Winnipeg Police Services
Additional Officers
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, my question is to the acting Premier.
Madam Speaker, on March 24, we promised to spend $2 million and hire additional police officers for the city of Winnipeg, and on March 27, the government also announced a similar promise to hire more police officers to work in our community in light of the rising crime rate and the public concern about police action.
Madam Speaker, on six occasions, we have asked this government to implement what they called a top priority last May and June. We asked the government on a number of occasions to bring those police officers on staff to deal with the rising crime rate that was taking place in the city of Winnipeg.
I would like to ask the Deputy Premier, why have they delayed the announcement of hiring those police officers, which was a priority of the government? Why have they delayed this announcement for some six months now?
Hon. James Downey (Deputy Premier): Madam Speaker, I would refer the question to the Minister of Justice to deal with the specifics of it, but I can tell the Leader of the Opposition that this Premier (Mr. Filmon) and this Minister of Justice (Mrs. Vodrey) and this government have done more to stand up to protect the victims, to make sure that police officers are on the streets.
It is a commitment, Madam Speaker, this government has made. Too bad the member opposite has not supported it when it comes to budgetary issues.
Mr. Doer: We look forward to Manitoba not being the only province in Canada with an increasing crime rate over the last two years. We look forward to some results, Madam Speaker, not rhetoric from the Deputy Premier.
I would like to ask the acting Premier why the government waited six months to implement a so-called top priority item to hire 40 more police officers in the city of Winnipeg, and what has been the impact of waiting since last June to make this announcement?
What has been the impact on the crime rates in Winnipeg by this delay from the government? What has been the impact on what has been typified by many citizens to be a very, very tough year for crime in the city of Winnipeg, with gang issues and other issues that really concern the public? What has been the impact of the delay in this hiring, Madam Speaker?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, this government has been working with the City of Winnipeg to flow the $2 million. The chief of police was asked to forward a plan of implementation for the new officers and the training of the new officers, and that occurred during the summer.
There was a draft agreement. The formalized agreement then had to pass at City Council at the end of September. Then the signed agreement had to be signed by the mayor and then had to come forward to this province.
I am very happy to tell the member that the agreement reached my office last Tuesday. I signed it and we expect to be flowing that money today.
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Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, on many occasions, governments have been very careful about getting involved in other election campaigns. The minister indicated that they were meeting with the City of Winnipeg chief of police on a number of occasions to develop the plan that has taken over six or seven months to implement.
I would like to ask the acting Premier, does he not think it is more appropriate for the Minister of Justice to be handing this cheque over to the chief of police, rather than being so close to an election campaign in terms of an announcement with one of the people whom the government may have to deal with after the civic election campaign on Wednesday?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, the signatory to the agreement was the mayor. The city is the employing authority.
Madam Speaker, if the member is suggesting that we wait, now that City Council has, in fact, passed this agreement from City Council, now that it has been signed by both sides, is the member somehow suggesting that we not flow this money immediately?
Madam Speaker, this is a law and order--
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Point of Order
Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, I asked that the minister flow the money to the chief of police, not delay the money. She should answer the question I posed to her directly.
Madam Speaker: The honourable Leader of the official opposition does not have a point of order. It is clearly a dispute over the facts.
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Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister of Justice, to quickly complete her response.
Mrs. Vodrey: Of course, invitations were issued, I understand, to the chief from the city, other members, and they will bring whom they desire to bring, but the two signatories to the agreement were the mayor on behalf of the City of Winnipeg, who is the employing authority, Madam Speaker, and the Minister of Justice.
We look forward to those 40 new police officers being on the street. We believe that in the interest of public safety, this is a very important initiative.
Maintenance Enforcement
Credit Bureau Reporting
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Justice.
Four weeks ago, the minister told this Legislature that although she had not proclaimed all the new maintenance enforcement legislation, her new power to report defaulting parents to the credit bureau--and I quote from her: "That, in case it has escaped the notice of members opposite, has really a great effect."
We were dismayed to then discover, contrary to those words, that not one defaulter had actually been reported, although the minister had that power for months.
