Health Care System

Private Clinics

Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, my question is to the First Minister.

The deadline posed by the federal government of October 15 to deal with the so-called two-tiered health care system is approaching. Apparently two provinces are refusing to move at all on their position of allowing for the provision of private health care clinics or private fees for health care services within the public health care system, which could, according to the federal government, put in jeopardy some $400,000 in transfer payments to the Province of Manitoba.

The Province of British Columbia has just agreed to ban all private clinics and provisions of health care services. We think that is a good announcement in terms of the Province of British Columbia, good for the health of infants and all of us.

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Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Adults have a worse reaction.

Mr. Doer: We try to get any reaction from you, Madam Speaker. If we get you standing up once we will be happy. We got more answers from the--however, I will continue to ask my question.

I would like to know from the Premier, is he going to maintain the position of allowing for a two-tier health care system or is he going to move in a similar way to the province of British Columbia?

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).

Mr. Doer: The Premier is the Minister of Federal-Provincial Relations. He is the Premier who represented us at the Premiers' Conference, where strong statements were made, and this issue was on the agenda.

The people of Manitoba do not like a system of health care where Matt Dunigan gets his examination taking place within a few hours because he has money through the football team and other people have to wait weeks and weeks and weeks.

I would like to ask the Premier, as Minister responsible for Federal-Provincial Relations, will we be negotiating with Ottawa? Will we be taking a cutback of some $400,000? Or will we do as British Columbia has done and ban the private clinics and deal in a one-tier health care system with Ottawa?

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, one of the major areas of beneficiaries of that particular scheme that the member refers to in terms of Matt Dunigan is that some of the unions in Manitoba, who, through their unionized workforce agreements, get exactly the same kind of access to the use of CAT scans and MRIs when they are not in use under a private health insurance scheme that has been awarded as part of a union agreement.

They get precisely the same kind of access as Matt Dunigan did. So he ought not try and make this some sort of class struggle.

The second part of the question, I say to him that the negotiations and the discussions with respect to this issue did not take place at the First Ministers' table. They took place at the table of the ministers of Health of Canada.

I will take that as notice on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).

Mr. Doer: We on this side are opposed to a two-tiered health care system, to lineups for anybody--union, nonunion, Matt Dunigan, non-Matt Dunigan.

We believe in one publicly funded health care system with equal accessibility for all our citizens. That is what we believe in.

I would like to ask the Premier, in light of the fact that presumably the Minister of Health answers to the Premier and answers to cabinet and presumably the Premier is on top of these issues of federal-provincial relations, can he tell the people of Manitoba, what is our position going to be on the October 15 deadline? Are we going to lose $400,000, which is equal to the amount of money we put into dealing with the waiting list prior to the election?

On March 7, Madam Speaker, we put $500,000 in to deal with the waiting list. Surely we cannot lose $400,000 out of our health care system and not affect the quality of care to patients in an already squeezed system.

Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I will take that as notice as well on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).

Health Care System

Emergency Services

Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, I have before me a document that has come from the Department of Health that ought to be of concern to all members of this Chamber. It concerns the procedures that have been adopted at community hospitals since the government unilaterally closed the community hospital wards at night.

This protocol indicates that there ought to be a designated person at each hospital that is going to tell patients who come in from 10 to eight at night that it is closed, however, giving them alternatives, like to go to doctors' offices or community clinics that are also closed, of course, during those hours, and I quote: If the person is unable to transport themselves to the Health Sciences Centre or St. Boniface Hospital or is too ill or requires immediate attention, the patient should be given immediate attention and an ambulance called for transport to Health Sciences Centre or St. Boniface General Hospital.

Madam Speaker, putting aside the stupidity of this particular policy, can the Premier explain to me whether or not that designated person at the community hospital will be an emergency doctor? If they are an emergency doctor, why are you closing the wards and, if not, how can they provide those immediate services to people requiring that?

Hon. Leonard Derkach (Acting Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).

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Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, my supplementary is, how will people be diverted to doctors' offices or to community health centres that are closed during those hours and in fact direct people to emergency wards? How will people be diverted when in fact there is supposed to be a designated person at the community hospital that allocates where these people are supposed to go? Is that not the most inane and stupid policy that has--

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Derkach: Madam Speaker, without accepting any of the preamble of that question, I will take that question, the technical aspects of that question, as notice for the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).

Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, my final supplementary is to the Premier.

Can the Premier explain how he allowed his Minister of Health and his cabinet to close emergency wards, put in place inoperable and ridiculous policies at the community hospitals, and no one, the Premier, the minister responsible, has any explanation for how these services are going to work?

How can you subject the people of Manitoba to potential harm and serious health risk and still call yourself someone who is going to protect health care? How can the Premier do that?

Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice on behalf of the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae).

Department of Natural Resources

Staff Biologist Transfer

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, the people of the Swan River area have been very concerned with the changes that will come about with respect to increased logging, in particular to the effect on the wildlife and their habitat. The residents have been very appreciative of the work done by the wildlife biologist, who has been very progressive and outspoken on what steps should be taken to protect wildlife.

I want to ask the Minister of Natural Resources (Mr. Driedger) why this biologist is being transferred from the Swan River area and whether he will intervene and reverse the decision, as has been requested by the many people of the Swan River area.

Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, I have approximately 1,500 people that are working in the Department of Natural Resources on a full-time basis, and I allow the process of the running of the departmental staff basically is done by my deputy minister. I do not personally get involved in every position that is being dealt with out there. If there is a matter of major concern related to this one, I will check into it.

Ms. Wowchuk: I want to ask the minister, since people have called his office about this transfer, if this biologist is being transferred from Swan River because he has recognized that clear-cutting harvest of hardwoods will have a negative impact on many birds in the area and has expressed these concerns and has made recommendations to retain wildlife habitat that has been objected to by the people who are doing the clear-cutting.

Is he bending to the people who are doing the work or is he listening to the people of the area and standing up for wildlife habitat?

Mr. Driedger: Madam Speaker, I find it sort of interesting, the questions or the angle that the member is coming at from this thing, because I would have thought the location of Louisiana-Pacific out in the Swan Valley and the jobs that are being created out there would be a plus that everybody recognizes; certainly that member should.

In terms of clear-cutting, I would suggest that the member maybe avail herself of the information that is being brought forward by Louisiana-Pacific when they basically file their 10-year operational program. They have to do that. There is an environmental process that will have to be gone through. They have to file these things. They are gone through, and one individual in my department does not have a bearing on that. It is done on a much bigger scale than that, Madam Speaker.

Forestry Industry

Wildlife Protection

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Since the minister mentioned Louisiana-Pacific, I want to tell him that we are appreciative of the jobs, but we also want sustainable development. We want sustainability right through, and we have said that.

I want to ask this minister when we are going to see some guidelines that will protect the wildlife habitat and see a sustainable harvest as we have seen in British Columbia.

When is this government going to start to be progressive and put forward some sustainable guidelines to protect wildlife?

Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, that is what the whole plan is all about. That is why they have to file a working plan, a 10-year plan, a 20-year plan, which basically addresses the sustainability of the forest resource, addresses the sustainability of the wildlife resource, addresses the sustainability of the fish resource.

That is what this whole program is all about, and that is why we do not carte blanche issue licences. The Minister of Environment (Mr. Cummings) goes through a very extensive process before a licence is issued for these purposes, addressing these specific concerns.

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Youth Crime Intervention Team

Gang Surveillance Strategy

Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): My question is for the Minister of Justice.

We have asked the Minister of Justice to explain the three councils on crime that she goes around talking about that do not exist, Casper's councils. Let us see. There was the provincial council on youth crime, there was the youth advisory council and there was the Crime Prevention Council. Well, over a year and a half ago the minister also promised increased surveillance of gang members through what she called the Youth Crime Intervention Team, comprised of police, Prosecutions, Corrections and child welfare officials, a concept we support.

Madam Speaker, in response to a question in May of '94 asking whether a strategy was in place, the minister said, certainly the strategy is developed at this point.

I want the minister to now confirm information given to me by her department that, while city police estimate the number of gang members in the city has skyrocketed from 400 to 900 and while we have become the street-crime capital of Canada, there has been absolutely no interagency surveillance by this team.

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, this government has taken a very comprehensive view and action plan in the area of youth crime as we have also in the area of property crime, as we also have in the area of violent crime.

In the area of youth crime, one of the strategies is a surveillance team approach. The importance of that approach is the sharing of information among individuals who may have that information, individuals from Education, from Prosecutions, from Justice, from the City of Winnipeg Police, and that is operative.

Madam Speaker, the member in this Chamber very often would like me to speak very specifically about security issues and about issues on the gathering of information. That simply would not be helpful to the cause.

Mr. Mackintosh: A very simple question to the minister: Would she confirm, a year and a half later, that this team has no surveillance strategy, it is not even on their agenda, they do not plan to do it?

