Manitoba Lotteries Corporation
Accountability Legislation
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier.
A number of items have been noted in the Auditor's Report that have been consistent with the concerns we have raised in the past: the Winnipeg Jets operating loss agreement signed by the government; some concerns on Grow Bonds in terms of the accounting process; the Hazardous Waste Corporation, about which I wrote directly to the Auditor.
But an issue that has been a concern to the public and a concern to members of the opposition has been the whole issue of accounting in the Lotteries Corporation here in Manitoba.
The Auditor raises three legitimate and public concerns about the accounting procedures. It talks about the whole weakness in the government's reporting of the revenues in Volume 1, inadequate information to members of the Legislature and therefore to members of the public. It talks about the timeliness of reports, and it also raises the issue of the debate that is lacking on the expenditure in Lotteries.
I would like to ask the Premier, in light of the fact that the Auditor says that legislation is a requirement to make these changes, is the government going to support the NDP Lotteries accountability bill and give the public more information and a greater accountability in terms of this bill?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I note that the member, of course, misrepresents and distorts, in fact, the information of the Auditor, because at no time did the Auditor indicate that she did not have access to all of the information required in order to ensure that every dollar was accounted for and that the revenue that flowed through was, in fact, the money that was allocated for and all of the money that did happen in lotteries in this province.
I note that she says, while we agree with the accounting policies used in Volume 3--and she says that they agree with the accounting policies that were utilized--she does make certain recommendations, recommendations that I am sure that our government is prepared to deal with.
One of them, of course, has to do with release of the report of the Lotteries Corporation on a more timely basis, say within six months of the corporation's year-end. The only concern that our people have in looking at it is that we have to wait for the annual report of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation to be incorporated in our annual figures, and if that can be done, we have no difficulty saying that we are quite prepared to release that information as quickly as it is reasonable to do so.
Mr. Doer: Of course, the Auditor's comments deal with information to this Legislature and therefore to the public. The Auditor says, the lottery revenue reflected in Volume 1 is incomplete because the total actual lottery revenues are not shown as revenue for the government, a criticism that has been made, Mr. Speaker, by members on this side, by members in the public, by municipal officials, by numbers of people, and that does not even include the concerns about how much revenue was raised in the communities, which, of course, members of the public want to know.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know whether the government is going to implement legislative changes to make it possible for the public to know the actual revenues on a timely basis and for the public to have information about where this revenue is generated by communities, so the public can know whether there is more money coming out of the communities than is going back in by the government's spending of those revenues.
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, this is pure politics by the Leader of the Opposition. I will quote what the Auditor has said: The information on actual lottery revenues provided to the Legislature in MLC's annual report is reliable, relevant, complete and useful.
The information that he says is not in Volume 1 is all contained in Volume 3, Mr. Speaker, and it is there for the use of the public and anybody, including those who want to distort and misrepresent it, like the Leader of the Opposition.
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Mr. Doer: Mr. Speaker, I regret to say that the only political action we see on behalf of this government dealing with Lotteries is a pre-election slush fund, a pre-election slush fund in terms of the government of the day.
The Auditor raises three criticisms of the existing government in the section dealing with the Auditor's Report on Lotteries, criticisms that deal with the existing accounting procedures.
The Auditor goes on further to say that the legislation may have to be changed, Mr. Speaker. The legislation may require revision to fully address the recommendations the Auditor makes and, I would argue, to fully address the concerns the public has been raising in community after community after community.
Will this government give us full disclosure and give us full accounting and give us full statements of revenues by community and a full statement of the revenues when they gain them, Mr. Speaker, on a timely basis, rather than having the criticism that we see in the Auditor's Report that is tabled here in the Legislature today?
Mr. Filmon: Mr. Speaker, the interesting thing about this is that it was a New Democratic government that started Lotteries in this province in 1970 with the introduction at that time of Lotteries, a New Democratic government that set up the first casino in this province. It was a New Democratic government that took over the bingos of this province and set up the first two bingo parlours and purchased the land on which the two new entertainment centres were built for that purpose.
