VOL. XLVIII No. 69 - 1:30 p.m., TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1998

Tuesday, June 23, 1998

 

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

 

Tuesday, June 23, 1998

 

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

 

PRAYERS

 

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS

 

PRESENTING PETITIONS

 

Winnipeg Hospitals Food Services--Privatization

 

Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of S. Thomas, S. Turbovsky, D. Fredette and others praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Minister of Health to put an end to the centralization and privatization of Winnipeg hospitals food services.

 

Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of K. Bagnell, P. Sangalang, J. Guevera and others praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Minister of Health to put an end to the centralization and privatization of Winnipeg hospitals food services.

 

Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of M. Arnott, K. Pickell, L. Brezowski and others praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Minister of Health to put an end to the centralization and privatization of Winnipeg hospitals food services.

 

Community VLT Plebiscites

 

Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of A. Gajerski-Cauley, J. Radimer and C.H. Coltart and others praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Premier to consider permitting communities to hold plebiscites on VLTs, reducing gambling advertising and increasing funding for treatment of problem gamblers.

 

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of R. A. Cuthbert, L. Chambers and K. Craig praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Premier to consider permitting communities to hold plebiscites on VLTs, reducing gambling advertising and increasing funding for treatment of problem gamblers.

 

Independent Judicial Review Committee

 

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of H. Klassen, E. Cordova, R. Quinit and others praying that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to advise the minister of the need to consider establishing an independent review committee to report to the Legislature on ways in which our judicial system may better service the public of Manitoba.

 

READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS

 

Independent Judicial Review Committee

 

Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?

 

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

 

Madam Speaker: Dispense.

 

THAT an independent judiciary does not justify a total lack of public accountability; and

 

THAT the lack of public confidence and the level of frustration in our judicial system continues to grow.

 

WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to advise the minister of the need to consider establishing an independent judicial review committee to report to the Legislature on ways in which our judicial system may better serve the public of Manitoba.

 

* (1335)

 

Community VLT Plebiscites

 

Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Flin Flon (Mr. Jennissen). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?

 

An Honourable Member: Dispense.

 

Madam Speaker: Dispense.

 

THAT in 10 years the current government has increased gambling revenues from $55 million to more than $220 million annually; and

THAT the introduction and the proliferation of video lottery terminals in virtually every licensed premises across the province has resulted in Manitoba having nearly 5,000 VLTs, the most per capita in the country; and

 

THAT gambling is now the Manitoba government's third largest revenue source behind only income tax and sales tax; and

 

THAT the provincial government doubled lottery advertising in 1996; and

 

THAT the Manitoba government has become more dependent upon gambling revenues than any other province; and

 

THAT the number of the tragedies involving people who have lost their savings, homes and in some cases their lives following gambling addiction continues to grows; and

 

THAT the provincial government spends less than 1 percent of its VLT profits on gambling treatment programs; and

 

THAT the Manitoba Lottery Policy Review Working Group amongst many others have requested that communities be allowed to hold plebiscites on banning VLTs as is allowed in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

 

WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLY PRAY THAT the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Premier (Mr. Filmon) to consider permitting communities to hold plebiscites on VLTs; reducing gambling advertising and increasing funding for treatment of problem gamblers.

 

Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for St. James (Ms. Mihychuk). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?

 

An Honourable Member: No.

 

Madam Speaker: No? Dispense.

 

THAT in 10 years the current government has increased gambling revenues from $55 million to more than $220 million annually; and

 

THAT the introduction and the proliferation of video lottery terminals in virtually every licensed premises across the province has resulted in Manitoba having nearly 5,000 VLTs, the most per capita in the country; and

 

THAT gambling is now the Manitoba government's third largest revenue source behind only income tax and sales tax; and

 

THAT the provincial government doubled lottery advertising in 1996; and

THAT the Manitoba government has become more dependent upon gambling revenues than any other province; and

 

THAT the number of the tragedies involving people who have lost their savings, homes and in some cases their lives following gambling addiction continues to grows; and

 

THAT the provincial government spends less than 1 percent of its VLT profits on gambling treatment programs; and

 

THAT the Manitoba Lottery Policy Review Working Group amongst many others have requested that communities be allowed to hold plebiscites on banning VLTs as is allowed in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

 

WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLY PRAY THAT the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Premier (Mr. Filmon) to consider permitting communities to hold plebiscites on VLTs; reducing gambling advertising and increasing funding for treatment of problem gamblers.

 

* (1340)

 

Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Burrows (Mr. Martindale). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?

 

An Honourable Member: No.

 

Madam Speaker: No. Dispense.

 

THAT in 10 years, the current government has increased gambling revenues from $55 million to more than $220 million annually; and

 

THAT the introduction and the proliferation of video lottery terminals in virtually every licensed premises across the province has resulted in Manitoba having nearly 5,000 VLTs, the most per capita in the country; and

 

THAT gambling is now the Manitoba government's third largest revenue source behind only income tax and sales tax; and

 

THAT the provincial government doubled lottery advertising in 1996; and

 

THAT the Manitoba government has become more dependent upon gambling revenues than any other province; and

 

THAT the number of the tragedies involving people who have lost their savings, homes and, in some cases, their lives following gambling addiction continues to grows; and

THAT the provincial government spends less than 1 percent of its VLT profits on gambling treatment programs; and

 

THAT the Manitoba Lottery Policy Review Working Group, amongst many others, have requested that communities be allowed to hold plebiscites on banning VLTs, as is allowed in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

 

WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS HUMBLY PRAY THAT the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba urge the Premier (Mr. Filmon) to consider permitting communities to hold plebiscites on VLTs; reducing gambling advertising and increasing funding for treatment of problem gamblers.