Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the public gallery where we have this afternoon twenty-one Grade 9 students from Rosenort School under the direction of Mr. Grant Plett. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable Minister of Government Services (Mr. Pitura).

Also, 40 étudiants de la neuvième année de l'Institut Collégial Lorette sous la direction de Madame Michèle Lagimodière-Gagnon et Mr. Roland Ouemet.

Forty Grade 9 students from l'Institut Collégial Lorette, under the direction of Mrs. Michèle Lagimodière-Gagnon and Mr. Roland Ouemet.

This school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for La Verendrye (Mr. Sveinson).

Also, twelve Grade 5 students from James Nisbet Community School under the direction of Mrs. Fay Pahl. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for The Maples (Mr. Kowalski).

Also, thirty-five Grade 8 students from Gillam School under the direction of Mrs. Marilyn Randall and Mrs. Shelley Morran. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Rupertsland (Mr. Robinson).

On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon.

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Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, in the latter part of last week, there were a number of political representatives from both the provincial and federal government touring some of the flooded farmland across this province, and there was certainly a lot of concern expressed directly to producers and businesses that are affected in the community. A number of producers are left with the specific concern of what specific plans are in place as a result of the direct meetings that took place between the federal government and producers and the provincial government and producers. I would like to ask a very specific question: what specific plans, contingency plans, are in place for unseeded acres of land that are affected by flooding here in Manitoba?

Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): Madam Speaker, allow me to, in the first instance, indicate that it is the intention of this government to do everything possible to provide the same level of support for all those farmers in need today that was provided to the farmers in the Red River Valley just two short years ago during the flood of the century.

More specifically, I had the privilege of meeting with the federal minister late Friday night here in the building, after his visit to some of the flood-impacted areas, and I am satisfied it was a positive meeting. The federal minister indicated that he would, to use his own terms, not leave any stone unturned to make the existing programs, that is the NISA program and the AIDA program, applicable to the specific problems, cash flow problems our farmers are facing here in Manitoba, that is to loosen the trigger mechanisms within the NISA program that would enable some of our producers who have accounts in that program to draw on them without penalty at this time and, as well, to make some modifications to the AIDA program which would normally not provide any payout until the spring of 2000, make a partial payment possible as early as this late summer.

Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): The Premier (Mr. Filmon) indicated in his letter to the Prime Minister last week, following the comments of Minister Vanclief, who said that Manitoba had not yet applied for disaster assistance, that following that, the ministers would meet, and he would respond directly to the Prime Minister after the ministers' meeting. The Premier also stated that the JERI program would be looked at in media comments that were made.

I would like to ask the Acting Premier or the Minister of Agriculture: has the Premier written the Prime Minister following the meetings that took place between the provincial and federal ministers? Are there specific requests to trigger the disaster assistance program and specific programs for the crisis for producers, similar to 1997? Can the minister table that correspondence with the Premier and the Prime Minister?

Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): Madam Speaker, I can table some further information, specifically, Premier Filmon was joined by Premier Romanow from Saskatchewan on June 11, to specifically put forward four request items of the federal government, that is to address the calls from producers for a payment on acres too wet to seed in '99, to provide for costs incurred to replace lost inputs, mainly fertilizer in this instance, and to maintain the property and restore productive assets as was done in other situations, other disaster situations. This specifically refers to the JERI program that was put in place by the federal government during the '97 flood here in the Red River Valley and then to also do just what I indicated: adjust the AIDA program and the NISA program to make them more applicable for farmers during this current crisis.

Madam Speaker, I will table this particular news release. I do not have the Premier's correspondence in front of me, but I will certainly undertake to provide the Leader of the Opposition with that correspondence, a copy of that correspondence. Both the Premier and I wrote to the federal government last week on these issues.

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Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, we know, of course, that communities like Melita are asking for the declaration of an emergency disaster, an economic disaster in their communities. The ministers are fully aware of the downturn in those communities and the situation. The minister mentioned Saskatchewan. In the province of Saskatchewan, the Premier of Saskatchewan has stated that there is a program in place, the crop insurance program and other programs, to provide for $25 per unseeded acre in times of this kind of disaster, and they are asking the federal government with the specific amount of money to be matched specifically by the federal government as a starting point.

Does Manitoba have a similar specific contingency plan?

Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): My colleague the Minister of Government Services (Mr. Pitura) can better explain the system that seems to allow for some confusion. The national disaster assistance plan is in force, and all the provisions of that are applicable. There is not a need for a specific declaration of an emergency other than if we would require extraordinary powers to move on private property, forcibly evacuate people, sometimes against their will. None of those circumstances apply during this disaster, but all of the programming and the funding, and the national federal funding, are in place as we speak.

Specifically, we are meeting, as the honourable Leader of the Opposition would expect, on a daily basis. Officials are meeting with federal officials on various programs, and we would hope to be in a position to make some specific announcements very shortly.

Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): Madam Speaker, for 10 years this government has allowed the inner city to fall into a decline. Despite promises, there has been no urban redevelopment strategy and no urban aboriginal strategy. Instead, friendship centres and recreation programs were cut, houses have been boarded up, and today over half the families in the Point Douglas area live in poverty.

How can the minister justify the dramatic increase in family poverty in the Point Douglas area which, according to the Social Planning Council, has risen from 44 percent in 1991 to 52 percent today?

Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): Madam Speaker, I thank my honourable friend for that question.

Any level of poverty is too much, and that is why we very aggressively, as a government, have indicated and stated very clearly that the best form of social security is a job. We have to move people off the cycle of dependence on welfare and into the workforce, and we have been working really aggressively to try to ensure that the supports are in place for single-parent families to move off welfare and into the workforce. We are participants in the National Child Benefit with the federal government, and all of the early intervention programs that we have put in place, programs like BabyFirst, like EarlyStart, like the WIN program, that put additional resources into the hands of families that are on welfare if they participate in parenting and nutrition programs, all of those things are steps in the right direction.

Mr. Hickes: How can the minister justify the dramatic increase in family poverty in the Point Douglas area which, according to the Social Planning Council, has risen dramatically? Will the minister acknowledge that the government's neglect has created a tale of two cities where less than one-tenth of families experience poverty in some neighbourhood areas while, in the inner city neighbourhood, it is over one-half of the total population?

Mrs. Mitchelson: Again, I thank my honourable friend for that question. All of the things that we are doing through early intervention, through trying to break the cycle of dependence on welfare and the cycle of poverty–because the two do go hand in hand. There is not any government, regardless of political stripe right across the country, that is going to pay welfare rates that would take people above the low-income cutoff for the so-called poverty line.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Family Services, to complete her response.

Mrs. Mitchelson: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Again, I say we have put in place the kinds of programs that work with families to ensure that they have a hand up and that they have an opportunity to move into the workforce to ensure that their children are parented and nurtured. We have used our National Child Benefit resources in a way that has been applauded and looked at by other provinces.

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Mr. Hickes: Given that a report last month by the Centre for Policy Alternatives stated the evidence is strong that the provincial government's economic strategy is not solving the problem of inner city poverty and is making the problem worse, can the government table a strategy for bringing high wage, quality jobs to the inner city rather than its low-wage approach that keeps families and children in poverty?

Mrs. Mitchelson: If you look right across the country at reinvestments under the National Child Benefit and the research that has been done into the initiatives that have been put in place in Manitoba, I would like to quote from the C.D. Howe Institute that indicates–

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Mrs. Mitchelson: I will quote: instead of using its welfare savings to fund cash benefits, Manitoba used it to implement a ChildrenFirst strategy involving early intervention programs for families having problems, improved school nutrition, and Headstart education for pre-schoolers. These initiatives, the author says, do not raise welfare walls because eligibility is based on neighbourhood and family characteristics rather than on income. The author argued that the other provinces should adopt variations on Manitoba's strategy rather than further raise their cash benefits to low-income families. High clawbacks on cash payments put punishing tax rates in front of low-income families taking on paid work.

So I want to indicate, Madam Speaker, that many agree that we are moving in the right direction.

Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, we have already heard this session about the early closures, of the summer shutdown at Health Sciences Centre, the lack of ICU beds, the lack of nurses, a quota on patients requiring heart surgery. Can the Minister of Health explain to me why an individual who contacted the cardiac program last week was told she would have to wait two months for her heart surgery for three reasons: firstly, because there are 70 other people on the list for major heart surgery; secondly, because of the early summer shutdown of surgery at the Health Sciences Centre, earlier than usual; and thirdly, because of the Pan American Games and the need for operating rooms to utilize for the Pan American Games? Can the minister explain to me how that can happen?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, we have discussed this issue here in Question Period and in our Estimates in some detail, and the issue of a summer schedule is nothing new in Manitoba. It has been in place for many decades in the province of Manitoba, under previous governments included. The good news, when it comes to cardiac surgery, is that we are now up over a thousand procedures in Manitoba. We have our shortest waiting list in many, many years. If somebody requires it on an emergent basis, it is done within 48 hours.

The last issue the member raises, relating this in any way to the Pan Am Games, a member or two of the media were inquiring about that this morning, and I can assure the members opposite there is no relation whatsoever to the Pan Am Games. I am not sure why that information may have been provided to this one individual, but on the overall health care system, there is an expectation that there will be no adverse impact on any of our procedures and any of our services.

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Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, can the Minister of Health, whose government told us there was no waiting list in Manitoba for the past 11 years, please explain to me why this patient was advised by the cardiac program that one of the reasons she had to wait two months for her heart surgery, while awaiting surgery for something else I might add, is because of 70 other people on the waiting list, the summer shutdown and the Pan American Games? That is what is being told to the public before the government–

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

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, again all the member did was repeat the exact same question he has just asked. We have discussed this issue in quite a bit of detail during our Estimates process. He is well aware there is nothing new with a summer schedule in Manitoba, whether it is in our health care system or in other areas of our services. He is also well aware that we are doing significantly more cardiac surgeries than ever before in the history of Manitoba. Last year alone at Health Sciences Centre, a 50 percent increase in the number of cardiac surgeries in the province of Manitoba. We are now up over a thousand individuals annually having that service provided. So again, through the additional resources that we have dedicated year in and year out in budgets, we are able to significantly expand that very important service for Manitobans that need it.

I just indicated to him very clearly that there is no relationship back to the Pan Am Games, and I am wondering what his objective is here, whether or not members opposite really do support the Pan Am Games or not. I have indicated to him there is no relationship. Whatever caused the providing of that information, I am told that there is no adverse impact on the health care system at all from the Pan Am Games and that it is not impacting this issue here as well.

Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, can the government, who try to spit out accusations on everyone to move themselves away from the real issues over and over again in this Legislature–can the minister explain why this individual who phoned the program was told by the program three reasons she had to wait two months for heart surgery: Seventy people on the waiting list, which we have the longest in the country; No. 2, the summer shutdown which we should not have except for this government's incompetency; and thirdly, because of the Pan American Games? Perhaps he can explain to the people who are waiting out there what the government's reasons are.

Mr. Stefanson: I repeat for the member opposite again, because obviously he is having difficulty hearing today. There is nothing new with summer scheduling in the province of Manitoba. It has gone on in this province for decades under previous governments that some members opposite have been a part of. So, again, there is nothing new there. We have significantly expanded our cardiac surgery in the province of Manitoba. We are now up over a thousand annually in this province. Health Sciences Centre alone had an increase of about 50 percent last year, going up to 600 surgeries in the province of Manitoba. So, again, we have dedicated significant resources to address this issue.

The one issue that there is a requirement for that we have acknowledged is in our intensive care unit we do need more nurses, and this fall, in October, we have a graduating class that will provide up to 15 more intensive care unit nurses in the province of Manitoba, one of the many steps being taken to address that very important issue. But I remind the member opposite that there is no relationship to this issue and the Pan American Games.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, Manitobans have recently been playing spot the difference, in this case trying to spot the difference between the government ads and the PC Party ads that they are seeing increasingly on their televisions. Now they have the same political message; the only difference is that the government ads use civil servants, government departments and, worst of all, public money to put out the PC Party message. I just want to ask when the Minister of Health is going to get the message from Manitobans, the message being that they do not want $175,000 more spent on advertising; they want it spent on our health care system.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, again I am wondering when the member for Thompson is going to understand that Manitobans want information on a number of issues, and they want information on their health care system. I encourage him to talk to his seat colleague, the member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak), who agrees with that fundamental point that Manitobans want information on their health care system. This information provides additional information on two very important issues that we know are uppermost in the minds of Manitobans: the issue of waiting lists and the issue of hospital overcrowding.

