ORAL QUESTION PERIOD
Personal Care Homes
Public Inquest--Recommendations
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Yesterday I asked the Premier (Mr. Filmon) some questions about the follow-up of his government through three different ministers of Health dealing with the unfortunate death of Anne Sands and the Rusen inquest that was released to the provincial government and the Premier in 1994.
There were a number of recommendations made in that report, and the Minister of Health answered in this Chamber that all of the recommendations, he believed, were implemented in terms of the government report that was commissioned after the Rusen inquest to deal with the vulnerable and elderly in the personal care homes in Manitoba.
Would the Premier please outline the action that was taken following the Rusen inquest in terms of staffing levels and the other implementation and action taken from the 1995 report that was commissioned for the provincial government, withheld before the election and released shortly thereafter?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): First of all, with respect to the matter of Mrs. Anne Sands who passed away while a resident of the Heritage Lodge facility, I understand that the circumstances around her death, from what I have been advised, was that she wandered out of her room and fell on a bed in another room and became entrapped between the side rails on that bed. When staff found her, 911 was called. She was not able to be extricated before she suffocated.
The recommendation in the inquest of the Chief Medical Officer recommended--or one of those recommendations was that personal care homes have staff who would be on duty in hallways for the purpose, I understand, of watching people who wander. That was felt to be unworkable, but policies were developed, particularly in this case, that people who do wander would be checked every 15 minutes.
As well, the beds in that particular facility were changed in terms of the rails so that particular risk or danger would not be there.
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Mr. Doer: The Premier (Mr. Filmon) knows and the government knows that Rusen and many other people examining the issue of personal care homes since the Premier issued his Speech from the Throne in 1990 have stated that the staffing levels are woefully inadequate. Furthermore, the government's report that was withheld and covered up by the government in the election campaign and released shortly thereafter recommended that the government initiate immediately random, unannounced inspections of personal care homes in the province of Manitoba.
The Premier is responsible for these recommendations. The Minister of Health said he would implement the recommendations, the former Minister of Health. Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier whether he has taken action and leadership to stand up for the vulnerable people in our personal care homes. Has he implemented that recommendation or has he failed to do so?
Mr. Praznik: As I am sure members appreciate, coming into this department, sometimes it takes a while for a new minister to be up to snuff on all of the details, but I can assure the member, from the reports that I have, that the department has done and does routine inspections, including unannounced inspections. At Heritage Lodge, I believe there was an unannounced visit made in November, just for an example.
That is certainly an area that I share with him because I believe very sincerely, as I am sure he does, that unannounced visits by staff from the Department of Health are an excellent way to check the ongoing operations of personal care homes. As the new minister, I certainly will continue that policy and hope there is opportunity to enhance it if it is not suitably adequate for the times.
Mr. Doer: The government, in a document that was released last year, stated that they had not implemented recommendation No. 24 dealing with random, unannounced inspections in the personal care homes, which contradicts what the minister said in the House and which contradicts what the minister said in June of 1995. It said that they will leave the issue of random inspections of personal care homes to the new regional health boards. That was a document tabled in this Chamber.
Now the Premier, of course, has the temerity to go on radio shows and accuse our member for Kildonan (Mr. Chomiak) of fearmongering when he asked questions about personal care homes generally and Holiday Haven specifically last year in this Chamber.
I would like to ask the Premier, who will be investigating his responsibility of not implementing the 1990 Speech from the Throne, not implementing the recommendations from the Rusen inquest, not implementing the policy alternative recommendations dealing with private and public nursing homes, not implementing fully the 1995 recommendations that were made to his government, and for saying that we were fearmongering when in fact he should have been moving in to Holiday Haven last year? Who will be investigating his lack of follow-up and action for the most vulnerable people in our nursing homes here in the province of Manitoba?
Mr. Praznik: Firstly, with respect to the issue of unannounced visits, I can inform the member from the information that is provided to me as minister that in this particular case there was an unannounced visit of that facility--
An Honourable Member: Holiday Haven?