Would the minister now explain to the custodial parents who are here in the gallery today, the families who have suffered from years of government inaction and whose expectations were raised by the minister this last spring, why she has only now reported a mere 100 defaulters to the credit bureau, preserving the credit rating of thousands of defaulters owing as much as $30 million to our children?
Does this indicate the seriousness of this government in dealing with debts to children?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, as the member knows, but I think it is important to mention again, this government brought forward the strongest legislation available, and that legislation dealt with two important issues. It dealt with enforcement measures, and it also dealt with resource measures, because all of the enforcement in the world does not assist if you cannot get at the resources, so the important part of our legislation dealt with both.
Madam Speaker, the reporting to the credit bureau we believe is a very important tool within the Maintenance Enforcement Program. The maintenance enforcement officers, I believe, will be using it where they believe it will have the greatest effect. It is one of several tools.
I am not sure whether the honourable member is suggesting everyone should be reported and no other maintenance enforcement measures be brought forward. It is really not clear to me.
However, where it will be useful and where it will have a significant effect--and, Madam Speaker, we believe that it will--that reporting certainly is occurring.
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Mr. Mackintosh: Would the minister who should understand that each and every defaulter, whether owing $3,000 or $300,000, whether three weeks late or three months late--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. Would the honourable member for St. Johns please pose his question.
Mr. Mackintosh: Madam Speaker, I am posing my question now.
Madam Speaker: Thank you.
Mr. Mackintosh: Would the minister confirm information from the credit bureau that the minister plans to report only 100 defaulters a month, meaning that even current defaulters will not all be reported until February of the next millennium?
Mrs. Vodrey: No, Madam Speaker, that is quite wrong, and the member asked that question at one other time in the House. The answer is the same.
I understand that the basis of his information was a phone call to Maintenance Enforcement in asking how many might be referred in the first month. It in no way indicated that that was going to be a limit on reporting or, in fact, the number reported at all times.
So it was the credit bureau asking for a forecast as this got underway, but there was absolutely no limit ever placed on the number of people who would be referred to the credit bureau. He is, again, quite wrong.
Maintenance Enforcement Act
Proclamation
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Well, would the minister, after refusing to tell this Legislature when asked when she is going to bring into force the new provisions affecting garnishing joint assets, accessing pension benefits or suspending drivers' licences, will she now admit what the vice-president of Autopac services tells us, that even though the legislation was touted by her nine months ago, the bill will not be proclaimed until next year, and, if so, this time would she at least make sure that her department can use the new powers once they come into force?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): We could very well have held up the whole bill if that would have been of interest to the member. We could have held up all provisions of the bill until every system was in place, but, Madam Speaker, this government saw maintenance enforcement as a very urgent and important matter, therefore with the bill, on Royal Assent, those parts of the bill which were able to come into force immediately, immediately did come into force.
Those which require a systems development will come into force, I am told, by the end of this year, so, Madam Speaker, the member seems to indicate he would have rather had the whole bill held up, to be dealt with upon proclamation, or perhaps not even brought forward until bills are dealt with in this session.
Madam Speaker, we did not feel that way. It is just more important than that.
Dennis Roy Frank
Dangerous Offender Status
Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Madam Speaker, my questions are also for the Minister of Justice.
This past August, Dennis Roy Frank was released from prison after serving eight years for sexually assaulting a woman in Brandon and abducting a Winnipeg woman. This past Friday night, Selkirk RCMP found him in a car with a badly beaten Selkirk woman, and he was charged with eight criminal counts, including sexual assault with a weapon and uttering threats to cause death.
Given that after repeated crimes, a person convicted can be judged a dangerous offender and held in prison for an indeterminate period, my question is to the minister. Why did this minister not instruct her Crown attorney to pursue dangerous offender status for Dennis Roy Frank?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): The member knows very well that I am not able to speak about any cases which are currently before the court and will not do so since that certainly puts into jeopardy the whole process.
Madam Speaker, before I answer, I prefer to seek advice on whether or not I am able to speak about a conviction which occurred several years ago. I think that is in the interest of fairness.
In a general sense, Madam Speaker, though, let me tell the people of Manitoba this. We have been very concerned, again in a general sense and unrelated to any particular issue before the public now, about the release of individuals from our penitentiaries and institutions where they continue to pose a threat to the community. I have at the ministers of Justice meeting proposed to the federal Minister of Justice and the federal Solicitor General a system which will acknowledge at the back end people who continue to pose a threat.
At the moment, Madam Speaker, the system is a front-end system. One has to look at someone as a dangerous offender at the sentencing or the front end, but we want a mechanism to deal with people who have gone through the Corrections process who have not shown any remorse and can be dealt with at the back end, and I have made that presentation to the federal Minister of Justice.
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Sexual Offenders
Public Notification
Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Madam Speaker, my next question is also for the Minister of Justice.
Given that the public notification program was inadequate in this situation, what other measures will this minister take to improve the effectiveness of the community notification advisory committee?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, let me address the question in two ways. First of all, let us speak about, in a general sense, the work of the community notification committee, as I do not want any of my remarks attributed to any case which is currently before the courts or under investigation.
The community notification committee is the only one of its kind in Canada. It was developed at the request of chiefs of police and also the people of Manitoba. People across Canada, Madam Speaker, have said, please let us know when there is someone being released who is going to be a danger to the community. We are the only province in Canada who, in fact, does this.
I am prepared to table a letter from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police which comments on the very progressive response of this government in dealing with community notification, the only one in Canada.
I also believe that we have to deal with the release of individuals who have not had remorse, those individuals who continue to pose a danger. We have to be able to deal within our Corrections system at what is called the back end. That, Madam Speaker, is why I have put forward a solution to the federal Solicitor General and Minister of Justice to look at long-term supervision.
Health Care System
Emergency Services Evaluation
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, last December, the Minister of Health made a $1.5-million commitment to the STEP program, a series of pilot projects which he said would ensure the most effective use of hospital emergency departments. The minister also said he would try to ensure that our emergency rooms are run very smoothly, so that when emergency cases present, when there is no alternative available, those services, they darn well are needed and should be there.
My question to the Minister of Health, Madam Speaker, is, will the minister table the results of those evaluation projects, because clearly they must have been utilized in the minister's decision to close five of the seven emergency hospitals during the 24-hour period?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I will take the honourable member's question under advisement.
Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, is the minister saying he did not have the results of those evaluation projects dealing with emergency hospitals which he said would be darn well ready, that he did not have those when he made the decision to close the emergency wards?
Mr. McCrae: Madam Speaker, we also asked the emergency physicians not to leave their posts and leave us in a position where we had to put together a contingency plan, which we have done.
Health Sciences Centre/St. Boniface Hospitals
Emergency Resources
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, will the Minister of Health tell the House today what additional resources have been provided specifically to the Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital to take on the additional patients in the overload that has occurred as a result of the minister's wrong-headed decision to close emergency wards at the community hospitals?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, whatever resources the Health Sciences Centre has required have been provided.
We have maintained very close contact with the head of the Health Sciences Centre program, and while the emergency room there is at times hectic, as it has always been at times, I am advised that the emergency room there has been able to cope.
Emergency Services Review Committee
Membership
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.
It is becoming more and more abundantly clear that this government has made a wrong and bad decision dealing with emergency services in our community hospitals, Madam Speaker. We have the yellow ribbon campaign, we have petitions, we have professionals out in the many different health care fields that are condemning the actions of this government.
My question to the Minister of Health, Madam Speaker, is, he is relying on the Emergency Services Committee to come up with recommendations. The other day when I posed a question I asked, who is sitting on that particular committee? My question to him today is, will he table the list of people who are actually sitting on this particular committee?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, the committee met again on Friday, and there are a very large number of people involved with the committee, including many, many nursing professionals, many medical professionals, hospital administrators and departmental personnel.
Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, given the high calibre of individuals whom the Minister of Health refers to, will the minister then revisit the decision that this government has made and reopen emergency services until this committee comes down with a recommendation?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, the honourable member, I have told him and others that the plan that is in effect today is an interim plan as we work towards the development of an integrated, city-wide emergency services program by January 1 of 1996. The fact that it is an interim program does allow us the kind of flexibility that is needed, should the need for flexibility arise.
Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, a very clear question to the Minister of Health: Why will he not acknowledge that there is a need to reopen our community hospitals' emergency services and, at the very least, wait until the recommendations come forward from this committee? Why do you have the cart before the horse?
Mr. McCrae: Madam Speaker, the honourable member would substitute his judgment for that of all of the people on the Emergency Services Committee. I will not be doing that. I will be consulting regularly with that committee and getting advice from them.
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University of Manitoba
Administration Salaries
Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): Madam Speaker, public accountability at Manitoba universities has been an important unresolved issue for some time. The Premier (Mr. Filmon), while openly taking sides with his politically appointed U of M board of governors, freely talks of professors' salaries but never once talks of the University of Manitoba's senior administration salaries or benefits.
My question is for the Minister of Education. In the interest of fairness, will the Minister of Education table for the benefit of taxpayers a list showing the salaries and benefits paid to each of the senior administrative staff at the University of Manitoba for the last three years? [interjection]
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) asks how the Tory hacks are on the board of governors. I indicate to the member that on the board of governors, first of all, we have 10 appointees. We are also the ones who passed the O/Cs for the two student representatives, and the bulk of the other people who are senate, alumni, president, chancellor, we do not hold, quote, the balance of power.
Secondly, we do not give instructions to the board of governors. Just the other day, the opposition House leader was complaining that the only communication we have had with the board of governors was through a letter from my deputy minister. So you cannot say one thing and say something else and have them equate when they are completely opposite statements.
But I would indicate, Madam Speaker, that part of the problem that the Leader has just identified--and I am very glad he raised the issue--is that the UMFA group, the professors who asked for public accountability, will not let their salaries go out to the public. We have professors whose salaries are not allowed to be revealed, in the way that our salaries are revealed, through the by-laws of the university.
If the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) wishes to have individual professors' salaries listed and benefits made public, and I would think there are many, many people in the public who would totally agree with him, then I say use his considerable influence with the union to ask them to release their salaries, because the by-laws of the university right now do not permit it. If that is what they want, let them ask for it.
Mr. Reid: We are in favour of opening up all of the salaries for public viewing.
Can the Minister of Education confirm whether or not the academic vice-president, the administrative vice-president and the chief librarian have received substantial salary increases in the last year, some of whom, coincidentally, are on the U of M negotiating team?
Mrs. McIntosh: I cannot confirm those salaries. I can confirm, however, that there are many professors at the university making, in terms of wages and benefits, far more than the president of the university.
I can also indicate that of the $285 million that the university spends on program expenditures, $230 million of that is for wages and benefits for professors on the University of Manitoba campus, many of whom earn far in excess of the $104,000 base salary when you add in the benefits and the wages.
The access to those figures we are not permitted to have by virtue of the university by-laws, which protect the professors from having their salaries known at the same time that they demand public accountability for the finances spent by the people of Manitoba to pay those salaries they will not release.
Labour Dispute
Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): My final supplementary question to the Minister of Education (Mrs. McIntosh): On October 19, the Minister of Education stated that she will listen to the students of the university.
Will this Minister of Education now listen to the U of M graduate students and St. Paul's College students, whose petition is endorsed by UMSU, calling on the minister to appoint an independent arbitrator to resolve this dispute so students can return to the classrooms, Madam Speaker?
Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Labour): Madam Speaker, we have made our position very clear in the House. Our primary interest in this matter is that the students receive their education.
Arbitration is bad news for the future of the university as an institution for exactly some of the reasons that the honourable members opposite have been discussing.
This is a much more complicated issue. The best way to ensure that the students get their education is by the professors going back to the bargaining table with the administration, by bringing back their services, so that classes continue, so that the long-term problems of that institution can be resolved.
Binding arbitration will do nothing but tinker with this problem.
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Mr. Reid: Madam Speaker, I have a new question to the Minister of Labour.
The Minister of Labour just moments ago said that he is closing the door to the arbitration process, yet this same minister and the Minister of Education (Mrs. McIntosh) said that the door would always be open for all of the parties to come forward to try and resolve this issue.
Parents and students want to know from the Minister of Labour, Madam Speaker, since it appeared on Friday last that both sides of the U of M dispute were prepared to return to the bargaining table, why the minister personally waited until today, this evening, to convene an informal meeting, wasting the weekend and costing the students more lost classroom days.