The only thing under surveillance is the groups' agendas and minutes.

Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, I totally reject what the member is attempting to put on the record.

Let me again tell you that there is a process of information sharing. We have found that the process of information sharing, as it can be shared among professionals, and I understand that there are limits in doing so, that certainly is a very--[interjection]

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Justice, to quickly complete her response.

Mrs. Vodrey: Apart from the increased surveillance, which of course is operative, there are additional action plans, which go even far beyond the nine-point plan, which are in place.

Very specifically, we are looking at the addition of more police officers on the street, additional police officers operating with the RCMP as well.

Mr. Mackintosh: My question to the minister: Who are Manitobans to believe, members of her department and members of the so-called team, or this minister?

Will she now confirm, there is no surveillance strategy, there is no surveillance by this team? Why was the person that I contacted not even--never even heard of this team?

Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, of course the member does not have the courage to say who he contacted. How can I confirm?

Let me, however, assure the people of Manitoba that the initiatives of the nine-point plan are ongoing and have in fact been increased.

I have spoken additionally about initiatives that we have had relating to The Highway Traffic Act and the success that we have had in dealing with people involved in auto theft and auto vandalism.

The latest statistics that I have are that there are at least 20 young people who are not yet able to have a licence who will not be able to get that licence when they turn 16.

The training programs that are in place to work within the community to deal with peer mediation, I go back to the greater number of police officers which are on the street, and I go back to the legislation which governs the behaviour of young people, that is, the Young Offenders Act, and the very strong position that this government takes and continues to take to ask for the strengthening of the Young Offenders Act.

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Desjardins Report

Completion Deadline

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Lotteries.

Prior to our most recent provincial election, due to a tremendous amount of public pressure, this government came out with the Lottery Policy Review Committee. At the time, the Minister responsible for Lotteries made a commitment that there would be a report back October 1.

When I posed the question to the current Minister of Lotteries, his response to me was that he had indicated--he being Mr. Desjardins--to this particular minister that they might be slightly late from the October 1 deadline but not very significantly.

Madam Speaker, our research office, with our limited resources, did check with the gambling committee, and we have found out that in fact it is going to be considerably late. In fact, it could be as late as the end of December.

I am wondering if the Minister of Lotteries can indicate to this House why this report is not coming down in October for us. Was there a request for--

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

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for that question. I did intend to get back to him after he asked that previous question in the House.

Upon checking with the chair of the commission, Mr. Larry Desjardins, and their office, December 15 is the date that they now expect to complete the report.

Our objective and our direction to them throughout the whole process has been to do a complete and comprehensive report in terms of all aspects, addressing both the social and economic impacts of gaming here in Manitoba, including consultation with the public. That is the time they have indicated they require to give it the kind of comprehensive report that we all want to see on this very important issue.

Mr. Lamoureux: Can the minister responsible for Lotteries assure this House that then, come December 15, that will become a public document?

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, I expect, like many reports, that upon receipt it will be reviewed initially. I would anticipate that ultimately, yes, it will become a public document, that it will be a very important document for helping to form the policy and future direction of gaming here in Manitoba but, in terms of the timing of the release and so on, if the member is looking for a definitive date today in terms of that release, I cannot provide him with that.

Obviously, we will go through the report in a great deal of detail upon receipt and deal with the ultimate release and public dealing of the report subsequent to that.

Standing Committee Review

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, given the timing of the release of this report, my question to the minister is: Would the minister make a commitment to allow this report and the author of the report to come before a standing committee so that there can be a thorough discussion and debate on the report itself? Will he recommend that?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act): I ultimately expect a full and complete discussion of the report here in this Chamber, probably at committees of the Legislature, amongst the public, other organizations and so on, but, in terms of the specific question, those are usually matters left to the House leaders to discuss in terms of the timing of our committees and so on.

I will certainly leave those decisions in those very capable hands, Madam Speaker.

Winnipeg Jets

Operating Losses

Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Last week, in the House, the Minister of Finance gave Manitobans assurances that they were fully protected in the signing of the $17-million man. The minister knows, Madam Speaker, that $17-million men hire armies of accountants to make sure that they do not pay taxes. That is obviously a concern about all professional salaries.

If the minister is so sure that Manitobans are protected from the effects of this salary in the first year, will he table the signed agreement with Messrs. Burke and Gluckstern to their commitment to picking up this salary?

Will he table this agreement of which he was so certain when he spoke last week?

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Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, the member for Crescentwood has this obsession with agreements and signed agreements and so on.

Our discussions on this issue have been with the current majority owners of the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club. We have also had some discussions with the prospective owners. The assurances that we require have been received from the current majority owners. Obviously, we have a series of issues that we have to deal with them on. This is certainly one of them.

They have indicated to us the financial impact in terms of the 1995-96 budget and what it ultimately relates to in terms of the costs that are applied to the operations that are covered by the city of Winnipeg taxpayers and the Province of Manitoba.

I am confident, as I outlined very clearly in this House last week, that that contract will be spread over the five-year term of the contract, in fact, that the one-fifth for the upcoming season will in fact be reduced by equalization payments received by the Winnipeg Jets from a sharing of foreign currency.

Again, we have those assurances from the current owners and the prospective owners, and I have no reason to doubt whatsoever that that is how the situation will unfold.

Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, will the minister then confirm that in fact there is no agreement to purchase the Jets, that there is no protection for Manitobans from the $17-million man's salary in the first year, that we are exposed to yet another year of losses potentially and that these so-called agreements and commitments are nothing but a mirage, there is no agreement in place at all?

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, I will admit to no such thing.

I have outlined here in this House how the issue of that particular contract will be dealt with. Negotiations are taking place right now with prospective owners. Members in this House have heard the comments of the current majority owners, that it appears as though a final agreement will be reached very shortly, and certainly all the information we have been provided in discussions we have been a part of would confirm that fact.

I am very confident, as I have already outlined in terms of the impact of this particular contract and the fact, as members know full well, that the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club have to function in the bottom one-third of the operations of the NHL and that at the end of the interim agreement here in Manitoba our Treasury will be ahead by some $8 million, as a result of that agreement, from taxes exceeding our share of losses and that when the team is ultimately sold, Madam Speaker--[interjection]

The Leader of the Opposition continues to chirp from his seat. He has been opposed to trying to save the Jets from Day One. We know that, Manitobans know that, and he should be embarrassed by that, but that--

Point of Order

Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): A point of order, Madam Speaker, I am opposed to the Filmon government supporting a $17-million contract with taxpayers' money, and he should be embarrassed.

Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the official opposition does not have a point of order.

* * *

Mr. Sale: Madam Speaker, will the Minister of Finance confirm that the calculations on which he bases his $8-million net revenue figure are in fact simply averages that would be derived from averaging salaries of people if they were fully exposed to taxation and are not in fact based on case-by-case, player-by-player salary contracts, that this individual data does not exist, his estimates are simply estimates based on a back-of-an-envelope calculation?

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, again the Leader of the Opposition was incorrect and did not listen to my answer to the previous supplementary question in terms of how the $17-million contract with Keith Tkachuk will be handled.

So, as usual, on this issue, he does not listen to the answers, and he only comes with a view of not trying to find solutions, which has been a consistent pattern in terms of dealing with the Winnipeg Jets.

In terms of the specific question of the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale), we have had the input of the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics; we have had the input of members of our Taxation Division. I have an awful lot--

Madam Speaker: Order, please. Unless my hearing is failing me, it is coming from all sides of the House this morning. The honourable Minister of Finance, to quickly complete his response.

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Mr. Stefanson: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was going to conclude by saying that I, and I believe all Manitobans, have an awful lot more confidence in the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics and our Taxation Division than the calculations which have consistently been inaccurate from the member for Crescentwood.

Environmental Levy

Beverage Containers

Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Thank you, Madam Speaker, for calling the members to order, all members to order.

My questions are for the Minister of Environment (Mr. Cummings).

Since January 1, this government has been collecting an environmental tax on beverage containers. It has been estimated that they receive over $400,000 per month collected from residents of Manitoba through this environmental levy program.

My question is to the minister. Where has this money that has been collected from the citizens of Winnipeg been spent here in the city?

Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister of Environment): Well, to be specific, there would probably be about $800,000 that will be eligible to be received by recyclers in the city in the present and near future.

Mr. Dewar: My supplementary question to the same minister: Why did this minister agree to create a situation where 30 percent of the residents of the city of Winnipeg pay this levy without receiving any services in return for the taxes that they contribute?

Mr. Cummings: Madam Speaker, I think we should go back to what the fundamental tenet of this recycling program is, and that is, the fund is there to backstop curbside collection that will be established by municipal authorities.

The City of Winnipeg chose to begin with the single-family dwellings, but I in fact agree with the member that they should proceed as quickly as possible to extend the service to the multifamily dwellings and all citizens of the city because, as soon as that is done, 75 percent and as high as 80 percent of the householders in this province will have access to curbside and readily available recycling capabilities.

