Brandon Wheat Kings
WHL Champions
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Brandon Wheat Kings for their tremendous efforts and for winning the WHL regular season title, winning the league championship and advancing to the Memorial Cup Junior Hockey Championships.
This is the franchise's first championship in 17 years. Many hockey experts say the 1995-96 Wheat Kings line-up is the best Brandon squad since 1979. This team is laden with Manitoba talent and features a plethora of future NHL regulars. The team went 52-19-1 this season and won the league title with a 16-3 run in the playoffs. Since February 16, the Wheat Kings went 29-3. In the WHL final against the west division champion Spokane Chiefs, the Wheat Kings were dominant winning the series four to one. Brandon won the final two games of the series on the road. The people of Manitoba are extremely proud of the efforts of their fine hockey team, composed of players from all over Manitoba, Madam Speaker.
To that end, the Keystone Centre has announced plans to host a Memorial Cup pep rally Wednesday night for the WHL champion, Brandon Wheat Kings. The pep rally is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Keystone's UCT pavilion. The Wheat Kings leave Thursday for Peterborough, Ontario, site of this spring's Memorial Cup, and play their first game on Sunday.
On behalf of all the members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, let me wish the Brandon Wheat Kings the best of luck in the Memorial Cup Junior Hockey Championships. We are proud of our Brandon Wheat Kings and we wish them every success.
Home Care Program
Public Hearing Presentation
Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker, frustrated by the failure of the provincial government to consult with the public on an issue so fundamental as the privatization of home care, the Coalition to Save Home Care decided to hold its own public hearings. These hearings by the community coalition of clients, caregivers and concerned citizens provided opportunity for organizations and individuals to present their varying opinions on the aspects of home care. Such hearings encourage much-needed public discussion on this health care issue. Following the hearing, transcripts of the proceedings will be collected for publication and will be presented for consideration by the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).
Today, the Manitoba Society of Seniors made a public presentation to the Coalition to Save Home Care. Home care issues have a long history with the Manitoba Society of Seniors. Current discussions evoke strong memories of past involvement in this area so vital to the needs of senior citizens. Within the last year, the Manitoba Society of Seniors network of retired organizations debuted a wide range of health care issues to decide where their priorities lie. Conclusions were shared with the Health minister in the form of a document called Manitoba Seniors Health Concerns which recommended, among others, to set and maintain standards of home care and its cost. This government, however, added insult to injury by resolving immediately that afternoon to privatize home care services.
Manitoba seniors rely so heavily on this sacred trust of the universality of the health care system. They were stunned in disbelief to hear the reaction of the government. They phoned their MSOS office to express concern and express their anger, anxiety and fear because they want a health care system that has quality, that has continuity, that can be relied upon. Quality care is at the top of the list of what seniors need in this country and this province, home care services provided by competent staff and monitored by responsible public officials. The government clearly had forgotten their responsibility. Thank you.
Central Park Lodge
Quality of Care
Mr. Mike Radcliffe (River Heights): Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure today for me to pay tribute to the high quality of care and professionalism shown at Central Park Lodge. This is a privately owned seniors care centre near my constituency of River Heights which serves many former residents of our community. Thanks to the commitment by the administration and nursing staff, Central Park Lodge continues to provide an exemplary level of care to its residents.
I would like to share with the House a portion of a letter I received from a constituent whose mother is a resident of Central Park Lodge. My constituent writes as follows: In all the controversy over home care service I have not seen any mention of the excellent care provided by the privately owned nursing homes, e.g., Central Park Lodge on Poseidon Bay. Manitoba and Canada must reduce its debt for the sake of our children and grandchildren. I support your government's efforts to reduce costs while maintaining a reasonable level of service.
I would like to thank you today for allowing me the opportunity to put my support on the record for all the good work being done at Central Park Lodge. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
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Health Care System
Concerns
Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, this provincial government has neglected the needs of Manitoba citizens who rely on the once-universal health care system which Manitobans have worked hard to establish. Because Manitobans feel that their needs are being ignored, a wide cross section of Manitobans are expressing their concerns with the Filmon government's decision to slowly dismantle and privatize our home care system.
I have a constituent who recently wrote Premier Filmon expressing his dismay with the direction that this government is taking.
He stated, and I quote: I am one of those Manitobans who should feel ashamed for electing a government that worries more about being vindictive and are willing to tramp on working families to fulfill a personal agenda than to deal with the real issues that are destroying our social fabric. Lowering wages is not an answer to this problem. Your government is far removed from your mandate in the last provincial election and it appears your platform was built on lies and deceit. When a government continues to push people to the brink of disaster, then I believe it is time for all working families to take to the streets and remind our elected officials that they were elected to look after the welfare of all Manitobans and not just a lucky few, unquote.
The recent change to Pharmacare is merely a $20-million tax grab by the provincial government of Manitoba from the middle-income, average-income families. This government has once again proven it has no social conscience by penalizing those that are sick and those that can least afford the over 300 percent increase in Pharmacare deductibles. If it is your government's policy to tax those who can pay, start looking at big corporations that are reaping huge profits.
There appears to be no other reason for privatizing home care than to get rid of the unionized workforce. This is a crude attempt at lowering wages and at union busting. There will be lost revenue due to a reduced tax base because of lower wages for home care workers. These workers deserve to make a fair living wage. Maybe what has to happen is to have the Premier and his ministers live on a minimum wage to feel the effects of their own policies.
This government needs to be responsive to those whom they claim to represent, the citizens of Manitoba. Like my constituent, I believe that this government is unilaterally dismantling our health care system and ignoring the welfare of Manitobans. This is most shameful. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Manitoba Telephone System
Privatization
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, last week the provincial government, without any mandate from the people of Manitoba, announced that it will be proceeding with the dismantling of the Manitoba Telephone System, a Crown entity that has served us well across this province since 1908.
What I find most unfortunate is that they simply do not understand the consequences of what they are doing. They are taking a made-in-Alberta solution for Manitoba. They are taking the privatization that was followed in Alberta when AGT, formerly publicly owned, was turned into a private company, and day in and day out the Minister responsible for MTS (Mr. Findlay) and the Premier (Mr. Filmon) show their complete ignorance about the consequences of what they are embarking upon.
In Alberta, the shift from a public to a private phone system has led to the No. 1 mandate of the phone company in that province being to increase its profit margin and its return to its shareholders. That is why there has been a $6-a-month increase the beginning of this year, whereas in Manitoba we have received a $2-a-month increase. The Premier and the Minister responsible for MTS do not understand the regulatory process. The regulator only deals with the application that is put forward for rate increases. Here in Manitoba, because we have a nonprofit, public system that keeps rates low, we have kept our phone rates among the lowest in North America.
I also would suggest that this government knows nothing about democratic process. It did not say anything about this in the provincial election. Not once did they say they would privatize MTS, and when we went across Manitoba, as we did with the campaign to save MTS, in every region of the province people said the same thing. They said, MTS has served us well. They also said, if there is going to be a decision made about the future of MTS, we, the people of Manitoba, should make that decision.
I want to say to the Premier, when he says we are shareholders in name only, there are more than a million names of the shareholders of MTS. It is called the population of Manitoba. I will say to the Premier right now, I will debate him, his minister, any member of the government on the issue of saving MTS anywhere in the province because the people want to have the right to decide. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Committee Changes
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts be amended as follows: the member for Gladstone (Mr. Rocan) for the member for Charleswood (Mr. Ernst); the member for Morris (Mr. Pitura) for the member for Fort Garry (Mrs. Vodrey).
Motion agreed to.