Manitoba Telephone System
Board of Directors' Remuneration
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): My question is to the Premier.
Madam Speaker, yesterday at committee we learned that the Manitoba Telephone System had increased--the government had increased the amount of remuneration to the politically appointed board members of the Telephone System by some 90 percent. This increase took place of course after the election and represents a very, very large percentage increase.
The morale of people that knew about it, the employees of the Telephone System, has been affected in a very negative way, Madam Speaker, and I would like to ask the Premier, does he think it is appropriate that his government should raise the rates of politically appointed board members by some 90 percent at the Telephone System at a time when many other employees are being required to take very, very stable, if not decreases, increases?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, as the member probably knows, that increase to the remuneration of those members of the board amounted to an increase that was the first in 14 years. If they had received the same increases as the employees had, they would now be getting double this new rate--double this new rate.
So the recommendation of course came from the Crown Corporations Council which had surveyed similar appointees in both the public and private sector and had concluded that if these people were in the private sector, for running a corporation of this nature, for being on the board, they would be in the $20,000-plus range.
So, Madam Speaker, the stipend that is paid them, the remuneration that is paid them is substantially less on all counts than it would be in any other respect.
Mr. Doer: The Premier never answered the question about the huge percentage increase.
I would like to ask the Premier a further question. The Hydro Board, politically appointed board members, again after the election, went up some 36 percent in terms of the remuneration for those board members.
The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation has gone up some 107 percent in terms of increases to the remuneration of board members.
Does the Premier not think that this is inappropriate at a time when he is ratcheting down the salaries of public employees, ratcheting down the investments in groups like antipoverty organizations, when he is potentially decreasing the amount of money going to children that are on social assistance?
Does he not think that this is sending the wrong message throughout the province of Manitoba, one rule for Tory-appointed board members and another rule for the rest of Manitobans?
Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I repeat the same analysis that the member opposite obviously did not listen to. Based on the recommendation of the Crown Corporations Council and the analysis that they performed, the increases still leave them less than half of the rate that they would be paid if they were in any other similar corporation as a director. If they had received the same increases as the employees of those corporations, again, they would have been receiving increases far in excess of what they were given.
Based on that analysis, the Crown Corporations Council asked for that increase to be given.
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Mr. Doer: The government and the Premier, in answers to questions dealing with very, very serious situations such as the doctors' withdrawal of services here in Manitoba, have continually used percentage increases and talked about one percentage increase versus another.
Does the Premier not think that for massive increases, in some cases of over 100 percent for politically appointed Conservative-appointed board members like Arni Thorsteinson and other people that are working on a part-time basis on a board of directors in a Crown corporation, having 100 percent increases in some cases for those people sends the wrong message out for people like doctors and others that are trying to deal with the provincial government?
It is inconsistent, it is unfair, and it is a double standard.
Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, that is why we do not have politically motivated kinds of decisions being made by the member opposite.
These are people who have not received an increase in 14 years. Any other comparative analysis of the employees would have given them a substantially bigger increase, substantially larger increase if they had received the same increases as the employees had year upon year upon year. That is the point that the member opposite wants to ignore for his own political purposes, and that is why he is on the other side of the House.
Emergency Physicians' Strike
Government Action
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): My question is to the Minister of Health. Of course the logic does not apply to doctors who are the lowest paid in emergency rooms in Canada. That logic does not apply.
My question to the Minister of Health is, can the minister explain why, according to the mediator involved in the doctors' strike, that it was the government that refused to budge on its position, thereby forcing the talks to break down? The government went out, they met with their negotiators of MHO and refused to budge, refused to move from their minus-2 percent position and that is why the talks with the doctors have broken down.
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, after the physicians received a 26 percent increase two years ago and now ask for 15 percent more, does the honourable member want to tell the nurses and other health professionals who voluntarily accepted a minus-2 percent that those demands are reasonable?
Binding Arbitration
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, will the government stop bargaining in bad faith, because I believe they are bargaining in bad faith, and will they agree that in order to stop this strike and serve the public of Manitoba that the government today will agree to binding arbitration to get this matter solved?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): As I recall, Madam Speaker, when the nurses and others accepted minus-2 percent, it was not on the basis of some binding arbitration process.
I would ask the honourable member to understand, and others to understand, that we are working in a very different kind of climate than the honourable member conjures up for all of us where we can afford a 15 percent increase for doctors who got 26 percent just two years ago.
Our bottom line here is to provide services for Manitobans. It was not our idea, Madam Speaker, that this strike should have begun in the first place. We were there. We would have been available to continue discussions as long as it took to arrive at a resolution.
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Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, my final supplementary to the minister: Will the minister stop refusing to answer the question? Will he simply try to solve this situation for the benefit of all Manitobans and agree that the government will go to binding arbitration in order to resolve this issue?
Mr. McCrae: Madam Speaker, it has never been our wish that we be in this situation in the first place. We are attempting to operate extremely important services for Winnipeggers and other Manitobans. We have put in place a contingency plan which we hope will continue to work, and we would continue to urge the MHO and the MMA to carry on discussions so that we can resolve these matters.
Social Assistance
Food Allowance
Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, last week the ministers responsible for social programs met in Winnipeg.
The federal government's budget earlier this year cut 24 percent for three categories of programs after the Canada Assistance Plan is eliminated but only 7 percent for other department programs. In spite of this, not one minister from Manitoba went to Ottawa to protest these cuts.
In view of the fact that Manitoba is going to lose hundreds of millions of dollars starting next year and the year after, why is this minister continually talking about the advantages of flexibility, including, in her speeches and in Estimates and in the communique from the conference? What good is flexibility when there are hundreds of million dollars less for social programs, including the budget for food for children?
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): Madam Speaker, I thank my honourable friend for that question because it does provide me with the opportunity to indicate to the House today that ministers of social services right across the country, regardless of political stripe, are experiencing difficulty in coming to grips with the cuts that will be coming in next year's budget and subsequent years. In fact, there was a general consensus by ministers from New Democratic Parties across the country and Liberal Parties across the country that we as provinces would not be able to backfill upon the cuts that have been made by the federal government.
The reality is we will have less money to spend, not more, and the reality is also right across the country that we are going to have to find new ways of delivering services to people that are most in need right across Canada.
Mr. Martindale: I would like to ask the Minister of Family Services if she or her government has decided how they are going to make these cuts and whether or not they are going to be spread out evenly over the whole government or those three departments, or whether people on social assistance and child daycare are going to take a disproportionate amount of those cuts including children on social assistance because this minister intends to reduce their food allowance.
Mrs. Mitchelson: Madam Speaker, the decisions around where the funding will go will be as a part of the Estimates process in next year's budget announcement.
But I want to reiterate that we are not the only province that is in this situation or circumstance. There is not any government or any minister that was at the meeting last year that had all of the answers to the problems that will exist. I also want to say once more that all provinces right across the country said that they would not be able to backfill upon former commitments that were made through funding from the federal government that will be cut in the future.
Mr. Martindale: I would like to ask the Minister of Family Services why she intends to cut the food allowance for children when at the same time last week Manitoba hosted a dinner at Le Beaujolais Restaurant. Why does this minister have money to treat 125 people at this restaurant when, at the same time, she has no money for the food allowance for children on city social assistance? She has money for chateaubriand but no money for children.
Mrs. Mitchelson: Madam Speaker, I reject totally the preamble of my honourable friend. In fact, he does not have his facts correct. Indeed I indicated in my previous answers that every province right across the country is experiencing the same difficulty and the issue--
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
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Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Family Services, to complete her response.
Mrs. Mitchelson: Madam Speaker, every year there is a minister's meeting in a different province right across the country and it has been customary that there is an event that takes place, a dinner one evening through that conference. It was Manitoba's turn to host that and we hosted that. I reject the numbers and the comments that were put on the record in the preamble by my honourable friend.
I want to indicate, Madam Speaker, that the issues that are facing us are issues that are facing all ministers, all governments of all political stripes right through the width and the breadth of this country.
Social Assistance
Housing Costs
Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Madam Speaker, the people of Manitoba are not impressed when this government raids the cupboards of low-income families and then has a seven-course meal for the ministers of the provinces across the country.
I want to ask the Minister of Family Services a very specific question: Does the minister know that a single parent with one child on social allowance receives $387 for rent including utilities, but the average two-bedroom apartment in Winnipeg rents for $559? Does the minister know this?
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): I thank my honourable friend for that question, too, because it does allow me to indicate that we believe as a government that the best form of social security is a job, Madam Speaker. That is why we are undertaking new initiatives in co-operation with the federal government under Taking Charge! which will indeed address the issue of trying to solve the problems and the issues around single parents being on welfare and not in the workforce.
Madam Speaker, we are working aggressively to try to ensure that the economic climate in the province of Manitoba is such that single parents will have the opportunity to be independent of social allowance and part of our workforce and contributing in a positive manner to our community.
Ms. Cerilli: The minister then is admitting that this government's economic policy has failed and that is why there are thousands more people on social allowance in this province--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Radisson, please pose her supplementary question now.
Ms. Cerilli: Would the minister admit that what she is in essence saying is that social allowance recipients have to choose between eating and having a decent home to live in?
Mrs. Mitchelson: I totally reject the preamble to the question or the content of the question that was asked by my honourable friend. I have to indicate to you, Madam Speaker, that there are less single parents on social allowance today than there were under former administrations. The numbers are not increasing. As a matter of fact, they are decreasing.
I want to indicate to my honourable friend that she should have been present at a graduation ceremony that I attended this summer where 16 single parents, social allowance recipients, were trained as a result of an initiative between several different government departments and the private sector that trained on the job 16--
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Minister of Family Services, to quickly complete her response.
Mrs. Mitchelson: At the end of the training period, there were 13 more single moms employed in the private sector with permanent jobs as a result of one small program, and that is only an example of the kinds of things we are doing as a government to try to address the issues of single parents.
Ms. Cerilli: There were in 1993 over 56,000 adults and children on social allowance in Manitoba.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would remind the honourable member for Radisson once again. This is the third question I have recognized the honourable member for, the second supplementary question. There is to be no preamble on supplementary questions.
Would the honourable member for Radisson please pose her question now?
Ms. Cerilli: Can the minister tell the House how many of the more than 56,000 Manitobans on social allowance are using their food allowance to subsidize their rent?
Mrs. Mitchelson: Madam Speaker, the choices that we want to provide for single parents are the opportunity to enter the workforce and feel better about themselves and contribute in a positive way to our community and to our economy. Those are the issues that we are attempting to deal with through the new programming and the new initiatives that we are putting in place.
Gaming Commission
Report Tabling Request
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance, the Minister responsible for Lotteries.
Over the years this has been a government that has taken great pride in terms of the amount of revenue that has been generated through gambling. What they have been somewhat negligent on, Madam Speaker, of course, are the social costs of gambling. Prior to the election they commissioned a report headed by Larry Desjardins, a former NDP lotteries minister, and I quote from the press release that the then-minister issued: The working group will prepare a report outlining its findings and respond to government by October 1.
My question to the Minister responsible for Lotteries today is, will he be having that report by October 1, and is the minister prepared to be open with the public of Manitoba and table that report?
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, the last time I had an opportunity to discuss this issue with the chair of the review commission, Mr. Larry Desjardins, he indicated they might be slightly late from the October 1 deadline but not very significantly. I will be talking to him again shortly to confirm when we can expect that report.
I want to tell the honourable member, he noticed a couple of weeks ago that we released the Volberg report. We released the annual report of the Lotteries Corporation. We released additional information on the community-by-community breakdown for more VLT sites. We have committed to release the KPMG report on the economic impact of gaming here in Manitoba. We are meeting at committee tomorrow, I believe, to deal with the Lotteries Corporation, and I will certainly undertake to provide him a more definitive date, but I do expect that report fairly shortly.
Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, I would look for the Minister of Finance to give a commitment to this Legislature that in fact he will table that report publicly so the public will have the information before this particular session adjourns. Will he make that commitment today?
Mr. Stefanson: Firstly, Madam Speaker, I have no absolute assurance that the report will be available, but I will be contacting the chairman and confirm what his best date is now for the report. As I indicated, he did indicate he might be somewhat late but not overly significantly late. Once we receive that report, obviously we will review it and we will determine how that report moves forward in terms of helping formulate policy around gaming in Manitoba.
Report Standing Committee Review
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, given the fact that this government made a commitment by October 1, will this minister ensure that there will be a standing committee that will deal in depth--for example, we have a standing committee where Manitoba Lotteries is in tomorrow, and we want to see an assurance from this minister that the members of this Legislature will have the opportunity to hold this government accountable for whatever the recommendations that might be coming out of that Desjardins report. Will he ensure and give us his commitment today that we will have that opportunity before this year comes to an end?
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Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, I am sure many opportunities will be available over the weeks and months ahead to deal with issues such as the report of the Larry Desjardins committee, such as other information that has been provided around gaming.
I have already indicated we have provided significant information over the course of the last few weeks; we will be providing more very shortly on the economics of gaming. Once we receive the Desjardins report, as I indicated, it will form a basis for assisting our government with future gaming policies and decisions here in our province.
Student Financial Assistance
Application Processing
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, this morning I very carefully studied Hansard and noted that on Monday the Minister of Education informed the member for Wolseley (Ms. Friesen) that student aid had surpassed its old performance and so she implied that indeed student assistance applications were being expeditiously processed. Yet one of my constituents, a single parent on social assistance who is trying desperately to get off, who is due to begin training on October 30 and who will be cut off city welfare on that date, has been informed that because of computer back-ups at student financial assistance and because of the effects of this on processing her application, she will likely not have any money for a period of one-and-a-half months.
My first question to the minister is this: Can the Minister of Education tell the House what recourse is available to this young woman so that she can begin her course with sufficient resources?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, the information I provided to the House on Monday was correct. The computer system was up and running and indeed any student who applied before the end of June 30, which is the guarantee that has been in place for many years, got their results before school start-up as they always have. Indeed, the applications ultimately, once caught up, surpassed the point they were at the year before. More applications were processed year over year once the computer system was up and running.
There was a slight delay mid-summer. Late applications then had a slight delay. That has been caught up and surpassed. The university has deferred the late fee for anybody that seemed to be caught in difficult circumstances. I will finish the rest of the answer with the next question.
Ms. McGifford: Madam Speaker, given that city welfare states that its offices had, quote, nothing but trouble from student assistance and especially with long delays like this one, would the minister undertake to examine the relationship between city welfare and student assistance and report back to the House?
Mrs. McIntosh: Madam Speaker, the two departments, Family Services and Education, work very closely together on a number of initiatives and a number of focuses, one of those being moving people from welfare to work through a number of avenues such as education and training. So we have a number of joint projects, Taking Charge! and a number of others. In matters involving student aid there are co-operative procedures put in place to ensure that social assistance students are assisted as they go through university. Those processes have not changed. They are still a very important focus of both departments of Education and Family Services.
Ms. McGifford: Madam Speaker, since the young woman in this situation either receives her student financial assistance and the opportunity for training and employment or she stays on welfare discouraged and dismayed, would the minister please instruct student assistance to process this application right away?
Mrs. McIntosh: Madam Speaker, I should indicate that the Department of Education, as I indicated before, is ahead this year of where they were last year. I have said it three times today and I said it three times on Monday. The Department of Education does not let applications be dealt with in a tardy fashion.
If there are unusual circumstances with this particular applicant's application, if the member would like to draw the specific details to my attention, I will have those unusual circumstances looked into. But if it is simply a matter of applying late, because people are still applying, if someone has applied at the end of August, there is a certain amount of time it takes, naturally, for a turnaround.
If the member would like to contact me with specific details, I will look into it.
Student Financial Assistance
Application Processing
Ms. Jean Friesen (Wolseley): Madam Speaker, my questions are also for the Minister of Education.
At the end of last week, according to student financial aid officers in the universities and student associations, there were 500 students at the University of Manitoba, 600 students at the University of Winnipeg, including some who had applied in June before the deadline, and 300 students at Brandon who had not received the necessary information to know whether or not they were going to get a student loan. This is in the fourth week of classes.
I want to ask the Minister of Education, does she still intend to assure the House, as she did on Monday and as she did today, that there is no--and I am quoting from her reply to me on Monday--that there has been no ultimate delay in student assistance?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, there has been no ultimate delay in student assistance. I do not know how many times I have to say it before the member recognizes it. The pattern this year remains unchanged, in fact a little improved over previous years.
There is always a certain amount of turnaround time that is required. That turnaround time has not changed. It is in fact less than it used to be.
As well, I should indicate to the member that there are students who apply late. Those students' applications are currently being processed. Again, they are also ahead over where they were previous years.
Ms. Friesen: Madam Speaker, could the minister then confirm that at the moment, this week, student aid officers are receiving loans which were when people applied on July 26, they are now receiving notification there?
It is in fact, as we speak, a 10-week turnaround. Under the old system it was an average of seven weeks turnaround.
Mrs. McIntosh: I rose when the question was put, and I should indicate to the member, I did explain there are a certain number of weeks required for turnaround. The applications that are currently being processed are indeed the applications that were submitted for first-time perusal at the last week in July and the first week in August. That is the normal turnaround time that has been in place before.
The only guarantees that have ever been in place, not just this year but in previous years, for students to receive full notification before the beginning of school, are those applications that are put in place before June 30. It has always been that way.
Ms. Friesen: I would like to ask the minister again to make a commitment today to give us a date when students will know whether or not they have the loan that will enable them to continue their studies so that the bookstores who have been giving credit for four weeks now will know when they will be paid and so that student loan officers who on a daily basis have been giving out emergency funds to students will know when they can begin to rebuild their funds.
Mrs. McIntosh: I know we are not to be repeating our answers. I know the member is also not to be repeating questions. She has asked the same questions now four times. It is against the rules of the House, but I will answer it again, if you will permit me to once again repeat what I have said before.
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
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Point of Order
Ms. Friesen: Madam Speaker, I think the Minister of Education was reflecting on my questions and perhaps she did not hear that this was a different question, asking for a date when bookstores--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Wolseley did not have a point of order. It is clearly a dispute over the facts.
Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation
Adjusters--Review
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for MPIC.
An organization called Support Autopac Victims Association, with their growing membership now approaching 400, has serious concerns about the treatment received from some Autopac adjustors and in some instances find the experience very intimidating.
Would the minister review the practices of MPIC adjusters under the new no-fault system and satisfy himself that all staff are providing fair and courteous service to Autopac claimants?
Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act): Absolutely, Madam Speaker, and further on that point, I would encourage the member to share any information he might have with me because I cannot think of more than less than half a dozen letters that I have received over the course of the year. We have dealt with those in what I thought was an appropriate manner, so I would appreciate any information he might have.
Mr. Leonard Evans: I will be pleased to share a lot of information with the honourable minister, Madam Speaker.
Advocacy Service
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): My supplementary question: Would the minister now consider establishing an advocacy service to help Autopac claimants who wish to appeal? This is similar to the worker advocate service in the Workers Compensation program. There is an internal review board which I believe includes legal professionals. So in order to make the review process fair and more equitable, would the minister consider establishing an advocacy service to help the clients?
Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act): Madam Speaker, we have always indicated that as soon as would be seen reasonable, we were quite prepared to review all aspects of the program. When this was brought forward it created a significant change in the way we handle claims in the province, and we are always interested in making improvements.
As to a system such as the member is suggesting, I would suggest that we would be more likely to wait and consider that among a number of other changes that might possibly be proposed.
Funeral Expenses--Review
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I wonder if in the interim would the minister undertake to review the level of certain specific benefits paid under the no-fault system to ensure that they are adequate and fair? I give one example. Would the government, for example, review, raise the payment for funeral expenses from $3,500 to $5,000 as was suggested when the no-fault legislation was first introduced into this House?
Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister charged with the administration of The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act): Madam Speaker, as I recall there was some debate at that time. By most levels of judgment, our program is equal to or exceeds the standard of benefits that are offered in other jurisdictions and under other systems.
As I said, we have indicated from the very start that we will undertake a full review of the system once we believe that we have sufficient time to assess how it is operating and the fairness of it.
Winnipeg Development Agreement
Urban Safety Programs
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Madam Speaker, among the initiatives announced on August 4 by the three levels of government as part of the five-year Winnipeg Development Agreement are two programs under urban safety--community-based crime prevention and an urban sports camp pilot project. The accompanying press release states, and I quote: that community groups, organizations, businesses, public agencies and government will be invited to submit project proposals.
My question for the Minister of Urban Affairs is, what method of invitation, other than the August 4 press release, is going to be initiated by this government in order that community groups and other organizations can make proposals under these projects?
Hon. Jack Reimer (Minister of Urban Affairs): I welcome the question by the member for Wellington in the fact that with the announcement there is a lot of excitement for the fact that the urban safety initiative is being addressed by this government and by all three levels of government in trying to formulate a better approach to the safety and the concerns of the citizens of all parts of Winnipeg and not just the certain areas of Winnipeg.
What has happened since the press release, we have had very positive results from phone inquiries. We are averaging from four to six inquiries per day for applications and for some more information as to when the programs and what the eligibility criteria will be.
The applications that the member is referring to are in the process of being at the printer right now. The member should realize that because we are dealing with three levels of government, there has to be an approval process by all three levels. That takes a little bit of time and a certain amount of bureaucratic red tape to handle, but we are trying to do it as expediently as we can.
Ms. Barrett: Why does the Minister of Urban Affairs not take a different approach from his colleagues, a more proactive approach and actively seek out community groups to apply for these programs, his colleagues who talk the talk but will not walk the walk when it comes to crime prevention in particular, an essential part of this government's supposed crime prevention strategy, why does he not actively encourage community groups to apply?
Mr. Reimer: Again, Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the question because strangely as it seems, within the first week to 10 days of the announcement of the program, the first three groups that I went to see were the Gilbert Park residents, the Lord Selkirk Park residents and Rossbrook House outlining the program, outlining the areas that we are directing towards urban safety.
They were very supportive of the initiative. They were very thankful of the fact that those were the first three groups that I contacted on a personal basis, sitting down with the people and explaining the program. I asked them to make sure there is a proposal or a direction toward some sort of proposal on urban safety coming through their initiative.
So we have been very proactive, not only with the forms, but in going to seek the problem areas and the groups that could benefit.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Wellington, with one very quick supplementary question.
Ms. Barrett: So am I to understand from the Minister of Urban Affairs that the only proactive action that has taken place by this government to inform community groups is the few groups that he actually decides to talk to rather than--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The question has been put. The honourable Minister of Urban Affairs, with a very short response.
Mr. Reimer: Madam Speaker, the three groups that I mentioned to you are groups that approached me and asked for some information. I will go to any group that is wanting information. If there is an invitation that is put forth for a further explanation by this department or by this minister, I will talk to them.
There are a lot of groups that are out there that are asking for information. The information is going out through the department. The response has been very, very positive. These three groups were the groups that approached me first. I will still go out to any group that approaches me wanting to get information, or someone from my department will go out, even if there is an MLA who wants to get information.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. Time for Oral Questions has expired.
Does the honourable Minister of Northern Affairs have leave to revert to Tabling of Reports? [agreed]
TABLING OF REPORTS
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Northern Affairs): Madam Speaker, I would like to table the Annual Report for the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board for the year ended March 31, 1995. I would also like to table the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board Quarterly Report for three months ended June 30, 1995. I would also like to table the Quarterly Report for the Communities Economic Development Fund as of June 1995.
(Mr. Marcel Laurendeau, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair)
Committee Changes
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): I would like to make some committee changes.
I move, seconded by the member for La Verendrye (Mr. Sveinson), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Economic Development be amended as follows: the member for Kirkfield Park (Mr. Stefanson) for the member for Steinbach (Mr. Driedger); the member for La Verendrye (Mr. Sveinson) for the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck); the member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Tweed) for the member for Charleswood (Mr. Ernst); the member for St. Vital (Mrs. Render) for the member for Springfield (Mr. Findlay); the member for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine) for the member for Lakeside (Mr. Enns).
Motion agreed to.
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