5 p.m. and time for private members' hour, I am
interrupting the proceedings of the committee.
The Committee of Supply will resume
considerations at 8 p.m.
EDUCATION
AND TRAINING
Madam Chairperson
(Louise Dacquay): Order, please.
Will the Committee of Supply please come to order. This section of the Committee of Supply is
dealing with the Estimates for the Department of Education and Training. We are on page 41, Bureau de L'Education
Francaise 4.(a) Division Administration.
Would the minister's staff please enter
the Chamber.
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey
(Minister of Education and Training): I have
some items to table as a follow‑up to our previous discussions in
Estimates. The first is information on
the Distance Education and Technology Branch, the List of First Year University
by Distance Education Sites.
The second is Distance Education and
Technology Branch, the Names and Locations of Programs. The third is Distance Education and Technology
Branch‑‑I am sorry, these are the same names, educations and
programs. I beg your pardon, that is the
same.
The third is a listing that was
requested. Members of the Student
Support Branch's names, and we have also provided the background of those individuals
employed, as well as a list of their job descriptions.
Also, I have Material to be Tabled from
the BEF Division, which is a breakdown of the grants offered through the
bureau; also rules and regulations governing the grants for French language education,
a summary of the grants given in 1991‑92 to school divisions for French
language programs, a summary of grants forecasted for 1992‑93 to school
divisions for French language programs and a summary of funds to be received
from the Department of the Secretary of State under the Canada‑Manitoba
Agreement for Official Languages in Education as indicated in the '92‑93
detailed Estimates.
That completes the items that I had said
that I would table.
* (1450)
Madam Chairperson: Item 4.(a) Division Administration: (1) Salaries $108,500‑‑pass; (2)
Other Expenditures $22,200‑‑pass; (3) Francophone Schools
Governance $40,000‑‑pass.
Item 4.(b) Curriculum Development and
Implementation: (1) Salaries $815,300‑‑pass;
(2) Other Expenditures $146,100‑‑pass.
Item 4.(c) Educational Support
Services: (1) Salaries $263,800‑pass;
Other Expenditures $64,400; (3) Assistance $1,056,200‑‑pass.
Item 4.(d) Official Languages Programs and
Administrative Services: (1) Salaries
$414,800‑‑pass; (2) Other Expenditures $345,700‑‑pass;
(3) Assistance $486,000‑‑pass.
Item 4.(e) Library and Materials
Production: (1) Salaries $380,500‑‑pass;
(2) Other Expenditures $124,400‑‑pass.
Resolution 29: RESOLVED that there be granted to Her Majesty
a sum not exceeding $4,267,900 for Education and Training, Bureau de
l'education francaise, for the fiscal year ending the 31st day of March, 1993‑‑pass.
5. Post‑Secondary, Adult and
Continuing Education and Training (a) Executive Administration: (1) Salaries $193,400.
Ms. Jean Friesen
(Wolseley): We are coming to a whole new section of the
department, post‑secondary education, and both the Liberal Party and
ourselves have appointed separate critics for this. I think perhaps that should be noted in
Hansard, and I wondered if perhaps the minister might take this opportunity to
introduce the members of her staff since, in a sense, it is a new critic coming
on?
Mrs. Vodrey: I thank the member for the opportunity to
introduce my staff on the post‑secondary side. I would like to start with John Carlyle, who
is the Deputy Minister of Education and Training; Dominique Bloy, who is the
Assistant Deputy Minister of Administration and Finance; Paul Goyan, who is the
Assistant Deputy Minister of Post‑secondary Adult and Continuing
Education and Training; and Peter Dubienski, who is the Acting Executive
Director, Program Analysis Co‑ordination and Support Branch.
Ms. Friesen: I would like to thank the minister for that,
and to start by putting on the record, I think, some of the concerns that we
have about post‑secondary education, perhaps to indicate for the
minister's staff the direction that we will be taking over the remaining hours
for this department.
I think everybody in
There are and have been some dramatic
population changes in the West, particularly both in the composition of
aboriginal and nonaboriginal populations and also in increasing immigration of
people whose first language is neither English nor French. Both of these pose new challenges, I think,
for the post‑secondary education system in particular.
Coupled with those kinds of population
changes, I think we also have a long‑term reduction of funding from the
federal government and every province has faced that. I would judge it also in political
terms. It is a Conservative government
which has chosen unilaterally to reduce the funds and which has left problems
for every provincial government across the country. It is particularly important in both health,
and of course, in post‑secondary education. So I think that is a second area where I
think everybody recognizes that we face similar changes.
Thirdly, obviously the changes in the
international economy and the effect that has had upon
The recent surveys at the national level
of university policies and of college polices, I think, also have some
implications for
So I would suggest to the minister that
the kinds of things we will want to be looking at in the universities area are
the university‑government relationships, some of the issues of
accessibility, of quality, of teaching and of research, and of a number of the
other issues that the national survey raised.
I think this is the opportunity, outside
of Question Period, to discuss some of the minister's longer term policies for
the universities of the province.
For the colleges, I think
Some of the ones that we would like to
look at with the minister again, outside perhaps the confrontational nature of
Question Period, is to look at the ways in which the colleges can be helped to
meet the challenges of
In particular, the low levels of literacy,
the high levels of dropout rates which are not unique to Manitoba, but I
certainly felt in great extremes in the city of Winnipeg particularly, I think
should be addressed by the community colleges and by other post‑secondary
institutions. So, again, I want to look
for some policy initiatives and policy directions in those areas.
