Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, at committee we heard about the stress on ambulance staff in the city of Winnipeg, the tremendous pressure a number of people working in our ambulance services are under. Mr. Fotti has written the government about another potential safety and health concern in that the WHA is apparently now using stretcher car companies to transport patients. I would like to ask the minister: are stretcher car companies being utilized? I would like to ask the Premier: are stretcher car companies now being utilized to transport urgent patients in Winnipeg?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I am sure the Leader of the Opposition is aware that recently the City of Winnipeg indicated that they wanted to be out of the interfacility transfer within 90 days, the transfers between hospitals in Winnipeg and the transfers from the airport to hospitals in Winnipeg. The WHA has agreed to have discussions about that important issue with the City of Winnipeg in terms of how that can be done and the most effective means. Obviously, there are situations where ambulances are required to transport patients. There can also be situations where ambulances are not necessarily required, and there can be a more cost-effective way to provide that transport for the patient. So those discussions are ongoing right now between the WHA and the City of Winnipeg. I think a timeline of 90 days was set on those discussions, and we will wait for them to conclude.

Mr. Doer: Well, Madam Speaker, maybe we need less than seven vice-presidents of the WHA and more ambulances dealing with urgent patients in Winnipeg.

The definition of "urgent patients" is acute deterioration not anticipated but intervention may be required en route. Is the minister now saying or the Premier now agreeing that it is the government policy to allow urgent patients to be transported in Winnipeg by stretcher car companies, not by ambulances?

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, we are saying no such thing. In fact, one of the reasons given by the City of Winnipeg to want to enter these negotiations with the WHA is the whole issue that they believe that it can free up two ambulances from within their existing complement to provide the more urgent services to individuals in the city of Winnipeg. So the view of the city is certainly to provide additional resources for the urgent need by taking advantage of the opportunity to transport patients who do not require an ambulance-type vehicle or ambulance service to transfer between facilities or between the airport and facilities. So it is clearly being done with a view to enhancing the capacity and services of urgent requirements here in the city of Winnipeg

Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, the people on the front lines, Mr. Fotti has written the minister and indicated that stretcher car companies are transporting patients under urgent category. I would like to ask the minister: will he investigate this concern, and will he clearly state that it is absolutely unacceptable for stretcher car companies to transport urgent patients in Manitoba? Our loved ones deserve to have ambulance services and trained ambulance staff transporting urgent patients with the adequate training and equipment. I would ask the minister to take charge of this issue and ensure that that is happening at the community level.

Mr. Stefanson: I will do just that. I will look into this issue in further detail because the whole premise and basis of it is exactly what I have outlined in this House. The discussions between the City of Winnipeg and the WHA are on the basis of freeing up two ambulance units within the city of Winnipeg to meet urgent requirements in the city of Winnipeg and to transport patients between facilities and between the airport and facilities where a more cost-effective way can do it without in any way jeopardizing the safety or care for that patient. That is the fundamental principle behind any changes. Those changes have not taken place. That discussion is ongoing. I think a 90-day time frame was put on those negotiations between the City of Winnipeg and the WHA. But certainly the fundamental objective is where an ambulance is the most appropriate type of vehicle that should be providing services, that should be done. If it can be done where it is merely a transfer on a nonurgent or a non-emergent basis where there is no risk whatsoever to the patient, then I think we would all agree that we should be looking at doing that in the most cost-effective way possible.

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Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, it is very unfortunate in our health care system, when, at a public forum on Saturday attended by representatives from all three parties, a woman had to stand up and ask the representative of the Conservative Party what the government will do about vermin infestation at the rehab centre in the city of Winnipeg.

You know, it is unfortunate, Madam Speaker, we have millions of dollars for executives in regional health authorities; we have $500,000 for an advertising campaign, and a woman has to stand up at a public meeting and ask the minister what are you going to do about the vermin at the rehab centre. Now I understand that there has been exterminators there this morning as a result.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. Would the honourable member please pose his question.

Mr. Chomiak: My question to the minister is: why does it take months for people to get a response to an issue like this when the government has hundreds of thousands of dollars for advertising and millions of dollars for executives, but a woman has to stand up and go public with an issue like this, Madam Speaker?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I usually give the member for Kildonan more credit for doing some research, and I know he has been on the phone this morning. That is why I am surprised with the tone and nature of his question, because this issue, the issue of mice being discovered at the rehab centre at HSC, occurred over a month ago. It is, I am told, as a result of the construction that is taking place on the facility. In fact, it is related, I believe, to the construction for the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, some $47-million construction. Immediately the HSC took action. They called in exterminators on contract to deal with the issue. They have continued to work with the exterminators. I have been told that in the events of the last week there has been no evidence of mice of any nature. So, again, I am told it relates to the construction, the degree of activity taking place on the site, and immediately upon being made aware of it, I am told, the HSC took the appropriate steps to deal with the issue.

Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, how is it that after 11 years of Conservative government, our health facilities can deteriorate to such a state that we have to raise the issue of fruit flies in the operating room, a woman had to go to a public meeting to raise the high profile and get exterminators in today to deal with the issue of vermin at the Health Sciences Centre?

Will the minister not recognize the deteriorating conditions in our health care system and outline for us how they deal with these procedures so people do not have to have their loved ones experience what this woman's loved ones experienced?

Mr. Stefanson: Again, Madam Speaker, I have outlined for the member for Kildonan what I am told was the sequence of events. When it came to the attention of HSC, as a result of extensive construction that is taking place onsite, they took immediate action to deal with the situation. They called in exterminators. They are dealing with the situation; they are monitoring the situation. The reality is, unfortunately, in our climate in our province, whenever we have activities taking place in our homes, in our buildings, and so on, this is one of the risks that we all face, and we are all well aware of. But I am told that immediate action was taken to deal with the situation at HSC.

Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, I would like the minister to table in this House an outline for the members of this Legislature and the public, what the conditions are in the facilities in Winnipeg and around the province with respect to infestations. Will the minister not agree that it is, in fact, a result of the deterioration and the failure of this government to upgrade our facilities and the broken promises for the past 11 years?

Mr. Stefanson: Well, Madam Speaker, again, I usually give the member for Kildonan more credit for the research he does on an issue and his appreciation and understanding of why things happen. I have outlined for him on two occasions here this afternoon what happened in this particular case at the HSC as a result of significant–and I hear the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) suggesting rats and so on.

Again, it is typical desperation on their part to completely exaggerate, overstate, not come here with facts or whatever, even though I know the member for Kildonan this morning was provided with some information, was provided with some facts, again, to come to this House and try to scare people. That is classic time and time and time again. Those members opposite try to do just that. I say shame to them, shame.

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Mr. Chomiak: A point of order, Madam Speaker. The minister knows full well that it is against Beauchesne to impute motives to a member of this Legislature. I would like to remind the minister that it was we who raised the issue of Holiday Haven in this Chamber, and they denied it. We raised the issue of fruit flies, and they denied it.

To this very point, a woman was forced to stand up at a public forum and say why has nothing been done for months about vermin at the rehab centre, and the representative for the Conservative Party said that is an operational issue, that is an operational issue. So we said we would raise it on their behalf for the people of Manitoba, as we have done for 11 years.

I ask you to call the minister to order and not impute motives to members on this side of the House who have been right 99.9 percent of the time.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would remind all honourable members when stating a point of order, it is not a time for debate. It is a time to put what the violation of the rule is on the record.

The honourable Minister of Health, on the same point of order.

Mr. Stefanson: On the same point of order, Madam Speaker. I do not believe the member for Kildonan has a point of order whatsoever.

He is correct that this matter was raised, I am told, at a forum, a public forum on Saturday at which he was in attendance. I am also told this morning that he had discussions with officials, which he should be doing when an issue is brought to his attention. I would expect him to follow up on it and so on. Again, various information has been provided in terms of what is being done at Health Sciences Centre, and again that is the appropriate thing to do. But to come here and try to exaggerate a situation and start to make all kinds of accusations, that are not the case, from his Leader and others across is absolutely irresponsible.

