Mr. Frank Pitura (Morris): I would like to announce that Hedley Technologies has entered into two technology agreements with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's cereal research centre in Winnipeg.

Hedley intends to place privately up to $900,000 of equity securities to finance sales growth of Protect-It and to broaden Hedley's future research collaboration. Protect-It is an effective nontoxic, environmentally safe grain storage protectant that uses a nonchemical means of controlling insects. Protect-It is also to be used to control insects in flour mills, food-processing facilities, grain storage warehouses and transportation vessels such as rail cars. Protect-It is intended to reduce the need for chemical fumigants and gradually replace other chemical insecticides used for the protection of stored agricultural products.

The new technology licensing agreement gives Hedley the full and exclusive right to commercialize Protect-It worldwide in return for a royalty based on sales. The agreement acknowledges that Hedley and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada own jointly any and all intellectual property rights, and the parties will share the cost of applying for the patents pending in North America and under the PCT application worldwide.

The research and consulting agreement expands Hedley's collaborative research with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in order to develop equipment and procedures for applying Protect-It in large-scale grain operations. The research team is also testing Protect-It on more commodities and insects in order to broaden areas of intended use.

Finally, the research team intends to study the effectiveness of foreign diatomaceous earth deposits in order to supply Protect-It locally from these markets. Here is an example of how research and technology out of Manitoba will be benefiting grain producers worldwide. Thank you.

Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, Manitobans have every reason not to believe this government when it comes to their promises. Days before the last election, the Filmon government announced a huge capital program in health care. After the election all spending was cancelled, emergency wards were closed at night and over $75 million was cut out of hospital budgets and Pharmacare was gutted.

Similarly, they said MTS would not be sold and are now proceeding to do just that. Manitoba currently has the second-lowest residential rates in North America. Rural rates are less than one-third of the actual cost of providing service. It is not hard to guess who will be hurt the most and quickest by this sale.

Now the same government says that since Manitoba Hydro is in a regulated environment, there is no need to sell it off. Like MTS, Manitoba Hydro has the lowest hydro rates in North America. Manitoba Hydro makes over $250 million a year in export sales. This is not good enough for this government so, like MTS, they are dividing it up into business divisions. Again, like MTS, they are forcing Manitoba Hydro to sign contracts with their major competitor, in this case, Centra Gas. Both Manitoba Hydro and MTS have had large layoffs in the recent past, with many more expected once MTS is sold off.

According to the Premier (Mr. Filmon), it is now necessary to deregulate Manitoba Hydro just as the same government decided to deregulate MTS in 1992. Small wonder that Manitobans do not trust this Premier or his colleagues.

In all of this, the position of the Liberal Party is firmly on all sides as it is typically. While the three elected MLAs oppose the sale of MTS, their new leader does not. She says that the Liberals do not object in principle to the sale of a Crown corporation. Like the Tories, she thinks that low rates, service and jobs are not worth defending.

The choice for Manitobans is increasingly clear. We can either keep our Crown assets that provide jobs in Manitoba and affordable service or we can dump them like the Liberals dumped the railroads and the airport or the Filmon government is dumping MTS and in the future Manitoba Hydro.

Mr. Mike Radcliffe (River Heights): Good afternoon, Madam Speaker. I know that all members acknowledge the danger of driving while impaired, whether it be to the driver of the vehicle or the general public. While our government's 1989 and 1991 legislation, which brought into effect the toughest drinking and driving penalties in North America, has been tremendously successful, the issue remains.

From 1988 until 1994, alcohol-related charges in our province fell 36.8 percent. This is a dramatic decrease. It reflects a growing public awareness of the consequences of driving and drinking. This decrease is also testament to the success of our legislation. However, our government recognizes that impairment of one's driving does not begin at an alcohol blood level of .08. Therefore our government intends to introduce even more effective legislation in the spring. The legislation will provide for immediate administrative 24-hour licence suspension for drivers with a blood alcohol level of between .05 and .08, strong financial consequences for driving with an over-.05 limit, an automatic Addictions Foundation assessment of alcohol dependency where there are two administrative suspensions in three years. If alcohol dependency is found, it must be dealt with before a licence is reinstated.

Our government has made a commitment to the safety of all Manitobans, and we continue to build on that commitment. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, the current legislative session has been rightly called the most packed in terms of legislation in at least 10 years. For reasons best known to themselves, the Filmon government has brought forward far-reaching legislation on a number of areas, from the sale of MTS to stripping workers of their rights, creating major roadblocks and hurdles for unions, attacking teachers and post-secondary educational institutions and forcing through regional health authorities which will be blamed for government cutbacks in funding and service, among others.

Of the more than 70 pieces of legislation being debated, only a tiny number at best were even hinted at during the last provincial election. It is obvious to all that none of the major bills would have been brought forward if this government did not get a majority in the last election. Of particular concern is this government's attack on the rights of workers. Fundamentally, this assault on the rights of workers is predicated on intense hostility to unions having any ability to negotiate issues like workplace safety, salaries or conditions of employment. This is easily seen in the actions of the same government in their cutting back workplace inspectors and refusing to be proactive in terms of--

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I am experiencing great difficulty hearing the honourable member for Flin Flon.

Mr. Jennissen: Many people are calling this legislative session one of payoffs and paybacks. Foes, real and imaginary, of the government are being dragged down while friends, particularly financiers of the Progressive Conservative Party, can look forward to lucrative contracts and fire sales of government assets. Once MTS is sold, can Hydro be far behind?

The arrogance of this government can be seen in actions such as the treatment of the mayor of The Pas, Chief of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and other delegates from The Pas region who met with the Minister of Health on October 29. The delegation came to discuss the crisis created by this government at The Pas Health Complex by cutbacks and bungled policies that were causing a shortage of doctors there and in many other communities across this province.

Instead of treating this delegation with respect, the minister scolded them for representing their community and told them to go back and talk to the regional health authority, which, like others, is a nonelected Tory-dominated regional health authority. Shocking yes, surprising no, unfortunately not. The minister by his actions showed the purpose of the regional health authorities and much of the--

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member's time has expired.

* (1450)

Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure that I rise and acknowledge the 125th anniversary of the Winnipeg School Division. On October 29, I attended the banquet along with the other members from this Assembly, and it was a pleasure to acknowledge that anniversary. The theme was remembering the past as we look into the future, and one of the events was honouring all the nominees who were nominated for recognition by the school division. I think there were 67 present there. Of course, being in the political field, I took note that both the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy were acknowledged as nominees for the award. It showed that Winnipeg School Division has given Manitoba some of the best and brightest in the community, and that was remembering the past.

Looking into the future, the keynote speaker, Mr. Frank Ogden, who is commonly known as Dr. Tomorrow, I found his speech very frightening. He forecast a future with survival of the fittest, where the weak die, where the global economy dictates that commerce rules over all social needs, over all care for individuals and contact with human beings. So I found his speech very frightening, and I know he would be challenged the following days at the symposium. It shows that Winnipeg School Division is not scared to bring controversial speakers forward and speak on such a matter, and I think his fee of, I have heard $12,000, if nothing else, they got a very interesting speaker. Thank you, Madam Speaker.