ORAL QUESTION PERIOD
Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): My question is to the First Minister.
Madam Speaker, we are pleased to see the government will utilize public consultations for decisions affecting health care. It is unfortunate the government did not use public consultations before the Premier (Mr. Filmon) made the unilateral decision to close our community emergency wards in the evening at the five hospitals.
Madam Speaker, repeatedly on October the 6th, October the 10th, October the 16th and October the 19th, the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) has used the figure 4 percent as the justification for the Premier's decision to close the community-based emergency ward hospital wings in the evening.
I would like to ask the Premier, was that the rationale and the data used by him and cabinet when they decided to unilaterally make the decision to close down these community-based emergency wards in the evening?
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Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): The honourable Leader of the Opposition is quite incorrect to refer to any decisions made as unilateral. This government, unlike the one that the honourable member was involved with, is much more consultative with stakeholders in the community, including health care providers and consumers, than they ever were. Thousands of Manitobans have been part of the consultative process in the development of any health reforms that have taken place and any health reforms that will take place in the future.
Madam Speaker, the numbers that the honourable member refers to--there are numbers that fluctuate from year to year. As a matter of fact, at this particular time, the usage of emergency rooms is down somewhat from what it was a year ago. So numbers do change from time to time. If it is 4 percent or 5 percent or 8 percent or 11 percent or whatever percent it is, it is a small amount of the--the percentage of emergent care delivered in our emergency services facilities in the city of Winnipeg is small compared to the total usage. But that percentage, no matter how small or large, is an extremely important number because those are potentially life-threatening situations. I recognize that.
Minister of Health
Replacement
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): I guess this new accountability does not start with the Premier who refuses to answer the question and take responsibility for the decisions that he and his government have made affecting the lives and livelihood and health care of citizens.
I would like to table a document today that talks about the fact that it is 11 percent that are emergent and 58 percent are urgent at our community-based emergency wards. The government has had documents indicating that his numbers have been off it by a hundred percent ever since we have been raising this question in the House.
I would like to ask the Premier, will he give us a new minister of health care who will make decisions based on the facts, who will tell the people the truth and take responsibility for the effect it has on Manitobans? Will the Premier take responsibility for a terrible decision? Will he reverse the decision and give us a Minister of Health who can give us straight answers to straight questions in this Legislature?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I want to say to the Leader of the Opposition that while he attempts to play cheap politics with issues that are very important to the people of Manitoba, we have a minister who is working with all stakeholders in the health care system, who is listening, consulting and involving thousands and thousands of Manitobans in the process of working to provide better care and a cost-effective system of health care that will address the needs of the people of Manitoba.
It is that kind of attitude, Madam Speaker, that is needed and it is that kind of attitude that is being provided by the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae), as opposed to the kind of cheap political rhetoric we get from the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Doer: Well, Madam Speaker, if the Premier is satisfied with numbers that are totally false being the rationale of his government making decisions, that may be his standards but those are not the standards of Manitobans in terms of their health care system.
Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Dr. Ludwig, on December 5, was quoted as saying that he knows what the decision of government is, but he just cannot tell the public what the decision will be about the emergency wards situation at our community hospitals.
In light of the open, accountable new nature of this government, can the Premier please tell us today, if Dr. Ludwig knows what the decision is, what is the decision? Will the Premier reverse the horrible decisions of his government and his Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) and reopen our community-based emergency wards, as they were intended to be, at midnight, Madam Speaker, or are we going to continue to play peekaboo politics with the Premier not telling us what is going on?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I heard Dr. Ludwig, on CJOB, responding to the Leader of the Opposition on that particular occasion, where he made a fool of the Leader of the Opposition by demonstrating--
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Point of Order
Mr. Doer: A point of order, Madam Speaker, the Premier's facts, just as his answers, are all incorrect. I have never been on the radio with Dr. Ludwig. I have been on the radio with a paid consultant from the provincial government.
I would ask the Premier to apologize and withdraw his comments.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable Leader of the official opposition does not have a point of order. It is clearly a dispute over the facts.
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Madam Speaker: The honourable First Minister, to complete his response.
Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, I am quick to offer my sincere apologies to the Leader of the Opposition, and I should not in any way misrepresent Dr. Ludwig. It was Dr. Moe Lerner who made a fool of the Leader of the Opposition.