Why is the minister wasting these days, wasting the weekend and closing the door to the arbitration process?
Mr. Toews: I look forward to listening to the presentations of the Faculty Association. I look forward to listening to the presentations of the administration in my office.
The fact of the matter is, and the member knows, if the parties want to go to binding arbitration, they do not need this government or the Minister of Labour to make any order in that respect. They know that there is no legislative authority for me to do that, so they come here, play games in the House and then ask what I have been doing.
Rural Stress Line
Funding
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, the rural stress line which is a preventative service has unanimous support from all farm organizations--the Women's Institute, National Farmers Union, Keystone Agricultural Producers. In fact, I have letters from all of them here showing their support.
Today, I spoke to the representatives of the executive of the Association of Women's Shelters, who have said they are not opposed to the stress line as the minister has indicated. Rather, they have concerns with referrals and want these addressed.
I want to ask the minister, since his concerns about duplication of services have been removed and all organizations are supporting the stress line, when can we expect an announcement from the minister that we will see funding in place for this preventative service?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I would like to correct the honourable member. I had never indicated a position by the women's shelter association that they were opposed. I did say they had concerns. Those concerns are being addressed.
I am meeting with the Canadian Mental Health Association tomorrow, and I expect to hear a report from them on how they are addressing the concerns of the women's shelter association. I understand that the Mental Health Council has found favour with the proposals, but I have yet to hear the final report from the Canadian Mental Health Association on its consultations. I expect to hear that tomorrow.
Report Tabling Request
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, since the Department of Family Services was asked to do an evaluation on all line services, will the minister table that report to clear up all the misconceptions that seem to be out there that the rural stress line is duplicating services? When can we see that report?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, if there were misconceptions, they were certainly genuinely held by organizations such as the Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters. The whole idea is to bring as much help to bear on agricultural and rural problems as possible and to do it in the right way.
The honourable member knows, from having travelled with me and seeing first-hand the opening of new mental health services in this province, that we are on the right track in that regard. The rural stress line is part of a network of services, and we just want to make sure that it fits properly in that network, and as I said, I will be meeting with the Canadian Mental Health Association tomorrow about that.
Funding
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Can the minister then give the House his assurance, since there is no duplication of services and all his misconceptions about the line have been removed, that he will be telling the people tomorrow that he will be putting funding in place so that the line will not shut down on Friday?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): I do not know how many people experience this problem, Madam Speaker, but I do not like the honourable member putting words in my mouth with respect to misconceptions and so on.
There have been genuine concerns raised. If the honourable member does not think the concerns raised by the women's shelter association--if she thinks they should be ignored, let her say that, Madam Speaker.
Bill 22
Provincial Auditor Input
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Finance.
Earlier today in the Economic Development committee hearing briefs on Bill 2, the Minister of Finance and the government rejected the proposal of the opposition that the Provincial Auditor be invited to the committee to present her views on the technical aspects of this ground-breaking legislation affecting the nature of future budgets in this province.
Madam Speaker, why would the Minister of Finance deny the Legislature the benefit of the Auditor's views? What is the government afraid of?
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): The government is certainly not afraid of anything when it comes to Bill 2 and the balanced budget legislation.
The member for Brandon East has been in this Legislature, in this building, for many years, and I think he certainly knows process as well as most. I believe he sat through many public hearings and many committees, Madam Speaker, and certainly it was extremely unusual to hear the request today for input from a statutory officer, the Provincial Auditor, at a committee level, recognizing that we often hear from members opposite about the importance of the independence of the Provincial Auditor.
This is the same individual who once this legislation is in place, Madam Speaker, will be reporting on it through Public Accounts, through her own Annual Report and on the basis that she prepares the audited Financial Statements of the government of Manitoba, Volumes 1, 2 and 3.
So from our point of view, Madam Speaker, it is not a case of having anything to hide. There will be all kinds of opportunity for the Provincial Auditor. In fact, the Provincial Auditor, herself, I believe, acknowledges that she will have all kinds of opportunity for input through her Annual Report, through the Public Accounts committee, through the audited Financial Statements.
I believe that this motion today was putting her in a very unreasonable position, Madam Speaker.
