Crime Rate
Increase
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, since the last time we were in session and raising questions in the Legislature, we had some very troublesome statistics that were released from Stats Canada, troublesome statistics that I am sure concern all members of the Legislature.
The Canadian crime rate in 1993 decreased and the crime rate, unfortunately in Manitoba, increased. In fact, Manitoba and New Brunswick were the only two provinces that had an increase in crime in the last reported full year of statistics in Canada.
I would like to ask the Premier (Mr. Filmon), what reasons were there for Manitoba having an increased crime rate, contrary to the trend that is going on in the rest of the country.
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, this government and this province are very concerned about the issues of crime across our province, and we have taken a number of very strong stands to deal with the issues of crime. Those stands have also required the co-operation of Manitobans to take part. As well, this is not an issue that can be dealt with by governments alone.
However, where this government has been able to take steps in areas such as Corrections and areas such as auto theft and auto vandalism, we have taken them.
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Victim Assistance Program
Status Report
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, it is rather disappointing that we did not have any reasons from the government about why it happened, so that we can take steps to prevent it in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier (Mr. Filmon) another question. On April 22 last year, I asked the Premier about the Victim Assistance Program that was being reduced in the provincial budget by the Conservative government. I further asked a question on June 1 to the Premier about the reduction of the Victim Assistance Program in rural and northern Manitoba.
I have since written the Premier on this issue pursuant to an open letter that was provided to the Minister of Justice and to all members of the Chamber from the Kelly family which was also reproduced in The Pas paper, the recommendation from that family and the analysis of that family that this was a very, very positive program in a great crisis period for them and their family, and they wanted the government to reconsider its decision to reduce and cut this program back.
I would ask the Premier (Mr. Filmon), will he now overrule his Minister of Justice and reinstate the Victim Assistance Program in Manitoba communities?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, the assistance to victims across this province has again been very important to this government. In fact, our financial contribution has been in excess of $3.7 million, including the Criminal Injuries Board.
The Leader of the Opposition perhaps missed in our statements last year that we have extended the Women's Advocacy Program to The Pas. That was announced in the budget last year.
Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, the minister and the Premier (Mr. Filmon) did not answer the question.
The Kelly family and other members of the communities across Manitoba are asking the government to maintain the victims assistance counsellors across Manitoba. The government has not given any in fact, I have not had any response to my letter to the Premier. I am not sure whether the family has had any response from the minister, and Manitobans want a direct answer.
Will they be maintaining counsellors in The Pas that are scheduled to be reduced in this budget year through budget decisions of the government in The Pas, in Flin Flon, in Selkirk, in Portage, in Thompson? Will they be maintaining those very, very important programs? Unfortunately, we have an increase in crime in Manitoba, and surely this is not the time to reduce services to victims in our province.
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, let me provide the answer again for the honourable member's information. First of all, in the budget last year we enhanced and extended the Women's Advocacy Program to three additional centres. Those centres were Brandon, The Pas and Thompson, and Women's Advocacy is operating in those centres now.
In addition, in terms of our support to victims, the total amount of money is $3.7 million. We provide $518,000 to programs operated by the Department of Justice and an additional $517,000 for programs operated by third-party groups on behalf of victims in this province. So we do continue a very strong support to victims.
Victims Assistance Fund
External Organizations
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House have been asking since November 1988 about the delays in Victims Assistance Fund grants to community organizations working with victims of violent crimes. Even now in 1994 there are groups that have had applications for funding in with this government since 1989 which have not yet heard about the disposition of those requests. From this government in five years we have had nothing but excuses, procrastinations and evasions.
Will the Minister of Justice today finally confirm that only about one-third of the Victims Assistance funds that are generated through the Victims Assistance Fund goes to nongovernmental groups, with the result that funding is not available to the extent that it has been in the past? It has been decreased by almost 50 percent to these external organizations.
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, let me say again the amount of money which this government provides to support victims is in excess of $3.7 million, and part of that money is provided to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board which deals with victims, both for medical needs and also now for therapy to victims of sexual abuse and other psychological therapy.
There is also money allocated to third-party agencies which provide programming on behalf of victims in Manitoba.
