Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms (Mr. Garry Clark): His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

Hon. Peter M. Liba (Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Manitoba): Madam Speaker and members of the Manitoba Legislature, I welcome you to the Fifth Session of the Thirty-sixth Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba.

Je vous convie à la cinquième session de la trente-sixième législature de la province du Manitoba.

I am honoured to present Manitoba’s Speech from the Throne for my first time.

In performing one of my first major duties as Her Majesty’s representative, I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor, Yvon Dumont. Together with his wife Lyla they fulfilled their responsibilities with great distinction and made many permanent and very positive contributions to this office and to Manitoba.

During the ceremonies to mark my installation, I talked about the importance of a renewed sense of pride, optimism and confidence by Manitobans in our great province. My government shares that vision for our future. It is committed to making Manitoba the best place in Canada to live and to work and to raise our families.

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We have come a long way toward achieving that goal but there is no room for complacency. My government shares the views of a recent study commissioned on the city of Winnipeg, which recognized that the city and the province have enjoyed several years of solid growth but warned the status quo is not an option.

Our economy is at a strategic junction. With vision, leadership and the right policy choices, our economy can move forward with even greater strength. But if we lose our focus and fail to meet the current challenges facing this province head-on, our economy could slide into decline with all the consequences a decline implies.

We have every reason to be optimistic about our ability to meet these new challenges. Over the past ten years, my government has built a solid track record of working with Manitobans to identify the major challenges facing our province, set clear goals and make steady progress towards those goals. Before identifying the new agenda that will be driving my government’s future efforts, let us take stock of our progress to date.

Just over a decade ago, when my government was first elected to office, it set as one of its primary goals the need to address Manitoba’s critical and unsustainable budgetary situation. Deficit financing and other misguided public policies were undercutting our fiscal integrity and placing our children and our future under an onerous debt load. Working towards this goal has required sacrifices from us all, but those sacrifices have delivered results. Now our budget is in balance, and we have strong legislation to keep it that way. The debt is being paid down, and our standing in international financial markets is among the best in Canada.

Major reforms have also been made within the government itself to improve service and enhance accountability. The Province of Manitoba is among the leaders in Canada in Y2K readiness, and we are sharing our expertise with other Canadian jurisdictions.

A parallel goal in my government’s early years was the need to restore proper management for such key public agencies outside the government as the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, Manitoba Hydro and the Workers Compensation Board. These institutions were facing financing and management problems that jeopardized their ability to serve the people of our province. Now, a decade later, Manitobans are being served by Crown corporations and other public organizations which are managing their responsibilities in a sound, stable and sustainable way.

The Workers Compensation Board has moved from a deficit to a surplus position and its improved financial health has resulted in a more competitive economy.

Manitoba Hydro customers enjoy electricity rates that remain among the lowest overall in Canada and among the lowest in the world. A recent announcement by Manitoba Hydro of no rate increase in 1999 means that most residents in Manitoba will have had three consecutive years without a rate increase.

With MPI, Manitobans pay among the lowest automobile insurance rates in Canada and will continue to do so well into the future. This year, nearly 400,000 vehicle owners will pay less for automobile insurance.

Another priority set when my government first took office was to rebuild our province’s economy. A decade ago, we had an economy which was ill prepared to deal with the pace of change around the world, much less to compete effectively. Earlier policies opposed the reduction of trade barriers and discouraged private investment, business growth and job creation. Now, we have an economy which is being transformed and modernized every day. New economic records have been set in trade, in investment, and today there are more Manitobans working than ever before.

Manitobans can take pride in the fact that we are leaders in Canada in a great many key economic sectors. We are home to some of the largest companies and producers in their sectors, be it manufacturing, financial services, or agriculture.

Even more exciting is our success in nontraditional industries. A few years ago who would have forecast the rapid growth in the film industry, in health care products, in telecommunications, in information technology and software development, in transportation and distribution, and in value-added agriculture? A respected Canadian researcher told Manitoba’s recent millennium conference, that on a per-capita basis, Manitoba has more knowledge-based jobs than almost anywhere else in the world.