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

Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): On the same point of order, Madam Speaker. In his comments on the point of order raised by the member for Kildonan, the Minister of Health reinforced, once again, the fact that his comments were unparliamentary when he said that the member for Kildonan was exaggerating.

The fact is that you have a situation where you have vermin in a medical facility, we have had fruit flies in operating rooms, we have raised these issues, and after 11 years for this Minister of Health to get up and accuse us of scaring people, I would say to this Minister of Health, what scares people is having rats and fruit flies in our medical facilities.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. On the point of order raised by the honourable member for Kildonan, I will indeed take the matter under advisement and report back to the Chamber.

Madam Speaker: [interjection] New question? The honourable member for Kildonan, with a new question.

Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Yes, Madam Speaker, it has just been brought to my attention, and I will ask the minister to confirm whether or not in fact the CEO of the Urban Shared Services has resigned.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, on May 28 a news release was put out by Urban Shared Services: Management Change Announced. It is a one-page release that I can certainly table here in this House today. I just have one copy, but: "Urban Shared Services Corporation today announced that Joe Sheil, Chief Executive Officer has tendered his resignation. He has agreed to continue in his present position until July 16, 1999 to provide the USSC Board of Directors time to implement the necessary transition and to incorporate changes that may be required." There is then a comment from the chair of the board. I will not read the entire release, but I will certainly table it here right now.

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Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, I wonder if the minister can use this opportunity and can advise this House whether or not the resignation of the chief officer only points to the fact that this entire episode is a failure on the part of the government, the whole frozen food initiative, and whether or not the government will use this opportunity to perhaps rethink the entire concept for the benefit of all Manitobans with respect to frozen food.

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, no, I do not agree with the preamble from the member opposite. I have tabled a copy of the release that outlines some of the rationale Mr. Sheil is moving on. I also have a copy of some additional correspondence from him. It was not a simple decision for him. However, for personal and career reasons, he feels that it is important to explore other opportunities.

In terms of dealing with all of the staff and the board, Mr. John Bulman, the chairman of the corporation, went on to say that in the weeks ahead it is important we work together to ensure USSC continues to move forward through a smooth transition and on to further development. Because the operation is already running smoothly, I do not foresee any operational problems in the near future.

So, again, we have a competent board in place. It is a board representing all nine hospitals plus citizen representation. I am sure that they will be moving forward to ultimately fill Mr. Sheil's very important position.

Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, my final supplementary to the minister: will the minister table in this House, given our experience with Connie Curran and other hiring fiascos of the government, the severance package and all that information related to Mr. Sheil, and his contract, because it is public money and we deserve to know?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Well, Madam Speaker, I will certainly look into that entire matter and return with as much information as I can. The member knows we are in Estimates process. We have been in Estimates process the last two weeks. I believe we will be back into it probably again today. We can certainly get into this issue in more detail, but I will look into that entire matter and provide as much information on the ultimate final settlement with Mr. Sheil as I can.

Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, on Thursday of last week the Premier of this province shamefully blamed his staff for failing to put out a press release in regard to a $100,000 grant to Western Opinion Research. There is a file box full of press releases put out during the time his staffperson was on maternity leave–hundreds of them. Will this Premier finally take responsibility for the fact that no press release was ever intended, and not blame his staff in front of the media? Shame.

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I know that the member opposite is hungry for any kind of publicity that he can get. He sits there in the back row languishing away. So–

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, Beauchesne 417, deal with the matter raised, and also a member's answer should not impute motives. The minister clearly is imputing motives. I am not hungry for press, I am hungry for justice.

Madam Speaker: The honourable First Minister, on the same point of order.

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I would not want to hurt the feelings of the member opposite, so if there was anything in what I said about languishing that imputed motives, I will withdraw that.

Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable First Minister, and that deals with the point of order.

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Madam Speaker: The honourable First Minister, to complete his response.

