The Acting Chairperson (Mr. Dyck): Will the Committee of Supply please come to order. This section of the Committee of Supply will be considering the Estimates of the Status of Women.

Does the honourable Minister for the Status of Women have an opening statement?

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister responsible for the Status of Women): Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I do have a statement. I may, in fact, use my whole time allotted. This is probably the last statement I will be making as minister due to my retirement, so I would like to take a few moments to speak about the Women's Directorate and also about the Advisory Council.

I am very pleased to present the working Estimates for the Manitoba Status of Women ministry for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2000. The Women's Directorate, as a department of government, envisions a society committed to the true achievement of equality for women and men. To effect this vision, the directorate is focusing this year's efforts on six major areas critical to the achievement of equality.

The six goals of the directorate are to enhance the capacity for Manitoba women to attain economic self-sufficiency, facilitate strategic education choices and enhance employment opportunities in high-growth, well-paid fields for women, facilitate opportunities that promote healthy lifestyle choices for youth, foster awareness and further enhance the government of Manitoba's efforts to provide a safe environment for women and children, raise awareness of women's health issues, and advocate for recognition of women's needs in public health policy, educate government decision makers about the potential differential impacts of government action.

The Women's Directorate works to achieve its goals in a number of ways. Within government, it works to influence government decision making through research support, policy development and evaluation of government programs, policies and legislation. The directorate interacts with the community, the business sector, as well as the various departments of government, to raise awareness of the reality of women's lives, and to ensure that the differential impact of proposed initiatives, employment practices and proposed government reforms are considered.

The directorate also generates government initiatives which reflect specific concerns and priorities of Manitoba women. Manitoba participates in federal-provincial-territorial working groups on violence against women, economic security, Canada Pension reform and women's health. This collaboration with colleagues across the country has enabled the directorate to address issues of common concern including violence against women.

This past year, the Status of Women reaffirmed their dedication to working towards the goal of eliminating violence against women through the adoption of the Iqaluit Declaration on Violence Against Women. The declaration acknowledges the need to speak out against violence and to work together as governments, communities and individuals toward the achievement of a violence-free society.

In health concerns, Status of Women ministries across Canada are concerned with the broad perspective of health concerns of women and will be considering these issues at their annual meeting July of 1999. F/P/T ministries have also developed a variety of tools useful to assess women's economic self-sufficiency such as the economic gender equality indicators which provide guidelines to determine the economic status of women.

In terms of economic security, we believe that a key to economic security for all Manitobans is access to employment. To this end, we have undertaken a number of initiatives. Over the past years, it has become more and more apparent that small business is an engine of economic growth and job creation here in Manitoba and across Canada. Increasing numbers of women are embracing the challenges of becoming entrepreneurs, particularly in small business.

The Women's Directorate recognizes that when women consider starting a business, they need information regarding various aspects of entrepreneurship. In response to this need and as a part of the celebration of Small Business Week, the Women's Directorate hosted a conference, Manitoba Women in Business: Voices of Experience, in November 1998. Directorate partners in this event included Departments of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Agriculture, Rural Development and Northern and Native Affairs, the Bowering Group Inc., the Business and Professional Women's Club of Manitoba and the Women Business Owners of Manitoba.

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The panel discussions featured successful Manitoba women business owners who shared their secrets of success with participants. This event marked the first interactive video conference link between Winnipeg and the Flin Flon women's community. Approximately 40 women from Flin Flon and surrounding area were able to participate in the conference through this medium.

Women also need information regarding available marketplace supports. The directorate produced the Quick Reference for Women Entrepreneurs, a user-friendly directory listing provincial government programs and services targeted to the novice woman entrepreneur. Mr. Chair, I would like to table copies of this Quick Reference for Women Entrepreneurs at this time.

Mr. Chairperson: I thank you.

Mrs. Vodrey: In March 1998, staff from the Business Development services of Manitoba Industry, Trade and Tourism joined forces with Canada Business Service Centre in a storefront setting to provide a more integrated service, now called the Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre. The centre has a publicly accessible resource library with a special section devoted to women in business, as well as a website.

