Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): It gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise today in recognition of the accomplishment of a young couple from the Plum Coulee area, specifically the Thames district, and the names of these people are Melvin and Elaine Penner. They were recognized as Canada's outstanding young farmers at the Toronto royal exhibition last week. Mr. and Mrs. Penner have been involved in a farm organization that was started by their mom and dad. Mr. Penner's father passed away when Mr. Penner was at a very young age, but he and his brother stayed on the farm and worked with their mother to expand and build the farm operation to where it is today. They on their farm had raised sugar beets, which are now no longer there. Mr. Penner was a member of the board of directors of the Manitoba Sugar Beet Growers' Association. As well, they grow beans, corn, sunflowers, lentils, peas, canola, barley, wheat and oats on their farm. They also run a small on-farm processing operation whereby they add value to what they raise on their farm and export directly much of what they raise.

Mrs. Penner is involved in an automobile dealership in town, and so between the two of them they are involved in many community committees, boards and do a tremendous amount of work in their community as well as the surrounding communities. Mr. Penner is one of the members involved in the establishment of a pasta plant, an industry development in the Altona area, and the two of them need to be congratulated for the tremendous amount of work they have done in their community and the tremendous success they have demonstrated and their ability that they have demonstrated in operating their farm operation in the Plum Coulee area.

Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): May I have leave of the House to make a member's statement?

Madam Speaker: The honourable member does not require leave. He was recognized to make a statement.

Mr. Santos: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to make a statement on the significance of the visit of the president of the Philippines to Winnipeg, Manitoba. This is the first time any president of the Philippines ever visited our city of Winnipeg and our province of Manitoba. The immigrants from the Philippines and elsewhere came to reside in Manitoba during the decades of 1950s and 1960s. I remember there were approximately less than a dozen of those pioneering souls who were mostly professional people like medical doctors, nurses and teachers.

It was not until the year 1968 that the first airplane loaded with seamstresses and garment workers came to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Almost every week, these workers who were recruited from abroad came to help the garment industry in this province prosper and progress. From dozens to hundreds to thousands, the members of the Filipino community grew rapidly to become one of the most visible minority groups in our city and in our province. Currently, there are approximately 45,000 Manitobans of Philippine ancestry. I suppose this tally probably includes children and infants as well. Within a time span of three decades from the 1960s onward, Manitobans of Philippine cultural heritage, despite artificial disabilities imposed upon them preventing them to use their professional and technical education, training and experience, have contributed much to our social, economic and political advancements which are essential to our achieving a position of competitiveness in a global economy.

Finally, may I say that the Premier of this province had acted wisely and with a forward-looking vision when he explored with the president of the Philippines the possibilities and economic opportunities for mutual ventures and mutual investment relationships between our province with about a million population and approximately $70 billion of renewable and unrenewable resources with an Asiatic country with a customer population of approximately 70 million and equal amount of resources.

Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): The opening line in Saturday's Winnipeg Free Press sums up what I have known all along, and I quote: "In a province known for its generosity of spirit, the town of Winkler is No. 1."

In fact, two of the top-four generous communities happen to be in the constituency of Pembina. Why, you may ask. The answer is twofold. First, I noted in my moving of the throne speech, Pembina constituency is blessed with tremendous economic growth and the resulting employment opportunities.

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The second reason has to do with the Mennonite faith prevalent in the area. As Frieda Neufeld said in an article, and I quote: "It's my involvement in our faith . . . We are our brothers' keepers to a great extent." This was a theme in my recent speech, that we are responsible for our own behaviour, we are responsible for the children we bring into this world, we are responsible for loving our neighbour as ourselves. The people of Pembina constituency have taken this belief to heart. They practise what they preach, and the result is a giving community with a strong sense of values. I am proud to represent the constituency of Pembina where people are proud to share and help the country and province that helped them out when they came here as refugees from Europe.

Madam Speaker, I would like to end with the words spoken by Jack Suderman, executive director of the resource commission of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, and I quote: "'We have a long history of the Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Disaster Services . . .This kind of history comes back to inspire and motivate.'"

No truer words were spoken. Thank you.

Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, today is International AIDS Day, a time to remember those who have died from AIDS and those who continue to fight for their lives, the day to reflect on the global situation, the millions infected in Africa, the galloping numbers of people affected in Asia. Today is a day to mourn, a day to renew our energies as we work to combat this devastating disease.

Here at home in Manitoba our attention quite naturally turns to the not-implemented provincial AIDS strategy. We have heard before in this House the story of the strategy, how it grew from the government's embarrassment when Justice Krever was in Winnipeg and unearthed this government's dismal record regarding HIV and AIDS education, prevention, care and treatment. To this date, the Minister of Health (Mr. Praznik), like his predecessor, has sat on his hands. AIDS is an entirely preventable disease. The watchword is prevention, prevention, prevention, and yet this minister has sat on his hands. The physical and emotional trauma, the tragedy of family grief and dislocation, the unfulfilled promises, the young lives cut short are beyond the quantifiable measure, and yet this minister sits on his hands.

The estimated direct and indirect cost to Manitoba's economy stemming from the 588 cases of AIDS are $90 million in direct costs and $353 million in indirect costs for a total of $443 million, and yet this minister sits on his hands. It appears that the AIDS strategy is another political ploy. Once again people living with AIDS and their families must also live with disappointment, with broken promises, with immortality of inaction.

Today I ask the Premier (Mr. Filmon) on behalf of Manitobans living with HIV and AIDS and their families to honour his commitment, demonstrate some leadership and undertake moral action.

Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): It is a pleasure for me to rise in the House this afternoon at the beginning of a new session on the first day of December. It is ironic that after our neighbours to the south just celebrated Thanksgiving, Madam Speaker, we in our province are realizing how much we have to be thankful for as well and how much reason we have to be optimistic.

Madam Speaker, this is something that I have difficulty containing in the projection of my enthusiasm for what the province is accomplishing these days. Our province has been a remarkable renewal over the past decade and a province where the young people can now look at home for opportunity instead of looking abroad.

We have, through strategic stewardship on behalf of this government, become a province that enjoys strong economic diversity that has resulted in strong job growth. Our government has fostered an economy the envy of many of our provincial neighbours. We are a province that has balanced its budget for the past three years and have developed a provincial savings account that will ensure that we are prepared to absorb any future occurrences that threaten our finances. As a government, we have listened to those who have said that they are paying enough, and we have held the line on all major taxes for 10 years.

We have also helped the federal government balance their budget by absorbing cuts to the federal transfer payments. Today Manitobans have a unique luxury. Instead of debating where we must cut and save, we now are in the position where we can sit down and decide together where we should reinvest the fruits of our labour. Manitobans should be proud of the contribution they have made to our province's renewed strength, and they should feel confident that even better times are here and better to come.

To the young people of Manitoba, I say the future is yours and you shall inherit a province that is prosperous and promising. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank all Manitobans for their contributions to making Manitoba even stronger.