Mr. Ben Sveinson (La Verendrye): Madam Speaker, members opposite continue to live in the past with outdated policies and unworkable concepts. The latest to come from across the way is a plan to bring Manitoba Telecom Services back under public ownership. The most noticeable thing missing from this idea is where the $1.7 billion and the estimated $500 million for systems upgrading would come from.
While not a party shy on creating new taxes and raising existing taxes, as they did from '82 to '87, most Manitobans shudder at the idea of another NDP term in office. Let none of us forget that during the period between April of 1986 to March of 1988, the five Crown corporations under the NDP lost a grand total of $317 million. As well, in just six years, the NDP government tripled the debt accumulated by all governments over the preceding 102 years.
The new global economy has changed the business landscape throughout Canada. There is no going back, as the NDP would have us do. One needs only to review the Thompson Citizen to get a good idea of what Manitobans think of NDP policies. The Citizen wrote: the NDP seem to be stuck in the policy area where they were 20 years ago.
The nationalization of MTS, along with their proposed 32-hour workweek, only confirms that the NDP--according to the Winnipeg Free Press--believes government's sole purpose is to spend more on everything and stick someone else with the bill. That someone else, Madam Speaker, unfortunately, was the people of Manitoba. Thank you.
Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): Madam Speaker, the crisis in care of children at risk created by policies of the provincial government has been well documented. In the past six years, the cost of keeping these children in hotels and shelters has increased by more than $10 million. Last year, the province paid for children to stay in hotels and shelters for more than 71,000 child nights. This is an extremely expensive and unproductive way to deal with these children, but it has become a major policy decision of this government.
The province eliminated funding for the Foster Parents' Association more than five years ago. It cut funding of foster parents and then wonders why there is a shortage of foster parents. Over the past seven years, the number of permanent wards of Child and Family Services has risen by nearly 50 percent to more than 1,100. Aboriginal children are the main victims of this government's policies. As much as 60 percent of the children in Child and Family Services care are aboriginal, more than twice the percentage than when this government took office.
The services and standards of care are suffering, thanks to a government that simply does not care and is quite prepared to ignore the problems it creates. Instead of any commitment to deal with the huge increase in caseloads, shortages of foster parents, the lack of supervision or accountability, the government is content to announce a series of small pilot programs. After 10 years, it is time for more than temporary pilot programs and to listen to the children who are at risk who are calling on this government to please do something. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
* (1430)
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, this past weekend, Stonewall resident, Fred Ross, received the prestigious Governor General's Caring Canadian Award for his long-standing service to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The award was presented Saturday evening at the RCMP Veterans' Association annual meeting, attended by several hundred retired and active RCMP officers from across Canada.
Fred Ross has a long history with the RCMP, and he is a deserving recipient of the award. The honour, which ranks just below the Order of Canada, is given to people and groups whose volunteer efforts provide extraordinary help or care to the community.
Throughout the years, Mr. Ross had demonstrated considerable dedication to the RCMP members and their families. His efforts have included helping members who are ill and providing help to families of deceased RCMP veterans. He has also worked extensively with RCMP members on pension and insurance matters. As well, Ross has long been an organizer of a golf tournament used to raise money for the Slain Peace Officers Fund. His colleagues say the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award is long overdue and well deserved.
Once again, I would like to congratulate retired RCMP officer Fred Ross for his outstanding devotion to his fellow officers. All have been well served by his efforts. Thank you.
Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker, this coming June 12 will mark the 100th year of the proclamation of Philippine independence from being a colony of the Spanish empire. To everything, it is said, there is a season. There was a season for slavery and oppression which lasted for 300 years. Now it is the season for freedom and independence which now marks this hundredth year. Therefore, it is proper that this Friday, June 5, 1998, starting at 6 p.m. there will be a cultural presentation at the Sisler High School at 1360 Redwood Avenue to start this commemoration. On Sunday, June 7, 1998, at 8:30 in the morning, at the City Hall quadrangle at 510 Main Street, there will be an opening flag ceremony attended by many different organizational groups. At approximately 11:30 a.m. there will be a picnic at Kildonan Park lasting until early evening.
On Tuesday, June 9 at 6 p.m, again at Sisler High School, there will be a trivia contest for high school students sponsored by the Manitoba Filipino Writers' Guild. On Thursday, June 11, starting at 6 p.m. again, there will be an oratorical contest on Rizalism: The Foundation of the Filipino Spirit at the Prairie Exchange Theatre, on the third floor of Portage Place Complex. On Saturday, June 13, 1998, 6 p.m., there will be a Philippine independence ball at the Winnipeg Convention Centre at 375 York Avenue. On Sunday, June 14, 9 a.m., there will be a picnic and games at Assiniboine Park. On Thursday and Friday, June 18-19 from 3 p.m. to midnight, there will be a Philippine village festival at the Red River Exhibition at 3975 Portage Avenue.
Finally, on Saturday, June 20, there will be the birthday celebration at Casa Bueno restaurant at 340 Henry Avenue. Everybody is invited. Thank you.
Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): I rise to mention an event that is going to happen in The Maples tonight. It is our sixth annual general meeting of The Maples Youth Justice Association. I am looking forward to this event. Tonight is the first time that our justice committee has held such an event. Usually we have a very informal barbeque, but we are having dinner tonight at Garden City Inn.
I know the Minister of Justice (Mr. Toews) is coming, along with a number of officials from Community and Youth Corrections to celebrate the work that the 18 members of the youth justice committee have been doing over the past year. The work that these people have been doing, the countless hours they do, has to be celebrated and commended. The theme of the night tonight--I do not have the exact words, but the idea that I got from an invitation that I got from the YWCA--that a hundred years from now no one will remember what kind of car I drove, no one will remember the size of my bank account, but if I make the difference in one child's life, it will make a difference a hundred years from now. I think, for the 18 people in our youth justice committee, they are trying to make a difference to at least one child's life.
I think the other part that our committee has learned in the past year--a number of us have been victims of crimes ourselves and we take into a lot more consideration than we ever have that as justice committees we are not only responsible to the youth we are working with but the victims too. I am looking forward to tonight, and I hope all members will support the justice committees in their areas. Thank you.