That is the objective and, as soon as the municipalities are able to put that program in place, we will achieve it.

Mr. Dewar: My final question: When will this minister collect the over $863,000 in fines referred to in the Provincial Auditor's Report from soft drink companies that fail to meet their waste reduction targets?

Mr. Cummings: Madam Speaker, that number has been an issue for some considerable length of time, as the member has rightly pointed out.

During the setup process, which has taken about two years in this province to achieve the position that we are now in, which is a national leader in terms of a multimaterial collection system with a stewardship model that is in fact being mirrored and copied by many other jurisdictions, based on the first year of start-up that is now occurring, those dollars were eligible to be charged as a fine if in fact the corporations responsible for the production of those products did not work towards a viable, provable numbers recycling program.

They have worked towards that, but we still have not reached a final determination on what or how much of that money may in fact be waived.

Housing Starts

Provincial Comparisons

Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Finance.

In the first nine months of this year, urban housing starts have declined 30 percent from the same period last year. In September urban housing starts dropped 39 percent from last December while nationally housing starts have risen. We will be fortunate to reach 1,100 or 1,200 units for 1995, which is only a small fraction of where Manitoba used to be in the mid-'80s when we were around 6,000 or 7,000 units per year.

My question to the Minister of Finance is, can the minister explain why Manitoba's housing industry is in such poor shape?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, in terms of our analysis of housing starts right here in Manitoba and across Canada, there is a consistent pattern of housing starts being down across Canada, in part because of the interest rate spikes that we have seen in the last several months with some uncertainty around various situations facing our country. So it is not something unique to Manitoba.

I want to remind the honourable member that for the last three and a half years, in terms of housing starts here in Manitoba, we have consistently outperformed the national average each and every year during that period of time. Again, we are projecting and expecting to exceed the national average next year.

So, on an overall basis, Manitoba's housing start performance compares very well across Canada.

I certainly encourage the member to ask me other economic questions about other economic indicators facing Manitoba. He has chosen one.

There are about 15 others, and I hope he asks me some questions about jobs and retail sales and so on, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Leonard Evans: Will the minister acknowledge that this decline in new urban housing starts results from a deterioration of affordability caused by lower household incomes, as observed by the Royal Bank in one of its recent Econoscope reports?

I note that in the first half of 1995 the inflation rate in Manitoba was double the rate of wage increase and, therefore, real incomes have been dropping.

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, I do not accept that for a minute.

Again, even in terms of the decline here in Manitoba in terms of housing starts, our performance is still better than the national performance right across Canada. I am pointing out to the member that it is a national situation in terms of decline in housing starts, and I want to remind the honourable member, and I will certainly provide him with all of the details, in terms of how well Manitoba has performed in terms of after-tax disposable income increases. I believe we led the nation in 1994, are projected to be in the top two in 1995 and, again, amongst the top few provinces in 1996.

So our performance here in Manitoba, by not increasing personal income taxes, by not increasing retail sales tax, has allowed for the opportunity to leave more tax dollars in the pockets of Manitobans, because we believe they know best how to spend those dollars.

Mr. Leonard Evans: Will the minister have his research staff study this situation and verify that declining real incomes are a major cause for the decline in new residential construction in the past several years? Specifically, can you determine that the inflation has exceeded wage increases since 1990?

Mr. Stefanson: No, Madam Speaker, I will not have my officials undertake that kind of review.

Again, it appears as though the member has not listened to the answers to the first two questions that he asked. I pointed out to him what the situation--[interjection]

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Finance, to complete his response.

Mr. Stefanson: I pointed out to him very clearly in terms of how we compare across Canada. Even though this is a poor year for housing starts, we are performing better than the Canadian national average. We outperformed the Canadian national average for the last three and a half years. We are projected to outperform it again next year.

When you look at the economic indicators that most economists use, Manitoba is either leading the nation or is in the top two provinces in virtually every economic indicator: in terms of jobs created, 14,000 more jobs in Manitoba year to date; retail sales up 5.3 percent, the second-best growth rate in all of Canada; our exports to the United States and other parts of the world leading the nation.

So, in terms of the economic performance, the opportunities for Manitobans and dollars being left in the pockets of Manitobans, this province is leading all of Canada.

Pukatawagan, Manitoba

Housing Shortage

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, my first question is for the Minister of Health, but, in his absence, I would like to address the question to the Premier.