In the field of colleges particularly, the
minister has often in Question Period given the answer to policy questions
with: well, we are going to governments.
I think we would welcome this opportunity in Estimates to look more
closely at what that means, what the relationship will be between the colleges
and the government both in terms of funding, proportion of funds and those
kinds of issues.
So again I am looking, I think in general,
for some policy discussions from these Estimates and for a sense of direction
to both universities and colleges and the sense of the role that our post‑secondary
educational institutions can play in the economic development of the province.
Workforce 2000 we have seen very little
of. The minister has consistently said
that things are happening in that area, and certainly when we look at the
budget, there is a considerable amount of the budget of Education and Training
going to Workforce 2000, but there is very little public information available
on it. So I am looking for those kinds
of information that can then be distributed and publicly discussed.
There are some specific issues that I
would like to look at as we get closer to those particular lines, issues
obviously that we have also discussed in Question Period, issues of access,
issues of student fees as well, that we might have the opportunity to spend a
longer period of time on here.
So I would be happy to stop now if the
Liberal critic wanted to put some general comments on the record, or we can go
straight into questions.
Mr. Reg Alcock
(Osborne): Madam Chairperson, I would like a couple of
minutes just to lay out a few areas so that staff could prepare for the
discussions that are going to take place over the next few weeks.
I have been Finance and, latterly,
Industry critic for our party since I was elected, and I asked for post‑secondary
education because when one spends any amount of time looking at the economic
situation in this province and then looks at what sorts of things small
economies can do to spur economic development and to prepare themselves for
what is ahead, you inevitably end up in discussions about post‑secondary
education and training and retraining and upgrading and the like.
You cannot think about moving into the
global economy without addressing some of the very fundamental problems that we
have in North America, not just in Manitoba, with the way in which we prepare
people to be competitive in the labour market.
So I approach this from that perspective, and I have spent a fair bit of
time visiting with the various universities and people at the colleges, trying
to get a sense of what is occurring. I
have some very specific concerns which I will detail as we come to specific
lines, but I want to lay out a few areas for the minister that I am going to
want to talk about in some detail.
* (1500)
The member for Wolseley (Ms. Friesen) has
talked about governance, and I am going to want to walk through what has
occurred at the colleges since we were last in Estimates. The minister will know that I have a
particular interest in student representation and the whole question of student
representation. I want to ask a similar question relative to the
I am distressed, and have been distressed
for some time, at the Finance minister's willingness to play fast and loose
with the numbers. In few places has it
been done as loosely, shall we say, or as shoddily, as it has been relative to
the Department of Education. So I am
going to want to tighten up, if you like, the facts. I am going to want a detailing of the $2.5
million in new programs.
I would like to know how that $2.5 million
is being allocated in this budget and what new programs are being
proposed. I am going to want to know in
great detail why the minister's own estimates‑‑at a time when we
have a recession, very high unemployment, an opportunity for retraining and
some skill building‑‑are predicting a 2,000 person drop in the
number of people being trained in the province.
I would like to have some detailed answers to that.
I am very concerned about the whole area
of student aid and the apparent shell game that has been played with student
aid, as people have not been allowed to do anything other than work longer
hours to supplement their income, and in that the government seems to be
singularly unresponsive to the needs of students in this province. We had some questions from the member for
Wolseley (Ms. Friesen) that highlighted the concerns relative to access.
I think there are equal and greater
concerns given the position that students are put in attending college. All that this government, in conjunction with
the federal government, has seen fit to do to date, is to force more and more
students to work longer and longer hours in order to meet basic needs while
they are attempting to get an education.
The results, I think, are very predictable.
I am again concerned about the move to
limit enrollment. I do not think it is
any secret that the
I have been wandering around the various
campuses looking at their physical plant, and one does not have to wander very
far at the
I am going to want to talk a little bit
about technical programs at the various colleges and get a sense of how ready
they are, how well‑equipped they are to provide the kind of training that
the various businesses that utilize our trainees require. I am very interested to know the level of
upgrading the various shops need, what sort of capital equipment requirements
have been requested and how far behind are we in keeping the various plants up
to date so that students are being trained on machinery that they will be
expected to use when they go into the work force and not being trained on
pieces of equipment that went out of date more than a decade ago.
Back to the question of student aid for a
moment, I am also wondering about the policy relative to private colleges. I am thinking specifically of hairdressing
and secretarial colleges and what sort of screening is done. I have a couple of cases I want to discuss
with the minister, and I want to know something about the out‑of‑province
provision of support, because I have a number of cases sitting here from people
who are very concerned about their lack of ability to access any support in
this province for programs that are offered elsewhere and are not offered in
this province. I even have some
suggestion that the department has indicated that support would be forthcoming,
the student has made arrangements, gone to college on the strength of that
written indication and then been denied the actual support, so I think there
are some very serious problems there that need to be reviewed in some detail.
I am also interested in the relationship
between research and the various universities, that the government has created
a new board, a new organization which thus far seems to be dedicated to
spending as much of its money as it possibly can on fancy letterhead and nice
releases. It would be interesting to see
if there is any planning or any intention to actually link that organization
with the major research organizations in this province, and whether there is
any planning going on relative to bringing products to market or to assisting
the various developers of new processes and products in bringing their patents,
their ideas, to commercial use.
Certainly the indications I have from the various people who have those
relationships is that the government has been less than supportive, unless of
course you are interested in new printing techniques.
