Mr. Brian Pallister (Portage la Prairie): Leave for a nonpolitical statement?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the honourable member for Portage have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. Pallister: The Red River flood of 1997 gives us all cause to reflect and perhaps to reflect on blessings that we have taken for granted. The work of families in this province to support one another, the heartfelt despair that has been experienced by too many in this province that has served not only to bring us together but to bring us together in deeds as opposed to just words and the sustaining love that those families exhibit for one another is something that I think all of us take for granted all too often. I certainly, on reflection, do appreciate the support of my own family very much over the number of years I have been able to serve in this Chamber.

I also believe this flood serves to illustrate the tremendous integrity of our constituents. All of us are honoured to be in this Chamber and to serve the constituents who have elected us, who have chosen to have us as their representatives here. When I see the conduct of the constituents whom we represent in this province through the course of this flood, I am even more honoured than I have ever been in the past.

The sacred trust that they have given to us is something that should give us all cause to reflect and to feel honoured. The work and the commitment that members of this House do for the people of this province is something that deserves to be valued, too. I personally believe that the members of this House deserve the credit. All of us, regardless of partisan persuasion, deserve the credit and respect of the people of this province for the work they have done.

I am very impressed and I appreciate very much the work of all members in representing their constituents. I am very impressed by the work that we have done within this House when we are able to step beyond the narrow bounds of partisanship and strive together to work for Manitobans as we are doing in the flood crisis that faces this province today.

Most of all, I guess, I do not want to ever take for granted the support of my friends and my colleagues. As I see the work and the friendship that has gone on in this province, that has been displayed by the people of this province in the last few weeks and that will continue to be displayed in the days and months ahead, I am deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to serve the people of my constituency and of Manitoba for the past five years.

I thank you for the chance to get to serve the people of my constituency, and I thank you for the chance to work with people in this Chamber, all of whom I have great respect for. I want to say in closing that I appreciate, having worked with community and business and sports organizations for many years, what a good team is, and, I must say that the best team I have ever been privileged to be part of is this government.

I deeply feel appreciative of the chance to get to know so many of these fine people, and I will always value their friendship. I thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Do I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the honourable member for Burrows have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. Martindale: The week of April 27 to May 3, 1997, has been proclaimed by the mayor of Winnipeg and the Minister of Family Services (Mrs. Mitchelson) as Early Childhood Educator Week. I want to thank the honourable Minister of Family Services for this proclamation, because it gives me the opportunity to acknowledge and thank all early childhood educators for their professionalism, their dedication and their love for children in their care. They do a tremendous job, and they need to be recognized and thanked by all of us.

If MLAs have not visited every child care centre in their constituency, I would encourage them to do so. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the warm reception you will receive. The Manitoba Child Care Association and the Family Day Care Association of Manitoba are to be commended for their joint conference in Winnipeg last week and for the wide variety of workshops they offered their members, which I am sure will make all their members better early childhood educators. Thank you.

Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Do I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the honourable member for Pembina have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. Dyck: Each year in Canada, April 28 is designated as the national Day of Mourning for those who have been injured or who have died in workplace accidents in Canada. We are all in agreement that too many workers still become ill or are injured, sometimes fatally, at their place of work. All life is precious. Any workplace injury or fatality is a serious matter and of great concern to us all. All of us are touched by these tragedies, whether the person is injured, is a fellow worker old or young, male or female, who may be working as a farmer, a logger, a construction worker, miner, as a worker on an assembly line or in some other line of work. All injuries are preventable from each incident. Whether it results in a serious injury or not, we must learn what happened so that we can prevent similar occurrences and ensure that such tragedies do not happen in the future.

In Manitoba, recent years have seen significant reductions and improvement in accident rates and traumatic fatality rates. Employers and workers have been working as partners to ensure the workplaces become safer, and this must continue. As long as a single worker continues to be injured or killed in a workplace accident, there remains room for improvement. We must remain diligent in continuing to make Manitoba's workplaces even safer and healthier.

Injury and death at work brings pain and suffering to co-workers, families and friends. The Day of Mourning on April 28 gives all of us a chance to consider this serious nature of work and to set aside a few moments to think about those persons injured or killed and to think how we can all work towards the goal of eliminating all workplace accidents. Thank you.

* (1440)

Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): Do I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the honourable member for Transcona have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. Reid: Today, April 28, is a Day of Mourning for those who were killed or injured on the job. This day is made possible through the efforts of the former Churchill M.P. Mr. Rod Murphy whose private member's bill in Parliament gave recognition to this day.

Not only is today important as the one day of the year where we recognize that we need to work more safely in our workplaces, but every day should be used to educate for workplace safety and health and to work safely.

I ask the minister himself and all members of this Legislative Assembly to join us, not only for those who are working in the flood situation in our province, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in workplaces that can in many places be dangerous but for the other workplaces of our province to continue to work safely and to educate others to prevent the loss of life and serious injury and more minor injuries as a result of workplace accidents. So I ask all members to join together to educate each other and the public to work safely. Thank you.

Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Do I have leave for a nonpolitical statement?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the honourable member for Sturgeon Creek have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. McAlpine: I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all the volunteers in our city and throughout the province who have been helping in the sandbagging effort. In particular, I would like to extend my thanks to Sturgeon Creek United Church for their efforts this weekend. They sent two truckloads and two vanloads of food and drinks to be distributed to volunteers and workers who have been helping with the flood effort.

I had the opportunity to go out sandbagging with many other volunteers from the Sturgeon Creek United Church, and I have to say that I was impressed by the tremendous effort put forth in order to help our friends to the south end of the city.

I would like to pay particular thanks to Reverend Allan Saunders and Debra Schwyer, in particular, for their efforts in helping to organize this weekend's effort by Sturgeon Creek United Church. I would also like to mention the Courts IGA for their generous contribution of food and drinks for the volunteers.

Finally, I would like to commend you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, the member for St. Norbert (Mr. Laurendeau), in organizing the sandbagging effort for us to participate in your constituency in the sandbagging. The volunteers from Sturgeon Creek went out to your constituency office and were directed to homes that needed help building dikes. With about 200 volunteers involved on Turnbull Drive, our efforts were very successful and very much appreciated by the residents, in particular the Gregorys.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed in helping their friends and neighbours. Indeed, it makes me feel proud to be a Manitoban, and I appreciate the opportunity to help those residents who are in need during the 1997 flood. Thank you.