ORAL QUESTION PERIOD
Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, I would like to pose the question to the First Minister.
Madam Speaker, we have had a number of public meetings dealing with the closure of emergency wards at community hospitals. Today, the government was presented petitions signed by thousands of citizens of Manitoba who are opposed to the government closing down the emergency wards in our community hospitals, and calling on the government to reverse its decision.
I would like to ask the Premier if he would attend some of the public meetings we have scheduled next week in west end Winnipeg and south end Winnipeg so he can hear first-hand from the people of this province. There are people in the rural communities concerned about the closure of these emergency wards because they also use them. I would like to ask the Premier, will he attend these meetings, and will he consider reversing his decision to close the emergency wards at our community hospitals in the evening?
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Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, there is a process in place that has been established following the conciliation report by Mr. Jack Chapman, Q.C., a process that involves all of the stakeholders and all of those who are interested and concerned about the operations of the emergency wards in our urban hospitals.
That process has been set up by the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) and will be the basis of the advice and decision that will be made, I believe, by the 1st of January with respect to this issue.
Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, I would like to table a document from the Department of Health dated September 29, 1995. That date is important because it is prior to the Chapman report being produced on October 3 and made public.
The government has all along alleged that the decision they have made--in fact, the Minister of Health on 16 occasions in this House has claimed and alleged that the reason the government closed the emergency wards down was because of the Chapman report. The Premier just did it again.
Madam Speaker, this report from the Department of Health clearly states, the decision is in place from the Department of Health on September 29.
Would the Premier (Mr. Filmon) please confirm to the people of Manitoba that the Department of Health made the decision and the Premier made the decision to close down these emergency wards, not Jack Chapman, as the government has alleged?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): It would be reasonable to make every effort to ascertain the facts. I would only urge the honourable Leader of the Opposition to do the same thing. I have responded repeatedly in this House that some months ago the Manitoba Medical Association, the doctors, were asked to hold off any action so that we could work together to build an integrated emergency services system.
The honourable member knows the history of all of that, and he has been told that a number of times. I do not know, maybe repetition helps, but it does not seem to help for the honourable Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Doer: Maybe repetition helps that the government should use some good judgment and reverse its decision to close the emergency wards at our community hospitals.
I would like to ask the Premier (Mr. Filmon), who is ultimately responsible for the decisions in government, how he can have a Minister of Health, on October 6, who said that Jack Chapman has provided us with a blueprint to close emergency services in the city of Winnipeg. We did not have that before. We have it now with the Chapman report when before that they were secretly working on a strategy and a decision to close those emergency wards as clearly articulated in the Department of Health document on September 29?
Mr. McCrae: If we wanted to operate secretly, all we would have to do is emulate the performance of the previous New Democratic government in the province of Manitoba.
There is no more consultative approach to medicine and medicare and health anywhere in this country than you will see right here in the province of Manitoba. We are proud of that.
We are quite happy that we are consulting the various stakeholders in the process. The honourable member makes reference to what is essentially an interim arrangement between now and the end of the year and has it in mind that the die is cast for the future of emergency services. Wrong again.
As I said to the nurses with whom I met this morning here at the Legislature, there is a role for them to be playing in the development of a long-term emergency strategy and what is happening at the present time is of an interim nature. There is flexibility, as we have shown on a few occasions already throughout the interim process.
Patient care being the No. 1 priority, that flexibility is useful and required.
Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): My question is to the Premier (Mr. Filmon).
The government has not listened to the nurses, the government has not listened to the doctors, the government has not listened to the public. The government has not even listened to its own reports that did not recommend the closure of the community hospitals.
My question to the Premier: Will you now at least listen to the Manitobans, 60,000 of them, 10 percent of the city of Winnipeg, who signed petitions saying, your decision is wrong and we want our emergency wards open? Will you now listen to Manitobans?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, we are in the process of listening through the consultative process that flows from the Chapman report that has been initiated by the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) and, as I said, that advice will be guidance for us as the final decision is made in this regard.
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Mr. Chomiak: My supplementary to the First Minister: How can the First Minister continue along the lines, as his Health minister said, that they are listening to the Chapman report, that somehow this came out of the strike, when their own document dated September 29 said, and I quote: Doors will be closed at 2200 hours, although as expected--their own report says that the door is going to be closed prior to the end of the strike, prior to the Chapman report.
Madam Speaker, this is a farce.
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, the honourable member asks his question without any regard whatsoever for the fact that on Labour Day, 42 physicians walked off the job, and 14 pathologists in emergency services. He expects that under all of those circumstances you can have the kind of process the honourable member is talking about for arriving at decisions.
We were working with each and every one of the hospitals in the city of Winnipeg in the development of our contingency plan at the time of the doctors' strike, and we knew from the performance of the emergency services during that time that change was necessary and possible.
We knew that, and everybody knew that, Madam Speaker. You do not serve less than 50 percent of the people there as emergencies or urgent cases without knowing you have some kind of issue to deal with in emergency services. Everybody agrees with that.
The debate that we are in during this interim period seems to be about what we do in the long term and, of course, the honourable member wants to have his way during the interim term as well. But we will listen to the honourable member. We will listen to everybody else and a consensus will be developed and decisions will be made according to that consensus.
That is what has been happening and that is what should happen in the kind of society we live in, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, my final supplementary is to the First Minister (Mr. Filmon) or the minister.
Will the government now do the right thing, go back to the drawing board, admit their program is a sham?
They have had to open Misericordia as a backup. A lot of the community hospitals are defying what the government has ordered. There obviously was no consensus. They had the plan in place before.
Will they go back, reopen the community hospitals, hold public meetings, talk to the public, listen to what the nurses, the doctors and the patients are saying and reverse this very bad health care decision?
Mr. McCrae: Madam Speaker, we will indeed continue to listen to advice given to us from the various quarters and we will indeed be part of a consensus-building process so that in Manitoba we can be the envy of other provinces in this country in terms of the way we handle our health care.
It is unfortunate that we have to do this in the environment that we are doing it in. I know that the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson) could tell us that he has to pay out something over $660 million this year just for interest on the debt raised by honourable members opposite.
You know, just to give you an idea what that means, Madam Speaker, the total budgets of the Victoria Hospital, Concordia, Misericordia, Grace, Seven Oaks and Brandon General Hospital come to $240 million. We pay interest on debt, brought to us thanks to the members of the New Democratic Party, of over $600 million. I say shame on you for imposing that kind of thing on the people of Manitoba.
CN Rail
Layoffs--Transcona Shops
Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): In 1993 the federal Liberal government promised to restore Manitoba as the rail transport hub of Canada. In June of 1995 the Minister of Transport stated that he has regular meetings with CN Rail. After laying off 266 employees in September of this year, Madam Speaker, CN informed employees that any decision on further layoffs would occur after the Quebec referendum.
Can the Minister of Highways and Transportation confirm that effective today CN will announce a further layoff of 485 employees from its 700 workforce at the Transcona CN Shops?
Hon. Glen Findlay (Minister of Highways and Transportation): Madam Speaker, yes, I can confirm that CN is making an announcement today of some magnitude. The member may be right; he may not be right. But I am also aware that no jobs will be lost. These are temporary layoffs. The work that is being done there will not be done elsewhere, and the people laid off will have unemployment insurance plus CN will top that up to 80 percent of their salaries, as per the collective agreement.
They are all subject to recall, Madam Speaker, and my understanding is they will all be recalled.
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Mr. Reid: My supplementary question to the same Minister of Highways and Transportation: Can this Minister of Highways and Transportation, who in the past has sat on his hands and refused to act by not taking any action, confirm that with the loss of nearly 1,000 rail jobs from CN in Manitoba this year--has CN lived up to its promise to this minister to keep 13 percent of its Canadian workforce employed in Manitoba?
Mr. Findlay: Madam Speaker, I have mentioned to the member in the past, there are dramatic changes happening in the rail industry, dramatic changes happening in the industry of those who are shippers. That change is happening.
CN and CP in the past have made announcements of substantive layoffs across the country as they try to establish a workforce that serves the need in this new reality we now live. They have been in the process of laying some 11,000 people off, a process that I believe is reasonable in the times we live.
I am also of the opinion that we have been fairly treated in a comparative sense. I do not know what the announcements will be elsewhere in the country, but I am confident that we will not be adversely affected any more here than anywhere else, but unless there is work to do, we cannot condone the fact that the jobs will be kept there forever. There are new jobs elsewhere in the transportation industry, significant new jobs elsewhere. [interjection] Madam Speaker, if the member for Radisson (Ms. Cerilli) has a comment, she has a chance after I am done, if she does not mind.
This is serious business. Adjustments have to happen. There will be more transportation jobs in the future because we have to transport. They may not always be the existing jobs. Retraining, re-establishing what those opportunities are is a challenge in front of everybody in the transportation sector and also in front of that caucus over there.
Mr. Reid: My final supplementary, Madam Speaker, is for the Premier.
Can the Premier, who on many occasions shows up for photo opportunities, explain why his government refused to speak out on such massive layoffs of Manitobans by demanding that the federal Liberal government keep its 1993 election promise to restore Manitoba as a rail transport hub of Canada?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I recall only too well that when the New Democrats were in office here in the '80s, they raised the taxes on railway fuel to such a high degree that the railways took the unprecedented move of moving freight around Manitoba, taking potash down from Saskatchewan into the U.S., across the U.S. for shipment in eastern Canada, taking material all around so that they destroyed jobs and opportunities for the rail system in Manitoba that we have been moving and working to restore, which is why we have the national call centres for both railways here, which is why we have the kinds of investments that have been made, no thanks to the members opposite who tried to destroy the railway industry in Manitoba.
Maintenance Enforcement
Credit Bureau Reporting
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): My question is for the Minister of Justice.
Last week, on the issue of the inadequate implementation of new maintenance enforcement powers, I asked the minister to confirm that of the thousands of parents who are defaulting on their payments, her department plans to report to the credit bureau on a monthly basis a measly 100 debtors, and in response, the minister made the accusation--I am quoting her: That is quite wrong. She said: Again, he is quite wrong.
Instead of ducking behind aspersions, and now that the minister has had time to reflect on those outbursts made under pressure, would she retract?
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Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): The member made a statement that there was a limit of the number of individuals who would be reported to the credit bureau.
What I explained at that time and what I am happy to explain again is that there is not that limit. There will, in fact, be a reporting of those individuals where this mechanism can be useful and helpful in making sure that the payments are actually received by the people who deserve them.
Mr. Mackintosh: Well, would the minister then explain to this House why Carla Wiebe, the sales manager for Equifax Canada, which is the credit bureau, and the person who concluded the working arrangement with the minister's staff, writes this about what the government told her, and I quote, and I will table this letter, Madam Speaker, it is our understanding that we can expect to receive approximately 100 new judgments on a monthly basis, and why Ms. Wiebe tells me today that indeed she just received the second monthly batch of 100 debtors?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, what has, to my knowledge--I will have to look at that letter because the member has in the past brought forward quotes. Today I am pleased he will at least table a letter. But what I am interested in is that there was, in fact, a forecast of how many eligible people might be referred, but there is no cap, there is no limit.
If in fact there are more than 100 people, where this is the enforcement measure that will make sure the money goes to the individuals who deserve it, then that is exactly what will happen--more than 100 will be referred.
Mr. Mackintosh: I also wonder if the minister would explain how she had the gall to recently tout in this House what she called important statistics from a university student's term paper about client satisfaction with the Maintenance Enforcement office when the paper itself said that there was an insufficient number of responses from users to be a representative sample; indeed, 21 responses out of 11,000 or more payers, but which does conclude, Madam Speaker, on page 24, that the minister's Maintenance Enforcement Program cannot reduce poverty among our women and children, that it is crippled by a lack of resources.