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, the member opposite knows that governments have to have terms and conditions for policies that apply to anybody who might apply for support. But what really irks the member opposite is the fact that we are creating jobs in this province, that jobs are being created because of the policies of this government. We have given similar forgivable loans to 14 different call centre operations in this province. Overall, the call centre industry has created over 8,000 jobs since 1990. I might say that the smallest amount of public support of all of those 14 operations was to Western Opinion Research. They are creating 78 jobs.

We are proud of our record of job creation. It is only the duke of despair over there who would complain about job creation, opportunity creation and a better economy for this province. Only the member for Crescentwood and his colleagues would continually try and paint it black.

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, only the Premier after apologizing earlier on in his question would again break our rules. It is not parliamentary to call someone by any name of that nature. Members should be called by their constituency names. I would ask the First Minister if maybe he can apologize one more time.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Thompson did indeed have a point of order. All members in this Chamber are honourable members. I would therefore ask that the honourable First Minister withdraw his comments.

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I would certainly withdraw the offensive comments.

Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable First Minister.

Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, I wonder if the Premier would confirm that Mr. Jules Benson was the head of Treasury Board at the time of this grant, and will he tell the House what the communication strategy required on the Treasury Board submission was?

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I do not have the Treasury Board submission, and I am not on Treasury Board, so I could not confirm either one of those assertions. The member opposite knows because I recall him coming to Treasury Board inadequately prepared, as he always was, and I remember him coming to Treasury Board in the days when he remained a politically appointed public servant from the New Democratic days, so he knows that the process is that the board makes the decision, not the secretary of Treasury Board.

Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, will the Premier simply table for this House a certified copy of the Treasury Board submission showing the communication strategy that was required for this grant? Simple question. Will he do it?

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, Orders-in-Council are public information. That is the basis on which he has the information that he has parlayed into all of these questions. Treasury Board submissions are not public information and so I am unable to–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Premier. According to the documents that I will table, the Manitoba NDP donated $3,200 to a campaign of a Nova Scotia NDP candidate, Errol Gaum.

Can the Premier indicate whether or not these types of political donations are illegal in Manitoba, given that 75 percent tax rebate is offered to Manitobans who donate money to political parties with the expectation that that money would be used in Manitoba?

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): I am not certain as to whether or not there is any breach of the law, but I am prepared to refer this to the Elections Manitoba people for review. Clearly this borders on ethical conduct that is questionable, given that the–

An Honourable Member: You are an expert on ethics, Gary.

Mr. Filmon: The New Democrats think it is funny, Madam Speaker, to take money that was legitimately donated to them in Manitoba, for which a tax receipt was obviously issued, and then to contribute it to an out-of-province campaign. I know that we do not have an Election Finances Act in Manitoba that covers municipal-level candidates, and they have been using the act to provide for municipal and federal coverage in the past. I know that the members opposite will use any loophole that they can for their purposes. I will refer the matter to Elections Manitoba.

Mr. Lamoureux: We in the Liberal Party do not believe that it is indeed appropriate, and we would ask the Premier to make it very clear if he believes this type of donation on the part of a political party is in fact appropriate.

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I do not find it appropriate, but I cannot say at this point whether or not it is legal. So that is why I will refer the matter to Elections Manitoba.

Mr. Lamoureux: Given the importance of perception, will the Premier bring forth legislation to assure Manitoba taxpayers are not subsidizing political activities in other provinces through the Manitoba political tax credit?

Mr. Filmon: That is an excellent suggestion. I will take the matter under advisement and determine what course of action is necessary in order to accomplish that.

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): My question is for the Premier. I want to table a letter from Mr. Clifford Kutzan, who is the reeve of the R.M. of Grandview. Mr. Kutzan and his council are dealing with problems in the Grandview area having to do with excessive amounts of moisture. Last fall the area received almost 40 inches of rain and another seven inches of rain this spring. Their land is saturated.

Can the Premier explain whether his government is prepared to extend the crop insurance deadline for the farmers in this area, in Grandview and Gilbert Plains, so that they can have a chance to put in their crops this year, and can he indicate whether he is prepared to waive the late seeding penalty?

