Mr. Mervin Tweed (Turtle Mountain): Today I rise to note an article of interest for all Manitobans. The Winnipeg Free Press headline, Manitobans' prosperity expected to continue, sums up our province's outstanding economic progress quite nicely. The article quotes Mr. Ian Russell, senior vice-president of Investment Dealers Association as saying: "Our view is in the next several years, the level of growth and prosperity is going to continue in Manitoba. The business conditions here, if anything, are going to improve even more."
What does this mean? It means more quality employment opportunities for Manitobans. Our unemployment rate is at the lowest level in 16 years, and capital investments continue at a record level. It is unfortunate that members opposite continue to present Manitobans their usual serving of doom and gloom. Thankfully, Manitobans are able to see through the opposition's cloud of despair, and the recent election of the member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger) is a testament to this fact.
When our government brought in the strongest balanced budget legislation anywhere, the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale) said it would likely have a negative effect. Everything is a matter of perspective. If 12 consecutive months of an unemployment rate below 7 percent, six straight years of double-digit growth in exports to the U.S., and three consecutive fiscal surpluses are examples of negative effect predicted, then I wonder if members opposite are capable of recognizing anything positive. Thank you.
Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize something extremely positive in the life of Manitoba, and that is the role of professional nurses in this province, to recognize national--[interjection] Recognize the proclamation--
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, perhaps I should begin again, given that I have not had a chance to start due to the enthusiasm of the members opposite.
I want to recognize the important role of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses and licensed psychiatric nurses in our health care system. More than 12,000 members of this profession give outstanding care to Manitobans in spite of the incredible cutbacks put in their workplaces by this government.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Health (Mr. Praznik) has had the gall to recognize National Nursing Week, a minister whose government laid off 1,000 registered nurses in this province, who is now in a situation where he does not have enough nurses to even open critical care beds over a period of months. He cannot get them open because those nurses have had to leave this province to find employment elsewhere.
This government recognizes the achievements of nurses, and then it refuses to recognize an important report tabled in this province not more than four weeks ago citing thousands and thousands of instances where critical care was not able to be given because the government of this province has cut back health care, has cut back nursing, so that the wonderful skills and gifts cannot be enjoyed by those who need them most, those who are ill.
Let us come to a time in this province when we recognize the contributions of vital professionals like our nurses by ensuring that there are enough of them to care for sick Manitobans, that they are not worked off their feet, that they are not burnt out, that they are not put in work situations that are unsafe for them or for their patients. Let us honour them with our deeds and not with the words, after a thousand of them have lost their employment.
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Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Madam Speaker, it gives me a great deal of pleasure, on behalf of all my colleagues in our caucus and indeed I believe all members of this Legislature, to welcome Myrna Driedger, the member for Charleswood, to this Chamber. It is indeed a pleasure to have a new colleague on this side of the House, and I certainly am pleased that she will bring a great deal of intelligence and stature on behalf of her constituency to this House.
Spring is a wonderful time of year. Spring leads to new growth, new evidence of prosperity--and one only needs to drive out to rural Manitoba these days to smell the newly tilled soil in the air--and that growth has been demonstrated as part of the economic base that this province depends on.
The vegetable industry in this province has demonstrated again its ability to prosper and indeed add to the economy and the diversity of our province. The Vegetable Marketing Board, headed up by Larry McIntosh, recently indicated that they would increase their sales in Canada and into the United States by about 10 percent this year. That is very astounding growth, and that is indicative of the kind of economic expansion that we have seen in this area.
Vegetable production is part of the diversification process that is ongoing in this province, and that is something that our Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Enns) has not only promoted but has been very influential in, in encouraging all across Manitoba. Indeed, all of southern Manitoba is depending on vegetable production and the export of vegetables to add to the economy of this province.
Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, mining is a billion-dollar industry and is Manitoba's second-largest industry. Over 4,000 Manitobans are directly employed in mining, and communities such as Flin Flon, Snow Lake, Leaf Rapids, Lynn Lake, Thompson and Bissett all developed primarily because of mining. Virtually all of the mining tax revenue in this province comes from northern Manitoba.
The Mining Reserve Fund, by statute, is for those communities where there are partial or complete shutdowns. This vital fund, which is more important than ever before, is a major asset. In our opinion, it makes sense to have this dedicated fund kept where it comes from, namely northern Manitoba.
Lynn Lake, a mining community with a proud history of more than 40 years, has been abandoned by one of the major banks. The provincial government itself took an account of more than $1 million out of Lynn Lake as part of what it likes to call health reform. Credit unions are interested in setting up a branch in Lynn Lake but need to have a significant deposit base. If the province were to place the Mining Reserve Fund in such an institution, it would greatly benefit both Lynn Lake and northern Manitoba. Northern Manitoba has a strong mining presence because of its base resources, its workforce and infrastructure. Sadly, due to neglect and cutbacks, much of this infrastructure is deteriorating.
Banking service is vital to allow the mining industry and other businesses to operate. Lynn Lake businesses and a thousand residents are being forced to travel 105 kilometres along the notorious PR 391 due to the closure of the bank branch. This is not acceptable. Lynn Lake residents deserve fair treatment; something they are not getting from the major banks. Bank profits are at a record level while service is deteriorating. Bank mergers will only mean that many more communities will lose their local branches. The Mining Reserve money which comes from the North should be used to benefit the North.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, earlier in Question Period, with the Premier's rather long diatribe and not necessarily answering the question, he made reference to my position with respect to gambling, and I would like to take the opportunity just to expand on it a little bit because I do not think the Premier quite understood the general gist. If lengthy preambles were allowed, I would have explained back then, but suffice to say, I do believe that a gambling policy is important for the province.
It should be one that is based on tourism. The idea of having a casino, for example, at Hecla Island I think would be a very positive thing. I think there are other potential ways in which one can develop good gaming policy, but it would not be one of being driven by cash in terms of a cash infusion into general revenues. I disagree totally with the need to have VLTs in every little inlet and community that the province of Manitoba has, and for that reason, I have always believed--I believe, as the new member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger) believes, that those communities should in fact be allowed the opportunity to have a vote on whether or not they are necessary in their communities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.