Madam Speaker: I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the loge to my right where we have with us this afternoon Mr. Rick Borotsik, member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris, and Mr. Peter MacKay, member of Parliament for Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough. On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon.
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Mr. Mervin Tweed (Turtle Mountain): Credibility is an issue often debated in this House. However, information has recently come to light concerning the actions of the member for St. Johns (Mr. Mackintosh). Members opposite continually portray themselves as pro-union and pro-labour, and it is disheartening when the Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys must take the unprecedented step of issuing clarification regarding a number of cases to address comments made by the member for St. Johns, comments, I might add, that failed to note the extremely important role of our Crown attorneys that they play in Manitoba's justice system. On this side of the House, we respect the work performed by our Crown attorneys. They continue to act in a thorough and professional manner, with the best interests of all Manitobans in mind.
Recent comments by the member suggesting that the Crown attorneys office may have made mistakes in a number of high-profile cases are not constructive. His comments on February 10, '98, indicating that the Crown fumbled the ball are--and I am not sure if I can use the word "misleading." I will say divorced from the truth. I would therefore encourage the member to review the information copied to him from the Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys and consider withdrawing his disparaging and erroneous statements. I hope the member considers all the facts before making similar statements in the future.
Madam Speaker, for a party that paint themselves as pro-worker, it would appear that they change paint cans depending on the audience they find themselves before. Regardless of what members opposite may think and say, the Crown attorneys of Manitoba continue to pursue the goal of seeing that justice is done in each and every case to the best of their abilities. They continue to make every possible effort within the law and code of professional conduct to ensure that a conviction is obtained and appropriate sentence is issued. Thank you.
Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, I am glad the member for Turtle Mountain introduced members' statements by talking about credibility, because this government has absolutely none, as we have seen evidence in Question Period today. We have a Premier (Mr. Filmon) who in Question Period would not even answer a direct question about the fact that he, his government appointed one Tom Stefanson a chair of the board of MTS, would not address one question about the fact that the government still continues to have representatives on that board and that they are directly responsible for the million-dollar potential benefit to one Tom Stefanson at the expense of the people of Manitoba.
This is of scandalous proportions in this province. This is corrupt and unethical behaviour. Talk about conflict of interest. Tom Stefanson was one of the four key players in the sell-off of MTS. By the way, to the Premier, that did not include anybody in terms of the people of Manitoba. Tom Stefanson now is in the position of getting a million-dollar benefit out of that. Anyone in the province of Manitoba understands how unethical that is.
It amazes me that this Premier had the gall earlier in Question Period to stand in his place and try and deny the connection with Tom Stefanson and even put the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson) in the position of having to answer questions. I believe that, Madam Speaker, should be considered a conflict of interest, obviously. I do not make that as a personal attack. I say to the Minister of Finance, get the Premier to do your dirty work next time. Get him to answer for the kinds of decisions that have led to that kind of rip-off.
For this Premier to talk about the sale of MTS having been passed by this Legislature, let us not forget that this is a Premier who used every single undemocratic, every tactic in the book to ram through the sale. We are now saying: who is benefiting? The people of Manitoba have seen 400 layoffs, higher rates, and Tom Stefanson pocketing $1 million. That is corrupt. That is unethical.
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, this morning the Premier, along with the representative from the federal government, announced funding totalling $7.8 million for an expansion of Bristol Aerospace's Winnipeg facility. This investment in Manitoba's aerospace industry will result in the creation of 225 new jobs at Bristol, which already employs approximately 1,000 Manitobans. This expansion of Bristol's Winnipeg plant is already underway, and the 225 workers will be hired between now and the summer. More than 1,000 additional jobs could be created through local spinoff benefits as the increased workload at Bristol trickles down to other suppliers and other aerospace firms.
Through the Manitoba government's Industrial Opportunities Program, the province is providing a $4.4-million repayable loan to Bristol. This program offers financial incentives to businesses wishing to create new jobs by expanding or upgrading their Manitoba operations. This partnership with Bristol is another example of our government's commitment to creating a better Manitoba through sound management of our economy.
The civil aviation market is the fastest-growing segment in the global aerospace industry, and thanks to this investment and partnership with Bristol Aerospace, the company can continue to grow and compete. For Manitoba, these rewards include increased employment to a high-skilled industry and an expansion of Manitoba's growing aerospace sector, the largest in western Canada.
So I would like to congratulate the management and employees of Bristol Aerospace for their foresight in developing a new market opportunity in one of the most competitive sectors of our economy. Thank you.
Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Madam Speaker, I rise today to put a few comments on the question concerning a rather ugly incident that took place about 10 days ago at the Parkland Crisis Centre in Dauphin. I am sure that I can speak on behalf of all the members of the Legislature when I say that our thoughts are with the woman who was assaulted in the Parkland Crisis Centre and that we all share many concerns that this recent incident raised.
The incident has called into question security of women residing in shelters and the staff that work with them. The safety of women and children and the staff in these shelters is paramount to these places truly being seen as a refuge away from domestic violence. There has not been to date provincial adherence guidelines developed specifically to address building and staff security issues. I encourage shelters across the province, including the one located in Dauphin, to work with the government to develop their programs, despite limited resources, particularly in the area of staffing. While we understand that safety audits are now being recommended by the government, I would ask that all members acknowledge the need for adequate resources for shelters, along with comprehensive guidelines to ensure the safety of women in the Parkland and other sites across the province. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
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Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the Legislature this afternoon and note the significance of April 6. Today, of course, is Manitoba Tartan Day, a day in which we take pause and acknowledge the important role that the Selkirk settlers and the Scottish people have played in the establishment of our province.
Approximately four years ago, with the support of the Scottish community, I introduced The Manitoba Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Amendment Act. I believe that our tartan should be honoured in an annual day of celebration that marks the symbols and heritage which are represented in the tartan.
Our tartan has been registered as the official tartan of Manitoba. Rich in colour and meaning, the tartan consists of dark red squares representing the Red River settlement and fur trade posts; green squares representing our natural resources; azure green line for Lord Selkirk, founder of the settlement; dark green lines representing the men and women who have contributed to our great province; golden lines representing our agricultural sector; and the white squares that represent our winter snows.
While there are a number of cultures that came together to build the province of Manitoba, today is the day we celebrate the Scottish element of our rich cultural mosaic. So as a proud member of the McAlpine clan, I encourage all honourable members to join me in this important salute to all Scottish Manitobans, past and present. Thank you, Madam Speaker.