In addition, through the Department of Justice, we also provide service to victims.
We maintain a very strong commitment. There was also a section of the throne speech which dealt with our government's ongoing commitment to look at the needs of victims across this province. We are in fact doing that.
Ms. Barrett: Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister a specific question dealing with the external governmental agencies requesting funding from the Victims Assistance Fund.
Will she now table in the House a list of the organizations external to government that have made application to the Victims Assistance Fund, and, as well, list the disposition, current or future or former, of those requests?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, when I answered this question last spring, I believe I let the member know at that time that notification was going to applications which were not able to be accepted.
However, there were some applications which were being accepted. There were some conditions to be met on behalf of those applications and some requirements to be met to ensure that the programs which those organizations wish to offer were in fact in the whole best interest of Manitobans. When those conditions have been met, then the money would flow.
So we have been working in good faith with organizations; however, conditions have to be met to ensure that the money is spent in the most appropriate way.
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Ms. Barrett: Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that six months is a legitimate delay.
Mr. Speaker, will the Premier, as a member of Treasury Board, tell the House why the Treasury Board is sitting on a number of these applications, which staff have told agencies is the case, and give a firm commitment today that these groups some of whom have been waiting for five years and six months at least since they put in what they thought was the necessary documentation for their reports will he make a commitment today that Treasury Board will let these groups know what the status is on their requests for funding for victims in this province?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I am not a member of Treasury Board. The member, as usual, operates from incorrect information. I am sure, however, that Treasury Board will take notice of her questions and deal with it in an appropriate fashion.
Firearms Control
Government Position
Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr. Speaker, as all members know, and as the white ribbons we see members wearing today pay honour and tribute to the memory of the Montreal massacre five years ago, when 14 women were killed at the school in Montreal, today I think is an appropriate day to reflect on what has come of those five years.
There was a broad movement in this country to bring forward tougher gun control legislation, in part as a result of that. That has resulted in the last week in the release of a proposal from the federal government to get tougher on gun control, and a number of initiatives have been put forward.
My question for the Minister of Justice is, given that these proposals have gained the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, of the Canadian Association of Police Boards, of the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women and of the Canadian Teachers Federation, among others, what is the government's position on the federal proposals?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, our government's position is that proposal is weak on crime. That says it very clearly. It is absolutely weak on the area that deals with criminal behaviour in Canada as usual, weak on the criminal side.
Our position as put forward on behalf of the people of Manitoba asks the federal minister to expand Section 85 to include weapons, because we understand that 6 percent of criminal activity, violent criminal activity, was committed by firearms, and a further 33 percent of that criminal activity was committed by weapons other than firearms. Manitoba's women are waiting for the federal government [interjection]
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable minister is attempting to respond to the question as put by the Leader of the second opposition party. I would hope we would give the honourable minister an opportunity to respond.
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, Manitoba's women are waiting for this provincial Liberal Party to stand up to the federal Liberal Party and include those weapons which also have been used to hurt and abuse women in this province.
Mr. Edwards: Mr. Speaker, obviously we have hit a bit of a sore spot here.
Mr. Speaker, the minister said in a television interview some weeks ago a similar line that the definition should be expanded to weapons, and the context of the conversation was about the proposal to register all firearms. She went on to talk about weapons, including things like ashtrays and telephones. Her position is she says Manitoba's position is change the word to "weapons."
Obviously, she is not suggesting, I assume, that society has to register all potential weapons which would of course include telephones and ashtrays.
Mr. Speaker, my question is, does the Premier (Mr. Filmon) support the registration of firearms in this country or not?
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Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, the women of Manitoba are very disappointed in the Leader of the Liberal Party's attempt to misunderstand all of the women of Manitoba who have been abused by weapons such as ashtrays that the member seems to think are so very funny and weapons such as telephones and weapons such as knives. When women's lives are being threatened, they are threatened whether it is a firearm, a knife, a telephone or an ashtray.
I ask that member, when is the Liberal Party of this province going to stand up for the women of Manitoba and going to stand up for the safety of women in this province?
