Eye Examinations
Deinsurance
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): My question is to the First Minister (Mr. Filmon).
On Friday and again yesterday, we have been asking questions of the government dealing with the proposal from the provincial government's Medical Services Council to eliminate eye examinations as part of the medical care programs here in the province of Manitoba.
The Premier, in announcing his election campaign and his platform in the election campaign, said that they will now be emphasizing preventive strategies in health care.
Madam Speaker, Dr. Bourdon and other experts on preventive health care dealing with eye examinations have said that this move would work against preventive health care, would work against early examinations and therefore would be not a preventive program but would be in the opposite direction.
I would like to ask the Premier (Mr. Filmon), will he say no to this proposal and say yes to his promise in the election campaign?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, the matter of eye care is something that is being looked at at the present time by the Manitoba Medical Services Council. On the council are representatives of the government and the Manitoba Medical Association, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine, also the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation, three people representing the public's interest, as well as the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Those people are looking at all the matters relating to eye care, including the matters referred to by the honourable Leader of the Opposition. They have not made any report or any recommendation to this date.
Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, I have a supplementary question to the Premier (Mr. Filmon).
During the election campaign, the Premier had ads out in that campaign saying he would not let anyone take health care services away from people. He wants the same health care services for his family as for all other Manitoba families. Clearly this would mean that some families who cannot afford it would have different health care services. Clearly it was the Premier that promised to maintain these health care programs. He did not promise that the council would maintain those services. He promised personally to maintain these services.
I would like the Premier now to say no to deinsuring this proposal, Madam Speaker, on behalf of Manitoba families.
Mr. McCrae: Madam Speaker, my views very closely resemble those put forward by the Premier. The honourable Leader of the Opposition ought to apprise himself of the issues involved before he makes policy decisions.
He is putting his own opinion ahead of the opinions of all of the people that we have called upon in our consultation process to try to tell us how best, in the present circumstances, should we preserve and protect and have a sustainable health care system for many, many years to come.
Madam Speaker, that is what the Premier was talking about. That is what I am talking about, and that is what all of our partners in health are talking about. We wish the honourable Leader of the Opposition would join the partnership.
Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, it was the Premier (Mr. Filmon) in his ads who promised he would not let anybody take anything away from us, from our families. He did not promise the Medical Services Council or somebody else would take care of this responsibility.
In light of the fact that last week, the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson) indicated that they, the provincial Conservative government, have ample resources to deal with the extra funding necessary to deal with their broken promise of $10 million on the Winnipeg Jets, does the government now have adequate resources to maintain preventive health care services, preventive programs for all Manitoba families equally by maintaining the eye examination as part of our basic medical program services in the province of Manitoba?
Mr. McCrae: Madam Speaker, after coming through the second worst recession in anybody's memory, after dealing with very, very serious funding reductions coming from the federal government and with continuous reductions facing us in the future, we, in Manitoba, still come through with the highest amount of our budget being spent on health anywhere in this country.
The honourable Leader of the Opposition, I have not heard him say that. I have not heard him repeat that. I have not heard him talk about that.
We in Manitoba, not just this government which is obvious, but the people of this province, are committed to a sustainable health care system. So am I and so are my colleagues. We work very hard to maintain a health care system that will be sustainable for many years, nay, for generations.
Eye Examinations
Deinsurance
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, the minister has repeatedly refused to answer the question regarding the deinsurancing of eye examinations.
The minister signed an agreement that ordered the Medical Services Council to cut $13.5 million. Section 9, subsection 15 of the agreement that the minister signed said, you will find $13.5 million in savings, and now one of their recommendations is the deinsurance of this.
Will the minister say no to this recommendation?--a very simple question, Madam Speaker.
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Well, Madam Speaker, the honourable member has characterized the discussion to this date as a recommendation. I suggest that he talk, for example, to Dr. Patel, who is the president of the Manitoba Medical Association, who has made it clear that there is no such recommendation at this point.
This is a matter that is before the Manitoba Medical Services Council. It is the subject of discussion, as are many areas of the Medical Services appropriation of government. If we listen to the honourable member--and I am sure glad we have not been listening to everything he has said--if we had listened to what he says and did what he says, we would not have a health care system, and that is not good enough for the people of Manitoba.
Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, does the minister remember signing the contract with the Manitoba Medical Association, Article 9, subsection 15, whereby he indicated they must make savings of $13.5 million in '95-96? Does the minister remember signing this contract?
