Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Madam Speaker, the week of May 10-18 has been declared National Nursing Week in the province of Manitoba by the honourable Minister of Health (Mr. Stefanson) in recognition of the important contributions made by nurses in this province each and every day. The theme for National Nursing Week 1999 is older persons and nurses, partners for healthy aging, and within Manitoba the three nursing associations will be promoting nursing through community services–

Madam Speaker: Order, please. There is so much disruption in this House currently that I am experiencing great difficulty hearing the honourable member for Charleswood. I would request the co-operation of all honourable members if you are having private meetings to do so in the loge or outside the Chamber.

Mrs. Driedger: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Within Manitoba the three nursing associations will be promoting nursing through community services, social actions and public education. Our government recognizes the importance of nurses in our health care system and has developed several initiatives to ensure that we continue to have an adequate number of nurses to meet the care needs of Manitobans.

On Friday, our government announced that it is raising enrolment in the Assiniboine Community College licensed practical nurses education program from 90 to 190 students this year, with an increase of more than $576,000 in funding. Having worked many years as a nurse, I recognize the important role that LPNs play in our health care facilities and personal care homes. Increasing access to the LPN program is an important step forward in meeting the need being faced here and across the country for more caregivers at the bedside.

In addition to expanding the LPN program, we have allocated more than $32 million to hire 650 nurses, and we have established a $7-million nursing fund to assist in recruiting and retaining nurses for the province. Manitoba's nurses are one of the strongest assets of our health care system, and we will continue our commitment to training and hiring more nurses in Manitoba. Thank you.

Mr. Clif Evans (Interlake): Madam Speaker, a few weeks ago I had the great pleasure and honour of attending the opening of the new Eriksdale Credit Union location in Eriksdale, Manitoba, and bringing greetings to over 300 people, board members and friends. This new 7,120 square foot building will provide expanded banking facilities, as well as extra offices, lawyers visits, playrooms for the kids, spacious board room, a full security system, 24-hour automatic teller and a handicap access wicket.

Having expanded to over $45 million in assets along with its suboffices in Ashern and Moosehorn, Eriksdale Credit Union is one of the only financial service providers in this area, and with its new facility it makes the Eriksdale Credit Union the viable banking institution for northwest Interlake.

I wish to congratulate Mr. Craig Hughson, board chairman Mr. David McLelland, and staff members continued success.

Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Madam Speaker, this past weekend, Friday and Saturday, was certainly a memorable event in southern Manitoba at Fort Dufferin and Emerson. This weekend, there were hundreds of people, indeed thousands of people gathered from around the world, across Canada and Manitoba to witness the kickoff of the re-enactment of the 1874 North West Mounted Police March West. I had the pleasure of welcoming the people there on behalf of the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the government of Manitoba.

It was 125 years ago that members of the North West Mounted Police left Fort Dufferin north of Emerson to bring law and order to the Canadian prairies and to protect our borders against American incursions. In doing so, they made western Canada a safe and attractive place for settlers. Participants of the ride are travelling by horseback and are dressed in 19th Century costume. Dozens of riders will take part in this march all the way to Alberta.

The March West is expected to reach its final destination at Fort Macleod on July 2, and it will be making many stops along the way. I hope many of the members of this House and all Manitobans will be taking time to greet the March West along the way on its historical journey.

I would like to congratulate RCMP constable Tom Lowden, co-ordinator of the march, Shannon and Wally Empson and Raymond Piche of Emerson, who co-ordinated the Emerson festivities, and the many sponsors who have contributed to the success of this event. I also want to send congratulations out to the town of Gretna, Mayor John Braun and Mary Harder, who co-ordinated much of the efforts at Gretna, for the welcome that they gave to all of the riders and to all of us as we experienced Saturday night in Gretna. Thank you again for the opportunity.

* (1430)

Mr. Dave Chomiak (Kildonan): Madam Speaker, I rise to commend all nurses in Manitoba on the proclamation of this as nursing week in Manitoba. I and all of my colleagues, and I am sure all members of this Legislature, take off our hats and honour those individuals who work in the nursing profession who have particularly over the past several years worked under the most trying circumstances and who still continue to give the care, the helpful, loving, hands-on care that we all have come to know and respect from that profession over the past hundred years, in fact since the early days of Florence Nightingale.

I think we often talk in this House about the role and function of nurses. What I hear most typically amongst my constituents and those who have participation in the health care field is those nurses are "run off their feet" and are doing all they can. I hope this week is a recognition on the part of the government of the role, responsibility and function that these people give to our health care field not just in the acute care sector or the personal care home sector, but for those sectors of southern Manitoba, rural, and in particular northern Manitoba where the bulk of the health care system falls upon their shoulders to undertake something that we have called on the government for many years to address. It is fitting and it is also ironic that finally, after years of requests from the LPNs and from others in the nursing home profession, the government this week has chosen to recognize that indeed there is a future for LPNs in the province after subsequent governments and subsequent ministers have said there was no role and no function for LPNs.

We commemorate all nursing and the work they do. I do not think any member of this Chamber could not have had the experience of being touched and warmed and helped by nurses, and I, with all members of the House, honour all of those people who have dedicated their lives to helping us to recover and heal. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): I wanted to just put on the record some real concerns and real problems that I have. Earlier, during Question Period, I was handed a magazine. Time and time again I have thought to try to give the benefit of the doubt to Bernard Christophe, the head of one of Manitoba's larger unions, the UFCW, and I will do what I can in terms of trying to get a copy of what I am about to say to Mr. Bernard. I would welcome, love an opportunity to speak to the membership at large if he were prepared to allow me to sit on the same stage as he, and explain to the membership what I believe is how the membership as a whole is being exploited in regard to politics on a very important issue.

This most recent edition–and I took exception to other editions that have been produced, and I have contacted, but to no real avail. It is really discouraging. You open up a magazine, you look at it, you are talking about many–whether they are single parents, people who are trying to work for a living. Their dollars mean a lot to them, and those dollars are being used to prop up a political party. I do not believe that is in fact what all of those workers want to see. It saddens me greatly to see the types of money–and when you read through this magazine–it has it on billboards–and it is money that is being paid to train NDP workers. You read the billboard, it says: office manager, sign chair, organizer, gives the list of the price of the NDP memberships. You look at the front page. It is high profile of Gary Doer. It is page after page of nothing but propaganda which is not necessarily in the best interests of the average person working at Safeway or the average individual working in the garment industry. I challenge Mr. Bernard to give me the opportunity to sit on the same platform that he is on to explain how he is in fact exploiting, not necessarily assisting.

If my memory allows me to send a copy of what I have said to Mr. Bernard, I hope that he will take the opportunity to sit down and express not only to me but I also believe to many members, not only within his union but outside the union, the types of actions and propaganda and what he does in order to get his political party on the agenda.