Mr. Edwards: . . . for the women in this province, can she produce one women's organization that does not support the registration of all firearms? The Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women's position, I might remind the minister is, women are far more likely to be the victims of guns than to use them. A woman is shot to death every five days in Canada. Guns are the weapon of choice in domestic violence, and most women murder victims are killed by unrestricted weapons such as rifles and shotguns.
Mr. Speaker, they support wholeheartedly the registration of every firearm in this country. Does she?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, let me give the member some statistics also which I think he should pay attention to on behalf of the women of Manitoba.
During a two-year period there was a tracking done from the Manitoba Spousal Abuse Tracking project. They noted that at that time firearms accounted for 11 percent; knives accounted for 33 percent; bottles and glass, 13 percent; ashtrays, tools, keys and other items, 24 percent.
We asked the federal government to expand Section 85 to include weapons. That is the position of this government. We are tough on the criminal activity. [interjection]
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member has had an opportunity to put his question.
Flin Flon/Creighton Crisis Centre
Funding
Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Mr. Speaker, since today is December 6, I think it is appropriate that all of us should rededicate our lives to living lives that are nonviolent and to educating our children to live lives that are nonviolent, and also a large segment of our society that needs some educating, namely men.
We, as a society have decided that when women are the victims of domestic violence and abuse, it is appropriate that we should fund shelters in their own communities as a safe haven where they can go to leave violent situations.
Regrettably, a year ago this government eliminated the funding to the Flin Flon Crisis Centre. I would like to ask the Minister of Family Services if her government is going to restore the funding so they can provide a full-time appropriate service in their community for women in need.
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): I echo the first comments made by my honourable friend at the beginning of his question indicating that we do need to dedicate and commit ourselves to working very hard to eliminate violent crime and teach very much our children and our grandchildren to ensure that they do have the opportunity to understand that crime is not an option.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to indicate that we as a government have made a major commitment to the shelter system in the province of Manitoba since we took over as government. The increase for shelter support right throughout the province has been 148 percent increase in the years that we have been government over what the former administration had in place.
We have made recent announcements just in the last couple of weeks that does commit and dedicate this government to providing support for second-stage housing throughout the province of Manitoba so that, after the crisis is over and women want to get on with leading normal lives free of the fear of violence, they will have the opportunity to have some supports in place to ensure that their lives can get back to normal.
Mr. Martindale: The minister did not answer the question, so I will repeat it. Is this minister and her government willing to commit resources so the community of Flin Flon can have an appropriate service in their own community? That is, the only service that is appropriate is a service that is provided in the community of Flin Flon.
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Mrs. Mitchelson: I know that the Department of Family Services, through Family Dispute, has been working very closely with the community of The Pas and the community of Flin Flon to ensure that women in Flin Flon have the opportunity to be safely accommodated should they have the need for shelter assistance.
Mr. Martindale: Mr. Speaker, it is very inappropriate to tell women who are living in Flin Flon that they have to go The Pas to get a service that was provided in Flin Flon. It should be provided in Flin Flon, and this government should restore the funding so that can happen again.
Will the minister commit herself to doing that?
Mrs. Mitchelson: I will commit to ensuring that this government lives up to its commitment to increased funding and fair support for women throughout the province of Manitoba.
Mr. Speaker, we have been working very closely with the communities of The Pas and Flin Flon to ensure that supports are available. It is my understanding that over the last number of years, there has not been a woman from the community of Flin Flon who has needed support for family violence or for abuse who has not received that support.
Public Health
Research Funding
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, testimony by the minister's own officials at the Krever inquiry indicated, quote: that the Ministry of Health lacks the ability to deal with epidemics, end of quote, as a result of cutbacks.
Today we hear as a result of changes in strains to bacteria virulence, we could be facing major difficulties in health dealing with tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
In Manitoba, Mr. Speaker, asthma is almost epidemic amongst our children. What plans does this government have to deal with a major public health epidemic and the research necessary to deal with that?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, through the branch in the Department of Health that deals with public health issues, that branch headed by Dr. Guilfoyle, the Medical Officer of Health, we are ready to respond in a case of the outbreak of communicable disease.