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Subsequent to the flood on the Red River in 1997, Crop Insurance made available an opportunity for late seeding beyond the crop insurance deadline date. My understanding is that will provide up to 80 percent coverage for that circumstance. Obviously, our first preference is that the weather conditions change for the better and that all of the people get the opportunity to seed their crops and to harvest their crops this year. We believe that the farm producers would prefer that option too.

I remember very well in this House, back in 1997, when members opposite were talking about extension of those deadlines and urging all of those things. We had something like a half million acres at risk at that time in the Red River Valley. In the end, it was, I believe, less than 3,000 acres that did not get seeded. So our first preference, and I would think the first preference of the farm producers, would be to get that seeding done, and that is certainly what we are all hoping for.

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Madam Speaker, given that the first crop deadline is later this week and that some of these farmers are just getting on their fields today, can the First Minister indicate whether the AIDA process can be speeded up to help these farmers at Grandview and Gilbert Plains, farmers who are in a real bind this week?

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Enns), I know, was in touch with the federal officials after discussions last week that we had in cabinet. I understand that the federal Minister Vanclief was favourably disposed towards doing whatever he could to support our efforts to support our farmers here. Final details about all of these things are not able to be announced at the moment as the federal officials are going through the various possible opportunities that they have to address the situation.

I do know that I heard this morning the federal member of Parliament, Rick Borotsik, talking about his discussions with Minister Vanclief and Minister Goodale. There is a desire on the part of everybody concerned to exercise good will and to try and make available programs to support the farmers throughout the western part of our province and the southern part of our province, who are obviously having difficulty with extreme moisture conditions that are unusual, if not unprecedented, in recent times in the area. So we will certainly work co-operatively towards that goal.

As the member knows, this government, in anticipating that AIDA would not produce immediate payouts, brought in loans and loan guarantees to try and ensure that farmers did have money available to get seeding in this year. We obviously have a concern then about bridging over to next year if some of them end up not being able to seed at all, which of course nobody hopes for but is a possibility that is being faced by some, particularly in the southwest.

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Madam Speaker, will the Premier assure the House that along with contacting the councils and farmers in the southwest corner of the province, that councils in Gilbert Plains and Grandview will be contacted and notified of what this government is prepared to do to help these farmers who are facing a crunch this seeding time?

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, we are certainly open to discussions, consultations, with people involved. I am meeting with a number of rural municipal officials from the southwest corner tomorrow who called in today and asked for a meeting.

If he has any of his friends and colleagues from that area of Grandview and surrounding area that are looking for answers, then certainly I will make sure that the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Enns) and his staff are able to respond to them and give them as much information as we have available to us on any and all of these potential programs or responses.

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, neither past questions nor a private member's resolution have moved this Health minister nor any of his predecessors to open the much-awaited and much-announced central cervical cancer registry, despite the fact that each year 20 Manitoba women die from this highly treatable disease.

I would like to ask the Minister of Health today, who well knows the unhappy statistics, when or if he intends to initiate this lifesaving program.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Well, Madam Speaker, since the member last asked about this very important program, there have been ongoing discussions with the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation in terms of the implementation of the program. There have been some outstanding issues that still had to be addressed. I believe that all of the issues have now been addressed, and I would expect that we will be coming forward very, very shortly outlining this very important cervical cancer screening program for the province of Manitoba.

Ms. McGifford: Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the minister then if he could give us dates and places and if he could assure us that when the registry is indeed in place, if women from rural and northern Manitoba will have the opportunity to participate.

Mr. Stefanson: Well, again, I think the member should wait for all of the details which will be outlined as soon as the program is announced. Madam Speaker, I do want to indicate that we are very close to being able to come forward with all of the details of the program, I would hope as early as this week if everything can be put together for that. As I have indicated, there have been some outstanding issues that had to be addressed. Certainly one very important issue is the whole issue of personal privacy which I think we can all respect in this House. I believe the issues have now all been addressed and will be coming forward very shortly.