In 1990-91, Industry, Trade and Tourism introduced the Business Start Program which is targeted towards women and rural entrepreneurs. This budget extends funding for this program for another two years.

This Loan Guarantee Program for up to $10,000 includes a three-day business planning workshop. As of February 1999, the Business Start has provided a total of 237 loans to women of the total of 670 loans approved since its inception. Manitoba Industry, Trade and Tourism has created the position of women's entrepreneurial development officer to assist women wanting to start or expand their own business. Prospective women entrepreneurs can get help with business plan development, planning approaches to lending institutions, market analysis and developing networks.

The Rural Economic Development Initiative, or REDI, focuses on long-term benefits for the rural community. The Rural Entrepreneurial Assistance, or REA, and the Community Works Loan Program offer financial assistance. For the past four years, REA has provided loan guarantees to participating lenders for rural businesses. The amounts range from $10,000 to $100,000 and are guaranteed through credit unions and the CIBC. As of March 31, 1999, 54 of the 150 loan guarantees have been provided to women clients. The Diversification Loan Guarantee Program, which provides access to the capital necessary to diversify into profitable commodities and add value to primary production, has been extended to March 31, 2001. Since 1996, 35 loans totalling approximately $35 million have been approved. Value-added assistance has been requested by such women's groups as the Women's Institute over the past several years and will help farm families increase their financial security.

As a companion initiative to the Loan Guarantee Program, an additional $2.6 million has been added to the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative which helps the agri-food industry develop ways to process commodities into higher valued products. Statistics Canada estimates that two-thirds of the jobs in Manitoba require at least basic computer skills, twice as many as 10 years ago, yet many women in Manitoba lack even basic computer skills. Because of the ever-increasing importance of computer skills in today's labour market and the need expressed by Manitoba women, the Manitoba Women's Directorate in partnership with Education and Training has created a computer and Internet training initiative called Power Up. I would like to table some copies of the pamphlet called Power Up.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you.

Mrs. Vodrey: For women entrepreneurs, it is very important that they have the skills needed to access the information available through the information highway. As well, more and more businesses are marketing through the Internet. This $400,000 initiative will promote the importance of technology for women in today's marketplace and provide training that will build computer and Internet skills for adult women participants. Power Up reaffirms our government's commitment to bring the full potential of the information economy to all Manitobans, as stated in the Filmon Vision. The need for this program has been borne out by the more than 1,000 registrations the directorate has received since the announcement at International Women's Day.

To promote economic self-sufficiency and assist social assistance recipients make the transition to employment, we have refocused training and social assistance dollars to Making Welfare Work. Manitoba Education and Training and Family Services work together to offer job readiness training, specific skill training and job placement supports to clients on social assistance. This maximizes opportunities for women to participate in and benefit from our growing economy. Since the introduction of welfare reform, there has been a reduction of almost 2,100 in the caseload of single parents. Women have benefited substantially through such innovative programs as Taking Charge!, whose clients are 97 percent women. This has been an increase of approximately 45 percent in the number of people reporting income since the introduction of Making Welfare Work, and general assistance caseloads are at their lowest level since 1980.

In the area of education, fundamental to finding employment as an entrepreneur or in a salaried position is a good education, an education which prepares one for today's world of work. As we approach the new millennium, it is vital that women make strategic education choices that will prepare them for career-oriented employment in well-paid fields of skill oriented, knowledge-based economy. To encourage women in these directions, the Women's Directorate developed and administers the very successful Training for Tomorrow scholarships program for women. Mr. Chair, I have copies of the application program here. There are copies in both French and English.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you once again, Madam Minister.

Mrs. Vodrey: A total of 241 one-thousand-dollar scholarships have been awarded with 50 more due to be awarded in September to women entering two-year diploma courses in math, science and technology-related programs at the province's community colleges. Building on this program, the directorate has developed in partnership with Manitoba Education and Training and Red River College, a role model video and curriculum guide for Training for Tomorrow.

Mr. Chair, I have copies of the program that we have been talking about and one copy of the video to table for my colleague.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Madam Minister.

Mrs. Vodrey: The video features young Manitoba women studying or employed in technology related fields. The curriculum guide outlines lesson plans for teachers to use in their classrooms with a view to encouraging young women to expand their career horizons. We are particularly proud that parts of the video's story were developed by students and graduates of the creative communications course, a course eligible for our scholarships.