I think no better example could be given than the vaccine program we had for meningococcal meningitis earlier this past winter, and I think we responded well to that threat that was there and we were able to deal with that.
I dare say there will be comments made from time to time about any province's ability, depending on the magnitude of the threat, Mr. Speaker. I just remind the honourable member that no province is immune from dealing with these circumstances that do arise. But the Province of Manitoba holds our health care very dearly, and I think the spending of this government on health care generally in our province demonstrates that. No province in this country spends 34 percent of its total government spending on health, except for the Province of Manitoba, and we are trying to ensure that all of our branches are strong and able to respond to the need as it arises.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, in light of the minister's comments, how does he explain his annual report of the Manitoba Health Research Council released yesterday in this Chamber that indicates they received a 10 percent reduction in their funding to deal with research in areas like this.
How does the minister explain that reduction of 10 percent last year and zero percent this year, Mr. Speaker?
Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, we have been trying for the past several years in Manitoba to direct funding in those areas in the community where we can provide meaningful support for communities, so that we do not put undue pressure on the acute care sector of health care delivery in our province.
We have evidence recently from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation, an organization the honourable member has said is above reproach, Mr. Speaker, that says that we are successfully, according to the figures before them, achieving what we are supposed to be achieving, that is, delivering the optimal efficiency with the health care dollar being spent.
Combine that, Mr. Speaker, with the number of health care dollars being spent and the questions the honourable member raised, while helpful, give us an opportunity to give some assurances that in Manitoba we place the health care of our population at the very highest priority.
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Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, this minister signed a cheque to give more money to one American consultant than he did to the entire Manitoba Health Research Council.
My final supplementary to the minister is, how can this public have any confidence in the research capability of this province when it reduces funding for the research council when it is sitting on over $100 million in a lottery slush fund? Money like that was supposed to go to health research.
Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, I remind the honourable member that lottery dollars were used to finance the operation of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation, which has been helpful in helping us formulate health policy, helping us to evaluate health policy as it is implemented.
We are taking a very cautious and, I suggest, careful approach to the renewal of our health care system so that we do not engage in knee-jerk types of initiatives as you might see in provinces to the east and provinces to the west of us where, under the leadership of friends of honourable members opposite in the New Democratic Party and indeed the Liberal Party, we are seeing large and very deep cuts made in the health care systems there without the kind of planning and data-based research that is being used as we renew our health care system here in Manitoba.
Mr. Speaker, we are quite happy to compare what we are doing in Manitoba with any other jurisdiction in Canada, but we will always bear in mind that no matter how well we do in Manitoba, we can always do better. That is why we appreciate constructive suggestions coming from honourable members opposite.
Wildlife Act
Aboriginal Hunting Rights
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Natural Resources. On June 28 at committee stage of Bill 10 on page 67 of Hansard, the minister will recall that he stated: In checking with our legal counsel, we are advised that the constitutional rights of natives for hunting and fishing is not affected. It is the overriding thing which is the federal constitution where that is covered.
Did the minister issue a directive stating that when he informed conservation officers that Bill 10 would be proclaimed on the 17th of October?
Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): At the time when we had the debate on the amendments to The Wildlife Act it never dealt with the rights of any individual; it dealt with the safety of Manitobans. I want to repeat that again, that discharging a firearm at night is something that has been a major concern brought forward many times. The Wildlife Act has been proclaimed. We have implemented it, and it has been very effective in terms of decreasing nighttime hunting.
Mr. Robinson: Mr. Speaker, the minister will also recall that the Grand Rapids arrests that were well documented in media took place before Bill 10 was proclaimed, and there has been a great deal of confusion on the details and implications of Bill 10.
Will the minister take it upon himself to ensure that his officers are informed what the legal rights and obligations are?
Mr. Driedger: One of the reasons why we did not proclaim the amendments to The Wildlife Act immediately was so that we had time to take and review the impact of how it would be administered by our staff. I feel confident, unless somebody can bring information to the contrary, that our staff have been informed, and know what they are doing in terms of filling out their responsibilities?
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Mr. Robinson: My final question. I believe that certainly no one over here, certainly ourselves, is advocating unsafe hunting practices. I am quite sure that many members here as well are aware that we have been involved in co-management agreements in the past so we are very much aware as to how they can work effectively.