Mr. Praznik: No, we are talking about the Heritage manor here as one--[interjection] Would the member please just bear with me. If that is not the case, if they are inadequate, I have undertaken as minister to look at that to ensure that we are doing adequate unannounced inspections. I think all members would agree, that is a very reasonable way of checking on that. They do occur now from what I understand from the department. If there are not enough of them, I will endeavour to look at that.
With respect to comments about fearmongering, we know from time to time there are going to be problems and issues that come forward. What is absolutely critical is we deal with the facts, that we try to deal with the facts that are before us in a rational and reasonable way. When the Leader of the Opposition comes to this House with information that is not quite accurate or not quite descriptive of the facts--
An Honourable Member: Name it.
Mr. Praznik: Well, the member says to name it. Yesterday in Question Period, Madam Speaker, the member for Concordia (Mr. Doer) talked about this particular incident as if there were huge problems in that particular facility. What came to light is a problem with old beds that have been changed--that was brought to light--and the issue of how wanderers are monitored. Those have been corrected. That is not worthy of bringing fear to every resident of a personal care home in the province of Manitoba.
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Personal Care Homes
Public Inquiry
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, I do not know what it takes for this government to realize there is a problem. The ‘93, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy Evaluation indicated problems with private personal care facilities. The '94 Rusen report--and, by the way, for the minister, he should read that report which points very specifically to problems with inadequate staffing, woefully inadequate.
We have the interdepartmental task force making numerous recommendations, the minister announcing random inspections and then no random inspections. We now have the minister reannouncing that in 1997 after a death.
I would like to ask the Premier, since he is ultimately responsible for this matter, will he do the right thing and call not an inquest into one specific death but an inquiry into the absolute negligence of this government in dealing with personal care homes in this province?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, if members of the public are looking for examples of rhetoric, we have just had one, because we know the reality of the situation of personal care homes. We know that the level of care in personal care homes across this province has been increasing, the needs of patients who go into them or the residents who go into them are much greater than they were over the last number of years because our home care system is allowing people to live in their own homes longer. We know that that puts greater pressure on the system, greater pressure on staff.
We know and I would not deny that personal care homes are under a great deal of pressure today--there is no doubt--as they deal with an ever-increasing workload and more serious cases. We have to work to address that with them and find the right levels of staffing to provide the kind of care that is needed in those facilities. It is not always an easy solution to find, but we are working towards that, and that will probably be an ongoing matter because needs change over time.
Every personal care home resident has family who visits them. The kind of fear that the member is engendering and the kind of arguments that are being made are not representative of the kind of feedback we get from the public, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Ashton: Supplementary, Madam Speaker. I want to address this again to the Premier who is responsible, ultimately responsible for these years of negligence. I want to ask the Premier if he will recognize that what we are talking about here is not fearmongering. These are reports; there is an inquest report, clear recommendations that were made. Will he recognize that, due to the negligence of his government under his leadership, those recommendations were not put in place and that, indeed, serious questions have to be raised about whether people were at risk and are still at risk because this government will not deal with the private nursing care home issue?
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, the member for Thompson, if I may understand this correctly, is no longer just dealing with the issue of personal care homes or nursing care homes, but the issue of public versus private.
I can tell the member that there are from to time public facilities, whether they be supported by municipalities or operated by nonprofit organizations, that also have problems. Often this is very much a function of the management group that is in place, of how they operate, of personalities, et cetera, and sometimes it is the result of faulty equipment or equipment that is not appropriate in the case of those beds. [interjection]
The member for Swan River (Ms. Wowchuk) says money. Yes, we have to make sure that we are getting value for our dollar, but it is our intention to ensure that we are providing adequate resources to properly and adequately staff those facilities. That has been changing over time, and it will continue to do so, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Ashton: I want to try one more time to the Premier. I want to ask the Premier, when will he stop sitting there silently and allow his ministers, his new minister to rationalize some very serious concerns that have been identified in report after report? When will he do the proper thing and appoint an inquiry that will also be able to look not only at the specific situation of Holiday Haven but the absolute negligence of this government in dealing with problems that have been identified as early as 1990 and 1993 and 1994, Madam Speaker?
