Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Madam Speaker, the headline summed it up right this morning--sound body, sound mind. A $12-million wellness centre was opened today at Seven Oaks General Hospital. This centre will attempt to have participants achieve the optimum state of health and well-being. Wellness has five basic aspects: physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual. The physical includes the obvious exercise equipment but also includes a therapy pool with direct wheelchair access. It also involves dark tiles at the sides of hallways so that the visually impaired know they are nearing a wall. Emotional means counselling services as well as a lounge space for relaxation and a number of windows to ensure an open environment. Social means the creation of a cafe as well as the offering of programs for individuals who share similar interests. Intellectual means the offering of reading materials, videos, CDs, and Internet access. Spiritual means making use of the meditation courtyard or at some other equally quiet place.
We are advocating the creation of balance and harmony in people's lives when we reference these basic aspects of health. By doing this, people take and accept responsibility for their own well-being, which is the basis for preventative health. Our government has promoted prevention as the central part of health care and opening this wellness centre is a welcome addition to the city of Winnipeg in building healthy communities. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Clif Evans (Interlake): Madam Speaker, last evening the Standing Committee on Law Amendments heard the second of many presentations as part of the public hearing process on Bill 49. In opposition to Bill 49, we have raised several concerns regarding the autocratic, undemocratic and dictatorial nature of the proposed legislation from the jurisdiction and discretion of the Health minister to the political appointments to the boards of the RHAs.
Many of our concerns were echoed quite forcibly by the presenters last evening and Tuesday evening. We have particular and specific concerns with the authority of the Winnipeg-based Health minister and ministry to determine the delivery of health care services in rural Manitoba. The proposed legislation represents a radical change in the delivery of health care services in rural Manitoba.
Several rural presenters made it clear that the absence of hearings outside Winnipeg demonstrated this government's contempt for the contributions of rural Manitobans, as well as a disregard and disrespect for the experience and knowledge these Manitobans offer about health care in their regions.
The Union of Manitoba Municipalities, which represents 166 municipalities across Manitoba, including all 106 rural, 14 local, 23 villages, 20 towns and three cities, urged the government to elect RH boards and not appoint them. John Nicol, representing UMM, said that municipal officials are representatives of their communities who are interested in ensuring that quality health care services are accessible to the residents.
Bill 49 will have a direct and significant impact on rural municipalities, and therefore RHA boards should be elected and this government should hold public hearings for rural Manitobans so they can have their input. Thank you.
Mr. Neil Gaudry (St. Boniface): Madame la Présidente, il me fait plaisir d'ajouter quelques mots cet après-midi. C'est pour dire que j'ai assisté hier soir à une célébration pour reconnaître et remercier une grande dame de la communauté de Saint-Boniface, Soeur Jacqueline Saint-Yves, qui quitte le Manitoba après avoir oeuvré 32 ans dans la communauté.
Elle a été supérieure générale de la communauté des Soeurs Grises de Montréal et ensuite elle a été vice-présidente de la mission à l'Hôpital général de Saint-Boniface depuis plusieurs années. Elle était souvent aussi à plusieurs autres organismes. Elle a été la vice-présidente du conseil d'administration du Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface. J'ai eu le plaisir de siéger avec elle au conseil d'administration du Centre Taché et du Foyer Valade pour plusieurs années lorsqu'elle était supérieure générale des Soeurs Grises.
Elle sera manqué certainement à Saint-Boniface et dans la communauté. Nous sommes peinés de la voir partir mais nous lui souhaitons un bon séjour à Montréal. Nous espérons qu'elle sera de retour au Manitoba afin d'être parmi les amis qu'elle a eu pendant 32 ans. Alors je demande à mes collègues de la Législature de lui souhaiter bon voyage et bonne chance dans la ville de Montréal. Merci, Madame la Présidente.
[Translation]
Mr. Neil Gaudry (St. Boniface): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to add a few words this afternoon to say that I was present yesterday evening at a celebration to recognize and thank a great lady of the community of St. Boniface, Sister Jacqueline Saint-Yves, who is leaving Manitoba after having worked for 32 years in the community.
She was the superior general of the Order of Grey Nuns of Montreal,
after which she was the vice-president of the Mission at St. Boniface General Hospital for several years. She also often worked with several other organizations. She was the vice-chair of the board of directors of the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface. I had the pleasure of sitting with her on the board of directors of Tache Centre and the Foyer Valade for several years when she was the superior general of the Grey Nuns.
She will certainly be missed in St. Boniface and in the community. We are sorry to see her leave, but we wish her happiness in Montreal. We hope that she will return to Manitoba to be with the friends that she has known for 32 years. So I ask my colleagues of the Legislature to wish her bon voyage and good luck in the city of Montreal. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Ben Sveinson (La Verendrye): Madam Speaker, recently the Workers Compensation Board announced it has retired its accumulated deficit of $232 million several years ahead of schedule. As a result, the cost of doing business in Manitoba will be reduced as the Workers Compensation Board reduces assessment premiums for some 20,000 Manitoba employers. Beginning January 1, 1997, assessment rates will be reduced by 5 percent in each of the next three years. The combined return to employers is expected to total some $40 million. Already employers have expressed the view that this will contribute to their competitiveness and their ability to employ even more Manitobans.
Over the next three years the Workers Compensation Board will work to ensure that a deficit remains a thing of the past by adding $35 million to the reserve funds. This move is in keeping with the WCB's commitment to stable rates for Manitoba employers. Adequate reserve funding is a prudent way to avoid future rate increases. In keeping with the WCB's continuing commitment to improve service, they will allocate $1.8 million per year over the next three years to a series of new service enhancements. This includes expanded services to employers, enhanced health care services, a new claims early intervention unit and an expansion to their special investigations unit.
These initiatives will better position our Workers Compensation Board to meet the present and future needs of injured workers and employers alike.
In closing, I would like to commend and congratulate the board of directors and the staff at WCB on their important accomplishments. Manitoba has gained a reputation for having one of the finest Workers Compensation Boards in Canada. They are providing a valuable service to employers and workers at rates that rival any in the country. Thank you.
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Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, today we commemorate the United Nations International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. This year is also the beginning of the decade for the elimination of poverty.
What is the situation in Manitoba and what is this government doing about it? In 1994 approximately 22 percent of all children live in poverty in Manitoba, but 71 percent of children living in lone-parent families live in poverty. What has this provincial government done to address this problem? On April 1, 1996, due to their policy of standardization of welfare rates, the City of Winnipeg was forced to reduce its rates for food and clothing allowances for children by up to 26 percent. On May 1, the Province of Manitoba reduced benefits for singles in the category of food, clothing, personal needs and household needs by 22 percent and for families, by 5 percent. When this was done by the Province of Manitoba, the federal government followed their lead and did the same thing on every reserve in Manitoba.
Why is this government continuing to attack the poor? Do they understand the link between poverty and Child and Family Services apprehensions? If not, then they should read their own report entitled Environmental Scan of Winnipeg Child and Family Services, dated August 28, 1996, which identifies three risk factors to be the main drivers of the number of children at risk of being apprehended by Child and Family Services, which are aboriginal populations, lone-parent families and children living in poverty. Also, they should understand that there is a link between poverty and child abuse. Manitoba has a shocking number of child deaths and abuse in parental homes and in foster care.
The vast majority of the poor want to work, but labour force statistics show that job creation is down in August to September, 1996. The City of Winnipeg hired more staff and reduced the social service caseload by several thousand in recent months. I hope that the Province of Manitoba will support the city's infrastructure proposal.