Will this minister contact the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the tribal councils and individual First Nations in Manitoba on the actual effect of The Wildlife Amendment Act and erase confusion that seems to exist in Manitoba regarding Bill 10?
Mr. Driedger: Mr. Speaker, I will have to confirm this, but I was assured that, prior to the proclamation of that, contact was made with all stakeholders, so to speak, as to the impact of what would happen when we proclaimed the amendments to The Wildlife Act.
I will undertake to make very sure that we made those contacts to clarify exactly what the intent of the act was. If that has not happened I am prepared to communicate with people who have either misunderstood or did not know exactly what was happening.
Firearms Control
Government Position
Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): Mr. Speaker, every five days on average in this country a woman is shot to death. Forty-two percent of the women who are murdered are murdered with firearms. I have seen the injuries. I have been to the autopsies as my colleagues as the Canadian chiefs of police, many of their colleagues, have seen, and that is why they are supporting this legislation.
Will this Justice minister show a leadership role and make gun registration work in this province by supporting the federal government's gun registration program?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, this government has made its position very clear. This government is extremely concerned about criminal activity. The member speaks about a criminal act in which a woman was assaulted or murdered, and this government comes down very hard on that position.
We have been very clear to the federal minister, to expand the sentences, to add on to the sentences where a firearm is used, to make sure that in the cases of a violent crime where a firearm is used, there should be additional, significant penalties imposed
upon the offender. That is the position of this government, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Kowalski: Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see the minister supports that portion of the legislation, but the question is gun registration, gun registration that will stop the illegal importation of firearms, that will allow the police to do their job, to tell which are illegal guns.
Will she get on a plane to Ottawa and support the Justice minister in the call for tougher gun control here in this country?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, again, I have stated the position of this government very clearly. Our government is very concerned about criminal activity committed with a firearm or a weapon. We have said to the federal minister very clearly that we are expecting that he will implement significant additional penalties where there has been a weapon, is what we are asking the federal minister for.
Mr. Speaker, I have written personally to the federal Minister of Justice to make sure that that minister is fully aware of the position of this government, but this party does not stand up for Manitobans in other areas. We were the only province in Canada who presented to the parliamentary committee on young offenders. There was not one member of the Liberal Party who has stood up with Manitobans who have made themselves very clear in the area of young offenders.
Mr. Speaker, we are also asking the federal government to increase in the area of stalking, to toughen up the stalking penalties to assist the victim. This Liberal Party has not assisted.
Mr. Kowalski: Suicides account for 77 percent of the 1,445 firearm deaths in 1991. Studies have shown that a home with a gun is five times more likely to be the scene of a suicide. We understand that gun control in itself will not be the only solution, but it will be a solution.
Will she not support and prevent domestic firearm deaths and suicides by supporting this gun control legislation?
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, again, the federal government has made their decision. [interjection]
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Attorney General is attempting to respond to the question.
Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Speaker, what I would ask this provincial Liberal Party and all members of this House is to also support and to not be selective, because we have not heard one word from the Liberal Party in terms of their support of additional significant sentences and the inclusion of weapons.
Mr. Speaker, that is the area of criminal activity. They have not agreed to support Manitoba's position to expand the term "firearm" to include weapons. That party has not stood with Manitobans on behalf of the public safety of Manitoba.
Manitoba Hydro
Corporate Housing Taxation
Hon. Donald Orchard (Minister of Energy and Mines): Mr. Speaker, yesterday my colleague took a question as notice from the member for Rupertsland (Mr. Robinson) regarding a recent reversal of Revenue Canada on the taxable benefit of housing provided to employees of Manitoba Hydro at Gillam and Sundance.
I would like to inform my honourable friend that Manitoba Hydro has engaged external legal counsel because they, as we are, are very concerned about the change in ruling and interpretation which was not stimulated by change in legislation. Manitoba Hydro has engaged outside counsel in order that we can determine the type of legal case we can present on behalf of those employees and the retroactive request of taxation for years '91, '92 and '93.