So that, I think, in a general sense, is
the areas that I am going to want to go into in rather great detail, because
there is a concern that is generally raised by the colleges and by the
universities, and that is that this is a huge department and it is a department
that is subject to a great deal of political pressure and political interest,
as parents are concerned about what is going to occur in their local schools
for their children, and that the feeling has been that the universities and the
colleges on the post‑secondary side of this gets rather short shrift in
departmental and ministerial time.
I do not say that with any reference to
this particular minister, because I think that has been a concern going back
more than a decade. It is that concern
that led us, and I suspect the New Democrats, to split the responsibility so
that there could be some focusing on post‑secondary education. So I am going to want to spend a fair bit of
time trying to correct perhaps what has been perceived to be an imbalance. I think with that, Madam Chairperson, I will
draw my remarks to a close and let the member for Wolseley (Ms. Friesen) begin
the questioning.
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I thank the honourable
members for their opening remarks and would refer them to the opening remarks
that I made at the beginning of Estimates where I underlined the commitment and
the interest of this government in all of the issues relating to post‑secondary
education, those issues relating to the universities, to the colleges and to
the training programs within this province, and also, as the member for Osborne
(Mr. Alcock) referenced, training programs which Manitobans attend outside of
this province.
I would just like to reassure both the
members that I, too, look forward to a very good discussion about these issues,
because the issue of Manitoba having a trained and able work force, whether
that training comes from any one of the three areas which have been described,
is of very great importance both to me as an individual minister and to my
department, but also to our government.
So, with that I will ask them if they would like to go ahead with the questions,
and I look forward to our discussion.
Ms. Friesen: Madam Chairperson, I wanted to look at the
programs and record of this section of the department with reference to the
leadership to the three community colleges, which I believe is one of the
activity identifications of this section.
I wonder if the minister could perhaps begin by telling us how that
leadership to the community colleges is conveyed. How does the minister meet with the community
colleges and what kind of policy is she conveying to them in the past year or
in future?
* (1510)
Mr. Marcel Laurendeau
(Deputy Chairperson of Committees): Madam
Chairperson, in the section of the Committee of Supply meeting in Room 255, the
following motion was moved by the honourable member for St. Johns (Ms.
Wasylycia‑Leis): THAT this
committee condemn the Minister of Health (Mr. Orchard) for failing to provide
full and complete information on hospital funding thereby allowing bed cuts to
proceed on an ad hoc disjointed process in the absence of a comprehensive plan
and without the benefit of public input. Following debate of the motion, a
voice vote was held and the motion was deemed to be defeated. A formal vote on the motion was then
requested.
Madam Chairperson: A formal vote on the motion has been
requested. Call in the members.
Order, please. The question before the committee is the
following motion:
THAT this committee condemn the Minister
of Health (Mr. Orchard) for failing to provide full and complete information on
hospital funding, thereby allowing bed cuts to proceed on an ad‑hoc,
disjointed process in the absence of a comprehensive plan and without the
benefit of public input.
A COUNTED VOTE was taken, the result
being as follows: Yeas 18, Nays 29.
Madam Chairperson: The motion is lost.
Order, please. Will the minister's staff please enter the
Chamber.
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I would like to respond to
some of the issues of the direction set by the department to the colleges and
some of the ways in which they have a relationship with each other. First of all, the minister provides direction
to the colleges via staff and also via initiatives, and in the last one and a
half years there have been three new college presidents. Now, by the deputy and by staff we chair the
interdepartmental conversion team on college governance, and in addition PACE
has initiated mid‑range plans and an accountability model for the
colleges and each college president is a member of the PACE senior management
team.
In addition government has provided a
changing focus for college programming to be more responsive to the provincial
needs. I give by way of example
aboriginal initiatives and programs, and also programs relating to economic
development and market‑driven focus and an expansion of the regional
centres, and also the total quality management focus which is part of the
Ms. Friesen: Madam Chairperson, I wanted to direct the next
few questions to colleges in general, so this is not specifically any one of
the colleges.
I wonder if the minister could give me an
idea of how the department has approached planning for the next 10 years? I am thinking particularly of demographic
changes in
* (1620)
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, we certainly have
recognized in the Department of Education that there are issues to be planned
for in relation to, by way of example, aboriginal students and workers,
immigrant and visible minority workers, and older workers who will be
interested in pursuing the area of lifelong learning.
In order to plan for the training of those
workers and those individuals, we are looking at it in a number of ways. The first way is through the
interdepartmental conversion team for the colleges. Through that team we have been looking at
devolving the day‑to‑day operations to the colleges in a very
orderly way, and also to assist in the accountability of those colleges in all
areas. This will take effect in 1993.
Secondly, the department does have a
strategic plan and, in addition, a mid‑range plan, and that mid‑range
plan is looking at the three‑ to four‑year range. There has been some very specific work done
on aboriginal issues, and we do have for the member, when we get to each
college, very specific information on initiatives as they relate to each
college.
Then, in addition, the colleges and their
relation to the economics of the province, I am looking forward to announcing
in the near future a provincial labour force development strategy. I am looking
to do that certainly within the next few months, which I think will then look,
as I said, very carefully at the colleges and their relation to the economy of
the province.
Ms. Friesen: Madam Chairperson, could we go a little deeper
into that. I understand that there are
specific programs for each college, but what concerns me, and I think what
worries many people who are involved in the college system, is that governance
or independence or isolation, depending on how you look at it, is coming very
quickly.