Mr. McCrae: Part of the contract that I signed on behalf of the government and the people of Manitoba, Madam Speaker, is to work with our partners in health, those being the physicians working in the various subcommittees of the Manitoba Medical Association, to bring about the highest and the best practice methods of delivering health care services.
The old model, supported by the honourable member, is the one which was choking itself to death, and that is not what we stand for on this side of the House. The honourable member cannot have it both ways. He cannot support change and then say stop to every possible change that ever comes along.
Madam Speaker, the changes are to make our health care dollars, the spending on health care, a smarter spending, so that we can achieve some results for people. That is what we are trying to do, and we encourage the honourable member's support for that.
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Health Care System
Preventive Programs
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, I take it the minister is saying--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Kildonan, with his final supplementary question.
Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, my final supplementary is to the minister.
Will the minister provide assurances today to this House and the people of Manitoba that there will be no deinsurance of any preventive program presently offered by the Department of Health by this minister--no changes, no deinsurancing of any preventive program?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I think the honourable member would also advise, if given the opportunity, that we listen to the health care professionals who work in our health care system, that we work with them and that we devise strategies for the delivery of health care and health and wellness services across our province that make sense in the '90s and beyond.
The honourable member has suggested many times that we work in close consultation with the various professionals in the health care field. That is precisely what we are trying to do, Madam Speaker. He ought not to be discouraging that today.
First Nations
Constitutional Jurisdiction
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): Madam Speaker, my questions are directed to the First Minister.
Last week, the Premier told this House that First Nations people are refusing to work with him and his government because of jurisdictional issues. He also advised us that he represents all people in Manitoba, including aboriginal people and, finally, he has also repeatedly told the House that First Nations are a federal responsibility and that he has no jurisdiction when it comes to issues like social assistance.
Given the Premier's determination to delineate jurisdictional responsibilities, why then has he and his government enacted legislation, issued Orders-in-Council, that attack treaty rights directly?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, the member for The Pas is attempting to confuse various different issues.
First and foremost, I have simply repeated for him the position of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in dealing with the federal government with respect to aboriginal self-government in Manitoba.
They have said that the Manitoba government has no place at the table, because we have no jurisdiction and no fiduciary responsibility for the First Nations people of this province. That is fact. He may wish to discuss that, debate it and argue it with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, but that is the position they have taken, and, as a result, we have not been allowed or invited to be at the table.
We as a government have our constitutional responsibility with respect to all sorts of issues. Under the Constitution, for instance, natural resources; under the Constitution, for instance, gaming; under the Constitution, many areas in which we have had interaction with the First Nations communities of this province, but we can only act on areas in which we have constitutional jurisdiction and responsibility.
Any legislation that we pass is able to be passed because the Constitution says we have jurisdiction and responsibility over certain areas, and that includes natural resources.
Mr. Lathlin: My second question is again directed to the First Minister, Madam Speaker.
Will the Premier advise us here today, once and for all, just exactly where the aboriginal people fit in in the Premier's government and how he intends to work with them?
Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, as I have indicated, we have our areas of interaction with and responsibility for various issues which involve the First Nations people of this province.
As a result of that, we are well along the way towards finalizing a settlement, for instance, of the Northern Flood Agreements with five aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba with hundreds of millions of dollars involved in transference to these First Nations communities as a result of the dedicated, diligent efforts of our government, something we have done in the seven years that we have been in office that was absolutely ignored and left aside by the New Democratic Party when they were in government throughout the 1980s in this province, did not make any progress or any commitment to settlement of that, Madam Speaker.
We have entered into agreements with First Nations communities that give them jurisdiction over gaming. In these co-agreements, they have been able to--for instance, in his own band, The Pas First Nations Band has received almost $2 million as a result of entering into that agreement, generated by that agreement with respect to gaming.
With respect to a number of other issues such as taxation, we have entered into agreements that allow for the First Nations people--
Provincial Parks
Cancellation
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): My final question is again directed to the First Minister (Mr. Filmon).
Will the First Minister today rescind the Order-in-Council which created provincial parks in northern Manitoba, which directly affected treaty and aboriginal rights, and start all over, but this time work with the aboriginal people in a partnership way?
Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, I just want to inform the member--and I think I have done this many times already--and inform the public that, by and large, it has not impinged on any of the traditional rights of the aboriginal people in terms of hunting and fishing.
I have said this many times, Madam Speaker, it has not affected the way of lifestyle and the usage of the land in the area. I have also said that as we go through the process of enacting the parks legislation, that everybody, all Manitobans, will have an opportunity to again debate exactly how each one of these parks that we have in the province is going to be classified and categorized, and that opportunity is coming.
Gaming Commission
Public Notification
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): My question is for the Premier.
June 1, or two days from now, is the deadline for registration for those interested individuals in the public to make presentation to the gambling commission.
I must admit, Madam Speaker, I am a bit disappointed in the sense that just over a week ago, there was a little advertisement that was put into the Free Press notifying the public on this very important issue, yet for policies which government is supportive of, there are more significant attempts to get the public to be better informed about making presentation.
My question to the Premier is, does the Premier believe that the public has been adequately informed about how to participate in this public inquiry into the effects of gambling?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Inkster for the question.
The fact of the matter is, throughout the period of time when we discussed concerns about gaming in this province, one of the things that members opposite, including members of the Liberal Party in this Assembly, pounded away at was that they wanted this to be an independent commission, a commission that would have the responsibility to go and do all of the things necessary to canvass public opinion, to investigate all elements, economic, social and other aspects of gaming in this province, the impacts, and they wanted them to be relatively unfettered, and so the terms of reference were left wide open.
The decision as to whether or not and how they held public hearings was left up to them, so that we could not be accused of political interference. Now he is saying to me that I ought to politically interfere with them because he does not like the ad they have run in the paper.
Madam Speaker, that is not the way to appoint an independent commission and to give them the responsibility to review a major issue of this nature.
Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, does the Premier believe that the public has had adequate notice, that the public is aware that this commission is actually out there and that they can actually make a presentation? Does the Premier really believe the public is aware that the commission is out there?
Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, the public response will dictate whether or not there has been adequate notice.
Standing Committees
Manitoba Lotteries Corporation
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, can the Premier indicate when he is prepared to call a standing committee to deal with the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation, something that is now almost two years since it has been before this particular Chamber?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): I know that the House leaders will be discussing that scheduling. My understanding is that most of the committee work will be left until the session after summertime and that they will have that on the agenda at an appropriate time in the early fall.
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First Nations
Taxation Issues
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, last night, the First Minister talked about progress that has been made on First Nations people and taxation issues. Given that, I wonder if the Finance minister could tell the House when he and his officials will resume their negotiations with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs on outstanding taxation issues with First Nations in Manitoba?
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Discussions have been ongoing between officials of the Department of Finance and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs representatives, but I just received a call recently from Mr. Fontaine to set up a meeting with myself, and we will be doing that very shortly.
Mr. Robinson: Very briefly, why has the Finance department been ordered not to meet or discuss this issue with the AMC for six months now?
Mr. Stefanson: No such order has been issued, Madam Speaker.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Meeting Request
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, when will the full cabinet then meet with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to discuss outstanding issues such as treaty land entitlement, the new provincial parks, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, taxation issues? Is there such a meeting being planned in the near future?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Native Affairs): Yes, Madam Speaker, first of all, I understand from some communication we have had, not directly, with Chief Fontaine that requests would be coming for having a meeting with the provincial cabinet. We would be very glad to facilitate that.
But I would stress to the member for Rupertsland on many of the issues that he raises, particularly treaty land entitlement, that the 20-some bands who still have outstanding claims have their own process, the Treaty Land Entitlement Chiefs' Committee, that has been working for some time in which we were at the table and that the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs are not necessarily an active part of that, that there is a separate component.
So on many of the issues which he raises, there are processes already underway in which negotiations are taking place to deal with specific interests, and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is not necessarily the vehicle by which those interests are being dealt with.
Aboriginal Justice Inquiry Report
Recommendations
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Justice.
Manitobans are now approaching the fourth anniversary of the release of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry report. The report, Madam Speaker, which concluded: "To fail to take every needed step to redress the lingering injustice will continue to bring tragedy and suffering to aboriginal people."
My question to the minister is, given no comprehensive or any response at all to the AJI report, would the minister stop playing on the hopes of aboriginal people and finally admit that, as far as this government is concerned, the AJI report is dead?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, the member knows that this government's answer has been one of action. This government has worked in a very comprehensive way with aboriginal communities, and let me give the member some examples.