McKenzie Seeds
Privatization
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for McKenzie Seeds.
Even though the minister has no legislation to authorize the sale of McKenzie Seeds, he is determined to sell McKenzie Seeds to Regal Greetings & Gifts of Toronto, which has since been acquired by MDC Corporation of Toronto.
Can the minister confirm that MDC Corporation is having a problem with its bankers over the agreement to buy McKenzie Seeds? Has MDC or Regal approached the government to change the terms of the agreement?
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer (Minister responsible for A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd.): Mr. Speaker, we indicated in the spring that we had put six preconditions on the sale of McKenzie Seeds. We had a number of unsolicited bids come forward from companies in Canada and elsewhere.
We have been working with Regal from Toronto based on those preconditions. We are taking the time we need to do the due diligence on MDC, who are the new owners of Regal, to be sure that those six preconditions are met.
I note that the member has never quarrelled with the preconditions, and it is taking a little bit longer. I would remind the member that when he was responsible for McKenzie Seeds he indicated that the government in which he was a minister was prepared to sell McKenzie Seeds, and the only reason they did not sell it was they only had a two-year guarantee. Reports in the newspaper from those days indicate a quote from the member for Brandon East: The seed business is the last industry that we want to be in. I am sort of surprised that he has maybe changed his direction on this.
Mr. Leonard Evans: Instead of answering the question, the minister takes words of mine out of context which are 25 years old.
Mr. Speaker, in the public interest, will this minister tell the House now, does the MDC Corporation of Toronto want to change the conditions of the agreement that was set out originally?
Mr. Gilleshammer: I can tell the member that we are continuing to look after the interests of Manitoba and McKenzie Seeds, and the preconditions that have been put forward by this government will have to be met before a sale is concluded.
I can say that some of the reason there is concern and speculation is the misinformation that the member for Brandon East has put on the record. For instance, in the spring he indicated that 80 percent of the market was in central Canada. That certainly has been refuted by McKenzie Seeds, and the member for Brandon East, I believe, had to apologize for that. He has indicated in the press that Brandon is not the most viable location for McKenzie Seeds. This has been refuted by the Chamber of Commerce, the board of McKenzie Seeds, the mayor and council of Brandon, and part of the reason that there is some concern is the misinformation that the member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans) has put on the record.
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Education System
Physical Education
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Education.
Now, we understand the Minister of Education wants to sit down and talk to the teachers. We appreciate the fact that the blueprint has already been tabled and he has told Manitobans, educators, all stakeholders that this is in fact the direction we want to take the province of Manitoba on education.
There are some fundamental problems. I want to deal with a specific problem, with the petitions that I have been tabling, and that is the issue of physical education. The Minister of Education has decided that physical education is not going to be compulsory for S3 and S4.
I am going to ask the Minister of Education: Will he reconsider that decision and implement this as part of the core curriculum?
Hon. Clayton Manness (Minister of Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question. Let me state for the record once again that this government firmly supports physical education as a course of study. However, we also firmly support the rights of parents and communities to reflect upon the programming base within their schools. So we say that parents, and indeed the community, must be involved in the decision making around the programming within their school, and we made that point very clearly.
Phys ed will continue to be a compulsory course from Grades 1 to 8 and to the end of Grade 12 in those communities where the parent council decides that should be the case.
The issue is here. We trust in the parents. We trust in the people. The Liberal Party do not. They do not have trust in those groups of people to make phys ed compulsory from Senior l through Senior 4. We trust the people, Mr. Speaker. The members opposite do not.
Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, one has to question the minister. We have professionals in health care. We have profession educators. We have parents. We have all the stakeholders that are contradicting what the Minister of Education has just put on the table.
My question to the Minister of Education is, is the Minister of Education going to be sitting down with the teachers now and responding to their concerns with the blueprint or does he just want to sit down
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member has put his question. Order, please. We are out of time.
Mr. Manness: Mr. Speaker, there are 12,000 teachers in the province of Manitoba. I cannot sit down with 12,000, but I did sit down with their representatives very extensively through the process of developing the blueprint. As a matter of fact, I met with them on several tens of occasions, and they gave input.
Mr. Speaker, I am not holding them. I am not holding the Teachers' Society to the recommendations that came forward in the blueprint, but there was wide and broad consultation. We will broaden it beyond that as we call forward those of the 12,000 who wish to be in attendance to give some advice as to how we implement the basic core of the document in question.
Mr. Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired.
TABLING OF REPORTS
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Mr. Speaker, can I request reverting to Tabling of Reports?
Mr. Speaker: Is there leave to revert to Ministerial Statements and Tabling of Reports? [agreed]
Mr. Stefanson: Mr. Speaker, I would like to table the Quarterly Report for the six months April to September 1994.
NONPOLITICAL STATEMENTS
École polytechnique Murder Anniversary
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable Minister of Justice have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, today marks the fifth anniversary of the tragic murders of 14 women students at the École polytechnique in Montreal. We all recall the horror we felt as we listened to this shocking news. Acts of senseless violence cause us to mourn lives so wasted. How much greater is the loss for the families and the friends of the young women who lost their lives five years ago. We, once again, extend our condolences and our sympathies to those families and friends.
We all have a role to play in changing attitudes and in improving the ways in which we communicate and in teaching our children to solve problems without resorting to violence. I urge all Manitobans to continue working to make the changes that will make our province a safe place for women and children and all Manitobans.
December 6 has been declared a national day of remembrance, an action respecting violence against women. Let us now at some point today take a moment to remember the Montreal students who were victims of violence, as well as Manitoba women who have met their deaths through violent acts. At seven o'clock this evening, Mr. Speaker, a memorial vigil will be held on the legislative grounds in remembrance of women who have been victims of violence. I encourage members of the Legislative Assembly to attend, and I say let us continue to work together towards our common goal of a safe and healthy future for Manitobans. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Wellington have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to rise today and acknowledge that today is the fifth anniversary of the deaths of 14 young women in Montreal at the hands of a man who knew nothing of their hopes, dreams or aspirations, a man who saw these women only as the cause of his own frustrations.
In Manitoba since 1990, there have been over 50 women murdered by men, seven in the last six months alone murdered by husbands, lovers, boyfriends and sometimes even strangers. Whatever the ostensible reasons for the deaths of the hundreds of women who have been murdered in Canada by men, the tie that binds these deaths together is that they were women murdered by men.
Let us all remember the women who have died as the result of male violence, whether they be in Montreal, Winnipeg, Thompson, Steinbach, Dauphin or Flin Flon. Let us pray for the day to come as Karen Toole-Mitchell said in the Free Press this weekend, that lions and lambs can meet when the lion realizes there is no need to sacrifice the lamb and the lamb realizes it has a right to life. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Osborne have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Ms. Norma McCormick (Osborne): Mr. Speaker, five years ago today a gunman entered Montreal's École polytechnique and murdered 14 young women who were students in the engineering program. This tragic event stands today as a grim reminder to Canadian women and girls that the transition to a society which provides equality of opportunity for young women and girls has not yet been achieved.
We mark this day with white ribbons and we mourn the terrible loss and the loss of the lives of dozens of Manitoba women and girls in the last five years. But it is not enough just to mourn. Today is the day we assess our progress toward ensuring that Canada is a safer place for women and children, irrespective of their dreams and aspirations and of their career choices.
Today is also the day we renew a commitment to end the misogyny which gives rise to these murders. I call on each member of this Chamber to demonstrate by our actions and by our treatment of one another that women have earned the full right to participation in all aspects of Canadian society. Let us respect each other for the contribution that each of us has to make and the ways in which we choose to make it. Thank you.
Provincial Volleyball Championships
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable Minister of Rural Development have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Hon. Leonard Derkach (Minister of Rural Development): Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to rise in the House to recognize a group of young Manitoba athletes who are to be highly commended for their superior volleyball talent which was displayed at the Provincial AA Volleyball Championships held in Russell last weekend.
These two highly energetic teams are widely known as, the girls, Goose Lake High Angels and, the boys, Goose Lake High Raiders from Roblin. They are the first rural teams from the same school and in the same year to win a Provincial AA Volleyball Championship title.
Mr. Speaker, the coaches of the girls' team were Hugh Newton and Jim McMillan. Their members were: Carlana Jo Newton, Vanessa Cross, Kim Nernberg, Jay Carriere, Kari Kozmeniuk, Trisha Simpson, Jaimie Boguski, Rhea Hojnocki and Darilyn Reich.
The coach of the boys' team was Tom Gulak. The players were: Jared Cockerill, Whitney Nernberg, Tim Mohr, Scott Hudema, Jason Cherowka, Kris Paul, Ryan Chase, Barry Laliberte, Gary Wallace, Darren Wandy, Jeremy Lungal and Trevor Digby.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of the House to join me today in congratulating these fine Manitoba athletes.
* (1420)
Mr. Speaker: The honourable Minister of Rural Development, I would ask you, sir, to kindly table the document. We want Hansard to get the correct spelling.
Does the honourable member for Swan River have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): On behalf of my colleagues on this side of the House, I would like to join with the members across in congratulating the teams from the Roblin school who did so well this weekend in their activities. It just indicates how important it is that young people have the opportunity to participate. I am very pleased that there are rural people who have this opportunity to meet the same standards and compete at the same level as urban students. I join with the member in congratulating these students on their efforts.
University Women's Basketball
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable government House leader have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Hon. Jim Ernst (Minister responsible for Sport): Mr. Speaker, on the 25th of November, the University of Winnipeg Wesmen women's basketball team achieved a milestone in sports history reached only once before by the UCLA men's basketball teams of the early 1970s: an incredible 88 consecutive wins. In so doing, they became the co-holders of the North American record and earned a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
What makes this achievement more special is that 13 of the 14 players were born and raised in Manitoba, proving once again that our home-grown athletes are among the very best in the world.
On Friday, December 2, the Wesmen women attempted to break the record of 88 consecutive wins to become the sole holders of the North American record. Their competition was a remarkable women's team from the University of Manitoba Bisons, and on Friday it was their determination and hard work that won the day and they emerged victorious.
Both these teams are to be congratulated for their achievements but also for the significant contribution they have made to raising the profile of women's sports. Media from all across the country were present at the Duckworth Centre, and the game was broadcast locally on radio station CJOB and carried from coast to coast on the TSN sports network.
The University of Winnipeg Wesmen women and the University of Manitoba Bison women are indeed excellent role models for all young women national champions, academic all-Canadians and North American record holders. They are, as well, sterling examples to all Manitobans of the excellence among our youth, a group most often focused upon in recent times with a small number who are making negative news headlines. Bravo and congratulations.
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Wolseley have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley): Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be able to join with the Minister for Sport in recognizing the achievement of the University of Winnipeg women's basketball team who over the last two and a half years have had 88 consecutive victories equalling the record set more than 20 years ago by the UCLA Bruins.
Mr. Speaker, I have watched this team play many times over the last two and a half years. They are a very fast-paced team whose skill, teamwork and dedication to each other is very much evident on the floor, and thousands of supporters over the last few years I think would recognize this.
It has been a remarkable achievement for a small institution in my constituency, Wolseley, and the fulfillment of the ambitions that the University of Winnipeg set for itself when it chose to concentrate on a small number of intercollegiate sports. It is a remarkable achievement for women's sports to have the popular following of this U of W team, and I would like to commend the minister responsible for women on the team poster which she has sponsored with the inscription Role Models.
Anyone who was present at the last two games will be in no doubt that these women atheletes are indeed forceful role models for many young men and women in this province. It is also significant, as the minister also mentioned, that the present team with one exception is a product of the physical education programs in Manitoba high schools, a product of the public support for our teachers and coaches by all previous provincial governments.
Mr. Speaker, I have watched this team play. I unfortunately missed the last four exciting seconds of the game on Friday, four seconds which enabled the University of Manitoba Bisons to end the record and four seconds which certainly are still being talked about by many Manitobans.
Mr. Speaker, victory would have been sweet, but the game goes on, and we would like to wish the Manitoba women's teams the best of success as they look to national competitions in the next few months. We note with pride the excellence that they represent for women's sports in this country.