Debt Repayment Schedule
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): By way of supplementary, I would like to ask the minister, is he concerned that the Provincial Auditor will point out that the government's deficit is substantially higher than is reported in the last budget and that its proposed debt-repayment schedule, as outlined in the budget document, is totally inadequate because it excludes hundreds of millions of dollars of unfunded liabilities?
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): I do not expect that for a minute. If the member is referring to the 1994-95 budget of Manitoba--he said the most recent budget--we will be receiving Volume 3 fairly shortly, and I anticipate, as has been the case every year other than one, that Volume 3 will show that the deficit is actually lower, Madam Speaker.
So I do not accept for a minute the suggestions from the member for Brandon East. I have explained to him the process of committee. He has been through it on many occasions. The committee is the opportunity to deal with legislation put forward by the government, and you discuss the policy of that legislation and so on, and the Provincial Auditor, Madam Speaker, will have all kinds of opportunities for input in the months and years ahead.
Provincial Auditor Input
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, is this minister trying to keep the Provincial Auditor away from the legislative committee on this matter since she may repeat some of the observations of the Canada-West Foundation, that the last budget was disturbing and confusing and that it did not have a surplus; rather it showed an increase in our tax-supported debt of $141 million?
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Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, I find this very interesting, and I encourage the member to read all of that document he just referenced because they do an assessment of balanced budget legislation. When they do their assessment, they say that the Province of Manitoba's budget legislation deserves an A-plus. That is certainly not the case--I think they give New Brunswick an F. I think they give Saskatchewan a C, I believe.
I see the member is looking at it. I certainly encourage him to read all of those grades into the record, and if he reads that document, they speak very highly of the balanced budget. One of the things they point to, one of the reasons--[interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The Minister of Finance, to quickly complete his response.
Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, to quickly conclude, one of the reasons for the A-plus grade was because of the fact that there are controls around the accounting policies here in Manitoba and that you cannot make any adjustments around accounting policies to in any way affect your bottom-line surplus or deficit.
Dwayne Archie Johnston
Parole
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, a question was taken as notice on Friday, on my behalf, regarding any intervention that I might be able to make to the National Parole Board regarding the parole of Mr. Dwayne Archie Johnston.
I am very happy to table for the members' interest today the letter which I have written to the National Parole Board, a federal board. I have put forward Manitoba's position, urging that the Parole Board deny release to Mr. Johnston on any and all grounds.
However, just to complete an answer to that question, this is one way to deal with this, but in addition, I would look for support from members opposite in dealing with offenders, that when they do complete their sentences, there, in fact, be a national tracking system put into place to deal with those individuals. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Fisher Branch Personal Care Home
Status Report
Mr. Clif Evans (Interlake): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.
Madam Speaker, prior to the recent election, this government, after years of delays, finally committed itself to proceeding with the Fisher Branch personal care home, a project that should have started this fall.
What is the current status of this promised project from the minister's department? Where is this project in his department?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): The project would be in one of the schedules of the capital budget, Madam Speaker, which if the honourable member is correct, and he may well be, the project has reached the stage where now a decision has to be made as to whether tenders should be let for construction. That is where it would be today.
Mr. Clif Evans: Madam Speaker, the community and the committee are waiting to hear whether the minister's department and this government will confirm that they will receive the funds for the personal care home.
Will the minister commit the funds to the personal care home, so that the project can get on its way?
Mr. McCrae: Word on that will be forthcoming in due course, Madam Speaker.
Language Arts Examination
Teacher Markers
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education.
Madam Speaker, Lakeshore School Division is refusing to comply with the provincial Department of Education's directions to supply teachers for marking the Grade 12 English language arts exam, because in Eriksdale it will mean the loss of all senior language arts teachers for 12 days, while in Ashern, where there is an innovative timetable program in effect, students will be without regular teachers for one-sixth of their program, and as the minister knows, these are not the only concerns.
I want to ask the minister to tell us precisely what the legislative basis is for her directions to school boards to provide teacher markers--which act, what sections?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, there is no legislative requirement for teachers to have to come forward and mark papers.