Madam Speaker: I would remind the honourable member for Flin Flon that he is not to make reference to the attendance or absence of any member in the Chamber.

Mr. Jennissen: My apologies, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable member for Flin Flon.

Mr. Jennissen: A year ago our caucus asked the Minister of Health to send the Chief Medical Officer to investigate the water situation at Pukatawagan. That was done, and it was declared an emergency situation.

The housing crisis at Pukatawagan and other reserves in the North is just as serious.

Are the Minister of Health and the Premier prepared to consider working with the Mathias Colomb First Nation at Pukatawagan and have a health investigator investigate the impact of overcrowding on the physical and mental health of the people of Pukatawagan?

Hon. Leonard Derkach (Acting Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I will take that question as notice for the Minister of Health.

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Logging Rights

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): My second question is for the Minister of Natural Resources.

Is this minister prepared to review logging rights in the vicinity of Pukatawagan in order to allow local residents, many of whom are unemployed, to harvest logs in this area?

Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, I do not really know why they would or would not be allowed to log. We have a quota system in place. If they have a quota system for the area out there, they can certainly go out and log.

The other thing, Madam Speaker, is that we have major companies like Repap and Louisiana-Pacific that are established up in that area that are looking for people to basically do logging for them, so I will have to find out whether there is a quota system available for the people from Pukatawagan or not. I will review the situation.

Dwayne Archie Johnston

Parole

Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, yesterday we raised the issue of Dwayne Archie Johnston. We were incorrect in saying that he was in fact receiving temporary absences; in fact, the situation is that he is on day parole now.

There is a federal law, Madam Speaker, called Bill C-36, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, which came into effect in June of 1992. It stipulates that inmates, people coming up on day parole or full parole, would give victims of crime an opportunity to serve a rebuttal in these hearings. Also, victims and other persons may attend parole hearings at the discretion of the parole board rather than the offender's discretion.

I thank the Minister of Justice for her response to my questions yesterday. I would like to ask her today whether or not she will speed up the process of intervening on this matter and keep all Manitobans informed about the progress she is making.

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, yesterday I said the issue had been raised with me directly, that I have directed my department to look at any methods open to us or available to us as a provincial government to look at intervention. We are certainly doing that as quickly as possible. We have in the past raised the issue of parole with the federal Minister of Justice.

We believe that it is important that victim impact statements are available, and also we would like to see in many cases the original criminal act be considered during the parole process.

Museums

Funding

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship.

As the minister is no doubt aware, the Department of Canadian Heritage's Museum Assistance Program will be cut to $7.9 million, down from the $10.17 million announced in February's federal budget. That is an average of 27 cents per Canadian. These cuts will have immense negative impacts on Manitoba's museums and have already affected the Association of Manitoba Museums, which has been forced to cut its hours and will now be forced to make changes to its basic level certification program, a program which offers training in museology and museological concerns.

My first question, Madam Speaker: Given that museums along with art galleries are key points of interest for tourists and given our recent lacklustre record in tourism, has the minister met with the Association of Manitoba Museums to work out an action plan which could help prevent a crisis and so protect not only museums and galleries but also our staggering tourist industry?

Hon. Harold Gilleshammer (Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship): Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for the question. Of course, she references the federal government's lowering of grants and support for museums in Manitoba, and this is consistent with what the federal government is doing across the board with many of our departments.

We have expressed that concern in this House. We have expressed that concern to federal ministers, that Manitoba is going to be severely impacted by these cutbacks. We have met on a regular basis with the museums across the province and are giving them whatever support we can within our resources.

Madam Speaker: The time for Oral Questions has expired.

NONPOLITICAL STATEMENT

Project Green Tree--Chancellor School

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, may I have leave for a nonpolitical statement?

Madam Speaker: Does the honourable Minister of Justice have leave for a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, I am very pleased today to recognize the students of Chancellor School in Fort Garry School Division and their Project Green Tree. Project Green Tree is a project that the students, through a Sustainable Development grant, have been able to look at beautifying their immediate surroundings of their school. I am extremely proud of the student group who took leadership in this area. These students worked with the whole school in planning where the trees would be planted. In fact, every student participated in a drawing of where these trees should be. These students then met with professional people who could advise them on the type of shrubbery and greenery to beautify this area.

Yesterday, Madam Speaker, the students and the teachers and the community of Fort Garry celebrated Project Green Tree, and they opened up and began the digging and the placement of these shrubs. It will truly be a beautiful project. These are young people engaged in a very positive activity, taking a leadership role, and we are very proud of the students of Chancellor School.