There does not appear to be publicly
available at this stage an overall projection or analysis of the needs of the
provincial population. It is not, you
know‑‑one of the things I was suggesting was to look at the echo
baby boom to look at the usual cohort which is involved in post‑secondary
education. But, as the minister quite
rightly said, what we are looking at in community colleges is not just that
particular cohort. We are looking at the
constant retraining of older workers, and we are looking at, in fact, involving
people in post‑secondary education who have never had that opportunity
before.
So what I am looking for, for example, for
anybody who is going to be on the new boards of these colleges, is where is the
overall research and analysis of provincial needs that they can address
themselves to, that they can begin to put their regional concerns into some
context?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, yes, the department is in
the process, as I mentioned in my last answer, of developing a provincial labour
market strategy, and through this labour market strategy we will be looking at
the needs of the provincial population, and we certainly appreciate the
college's role in the training that would be identified through that labour
market strategy. We do expect that will
contain some long‑range statistics in several areas, first of all the
area of labour‑market supply and demand in relation to training and the
needs of the province, the issue of employability.
We are looking to ensure a very
competitive economy, but also equity for students within that economy. We are also looking through our labour force
development agreement with the federal government for additional partnerships
with the federal government, with industry, and with labour.
Ms. Friesen: The minister talks about developing this. Can she tell us whether this is a study which
is being updated, or is this a study which is, in fact, beginning from scratch? Could she give us an idea of when it will be
publicly available, so that we can perhaps have the public discussion that I
think would be very useful for all the partner groups that she mentioned?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I am informed that the
development of this strategy has been from scratch as opposed to an update, and
it was originally based on recommendations from the skills advisory
representatives. It will consider a
division of responsibility as referenced in the Canada‑Manitoba Labour
Force Development Agreement and also a relationship with the college.
I am expecting that it will be available
in the fall of 1992, certainly submitted to me at that time. It will eventually be made public as well,
and we expect that the importance of it being made public will be‑‑because
we do expect that it will have an impact and will also need the partnership of
business and industry and labour. We
also hope that it will promote debate within the community, and it will also
lead to further discussion about a training culture which we have identified as
being an important step in terms of the training for Manitobans.
Ms. Friesen: Can I continue then with some demographic
questions. One of the issues that all
large educational institutions face is the aging of their faculty, and also
related to that is the very high proportion in both colleges and universities
of budgets which are in fact faculty budgets.
The usual figure that is given across
* (1630)
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, the issue of an aging
faculty is important. It is important as
the member has mentioned in all institutions, and it is important regardless of
the move to governance, but apart from the move to governance I am informed
that within the next five to 10 years there will be a significant increase in
the retirements of the faculties, and it could be as many as one‑half of
the staff. Now, with the move to
governance this is an opportunity then for the boards to look directly at the
quality and the qualifications of the instructors. But they as boards then will be required to
consider what their needs are, what the qualifications that they are looking at
will be.
Ms. Friesen: I think one of the concerns is that what we
are seeing at the moment in college education in
Whereas in some cases that is justifiable,
I think one of the concerns that one would have to have in the long term is a
concern for the continuity and maintenance of an institution. If you do not have the long‑term
faculty there, if you do not have the people who have the commitment to the
institution through their contracts and through their service and through their
continuing contact with students, you are weakening the institutions. So this rather large retirement which the
minister sees as an opportunity, I think, also carries with it some dangers. I wondered her staff had given some
consideration to this.
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I think it would be
important to look at this in two parts; the first part being, I am informed,
that there has been no significant decline in the area of the regular day
programming, that is, the regular kinds of programming for students. However, there has been, in the second part,
a significant increase in the market‑driven training programs.
Market‑driven training programs do
tend to be shorter in length. They tend
to respond very much to the needs and the demands of the labour market, and
they are often very much associated with upgrading to assist an industry in
remaining competitive. They are also
very responsive to the issue of a training culture which I had described in my
previous answer.
So, in two parts, there has been no
significant decline in the regular day programming; there has been an increase
in the market‑driven training which tend to be those shorter courses
which, I believe, the member is referencing.
Ms. Friesen: The policy direction that I see coming from
the government and that the minister, I think, responded to in one of her
earlier answers, is that the provincial policy is towards market‑driven
training. This is what concerns me, that
market‑driven training is very specific, short term, and I am concerned
about the implications of that on faculty presence and the nature of the
institutions that are going to survive.
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I think it is important to
note that I did not in any way suggest that we were favouring market‑driven
programming. I would like to remind the
member that the market‑driven programming was introduced by the former
government, the NDP government. What I
have talked about instead is a modest increase and a balance in the area of the
market‑driven training, and it is certainly not at the expense of the day
programming. I will remind her again
that I am informed there has been no significant decline in the regular day
programming.
Ms. Friesen: What I am looking for obviously is the overall
policy direction. When the minister
answered the policy direction question, she gave me three: aboriginal initiatives, market‑driven
training, and total quality management.
So selecting from that, I asked about the market‑driven training
and its impact upon college faculty and the nature of the colleges themselves.
Let me try and come at it another way, I
am still concerned about that. I think
what I see happening at the universities is likely to happen at the colleges
too. What is happening at the
universities, as I am sure she knows, is that an increasing amount of work, of
teaching, is going to people on short‑term contracts. The universities cannot afford to hire long‑term
people anymore, so that departments that used to have 40 people in them now
have 10 or 15 full‑time people and they are staffing by short‑term
people.
Not that these people are not
unqualified. That is not the issue. The point is that they do not participate in
the administration or the research or all of the other aspects of the
university. They are, by the nature of
their contracts, limited to six or eight months in the classroom.