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, the member well knows that in the area of maintenance enforcement there has been a significant increase in staff, a significant increase in terms of technology to assist individuals as they gain information about their maintenance enforcement.
We have put in place more enforcement tools and we have put in place ways to reach more resources. But the member often does not tell the whole story, and I just said to him the other day he was wrong again when he referred to Street Peace where on the sheet of paper it talks about an answering machine. The member across the way--
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Point of Order
Mr. Mackintosh: I am sorry to have startled you, Madam Speaker. I rose on a point of order and said so twice I think fairly loudly. I ask that you rule this answer entirely out of order. It has nothing to do with the question; it is evoking debate.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for St. Johns does not have a point of order.
Mr. Mackintosh: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would ask the honourable member for St. Johns to please give me the courtesy of completing my ruling.
I would refer to Beauchesne 416.(1). A member may put a question but has no right to insist upon an answer.
Point of Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, I would like clarification of your ruling.
The point of order raised by the member for St. Johns was in relation to Beauchesne 417. The minister was asked a question about maintenance enforcement and then proceeded at the end of her answer to make reference to a question the member had raised on the gang hotline a number of days ago which had no reference whatsoever to the question raised by the member for St. Johns.
So I am asking if you are ruling that it was in order for the minister to add at the end of her so-called answer on the maintenance enforcement question a totally irrelevant statement in regard to a question that was raised a number of days ago in the House.
Madam Speaker: On the honourable member for Thompson's point of order, the honourable member for Thompson has stood and raised the same point of order that I had previously ruled on.
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Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, I had asked for a clarification of your ruling, but if the ruling stands as it was stated before, I challenge your ruling.
Madam Speaker: The ruling of the Chair has been challenged.
Voice Vote
Madam Speaker: All those in favour of sustaining the ruling of the Chair, please say yea.
Some Honourable Members: Yea.
Madam Speaker: All those opposed, please say nay.
Some Honourable Members: Nay.
Madam Speaker: In my opinion, the Yeas have it.
Mr. Ashton: On division, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker: On division.
Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Premier.
At times, Manitobans expect to see leadership coming from the Premier, and I am going to call for the Premier to show leadership on the whole issue of the emergency services in our five community hospitals.
Manitobans have sent a very clear message, a public message. Health care professionals have sent a very clear message. Experts on health care have sent a very clear message. Members of the Liberal Party, members of the New Democratic Party have sent a very clear message. This government has made a bad decision in deciding to close down emergency services between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
My question to the Premier is, will the Premier himself get involved, make a commitment to personally get involved and resolve this issue and not wait, so that we do not have to wait till January 1?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I repeat the same answer that I have given to two previous questioners, the member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) and the member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak), that a process is in place, a process of consultation that involves all the stakeholders and the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae), and the government will be guided by the results of that process.
University of Manitoba
Labour Dispute
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, I would now ask the Premier if again he would show some leadership for the sake of the students at the University of Manitoba and personally get involved in trying to resolve this particular issue.
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, as I have indicated before, I regret that the members of the Faculty Association have chosen to withdraw their services and to utilize the students of the university as pawns in their battle with the administration. They chose, obviously, the time that would have the most maximum negative impact on the students.
I think for all of those reasons that this is a very distasteful situation, but the way to resolve the issue is still in negotiation between the partners at the table, university administration and the Faculty Association representatives.
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Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, will the Premier demonstrate that sincerity--when we get the Minister of Education (Mrs. McIntosh), the Minister of Labour (Mr. Toews) saying that the students are first, we have the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) saying that the patients are first--and personally get involved to resolve these things, that we do not have to put it off at the cost of our students and our patients.
Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I think that it is regrettable that there is the conflict that has resulted in the actions which are to the detriment of the students. We believe that they are the ones who ought to be considered first. Those people who are at the table who are in negotiation, those people who have withdrawn their services, are the ones to be held responsible for it.
University of Manitoba
Labour Dispute
Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, leading academic voices from across North America are telling this government that the University of Manitoba's reputation as a fine institution is in great danger if the administration gets the right to hire and fire selectively. University students' term is in danger, and they are at risk financially.
Will the Premier instruct the government appointees on the board of the University of Manitoba to immediately work with the administration to seek voluntary binding arbitration so that the professors can go back to work, the students can go back to study, and this very destructive strike will be brought to an end?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, the professors can go back to work immediately if they so choose. That is a decision that is within their capability, and they can make it at any time that they choose.
If the member is suggesting that the university should be forced into a position where it has to reduce instructors who are teaching courses for which there is tremendous demand and retain courses for which there is no demand, then I say that is the kind of management that I expect of him because he demonstrated it when he was working in government and he would demonstrate it again in his present incarnation.
Mr. Sale: As usual, the Premier takes the high road.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Crescentwood, would you please pose your supplementary question now.
Mr. Sale: Will the Premier acknowledge that the critical economic role of the University of Manitoba is in jeopardy if it cannot attract and hold first-class professors with their ability to bring the $78 million of research grants and contracted research which now comes into that university unless this strike goes to arbitration now?
Mr. Filmon: Indeed, Madam Speaker, that is precisely the issue, that the university must be able to attract and hold first-class professors who are in demand, who are teaching subject areas that are relevant to the economy and to the society of this province and this country, not to be forced to maintain professors who are teaching programs for which there is no demand and no relevance.
Manitoba Public Insurance Corp.
Board Membership--MLA for Emerson
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is again to the Premier.
Yesterday, I asked specific questions regarding the--[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, if the New Democrats were faster in responding, they would maybe get recognized.
An Honourable Member: You would have Denis for a Speaker.
Mr. Lamoureux: I know, you preferred Denis, okay, fine, you have established that point.
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Point of Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, I would like to ask whether it was in order for the member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux) to make reference to preference as to Speakers in this House. I find that absolutely inappropriate.
The member was recognized to ask a question. I would ask that you ask him to ask that question now and not bring in that kind of debate into this House. That is absolutely unacceptable coming from a member who is a former House leader of the former Liberal Party in this House.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would implore the members of this Chamber to please exercise some courtesy. When a member has been recognized, it is only common courtesy in any circle that that member be given the opportunity to express his or her views.
Mr. Lamoureux: On the same point of order, I see that the New Democratic House leader has taken offence. I withdraw any comments that the member for Thompson (Mr. Ashton) would take offence to. If that will resolve it, then I will continue on with my question.
Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable member for Inkster for those comments.
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Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Inkster was recognized to pose a question. Would the honourable member please pose his question now.
Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Premier again.
There has been a great deal of concern in terms of MPIC. One year prior to the election it is a zero percent increase, after the election it is a 6 percent increase.
We believe, as the Premier accused the former government of political manipulation of the MPIC board, I would ask the Premier if he is prepared to accept the resignation from the member for Emerson (Mr. Penner) on that particular board.
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, the rates of MPIC are now set and approved by the Public Utilities Board. This is a process that was brought in place about seven years ago, so that we would get away from political rate setting and political decision making. They are the ones who do the analysis, and, in fact, over the last number of years, they have changed many of the proposals that have been put forth by MPIC.
After their own independent analysis, their own actuarial review, they have made different choices and different decisions than that proposed by the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation. I believe that is a process that is supported by the vast majority of Manitobans, and I believe it should continue to be done that way.
Rate Increase
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): My question to the Premier is, why then did the board that this government appointed only request a zero percent increase going into an election year?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, because in the wake of the introduction of no-fault insurance, that was the appropriate request, obviously, in their mind to make. I might say that in the past the board has increased some of the proposals put forward. They did so with respect to motorcyclists, for instance, their rates.