This government has moved into aboriginal policing agreements. This government has moved into community participation agreements to deal with probation. This government is working with Court Services. This government has also worked with aboriginal communities to make sure that the supports are there within our institutions.
So, Madam Speaker, our response has been action.
Mr. Mackintosh: Madam Speaker, to put this rhetoric to rest, would the minister finally table along with her departmental spending Estimates the AJI recommendations, the topics, the chapters, that she thinks have been implemented, as I requested last December?
Mrs. Vodrey: Madam Speaker, we certainly spent significant time on this in Estimates last year. I suspect that we will again this year.
As the member knows, the answers to the AJI have been done in a comprehensive way. We have looked at the meaning of what has been discussed, what are the issues, and we have made, I believe, some very strong steps in areas of action to deal with those. I can repeat them again.
We have looked at initiatives right from the policing end, entering into the First Nations policing policy, right through the courts end and into the area of corrections. We also have been looking at the appointment of community magistrates. So we continue to move to deal with the recommendations of the AJI report.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Meeting Request
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Would the minister at least do her part to convince cabinet to finally accommodate a request made by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs for a meeting, a request that was made last November, six months ago?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, I believe the Minister of Native Affairs (Mr. Praznik) just answered that question in his most recent answer.
Collection Agencies
Interest Rates
Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs.
Could the minister describe this government's policy on collecting overdue accounts from individual citizens, particularly from collection agencies, including the interest, and can he tell us what level of interest this government considers acceptable?
Hon. Jim Ernst (Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs): Madam Speaker, I do not have the general information that the member asked for.
If she has a specific case that is causing her some concern, I would ask her to provide me with that information, and I will certainly look into the problem on her behalf.
Public Housing
Rent Arrears--Interest Rates
Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): My subsequent question is for the Minister of Housing.
Can the minister describe the policy of his department on using collection agencies to collect arrears from public housing tenants, including the interest level for those arrears?
Hon. Jack Reimer (Minister of Housing): Madam Speaker, I do know that there have been collections going to the collection agencies for the collection of overdue rents and that.
The interest rate that is charged on it, I am not familiar with. I will try to get that information back for the member.
Ms. Cerilli: Madam Speaker, can the minister assure the House that citizens as tenants in public housing will not be responsible for paying interest rates as high as 24 percent to collection agencies for rent arrears or damage to apartments?
Will he assure the House that this is the case in this province?
Mr. Reimer: Madam Speaker, if there is a specific incident that the member is referring to on a particular charge, one company that is charging that, I will certainly look into it on her behalf as to what has been transpiring.
Grain Transportation Proposal
Pooling System
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, changes that have been made to agriculture supports by the federal government and supported by this government are resulting in a severe burden for farmers. Increased transportation costs will be devastating. In fact, Swan River farmers will be paying the highest freight rates in the country to ship their grain.
I want to ask the Minister of Agriculture why his government has accepted the changing to the pooling system which has moved ahead by a year, instead of waiting until 1996, when he has no clear indication of what kind of compensation farmers are going to be getting to offset these increased costs.
Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): Madam Speaker, I would like to advise the House and the member for Swan River that I have just today made arrangements to appear directly before the committee of Agriculture in dealing with the bill that is currently before the Canadian Parliament.
It will be proceeding through the legislation the week of June 5 to June 8. I have made arrangements to appear before the committee to indicate to the federal government precisely the concerns I share, that the member for Swan River brings to the attention of this House, the very significant, very serious impact that the pooling changes, including the St. Lawrence pooling with the elimination of the Crow, have on our producers.
What I am specifically trying to find out is the precise amount of compensation which Mr. Goodale has alluded to in previous meetings and conversations which will be forthcoming to help soften that change to Manitoba farmers on August 1 when these changes go into effect. I would hope that within a very short period of time, perhaps by the end of the week, we will have some definitive word and details on this matter.
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Committee of Agriculture--Federal
Minister's Presentation
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, I want to thank the minister for taking the concerns of farmers seriously.
I want to ask the minister if he will table in this House the paper that he will be presenting to the committee, so we can have a clear indication of what it is that he is asking for the Manitoba farmers when he goes to Ottawa.
Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): Madam Speaker, I have no difficulty in complying with that request.
