MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

Manitoba Pork

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, on each member’s desk there is a fridge magnet from Manitoba Pork. I would tell all members to keep these because they could become collector’s items at the rate this government is going to destroy Manitoba Pork.

I would like to say, Madam Speaker, that I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the delegates at Manitoba Pork who are having their annual meeting in Winnipeg and facing very serious challenges because of the actions that this government has taken.

When I tabled my petition, I heard one of the members across the way call me a dragon. I will have to tell him that if I have to be a dragon I will continue to be a dragon and fight for the producers of Manitoba if that is what it takes.

I did not make any promises during the election. I said that I will stand up for Manitoba Pork, and I will continue to, not like the other members across the way who, at many public meetings--we know that their candidates said that there would not be any changes to Manitoba Pork unless it was what the producers wanted. The public, the producers of Manitoba, have been misled.

The pork industry is a very important industry in this province, and we want to see it survive. We want to see the producers in this province survive. But what this government is doing is moving towards vertical integration. All members, I am sure, saw Country Canada where we saw what this system in North Carolina did, what it did to the people of the area, what it did to the water supply in the area and what it did for the producers who got caught up in the system and ended up losing very much.

I would just like to say that what the government is doing is wrong. They should be listening to producers. Producers should have the opportunity to have a say if there is going to be a change in their industry, and we will continue to fight on that. Thank you.

Government’s Economic Strategy

Mr. David Newman (Riel): Madam Speaker, this government’s economic strategy is about jobs. We have long recognized two key facts: firstly, that the strength of our economy depends on keeping Manitobans employed and, secondly, that our role as a government is to make Manitoba a fertile environment which is ripe for investment and job creation.

Creating an environment which is attractive to business and investment is a strategy which is working, and we can find evidence of this from a variety of recent sources. For instance, recently the Conference Board of Canada provided statistics and projections supporting the topic that Manitoba was steamrolling ahead. We posted growth of 5.4 percent in the manufacturing sector last year. We are expecting to expand another 8.4 percent this year. We also posted 6.8 percent growth in mining and 15.4 percent in construction. This kind of growth creates jobs. In fact, this led to the creation of about 10,000 new jobs last year.

Many people point to Winnipeg as an ideal location for business. Linda Rankin, for example, the president and CEO of the Women’s Television Network and Winnipeg 2000 publication written by proud, young Manitoba entrepreneurs--and I urge all honourable members to read it--she lists several reasons for locating her business here rather than in Toronto. These are significantly lower business costs, friendly and supportive municipal and provincial government, available skilled resources; lower housing costs and a supportive business community among other things.

This is not the only story but one of many. This morning’s Free Press reports that the Winnipeg office’s vacancy rate is the second lowest of all of Canada’s major centres. This is attributed to the growth of small business. We have consistently stressed the importance of small business to Manitoba’s economy and have diligently worked to provide an environment where small business will flourish. Evidently this is working.

Our efforts as a government to provide an environment which is friendly to business and provides jobs for Manitobans is indeed bringing about results. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Seasonal Camping Permit Rates

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): Madam Speaker, yesterday our Natural Resources critic raised the outrage of many seasonal campers over the ridiculous increase of up to 100 percent in seasonal camping fees brought in by this government. The Minister of Natural Resources (Mr. Driedger) had the nerve to stand up and say this is because of the services that are being provided. There is no improvement in services.

In my constituency, people who use Paint Lake, including a senior who phoned me who has used it for 22 years, will not be able to afford to have a seasonal camping permit this year. There is no increase in the bare-bones services that exist at Paint Lake. What is happening is that the government is engaged in a revenue grab from the seasonal campers.

Madam Speaker, the minister also said yesterday he thought that people would not mind the 100 percent increase. Well, have I got news for the minister and this government. Now, the news I have to indicate came from a public meeting of over a week ago which was attended by seasonal campers in my constituency. I cannot repeat all of the comments because 90 percent of them would be considered unparliamentary, but they are all of the nature of, give us a break, let us get serious, do not increase the fees by a hundred percent. If you are going to look at any increases, look at reasonable increases.

