MEMBERS' STATEMENTS
Economic Growth
Provincial Performance
Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Over the course of the past few months Manitobans have been forced to endure more than their fair share of hardships. For one, our province has just suffered through one of the longest and one of the most trying winters of the century. Following that, many Manitobans had to cope with the excessive spring runoff which flooded their homes and their yards. Yet perhaps the greatest test to Manitobans endurance has been their ability to deal with the constant stream of rhetoric and misinformation that flows from the members opposite and litters our local newspapers and airwaves.
I refer specifically to a letter written by the member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans), a letter that appeared in a paper in my constituency as an example of the rhetoric that Manitobans are forced to tolerate from the members across the floor. In this letter the opposition Finance critic wonders where the better business climate is that the Filmon government is supposed to have created during its term in office. It seems that the member for Brandon East does not actually read the articles in the newspapers that he is so fond of writing to.
In fact, on Friday, May 31, in the Winnipeg Free Press, the following comments about Manitoba's economy appeared under the headline, Tories get top marks: “'This is a buoyant economy that will continue to be buoyant in 1996'” . . . “'The economy is strong and will stay strong'” and “'The province deserves full marks for the progress it's made in its fiscal performance.'” . . . “'This has come about through responsible and prudent fiscal management.'” These are comments made not by a politician but by Ian Russell of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada.
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It is clear that if the member for Brandon East would spend less time writing to the newspapers and spend more time reading them, he might come to appreciate the economic revival our province is undergoing. During the upcoming summer session, I challenge the member to take the time to read the finance and business pages of the newspapers so that he can join Manitobans in their optimism about our economy and future. Thank you.
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I wonder if I might ask for the co-operation of the honourable member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans) so that one of his colleagues could now be recognized for her member's statement?
Point of Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, on a point of order, there was an extreme amount of volume coming from government members, obviously, during and after the statement. I am wondering if you might also call that side to order. We have no problems if one of our members is involved in discussions with members opposite, but I would appreciate it also if you could call those members to order because there were at least a dozen government members who were being very vocal. I only think it is fair if you call them to order as well.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Thompson does not have a point of order. The reason I asked for the co-operation of the honourable member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans) because I was on my feet, had asked on six successive occasions for order. The noise had diminished somewhat, but he continued to shout from his seat.
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Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Osborne has been recognized for her member's statement.
The member for Brandon East, on a point of order.
Point of Order
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): On a point of order, I appreciate your valiant efforts to keep order in this House and I like to co-operate with the honourable Speaker and everyone in this House. I do apologize for any excessive noise but, Madam Speaker, my point is simply that I could barely hear the member who was making a statement criticizing me. I could barely hear him because of all the discussion and noise and catcalling that was coming from that side.
I really am very upset by the fact that I have been criticized, and yet I could hardly hear the criticisms because of the noise coming from the government side.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Brandon East does not have a point of order. He clearly recognized and I accept his apology for the disturbance he felt he was causing.
Third Party Disclosure of Personal Records
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): In December 1995, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in R. vs. O'Connor that personal records held by a third party, for example, counsellors, teachers, psychologists or psychiatrists must be turned over to a judge for review if the accused lawyer can show that they may contain information that may be useful to the defence and that the judge will make a decision as to whether the records will be ordered to be produced to the accused.
The honourable member for St. Johns (Mr. Mackintosh) and I have discussed this matter with several health care professionals, counsellors and psychologists and with lawyers, all of whom agree that the O'Connor ruling sets a dangerous precedent with regard to women's constitutional rights to privacy and equality.
Other concerns are, of course, victim protection and criminal justice. Some fear that the ruling gives a carte blanche or a loophole to perpetrators of sexual violence. For example, Karen Busby in her paper, Discriminatory Uses of Personal Records in Sexual Violence Cases, mentions a teenage prostitute who had laid sexual assault charges against her pimp only to find that her whole child welfare file and all school records were ordered released as her social worker told police that this young woman had lied and took drugs.
As well, counsellors and other professionals have expressed grave concerns about the constraints this ruling places on their abilities to provide clients with support and therapy.
