Thursday, October 26, 1995
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Thursday, October 26, 1995
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
PRAYERS
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS
PRESENTING PETITIONS
Emergency Health Care Services--Community Hospitals
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Dan Coffell, Blake Kendall, Christina Kowalski and others requesting that the Legislative Assembly urge the Minister responsible for Health (Mr. McCrae) consider making a commitment to the people of Manitoba that emergency health care services in Winnipeg's five community hospitals will remain open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS
Emergency Health Care Services--Community Hospitals
Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux), and it complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?
An Honourable Member: Yes.
Madam Speaker: Yes. The Clerk will read.
Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): The petition of the undersigned residents of the province of Manitoba humbly sheweth
THAT emergency health care services are the core of Manitoba's health care system.
THAT Manitobans deserve the greatest possible access to this care.
THAT the government is considering reducing access to emergency services.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly urge the Minister responsible for Health (Mr. McCrae) consider making a commitment to the people of Manitoba that emergency health care services in Winnipeg's five community hospitals will remain open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
PRESENTING REPORTS BY
STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Standing Committee on Law Amendments
Fourth Report
Mr. David Newman (Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the Fourth Report of the Committee on Law Amendments.
Madam Speaker: Dispense.
Your Standing Committee on Law Amendments presents the following as its Fourth Report.
Your committee met on Tuesday, October 24, 1995, at 7 p.m. in Room 255 of the Legislative Building to consider bills referred.
At that meeting, your committee elected Mr. Newman as chairperson and Mr. Radcliffe as vice-chairperson.
Your committee heard representation on bills as follows:
Bill 12--The Louis Riel Institute Act; Loi sur l'Institut Louis Riel
Roberta Carriere - Private Citizen
Billyjo De La Ronde - Manitoba Metis Federation
Maurice Saint-Cyr - Private Citizen
Marion MacKinnon - Metis Women of Manitoba
Audreen Hourie - Private Citizen
Bill 25--The Real Property Amendment Act (2); Loi no 2 modifiant la Loi sur les biens réels
Irene Groot-Koerkamp - Manitoba Telephone System
Jim Wood - Professional Land Surveyors Business Group
Laurie LeClair - Association of Manitoba Land Surveyors
Your committee has considered:
Bill 9, The Wills Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les testaments
Bill 10, The Development Corporation Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur la Société de développement
Bill 11, The Trustee Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les fiduciaries
Bill 33, The Statute Law Amendment Act, 1995; Loi de 1995 modifiant diverses dispositions législatives
and has agreed to report the same without amendment.
Your committee has also considered:
Bill 4, The Real Property Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi sur les biens réels
and has agreed to report the same with the following amendment:
MOTION:
THAT subsection 4(2) of the bill be amended by striking out "Subsections" and substituting "Section 2 of this Act and subsections".
Your committee has also considered:
Bill 12, The Louis Riel Institute Act; Loi sur l'Institut Louis Riel
and has agreed to report the same with the following amendment:
MOTION:
THAT the following provisions of the French version of the bill be amended by striking out "Institut Louis Riel" and substituting "Institut Louis-Riel":
(a) the title;
(b) the definition "Institut" in section 1;
(c) subsection 2(2).
Your committee has also considered:
Bill 25, The Real Property Amendment Act (2); Loi no 2 modifiant la Loi sur les biens réels
and has agreed to report the same with the following amendments:
MOTION:
THAT the proposed subsection (127(1), as set out in subsection 13(1) of the bill, be amended:
(a) in the section heading, by striking out "explanatory plan" and substituting "plan of survey"; and
(b) by striking out "an explanatory plan that is certified by a Manitoba land surveyor, approved by the Examiner of Surveys and satisfactory to the district registrar" and substituting "a plan of survey".
MOTION:
THAT the following be added after subsection 13(1) of the bill:
13(1.1) Subsection 127(2) is amended by striking out "an explanatory plan" and substituting "a plan of survey".
MOTION:
THAT Legislative Counsel be authorized to change all section numbers and internal references necessary to carry out the amendments adopted by this committee.
Mr. Newman: Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the report of the committee be received.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
J.R. Simplot Company--Brandon Plant Expansion
Hon. Leonard Derkach (Minister of Rural Development): Madam Speaker, I have a statement for the House.
Just a few hours ago, Madam Speaker, I had the pleasure of attending a very significant event where J.R. Simplot Company announced plans for a huge expansion at their Brandon plant.
The firm will invest over $150 million U.S. in the project, making Brandon the site of a truly world-class fertilizer operation. This expansion will triple the plant's ammonia capacity and significantly increase its urea capacity at Brandon.
This is wonderful news for the people of Brandon and the Manitoba economy as a whole. Over the next year and a half the project will create 250 construction jobs and a host of spin-off benefits in related businesses such as trucking. The benefits will ripple through a wide range of industries in Brandon and beyond.
One of the exciting aspects of this announcement is the fact that Simplot is moving an offshore operation into rural Manitoba. An existing ammonia plant in Sicily will soon be dismantled and the equipment will be transported to Brandon.
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The impetus for the move is the need to become more competitive in the global marketplace. Simplot knows that Manitoba is the right base from which to attack those markets. Manitoba has what it takes to help businesses succeed.
For global-minded businesses like Simplot, Manitoba, is the key to the North American continent. We are located right at the centre of the prairie agricultural belt and the huge market of the U.S. Midwest. Most importantly, goods produced in Manitoba are very competitive in the world market because this is such an economical place in which to do business.
Our province is ideally located in the centre of the country for transportation of products south and our geographical location makes us ideal for air transport as well.
The expansion is also a strong vote of confidence in the management and workforce at the Brandon plant. Simplot believes the people of Brandon have what it takes to meet the challenges of the next century. Their decision to expand in Brandon signals a strong commitment to the community for many, many years in the future.
Madam Speaker, I ask members of this Legislature to join me in congratulating Simplot and the people of Brandon on this wonderful day. Thank you.
Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): I want to thank the honourable minister for this statement. We are very delighted with this news. Certainly Manitoba's economy does need a boost and obviously this particular investment will help considerably. It seems that we have gone a long way when we were all concerned in this Legislature a couple of years ago when Cargill was about to expand in Saskatchewan, and I recall asking questions of the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the then-Minister of Industry to ensure that they worked closely with the--
An Honourable Member: And we delivered.
Mr. Leonard Evans: Well, the Premier remembers. I was on my feet in this Legislature, Madam Speaker, to ensure that the Manitoba government would do everything possible to assist Simplot in every which way to compete against what seemed to be a very serious threat out of the Cargill operation being planned for Saskatchewan. So obviously those problems have been overcome, and there is this announcement for an expansion.
I like the construction jobs. There is no mention about how many permanent jobs. I do not know whether the level of regular jobs will stay the same, because it is a very highly automated procedure.
I had the privilege of being in the audience in the old Prince Edward Hotel in Brandon when Mr. John Simplot Sr. made the original announcement. I was a professor of economics at Brandon University and I was asked to come to this very big announcement that was to be made. No one knew what the announcement was.
I cannot help but remark, though, that the original investment was helped originally by a huge grant from the federal government and considerable assistance from the government of the day--I think it was the Roblin government of the day--from the Manitoba government. There was a great deal of public investment to get the Simplot company started, so we have to recognize that if it were not for public initiative working alongside of the Simplot company, this would never have happened.
Regardless, Madam Speaker, we are delighted to see this particular development occurring, and we look forward with anticipation to future success of this company. Thank you.
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Introduction of Guests
Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would like to draw all honourable members' attention to the public gallery, where we have with us this afternoon from France and Winnipeg's River East Collegiate thirty Grades 10 to 12 students under the direction of Mr. Marcel Matte. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable Minister of Family Services (Mrs. Mitchelson).
Also seated in the public gallery, we have thirty-four Grade 12 students from Collège Jeanne Sauvé under the direction of Mr. Bernard DesAutels. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon.