Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): Madam Speaker, spring is in the air and the sounds of construction can be heard all around Manitoba. In the Pembina constituency we are hearing those sounds at the sight of the new Boundary Trails Health Centre.

Our government is committed to enhancing health care facilities. The Boundary Trails Health Centre is just one example of this. The project is a clear demonstration of our government’s desire to provide Pembina region residents with quality health care and up-to-date diagnostic and treatment facilities. The $34.9-million, 94-bed acute care facility will be a welcome addition in my constituency.

The centre will serve the health care needs of Morden, Winkler, and surrounding municipalities. The two-storey building will feature state-of-the-art mechanical and electrical systems. The RHA plans to designate 40 beds for medical patient use, seven for obstetrics, 18 for surgery patients, four for special care needs, and 25 beds for rehabilitation assessment.

I know Pembina region residents will appreciate having ready access to the dialysis and chemotherapy units, state-of-the-art operating rooms, and the new CT scanning and diagnostic mammography units.

I would like to thank the Regional Health Authority-Central Manitoba Incorporated, the medical staff, and local volunteers for working so diligently with our government in order to create a first-class health care facility that will provide years of benefits for area residents. Thank you very much.

Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Madam Speaker, the previous speaker, the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), prefaced his comments on his member’s statement by saying the sounds of construction are ringing out in his constituency.

Well, I wish that the sounds of construction had rung out in my constituency in 1994 and 1995 or maybe 1996, 1997, or 1998, all those years, Madam Speaker, when the then Minister of Health, the member for Brandon West (Mr. McCrae), the current Minister of Health (Mr. Stefanson), who was then the Minister of Finance, the member Kirkfield Park, attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a hundred-bed personal care home in my constituency, the Betel Home. The minister who attended that ceremony said that the ground would be actually broken within months. The then Minister of Health in February of 1995 promised me that it was one of the top six priorities for capital construction for that fiscal year.

Madam Speaker, the Monnin inquiry says, and I quote: "In all my years on the Bench I never encountered as many liars in one proceeding as I did during this inquiry." That same statement, those same words, that same idea is being heard and spoken by my constituents in Wellington, who were promised by this government on three separate occasions a personal care home in their constituency.

The Speech from the Throne yesterday says our population is aging. Our population was aging six years ago, Madam Speaker. Where is the integrity of this government? The audacity of this government to now promise those personal care home beds when they promised them six years ago, Mr. Minister, the people of Manitoba hear and will understand, and they know what to do with this government the next time it has the guts to call an election.

Tergesen Family

Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tergesen family of Gimli as they mark 100 years of operation of the family store, H. P. Tergesen & Sons.

The store was built by Hans Pjetur Tergesen, who came to Canada from Iceland in 1887. When H. P. Tergesen opened this store in Gimli in 1899, it first sold food and other necessary household goods to the residents of this burgeoning community. The business was later passed on to his son Svenn Johann and is now owned by the grandson--

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I am experiencing great difficulty hearing the honourable member for Gimli make his member's statement.

Mr. Helwer: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The business, as I said, was later passed on to his son, Svenn Johann, and is now owned by the grandson of Hans Pjetur, Terry Tergesen, and his wife, Lorna. The store is managed by their son, Stefan.

The Tergesen family has expanded and changed the business many times over the years, but they have also made an effort to preserve the past. On display in the store are the original cash register and the coffee grinder, as well as other interesting antiques, and the old-fashioned showcase still continues to be used. These historic touches make the H. P. Tergesen & Sons store a unique tourist stop for visitors to Gimli and continues to generate interest in the town’s history among the new generation of residents.

So it is pleasing to see that, even with the challenges that are constantly being created by today’s fast-moving economy, there is still room for the family business. Our small-business owners have always played an important role in the prosperity of this province, and the continuing success of the store shows that they still have an important role to play in building Manitoba’s economy for the future.

So, once again, my congratulations to the Tergesen family, and I hope they will enjoy another 100 years of success. Thank you.

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Recently the media, expert commentators, disgruntled witnesses and even the Premier (Mr. Filmon) have provided Manitobans with their takes on the 1995 vote-rigging scandal. A decidedly closed Legislature has until now silenced the official opposition, but we now have the opportunity to speak.

Only the Premier knows that aboriginal people, who were yesterday shamefully and violently barred from the Legislature, will have a chance to be heard. Today I want to speak for people from Osborne where my constituents unequivocally agree with former Justice Monnin when he notes his findings of duplicity, arrogance, debasement and liars. Different from Monnin, however, my constituents see the Premier as one of the major liars. As one man told me, and I quote: I feel betrayed by a Premier whose government and conduct are reminiscent of Richard Nixon.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would remind the honourable member for Osborne that we have some very definitive rules regarding unparliamentary language, and one of them is not to address a member of this Legislature as "a liar." It has been called unparliamentary on several occasions, so I would ask the honourable member to pick and choose her words carefully.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please.

Ms. McGifford: Madam Speaker, on a point of order, I am merely quoting the words of a constituent and reporting them back to the Legislature.

Some Honourable Members: Oh, oh.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would remind the honourable member that you are making explicit reference to a member of this Legislature, and it is deemed to be unparliamentary.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Osborne, to complete her member's statements.

Ms. McGifford: To continue with the remarks of my constituent who says: I feel this government with its nudge-nudge, wink-wink attitude to elections has insulted the intelligence of all Manitobans, taken us all as a pack of fools. He concludes by saying: I want an election right now, so I can speak my displeasure by voting Filmon out of office.

Then a woman who believes that the Premier does not tell the truth. She says she believes he definitely knew of the plot from the start and that his claim that he does not will cut no ice with the public. She adds, if he did not know, he must be running a half-baked operation characterized by deception and total disregard for the democratic process.

Madam Speaker, my personal favourite is one I have heard over and over again--

Madam Speaker: Order, please. Could I ask the honourable member to summarize very quickly. The time has expired.

Ms. McGifford: To finish, my favourite: I voted Tory all my life, but I will never vote for Gary Filmon again. My fondest hope is that these people will soon have the opportunity to not vote for the Premier again.

* (1500)

Madam Speaker: Orders of the Day?

An Honourable Member: We are supposed to have three today.

Madam Speaker: Yes, you are, but there was nobody standing on their feet. I looked around. Who was--[interjection] Order, please. Today’s rotation clearly states two government members, three opposition members. I indicated to the honourable member for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine) that the government had already had two members make members' statements. I paused and waited, looking at this side to see if they were indeed going to stand for your third member's statement. When no one stood, I then moved to Orders of the Day.

Now does the honourable member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin) wish to make his member's statement? I am offering the honourable member for The Pas the opportunity to use the third statement from the opposition side. [interjection] I thank the honourable member.