Allow me to take this moment though to remind the honourable member that I am being guided by a coalition of farm leaders in Manitoba, which includes Manitoba Pool, the Keystone Agricultural Producers organization, all the farm organizations. They all spent considerable time in coming to a position on this very serious agricultural issue.
I regret to remind the House also, although I invited the honourable member for Swan River as a representative of the New Democratic Party and a representative of the Liberal Party to join us in bringing forward a common front on this important issue, that they refused to go along with this recommendation.
Quite frankly, Madam Speaker, there is little room for partisan bickering on this issue. It is of major importance, and they choose to continue to play politics.
Ms. Wowchuk: I would like to ask the minister if he will correct the record. In fact, he asked us to not participate in the committee but to view the committee. We were not invited to participate. I would ask that he correct the record.
Mr. Enns: Madam Speaker, there were sufficient members there, about 15 or 20 farm leaders from across Manitoba who spent a long Friday afternoon, as I recall, trying to arrive at a consensus to give this Minister of Agriculture, this government, some direction, some information. She had every chance, as much opportunity, to have direct input into those decision makings and to provide that advice.
However, Madam Speaker, I will certainly be more than prepared to share the information that I will be putting before the Agriculture committee in the House of Commons next week.
Mystery Lake School Division
Funding Formula
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Education.
The School District of Mystery Lake was the hardest hit of any school district in the province because of the cuts by this government, losing 10 percent of its funding over a three-year period. [interjection]
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Thompson now has the floor and is attempting to pose his question, and I am experiencing great difficulty in hearing the question.
Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, the School District of Mystery Lake is once again the hardest hit of any school district across the province. It has resulted in 25 teaching positions being eliminated, and the kids that are going to suffer are special-needs kids, L1 and L2.
I would like to ask the Minister of Education whether she will listen to the many hundreds, if not thousands of residents of Thompson who have petitioned this government for a fairer funding formula. Will she at least undertake to review the fact that the funding formula is impacting very significantly on the School District of Mystery Lake?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, I should indicate, first of all, something that the member does know, and that is funding for students with special needs has been increased significantly under this government, something that school divisions have been crying for for years and years under the previous Pawley government.
Nonetheless, I hear his cry that the people in Mystery Lake, at the school division there, are seeking more funding. I would suggest that funding to that particular division, according to the formula--a formula which was devised to ensure the kind of equity that was never there prior to our government taking place. Under their government, there was a formula that was so flawed that by the end of the process, I think there was one division left on it.
We now have a funding formula that does apply. Mystery Lake has been funded on a per capita basis as any other division in the province. I would suggest that all divisions, in exercising their budget-setting requirements, take into account that they have been funded fairly indeed.
Mr. Ashton: My supplementary, Madam Speaker, is, will the minister recognize that the formula has impacted on the school district of Mystery Lake because of a number of factors, including a 48 percent assessment increase, which was a result of direct action of this government?
Will she at least listen to the concerns of the people of the school district of Mystery Lake and look at the funding formula?
Mrs. McIntosh: Madam Speaker, as I indicated to the member, the funding formula has recently been revised in the last few years to ensure the kind of fairness and equity that was not there before. Mystery Lake is being funded, as other divisions are being funded, on a per capita basis. I understand that they are asking for more money. The whole world would like more money.
Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, will the minister recognize that I am not asking a question on behalf of a private school. My school district is getting cut.
When will she stop cutting the School District of Mystery Lake?
Mrs. McIntosh: Madam Speaker, in response to the member's initial statement, if he were asking for money for a private school, he would be having to ask for a lot more than he is currently asking, because they have accepted a freeze on our special out-of-court settlement agreement with them for many years.
What I am saying to the member for Thompson is that the people in Thompson are funded according to a formula that is fair and equitable across the province. They are treated the same as all other divisions across the province. He knows that over the course of time that we have been in government, that overall, on averaging out on an annual basis, school divisions have received--the education in Manitoba has received a very good percentage increase.
Winnipeg Arena
Contractor
Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, it appears that we now have confirmation that the new $111-million arena was initially designed in the United States, although the local firm of Smith Carter is the architect of record. The minister has now confirmed that there will be no tendering in the project.
My first question for the Minister of Finance is, will the minister confirm that the contractor is the Dominion Hunt company, who have promised a fixed-price contract?
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, I have not confirmed that there will be no tendering on activities if a new entertainment complex is going to be built here in Manitoba. What I have outlined is we are building on the work done by the Manitoba Entertainment Complex group over the past eight months.