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Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, people in the Swan River area are very concerned with some of the plans of this government for the Swan River hospital facility. I would like to ask the Minister of Health: why does this government continue to insist that the community must pay 20 percent of the financing for the project when it is known that the problem is caused, in part, by the fact that this government cancelled renovation projects to the Swan River facility which could have helped to prevent the mould buildup problem that we have in the facility?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Well, to the best of my knowledge the member is wrong. In terms of reviewing department background, I cannot find any evidence of cancellation of programs for the Swan River hospital, in fact, quite the opposite. Over the last several years there have been hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on maintenance, on renovations for that facility, and again, as the member knows, the community contribution policy, of which there has been a policy in place of one type or another for many decades in Manitoba, does allow for the opportunity of a 10 percent contribution up front.

As the member knows, she was at a meeting that I was at a week ago Friday where we met with the hospital board, we met with the regional health authority, we met with many of the municipal leaders, we talked about the significant investment that the taxpayers of Manitoba are going to make in a temporary facility which will be covered 100 percent by the provincial government in Swan River. We talked about the state-of-the-art facility that is going to be built in Swan River, maintaining all of the existing health care services and probably expanding on some services like ambulatory care and so on, and we talked about the whole issue of the community contribution not in any way being an impediment, because there is a unique situation here.

We are prepared to start the project immediately, and we will continue to work with the communities on that issue as well. So, in terms of the meetings I had with municipal leaders, people on the health boards, the staff, the doctors, the nurses, and other staff, it was very well received by all of the people we came in contact with that day in Swan River.

Ms. Wowchuk: How can the minister say there was no cancellation of a project when there was an announcement where the previous, previous Minister of Health was in Swan River, unveiling a picture of all the renovations that were going to take place to the Swan River facility that were cancelled after the last election? How can you say there was no promise for renovations?

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, I will gladly send the member a summary of the many renovations that were done to the facility. Just to give her an example of a couple, there were major roof repairs, $184,000 just in April of 1997, a number of other initiatives with money being spent back in 1996, renovation and upgrades of $485,000. I have had the department go back in the records, and they have not come forward with any evidence of that. In speaking to members of the board, they did not point to anything either. As well, the board itself had a surplus position. They had trust funds set aside, and if they felt there was an important issue that needed to be addressed in terms of the well-being of that facility, they also had the opportunity, so again there was nothing to point to that shows there was any neglect on anybody's part. Unfortunately, mould can happen in our province and it did happen in this facility, but the important thing is we are taking immediate steps to put in place a $2-million to $2.5-million temporary facility, paid for by the government of Manitoba to commit to a state-of-the-art hospital facility that will serve Swan River and the entire region at a capital cost probably of $20 million, and we are taking the necessary steps to move forward in that community.

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Speaking of a temporary facility, Madam Speaker, can the minister tell this House why he has approved funding for only a 20-bed temporary facility that will serve the region for up to three years when he has been told by staff, by the doctors and other people on the board that they would require a 40-bed temporary facility to provide the services? Why are you cutting half the beds?

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The question has been put.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Well, Madam Speaker, I think what the member fails to either acknowledge or recognize, I hope it is just to acknowledge, I hope she recognizes that there have been extensive discussions with the hospital board, with the management of the hospital, with the board itself, with the regional health authority in terms of the kind of temporary facility that should be in place. It is not being done in isolation by the government of Manitoba. It is being done in co-operation with the community, with the people that are delivering the health care services in that community.

I did indicate that we would take one more look at that whole issue in terms of being sure that the temporary facility is of the right size, but I want to remind her that it is being done after extensive involvement from the people in the hospital, from the hospital board, from the regional health board and so on, who are having input into this important facility. The good news for the community is that we are moving forward immediately with that temporary facility, expected to be opened by the end of September of this year, and we are moving forward immediately, moving into design for a state-of-the-art new hospital to meet the needs not only of Swan River but the entire region.

Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, last month I asked the Justice minister to review the transcript of the decision of Judge Newcombe where he released Troy Baird on bail while facing charges of attempted murder, forcible confinement, uttering threats and suicide aiding. Mr. Baird was then charged within a few days of his release of sexually assaulting his wife causing bodily harm. I asked the minister to get back to me and get back to the House with his position because of the very disturbing views, in my opinion, that are found in that transcript. The minister has had several weeks, and I wonder–I have not heard back–has the minister now reviewed the transcript.

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Well, Madam Speaker, the matter of reviewing that particular transcript is a matter which my department is responsible for, and if there is any specific issue that the member would specifically want them to consider and then to advise me, I would certainly be prepared to do that.

Mr. Mackintosh: Madam Speaker, he could have just said no. I asked the minister a very, very serious question a number of weeks ago, one of the most serious issues I have come across in my experience here in this Legislature. I asked the minister to come back to either myself or to the House or both with his views of the judge's comments on that transcript, which in my view essentially was a blame-the-victim attitude. I ask the minister: would he please, now, finally, after all these weeks, look at the transcript, and I refer him particularly to page 47, and get back to me and this House and tell us what he is going to do and if he has concerns at all?

Mr. Toews: Madam Speaker, I know the member knows that I have concerns about that particular case. It is not quite as simple as the matter is put by the member. I certainly believe that this government has taken every appropriate step to ensure that victims are represented in the justice system, to ensure that their voices are heard in the justice system. I know that the member sometimes wants to have answers to questions before those answers can be properly given, but we will ensure that the matter is considered. If there is any additional information I can bring back to the House, I will.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): The events this past weekend with the forest fire in Cross Lake brought attention once again to the fact that there are many communities in northern Manitoba that still do not have all-weather road access or, in the case of Cross Lake, a bridge. In fact, the bridge has been subject to numerous arbitrations under the Northern Flood Agreement.

I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Energy and Mines whether, given the obvious events of the past weekend, he will be now prepared to reconsider the long-standing efforts of the people of Cross Lake First Nation to have a bridge constructed into their community, a bridge that is absolutely vital when you are dealing with lifesaving situations such as forest fires.

Hon. David Newman (Minister responsible for Native Affairs): Madam Speaker, pursuant to the already accomplished task of having 80 percent of the Northern Flood Agreement bands having settled, with respect to Cross Lake, there is a process underway at a working group level, and one of the items that is part of that process will be the all-season road, and in particular the Pipestone bridge.

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Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): I am wondering, in a further question to the Minister of Highways and Transportation, whether the minister will consider his position as minister and refusing to consider the efforts of other communities such as Thicket Portage for all-weather-road access, refusing to even consider it under the capital budget, whether indeed the Minister of Highways will now undertake a study of all the communities that do not have roads in northern Manitoba and make that a priority of the capital construction budget, giving road access to northern communities?

Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Highways and Transportation): The member for Thompson puts his question in a manner that leaves the impression that these are not issues that are under consideration by this administration. They are, and the difficulty, of course, is we have some $1.4 billion in possible road projects and requests for road projects, and we fund about $110 million a year annually in our capital budget. At the same time, the national government is levying some $147-million worth of gas taxes in this province and not putting one penny back into roads.

So those projects are important. There are many projects that are important. Canadians, I believe it is time to engage in that debate over the role of the national government who collects gas taxes into funding capital projects for roads to provide access ways that the member has referenced.

Mr. Ashton: A supplementary. Will the minister drop his position and state it in writing to residents of Thicket Portage, and once again look at the fact that people in communities such as Thicket Portage, Pikwitonei, Ilford, York Landing, many other communities throughout northern Manitoba, have no road access, and they should be included as part of the capital–they are equivalent to many of the areas of southern Manitoba where the minister's department has been repaving shoulders that are already paved. When are you going to get fairness for northerners on highways?

Mr. Praznik: One of the projects now that this department is working on is to provide all-weather-road access to communities on the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg to extend that road. That is a major project that would bring road access over a period of years to some 16,000 residents who today do not have that road access. So, yes, this ministry is engaged in those projects, but one has to appreciate again, as long as some $147 million a year is collected by the national government in gasoline taxes in this province, with zero dollars coming back, it will be very difficult to be able to take on all of those projects in the immediate future. They are projects I would like to see this province be able to engage in.

Madam Speaker: The time for Oral Questions has expired.