I could, if the member wished, make a regulation. That is easily done. A simple stroke of the pen, I could write a regulation to force this, but, Madam Speaker, I do not believe that that would be a necessary thing to have to do because we are--[interjection] The members opposite ask, who is in charge, and I think that should be quite evident to them, who is in charge, because we had quite a long period of weeks where we went out to the people and asked them their opinion on these things, were given a very solid opinion which resulted in the number of members here versus the number of members there.
Madam Speaker, we are putting out requests to divisions to ask to have teachers released. Some divisions are able to provide the total number. Others are not able to provide the total number for the very reasons the member mentioned.
We have other teachers whom we can hire, retired teachers, et cetera, but, Madam Speaker, I do believe we will have the full component of required markers. We will have the exams. We will have the marks. We will have the markers, and students will not lose instructional time.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Wolseley, with one very short supplementary question.
Ms. Friesen: Madam Speaker, could the minister confirm that one of the options her department is considering as the result of these and similar types of concerns is the option of closing Manitoba schools in early January and the extension of the school year in the spring or summer?
Madam Speaker: The honourable Minister of Education, with a very short response.
Mrs. McIntosh: I will give the shortest response possible, Madam Speaker. No.
Madam Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired.
Committee Changes
Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): I move, seconded by the member for Broadway (Mr. Santos), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Economic Development be amended as follows: Interlake (Mr. Clif Evans) for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale); St. James (Ms. Mihychuk) for Radisson (Ms. Cerilli), for Tuesday, October 24, 1995, for 10 a.m.
I move, seconded by the member for Broadway (Mr. Santos), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments be amended as follows: Selkirk (Mr. Dewar) for Wellington (Ms. Barrett), for Tuesday, October 24, 1995, for 7 p.m.
Motions agreed to.
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Economic Development, this is for Monday morning, October 23, the 9 a.m. session: the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck) for the member for Emerson (Mr. Penner); the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer) for the member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Tweed).
Madam Speaker, these changes were moved by leave at committee this morning, and I am now moving the same changes in the House to have the official records updated.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
Community Works Loan Program
Hon. Leonard Derkach (Minister of Rural Development): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to revert to Ministerial Statements.
Madam Speaker: Does the honourable Minister of Rural Development have leave to revert to Ministerial Statements? [agreed]
Mr. Derkach: Madam Speaker, I have copies for the House.
Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I announce today, to members of the Legislature, the formation of an exciting new community economic initiative to help in the creation and expansion of small businesses in rural Manitoba. The initiative is Community Works, a loan program that will enable rural communities to rely on their local leadership and ingenuity to create more than 3,500 full-time jobs throughout every town, village and city in Manitoba.
The program is community based, a point I emphasize because it has been demonstrated time and again that when local residents take an interest in their community everyone in the community benefits. The program is also about partnerships, about listening to Manitobans and working with them to help them achieve their goals and objectives. We have drawn from Community Round Tables that heard consistently that one of the greatest areas of need is the ability for decision making by local community leaders.
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Using a model that has worked successfully in Winkler, the Community Works Program is tailor-made with communities and small business in mind, a program that will remain in their hands from administering the funds right down to deciding who will receive loans. To assist communities, the program will be supported through the Department of Rural Development's Rural Economic Development Initiatives.
Here is how the program will work. Local community development corporations or CDCs will raise $25,000 locally which the province will then match with a $50,000 contribution. This pool of money will be made available to local businesses that will be eligible to receive loans of up to $10,000 at competitive interest rates.
Once again, I have to stress that the decision about who will receive loans will be made at the local level. Once the CDC successfully places the $75,000 initial pool of money, it will be eligible for a second loan of $50,000, with the local CDC matching this amount on a one-to-one basis.
During the next five years, the Community Works Loan Program will make at least $12.5 million available to entrepreneurs. For the government's part, it will provide up to $7 million. The remainder will be raised in participating communities that are investing in themselves. The Province of Manitoba will not receive any of the interest from the loans, choosing instead to have it go to the CDCs to cover their administrative costs.
The Community Works Loan Program will meet a number of specific goals. First, it provides the business capital necessary to fill the gap in loan funding for start-up expansions, particularly for home-based entrepreneurs and small business. This is particularly important for youth and young adults who are trying to create jobs for themselves.