Gradually what is happening with that is a
very changed situation in universities with fewer and fewer people having or
being offered the opportunity to have a commitment to the institutions. That is what concerns me about the market‑driven
training initiative and policy that the government is directing the colleges
to. Not that they are not a good
idea. I have not quarreled with
that. My question is the planning, the
priorities and the policies and has the government considered the implications
of this for the long‑term health of those institutions?
* (1640)
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I would like to just draw
the distinction for the honourable member between the colleges and the
universities. The universities are
autonomous bodies. College governance does not move the colleges into the same
kind of position as the universities.
The UGC model, which is the model that the
universities operate under, was rejected by the committee. I am also informed that under the collective
agreement in the colleges, if a person does the same job for two years, they
are eligible then for permanent status.
Ms. Friesen: Will that continue under the separate boards
after governance?
Mrs. Vodrey: Yes, I am informed that this remains in place
under the successor rights; however, the boards then, following that, will be
responsible to negotiate with their employees a new agreement.
Ms. Friesen: In the policy and planning aspects of this
section of the department, has the minister's staff given any consideration to
the overall supply of teachers of technology?
It is obvious that element of the labour
force is not something which is in the minister's control, but has the
department done the research to ensure that we know what areas are going to be
in short supply in terms of teaching staff, and what the implications for
Manitoba are going to be in those areas?
Mrs. Vodrey: I think one of the points the member is trying
to reach this afternoon is also that the demand is spread over many occupations
as opposed to a single track of training for instructors. At this point I am informed that there is no
foreseeable shortage in those areas. The
teachers in each of the areas must meet the qualifications of their particular
occupation and skill.
Also, I would like to mention that under
the collective agreement, all instructors must attain an adult education
certificate in addition to their occupational training qualifications, and that
we are negotiating with the
Ms. Friesen: Could the minister table a research study or
any research from the department or from national studies which would give some
comfort that, in fact, those trained teaching personnel will be available over
the next five to 10 years? Essentially,
what is this based on?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, it is somewhat hard to
predict what the course demands will be within the next five to 10 years. However, we do have some statistics which I
believe the member might be interested in.
We do not have them today because they are available from a series of
sources, but we will put them together, and we will provide them at another
sitting for the member.
Ms. Friesen: Madam Chairperson, I think what I am
underlining in the last series of questions is the demographic planning, the
planning for student preparation and the planning for renewal of the
colleges. It seems to me that the
department has been doing some of that, but not at a very planned or‑‑well,
certainly is not producing the material that can be discussed in the public
forum yet. If that is available soon
that will be useful.
What I am interested in following up on
is, will this kind of planning, this long‑range demographic faculty,
student and institutional planning remain the focus of the department's
activities? Who is going to be doing
this kind of planning after governance?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, yes, it is intended that
the department, through PACE, will continue the planning and the central policy
co‑ordination, and also that it will maintain ongoing liaison through the
colleges advisory board.
Ms. Friesen: This section of the department, or at least PACE
overall, I think, has something like 10 percent of the budget and approximately
a much higher proportion of staff, I believe. Would I be right in saying in the
region of 60 percent of the staff of the department are in this section?
Mrs. Vodrey: Yes, the member is right. PACE does have approximately two‑thirds
of the staffing, because all colleges and their staff fall under PACE.
Ms. Friesen: Could the minister then give an indication of
the reduction that would be achieved by the separation of the colleges from
this?
* (1650)
Mrs. Vodrey: I am informed that approximately 970 staff years
of the PACE budget will devolve to the colleges, plus there will be an addition
of staff years from Government Services from maintenance. However, the amount of dollars will not be
different, because it will still fall to PACE and our responsibility for the
funding.
Ms. Friesen: In terms of planning, though, could the
minister indicate then what proportion of the department will be available to
do this‑‑how many staff years will be left for the planning
functions?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Chairperson, I am informed that there
are approximately 20 staff years in the program analysis and support area, and
they will provide a variety of supports.
The projected numbers or changes for which the member is asking for '93‑94
would really be the subject of those Estimates in that year. However, it is
reasonable to expect that the department will analyze which staff years will
devolve and which will remain related to PACE, because PACE, as I mentioned
before, will be responsible for the policy co‑ordination function.
Ms. Friesen: Madam Chairperson, can I look now at some of
the student planning issues? The
minister talked originally about aboriginal initiatives. I think there are obviously other issues
facing community colleges across the country.
One of them, obviously, is the participation of women both in new
occupations and generally in the labour force and education. A third one that would be particularly
important for
I know that we are going to be speaking
about individual colleges later, so that the aboriginal initiatives, for
example, at
Mrs. Vodrey: I would like to respond in each of the
areas. In the area of women, I am
informed that the current participation in programs is approximately 50 percent
of the students in areas excluding the trades.
There have been specific strategies undertaken by the colleges to
increase the participation of women in the nontraditional areas and in the
trades areas. In addition, we are encouraging
affirmative action hiring so that women will have role models within the
community college system.
The area of aboriginal Manitobans‑‑we
expect that aboriginal Manitobans will have representation on the boards of the
colleges, that each college plans an aboriginal advisory mechanism to improve
programs and services for aboriginal Manitobans, and to establish an aboriginal
learning centre to improve the success of aboriginal Manitobans.
In the area of immigrant workers, that is
a former policy under the Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship (Mrs.