Again, as members opposite know, there has been significant improvement in the very important issue of waiting lists. We are seeing reductions right across the board, whether it is diagnostic and/or surgery. We also know that a number of steps are being taken to alleviate the pressures on hospitals. That is why we are creating and putting in place 850 additional new personal care home beds in Manitoba and taking a number of additional steps. Manitobans want information on their health care system, and it is incumbent on government to provide that information.

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Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, does the minister honestly believe anybody in this province accepts that answer? Does he not understand that people want money spent on health care, not health care propaganda ads for the Conservative Party?

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, I do not know what the member for Thompson is so worried or afraid of in terms of Manitobans getting information on the very important health care system. It is the No. 1 spending priority of this budget; it is the No. 1 priority in the minds of Manitobans. We spend 35.5 percent of all the money we spend on behalf of Manitobans on health care. We spend $2.1 billion every year on health care in Manitoba. We spend $5.8 million each and every day on health care in Manitoba. Manitobans want to know what is happening to their health care system. We believe it is important for government to provide them the information.

Mr. Ashton: I am wondering, Madam Speaker, if the minister will actually admit that the only people in this province who are afraid of anything are the Conservative Party. What they are doing is now spending $175,000 more of the people's money as part of their political propaganda re-election campaign.

Mr. Stefanson: Madam Speaker, once again I encourage the member for Thompson to talk to his seatmate, the member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak), who agrees the public wants information on their health care system. Any time I am in contact with Manitobans, they tell me that they want more information. Any surveys that have been done indicate people want more information on their health care system. So we believe it is important to provide information to Manitobans, whether it is their health care system or whether it is another area of services being provided by government. Obviously, the member for Thompson (Mr. Ashton) and his colleagues have difficulty with that issue. They have difficulty in sharing information, providing information to Manitobans. I am not sure why they do, but I encourage them to listen to Manitobans, and I encourage the member for Thompson to listen to his colleague the member for Kildonan.

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. According to the Maclean's health care survey, Winnipeg ranks ninth out of 16 Canadian cities. Of particular concern are the low efficiency ratings that Winnipeg health care system receives. In terms of early discharge, Winnipeg is ranked 12th. Can the minister indicate if he is happy with a 12th place among Canadian cities, and if not, indicate what position he feels the Maclean's survey should have given Winnipeg?

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Well, Madam Speaker, the member is right that in that survey done by Maclean's; it was done with research provided by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the organization chaired by Mr. Michael Decter. But, as the member indicated, Winnipeg ended up in the middle of all of the cities. I believe there were 17 or 18 cities surveyed. The gap between the highest and the lowest was not that wide of a range.

The member raises an interesting point because at times the system gets criticized for discharging people too quickly, and yet the point that the member for Inkster is highlighting here is that, stacked against other Canadian cities, we are at the lower end of the scale in terms of the discharge policies. On an overall basis, I think it was not an unreasonable rating for the city of Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba. I do acknowledge that survey is now two years old, and I would suggest to members opposite, with the number of steps that we have taken in this province, along with the additional resources in this budget alone, $194 million more supported by members opposite, by the way, I believe that you will continue to see the city of Winnipeg, province of Manitoba improve in that national ranking, Madam Speaker.

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Mr. Lamoureux: That is a very good point to send the ads to Maclean's or the Maclean's ads–

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, my question to the Minister of Health is: will he acknowledge that, out of 13 categories, the very best Winnipeg could do was a fifth place showing, out of the 13 categories? No other city is as bad as that particular issue. My question for the minister is: does he give any credibility to that aspect of the survey?

Mr. Stefanson: Not at all, Madam Speaker, because again I think you have to look at your system on an overall basis. That is what is most important to do in terms of all of the services that you are providing. On an overall basis, right now, on a 1997 survey, the city of Winnipeg was in the middle of the pack. I would suggest, based on data I have seen recently, that Winnipeg and Manitoba will continue to move up on that scale. When it comes to very important services like numbers of physicians per capita, we are above the Canadian average. When it comes to numbers of specialists per capita, we are above the Canadian average. When it comes to numbers of nurses per capita, we are above the Canadian average. In many of the areas that are important in terms of providing the human resource services to all Manitobans, Manitoba stacks up very well compared to the Canadian average. I think you have to look at the system on its overall basis and not pick and choose one area or one individual item.

Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, can the minister then indicate what specific measures he is taking to raise the level of health care in Manitoba, specifically in terms of hip replacements, when Manitoba, according to Maclean's, ranks 13th out of 16th back then?

Mr. Stefanson: Well, that is a very good question, Madam Speaker, because I believe, with the additional money that is in this budget, the additional $194 million, supported by most members opposite, it includes additional money for hip and knee replacement surgery in the province of Manitoba. I think the target for this year is an additional 600 to 700 hip and knee surgery procedures in the province. That is why I said to the member opposite: I think this is a worthwhile undertaking in Maclean's magazine. I believe that you will continue to see Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba move up on that listing. In fact, I think if that listing were done in 1999, you would see Winnipeg significantly higher on that listing.

Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Labour. Last September, at the Simplot ammonia plant in Brandon, there was an explosion that sent flames 30 feet into the air, and then two months later there was another explosion with fireballs lighting the night sky from a relief valve. It could be seen as far away as Souris. Now last week another explosion occurred, and this is where sulphur is removed from ammonia. All of these occurred in the new or expanded portion of the plant.

So my question to the minister is whether he has received a report yet from his Workplace Safety and Health officials on what is a serious explosion, and would that report be made available to the public. If he has not received the report, could he indicate when he will be receiving that report?

Hon. Mike Radcliffe (Minister of Labour): Madam Speaker, I do not have that report in my possession at this point in time. Workplace Safety and Health officials are investigating the matter right now. I thank my honourable colleague for the question because it is a serious incident. We take it very seriously, and when I do get the results of the inquiry, I am quite happy sharing the results with my honourable colleague.

Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): I thank the minister for the answer. I would ask a supplementary. Would the minister be prepared to–and this is no reflection on the staff in his department, but there is a certain limitation on expertise–appoint a team of chemical engineers, who are knowledgeable about the operation of ammonia plants, a very specialized field, to ascertain the level of risk that exists and whether an adequate risk management program exists?

Hon. Mike Radcliffe (Minister of Labour): I would suggest, Madam Speaker, that my honourable colleague opposite is being a little bit anticipatory at this point in time. He certainly brings forward some good points, but I think the first step is to receive the initial report from the Workplace Safety and Health individuals. There may be a very simple solution to this, and I do not want to anticipate what the results of the inquiry will be. If the cause of the explosion is something more complex, more detailed, and the department people do not have the necessary expertise at hand, I am sure that they have the resources that they can obtain the expertise they need.

Mr. L. Evans: Will the minister acknowledge that these explosions have caused a great deal of concern and anxiety not only among the workers, which is a fact, but also among the residents, especially those close to the plant in the east end, that the whole question of safety procedures should be examined and that we need an independent review by a team of experts who know something about ammonia plants? There is lots of material in the United States. There is an annual conference on ammonia plants. There are upgrading regulations that are now taking place in the United States. Those should be looked at. We need a team of–

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

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Mr. Radcliffe: Madam Speaker, I want to tell this Chamber and all my honourable colleagues here that I have already had a conversation with the honourable member for Brandon West (Mr. McCrae), who shared with me the concerns of his community with regard to these three explosions. So I certainly acknowledge the point that my honourable colleague makes on this issue, and I want to assure my honourable colleague that the inspection officers in Workplace Safety and Health have access to a lot of the learning and expertise, the written material that my honourable colleague makes reference to, and certainly will avail themselves of the cutting-edge learning on this particular topic. We are quite happy sharing this with my honourable colleague when the report comes in.

Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, to the Minister of Justice. Over the last 10 years or so, as we became the most violent province in Canada and the gang capital of Canada, the robbery capital of Canada, the auto theft capital of Canada, the highest increase in violent youth crime, where was the Filmon government?

My question to the minister is: could the minister now admit that it was dormant, waiting for an election?

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Well, Madam Speaker, that is not in fact the case, and the member knows that that is not correct. Indeed, many of the policies that we have implemented have made a significant difference in the issue of crime, and we will continue on in that direction.

I am not quite as confident as the Free Press, for example, is in saying that this is an issue that is under control. I think it is an issue that we need to address on a constant basis. We need to commit resources, and we need to commit attention to it. New ideas, new legislation is always important in this ongoing issue.

