Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): I rise in the House as today we observe March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the 50th anniversary of the United Nations universal Declaration of Human Rights. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about racism and discrimination. We all must dedicate ourselves to overcoming our fears with truth and understanding on the various cultures that have contributed so much to the building of our great province. The elimination of racism is the responsibility of all individuals and communities. We must work together to speak and act against racism. The numerous activities scheduled throughout March and April include antiracism displays, youth workshops, films, lectures, rallies, symposiums and conferences. These events are a positive step in our efforts to eliminate misconceptions.
I would like to commend the efforts of Manitoba's schools, communities, multicultural organizations, and the Coalition for Human Equality who heighten public awareness through events such as these. Our province is well known for its diversity of cultures, diversity that strengthens us, binds us and sets us apart.
So I encourage all members and Manitobans to focus on education and understanding to eliminate cultural misunderstandings in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities. The goal of the elimination of racism requires our efforts all year round. Let us make all Manitobans aware that discrimination is not part of our vision for Manitoba. Thank you.
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): We certainly support the comments made by the member opposite dealing with fighting racism, but you have made it very clear that it is out of order to talk about racism and racist policies in any previous, present and future governments. The member was mentioning--I was wondering whether you could take under advisement our former concerns on racist policies. We would like you to expunge that former ruling from your rulings and precedents in this Chamber.
We think, again, the member's statement today is one which we support. We have always believed that to fight racism you have to be able to articulate the issues of racist policies in previous, present and future governments. Madam Speaker, I would ask you to look at your ruling, look at your statement and come back and break that precedent that is unacceptable for members of this side.
Hon. James McCrae (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, I join with the Leader of the Opposition in stating our support for the comments made this afternoon by the honourable member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), and on the point of order I suggest that it is poorly advised for the honourable Leader of the Opposition to raise this matter in the way that he has, simply because of the very important message contained in the comments made by the honourable member for Pembina. I would not want a point of order raised for perhaps whatever reason to detract from the importance of the message.
I have no problem, Your Honour, with your reviewing the point raised or ruling on it as you see fit, but I wonder sometimes, Madam Speaker, if our points of order are always raised at an appropriate time in the sense of detracting from an important message of the kind delivered this afternoon by the honourable member for Pembina.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Wolseley, on the same point of order.
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley): Madam Speaker, on the same point of order. I think that the point raised by the Leader of the Opposition in fact adds to, confirms, underlines, the importance of the message that was brought to us today by the member opposite. I think the remarks of the government House leader were somewhat out of order on that, and I think do not help the discussion.
But my advice to you, Madam Speaker, is that this is the time, this is a very opportune moment, given the statement of that side of the House and the point that we have raised here, for you to reconsider that very serious decision that you made.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. On the point of order raised by the honourable Leader of the official opposition and spoken to by the honourable government House leader and the honourable member for Wolseley, I personally believe there is a misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the intent of that ruling, but I will take it under advisement and report back to the House.
Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): Madam Speaker, I would like to say a few words on the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
One of the important things the House leaders were raising, I think it is very crucial that we do have the right and we do have the obligation to raise issues that are racist to individuals, and if we could raise them in the House or raise them in the public eye in order to correct or to educate individuals who are acting in those fashions, that is our responsibility.
The reason I state that, I experienced first-hand last night, first-hand, and this was blatant racist action. I was at the Winkler hockey game. There was a busload of fans from Sandy Bay, and there were many, many fans from The Pas. They were all aboriginal. They were lined up along the arena after the game was over. There were about five or six individuals who went right up to the known First Nations aboriginal people and started pushing and shoving and calling them dirty f'ing Indians for no reason at all. These individuals I know personally, and they do a lot of work in The Pas. They are part of the education authority. I was never so insulted. I was furious and insulted.
I am not saying that those individuals were from Winkler or from where. I do not know where they are from. They were at the Winkler arena, and those individuals should be totally, totally ashamed. Those individuals should be called to order, if known, and those individuals should be totally, totally educated. Those individuals were late '30s and early '40s. They were not children. They were adults. So what happens in those individuals' households? I fear to even think if they are raising families with those kinds of prejudiced and racist views. What happens in their households?
So we have the responsibility as legislators and educators to ensure that racism is taught about in all our schools, so that way it is taught into the families and it is taught into the public, so we do not have to see and experience those kinds of so-called negative, I think, very derogatory actions by uneducated individuals. It is our responsibility. I hope we, each and every one of the 57 members, will go out there and try and educate as many people, so we do not have to see and experience that kind of behaviour from anyone.
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Mr. Marcel Laurendeau (St. Norbert): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to highlight the efforts and the achievements of two teens in my constituency. It is my honour to congratulate John Weber and Owen Nagy of St. Norbert for being selected as members of the 1998 Cadet Honour Band of the Prairie Region. They were chosen out of 210 sea, army and air cadet units from across the Prairies to represent the region.
Madam Speaker, John is a skilled saxophone player from the 191 West Winnipeg Rotary Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron and Owen is a member of the 177 Air Canada Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, performing on the bagpipes. I would like to applaud John and Owen and all their counterparts in the honour band for their dedication to citizenship and self-development through the Canadian cadet organization.
On behalf of all members of the House, I would like to wish the 1998 Cadet Honour Band and the Prairie Region luck as it tours the Prairies, holding concerts in Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina and Edmonton. It is truly a privilege for these young people to represent not only their respective squadrons but also their communities and provinces across western Canada. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): I rise to say a few words about the Unity Day that the Unity group at Maples Collegiate had yesterday, and I had the honour and privilege of attending their opening ceremonies. This is the third year that this group was formed in Maples Collegiate to combat racism and look at treating everyone as one human race. Once again, this event was a day-long event at Maples Collegiate, looking at racism and treating everybody as one race. This group, as some members may remember, has sponsored the March for Unity to the steps of the Legislature two years in a row, and I believe they will be doing it for the third year.
So I just wanted to commend some of the organizers of this event: Allison Alvarez, Cindy Blicq, Bryon Chochinov, Fil Costa, Ivan Gibson, Sheila Giron, Don Hoy, Verna Isfeld, David Joseph, Rishma Juma, Mary Lebedynski, Anne Luong, Maridel Margelino, Crystal Perey, Diana Da Silva, Jennifer Sloan, and Lily Tang.
This group gives us hope that in the future racism and hatred for people because of what group they belong to will be eliminated. Thank you.
Riot--Early Releases
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): I was scheduled to get up on quite a different matter today on members' statements, but after listening to the last response of the Minister of Justice (Mr. Toews) to my questions, I have to express my dismay, my shock that he would have the gall to say that he looks forward to seeing the Futch family proceed with a civil action against this government.
He is saying he looks forward to the survivors and the victims of the murdered Walter Futch being victimized a third time, now at the hands of the civil law system in this province. He said he is looking forward to seeing the Futch family have to pursue this--
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Hon. James McCrae (Government House Leader): On a point of order, the honourable member for St. Johns is clearly out of line. I am the first to admit that I did not hear every word uttered in that exchange earlier on, and the Minister of Justice (Mr. Toews) is not able to rise on his own point of order at this time, but what the honourable member for St. Johns is saying is simply out of line and a very, very incorrect characterization of the answers given earlier by the Minister of Justice.
He can finish his member's statement, Madam Speaker, of course, but let him not do it and have people believe him.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for St. Johns, on the same point of order.
Mr. Mackintosh: What we see here is political spin out of control.
Would you please advise the member that just got up, the government House leader, who has commented on my comments, he has no right to do that. It is a member's statement, Madam Speaker. I can say what I want. If he has some concern about what I say, he can get up on a member's statement.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. On the point of order raised by the honourable government House leader, my understanding is, we have not well-defined rules on members' statements relative to the content of a member's statement. However, the member must be within the context of parliamentary language.
So, therefore, I must say that the honourable government House leader did not have a point of order.
Mr. Mackintosh: So, Madam Speaker, to continue my remarks, until I was so rudely interrupted, I want to reflect for a moment on the role that this government has played in this tragedy. Mr. Futch was murdered in no small way, because this government had a responsibility for maintaining public safety. Second of all, the Futch family had to face the criminal justice system and its current disregard for victims.
Now because this government would not so much as make an offer to assure Manitoba's victims of crime--but most importantly, the Futch family--that there is some justice in this province, they now have to go on to the civil law system. This government forced them to do that, because it would not so much as even apologize for the mistakes that it made.
For the Minister of Justice (Mr. Toews) to now get up in this House and construe their civil action that this government caused is a scandal, Madam Speaker. It is another tragedy.