Mitchelson). However, we do provide
language training at
In the area of older workers, this is a
key area. It will be a priority
identified in the new Canada‑Manitoba Labour Force Development
Agreement. Secondly, I would just like
to reference for a moment the move to market‑driven training which has
also as its focus, and allows as its focus, the older worker. I would reference the courses specifically
for the older worker at the Manitoba Technical Training Centre.
* (1700)
Madam Chairperson: Order, please.
The hour being 5 p.m., I am interrupting the proceedings. This committee will reconvene at 8 p.m. this
evening.
Call in the Speaker.
PRIVATE
MEMBERS' BUSINESS
PROPOSED
RESOLUTIONS
Res. 20‑Independence
of
Mr. Edward Helwer
(Gimli): I move, seconded by the member for
WHEREAS the citizens of the
WHEREAS the Government of Canada was the
first Western government to recognize the independence of the
WHEREAS
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba extend its best wishes to the citizens of
Motion presented.
Mr. Helwer: It is, indeed, my pleasure today to rise and
speak in support of the resolution, because we were the first Western
government to recognize
As a matter of fact, last December our
Premier (Mr. Filmon), in a nonpolitical statement, said that we certainly are
delighted that the federal government has responded quickly in the recognition
of the free and independent state of
So it is indeed my pleasure today to
congratulate the country and the people of
It was the Ukrainian people who settled in
many of the areas in my constituency such as Malonton, Fraserwood, Komarno and
Gimli. Komarno, of course, is an area
known for its mosquito. Malonton is a good farming area. We have still many good farmers in that
area. In Gimli, this was a perfect
example in the Gimli area of what the co‑operation between two people can
do to build a country. Between the
Ukrainians and the Icelanders, they really worked together in the Gimli area
and the
The Ukrainian people, of course, are known
for their culture. They are known for
their song and dance and also refreshments and also known for the good times
they have had at Ukrainian weddings.
Everyone has been to a Ukrainian wedding, I am sure, and enjoyed
themselves and the culture and everything that goes along with the Ukrainian
weddings.
So we have really adopted many of the
customs of the Ukrainian people.
Regardless of who we are and what nationality, we have adopted many
customs from the Ukrainian people and certainly enjoy them. A lot of our forefathers came from the
It is great to see the co‑operation
between the Ukrainians and other people in
We also have many famous people who are of
the Ukrainian descent. One of those who works
for the radio station CKRC here in
For example, the Smerchanskis, who came to
All these people deserve to be
congratulated for the hard work and effort they have made to build this country
into what it is today. That is just an
example of what can be done really with the hard work.
* (1710)
In
Last year, of course, we celebrated in
1991 the 100th anniversary of the Ukrainian settlers coming to
An example of what the Ukrainians are
doing to keep their culture and their dance, just last weekend the Ukrainian
dancers at Gimli celebrated their 10th anniversary as a Ukrainian dance
club. They have many members there‑‑not
all with Ukrainian names necessarily‑‑who are members of this dance
club that has been very successful.
Also, the Rusalka dancers in the Teulon
area have been very successful. They
have been operating for, I would say, probably some 20 years or maybe even
more, and each year they have a festival they call the Rusalka's Ukrainian
Festival. This year it is being held on
June 5, 6 and 7 in the Teulon arena, and they promise to have a lot of song and
dance and many people from throughout
An Honourable Member: Lots of kolomaykas.
Mr. Helwer: Yes, lots of kolomaykas. That is right.
In
So I hope that all members today would
join with me to extend the best wishes to the citizens of the
Mr. John Plohman
(Dauphin): I am pleased to join in
speaking to this resolution and also, I believe, improving on this resolution
that we have today with an amendment that I will be offering a little bit later
on. But in speaking to the subject, Mr.
Speaker, we on this side of the House agree that this is truly an historic year
in the history of the
The
Being of Ukrainian descent on my mother's
side, I take special interest in this resolution and issue here today. Most, if not all, of the people who
immigrated to
My constituency is one of the prime
settling areas in
So that site on the banks of the Valley
River has been designated an historic site in the early '80s by our government
in this province, and it is one that we remember each year on the last day of
the Ukrainian Festival with a celebration and a liturgy there.
I could go on and on, but when I see this
resolution, Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that it speaks only of congratulations
and best wishes, not firm concrete measures to help the people of the
So we in
That is positive, but there must be much
more with economic ties and assistance and technology provided to support the
fledgling government in the Ukraine to ensure that democracy is firmly
established and remains so for hundreds and thousands of years into the future,
that there is no return to dictatorship in that country. That, of course, is something that we are
very concerned about, and that is why, Mr. Speaker, I think that we can do more
with this resolution than we have at the present time. That is why I am moving the following
amendment.
I move, seconded by the member for
the citizens of the
WHEREAS the Government of Canada was the
first Western government to recognize the independence of the
WHEREAS
WHEREAS there is a desperate need for
economic and technological assistance for the people of the
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba request that the government of Manitoba take
action forthwith to establish economic and cultural ties with the Ukraine; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the
Legislative Assembly requests the government of
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
* (1720)
Motion presented.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (
First of all, I would like to extend, on
behalf of my caucus, congratulations to the Ukrainian community here in Canada
and also abroad, because we believe that the wish of the Ukrainian people back
home has been fulfilled and, as the member for Dauphin (Mr. Plohman) has
pointed out in the amendment, see that there is more of a commitment that we
need to give to the Ukraine. It is okay
for us to give platitudes‑‑and I give tribute to the member for
Gimli (Mr. Helwer) who took the initiative to introduce this particular
resolution, because, Mr. Speaker, there is a very large Ukrainian community in
Canada and in fact in Manitoba.