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From its earliest days, my government has stressed that the purpose of building a strong economy and putting our financial house in order is to secure and improve the quality of life in Manitoba. Now, with consistent balanced budgets and a strong economy, we are better positioned to enhance our investments to ensure the availability of high-quality health care, education and services to families.

Health is my government’s top spending priority. The share of our province’s budget which is devoted to health care is the second highest in Canada, and major new investments are being made in program renewal. Many Manitobans may wonder how it can be that their government can spend so much on health care while they still hear so much controversy. Manitobans are not alone with this paradox. All across Canada, provinces are experiencing similar difficulties.

The answer is simple. Manitoba, and the rest of Canada, are in the midst of a fundamental reform of our health care system. We entered this decade with a health care system that was the best we could build in the '60s and '70s, but it was not equipped to deal with the changing realities of the '90s. Our population is aging. Health professionals have developed new approaches to health care that focus on keeping people well in the first place, diagnosing illness sooner so it can be treated earlier when chances of success are highest, and treating people closer to home. My government’s plan for health care reform responds to these new realities while protecting what is best in our existing health care system.

The challenge of restructuring our health system, which would have been difficult in any circumstance, became an even greater challenge when the federal government unilaterally cut back its annual health and social transfers to Manitoba by more than $260 million.

Now, after years of difficult adjustments, and with the partial restoration of federal funding, Manitobans will begin to see the benefits of health reform. As part of our plan, my government is reducing waiting times by expanding high demand services with new equipment funding. We are relieving hospital overcrowding by adding more personal care home beds, tripling the home care budget since 1988, and implementing new approaches to emergency care. Dialysis and breast screening programs have been expanded.

In this session, my government will present legislation to update The Licensed Practical Nurses Act, The Registered Nurses Act, The Registered Psychiatric Nurses Act and The Physiotherapists Act, all of which were enacted approximately 20 years ago. The new legislation will reflect the expanded role that the health professionals, governed by the acts, play in today’s health care system and will include enhanced public representation on governing bodies and committees.

Another key social priority set by my government is support for our province’s children. Our society benefits from healthy, resilient children who achieve goals within happy thriving families. Government cannot be a parent, but it can help parents in dealing with difficult situations and circumstances.

My government has introduced several innovative programs that focus on early childhood development and intervention and support to parents so that our children get a good start in life. Programs such as Women and Infant Nutrition, EarlyStart, BabyFirst, Stop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and expanded and flexible child care services have been implemented. In the coming year, my government will continue to implement programs that promote positive parenting and healthy child development.

My government has placed particular priority on providing our children with a strong education firmly grounded in the basics. There is no greater social equalizer than a high quality public education system. My government will continue the focus on standards and testing to ensure that students, parents and teachers know how a student is progressing and can take remedial action at the earliest possible time. We have reshaped our education system to ensure that every child develops the foundation skills to read, write, problem solve and compute at a high level. We have encouraged greater parental involvement through parent advisory councils, introduced standards and testing, and allowed parents and students to choose the school best suited to their needs.

We have worked with our schools to help meet their needs for technology and skill upgrading and will continue that important task. My government will work even more closely with parents, schools and industry to ensure that today’s graduates are ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace.

In this session my government will implement measures to further enhance services to children with special needs.

In the mid-'90s my government identified safety and security as a high priority. Policies have been implemented to ensure that gang-related and other violent crimes are dealt with aggressively under the law.

We have provided for more police officers on our streets, developed aggressive bail policies, pursued tougher sentences, and transferred violent young offenders to adult court. Efforts to hold all offenders fully accountable for their actions will continue. In addition, my government has not forgotten the victims. That is why, in January 1999, my government proclaimed victims rights legislation.

My government has also taken direct aim at taking prostitution out of our neighbourhoods. Our antiprostitution legislation has been successful and is being looked at as a model across the country.

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My government will continue its national leadership role in addressing the issue of family violence by providing ongoing support to our Family Violence Court, family mediation programs, dedicated domestic violence prosecutors and the Women’s Advocacy Program.