By taking this grassroots approach, the Community Works Loan Program will help keep families closer together by providing jobs for young adults who would otherwise have to leave their communities to find work. The program also helps implement new business opportunities identified through Manitoba's 62 round tables which are focused on local development priorities in need, and it enables communities to take a direct role in sustaining their economic future by creating jobs and diversifying their local economies.
This program gives them another opportunity to remain in their home towns, to launch their own careers and raise their families. The Community Works Loan Program speaks to a need and a void that has been identified by Manitobans and will work to support small business.
The program is also the fulfillment of a promise we made to the people of Manitoba during the provincial election last spring when we first announced the framework for the Community Works Loan Program.
The Community Works Loan Program is really about the future of Manitoba, a future of diversified business interests and opportunities for all Manitobans. I encourage members of this Legislature to contact officials in my department for more information about how the Community Works Loan Program may be able to benefit their communities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): I find it interesting the minister is bringing this statement in, referencing the area of community economic development because this is one area that I and our caucus have been calling for action on.
This government has not learned from the experience of many other jurisdictions. I will use the example of next door in Saskatchewan where that province has more than 250 loan circles. It deals in terms of community-based groups providing loans for microventures.
There are many examples across Canada in terms of community economic development, whether it be coming out of the co-op tradition in Nova Scotia or some of the things that have developed in the province of Quebec. I point to the example of Ontario where the NDP government made community economic development a major platform and worked with community groups, whether they be geographically-based, worked with women's groups to promote community economic development.
I find it interesting that members opposite, when one mentions the experience of other provinces, do not want to listen. If they had listened when those experiences were there, and these are governments with many different political stripes, if perhaps they had spent a little less money on advertising before the provincial election and a little bit more money on community economic development, we might see far more of the kinds of jobs that they are talking about in this particular proposal than anything else.
What I would suggest, Madam Speaker, as well, is that the minister might also consider the scope of the program, because this government was the same government that brought in VLTs into rural Manitoba. I still remember those signs that said, proceeds from the VLTs will go to rural economic development.
We all know that this government has siphoned off the vast majority of the funds from rural and northern communities into the coffers of the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson). If this government is really serious about community economic development, what it will do is do far more than this particular program.
I am quite willing, quite frankly, to sit down with the minister and show the minister and this government the experience of other provinces and other jurisdictions in community economic development, and I say that that starts with keeping money in rural and northern communities. That starts by stopping the drainage from rural and northern Manitoba communities of VLTs.
Let us see the government put far more money back into rural and northern economic development than we are seeing in this announcement. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
NONPOLITICAL STATEMENT
Winkler Community Foundation Inc.
Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Madam Speaker, I would ask for leave to make a nonpolitical statement.
Madam Speaker: Does the honourable member for Pembina have leave? [agreed]
Mr. Dyck: On Friday, October 20, my wife and I were privileged to attend the kick-off banquet to raise funds for the Winkler Community Foundation Inc., which was formed on April 25, 1995.
The Winkler Community Foundation has entered into an agreement with the Thomas Sill Foundation which will result in a matching of capital donations on the basis of one for two. I am confident that the foundation will prove to be an important aspect of Winkler and surrounding area by supporting social services, arts and culture, education and recreation, in the local area.
The foundation will also build a permanent endowment fund, co-operate and network with other charities of the area, provide a vehicle for the donor preferences, improve the quality of life in the community, provide funding which otherwise may not be available, put local dollars to use in the local community, organize philanthropy and increase philanthropy throughout the community, focus resources to the greatest needs areas, and, most importantly, will help to increase our sense of community.
The guest speaker at this event was former Winnipeg Mayor Bill Norrie, and I am pleased to say that over $150,000 was raised. Much of the success of this event was due to the board members' hard work and commitment, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to the following: President and Mayor John Krahn; Vice-President Frank Wiebe; Treasurer H.F. Wiebe; and the secretary, Adeline Braun.
It is wonderful that the community of Winkler has taken this important step in supporting the local community. There are many in the community of Winkler and surrounding area who will benefit from the Winkler Community Foundation, and I am proud to be a supporter of this important undertaking. Thank you.