Madam Speaker, the very fact is that Dr. Lerner, who is an expert in emergency room procedures and who has run emergency rooms in the past and has extensive experience, of course, did take rightful exception to the misinformation that was being put forward by both the member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak) and the member for Concordia, the Leader of the Opposition. That is why he made a fool of them.
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Health Care System
Emergency Services
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): My question is for the Premier. [interjection] If the Premier is trying to answer the previous question, perhaps he can get up again, but will he perhaps try to listen to my question, Madam Speaker?
Madam Speaker, my question for the Premier: Can the Premier explain why Dr. Ludwig said on CBC Radio yesterday that he knew, quote: Do you have any sense how many emergency rooms will be open at night? Yes, I do but I am not going to comment.
How is it that Dr. Ludwig knows, and this hiding government, this secretive government, this government that makes decisions in the backrooms will not tell Manitobans what they are going to do with the emergency wards? Can the Premier try to explain that, rather than taking shots at all the opposition critics?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, the member opposite would have to ask Dr. Ludwig that.
Minister of Health
Resignation Request
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): My supplementary question is for the Premier.
Can the Premier explain why they have kept information secret, why this Minister of Health has misled the public of Manitoba with regard to information, why this government has been using figures that have been inaccurate--and it has clearly been tabled this morning that these figures were inaccurate--why this Premier has allowed this minister to go on? Will the Premier do the right thing and ask the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) to resign because of incompetence?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, the only incompetence that has been demonstrated time and time again is the false accusations and false information that have been laid on the table of this Chamber over and over again by the member for Kildonan. That is the kind of tactic that has no place in a debate about serious issues, and that is why the members opposite have been made to look like fools, because they continually come here and make false allegations and lay false information on the table.
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Health Care System
Emergency Services--Consultations
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, can the Premier, who could not answer the questions and could not explain those misused figures by his government, explain this tabled document that I am going to table which is the minutes of the Steering Committee on Emergency Wards, the committee set up by the government? It says the problem is there is no public consultation and no education regarding emergency wards, and that is part of the problem. Can the Premier explain why his government has a throne speech that says they are going to consult and at the same time their own emergency report says they are not consulting with the public and there has been no public input?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, over the years and certainly recently as well, there have been significant levels of consultation. The thing the honourable member, who was totally silent when it came to trying to get the doctors to return to work when they went on strike, what the honourable member clearly ignores is the fact that even though we pleaded with the doctors not to do that so that we could work with them to develop that integrated emergency system that we have been talking about, the doctors were out of the picture and the whole process was changed somewhat.
The honourable member chooses to ignore that when he asks his questions, but he cannot get around the fact that the people with whom we consult and the people of this province of Manitoba would very much prefer an open and consultative approach rather than an arrogant approach that says, we will do it our way or we will do it no way.
Dwayne Archie Johnston
Parole
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice.
Yesterday, aboriginal people from Norway House achieved an historic victory for victims of crime, first, by appearing before the Pacific parole board; second, by making the point that victims and survivors count; third, by convincing the parole board to visit Norway House and participate in community healing; and, fourth, by winning the right for Justine Osborne and members of the Women's Wellness Circle to appear before the parole board when it meets in March to discuss full parole for Dwayne Archie Johnston, the convicted murderer of Helen Betty Osborne.
My first question to the minister is, what responses has the minister received from the parole board, and what actions has she taken in this matter?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, as the member opposite knows, I wrote directly to the parole board, as Minister of Justice, giving to them our opinion of what should be considered in terms of the parole of Dwayne Archie Johnston. To my knowledge, I have not yet received a written response, but I will check on that. One may have come and I have not yet received it at my desk.
Aboriginal Women
Safety
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Especially in light of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, would the minister tell us what she is prepared to do to ensure aboriginal women's safety?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, certainly we want to work with the aboriginal community, as with all Manitobans, to deal with the issue of safety. Some of the safety requirements, though, come through changes to the Criminal Code because we have one criminal law across Canada. Some of the changes which I have asked the federal government to look at implementing are reverse onus on bail and stalking, very specifically to look at making sure victims are notified if an offender is released or escapes from jail, particularly a stalker.
In order to make aboriginal women safe, as all Manitobans, there are certain changes which have to occur through the federal Criminal Code. However, we in Manitoba have adopted some policies which we believe are administrative that would be better if they were in the Criminal Code, but we in fact are doing those things, such as letting victims know if an accused and a convicted stalker is released or escapes from jail.
Dwayne Archie Johnston
Parole
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, given the significance of yesterday's events for victims of crime across the country and given the minister's commitment to victims of crime, is she prepared to assist Justine Osborne and the Norway House Women's Wellness Circle to attend the parole board hearing when the board meets in March to consider parole for Dwayne Archie Johnston?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, perhaps the member would like to speak to me to let me know exactly what it is she is asking for or what this family may be asking for. At this moment I have not received any requests.
Domestic Violence
Legislation
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.
The NDP Caucus Task Force on Violence Against Women today presented 90 recommendations directed primarily at the provincial government so we can work toward an authentic zero tolerance policy. I just want to table three copies of that report specifically for the government so that we can work in a spirit of co-operation with the government for improvements. What the task force heard loud and clear was that we have a very, very long way to go to ensure even basic safety for abused women.
My question for the minister is: So there is immediate help to get the abuser rather than the victim out of the home and to help with such issues as access to property and victim compensation, has the minister reviewed the Victims of Domestic Violence Act of Saskatchewan with a view to bringing in that kind of legislation here in Manitoba?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, contained in the information the member has circulated now, I understand, are opinions of Manitobans which I will tell you we take very seriously. I will certainly be reviewing the document as it relates to the comments of Manitobans.
However, I am pleased that based on those comments the NDP party has in fact finally offered concrete written support to a number of the positions which this government has taken from the very beginning. This was the government that established the zero tolerance policy. This was the government that established the Domestic Violence Court, the only Domestic Violence Court in this country, a model across the country, one in which we have visitors consistently coming to view.
In addition, Madam Speaker, members across the way know that we have called an inquiry into the deaths, the murder-suicide in the Lavoie case, and we will be expecting following that that we may have some additional recommendations which may come to government. We will be looking forward to that.
But we have at the moment a very aggressive stand. We will always be looking to improve that, and we expect some additional information to come forward when we get the results of the inquiry.
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Government Initiatives
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): If the government is looking to improve the status of women and the situation regarding violence against women of Manitoba, would she explain why new initiatives on this issue were not so much as mentioned in yesterday's throne speech?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Of course, the member was not listening because I guess he missed the whole part on victims. I guess he missed the whole section in the throne speech that spoke about this government's effort to continue to work with victims and in fact enhance services related to victims. He just missed it. He is wrong again.
Pedlar Report
Recommendations
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Would the minister then explain to the women of Manitoba, if the government is so concerned about the opinions of Manitobans, whatever happened to all those outstanding recommendations from the Pedlar report that were released almost four and a half years ago?
Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): I will be releasing before Christmas this government's record of accomplishments in relation to the Pedlar report. In addition to that, I think it will be very clear at that time that we have even gone beyond the recommendations of the Pedlar report.
By way of example, I reference stalking and the position that we have taken in relation to convicted persons who are stalkers, the changes that we have asked for in the area of bail conditions.
We have not yet ever seen anything concrete from the other side in support of that. Perhaps what is contained in their document now may in fact support this government's position to the federal government, and maybe the federal government will make changes.
Seven Oaks General Hospital
Alternative Uses
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.
Back in 1981, people in the north end were served with the opening of the Seven Oaks General Hospital. The community was gratefully pleased to see that particular hospital built.
We were disappointed when the then-New Democratic administration took out the obstetrics portion of that hospital, but over the last few days we have heard significant rumours that have been coming to both me and the member for The Maples (Mr. Kowalski) talking about that this government is currently looking at alternative usage for the Seven Oaks Hospital.
My question to the Minister of Health is, is this government considering doing something with the Seven Oaks Hospital, in particular converting it into geriatric usage?
Hon. James McCrae (Minister of Health): The honourable member for Inkster may not have been listening to the throne speech either, because the throne speech speaks about an appropriate and integrated system of health care delivery here for the city of Winnipeg and Seven Oaks Hospital, and a whole lot of other hospitals in the city are engaged in doing that, but they are doing it in isolation one from the other, at least they have been.
There have been some significant improvements in the way that all of the medical directors and CEOs and board chairs and others involved with these hospitals--they have been working much more closely together in recent times, and as we develop an integrated plan not only for emergency services but all the other medical and clinical disciplines, the future of the services delivered by each of these facilities will become clearer.
Mr. Lamoureux: I would like the Minister of Health to be very clear. Is this government looking at turning the Seven Oaks Hospital into geriatric care? Is that what this government is currently doing with the Seven Oaks Hospital? Are they considering it?
Mr. McCrae: I would just repeat my previous answer, Madam Speaker, but I think the honourable member may have attended the forum, either yesterday or today, that is being conducted with the facilitation of the KPMG consulting group. I know the honourable member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak) attended yesterday. The various stakeholders, including providers and consumers, have been taking part in those discussions facilitated by KPMG to discuss the future of health care delivery in the city of Winnipeg of various types of clinical disciplines.
The honourable member is wise to raise the issue of geriatric care because many of our hospital beds are occupied by people who should be appropriately looked after in something other than an acute care bed, and that is very much the subject of discussion. So the specific role of Seven Oaks or Grace or Victoria in these areas in the future will become clear as these consultations wind up.
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Mr. Lamoureux: Will the Minister of Health make a commitment to the people in the north end of the city of Winnipeg and those rural areas surrounding Seven Oaks Hospital that he will put a halt to any conversion of the Seven Oaks Hospital or the current purpose that it is there to serve, put a halt until there have been public discussions on the whole issue of the Seven Oaks Hospital?
Mr. McCrae: Like I say, the honourable member, I invited him to attend the discussions that are going on with respect to the future of these services in the city of Winnipeg. He and many others have been invited and many attend these discussions, and so I say to the honourable member, indeed, decisions will follow appropriate consultations.
Domestic Violence
Shelters--Funding
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Madam Speaker, many participants to the NDP Caucus Task Force on Violence Against Women spoke very eloquently about the importance of ongoing stable funding for the shelter system in the province of Manitoba. Women desperately require shelters to escape domestic violence and abuse, to protect themselves and their children and at times to save their lives. Unfortunately, changes that appear to be coming from the federal government through their federal transfer payments include the envelope which currently provides some funding for women's shelters.
I would like to ask the Minister of Family Services if she has met with the federal representatives in order to discuss the issue of funding for Manitoba shelters.
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): I thank my honourable friend for that question because it does raise the issue again of the reduction of $147 million that will be facing Manitobans as a result of the 1996-97 federal budget reductions and also the $220 million the following year.
Madam Speaker, it does present a real concern to us as a government in Manitoba as to how we are going to deal with all of the reductions that we will be receiving, and health, post-secondary education and family services in fact will be impacted in a very negative way.
I have had dialogue and discussion with my counterparts across the country. We have not had the opportunity to meet with the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy as ministers responsible for social services for two years now. I think that is unacceptable in the light of social security reform and what impact that is going to have on provinces.
I have indicated many times that in absence of federal leadership, provinces are trying to work together to see how we can develop a national vision for social services for all of the social programs that we provide, and national principals will continue to work on those issues as provinces. But it is not clear to us what the impacts will be, and we are not getting any straight answers from the federal government.
Ms. Barrett: I would like to ask the minister to provide a straight answer to the women and children and people of Manitoba and assure the people of Manitoba that funding a solid, ongoing core funding for programs and counselling for the women and children of Manitoba will be continued through the shelter system in the next budgets of this government.
Is she going to assure Manitobans that those services will be protected?
Mrs. Mitchelson: I can assure Manitobans that this government has placed a high priority on support for women and children and victims of abuse in the past. We will continue to assure Manitobans that support will be there. We have one of the most comprehensive shelter systems right across the country. We take some pride in that, and I want to assure all Manitobans that, within the available resources that we have, we will continue to make services for women and children as victims of abuse a high priority.
Ms. Barrett: I would like to ask the minister if she could tell us in some detail how she plans to address the problems of potential cutbacks from the federal government to ensure, as we have asked, that those services are not reduced, they are maintained, and if possible, as a result of some of the recommendations in the task force, even enhanced.
What is she going to do to ensure that those services are maintained and strengthened?
Mrs. Mitchelson: Manitoba, unlike all other provinces right across the country, has indicated very clearly that we are not going to be able to backfill on the reductions that the federal government is making. [interjection]
Well, Madam Speaker, I hear some moans and groans from the opposite side of the House, but I want to assure you that governments of Liberal stripe across the country and New Democratic stripe across the country are facing the same circumstance and situation that Manitoba is facing. All of those governments have made the same statements, so it is not unique to Manitoba.
We have indicated that within the resources that we have available to us, we are going to maintain high priority for health, education and family services by spending smarter. That will be the focus of all the change and all the reform that will be undertaken through the next year.
Hog Industry
Marketing System
Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, in the throne speech yesterday we heard that a task force will be established to travel rural Manitoba to listen and consult with Manitobans regarding policy and programs. If this task force is going to really listen to Manitobans, I want to ask the Minister of Agriculture if he will back off on his decision to move to dual marketing of hogs until rural consultation is complete, because he will hear that rural Manitobans are worried about this decision. They are concerned about the impact on producers and their communities.
Will he really listen to rural Manitobans through this task force?
Hon. Harry Enns (Minister of Agriculture): Madam Speaker, what I can advise the honourable member for Swan River is that a transition committee is being established while I speak. I have suggested that the first meeting with Manitoba Pork on the issue that she raises will take place on or about the 15th of this month, December. It is my hope that accommodations can be made to achieve a smooth transition to implement the decision by government that has been made for a more flexible marketing of Manitoba hogs in this province.
Ms. Wowchuk: Madam Speaker, so the minister is telling us that he is going to make an arbitrary decision on the marketing of hogs and then he is going to pretend that he is going to hold task force hearings across the province for Manitobans to be consulted. What is the point? Is this a PR program for rural Manitobans saying that they are going to listen when he is cutting their livelihood off by implementing dual marketing?
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Mr. Enns: It was a decision that was recommended to me by, possibly, the dean of agricultural economics that we have at the University of Manitoba employed by Liberal governments in Ottawa, Progressive Conservative governments in Ottawa, New Democratic governments in the province of Manitoba and governments of all description. I am referring to the former Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Professor Clay Gilson--a study that took seven or eight months to complete, which consulted every aspect and every player in the hog industry and very much so, producers and Manitoba Pork. It was their recommendation that, after contemplating that recommendation for a better part of a year, this government chose to make its views known on the recommendation.
Madam Speaker, with respect to the question she asked about the need for a task force, agriculture is changing, I can inform you, and some of the icons of agriculture are changing. Two out of one Alberta wheat farmers voted for dual marketing in Alberta today. So let us understand that if the New Democrats--[interjection] Let me correct it. The results are two out of three, but that is simply an expression, as the federal minister has acknowledged, of the concern that is out there in western agriculture and the same concern, quite frankly, is abounding in Manitoba as well.
The proposal is to have an understanding of that concern, to move throughout rural Manitoba and to talk about all agriculture issues in this post-WGTA era, and that is what the proposed task force that was alluded to in the throne speech will do.
Ms. Wowchuk: Madam Speaker, since the minister says his decision was based on a study that he commissioned and producers are saying that they were not consulted in this study adequately, will the minister listen to producers and give them a say in this by giving them a vote, or is he paying off some of his friends on this?
Mr. Enns: I have so much confidence in the honourable member for Swan River that I know, upon reflection, she will wish to retract that comment all by herself.
But, Madam Speaker, this issue is an issue that has in the past, by previous administrations, including New Democratic Party administrations, been made when a position was arrived at by the government and leadership, in fact, was exercised, and that is precisely what I am doing with the current hog situation.
Manitoba Telephone System
Salary Disclosures
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, my question is to the minister for the Manitoba Telephone System.
On November 14, 45 employees at MTS were laid off with no right for recall, and on November 24, MTS hired four new presidents at salaries which have yet to be disclosed. In the spirit of the throne speech, which I just had the opportunity to read right now, there was reference to a greater financial accountability by public institutions to the public, so I wonder if the minister could start by indicating how much are they paying the new presidents for the four new corporations at MTS.
Hon. Glen Findlay (Minister responsible for the administration of The Manitoba Telephone Act): Madam Speaker, I think the member knows full well--we were in committee, we talked about this--that restructuring needed to be done at MTS.
Restructuring has taken place. He approved of the restructuring. He approved that we are in a different time frame now. We have a federal regulator, and we need to separate the monopoly component of the company from the business component of the company, and that is what the restructuring has done. I am very proud and pleased with the individuals who applied. I believe over a hundred people applied for the four positions at MTS.
Madam Speaker, as the minister responsible, I want MTS to run itself as a corporation at some arm's length from the Manitoba government. I do not ask that kind of question. I will inquire for the member what the salaries are. I will bring it to him. But I can assure the member, four very capable individuals from eastern Canada have come and taken those positions out of the approximately hundred that applied. They are very well qualified. They have worked for Bell Canada, for Northern Telecom, and for Unitel in their careers.
Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, I take it financial accountability of some public sector institutions does not necessarily include the Crown corporation, so I will ask a further question, which is a decision that is going to be made directly by the minister and by the Premier. I would like to ask, given the fact they have already increased the payment to existing board members and they are now going to be creating four new boards, if they can answer how much each person on the board is going to be paid and how these people for these new four boards are going to be selected.
Mr. Findlay: The four boards that the member is referring to will be advisory boards. The members, the number and the composition is still under discussion.
Mr. Ashton: Madam Speaker, I have a final question.
I would just like to ask how the minister can look the 45 employees, who were dismissed at MTS, in the face when they have absolutely no rights of recall, no labour adjustment strategy, and yet this government is proceeding with hiring four new CEOs and creating four new boards at the public expense while these people are out of work.
Mr. Findlay: Madam Speaker, if the member looks across the country he will see that 45 is a very small number compared to what has happened in Alberta in terms of Bell Canada. This is an industry of very high technology, new equipment, better equipment. You need less employees to operate the system.
Madam Speaker, I can very proudly say to the member the amount of activity in that system continues to increase. The system continues to offer lower-cost options, particularly in long distance, which the consumers of Manitoba benefit from. Our mission over there is to keep the cost down and improve the level of service. They have done it aggressively in the past and will in the future.
School Boundaries
Status Report
Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, last Friday, the school division Boundaries Review Commission released its supplementary review and recommendations, this of course being a final report to the final report which was released last February.
My question to the Minister of Education: Can the minister tell the House and the taxpayers of Manitoba if this actually concludes the mission of the boundary commission, and what is the total bill to the taxpayers of Manitoba?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): I just want to, first of all, indicate in response to some of the phraseology in the preamble that the opposition has just spent the entire Question Period demanding further consultation from various bodies on this side, and, yet, when we took a few months to have further consultation--
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Point of Order
Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, on a point of order, I would point out that it is very clear in Beauchesne that answers to questions should deal with the matter raised and they should not be editorial comment or opinion on previous questions or answers in Question Period. I would ask if, once again, you could ask the Minister of Education to address the question rather than providing extraneous editorial comments.
Madam Speaker: On the point of order, I would remind all honourable members that indeed we do have rules, and I would suggest to the honourable minister that she keep her comments relevant to the question that was posed.
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Mrs. McIntosh: In the question that was posed, the member referred to the fact that the review had had a further consultation. In response to those points that the member mentioned, I would indicate that members opposite have spent the entire Question Period asking other members to consult.
Madam Speaker, we did that in this case at the request specifically of the member for Wellington (Ms. Barrett), other members on the other side of the House who asked if we could take further time to consult. So I would expect the member would be very pleased that second look was taken, as many of her members asked for it, and it was indeed, the members on that side of the House said it was not long enough a consultation.
So let us be consistent, Madam Speaker. I think it is terribly important in the interests of being fair. We are being consistent on this side in consulting, and I would hope that they could be consistent in their questioning on that.
The Boundaries Review report has now been received by the government a few days ago and that report, Madam Speaker, will now go to government for decision. There will be no more public hearings, in answer to her question, although members are still free to talk to us if they wish to.
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Cost-Benefit Analysis
Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, again I am going to be talking about the serious question of cost analysis and cost-benefit of this report. Is the minister aware of the St. James Assiniboia School Division's cost-benefit analysis which conservatively estimated at least a $7-million cost, additional cost, for the amalgamation of only one of the proposed 22 divisions?
Hon. Linda McIntosh (Minister of Education and Training): Madam Speaker, the member is referring to one of hundreds of reports that I have read, and she may wish to go through all of the reports that we have read. Certainly, if the member is trying to imply, am I concerned about costs and division of assets and liabilities to divisions, of course I am, as are all members on this side of the House.
Indeed, Madam Speaker, that was one of the items that we said we would be looking at in terms of a final decision, would be those divisions of assets and liabilities and costs to divisions, so, yes, I am aware and I have done a fair bit of study into it, as has my department.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The time for Oral Questions has expired.
Introduction of Guests
Madam Speaker: I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the loge to my left where we have with us this afternoon Jim Carr, the former member for Crescentwood. On behalf of all honourable members I welcome you this afternoon.