So the Public Utilities Board took the request, did their analysis and found that the rates should, in fact, be higher and increased the rates. They have done that before, and that is their prerogative. That is why the independence of the system must be maintained.
Mr. Lamoureux: Maybe then the Premier can explain why as part of the 6 percent increase this year, 2 percent goes towards the reserve? Why did they not have 2 percent, during the election year, going towards the reserve? It would have made a lot more sense.
Mr. Filmon: This is where the member opposite does not understand what transpired. After the rates were set for this year, the actuaries did a review of old potential claims that date back many, many years that have not been settled, that are still subject to the judicial process that the old system entailed.
In their analysis, having regard to increased awards that were being given for this kind of challenge elsewhere in the country, whether it be to personal property or personal injury claims or all of those things, they said that their actuarial analysis should have a higher reserve put aside for these claims, claims that they could not predict because they were in a judicial process.
So, based on that sound actuarial advice, they had no choice but to implement that as part of their request, and, obviously, that was reviewed by the independent analysis of the Public Utilities Board, and they supported it.
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Fur Industry
European Ban
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): My question is for the Minister responsible for Native Affairs.
As of January 1, 1996, the European Community will be implementing a ban on the importation of fur caught in leg-hold traps or other means that do not meet international trapping standards.
The EEC's Resolution 3254/91 will affect the trapping of 13 animal species. In addition, 75 percent of all wild fur that is harvested in Canada is sold to Europe.
This ban, it goes without saying, will pose a great hardship for aboriginal communities since trapping has been and continues to be a major source of employment in northern and aboriginal communities.
My question is, would this government, as a signal of how strongly it feels about the issue, be prepared to go on record as issuing a joint statement with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs stating its opposition to this ban, which will no doubt cause great harm to aboriginal trappers in this province?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, both the Minister of Natural Resources (Mr. Driedger) and myself have met with people from the fur industry in Manitoba in the past.
We are more than happy to continue to lend our strong voice to this particular initiative, to try and get the message across to the European Union that this would be not only very damaging but would also be the wrong way to go and would harm the economic interests of our aboriginal population as well as much of our northern population.
I might tell the member opposite that I raised this issue at the Western Premiers' Conference in Yorkton earlier this week, as I had committed to the members of the fur industry to do. It is on page 5 of the communique which I tabled today at this Legislature, our response to it.
It involves the consensus position of all of the western premiers and two territorial leaders that we are opposed to this ban and that we want to see this issue resolved and we would give our full support to the federal government, because I know that the federal minister, Mr. MacLaren, has also met with the industry people. They shared that with me and that the Canadian government is working very diligently to try and convince the EU to remove this, not to impose this ban.
Mr. Robinson: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the First Minister for that response.
Trapping Regulations
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): My next question is for the Minister of Natural Resources.
What level of consultation has this government taken on its proposed new trapping regulations with those in the industry whose input is vital in keeping trapping a sustainable industry in Manitoba?
Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, I want to assure the member and all members of the House that this government is very supportive in terms of the trapping industry. We will do everything we can in terms of making sure that they continue to be a viable economic unit.
To follow up on what the First Minister (Mr. Filmon) said, the Premier said, related to the potential ban that is pending with the European Union, if that thing comes into effect, we are going to have major, major problems not only in this province but in this country related to our trapping industry. It also will affect the United States, Russia. There are major impacts. The impact of the seal ban is going to be 10 times worse if we have this kind of a ban applied here in Manitoba.
So we are very supportive, and we appreciate the economic impact that trapping has for this province.
Quarry Rehabilitation Reserve Fund
Application Process
Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Energy and Mines.
Yesterday, I raised in this House a situation of clear conflict of interest where quarry inspectors who inspect and enforce the law through The Mines Act are the very same people who pick and choose the projects and the contractors who receive the handouts from the Quarry Rehabilitation Reserve Account.
Will the minister explain to the people of Manitoba why none of the over 300 contracts awarded were tendered?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Energy and Mines): Madam Speaker, first of all, the member implies that there is a conflict of interest because the staff in the department who assess the projects also hire the contractors. One of the reasons, quite frankly, is because the values of the contracts are so small that if you went to a tendering process, the cost would just skyrocket.
If the member is implying that staff in the department have been in a conflict or derelict in their duties to the public, let her come forward and say so. There was one particular incident that the member and I have discussed, but if there are others, she should bring them forward.
Ms. Mihychuk: Madam Speaker, there are numerous cases listed in Order-in-Councils which have breached government policy and exceed the limit.
Can the minister explain why he has allowed the breaking of policy?
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, the member and I have discussed this in committee. She raised some concerns about perception which I undertook to examine, but, again, I tell her, other than one particular incident that we have discussed, a matter which was handled by correct procedure, there have not been accusations that these contracts have been given out of favouritism.
They are relatively small contracts. The departmental staff is intimately involved, Madam Speaker, in those particular projects to determine whether or not they are proper projects to come forward.
Again, the contracts' rehabilitation are relatively small contracts, and if we went through a regular tendering process in those contracts, it would eat up a sizeable amount of the fund.
If there are specific cases she wishes to bring to my attention, I will investigate them.
Education System
Answers to Questions Taken as Notice
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, earlier in the session, I took as notice some questions from the member for Wolseley (Ms. Friesen), and I have the information for her if I may return it to her. I promised I would bring it back.
She had asked three questions. One was regarding foreign student enrollment. She had asked if I could confirm that the number of international students at the university had decreased by 70 percent or more, subsequently indicated that could I confirm it was 58 to 60 percent or more, and the actual figure, Madam Speaker, is 23 percent. So I cannot confirm either of her very large figures, but I do confirm the 23.4 percent.
Also, the member had asked about the cost of the computer system, could I confirm that it was a million dollars. I say that the correct information is that it is $700,000 for the new computer system.
As well, the member for St. James (Ms. Mihychuk) had asked about money for replacing nonefficient windows in schools. I indicate to her that the capital support program budget has increased to $27 million from $18 million this year. In response to her, would we increase, that increase has taken place. Thank you.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The time for Oral Questions has expired.
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NONPOLITICAL STATEMENTS
Canadian Polish Athletic Club
Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): May I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?
Madam Speaker: Does the honourable member for Burrows have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Mr. Martindale: I want to recognize the valuable contribution of the Canadian Polish Athletic Club to recreation and sportsmanship in north Winnipeg.
For 41 years, CPAC has been sponsoring athletic teams and presenting trophies and awards to outstanding athletes. They spend approximately $15,000 a year in this very worthwhile endeavour. Their motto is: It is better to build youth than to mend adults.
I also want to congratulate four of the many award recipients who were honoured in addition to trophies with CPAC jackets. They were honoured at the annual sports banquet on Sunday, October 14.
The two outstanding students from Andrew Mynarski School were Chris Rosolowich and Carly Marnoch, and two students from Isaac Newton School, Mitch Rowsen and Tanissa Martindale. Thank you.
Manitoba Travel Guide
Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Do I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?
Madam Speaker: Does the honourable member for Crescentwood have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of all honourable members a very valuable guide that has been published in Manitoba. It is called Manitoba Travel Guide. It has been put together with a lot of volunteer time and energy as well as some staff. It is an excellent source book for MLAs and their constituency assistants and for any travel offices that are trying to help people coming to Manitoba find this the friendly and wonderful place to visit it is.
I understand that the Minister responsible for Tourism (Mr. Downey) has purchased a number of these for the government and for departments. I wonder if he might be prepared to make these excellent resources available to all members of the House so that we could make them useful in welcoming people to Manitoba.
Introduction of Guests
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the Speaker's Gallery, where we have with us today Councillor Zaifang Miao of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada; and Yangyu Wu, the First Secretary of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada.
On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this morning.