Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): Madam Speaker, I would like to exercise my right to bring forward a grievance before this Chamber today. How much speaking time do I have for a grievance?

An Honourable Member: Forty minutes.

Mr. Kowalski: Madam Speaker, in the spring of 1993, I was a school trustee and a police officer in the late spring--and I enjoyed those two positions--when I was approached by members of the Liberal Party who after Paul Edwards' leadership win and with an upcoming by-election needed to win The Maples seat.

Being an active community member involved in many community volunteer activities, one of the things they told me is that as an MLA I would have the resources and the time to devote full time to those types of activities, to work in my constituency, to show leadership for projects, to bring forward projects and to help members of my constituency, so I decided to meet with Paul Edwards.

After meeting with Paul Edwards and having a long conversation with him, I was very impressed by the leader of the Liberal Party at that time. I found not only was I impressed with him, but I felt that I had his respect not only for me as a person but for many of my ideas, and I found that quite often not only on justice issues but on a large number of matters, Paul, along with the other members of the caucus that I was eventually part of, listened to me, and I felt I had a voice. That was in 1993.

One of the things they told me is that it is going to be difficult at first because we only have seven members, so you are going to have to carry a large number of critic roles, but after the next general election, things will improve. We will have more members. We will have more resources, and the workload will be shared amongst a lot more people. Well, that turned out not to be exactly true.

During that time from '93 to '95, yes, I carried a number of critic portfolios, but I had a supportive leader. I had a number of caucus colleagues all of whom were very supportive and helpful, and we had a staff of 14 people who helped me realize many of my personal expectations, many of the goals not only in my constituency, but I was able to bring forward issues. They helped me live up to some of the potential I thought I had and maybe even beyond any potential that I thought I had as a member of the Manitoba Legislature. Then came the '95 election where, in fact, we did not increase members. We went down to three members. As a result, we lost that support staff and many of the resources we had.

But during that time, both from '93 to '95, and even after the '95 election, I do not think anyone in the Liberal Party could doubt my loyalty to the party. I attended a number of AGMs all over the provinces. I attended forums on behalf of the party. Many people saw me in the hallways here very late at night doing my duty as a critic. I worked very hard at it, and I was very loyal to Paul Edwards.

But then we had a new leader. I have learned from the police force that even if you do not respect the person, you respect the position, and I worked very hard at working with the new leader. Unfortunately, I do not feel I have the respect of the new leader, and, I do not feel, my ideas. As a result, I felt muzzled over the past period of time, but I have still been a loyal Liberal. I made a decision some time ago to do something, but I waited until after the federal election. The federal election is now over, so, today, at 1:15, I faxed to Ginny Hasselfield my resignation as a member of the Liberal caucus and the Manitoba Legislature led by her.

I am still willing as a part of a caucus of independent members which, in fact, according to the rules is what we really are--the Chamber has been good about recognizing us as a Liberal caucus, but according to the rules, we are a caucus of independent members. As a caucus of independent members, in LAMC, the independent members' office have been given a budget, a very meagre budget. It works out to $500 a month for three members of this Assembly, and I hope that will continue. The independent members deserve a greater budget than that from these Estimates, and it is up to us how we will continue. We have a staff member that is given, according to the budget line. He is considered independent member staff, and I will continue to claim part of his resources.

When it comes to votes, if my two former Liberal caucus colleagues wish to, I am willing to caucus with them as independent members who carry a Liberal membership card, as I do. Mine does not expire until December of this year unless the party revokes it, and I am still willing to caucus with them, but I will not vote as a block as directed by Ginny Hasselfield.

This has been a very challenging thing to do because I know that when you become a member of a party you make many friends, and many of them are very loyal, and I know I am going to lose a great number of friends, but I know also that it is going to give me great challenges, because now each vote, each bill, I will have to decide with my own conscience on how to vote. The next throne speech, the next budget, I will have to examine and with my conscience decide how I will vote. There are some other housekeeping matters, everything from the phone listing in the telephone books to the printing of Hansard, identifying the party affiliation, and everything to the front message board where it lists the different caucuses, but those are small matters.

The main reason I am doing this is that pretending to support a leader who I cannot takes a lot of energy, and I find that although I do not always have the highest integrity, I try to be a boy scout. I always try to be, and with an upcoming by-election, my conscience would not allow me to go forward and advocate for a leader whom I do not support.

I will not air any dirty laundry in public. The relationship between the leader of the Liberal Party, Ginny Hasselfield, and myself, I am just saying it does not work. I am not going to give details. I am not going in any way do any harm to the Liberal Party or to Ginny Hasselfield. That is not what this is about. This is about my constituents, that the past little while I have not had the voice that I have had in the past under Paul Edwards, that I was able to bring forward a lot of issues, that I was able to put a lot of energy. I find pretending to support someone you do not takes a lot of energy, and that energy could be put into serving my constituents, doing a number of projects.

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Some people may find it very difficult to understand the situation. The average public do not know as much about politics as we like to think. I am surprised how many people in the last couple of days asked me if I was re-elected in the election on Monday. It shows how much they really take an interest in politics, and sometimes, maybe, we exaggerate how important we are in people's lives, really, but we do important work here.

So, as I say, I will continue to sit as an MLA. I guess, according to the rules, I will continue to be an independent MLA. As I said, my Liberal membership card does not expire until December of this year. Unless it is revoked, I continue to carry it. I am willing to meet with the other independent members of this House, but I will not be caucusing with the Liberal caucus as led by Ginny Hasselfield.

Being a grievance, I still grieve that independent members of this Chamber at $500 a month is something that I think is a shame. It is a shame that a member of this Legislature is given such meagre resources in comparison to the other caucuses.

So with those few words, I will end my grievance. Thank you.

Hon. James Downey (Deputy Premier): I am rising to speak on the opportunity using my grievance, Madam Speaker. I just want to place on the record that I appreciate the difficulty that the member has with himself and the difficulties that he feels that he had to correct. I just want to acknowledge that the contribution of the member who has just spoken, the decision that he has taken, I think truly demonstrates the quality of the individual, that he has struggled and has come to grips with it.

All I can say is that he has been a major contribution to this House, and however he decides to represent his constituents, he has done himself proud, and as a member of our party and the Deputy Premier, I just want to say that we feel very much with him as an individual. He has had a tough decision, but I know that he has contributed and will continue to contribute in the manner in which he has decided.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.