Mr. Mackintosh: Would the minister, who has just alluded to some more of his pre-election confessions, admit that this is the government that has worsened the conditions that have bred this record crime, gave a free ride to gang members by excessive bail, plea bargaining and backlogs, never so much as mentioned gangs in any of its budget speech, Madam Speaker? I ask this question: would the minister admit that this government is trying to make political mileage from a problem it helped create?

Mr. Toews: No, Madam Speaker, I disagree. I believe that our policies have been consistent and that our policies are making a positive difference. I think there is a big difference between our government and members opposite, members opposite who supported the early parole of a known gang leader and drug dealer. Those are their policies. Those are not our policies.

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Mr. Mackintosh: Would this minister, Madam Speaker, who oversaw the rise in criminal street gangs in this province, and who just a few months ago eliminated or slashed a further 16 compensation benefits to the victims of crime while announcing a phoney victims' bill of rights and victims' impact statement, now admit that this government has not been tough on crime; it has been tough just on the victims of crime?

Mr. Toews: Madam Speaker, it is common knowledge that it is our Victims' Rights Act that has the only effective victims enforcement mechanism in place. In fact, in terms of putting money towards victims' plans, I can compare that favourably to Saskatchewan. Here in Manitoba, it is $2.6 million; in Saskatchewan it is $300,000. We put the money where the need is.

Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, my questions are also for the Minister of Health.

Several times we have raised the issue about nurse shortages in the Island Lake communities, and I have correspondence that was directed to me by the federal Minister of Health. In that letter, he says the Medical Services Branch of Health Canada has developed several strategies to meet the future staffing needs for nurses, and in the interim I am advised that the situation in Garden Hill has improved. The situation is that the nursing station is closed in Garden Hill.

I would like to ask the Minister of Health what discussions he has had with his federal counterpart regarding the dire shortage needs in Garden Hill and the Island Lake communities.

Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Health): Well, Madam Speaker, members of the Department of Health have met with federal government medical health services. I am told that as of today Garden Hill nursing station is not closed, but it is funded for eight nurses and I believe presently has five nurses. As the member acknowledged, it is a federal nursing station, and it does have, I believe, usually two physicians on site.

But this is a serious issue in some of our northern First Nations communities. We have been dealing at a senior staff level in terms of helping and trying to address this issue. We have indicated a number of things that we are prepared to do. Our $7-million nurse recruitment fund is certainly available to assist in this very important area. I acknowledged that in questions from the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin). But I intend to be pursuing this as well with my federal counterparts.

Mr. Robinson: In fact, the nursing station is closed–for emergencies only. I would like to ask the minister what plans he has put forward to develop a regional health strategy to deal with this situation in Garden Hill and also the Island Lake communities.

Mr. Stefanson: Well, again, Madam Speaker, we have a situation where there are split jurisdictions. As the member knows, the responsibility lies with the federal government for these services. But we also have an overall responsibility for the health of Manitobans, so we have been working at a senior staff level, have been providing support to be pursuing the recruitment of nurses for the nursing stations. I have indicated that we are certainly making various instruments available across the province, but they are just as available and equally as important on our First Nations, our nurse recruitment fund of $7 million. So we are doing a number of things that we can to be a part of addressing this shortage in our northern communities.

Mr. Robinson: Madam Speaker, the people in the Island Lake area and Garden Hill not only regard themselves as Indian people but also Manitobans, and every week hundreds of them have to be flown out of the community for medical reasons. I would like to ask the minister now whether or not he will admit that there has to be something done to deal with the health problems of these fellow Manitobans.

Mr. Stefanson: Well, Madam Speaker, I have acknowledged and I acknowledged in my previous answer that I recognize that the overall health of Manitobans is a provincial responsibility. In this particular case, there are areas of federal jurisdiction. We had a lengthy discussion during the Estimates process, questions from the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin). We are starting to move forward on a project-by-project basis. I think if we continue to wait for the overall jurisdictional issues to be sorted out, unfortunately that might take some time, but I think we do have the capacity to move forward on individual projects and needs on our First Nations communities. This is certainly one of the highest needs, to be sure that the nursing stations are staffed to the appropriate level. We are prepared to be part of this solution, but it does take the co-operation of all parties, and I expect that that will be the case. So I think we can make some progress, and we are certainly committed to improve the situation.

Madam Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired.