MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

Home Care Services

Mr. Ben Sveinson (La Verendrye): Madam Speaker, I am concerned about the attempts to scare Manitobans with regard to home care. There are no changes to home care in rural Manitoba, and we are looking at introducing competition for 25 percent of services in Winnipeg. In spite of that, I hold in my hand some propaganda that was being distributed in Ste. Anne over the weekend which I now table.

I am shocked and dismayed at the tactics being used. This is fearmongering propaganda at its worst, and it must be stopped. Listen to what rural Manitobans are being told. I quote: Your government's documents show that all hands-on care including nursing care is to be contracted out to private for-profit agencies. Further, all care is to be contracted out.

This is absolutely untrue. In addition to the fact that rural Manitoba is unaffected and 25 percent of Winnipeg's service is affected, but you would never know that from these documents which are misleading and do a disservice to recipients of home care by not providing the facts. There are no changes to home care in rural Manitoba and yet these papers handed out in Ste. Anne have clearly shown there is nothing sacred to those who want to scare Manitobans into believing untruths.

A petition was attached which said that plans to privatize home care services calls for, and I quote again, the complete divestiture of all service delivery to nongovernment organizations of a user-pay system of home care.

No matter who delivers the home care service, the government will fully fund it as it does today. The government believes in home care and are seeking to make it as efficient as we can. Since we came to office in 1988-89, the number of persons we served has risen by 11 percent. The amount of money we have allocated for home care has risen by 111 percent, an increase of $43 million. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Flooding--Constituency of St. Johns

Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, I want to make a statement regarding the flooding on Scotia Street in the constituency of St. Johns. I want to pay tribute to particular individuals and organizations.

First of all, to all the businesses that contributed foodstuffs for the workers and the volunteers, I want to acknowledge the contributions of the IGA on Main Street, and Mr. Hamel in particular, McDonald’s on Main Street, Extra Foods and Safeway, as well, Tim Horton at Sheppard and Inkster and Robin’s Donuts on McPhillips.

Second of all, I want to pay tribute to the City of Winnipeg workers and, in particular, Mr. Tommy Lamboo, who seemed to be everywhere all at once co-ordinating matters with an even hand.

As well, to the people who were working on contract. I am aware of bobcat operators, for example, who worked from seven in the morning until midnight on Friday. As well, the many friends who came out and other people in the community, but most important of all, at a time when the youth in Manitoba seem to be getting a bum rap and are being generalized--

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Madam Speaker: Order, please. I am experiencing difficulty hearing the honourable member for St. Johns. I wonder if those members having private meetings would do so either in the loge or outside the Chamber.

Mr. Mackintosh: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

At a time when the youth in this province, and I think particularly in the north end of Winnipeg, are getting a bum rap and there are generalizations being made about youth, it was the youth of the schools of St. John’s High School, Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, West Kildonan Collegiate and Garden City Collegiate that came out and worked tirelessly for the good of the community. In fact, many of these individuals came back on Friday night and again on Saturday. It speaks very highly of Manitoba youth.

Finally, I want to pay tribute and acknowledge the stress that the residents have been under on Scotia Street. We recognize how difficult the rising floodwaters have been for the residents and their families, for the threat that it causes to their major investment and to their property.

I think that the flood situation demonstrates throughout all of Manitoba that this is the ultimate we-are-all-in-it-together situation; we have to pull together.

I also want to pay tribute, of course, to the individuals and the residents in places elsewhere in the city of Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba. For example, in south Transcona where the Scouts and other youth came out and worked tirelessly for the good of the community as whole.

St. James Canadians

Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Madam Speaker, I would like to extend congratulations today to the players and coaches of the St. James Canadians who defeated the Neepawa Natives to win the Ollie Turnbull Memorial Trophy. This outstanding victory means that the St. James Canadians will now go on to play the Saskatchewan winners, a team from Melfort.

For games three, four and five of the Anavet Cup, the St. James Canadians will be playing at the Civic Centre in Sturgeon Creek starting tomorrow, April 23, and playing until Thursday, April 25. I would like to extend an invitation to all members of the House to come and watch the fine hockey which will be on display this week and especially would like to invite the member for Ste. Rose, the Honourable Glen Cummings, wearing No. 21 today of the St. James Canadians, to the games, and judging by this beautiful St. James Canadians jersey, he must be quite a fan of this superb hockey team.

Finally, I would like to wish the players and coaches of the St. James Canadians the best of luck during the Anavet Cup. I am sure all members will join with me in congratulating coach Wayne Chernicki, Glen Harris and Brian Gaziuk, manager Gunter Leuger and trainer Joanne Hanson and all the players of the St. James Canadians in a great season and wish them well in the series against Melfort. A special thanks to Gary Bachinski of the Canadians for arranging to get the Canadians sweater for the honourable member for Ste. Rose (Mr. Cummings) to wear in the Chamber today. Thank you.

Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, I would like to add my congratulations to the many residents of St. James who take great pride and joy at the performance and ultimately winning season achieved by the St. James Canadians hockey club as they won the Manitoba Junior Hockey League Championship for the first time in over 28 years.

Madam Speaker, this House is filled with members who understand that it is much more satisfying to win than to lose, and I am sure that we can all agree on that. While I am happy that the St. James club was able to fight its way back from a three to one deficit in games to win the championship series four to three, I also want to commend the Neepawa Natives hockey club as a spirited and worthy contender for the Turnbull Memorial Trophy. I am sure we can all wish Coach Wayne Chernicki and all the players of the St. James Canadians luck and best wishes as they advance to face their next opponents, the Melfort Mustangs from Saskatchewan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Rural Forum

Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Madam Speaker, I want to rise today and recognize the importance of the rural forum that was held in Brandon, Manitoba, at the end of last week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and congratulate the many participants who displayed their wares and the immensely well-received program that was put on. I also want to congratulate all the Junior Achievers who were presented awards at the forum.

However, one of the most important things for some of us in this Chamber, as the rural value-added task force, of which Frank Pitura, MLA for Morris, and Merv Tweed, MLA for Turtle Mountain, and myself are members of, was the ability to present our interim report to the forum. In that interim report, we indicate clearly that we were impressed by the participants of the 1,200 to 1,300-some-odd rural people who came forward with ideas on how they wanted to add value to their products in rural Manitoba and therefore increase our capacity to export finished products out of this province by $1 billion.

There was a tremendous enthusiasm and receptiveness toward the provincial government for having initiated the task force, and we were very pleased to have been given the opportunity to listen and dialogue with Manitobans about what should be done to enhance their ability to prove that they could, in fact, provide jobs for young people in many of the towns in rural Manitoba.

We were extremely fortunate to have been participants in that venture, and we thank the rural forum for allowing us the time to present our report to that forum.