This summer, the directorate will again hire a STEP student to visit middle schools to talk to students about the importance of math, science and technology in their career possibilities.

In support of our government's commitment to double the number of apprentices by 2000-2001, the Women's Directorate is working with Manitoba Education and Training to develop Trade Up to Your Future, a program designed to promote greater participation of women in the trades. Targeted to begin in September, details will be announced in the near future.

We are continuing to support distance education services which link schools to libraries and universities to enhance their educational opportunities. We are expanding the First Year Distance Education Program, which is soon to be renamed, to enable students to do their first and second year of university in their home communities. It will also be expanded into more communities and will in the future include full degree capabilities.

The classroom's link to the network will serve as a community resource for video conferencing, labour force training and community development. This will provide excellent opportunities for women in northern and remote communities to access information and training.

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We are also developing a number of Web-based courses for delivery through the Internet. The first of these courses, Senior 3 or Grade 11 applied math, will be online to pilot sites in September 1999, another important opportunity for women to upgrade their academic qualifications when they may not have access to or the time to attend regular classroom instruction.

The Computers for Schools Program will place more than 3,000 computers in classrooms, libraries and literacy centres across Manitoba. This will enable rural and northern areas to access up-to-the-minute educational and training programs. The Manitoba Learning Tax Credit provides a 7 percent tax credit, to a maximum of $700 per student, to assist students and/or their families to finance higher education costs.

In 1997-98, we established a $1-million fund to match $1 to every $2 raised by universities and colleges for a scholarship and bursary fund. This year, the program will be increased to $5 million, extended for five years and will match, dollar for dollar, donations made by private industries and/or individuals. Part-time students will now be able to claim childcare expenses and more of their education costs, as well as their interest on student loans, to obtain new income tax benefits. This is a particularly significant benefit for women with children who have often had to take a reduced course load. In addition, we have moved to address the issue of student loan repayment schedules through the interest relief and debt reduction program. This will help ease the debt load which, for women, is often difficult, particularly if they have the sole responsibility of children.

We are very pleased to be working in co-operation with the federal government on the Partners for Careers initiative to help place aboriginal high school, college and university graduates in positions in the private and public sectors. These graduates are providing important role models for today's aboriginal youth and open the doors to long-term employment opportunities. Fifty-two percent of the approximately 1,000 participants have now been successfully placed in meaningful jobs, and 57 percent of these candidates are women.

In addition, the aboriginal public administration program will recruit and introduce aboriginal participants to the processes of government, leading to employment opportunities. We are developing an Aboriginal Education Strategy to improve graduation rates from both high school and post-secondary institutions.

Healthy lifestyle choices for youth: Take the Challenge is an umbrella program that addresses health, wellness and lifestyle issues affecting today's young women. It focuses on healthy choices and positive lifestyles for young women and encourages them to stay physically active, develop healthy eating habits, stay in school and make strategic educational choices for themselves that will in turn lead to their economic independence and a brighter future. The Training for Tomorrow's scholarship awards, the Training for Tomorrow role model video and curriculum guide and Trade Up to Your Future are all part of this program.

Also, under the umbrella of Take the Challenge is On the Move, carried out in partnership with Recreation & Wellness Promotion Branch of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship. It is designed to encourage nonactive teenage girls to embrace active living by participating in fun-filled support of recreational activity.

In the spring of 1999, two On the Move pilots were started at the Wolseley Family Place, a community outreach agency for young single mothers. The Manitoba Fitness Council has partnered with the directorate to bring On the Move to the Adolescent Parent Centre of Winnipeg. We are thrilled that the school for young moms sees the value of a physical component in their curriculum. They will give participants a regular high school credit for On the Move activities.

Recently, the directorate formed a partnership with CAAWS, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport, to fund five demonstration projects around the province. In addition, the partnership will fund another initiative along with Recreation & Wellness Promotion Branch titled Take the Challenge, Speak Up. Through Speak Up, we will raise awareness by recruiting ambassadors to carry the message of the importance of recreation and physical activity for girls and to address the barriers to participation that girls face.