Much has also been accomplished in the area of crime prevention and intervention where Citizens on Patrol, youth justice committees and other community-based programs have been successful in reducing crime in our neighbourhoods. In the coming year, my government will introduce new policies and programs to help keep communities, particularly schools, safe for our children and families. My ministers will also table legislation to extend what is among the toughest legislation regarding drinking and driving in the country, to apply to the operation of off-road vehicles including snowmobiles.

In addition to protecting the peace, security and safety of Manitobans, early in this term my government committed to encouraging self-reliance and independence of its citizens through welfare reform. Working with numerous partners as part of my government’s Employment First approach to welfare reform, we have seen income assistance caseloads drop dramatically by more than 10,500. Our Taking Charge! and other programs have equipped young single mothers with the skills necessary to become self-reliant and gainfully employed. In fact, since 1996, single-parent caseloads have been reduced by 2,255. The success of these approaches has been remarkable.

Over the past decade, my government has taken steps to rebuild Manitoba’s economy, restore stability to the management of our public enterprises and our province’s finances, and reinvest in key social programs. As noted earlier, a study completed for Economic Development Winnipeg acknowledges our province’s recent successes, but it also warned that success cannot be taken for granted.

To move forward, we need to continue to innovate and change. We need new answers and decisive leadership. My government is prepared to move forward with a new agenda for a new millennium.

In the past decade, Manitoba has met its challenges head on. We have not been afraid to make difficult choices, and today we are seeing the benefits of those choices. The challenges before us are no less difficult.

Our future quality of life depends on our ability to successfully adapt to the knowledge-based economy. Relying on our traditional economic strengths will not be enough to secure prosperity as we enter the 21st Century. We must build the infrastructure needed to support new knowledge-based industry, and we must give our people the skills they need to compete in those industries.

In addition, we will work with business to refocus our development efforts and programming to better reflect the needs and demands of businesses in the new economy.

My government will continue to work with the private sector to forge even stronger links with our schools and post-secondary institutions to ensure that our students have the skills and understanding to successfully participate in the workforce.

At the post-secondary level, my government will continue to develop new ways to increase accessibility and to ensure critical skill shortages are met. In addition, my government will explore with post-secondary institutions mechanisms to ensure education quality is rewarded in the funding process.

For those who are already in the workplace, it is important that opportunities for upgrading skills be available and affordable. As part of its ongoing repositioning of Manitoba’s post-secondary system, my government will enhance opportunities for skill upgrading to ensure that our citizens all have the opportunity to prosper and that our demand for skilled workers can be met.

Once we give Manitobans the education and training they need, we have to provide a taxation environment that will keep them here. Interprovincial and international comparisons make it clear that provincial taxes must come down. In this age of growing freedom of movement, Manitoba must work harder to make this an attractive place for our children to live and work. As part of our plan to keep our children at home in Manitoba, my government will be lowering taxes.

My government has negotiated with the federal government to allow our province to calculate income tax directly as a share of taxable income rather than as a proportion of the federal tax rate. When this change occurs, Manitoba will be at liberty to undertake a fundamental restructuring of its tax system.

My government will begin the process by consulting both experts and Manitoba taxpayers on the type of taxation system that best meets the unique needs of our province. For instance, we will take a fresh look at how our tax system treats parents who choose to stay home with their children. Accordingly, my government will establish a Lower Tax Commission to undertake these consultations and provide options to the government for tax reform. The goal is to establish a tax system that not only reduces the burden of taxes on Manitobans but is fairer, simpler and competitive with other jurisdictions. The commission will be asked to report to my government by the end of 1999.

We cannot rely on economic growth alone to give us the flexibility we need to reduce the tax burden on Manitobans. Unless we continue to reduce the costs of government, we will not get taxes to the level we need to keep our children here in Manitoba.

This June, Manitoba is hosting an International Summit on Public Service Reform, featuring some of the world’s foremost experts, who will speak on such critical issues as leadership, banishing bureaucracy, alternative service delivery and workforce transformation. My government will use this opportunity to learn about other management approaches that might benefit us. In Manitoba we have already embarked on a major transformation of how we do business through the Better Methods Initiative, transforming our entire human resource management, payroll and procurement systems.