Landlords are allowed a cost increase of what--1 percent. The cost of living is 2.7 percent. Even if you go back to the last increase that took place in 1989, even if you calculate the inflation rate, it is still significantly less than a hundred percent.

Madam Speaker, what is particularly infuriating is the fact that this government brought in these changes with a two-week notice, and in fact because of the differences in the timing of applications, many people had a three-day period in which to decide whether they were going to renew their camping permits in Thompson or look at other options in southern Manitoba.

I also want to indicate, Madam Speaker, I do not think it is any accident that most of the big increases have been in northern Manitoba. Northern Manitobans are sick and tired of being punished by this government, and seasonal campers say to the Minister of Natural Resources, (Mr. Driedger), get serious, do not increase our fees by a hundred percent.

Working for Value Rural Task Force

Mr. Frank Pitura (Morris): Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the House today.

Over the last seven weeks throughout February and March, I had the pleasure of being the co-chair for the Working for Value rural task force, and I would like to say that it was a real pleasure to travel around Manitoba. We visited some 26 different communities and had a chance to talk and to have discussion with the people in rural Manitoba.

I would like to thank in particular those people who helped us in terms of logistics of putting on the task force, some of the staff members who travelled with us, and to them we owe a deep gratitude for all the help that they gave us. But, more particularly, Madam Speaker, I would like to give thanks to those people who participated, who took time out of their busy daily activities to come and spend some time at the task force, and particularly in participating in the discussion groups because it was in the discussion groups that we were able to find out from the various communities some of the strengths that they had, some of the opportunities, and, yes, they also pointed out some of the constraints that were in their way whether it be from government or otherwise.

We really appreciate those comments that were made. We indicated to the people at that time that we take their comments very seriously. We have. We will be doing a preliminary report at the rural forum in Brandon with a final report this fall.

So I would like to again thank everybody who participated in these rural task force meetings. That is all I have. Thanks.

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Immigrants

Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): Cultural diversity is one of Manitoba’s greatest strengths. Unfortunately, the Conservative government does not feel the same way as the New Democratic Party. This fact is reflected in the 1996-97 provincial budget. The Conservative government cut over $1 million from Culture, Heritage and Citizenship. In fact, there was a decrease of $96,700 towards the development of programs that assisted immigration admission as well as to provide support such as training and language skills for the integration of immigrants in Manitoba. There was a 5.4 percent cut in grant assistance to immigrants, a 26 percent cut to the Multicultural Grants Advisory Council and a 25.7 percent cut to the Community Places Program.

It is clear that this government does not support new immigrants in their difficult transition into our society. Cuts to these essential services in the provincial budget ensures that the linguistic and cultural barriers that immigrants face are maintained. Lack of a systematic and formal plan of action on the government’s behalf to monitor and assist immigrant entrepreneurs arriving has contributed to business closures and a lower rate of immigrants staying in Manitoba.

It is important that this government recognize the contributions that immigrants make to the Manitoba economy. Immigrants bring money when they enter the province, assist the economy through their consumption of products and create jobs through investment in business development.

The Manitoba government should put pressure on the federal government to eliminate the immigration head tax which was re-enforced in the federal budget. By not eliminating the head tax, the federal government has condoned the maintenance of a two-tier immigration system. Such a system is reminiscent of the immigration policy that existed during a dark period of Canadian history. Immigrants contribute a great deal to our society; however, policies such as the head tax simply target and penalize this group of people. The Tory government must speak out against this indirect taxation scheme.

Immigration to Manitoba has dropped by nearly 50 percent since 1990. In addition, Manitoba is the only province in Canada to record fewer arrivals in each of the last five minutes. The Tory government must take responsibility for its own actions and try to find innovative methods to increase and maintain the immigration to the province of Manitoba. Thank you.