I know when I was first appointed as the
Culture and Heritage critic, I started to put together a list of different
organizations. I do not believe there is
any other ethnic group that has as many different types of organizations as the
Ukrainian community has. I think that
says a lot in terms of their fondness and their beliefs in maintaining the
heritage that they brought to Canada, because after all that is really what makes
up Canada, the heritage of so many other countries and the individuals who see
fit to preserve that heritage. That is
what gives us our sense of identity.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot underestimate the
importance of what took place last year in the
"The billboard was still in place
when I returned to the same airport terminal five days later on Wednesday, Dec.
4 to take the flight back home to
Mr. Speaker, I had listened to this
particular member of Parliament and others on CBC who quite eloquently talked
about what happened in
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The amendment, as I talked about, talks
about the economic and technological assistance that is needed, and
I know of another individual by the name
of Myroslaw Tracy who is very proud to see
Mr. Speaker, all we need to do is to drive
through anywhere in the province of Manitoba and we can see contributions that
have been made from the Ukrainian community, but in particular if you go
through the north end of the city of Winnipeg, as I do on a daily basis, you
will see a number of different Ukrainian cuisines and centres to ensure, once
again, that that heritage is, in fact, preserved.
I would like to conclude my remarks, Mr.
Speaker, by saying that I would like to see the amendment passed. I believe that the principle of the
resolution as proposed from the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer) is being
addressed. I believe that all three political
parties, in fact, can support this particular resolution, and I would like to
conclude my remarks by offering once again my congratulations to both the
Ukrainian community here in Canada and also the Ukrainian community back home.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (
Last year, as I said, all of us
anticipated that the Soviet empire would fall.
None of us anticipated that it would fall as quickly as it did, but when
a country comes apart so quickly we know that they are going to face
difficulties, many difficulties, and it is only fair that a country as wealthy
as Canada, as rich as Canada, should offer their support. I am pleased to support the resolution, but I
also think that the amendments that we have made will enhance this resolution
very much.
Ukrainians have contributed tremendously
to this country, Mr. Speaker. Many times
we have photographs of the Ukrainians and they are portrayed as farmers, as
poor working class people, but we have to look at what Ukrainians have
contributed. There are many who have, in
the medical field and the educational field, in Legislatures, people who have
done an awful lot for this country, and I think it is only fair that now that
the Ukraine has received its independence that we do what we can to support
them. As I said, we have a lot that we
can offer them, and those of us of Ukrainian decent at this time would like to
see that support go to our country.
Ukrainians came to
When many Ukrainians came to
Many of us have heard of the suffering
that has gone on in the country over the past few decades, and there are many,
as a member just indicated, who have visited the
That is why, Mr. Speaker, I feel that it
is very important that now that this country does have its freedom that we do
all we can to support them. It is not
enough just to pass a resolution saying we support them and offer
platitudes. There has to be real
support.
We in
I know the member across indicated that
perhaps this resolution was only indicating that we wanted to send money. The resolution says nothing about money. It is technology, and we have done this for
many countries. There have been many
countries that have come through wars and devastation, and we as a country have
been prepared to offer them supports, to offer services, to help them better
the quality of life for the people in their country.
That is why, I think, that it is now very
important to offer some of our supports for this country at this time. As I say, we have the skills; we have the
expertise; we have many people of Ukrainian descent who would be more than
happy to offer to help the people out.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to
see this resolution passed. I would like
very much to see us giving our support to the people of the
So I hope the members opposite will accept
our amendment and that we can show real support to the people of the
So with that, Mr. Speaker, I hope that we
can pass this resolution and show our true support for the
Hon. Darren Praznik
(Minister of Labour): It gives me a great pleasure today to be able
to participate in this debate both as the MLA for Lac du Bonnet, as the great‑grandchild
of Ukrainian immigrants to
I can tell the honourable member that
obviously members of my caucus have not had the opportunity to fully peruse
this particular amendment. We think, certainly
in my conversations in brief with the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer), that it
does certainly expand the resolution and indicate, I think, a very positive
will on the part of this Legislature to move forward and help the new Ukrainian
nation in whatever means are available to us to get over what, I think, we all
agree is a very difficult time.
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I understand, since we are nearing the end
of the private members' hour, that the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer) may have
an addition, a further amendment that he might be considering to bolster
this. I just say this to honourable
members since there is such interest in this particular motion that, if members
of this House would allow us that opportunity just to review this a little
further, perhaps we would, with unanimous consent, bring this back for final
resolution at another opportunity that would allow it, not to fall to the
bottom of the Order Paper, but as I am sure, in the spirit of good will that is
part of this House from time to time, there may be some further addition that
would enhance this resolution.
I do not say that in a destructive way to
the amendment or a way that is trying to finesse opportunities, but I think it
does provide us with an opportunity to look at it.
Mr. Speaker, we in Canada who were
fortunate enough to be born in this country or be born with parents who brought
us to this country or to have the opportunity to move to this country, do not
always fully appreciate the difficulties which those, who may be our relatives,
experience in countries halfway around the world‑‑the difficulties
that they have experienced in the course of this century.
As a young boy growing up in the St.
Andrews area, and knowing many relatives who had moved to Canada as displaced
persons after the Second World War, many who had immigrated in this period, and
who kept very close contact with family members in the Ukraine, we were
continually updated throughout those years with the conditions that existed in
the Ukraine in the post‑Second World War period.