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Over the next five years, Manitoba will have a unique opportunity to reorganize how it serves our citizens and to reduce the size of government without laying off any government workers. The provincial civil service is aging, and over the next five years some 25 percent of our employees will be eligible to retire. Seizing this opportunity, my government has set a goal of reducing through attrition the size of the civil service by 10 percent over that period.

Après avoir consulté les membres de la communauté franco-manitobaine, mon gouvernement a adopté une nouvelle politique en matière de services en langue française et est en train de mettre en oeuvre d’autres recommandations du Rapport Chartier.

After consultation with members of the Franco-Manitoban community, my government has adopted a new French language services policy and is implementing other recommendations of the Chartier report.

In the last decade, many Manitobans in the private and the public sectors sacrificed income growth to help protect jobs and services. Fairness demands that their contributions be recognized and their compensation improved. However, compensation has to reflect economic realities, and in the public sector, it must also recognize budgetary realities and government’s responsibilities to all Manitobans. The vast majority of Manitobans are likely to support reasonable improvements in the earnings of key public service providers, but they are unlikely to support proposals that would threaten the security and sustainability of essential health care and other services.

As Manitoba’s capital and largest city, the success of our entire province is linked to the success of Winnipeg. However, Winnipeg faces some special challenges. Unless those challenges are addressed, the success of our entire province will be at risk.

One key challenge is the negative perception of Winnipeg by some and the need to maintain Winnipeg as a desirable place to live for its citizens. We know that many of our neighbourhoods, particularly in the centre, have seen an unacceptable level of decay and decline. My government believes that action is required to ensure that the families who live in these neighbourhoods feel safe, whether it be in their homes, businesses or streets, and that they have the economic and social resources necessary to rebuild their communities.

That is why my government will implement an initiative to concentrate the resources of the community on reclaiming our inner-city neighbourhoods. This Take Back the Streets initiative will allow for the creation of neighbourhood renewal committees which will lead the way in finding solutions to local problems.

My government envisions a full frontal attack on the problems that plague these communities. The neighbourhood renewal committees will be empowered to deal with a range of issues such as increased availability of people to provide literacy training, additional supports or a need for better lighting. If a greater police presence is required, my government will work with the city to find the resources to make this happen.

Our job, in consultation with the City of Winnipeg, will be to empower community leaders and residents and to redeploy the resources needed to get the job done. My ministers will consult with the City of Winnipeg and community leaders to determine all of the elements of the initiative, building on previous successes such as on west Broadway.

Another key social challenge facing Winnipeg is to provide for our urban aboriginal community to participate more fully in the opportunities the city has to offer. Today, there are more aboriginal residents in the city of Winnipeg than the entire population of the Northwest Territories before the creation of Nunavut. Manitoba’s aboriginal citizens want and need better opportunities, especially for young people, for training and jobs and for building better lives.

For some time, my government has engaged in extensive consultations on the development of co-operative, community-based strategies aimed at identifying practical, workable responses to the concerns of aboriginal residents, particularly in urban centres. Partners for Careers and other mentoring initiatives have already placed over 500 candidates in new positions. Those programs will serve as models for other new initiatives in the coming year. My government will also be announcing both an aboriginal education strategy and an aboriginal health strategy. Both of these strategies aim to improve the health and opportunities for success of aboriginal people in Manitoba.

The main goals of the aboriginal education strategy are to increase aboriginal graduation rates from high school and post-secondary institutions as well as increase their participation in training programs and in the workforce.

The health strategy will focus on immediate health problems plaguing aboriginal people like diabetes and will set out policies that aim at prevention, and the provision of better and more coordinated health services to our increasing aboriginal population in Manitoba.

Recently, the federal government has indicated its readiness to participate in these efforts. It is hoped that a major new agreement can be worked out to address these vital priorities without prejudice to our basic positions on fiduciary responsibility and other longstanding issues of jurisdiction.