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, as I have said before, we know that the needs of our personal care facilities in this province are changing because the load that they carry in terms of care requirements of their residents is increasingly greater each year as more and more people who go in are in greater need of care. We are thankfully being able to keep more people at home with the use of home care. Consequently, we know that the resources, the appropriate resources to deal with that, we have to work continually to improve those to meet those standards. It is not always easy. You have to keep working at it, and we continue to do that.
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Holiday Haven Nursing Home
Public Inquiry
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, it is a failure of our system and of this government that after months of failure to act at Holiday Haven, the only way a forum of investigation can take place at Holiday Haven is through an inquest, through a death. That is not enough. There has already been an inquest; there have already been three reports that have not been followed.
Will the minister today tell the House how the outstanding issues at Holiday Haven we have dealt with, like why it took five months for the management to change when it was identified five months ago; why the only way people were able to raise their concerns was through the member of the Legislature; why the Department of Health failed to follow up on recommendations and failed to follow up with concerns of staff; why the government did not implement the recommendations of its own committee; and why two days ago the minister said there were not problems in other nursing homes, and today he is saying there are problems? Where will the forum be to investigate those issues?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, the member for Kildonan certainly offers a host of questions for me to answer, and I hope I get that opportunity to do so in a number of answers and certainly in Estimates.
First of all, what I did say to the member the other day was not that there were not problems at other nursing homes. I said, let us put it in perspective; there are from time to time. It is a human system; you have human beings delivering a service with all that entails. From time to time, it is never always going to be perfect. Can we minimize that? Can we work to ensure that when those things happen, that appropriate action is taken to correct them? Absolutely. That is, I think, all that one can reasonably expect to do because it is a human system.
Madam Speaker, with respect to Holiday Haven, the matter has come up a number of times that he has raised. As we indicated, the department last fall requested that Holiday Haven management commission an independent report. They did; they had a proprietary right in that report. They developed a plan; it was not acceptable to the department. There was a process of negotiating going on when the events of early February intervened, and we made the decision to put in a new management team.
So the short answer to the question of what is happening at Holiday Haven today. We have a completely new management group in there who are ensuring the quality of care and working towards accreditation over a two-year period.
Mr. Chomiak: Madam Speaker, will the minister, who knows an inquest will not answer all the questions, explain and tell this House how issues like Paula Black who resigned because of incompetence there will be investigated; how the patient who was transferred and had to have the wounds photographed at another nursing home was dealt with; how the patients who were abused by management are going to be dealt with?
How are those issues going to be dealt with, with an inquest that is only going to be narrowly defined towards the death of one resident? There should be a public inquiry to the broader issues of not only how Holiday Haven was operated but how the Department of Health failed to protect the residents of personal care homes.
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, first of all let us understand that the inquest from a Chief Medical Officer is one tool in getting to the facts of any situation. I welcome this inquest. Obviously, within the mandate of the Chief Medical Examiner, we will find a report that will give us the facts relating to the death.
If, given the other information that comes to me through the department, through the new management group that is in place, through this inquest, we find some significant problems that have to be dealt with, it is my responsibility as Minister of Health and we as a government to address those and ensure that they are corrected and steps taken to the best of the ability of the system to protect people who are in our personal care homes. Madam Speaker, we will do that.