There is no doubt that that part of the
world, under the regime of the
A former member of this Assembly, the former
member for Seven Oaks, Mr. Minenko, his father, who I have had the opportunity
of meeting on several occasions, as a young boy growing up in
I remember speaking to Father Minenko, who
is a priest in the Orthodox church, about his experiences as a young boy
growing up and the scars that are left on one who has to suffer that type of
indignity.
One goes back even farther to the period
of the Russian Revolution. We remember,
for those of us who have studied a little bit of Ukrainian history, the period
after the First World War when the Ukrainian republics were established, one in
the western
We remembered the United Nations or the
League of Nations, as it was in those days, and
We remember how the world turned its back
to a large degree on what went on in that particular time. We remember, as well, the act of the
Ukrainian Rada, the western
Mr. Speaker, we spoke of the famine. We also remember the great suffering of the
people of the
We remember as a young child, those
relatives who managed to immigrate to
We remember, as I have said, the Second
World War when great armies of Europe used the Ukraine as a battleground, front
lines moving from the invasion by Nazi Germany in June of 1941, sweeping across
Ukraine to the gates of Moscow and Leningrad, Stalingrad as it was then known,
and then the wave coming back over Ukraine in 1943, '44 and 1945. The suffering of those people and, of course,
the whole period of recovery, like so many parts of the world,
I offer a small anecdote at this point in
my remarks, Mr. Speaker, because I remember some 16 or 17 years ago, the fiance
of my cousin, who was then a university student in his 20s, going to visit his
relatives in
I remember him saying to me on his return‑‑and
this would have been 1973‑74‑75, in that particular time frame‑‑he
said to me, within 25 years there will be a revolution in the Soviet Union,
that the regime that was in place would collapse on itself because the younger
people of that country would no longer be able to put up with the economic
deprivation, the lack of opportunity and the political and social oppression of
a regime that put no value in individual worth, responsibility or
initiative. He spoke in those terms, and
none of us quite fully appreciated his understanding of the time, but sure
enough his prediction has come true, for within that 20‑ or 25‑year
time period that he had said, indeed a revolution and nothing short of a
revolution took place in Eastern Europe.
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What was so amazing about it, for those of
us who have studied and watched this part of the world, was how hollow a shell
the Soviet Union really was, how hollow a shell it really was. I remember a scene on television that I shall
never forget of a very old gentleman with a long beard standing in line,
queuing for soap, and the western reporter said, why are there the
demonstrations? Why is all of this
happening? He said because there is no
soap, there is no bread, there is nothing.
A regime that cannot supply its people with the necessities is no regime
at all and has to go.
What a lesson, a lesson about the basics
and the need to be able to produce the basics for people to have a decent
living, which obviously the Soviet Union and its economic system were not able
to produce.
We have now reached that point, obviously,
in the history of that country where it again faces a great crossroads. The crossroads is to how it will develop and
grow over the next number of years. It
is a crossroad based on necessity, because there are those who have travelled
to the
They are a nation with great potential but
who have been suppressed and kept down for such a long period. Now they will blossom, but what they need to
make that blossom, the most important ingredient‑‑individual
initiative, the will to work hard, to work smart and to build, they have. What they lack is the capital; they lack some
of the technical skills; they lack the support markets, so many of the things
that we have built in our province and our country over the last century.
This resolution, as amended, sends a very
strong message to the government of this province, of which I am a part, that
the people of Manitoba support an initiative to make what resources we have
available, in terms of technical skills, to promote the use of those resources
and make them available to the people of Ukraine to help build a strong,
vibrant economy and democracy over the next decade that will prevent them from
falling back into the grips of some other sinister regime in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I think all members of this
House share that desire, and I hope that at some point in the not‑too‑distant
future we will be able to enact this resolution as a resolution of all parties
in this Chamber.
Mr. Harold Neufeld
(Rossmere): I will add a few comments to those already
made by my colleague the Minister of Labour (Mr. Praznik). I must say I listened with some interest to
the comments he made. I should say at
the outset that my ancestors emigrated to the
One of the sisters had three children and
the other had no children. Both sisters
and their husbands have long since died, but the three children of my cousin,
of one of my dad's sisters, have lived in the
During the mid‑'30s when times
became more difficult, my aunt asked my father no longer to write to her
because they were‑‑having relatives in another country was not the
best thing in the world to have at that time.
They stopped writing, and we lost contact with them in 1935 until 1990
when I found my three cousins.
Last year I had two of them over here, two
cousins, one with her husband, and the other one, a widower, came alone. They gave me some interesting insight into
the life in the '30s and during the war years when they were treated as
nonentities because of their German ancestry.
They gave me some insight into the
operations of the communist system as well.
My cousin told me that if you have 10 tractors on a collective farm, one
breaks down and they have to wait for parts, then the other nine will stop
working, because why should they work when there are other ones not working.
These are the problems you have in a socialist system. Everybody is supposed to be equal.
Mr. Speaker, my cousin was 16 years old in
1941 when he was moved from the
The other cousins‑‑one was 18
the other was 14‑‑were sent up to Archangel, which is well up in
the
They found after, just about two years
ago, what had happened to their mother.
They had tried for 40 years to find out what happened to her, but after
the changes in
Mr. Speaker, they have indicated to me
that theirs was a system that was tried for some 70 years and failed, and
wonder why we in
Mr. Speaker Order, please.
When this matter is again before the House, the honourable member for
Rossmere (Mr. Neufeld) will have nine minutes remaining.
The hour being 6 p.m., I am leaving the
Chair with the understanding that the House will reconvene at 8 p.m. in the
Committee of Supply.