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My government is also fully committed to supporting Winnipeg’s new mayor and council in their efforts to deal with the issue of high property taxes in the city of Winnipeg. Over the past 11 years, my government has provided financial support to the City of Winnipeg at levels that exceed the support provided by any other western province to their major city governments. It has also reduced the property levy charged by the province for the purpose of funding education while increasing the overall grants provided by the province to school boards. We are prepared to consider changes to provincial statutes to help give the City of Winnipeg the tools it needs to get on with the task of lowering overall taxation levels.

My government also appreciates the importance of sound relationships with the City of Winnipeg and the surrounding communities of the Capital Region. The Capital Region Review Panel has been engaged in extensive discussions with municipalities and the public, and my government looks forward to receiving the report and recommendations.

My government also remains committed to working with Brandon and Manitoba’s rural and northern communities to continue to find ways to make our rural economy flourish. As part of this process, my government is currently planning a second phase to our rural development strategy as a follow-up to its original strategy released in 1993. My government will consult with rural communities through vehicles such as the upcoming Rural Forum as it takes a renewed look at the factors influencing the quality of life in rural Manitoba, such as economic and educational opportunities.

In addition to the efforts outlined, my government will be taking a broader look at the health of our communities. In recent discussions with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, the Premier and some of my ministers discussed a round table to examine the issues facing lower income families with children. Today my government is announcing its intention to proceed with a round table on healthy communities to be led by the Premier. This round table will be held in conjunction with stakeholders who share the desire to improve the outlook for our most precious resource, our children.

My government also plans several initiatives to assist parents in coping with the risks to children that come with our newly wired world.

While the Internet has opened up opportunities for learning and exploration that were unimaginable only a decade ago, children today also have access to material which is violent or sexual in nature and intended solely for adults. There are also disturbing incidents of sexual predators gaining access to children through this medium even while children are in the apparent safety of their home.

Many parents are simply not equipped with the knowledge to be able to monitor or restrict the type of information exchanged over their home computers. This generational gap in the level of expertise in the use of the Internet has created a situation where children are exposed to a world that is completely foreign to that of their parents. To address this problem, my government will be introducing a program called NetSmarts to provide simple and straightforward approaches for parents to block or monitor what children can access over the Internet.

Many parents have provided a gift of a video game to their children only to discover it contained a level of violence far exceeding the standards of that family. My government will be introducing a bill to establish a rating system for video games similar to that which is used today for movies. Armed with this information, parents will be able to make better decisions about the entertainment to which their children are exposed.

The federal government has a key role to play in helping Manitoba meet many of our new challenges. A major step toward improving federal-provincial co-operation took place earlier this year when all First Ministers except the Premier of Quebec signed a new Social Union Framework Agreement to help guide the development and implementation of national social programs into the new millennium. This year, the federal government announced a partial restoration of financial support for social programs like health care that had been cut in previous budgets. While that support is helpful both in real and symbolic terms, the federal funding will still leave Ottawa as only a junior partner in the health field. In co-operation with the other provinces and territories, my ministers will continue to press their federal counterparts to show meaningful leadership by committing in a systematic way to making the federal government a full and fair partner in the financing of these programs.

My government will also work with other provinces and territories in helping the federal government establish priorities for the national agenda. A new national highways program must continue to be high on the list. Unlike other G-7 nations, Canada’s national government provides virtually no support outside Quebec and the Atlantic provinces for the construction and maintenance of our country’s most important highway links, despite their importance for trade and unity.

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Another priority must be the renewal of the National Infrastructure Program which proved so successful in making a start in meeting a growing infrastructure deficit across Canada, especially at the municipal level.

We will also press for improved support for aboriginal services, higher education, and expansion of the National Child Benefit as well as other initiatives for children. Specifically, we expect the federal government to do a far better job of providing for basic services like health and housing on aboriginal reserves. My government commits to working closely with Manitoba’s aboriginal community to raise the profile of this issue on the national agenda.

It has been suggested that the Government of Canada may not wish to renew the Winnipeg Development Agreement when it ends in March 2000. My government hopes to work with the City of Winnipeg to persuade Ottawa that a renewed agreement is essential for the economic future of our capital city and the inner city in particular. More meaningful federal support is also being sought in the wake of Ottawa’s decision to close the world-class nuclear research facility operated by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited at Pinawa.

In this session, my government will propose a series of bills regarding the elections laws of our province for the consideration of members. Among the most important will be revisions to The Elections Act and to The Elections Finances Act to reflect the recommendations of the recent Monnin report. This legislation will be placed before the House at the earliest opportunity. The Electoral Divisions Amendment Act will be presented for early approval in keeping with the tradition in our province of periodic electoral division reform. The co-operation of all members will ensure the early passage of this important and timely legislation.

A motion will also be introduced to amend the rules of the House to provide for the election of a Speaker by secret ballot commencing at the beginning of the next Legislature.

As I noted earlier, one of the biggest changes that has occurred in Manitoba over the past decade is a rebirth in our confidence and pride in our province. This new spirit has led us to many achievements but none more visible than the series of national and international events that we have or will be hosting.

A great deal of hard work, coupled with Manitobans’ unequalled community spirit, served our province very well once again when we hosted the best-ever World Junior Hockey Championships at the beginning of the year and another successful Grey Cup last fall. That same kind of effort and spirit earned our province the chance to host this summer’s Pan American Games. The Games will be a showcase for our province and our people. They will help us mark this millennium and the start of the next in the most appropriate way possible through an event that is aimed at fostering friendship and mutual respect with our partners throughout the hemisphere.

As we approach the end of the century, it is timely to formally recognize the outstanding excellence and achievements of individuals who have improved and sustained the well-being of our province such as those who have made these events a reality. Accordingly, my government will introduce The Order of Manitoba Act for approval. I am pleased to accept the offer to be Chancellor of the Order.

My government recognizes that we are at a critical junction. It recognizes the need for a sound plan and decisive action. The problems and challenges we face today will not disappear overnight. Building on our sound financial and economic foundations, we can set priorities and be prepared for problems we cannot foresee today, but my government’s current priorities are clear.

My government knows it must, and it will, foster the infrastructure needed for the new economy.

My government knows it must, and it will, continue to strengthen our education system and to provide parents with reliable information about their children’s schools.

My government knows it must, and it will, continue to improve our system of post-secondary education to make it affordable and relevant.

My government knows it must, and it will, ensure training is more available to those in the workforce who must upgrade their skills to meet the needs of our new economy.

My government knows it must, and it will, continue to make our health care system accessible and responsive.

My government knows it must, and it will, not only lower taxes, but make them fairer, simpler and more competitive, to ensure our children view Manitoba as the place they want to make their home.

My government knows it must, and it will, foster an expanding diversified economy, using the opportunities available through fair trade.

My government knows that it must, and it will, take action to make our neighbourhoods safe places to live, work and play.

My government knows it must, and it will, take action to help aboriginals play a greater role in our communities.

My government knows it must, and it will, introduce ways to protect our children from harmful influences that have arisen as a consequence of new technology and new forms of entertainment.

Manitoba must make a choice, a choice between confronting the new challenges that are emerging as we approach the millennium with policies that will move us forward, or denying those problems and slipping into a spiral of decline. As much as we are seeing success today, my government knows that to focus only on today will result in decline tomorrow.

My government is firmly committed to governing for our children’s future and is taking concrete steps to begin the process of meeting the new and emerging challenges facing Manitoba. It will not avoid difficult choices and it looks forward to working with Manitobans to bring about the changes needed to make Manitoba the best choice for our children as a place to live, work, invest and raise a family.

Later in the session, members will be asked to consider Estimates for the requirement for the public services of the province in this fiscal year, as well as the most recent Public Accounts.

Je vous laisse maintenant aux nombreuses tâches que vous allez être appelés à accomplir fidèlement. Que la divine Providence vous éclaire au cours des délibérations nécessaires à l'exécution de ces tâches.

I leave you now to the faithful performance of your many duties and trust that, in meeting them, you may benefit from the guidance of Divine Providence in all your deliberations.

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The Speaker proceeded to the Chair after His Honour retired from the House.

Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come. We are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O Merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy Will, that we may seek it with wisdom, know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly, for the Glory and Honour of Thy Name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.