Back in October of last year, they sent out requests for proposals to four firms to be the construction manager for the project. Three firms responded to that request for proposal. Their selection process led to a consortium called Dominion Hunt, of which one of the entities is Dominion Construction, who have been here in Winnipeg for some 35 years and developed projects like the TD Centre in downtown Winnipeg. That is the entity that the private-sector group does have a fixed guaranteed price from.
If an arena is going to proceed, we will be entering into discussions with the private sector about their ability to develop the facility for no more than $111 million or else being responsible for any cost overruns. An element of that will be their entering into the contract with Dominion Hunt, but the subtrade elements, the other components, will be open to the tendering process and the bid process, so that Manitobans will have the opportunity to bid on those components and that the jobs will, in fact, stay here in Manitoba.
Contract Tabling Request
Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, since the contract then clearly exists, will the minister table this contract with the House today, with the provisions for cost overruns and the provisions for the access of local firms and labour for tendering on the subcontracts within the project?--table it today.
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, I indicated that the Manitoba Entertainment Complex have had discussions, had short-listed, had looked at entering into an agreement with Dominion Hunt. I have also outlined the process that we will be following with the private-sector group if an entertainment complex is, in fact, going to be built.
We have not entered into an agreement with the private-sector group. They have not finalized their agreement with Dominion Hunt, although they are the selected construction managers and the ones that they have a quote from for a guaranteed fixed price.
As I have indicated on many occasions to this House, if and when agreements are being concluded, we intend to make everything that we possibly can available on this entire issue.
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Contract Legal Review
Mr. Tim Sale (Crescentwood): Madam Speaker, has the minister seen and studied this contract that exists? Can he state that in a full, legal sense--he understands this term--he has exercised due diligence on behalf of Manitobans?
Hon. Eric Stefanson (Minister of Finance): Madam Speaker, I have just outlined the process that has been followed to date, the process that will be followed from this day forward.
Certainly, the MEC group has had legal representation in terms of their review of the issue to date, and as I have indicated, if and when we are at the stage of entering into any agreements with the private-sector group and they enter any agreements with entities such as Dominion Hunt, we will be making everything that we possibly can available on the issue.
I know, as I have said before, the NDP oppose the development of an entertainment complex. They oppose keeping the Jets in Winnipeg, although that does contradict what the Leader of the opposition party said less than a year ago, when he went on to say, I think some of the infrastructure programs we are now investing public money in are not nearly as important in my opinion as this Jets hockey team, and I just quoted two projects that are worth up to $60 million. That is the kind of commitment from the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Doer) less than a year ago.
Point of Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, I rise on a similar point of order to what I rose on previously with the same minister, that being that if the minister wants to engage in debate on the Winnipeg Jets anytime, anywhere, with the arena proposal, but we would appreciate if he would follow Beauchesne and answer the very specific questions asked by the member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale), not engage in that debate now--anytime, anywhere.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. I am sure all honourable members will have ample opportunity to debate this issue in full at various opportunities.
An Honourable Member: Was that a point of order?
Madam Speaker: No. I did not accept that as a point of order. That is a dispute over the facts.
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Madam Speaker: Time for Oral Questions has expired.
NONPOLITICAL STATEMENT
Auctioneers' World Championship
Hon. Leonard Derkach (Minister of Rural Development): Madam Speaker, may I have leave for a nonpolitical statement?
Madam Speaker: Does the honourable Minister of Rural Development have leave for a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]
Mr. Derkach: Madam Speaker, I rise in the House today to express my most sincere congratulations to a young man who has won a very prestigious award. Mr. Mark Buleziuk attended the auto Auctioneers' World Championship last weekend in Halifax and brought home with him a grand prize of $10,000 as the best auctioneer in the world.
Mark successfully competed against 26 competitors from all over North America and is the first Canadian to win this award since 1989. As a full-time employee of the Winnipeg Auto Auctioneers, Mark has proven his superior talent each and every day.
I am especially proud of Mark for another reason. Mark was my former executive assistant before he entered this profession. At only the age of 26 years, Madam Speaker, Mark has already received accolades that many twice his age have never achieved.
Once again, may I extend my congratulations to Mark Buleziuk and wish him the very best as he furthers his education at the University of Manitoba. Thank you.