MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship): Madam Speaker, last evening I had the pleasure of attending the Fort Garry Legion No. 90 poppy trust fund ceremony. Each year the legion makes a donation to the hospitals in the community. The donations are a result of the sale of Remembrance Day poppies. Because of the out-standing support from the sale of the poppies, the legion was able to increase their donation to the hospitals.

This year, the Victoria General Hospital, the Riverview Health Centre, the Misericordia Health Centre and the joint hospitals each received $2,000 from the poppy trust fund. I would like to commend the Fort Garry Legion No. 90, their poppy trust fund committee who worked so hard to collect the dollars for this distribution, and I would like to commend them for their commitment and their dedication that they demonstrate towards the community. I would also like to thank them for their wonderful donations to the hospitals in our communities.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): The community of Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, was built around an operating mine, Ruttan. For over 25 years, this mining community has contributed millions of dollars of tax revenues to the provincial government. Despite this, the com-munity has largely been ignored by the Filmon government. It seems that for every dollar this government takes from us in the North, they only give us back a dime.

Early in May, at their annual general meeting, the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce gave unanimous approval to resolutions supporting mining communities in northern Manitoba. The Chamber noted that in many areas, and especially around the communities of Lynn Lake and Leaf Rapids, the geological information base is weak. The Chamber stressed that the province should give geological information high priority because such information is vital in attracting mining investment.

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The Chamber of Commerce has asked for the Premier to call and sponsor a conference on the mineral industry in this province. Major stakeholders should be brought together: exploration and mining firms, workers, the mayors of mining communities, banks, aboriginal leaders, and so on. Innovative ideas are needed, and an action plan needs to be developed to improve the state of mining in Manitoba. We need a proactive government. The Chamber of Commerce and northerners recognize the importance of mining to the provincial economy. They are aware of the current fragile state of mining and of depressed metal prices. This province has great mineral potential. Twelve thousand Manitobans are employed in the mining industry. It is time that the provincial government gave more than lip service to such an important industry.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Madam Speaker, I am issuing a challenge to all honourable members to join thousands of other Manitobans throughout the summer of 1999 and get active. I would like to remind all honourable members, instead of just talking about it, actually going out there and physically doing it and participating in these events.

Today is the start of the national SummerActive '99 campaign for healthy, active living. The campaign was launched in several communities across the province this past weekend, and A Taste of Activity, the kick-off event for Winnipeg, started a couple of hours ago on the south grounds of the Legislative Building. I know I and my colleagues enjoyed participating in these events. The festivities included demonstrations, displays and inter-active events for people of all ages and abilities. All were designed to show Manitobans how easy it is to get active and practise healthy, active living in their daily lives.

Madam Speaker, being healthy is much more than getting medical, vision and dental check-ups. Being healthy is also about active living. People can get active through just a few minutes of physical activity every day. Active living can improve quality of life and foster a great sense of community, and I am proud to say that across our province more and more Manitobans are realizing the value of taking part in one or more physically oriented activities and consciously striving for a healthy, active lifestyle.

Today, A Taste of Activity event is one of many to be held as part of our province-wide participation initiative for SummerActive '99. I would like to congratulate the more than 200 Manitoba communities that are taking part in this summer's events.

Madam Speaker, many people are involved in the SummerActive planning committee. They include staff from Culture, Heritage and Citizenship, the City of Winnipeg Community Services Department, the Manitoba Fitness Council, Sports Manitoba, Manitoba Society of Seniors, Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association, Manitoba Physical Education Supervisors Association, the Provincial Parks Branch, Manitoba Camping Association and Manitoba Recreational Trails Association.

Madam Speaker, I look forward to seeing all of us accept the activity challenge and hope that we will be enthusiastic participants in the SummerActive '99.

Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Madam Speaker, I also want to rise to congratulate the organizers of the events from the various community groups and agencies for the SummerActive program as it was launched today. There is an often referenced study, an Australian study that is being promoted by Sport Manitoba that has the startling statistic that if 40 percent of the population could be involved in regular physical activity, the net savings to that country's health care alone would be $6.5 million per day. That is a 1988 study.

We know though that the trends to reach those goals are moving in the opposite direction, that actually half of Canadians are obese, that the average child watches 6.5 hours of television per week. When we hear members opposite talk about acting and doing, we have to encourage them to actually put into place those policies as they affect all of Manitoba.

I think it is a little bit hypocritical of this government to put out materials with the smiling face of the Premier (Mr. Filmon) on it that say children need 30 minutes of physical activity every day to improve fitness and health, and then turn around and have a government that has reduced by half the time requirement for physical activity in our schools. So this govern-ment's record on physical education, on eliminating health education as a required course, is going to speak louder than their one-day event that we had at the Legislative Building today.

We know that there is a study that is being done at the University of Manitoba to show that indeed over 70 percent of students are not receiving at the Grades 1 and 2 level the curriculum requirements in Manitoba. We in the NDP want to see this reversed. We know the government has to make recreation and physical activity accessible. They have to stop allowing and encouraging school divisions to save money for technology by signing computer contracts with YNN. They have to start–

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honour-able member's time has expired.

The honourable member for Broadway. [interjection] Order, please. I would like to remind all honourable members, now that a question has been raised by the honourable member for Radisson (Ms. Cerilli), that there are two minutes for a member's statement at which time the member is supposed to be completely finished his or her statement, and I stand, give a signal, and ultimately when I start saying order, please, the mike is shut off.

All members are given a warning at one minute, 45 seconds, and I believe if I check with the Clerks, both the honourable member for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine) had two minutes and about 16, 17 seconds, as did the honourable member for Radisson when her mike was shut off.

The honourable member for Broadway.

Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker–

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Radisson, on a point of order.

Ms. Cerilli: Apologies to my colleague from Broadway, but I wanted to rise on a point of order to ask that you will review Hansard and ensure that the time that my microphone was shut off was the same as the time that the member opposite's microphone was shut off, and that his excessive statement was not recorded while mine was cut off. I hope that the fairness will be afforded to this House. Thank you.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Inkster, on the same point of order.

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): On the same point of order, Madam Speaker, I think we do not want to necessarily reflect on the table officers.

My understanding of what your indication was is that both individuals spoke for two minutes and 16 seconds when the mikes were actually cut off. That would seem to be an appropriate fairness for both sides. I would also caution all members that it is a two-minute member's statement, and we should all try, including myself, to ensure our comments are under that two minutes, as you have pointed out.

Madam Speaker: On the point of order raised by the honourable member for Radisson, the honourable member did not have a point of order. I have been further advised that I was wrong. Both members had in excess of two minutes and 25 seconds.

Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): I wish to make a statement on the Seniors Month in Manitoba. The incoming month of June is designated as the Seniors Month in this province. This annual event, celebrating the accomplishment of our senior citizens, was initiated by the NDP government. Because it has proved successful, the current government has continued the same.

There is no doubt that, due to toil, sweat and labour, our senior citizens have built up this province. We enjoy today the fruits of their labour. Since the year 1999 has been designated as the International Year of the Older Person, it is fitting and proper that all the more the month of June should enjoy a special significance this year. Recognizing and honouring the contribution of our senior citizens contributes to the link between the younger and the older generations in our community. The elders in our province deserve the special treatment of respect and deference. This range of events concerning seniors and their special activities include special barbecues, dinners, teas, social evenings and other activities.

The honourable Minister responsible for the Seniors Directorate (Mr. Reimer) and I as Seniors critic invite all the members of this Assembly and recommend to them to attend some of these events commemorating the activities of our senior citizens. Thank you.