It was the New Democrat government that set up the Lotteries Corporation and all of the procedures that it currently follows, Mr. Speaker.
To talk about the politics that he wants to play, this member does not demand that we set out how much we collect in sales tax revenue in each community in Manitoba, how much we collect in personal income tax revenue in each community in Manitoba, how much we collect in every other form of revenue. He does not ask for that kind of information. He is doing this for pure politics.
Health Care Facilities
No Deficit Policy
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Mr. Speaker, now in an election year this government has finally realized, perhaps, that its policy of massive cuts to our health care system and the Americanization of our health care system may not be working. Finally, months before an election, the realization may have come about.
My question to the Minister of Health: Will the minister now advise the House today what he could not tell us yesterday, what he tried to tell the media in several scrums yesterday in the hallway? Will he try to explain to the House today what the government's deficit-funding policy is, whom it applies to and for what period of time? They are now apparently, perhaps, funding some hospital deficits.
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, the honourable member is not going to get away with rewriting the history of this province. I cannot imagine how he can sustain language about massive cuts in the face of $500-million additional spending this year, as opposed to the amount of spending in 1988, the year that his colleagues were kicked out of office in Manitoba, $500 million more every year today than when he and his colleagues were in office just six, seven years ago.
That is 34 percent of the total spending of government, so in no way would I ever accept such language and neither will anybody else when they see what is going on in Manitoba in terms of improvements to the health care system.
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Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, perhaps he could explain that to the home care people who have to pay for their home care equipment, to the hospital patients who cannot get into a hospital, to the emergency rooms that are crowded, to the hundreds of nurses they have laid off, to all the people who have to pay.
Mr. Speaker, my supplementary to the minister who, again, for the ninth time did not answer the question--
An Honourable Member: Tenth.
Mr. Chomiak: Tenth time. I stand corrected, Mr. Speaker. For the tenth time did not answer the question, and to a government that has a plan to cut a further thousand employees from the health care system, will the minister explain how this policy applies and how it applies to rural facilities, many of whom such as the Parkland region had a million dollars clawed back from their surplus budgets, how it applies to hospitals all across the province?
Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, I will take every opportunity to remind my fellow Manitobans that as we shift towards more emphasis on community care and preventive services, the budget for home care in Manitoba has increased some 93 percent in the past seven years, up around $70 million.
I will tell my fellow Manitobans that we have increased, very significantly, spending on support services for seniors in Manitoba to improve their quality of life, to postpone disability and to cut down on illness. I will be very pleased to talk about the expansion of the personal care home program in this province, very, very significant increases over the past few years, about the increases for dialysis treatment and increases for bone marrow transplants and breast screening for Manitoba women across this province.
I will also tell of the labour adjustment strategy that we have put in place in the health sector which did not exist before, which is protected and cushioned for whatever blow there might be with regard to renewal of our health system for the people who have worked so hard and so long in the health system to provide the high quality care that we have in Manitoba today.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, that is 11 times in two days the Minister of Health has refused to answer the question.
An Honourable Member: He does not know the answer.
Mr. Chomiak: He does not know or he is not saying.
My final supplementary to the minister: In light of his mention of their expanded support to community health centres, will he rescind his September 21 memo to community health centres telling them the no-deficit policy applies and there are no appeals of those deficits? Will he rescind that memo to community health organizations?
Mr. McCrae: Mr. Speaker, any communication like that to community health centres should not come as too much of a disappointment since I am advised that community health centres do not have deficits, so it should not be a problem for them.
If the honourable member needs clarification, as I said a year ago, when we decided to build a labour adjustment strategy and put a stop to layoffs, that did put some hospitals into a deficit situation which it seems only natural and fair we would cover, since we are the ones that urged that upon the hospitals.
Otherwise, deficits are not something that hospitals or the government or anybody else wants to put up with in Manitoba, and so we are working very co-operatively and very well with the hospital sector in Manitoba to bring those financial matters under control.
There has been very, very significant success when one compares the number of institutions that have deficits today with the number that existed five or so years ago. Thanks to the good people who operate those facilities throughout our province in their partnership with Manitoba Health, we have come a very long way and made very good progress.
Manitoba Lotteries Corporation
Accountability
Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier.
In addition to the Auditor questioning the issue of how lottery monies are raised, as the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) has spoken of already, the Auditor also questioned how those monies are spent. On page 73 of the report, under Lottery-Funded Expenditures, the Auditor specifically stated, and I quote: "Our office holds the view that all government expenditure programs should be subject to debate and compete on their relative merit in order to obtain funding."--and then went on to make a recommendation to enhance that.
The comment from the government, the government strongly disagrees. Why is the government unwilling to respect the advice of the Auditor on the issue of Lottery-Funded Expenditures and have them compete on the floor of this Legislature as a normal part of government expenditures like any other part of government expenditures? Why is the Lotteries Corporation set up as some fiefdom outside of this House?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I know that the member opposite has difficulty reading all of these things and understanding them, but that is precisely what happens, is that this government considers every dollar of revenue to be a dollar of revenue to be competed for in the whole Estimates process. We no longer say, as used to be the case under former administrations, that Lotteries money could only go to certain things. All of the priorities of this government are funded by all of the money of this government on a priority basis.
What the Auditor is saying is that we no longer need to show specifically where the Lotteries money goes any longer. Obviously, that would be challenged by members opposite because they are constantly saying, tell us where the money goes. That is what the endeavour is within the whole lottery system, is to answer the questions of that very member, to say, where does the money go? So that is why it is specifically highlighted as being Lotteries Funded Programs, to answer his questions. In terms of how we choose our priorities, every dollar that is spent is given the same priority choices as every other dollar that is spent.
The priorities of this government go in order, and all we do then is highlight where the money goes so that a member, like the member for River Heights or sorry, St. James--he lives in River Heights--I am sorry, the member for St. James (Mr. Edwards) can have his questions answered.
Mr. Edwards: This comes from the Premier of Charleswood, or again for the member for Charleswood--oh, I am sorry, it is the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I think I will stick with the Auditor on this one, who points out a specific criticism of how this government reports Lottery-Funded Expenditures.
Promotional Brochure
Mr. Paul Edwards (Leader of the Second Opposition): My further question is for the Premier.
I believe that were some of these recommendations respected by this government, we would not have seen some of the expenditures that this government has been making in the Lotteries.
I have talked earlier about the $1.2 million on the new advertising campaign. Now the pamphlet--which does not have a word about any of the problems associated with gambling or even the addiction hot line--which was circulated at the UMM convention last week is showing up in people's mailboxes.
A hundred and twenty-five thousand of these were printed for government departments. How many more thousands have been printed? How many homes are they going to? What are the criteria that are being used to determine whom they get sent to through direct mail?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): I cannot believe the hypocrisy of this member opposite, because time and time again, he has gone on radio, on television, in the newspapers and in this House and stood up and said, we do not know where the money is going.
As long as he wants to imply that the public is not being told where the money is going, we will keep telling the public. That is our mandate, to respond to his nonsense.
Mr. Edwards: If the government spent one-tenth as much time telling Manitobans where the money comes from, Mr. Speaker, as to where it is being spent, it would be a different story. This government never talks about where they get this money and the cost of raising this money.
We know, according to their own Volberg report, that there are 32,000 Manitobans that are susceptible to gambling addiction. Where is one word in this pamphlet about those problems and about those risks? Where is one word about the hot line set up for people who have problems? Where is any indication that this government understands or has any desire to communicate to the public the risks of how they are raising this $214 million?
Mr. Filmon: You know, like Winnie-the-Pooh, that member may think that there is a honey tree, but Manitobans know when they spend their money where their money goes.
It is only he who has the audacity and the hypocrisy to suggest to Manitobans that he does not know where the money goes. We have put out the folder to tell people, in answer to his questions and his misleading them.
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Crime Rate
Impact of Social Conditions
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.
Manitoba had the worst and, I suggest, the most threatening crime rate in Canada last year. Also in this province, we have suffered the worst poverty rate in Canada, the worst high school dropout rate in Canada, the worst record for number of children in care in Canada, the worst economic growth record in Canada, among the lowest minimum wages in Canada, and heinous cuts to child and family support programs.
Will the minister now admit that these conditions are major factors causing our crime? With this government's policies, does she expect our crime rate to worsen?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, our government has a very good record in making sure that the money that is available goes to the people who need it and goes in the places where it is needed.
I can tell the member that colleagues on our side of the House, colleagues on the government side, have made sure that money has been directed to the important areas. This government also has taken a very aggressive stand against crime within this province, and I would ask members opposite, where do they stand, because they have not stood with Manitobans once.
Mr. Mackintosh: Well, Mr. Speaker, crime is getting worse. Given that we have just now confirmed what every Winnipegger, I think, senses, that in Winnipeg, not only is the car theft epidemic continuing and break-and-enters are up 2.7 percent--that is 11,000 victims--there is a new wave. Robberies are up 26 percent at the end of October.
Would the minister now admit that this government's mean-spirited policies, the mean-spiritedness of this government, is breeding this crime while this minister grandstands?
Mrs. Vodrey: Unbelievable questions from the member opposite.
Let me ask the member where he stood when we were dealing with the issues of youth crime and violence. Let me ask where that member stood when we were trying to make amendments to the Young Offenders Act and encourage the federal government to crack down on youth crime through the Young Offenders Act.
Across the way, that member did not stand once with Manitobans. That member has not stood once in assisting or advertising the street peace line, where young people can use a phone line to attempt to get out of gang-related activity.
They have in every case not assisted Manitobans in the area of our fight against crime.
RCMP
Understaffing
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Manitobans are fed up. Given that outside Winnipeg, crime is also increasing, will the minister now unequivocally admit that she was indeed officially advised of RCMP understaffing in our communities?
She failed to tell the truth. Will she immediately address the understaffing of 83 positions?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I can tell the member that I have not yet received what was sent out by the division reps to RCMP officers. However, yes, as I have said previously in this House and also in the newspaper article the member references, I have had ongoing discussion with the RCMP, who are authorized to negotiate on behalf of issues relating to the RCMP.
That negotiation is ongoing, began some time ago and continues. We certainly recognize the very important role that the RCMP and other municipal police forces play in fighting crime in this province, and we look to continually co-operate with those police services.
Public Housing
Rent Increase Appeal Process
Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Mr. Speaker, we have been raising numerous times the unfairness of this government, along with the federal Liberals, in raising rents in public housing and decreasing support for public housing, increasing rents more than 15 percent in some cases. We would prefer if they would have cancelled this rent hike, because there are some problems and concerns with the proposed appeal process for people that they brought in because of the public outcry.
I want to ask the Minister of Housing, how does this minister plan to determine, as she terms them, hardship cases, when so many tenants who live in public housing are having incomes below the poverty line? How can she assure us that there will be criteria that will be fair?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Housing): First of all, in terms of criteria that are fair, the member might like to take a look at provincial comparisons when she talks about the types of things that are happening in Manitoba. She should be able also to ascertain that the people in Manitoba are very, very well treated vis-à-vis the rest of Canada.
For example, when she talks about our rent hike, the rent hike being moved from 26 percent of income to 27 percent of income for the majority of renters, but not all, because there are still many who remain at 25 percent, she is not telling people that in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Ontario, they were at 30 percent, that Alberta is moving to 30 percent in 1995, Nova Scotia is moving to 30 percent, Prince Edward Island is going to 30 percent in 1995, and Manitoba has remained at 27 percent, despite the fact that we are one of the very few, in fact, one of only two provinces that give property tax credits to renters in public housing even though they do not pay the full property tax credit. We do now include that as income because it is income, but they still receive that credit that other provinces do not receive.
In terms of fairness, Mr. Speaker, I believe that we are eminently fair compared to the rest of the country.
In terms of the appeal process, the tenants who have indicated that they had already made other budgetary considerations for their income and now are experiencing some financial hardship because their money is being allocated elsewhere, those will be seriously looked at and considered with a compassionate view to making sure no one is disadvantaged.
Ms. Cerilli: Mr. Speaker, my question to the minister was, what are the requirements for a successful appeal to the rent increases in Manitoba, and when will tenants in Manitoba be apprised of this appeal process?
Mrs. McIntosh: Mr. Speaker, the tenants are in the process of being notified now. Some of the tenants may have already received their notifications. Those who have written to me are getting letters from me indicating the appeal process is now in place. Managers of buildings are being notified of the appeal process and what steps the tenants who approach them might be able to take.
The day before yesterday, I signed a letter to the member herself indicating the appeal process in place. She may not have received it yet because it takes a couple of days to go through the mail.
Criteria are being set out by the tenant-community relations committee of the Manitoba Housing Authority. They will certainly take a look at people who have the minimum benefits in terms of the old age pension and the supplement and make sure they are not disadvantaged by virtue of the rent that they pay.
Ms. Cerilli: Why did the minister not make this option for appeal known to tenants in public housing when she announced the increase? Why is it only after they have paid their increase, after public outcry, that she has had to put forward this appeal process?
Mrs. McIntosh: As the member knows full well, this change was announced a year ago. This process has been in place since May of 1994. People have been paying these increases since that time, in terms of the property tax credit being calculated as income.
We heard no objections, none at all until a few months ago when the member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans) went to a building in Brandon and solicited comments from the tenants in that building.
Point of Order
Ms. Cerilli: On a point of order, I would just like to clarify for the record that--
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member clearly in her remarks does not have a point of order.
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Mrs. McIntosh: In response to the concern that was raised several months after the program had been put in place by the member for Brandon East (Mr. Leonard Evans), we did respond.
We took a look at the complaints that he had brought forward, concerns from tenants in his building and delved into the issue and decided that perhaps an appeal process would be good for those who had already made budgetary decisions with their income for the year and help them through this transitory period.
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Sugar Industry
Export Restrictions
Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that the United States government is intending to limit the imports of sugar very severely from Canada over the next number of years. The Canadian sugar industry has exported into the United States roughly about 180,000 tons of sugar annually over the last number of years, and similar amounts of sugar come into Canada.
The restrictions that are being imposed now are going to limit the exports to 22,000 tons which will put a severe difficulty on the ability of the sugar industry to survive in Manitoba, which could cost a huge number of jobs. It is my information that the Liberal government in Ottawa has agreed to the imposition of these restrictions.
I want to ask the Minister of Agriculture what actions he has taken in trying to communicate the difficulty of our industry and the survival of our industry over the long term and what actions he has recommended to the federal government in this regard?
Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): Mr. Speaker, honourable members will recall the difficulty we had in getting this current crop year into production, and I applaud all who contributed to resolving the issues that we faced this spring which resulted in an above-average sugar crop being harvested this year in Manitoba.
I am extremely disappointed that this action is now once again putting in jeopardy our sugar industry here in the province of Manitoba.
I can indicate to the honourable member that I have written directly, and we have been visited, both my colleague the Trade minister for Manitoba, the Honourable Mr. Downey, and I have met with the senior management people from the sugar industry in Canada.
We have specifically been requested to place this item on the agenda of the coming meeting with ministers and with Minister Goodale on Dec. 18 and 19.
I want to say emphatically, throughout the difficulties that we had with the Americans on the durum and the wheat question, Manitoba kept putting the sugar issue on the table because we were concerned about it.
I am disappointed, quite frankly, that the federal government, it would appear, has allowed this action to have taken place, and we will do our best to redress the issue.
Mr. Penner: Mr. Speaker, a supplementary to the minister: In light of the fact that the federal government has not taken action, has not been approaching the Americans in a meaningful way, and in light of the fact of the wheat restrictions that have been placed on our wheat growers, is it your view, No. 1, that the Americans are going to continue with this kind of restrictive action, and is it your view that--
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member's question is out of order. It seeks a personal opinion. The honourable member for Emerson, do you want to rephrase your question, sir?
Mr. Penner: I am wondering whether the Minister of Agriculture would agree to ask the federal Minister of Agriculture for a meeting to personally discuss this matter and make sure that the issue is properly known in Ottawa?
Mr. Enns: Mr. Speaker, on a personal note, I am offended that you would deem my personal opinion to be out of order before you have heard it, but be that as it may, I want to indicate, and members will recall, and certainly my Premier (Mr. Filmon) took this message, we said, no deal is better than a bad deal. Our concern was, when we were negotiating a deal on durum and on wheat, that it would lead to this kind of ongoing harassment.
We are specifically asking that we use the dispute settling mechanisms that have shown to be valid and in fact have worked in Canada's favour in the softwood lumber issue, in the pork issue, and we should be addressing our trade disputes with the Americans in that manner.
That is the message that I am taking to Minister Goodale, and I ask, quite frankly, for the support of the Liberal members, certainly the Liberal members in rural Manitoba. I ask because this is an extremely important issue. The plant is in the constituency of Mr. Axworthy, and there are 150 jobs at stake here in the city of Winnipeg, as well.
Highway Construction Projects
Northern Manitoba
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): Mr. Speaker, my preamble is a very short one. My questions will be directed to the minister who is responsible for those trails in northern Manitoba. I believe the same minister is responsible for paving all roads in southern Manitoba.
Yesterday he suggested that the traffic in northern Manitoba is so small that it does not count. That is another way of saying that people from northern Manitoba do not count, and they have no right to expect anything from this government. This attitude is reflected in the Highways budget.
Given that this government has reduced spending in the North from 15 to 20 percent of the budget down to less than 5 percent, what level of funding does this minister think is fair for northern Manitoba?
Hon. Glen Findlay (Minister of Highways and Transportation): Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned to the members opposite yesterday, we have 3 percent of the traffic up there, 8 percent of the expenditure budget on maintenance and 5 percent of the expenditure budget on capital. Every part of the province needs consideration. Yes, we all have to acknowledge that we have to look at the amount of traffic on the road to determine the wear and tear on the road and the safety hazards on the road. Every once in awhile, we have accidents on roads and we try our best to be sure the roads are safe.
The member has to acknowledge that when his government was in power, they did not do much on those roads. They were built to a pioneer standard. We have a lot of work to do. The road that he is referring to, whether it is 391 or 373, the expected cost that the government is going to incur in the Province of Manitoba in the years ahead to get to a paved surface is $80 million a road.
We are moving step by step in terms of projects each year to upgrade the roads toward that objective. The member has to realize I have to look after all roads in the province to improve the safety, including the roads in his own constituency. If we spent $5 million on it this year, next year I would imagine it will be in the same category.
Mr. Lathlin: Mr. Speaker, I realize that this minister either does not understand or just does not care for those residents of northern Manitoba. I am trying to make him understand that all we want is what is fair.
I would like to ask the minister how he thinks the mines at Leaf Rapids, Lynn Lake, Snow Lake, Thompson, along with the forestry operations in The Pas and elsewhere are supposed to ship their goods and supplies in a cost-efficient manner when the roads are in such poor shape.
Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, in The Pas area we have spent money on roads. In fact, a bridge is being built on 283, I believe is the road number, to accommodate the movement of freight traffic. We accommodate in terms of RTAK routes in the wintertime in northern Manitoba to accommodate the movement of goods. We negotiate with the people who are in the commercial business up there to try to be sure that the roads that are built are done in the fashion that accomplishes what they want to get done. Louisiana-Pacific--a road is being built there to accommodate that particular operation which creates jobs in the North.
That member is exceedingly unfair if he is accusing us of not looking after all of Manitoba.
Mr. Lathlin: Mr. Speaker, my final question is to the same minister. Could the minister perhaps table any correspondence from northerners suggesting that they believe the roads in Norway House, Cross Lake, Leaf Rapids, Nelson House or Moose Lake are fit to travel on?
Mr. Findlay: Mr. Speaker, that is an unfortunate statement the member made, that the roads are unfit to travel on.
Yes, there might be small sections at certain times where there is difficulty. Our department responds to that. Our department responds, but to say that the work that has been done has not achieved some degree of upgrade of the roads is a very unfortunate statement for that member to make, and fair is fair. This department will be fair with roads all over Manitoba.
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Education System Reform
Parents' Forum
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. Earlier this year, the Department of Education brought in a blueprint for educational reform, and my question is relating to the throne speech where this Minister of Education is talking about having yet another parents' forum.
My question specifically to the minister: Is the Tory blueprint a draft blueprint, that the parents of this particular forum will have opportunity to change the blueprint that has been introduced and in fact had been implemented in some areas? Is this going to be a legitimate parents' forum?
Hon. Clayton Manness (Minister of Education and Training): Mr. Speaker, with the accent that the member puts on certain adjectives, I take it that he senses that the former parents' forum was not a legitimate exercise. He seems to be stating that. Let me indicate to the member--
Mr. Speaker: Order, please. There seems to be some feedback coming from the second row here.
Mr. Manness: Mr. Speaker, there are 15 significant pillars that are built into the existing reform document. I have not heard the Education critic for the Liberal Party address one of those issues over the course of the last week. I would have to sense that the reform document has the endorsation of the Liberal Party and consequently we will be, as I have said before, bringing forward a companion document which will be providing implementation details some time hopefully by the year end; if not, then in early January.
Mr. Speaker, I would ask the member to wait until that document comes forward before he asks the question that he does.
Mr. Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired.
NONPOLITICAL STATEMENTS
Eaton's 125th Anniversary
Mr. Speaker: Does the honourable member for Sturgeon Creek have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the celebration of Eaton's 125th birthday, and I think it would be remiss of me and all Manitobans not to take this into consideration for the contribution that this company has made in the 125 years that they have been in operation in this country.
Eaton's in 1905 built the second store here in Winnipeg. At that time in 1905, the population of Winnipeg was only 77,000. When they opened their store here, at that time they employed 700 people in Manitoba.
I had the pleasure of meeting the great great grandson Fredrik Eaton Jr. yesterday myself, who had come in from Toronto. Along with the celebration at the Eaton's store here in downtown Winnipeg, they also had a celebration in Toronto simultaneously with the one here in Winnipeg. I was there with His Honour and Her Worship Mayor Susan Thompson, and it was interesting, some of the comments that were made.
I think that Eaton's has been a well-known place as far as the business community is concerned, and His Honour and I use the illustration that he referenced in what he said about the Eaton's company. He said when he grew up in rural Manitoba people many years ago did not come to Winnipeg, they came to Eaton's. That was something I think was pretty much predominant throughout all Manitoba.
The other interesting comment, and I remember this too as a young person, anybody that ever met at Eaton's would meet at the statue of Timothy Eaton. I would just like to illustrate the opportunity that Eaton's has offered to so many people in this great province.
I understand our own Premier got his start in Manitoba and you too, Mr. Speaker, I understand were an employee of the Eaton's company.
On behalf of the people of Sturgeon Creek and, indeed, I would hope all my colleagues here in the Legislature and all Manitobans would join together in wishing Eaton's 125 years of further prosperity here in Manitoba.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.