Public Forum
Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, will the minister today outline for the public something that the minister failed to do in the fall, something the minister failed to do in '95 and '93, et cetera? Will the minister commit today that there will be a forum where all of the individuals who have concerns about Holiday Haven and the way matters were handled; where the 19 concerns that we raised with our letter to the minister; where the unexplained deaths can be reviewed and can be dealt with; and the political responsibility of a Premier saying that we are only fearmongering? Can all of these issues be dealt with? Will the minister commit today to a forum to permit those issues to be dealt with so Manitobans can have assurance that their loved ones are cared for in personal care homes in the future?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I would certainly agree with the member for Kildonan that there has to be some avenue for that information to be brought forward. I would separate the two types of information, however. With respect to deaths, it is an automatic procedure that they be reported to the Chief Medical Officer of the province, who makes a decision on whether an inquest is required and determination. So, with respect to deaths, let us not confuse the two because there is already a well-established process in place.
But the particular point the member raises about complaints that go back for some period of time, I am currently working with my staff on a number of options to have a model because I am interested in that information. I am interested in it as minister. I want to know if it can tell my department and me as minister and my colleagues in cabinet something that we need to do to improve the system, so I certainly want to ensure that that mechanism is in place, and I hope to be able to have something for the member shortly.
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Personal Care Homes
Northern Manitoba
Mr. Oscar Lathlin (The Pas): Madam Speaker, my questions are directed also to the Minister of Health.
In the south here we have been trying to bring to the attention of this Minister of Health the state of personal care homes, the need for better management so as to avoid the unnecessary demise of our elders. That is a really, really sad situation. The government should be ashamed of that and do something immediately to correct that problem. In the North, however, we are not talking about personal care homes to fix up because we do not have any.
My question for the minister is, where in his planning and priorities has he placed the issue of personal care homes in the northern communities?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I really think it is important in debates on these issues that when we get into exaggeration for the purposes of Question Period, and I do not want to engage in that, but the member for The Pas said there are no personal care homes in the North. I do not want to get into a--it is so tempting to be able to say, when is the last time he has been in The Pas, because one of the big issues in The Pas is a personal care home in that community now that has a host of problems and probably needs a major capital injection in the next few years. It is something that we are struggling with. It has been brought to my attention by the regional health board when I was there last week, so to make the blanket statement to this House that there are no personal care homes in the North, that is not accurate. If he had raised the issue of the one in The Pas, I think his comments would have more credibility, but I am pleased to address more of this in his next question.
Mr. Lathlin: Did not address anything. What is he talking about?
Madam Speaker, let me ask the minister then, out of the 53 Northern Affairs communities, how many have personal care homes, and does the minister agree that there is a real need for these personal care homes? I do not know when the last time the minister was in the Island Lake area, but the last time I was there, they were looking for a personal care home. Could I ask the minister whether he agrees with me that there is a real need for personal care homes, particularly in the isolated areas?
He knows what I am talking about. I am not talking about The Pas, Flin Flon or Thompson. Because right now we are having to send our elders elsewhere in Manitoba, you know, often in places away from relatives, friends and community.
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, as we narrow the focus somewhat, the member for The Pas is absolutely right. There is a need in many larger communities. He mentioned the 53 Northern Affairs communities. In asking that opinion, having been Minister of Northern Affairs, many of them are communities of only several hundreds of people. I think the largest one would probably be Wabowden.
Mr. Lathlin: You know what I am asking.
Mr. Praznik: I know, and I will get to that, but to say to the media and the public and this House and to ask me if you want personal care homes in communities with several hundred people, you never have the numbers.
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): We do not even have one in Thompson.
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, the member for Thompson mentions Thompson. Yes, that is a need that has been identified in that community. I do not deny that.
The member referred to Island Lake. Island Lake is a large enough grouping of communities that would probably justify having a personal care home. One of the issues there obviously and makes it even worse is the fact that there are not Home Care programs in that area to take off some of the pressure.
So I am very much aware of that need. How we address it gets into a host of issues, and I look forward to a discussion with the member on that matter.
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for The Pas, with a final supplementary question.
Mr. Lathlin: Promise even a budget, too.
Madam Speaker, my last question is to the same minister. Will this minister recognize and accept the fact that aboriginal people are human beings and citizens of this province and convene a meeting with MKO and NACC together for the purpose of identifying concrete action plans to address the situation that we were just discussing?
Mr. Praznik: Madam Speaker, health care for aboriginal people is a very serious matter as it is for all Manitobans, and for any member of this House to get up and ask if a minister would recognize aboriginal people as human beings I find offensive. I find it very offensive and unworthy of the member, for any member of this House.
Madam Speaker, in the first few weeks of my tenure as Minister of Health, following a meeting in Dauphin in which MKO was part of that meeting, I wrote to both MKO and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs inviting them to work with us and UMM and MAUM in finding a way of putting together some form of co-ordinating function that we could provide some liaison with the regional health authorities in developing and dealing with some of these issues. As of this date, I am still awaiting their reply and input. I would hope I would have it shortly, and I would welcome that input.
Economic Growth
Manufacturing Industry
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, my question is for the Premier. March 14 we are going to be anticipating yet another budget, and in that budget what we are going to see is a lot of stats that are going to attempt to prop up this particular government.
What I did, because no doubt all members of this Chamber will talk of the benefits of having a well-diversified economy, is I looked at the manufacturing industry, and I went back to 1988. In the month of April when they were elected, there were 64,000 manufacturing jobs. In January of '97, there were 61,500.
Madam Speaker, if you put all the stats to the side, if you like, in terms of here is where we are doing well, the bottom line is that in the manufacturing industry where there are decent, well-paying jobs, this government is failing. It is failing miserably.
My question to the Premier is, why?
Hon. Gary Filmon (Premier): Madam Speaker, I know that the member may want to try and paint things as negatively as he possibly can, which is unfortunate because most observers, whether it be economic observers, the banks, the Conference Board, the independent forecasters of this world, are all saying that Manitoba faces a period of buoyancy and economic growth and strength like it has probably not seen in its history. In fact, today Manitoba has more people employed than it has ever had before in its history. It continues this year, last year, and probably next year, to be in the top three or four growth provinces in the country. Its export growths have been in the upper echelon of the nation, first or second, for several years now. It also is the only province in Canada that with 1997, the new forecast just out, we will have had six straight years of increase in capital investment, the only province in Canada that can say that.
With all of these indications, one of the strengths that keeps coming forward is the manufacturing sector. We have companies expanding today, places like Vansco Electronics, places like Boeing, places such as Loewen Windows, Willmar Windows, Palliser Furniture--[interjection]
Madam Speaker, I would ask the members, please, please calm down.
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Filmon: We have had major, major increases in our exports. In fact, our exports to the world have more than doubled in the past six years. Our exports to our largest export market, the United States, have increased almost 150 percent in six years. Eighty-three percent of those export increases have been in value-added processed or manufactured goods. So it is clear that the Manitoba manufacturing economy, like virtually every area of our economy, is extremely strong and growing, Madam Speaker. I would think that that is something he would want to celebrate rather than not.
Mr. Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, I am not going to celebrate that this Premier has lost 2,500 manufacturing jobs since he has been the Premier.
My question to the Premier is, did the Premier do anything with respect to Molson's where we lost 91 jobs, to Rogers where we are losing 82 jobs? Was the Premier even aware that these companies were going to be moving out of the province of Manitoba? Does the Premier care about the manufacturing industry? Because, if he does, he has a funny way of showing it because we are losing jobs.
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Mr. Filmon: Madam Speaker, the member opposite I know is not aware that there are massive changes taking place in the economy of the world and many of them do impact on Manitoba. The fact of the matter is, yes, we have lost a few hundred jobs in some areas of the old economy where we used to have employment numbers that were greater than today, but the other side of that coin is that January to January, according to Statistics Canada 1997 over 1996, we have almost 24,000 net new jobs. That means, after all of those jobs were lost, we have replaced them and added an additional almost 24,000 net new jobs.