Although we understand that the federal Minister of Justice plans to introduce a bill which would establish impermissible grounds for access to third-party records, the member for St. Johns (Mr.Mackintosh) and I have responded to public concern. We believe that public education and information from front-line workers and concerned lawyers are necessary.
For these reasons, tonight we will hold a meeting with concerned parties in order to explore the ruling and its implications and to develop an action plan.
National Access Awareness Week
Award Recipients
Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, the week of May 27 to June 2 was National Access Awareness Week. On May 30, the Provincial Achievement Awards were presented at a ceremony in the rotunda of the Manitoba Legislature by the MLA for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), and I had the pleasure of attending as well.
I want to pay tribute to the award winners. The recipient in the Education category was Shauna Hill for her work in the Barrier-Free Design Institute and for writing a manual for architects on barrier-free design. In the Employment category, the recipients were Shelly Ferec-LaGall for finding employers for people with developmental disabilities and the Manitoba Federation of Labour for making access a policy of the MFL so that persons needing an accessible workplace get the support they need to work alongside other union workers. In the category of Access Issues, the recipient was May Churches who received the award for her many years of work as an activist promoting accessibility. All of these recipients received a plaque and a gift at the awards ceremony, and I add my congratulations to those they have already received.
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Hon. Glen Findlay (Minister of Highways and Transportation): Madam Speaker, I would like to use a couple of moments here just to pay recognition to this being National Transportation Week, a week in which right across Canada there is a strong effort to try to draw recognition to the transportation industry, its role in the economy of the country and to pay tribute--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. As this falls under the jurisdiction of the honourable Minister of Highways and Transportation, I will have to rule him out of order and indicate that this is private Members' Statements and that according to our rules, 21.(10): “A Minister of the Crown may not use the time allotted for Members' Statements to comment on government policy or ministerial or departmental action.”
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United Nations Conference on Habitat
Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Madam Speaker, I rise to draw the attention of members of the House as well as the general community to the United Nations second conference on habitat in Istanbul this June. Human settlement and urbanization will be examined at this conference, and it will endeavour to develop policy, an international government policy, to ensure that all citizens have the right to housing.
There is a growing problem of disparity in our communities here in Winnipeg and elsewhere, with housing wealth being increasingly the purview of only a few. In Manitoba, there are thousands of people who pay more than 30 percent of their income to housing, whereas the wealthiest in our community pay less than 7 percent for housing.
The conference is going to draw the important connection between housing and the economy, the number of jobs that are in the construction, maintenance and improvement of housing, and it will also draw to the attention, hopefully, of the Government of Canada, that the market will not provide housing for low-income citizens.
I am concerned that there has been no mention of these issues in the government of Manitoba's Capital Region Strategy. There is no attention to--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I am experiencing great difficulty hearing the honourable member for Radisson. I wonder if I might ask those members having private meetings to do so either in the loge or outside the Chamber.
The honourable member for Radisson, to complete her member's statement.
Ms. Cerilli: There is no attention in the government's Capital Region Strategy to deal with the problem of urban sprawl and urbanization and how that relates to the availability of affordable housing. I want to, at this time, also congratulate the Winnipeg Real Estate Board for their small program addressed at providing low income housing and also recognition to the Urban Institute, The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the Rural and Small Town Institute and the staff at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation who also provide much information, that I wish that this government would pay attention to, in the area of providing affordable housing.
National Transportation Week
Award Recipients
Mrs. Shirley Render (St. Vital): As I think most of our members know, this is National Transportation Week, and I would just like to draw attention to some awards that were given out in recognition of National Transportation Week.
The recipient of the Manitoba region Award of Excellence was Mr. Dan Coyle, whom I believe is Assistant Deputy Minister of Motor Vehicles. The recipient of the national Award of Achievement is Mr. Neil Wither, who is president of Red River Construction, and the recipient of the national Award of Excellence is Mr. George Engel, who is vice-president of Atomic Transport. The winner of the Transportation Association of Canada scholarship, which is a $5,000 award, is Mr. Robert Kwok and that award is going towards his work on his Ph.D.
I would just like to, on behalf of everyone here, offer these people our congratulations.