A workshop training session is scheduled for June where approximately 30 women, community and professional leaders, will be invited to attend. Afterward, these women will become ambassadors of this initiative and will agree to speak to this important issue within their own communities and professional network. This $15,000 undertaking will kickstart an enhanced outreach effort to young Manitoba women.

The directorate is excited about another initiative of Take the Challenge that will bring it summer step students to Manitoba middle schools. Discussions will be held with girls between the ages of 10 and 15 about their views on physical activity and what motivates them in addition to the important benefits of being active. This initiative has received an overwhelming response from schools interested in booking our students, and we expect to reach approximately 600 girls.

The directorate has also served on several working group committees with the Children and Youth Secretariat in the development of their programming for children at risk. Our government recognizes the need to take action against teen pregnancy. For this reason, the Child and Youth Secretariat has been given the mandate to combat teen pregnancy and to work with youth at risk. A number of approaches will be taken to deal with this complex problem of teenage pregnancy, including Healthy Choices, pregnant teens returning to or remaining in school, adoption as a healthy lifestyle choice and preventing additional pregnancies by linking to community supports.

The Youville Clinic nurse resource centre is the first of several sites to deliver services to pregnant adolescents. Public health nurses will work directly with pregnant young teens and provide referrals to other supports in a one-stop approach to providing services to young girls. Two aboriginal youth councils will be established to develop culturally appropriate strategies to reduce adolescent pregnancies.

The Ma-mow-we-tak Friendship Centre in Thompson will administer northern youth councils and work to identify ways to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy. The Baby Think It Over program, in co-operation with Manitoba home economists association will receive funding to purchase 35 more dolls for a total of 60 now in circulation. In addition, the Department of Education and Training has recently announced funding for the Manitoba Association of School Trustees to work with youth to develop concepts for a multimedia educational campaign that will include videos, public service announcements and Internet web pages. The emphasis will be on teens talking to teens about adolescent pregnancy.

The Children and Youth Secretariat is co-ordinating the implementation of the Children First strategy which addresses the need to provide supports early in a child's life. It will provide better co-ordination of services for children and youth to prevent at-risk situations such as teen pregnancy.

EarlyStart programs will work to ensure children are prepared to learn when they start school. BabyFirst programs will help infants receive the care and stimulation they need to grow and thrive.

In child care, our government has demonstrated its commitment to providing affordable, accessible child care for Manitoba families through its mandate. When we took office, the annual budget for child care was $27.3 million. This year's budget increase to child care is over $5.3 million for a total estimated expenditure of almost $53.7 million. This funding will provide 500 additional subsidized spaces, grant funding for an additional 385 licensed spaces outside of Winnipeg, and an additional 400 spaces for extended-hour child care.

Operating grants for infant and preschool spaces will be increased by 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Grant funding will be provided to approximately 1,600 expansion and nursery school spaces. Grant funding for family daycare and nursery school spaces will be increased by 2 percent. An additional $1 million will be provided to the Children With Disabilities Program. As recommended by the Child Care Regulatory Review Committee, the 1999-2000 budget provides resources to move towards a unit-funding model for funded child care centres. This model ensures that funding takes into account the staffing levels required by regulation, as well as the need to improve salary levels for early childhood educators. To provide new child care facilities, the Public Schools Finance Board will consider funding capital costs for child care facilities when a school is constructed, replaced or undergoing major renovations.

In the area of violence, Manitoba is acknowledged by jurisdictions across the country as having the most comprehensive approach for addressing violence against women: crisis intervention, services to the victim, follow-up and after care, as well as prevention and deterrent strategies and programs for abusers. Our rapid response to the report of the Lavoie inquiry demonstrates our ongoing commitment to working toward the goal of eliminating violence against women.

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Over the last two years, the commitment to implementing the Lavoie Inquiry Action Plan has amounted to $2.8 million. Of the 91 recommendations in the Schulman report, 73 are directed toward the provincial government. Virtually all of these recommendations have been or are being implemented. Some of the key recommendations include: double the staff of the Women's Advocacy Program; double the staff of the Crown Attorney's Family Violence Unit to 11 prosecutors in Winnipeg and one in Brandon; the near completion of a comprehensive computer system to provide Corrections with ready access to police records, Crown files, court documents and other information necessary to ensure the proper treatment of domestic violence offenders. The automated province-wide Corrections Offender Management Systems, or COMS, will be fully networked to each correctional facility and community Corrections office to aid the programming, monitoring and data gathering regarding offenders.

A public awareness campaign on domestic violence ran in early November to increase awareness of the type of behaviour that constitutes domestic abuse and how people can help families caught in the cycle of violence. November will now be designated Domestic Violence Prevention Month in Manitoba.

In June 1998 Manitoba passed The Domestic Violence and Stalking Prevention, Protection and Compensation and Consequential Amendments Act, the strongest civil remedies in Canada for victims of domestic violence and stalking. The legislation reflects the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission's report on stalking and was developed with input from the Lavoie Implementation Committee. The legislation proposes a range of civil remedies in four classes according to their purpose: protective, preventative, compensatory and punitive. To enhance safety in our communities, our government has increased funding to Citizens on Patrol throughout Manitoba. The Take Back the Streets Initiative will create neighbourhood renewal committees to lead the way in finding solutions to local problems. The Women's Directorate will also continue to present its highly successful Keeping Safe at Work Program.

Mr. Chair, I would like to table, for the committee, several brochures of Keeping Safe at Work.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Madam Minister.

Mrs. Vodrey: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Launched in September 1996, this initiative focuses on the safety of those who work or travel to and from work alone and provides tips on awareness of potentially threatening situations. It assists employers and employees in planning responses to such situations, provides a booklet containing valuable safety tips, such as a business safety check list for employers and employees, a poster to call attention to the issue, and information sessions. Sessions are offered onsite at workplaces and at CIBC's Employment Development Centre by the directorate and CIBC staff.

We have undertaken a number of initiatives to meet the needs of Manitoba women in our health care system. Manitoba Health will see a 10.1 percent increase in spending for the 1999-2000 fiscal year, for a total budget of $194 million. Women will see reduced waiting times and increased availability for tests such as mammograms, bone density tests and MRIs, with $29 million to be spent to cut waiting lists for these diagnostic procedures. The funding will provide specialized equipment throughout the province to make our system one of the best in Canada.

Our other initiatives will include the establishment of primary health care centres with nurses, dieticians, mental health workers, physiotherapists and physicians delivering care in one location. This is a particularly valuable service for women who will be able to access all the services that they require at one site.

Home care services funding will be augmented by $20.5 million and will include home care, companion care, personal care home services, community and mental health services. Palliative care services and support for families will receive $3 million to enhance support for families and provide the option for palliative care at home.

Funding to each northern and rural regional health authority will enable them to hire a palliative care resource person, and over the next two years we will put into place a 24-hour response team at St. Boniface Hospital. We will provide $7 million to encourage former nurses to re-enter their profession and to upgrade their qualifications; $55.5 million for medical services, anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, cardiac care, obstetrics, intensive care and physician resources; $1 million to hire Manitoba's first 20 midwives to provide midwife care for Manitoba women. It is anticipated that, by the end of 1999, the College of Midwives will be proclaimed as the profession's regulatory body and that 20 midwives will be qualified to practise in Manitoba. All of these initiatives are vitally important to women as users of the system, caretakers for their family and workers in the system.

The Women's Directorate has a number of new initiatives underway, initiatives that will support Manitoba women in developing their potential contributions to their own families' well-being. To meet its mandate to support women's equal participation in society and the workplace, the directorate has developed a tool for gender analysis to be used by service delivery departments and other accountability centres. This will enable government to assess the impact on women of proposed programs and policies to determine if the impact is different for women than it is for men. A pilot training session will be held on June 23 for key departmental staff.

The directorate is working on Opening Doors, a guide to government services and programs available to women and their families. To help northern women establish home-based businesses, the directorate is working with the Native Affairs Secretariat and the Communities Economic Development Fund to facilitate microlending and establish a credit circle project. The directorate continues to provide an outreach service to the women of Manitoba through its representatives based in the communities. Through its 1-800 line, the directorate provides referral services to Manitoba women who are looking for information related to government services and programs.

Twice yearly, the directorate publishes its About Women newsletter, which highlights successful Manitoba women, provides information on government programs and news on directorate activities. Mr. Chair, I would like to table the latest copy of About Women.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Madam Minister.

Mrs. Vodrey: I am pleased that the directorate through its alliances with community groups, business enterprises and other government departments, has been able to provide a variety of services to Manitoba women.

Mr. Chair, the Manitoba Women's Advisory Council is an arm's-length advisory body to government on issues of concern to women and their families. The council's role is to enhance the status of women by promoting women's equal participation in society. The council addresses these equality issues by working to effect meaningful change in economic, legal and social structures. In appointing members to council, the government endeavours to ensure membership that truly reflects Manitoba's unique population base, while maintaining appropriate urban and rural representation. Sandra Hasenack is the chairperson of the Advisory Council. There are 14 council members who represent women of all ages and backgrounds.

To enhance the status of women, council is focusing its effort on four areas: serving as a provincial resource by sharing information on events, resources and programs of interest to women; better educating the community on research and issues that affect the formation of public policy; providing recommendations for policy that can be implemented by government to approve the status of women; and acting as a facilitator in building effective and collaborative partnerships among women, community organizations and government departments.

As an information resource, council provided the following services to the community in the last fiscal year: one-stop library resource with Internet access for the public; Did you Know? information and a list of community events through a weekly fax and e-mail to cover over 140 individuals and organizations. I would just like to table the latest copy of that.

Provision of a resource guide called Parenting on your Own to over 12,000 single parents and to those who work with them. I would like to table copies of Parenting on your Own.

Administrative support to individuals and nonprofit women's organizations at no cost to use computers and do faxing, photocopying and mailing out of their documents and upcoming events to the community; expertise in consultation, as well as participation on planning committees for community-driven events; the provision of sponsorships to individuals of low income to attend informational sessions and community events of interest to women. For example, council sponsored 12 low-income seniors to the Seniors Living Well Workshop.

To better educate the public on issues and research development that affect the formation of public policy, council last year provided lunch-and-learn sessions on topics of interest to women. This is a list of the topics: elder abuse and safety, john school, prostitution diversion program, increasing involvement of girls in gang activities, BabyFirst program, Healthy Start program, restorative justice model, women's heart health, fetal alcohol syndrome/effect, mail and phone scams.

Community-based information workshops were: day-long Seniors Living Well Workshop and a wellness day at Portage Correctional Institution for women. Council provided information and made recommendations to government on a variety of issues identified by the community as areas of concern. This was accomplished by giving voice to women's concerns and focusing on community liaison and outreach to Manitoba women. As a result, council's priority issues are: teen pregnancy, child care, domestic violence, women's health and wellness.

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Council's work has also focused on the following: consultation with rural women, pornography on the Internet, women's education and training needs, elder abuse, single parenting, crime prevention, public policy, women who experience multiple disadvantages, women in the justice system and the justice system, human rights, beyond Beijing, an aboriginal urban strategy. Council also facilitated the building of effective and collaborative partnerships among women, community groups and government by liaising with over 375 individuals and organizations; outreach to all seven regions of our province over the last three years, attending over 60 community events, workshops and partnerships; participating on several multidisciplinary steering committees and public awareness campaign; maintaining a mailing list of over 2,000 individuals and organizations and sharing best practices and information on issues of common concern with provincial territorial coalition of women's advisory councils.

Council has undertaken a number of groundbreaking initiatives, some of which have become annual events. A first-time Seniors Living Well Information Workshop, in partnership with Age and Opportunity, army, navy, air force veterans, Unit 1, and the Seniors Directorate; the third annual sunrise breakfast to mark the anniversary date of the Montreal massacre; a second annual wellness day at Portage Correctional Institution for women in partnership with the Child and Youth Secretariat; Street Connections in Winnipeg Parks and Recreation; the planning and implementation of the Victims First emergency program enhance the short-term safety of high-risk domestic abuse and stalking victims.

In collaboration with government departments, community members, and service providers in nonprofit organizations, council has worked on the following: policy development and community awareness regarding sexually exploited children, a public awareness campaign on domestic violence, identification of gaps in service to the victims of domestic violence, tracking the impact of health reform on women's health, a public awareness campaign on teen pregnancy, a child care regulatory review process, the development of the aboriginal women's directorate of the Manitoba Assembly of Chiefs, the planning of an international women's conference and policy development on harassment and abuse in sport.

To recognize the contributions that Manitobans, particularly women, have made to their community, council has undertaken to successfully nominate some exemplary citizens for a number of prestigious awards: two Manitoba Justice Crime Prevention Awards, the YM/YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the Premier's Volunteer Service Award, the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Person's Case and the Citizens Hall of Fame.

In the future, council will continue to work with the community on issues of concern to women and their families by providing informational sessions and events of interest to women, one-stop library resource, an Internet access to the public, support services to individuals and nonprofit women's organizations, information and referral services to women, accessing council's office for assistance, consultation expertise and participation on planning committees for community events of interest to women, a weekly fax, an e-mail list of informational and upcoming events to women's organizations and the interested community.

In conclusion, council is looking forward to another productive year working on behalf of the women of Manitoba by advising government on issues of concern to women and participating in the women's community. Council will continue to play a pivotal role in the advancement of women's equality. Mr. Chair, members of the committee, I am very proud of the work of both the Women's Directorate and the Women's Advisory Council. They have worked effectively to bring information to Manitoba women and to inform government on issues of concern to women. I know that both organizations will continue to work toward the goal of ensuring for Manitoba women equal opportunities and equal participation on all aspects of our society.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chairperson: I thank the honourable Minister for those opening remarks. Would the honourable member for Osborne wish to start her opening statement today?

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Mr. Chair, I do not have an opening statement, but perhaps I could take this opportunity to ask the minister if we could follow our usual procedure in these Estimates and do some general questioning as opposed to the line-by-line method.

Mr. Chairperson: Okay, I would like to ask the committee if it is the will of the committee to do a far-ranging bit of questioning as we did last year.

Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Chair, that is fine with me. I think that is sometimes quite helpful.

Mr. Chairperson: Agreed? [agreed] We now would ask the staff to join us at the table and the honourable minister will have the opportunity to introduce her staff present.

We are on page 142 of the Estimates book, 22.1 Status of Women (a) Manitoba Women's Advisory Council (1) Salaries and Employees Benefits $175,800.

The honourable minister, to introduce her staff.

Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Chair, I would like to take an opportunity to introduce the staff. I would like to introduce Sandra Hasenack who is the chairperson of the Women's Advisory Council and Sue Barnsley who is the executive director. I would like to introduce Theresa Harvey who is now ADM of the Women's Directorate, and I would like to introduce Ruth Mitchell who is the director of policy.

Ms. McGifford: Perhaps I could begin by asking the minister some questions that grew out of her opening statement. The minister talked about the Power Up program, and I wondered if I might ask some questions about it. I have read about the program before, and I am interested in how women find out about this program.

Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Chair, as the member knows, we made a public announcement, issued a press release on International Women's Day. That has been picked up by media around the province who have been putting articles in their local newspaper. So we have planned and had intended from the beginning to actually do more advertising. At the moment, the program has been extremely well received by what the media has seen as public interest and printed.

Ms. McGifford: I am wondering where the program is delivered and who the instructors are.

Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Chair, in Winnipeg, the program is actually being run by Employment Projects for Women, and it is taking place in schools and also at their centre and the Taking Charge! lab. Employment Projects for Women Inc. are, in fact, hiring the instructors.

In the rural area, it is taking place at community centres, storefront education centres and the directorate is in charge of the instructors.

Ms. McGifford: I am wondering how many woman are in enrolled in the program, whether any women have graduated from the program yet, and if there is any cap on the number of women who will be accepted into this program, if there is any time line when the program might end. Well, perhaps, we should leave it right there.

Mrs. Vodrey: Mr. Chair, it is a two-year commitment. There are four pilots in the city of Winnipeg. Courses are set to begin in rural Manitoba. There are 1,100 women currently registered.

Mr. Chairperson: The time being six o'clock, committee rise.