Now the member opposite talks about the loss of some jobs at Manitoba Sugar and indeed every member on this side is very concerned about it. We have people involved in the sugar industry right here in our caucus. We have tremendous amounts of concern for it. That is directly attributable to the fact that his colleagues in the Liberal government of Ottawa by their trade policy destroyed those jobs, destroyed those jobs.
Point of Order
Mr. Lamoureux: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, the Premier cannot have it both ways and blame the loss of jobs on Ottawa and the gaining of jobs on him--
Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.
Madam Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Lamoureux: The province is the one that is losing the jobs here.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member for Inkster did 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, the member has put the loss of jobs on Ottawa more succinctly than I could have, so I will leave it at that.
The fact of the matter is that this province is showing tremendous signs of growth as new opportunities are being accessed not only in the high-tech manufacturing areas but in areas of the new economy, in areas of computers, in areas of telecommunications, in areas of high-tech consulting.
We just met with a group this morning in our Eonomic Development Board who are in that leading-edge, high-technology field creating significant numbers of jobs in Manitoba. That is the way of the future, and that is what we are ensuring that we keep Manitoba focused on because those are the kinds of opportunities that will continue our growth.
Bristol Aerospace
Employment Protection
Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Inkster, with a final supplementary question.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Can the Premier tell this House what exactly is he doing to ensure that the jobs are going to stay with Bristol Aerospace as we all know that it is up for sale? Is the Premier involved in any way to try to protect those jobs and ensuring that our aerospace industry remains healthy in the province of Manitoba?
Hon. James Downey (Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism): Madam Speaker, this government has been very interested and very supportive of the continued operations of Bristol. We have been in communications with both the company that is in the business of putting the company up for sale as well as the company that is handling the sale, clearly indicating to them that we want Bristol to be maintained as a unit here in Winnipeg and able to expand and grow with the activities that are available in the overall world economy of aerospace development.
AIDS Strategy
Hospice Funding
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, last fall Manitoba Health released its provincial AIDS strategy promising education, prevention, support, care and treatment for people living with HIV-AIDS. Last evening a coalition of eight service organizations, funded until 1998 under the federal government's AIDS Community Action Plan, sometimes known as ACAP, this group held a public meeting at which the community after two years of research and consultations determined that Manitoba needs an AIDS hospice.
My questions are for the Minister of Health. Given the provincial commitments in the AIDS strategy document and given the government's promises in the throne speech to target palliative care, am I right in assuming that Manitoba Health will be a partner in funding the AIDS hospice?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that that recommendation that came out of the meeting last night that the member refers to is a logical conclusion from where we are in the AIDS strategy and the needs of people who suffer from that very terrible illness. Obviously today I cannot make a commitment to funding that, but I do want to recognize the importance of that recommendation, and I am sure that I will be seeing it brought forward to my attention through various channels in the near future. It is certainly worthy of consideration.
Services for Women
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, because the AIDS strategy document completely ignores women and because last year 15 new women tested positive for HIV, which is a record number as far as I know, how does the minister plan to respond to women living with HIV and to their families when these women die?
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I think for anyone who suffers from AIDS, whether they be male or female, and there may be unique issues involved, it is always a great tragedy for them and their families. So it is something we obviously have to be cognizant of. That is part of what the AIDS strategy, I would imagine, is about, issues of palliative care and hospice. Certainly an area that I have managed to have some meetings on this subject since my appointment. I know it is one that the previous minister was quite concerned with as well.
We are certainly open to working with people involved in the partnership in dealing with this particular illness to find good, workable solutions to many of these issues. So I make that commitment to her today.
Implementation
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, I am certainly pleased to hear the minister is open to these organizations because an official from communicable diseases has already told those AIDS service organizations funded by ACAP to expect no money from Manitoba Health, so I am wondering how the AIDS strategy will be implemented and how the hospice to which he apparently is also committed will be realized.
Hon. Darren Praznik (Minister of Health): Madam Speaker, I do not want the member to assume today. I see it as a very logical recommendation coming from that group. I have not seen it yet. All of the detail is something that has to work into consideration. I have systems in government in which to address that, including capital and other issues, so to say today, "I am committed, it will happen tomorrow" is just not accurate or realistic given the systems of government, but we are certainly committed to working on these issues and hopefully to find solutions, whether it be hospice that we can accommodate within our systems and budgets.
As a new minister, the commitment I give her is that it is an area where I recognize the concerns that are related there, and I am certainly prepared to work with people in that community, people who are dealing with this particular illness to find what solutions can work.
Madam Speaker, the withdrawal of the federal funds from this particular area is really a tragedy, and I would hope our friends in the Liberal Party can pursue that with their federal colleagues in the coming federal election.
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Legislative Building
Royal Doulton Product Promotion
Hon. Frank Pitura (Minister of Government Services): Madam Speaker, yesterday I took a question as notice from the honourable member for Elmwood (Mr. Maloway) and I would like to respond to the issue raised by the honourable member and put on the record the background to the issue and the result.
First off, the reference made to Legislative Assembly Management committee had no connection to this issue, nor does the Speaker's office. The real issue is the contractor who operates the cafeteria and Legislative dining room allowed Royal Doulton to display and sell their products in the private dining room, which is in between the cafeteria and dining room. When it was brought to my staff's attention, they indicated to the contractor that this particular use of the private dining room was not a permitted use according to the contract. The contractor, who has just recently taken over the food services, was not aware of this restriction in the contract. The order given was to cease and desist from this kind of use, and a letter to this effect has been issued to the contractor.
Winter Road
Shamattawa, Manitoba
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, I only have one question. In the last couple of days I have been dealing with the Department of Indian Affairs with the Shamattawa First Nation and their housing crisis that is currently going on there, and my question is for the Minister of Highways and Transportation. As the minister knows, the people of Shamattawa are living in one of the most remote areas of Canada and certainly this province, and a community where the winter road is vital to the shipment of goods and services for a few short weeks of each year.
I would like to ask the minister if he is prepared to use part of the payment recently made by the band towards the construction of a road in order to keep the road open longer to allow a shipment of needed supplies for construction and would be showing good will on the part of the province in assisting these Manitobans in remote Manitoba.
Hon. Glen Findlay (Minister of Highways and Transportation): Madam Speaker, and the member, I acknowledge what he has asked. I will inquire with the department to determine the technical safety of the use of the road, the weights and the timing and naturally hauling at night is a little safer than in the daytime under certain weather conditions, but I will take the question as notice and contact the department immediately to determine what is possible. Naturally, the department will manage it over the course of time as the weather warms up. Hopefully, we may achieve his objectives and improve and guarantee safety at the same time.
Youth Gangs
Reduction Strategy
Mr. Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns): Madam Speaker, we now hear that the federal government, yet with only limited jurisdiction to deal with the issue, is trying to get some co-ordinated, comprehensive response to organized criminal gangs, and I think this speaks not just to a coming federal election but more loudly to the pitiful leadership vacuum on the gang issue at the provincial level.
My question to the Premier or to the Minister of Justice, I ask again, would the government please consider acting--an action--based on our 18-point Gang Action Plan to deal comprehensively with gangs, and would they explain, given that gangs are on the mind of everyone, why this threat is not acknowledged or even mentioned once in this government's plans set out in the throne speech?
Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Madam Speaker, the issue of street gangs in our communities is a very, very serious one, and last week I in fact raised that issue with the other Justice ministers. I raised that with the federal Justice minister. I asked for closer co-operation between levels of government. Today, I read in the newspaper about how the federal government unilaterally makes announcements in respect of the street gang issue as though there are no provincial Crown attorneys working on this problem, as though there are no police officers in our streets working on this problem. We have been working on this problem. We are committed to solving this problem, but the federal government needs to be an active participant in this solution.
Madam Speaker: Order, please. Time for Oral Questions has expired.