MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Madam Speaker, for the last four years I have been actively involved in addressing the issue of sexual exploitation of children in Manitoba. I know the importance of helping prostitutes leave the streets. I am pleased our government is working towards this goal with a new pilot project supported through the Justice Initiatives Fund. The province will contribute more than $146,000 to the transition program for adults sexually exploited through prostitution programs. To be run by New Directions, the program will provide a one-year transitional program for 15 adult sex-trade workers. The objectives of the program include assisting participants with job searches and accessing further education, decreasing practices related to street involvement, developing better living conditions, increasing attention to personal health and self care, and reconnecting aboriginal participants with their culture.

Collaboration with agencies and organizations is an important part of this project. It was proposed by the Prostitution Diversion Group, which includes New Directions, Probation Services, the Winnipeg Police Service, the Public Prosecutions Branch, the Salvation Army, Training and Employment Resources for Females, Street Connections and individuals currently working as prostitutes. New Directions will work with the Children and Youth Secretariat, Prostitution Diversion Group, Winnipeg Gang Coalition for Healthy Communities, Coalition of Drop-In Centres, Solutions to Overcome Poverty, Community United for Change, and other organizations.

This program provides us with a positive way to enhance public safety and the well-being of the prostitutes while improving the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, the waiting lists for radiation treatment have been among the longest in the country for the last five years. While the Filmon government has more than $675,000 to spend on promoting their misguided health policies, they have spent little time or attention on this serious health issue. The cobalt unit used to treat cancer patients at St. Boniface Hospital is being shut down from July 5 until the end of August. As a direct result, as many as 10 patients a day will be denied treatment for this period, making waiting lists even longer. I can only imagine the anxiety and stress not only for the patient who is waiting for the treatment but also for the friends and families of those waiting.

One such patient is a resident of Flin Flon, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February and has been told it might be October or later before he gets treatment. His cancer is spreading aggressively. He has already had a very serious operation. He needs radiation treatment right now, not a quarter of a year or half a year from now. This is an appalling situation which needs attention. Sadly, in this case and many others, the patients and families are forced to look to other provinces for treatment. We have asked the Health minister (Mr. Stefanson) to cancel the promotional advertising and use that money to recruit radiation therapists. We hope the government takes this request seriously and finally makes radiation therapy a priority. For the sake of my constituent who agonized every single day over these treatment delays and for the sake of all those other Manitobans on waiting lists, I sincerely hope the minister will act swiftly to remedy this unacceptable situation. Thank you.

Mr. Ben Sveinson (La Verendrye): Madam Speaker, Manitoba proved one of the country's more popular tourist destinations last year according to the recent figures from Statistics Canada. Total 1998 domestic travel, which includes other Canadians travelling to Manitoba as well as Manitobans travelling within the province, rose 16 percent to 6.19 million visits from 5.2 million in 1997. Domestic tourism expenditures in the province rose 19.7 percent to 769.2 million in 1998, up from 642.6 million in 1997.

The province's popularity as a vacation spot continues to increase with Canadians as well as Americans. Our province's many festivals and events, along with a broad variety of outdoor adventures, are important drawing cards for tourists. Manitoba has some of the best sports, arts, recreation facilities and natural beauty in the world, and when we add special events like this summer's Pan Am Games, the province's tourism appeal as a vacation spot is irresistible.

An estimated 100,000 visitors are expected in the province to attend Pan Am Games, many of whom will take in several other Manitoba tourist attractions during their visit. Tourism is one of Manitoba's more successful industries, providing employment for more than 52,000 people and generating more than 1 billion in annual revenue. Much of the economic well-being of Manitoba depends on this industry being healthy.

I would like to wish all the province's tourism operators continued success as we head into the busy summer travel season. Thank you for so capably showcasing our province's cultural, recreational and sporting opportunities to the world and for making our province even stronger. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): Madam Speaker, the manner in which this government deals with the problems with the provincial interactive television system is symbolic really of the way northern Manitoba is often treated. The $700,000 ITV system at The Pas and Flin Flon schools did not work half the time, forcing students and staff to use telephones and faxes instead. Many call this frustrating experience a correspondence system and not a high-technology, leading-edge system.

In May the system was down for some three weeks at MBCI at The Pas and Hapnot Collegiate in Flin Flon and up for just two days. The provincial government for some four years heavily promoted the ITV system before it finally began operating last year in any Manitoba schools. This past semester it worked for half the time at Flin Flon and The Pas centres, costing the schools extra costs. Frontier School Division, Kelsey School Division and the Flin Flon School Division all had signed up for the program.

One major problem has been the fact that the equipment, parts and service all come from outside the North, delaying repairs when problems do occur. We hope that the commitment to train and employ a representative based in the North is acted on shortly. Provincial Education department officials say that the problems with the system are being worked out and this fall the system will work much better. Given the long-term potential of such systems, we hope the performance does indeed improve. For northern students graduating this month, the system was a frustrating experience.

The Minister of Education (Mr. McCrae) should review this program to see whether some of the schools should get their money back. Thank you.

Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Manitoba Society of Seniors who recently completed the very successful Seniors Games in Carman. I want to pay particular tribute to this organization because I think it exemplifies the strong traditions of Manitoba's voluntary organizations that combines extremely strong advocacy. For example, the Manitoba Society of Seniors with other seniors groups across the country led the fight to defeat Finance Minister Martin's attempts to take away seniors benefits, to legislate seniors pensions out of existence over time. They won that fight in concert with many other organizations.

They pressed and were successful in getting full, open and public hearings on the Centra Gas acquisition. At the same time, as seniors, they know how to play, to have fun. They recognize the great skills that seniors bring to our society and encourage their active involvement in every element of our society.

So I want to pay tribute to them and in particular recognize those of the Fort Rouge city centre branch of the seniors' association who today held their annual meeting at the Hudson's Bay store, on the sixth floor there, had a very good program and elected a new slate of officers. I know that they will continue the strong tradition of representing both the fun and the involvement that we all have with our seniors as well as the strong advocacy and strong stand of principles on issues that affect not just seniors but all of us in our society. So I commend the Manitoba Society of Seniors for both their activism and their great spirit of fun.

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