Mr. Ben Sveinson (La Verendrye): Madam Speaker, today the World Wildlife Fund released its 1998-99 Endangered Spaces progress report, and I am pleased that Manitoba is among Canada's leaders in wilderness protection. Manitoba's B-minus grade is now the highest grade in the country, given that Ontario's grade is under review. Manitoba's progress in establishing protected areas is directly related to the co-operative relationships fostered by the 1998 memorandum of understanding with Manitoba's First Nations, in addition to support from the Mining Association of Manitoba.

The WWF pointed out in its announcement today that the two provinces receiving the highest grades both had the personal involvement of their respective provincial Premiers. Premier Gary Filmon has championed the effort in Manitoba and is the only Premier who has been in office throughout the entirety of the WWF's Endangered Spaces campaign. When the Endangered Spaces campaign began in 1989, Manitoba had only .6 percent or 354,000 hectares of its land base protected. Today I am pleased to announce we are at 8.3 percent or 5.4 million hectares.

Last week, our government announced the creation of three new park reserves: Chitek Lake, Poplar/Nanowin River, Long Point, a new ecological reserve, Whitemouth Island, increased protection for eight wildlife management areas and the Douglas Marsh within the Canadian Forces Base at Shilo.

The staff are actively working on new areas for next year, the final year of the WWF's 10-year Endangered Spaces Program. There are a number of areas of special interest that we are optimistic can be advanced during the last year of the program. In fact, the Long Point park reserve creates interim protection for a component for the proposed Manitoba Lowlands national park that the World Wildlife Fund targeted for next year. Manitoba and Canada are anxious to work with the First Nations and industry partners to meet the WWF's challenge to establish the new national park.

In closing, I wish to assure all Manitobans that, in order to protect and conserve our natural heritage for future generations, we intend to meet our original commitment to complete a network of protected areas that is representative of Manitoba's diverse landscapes. Thank you.

Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): Madam Speaker, I would like to put a few words on the record about the debt in the province of Manitoba. I know the members opposite are forever criticizing the NDP for a debt that increased during the Pawley years in government, but they want to ignore the fact that that was a period of very, very high interest rates, double-digit interest rates. It is a period of time when many other provinces, most other provinces and the federal government also increased the debt burden, but I believe members on the government side are deluding themselves perhaps with fond hopes or they are believing their own propaganda.

So I am suggesting that they look at their own books, look at their own figures and find that the debt per capita for general purposes in the province of Manitoba has gone up enormously since the Filmon government took office in 1988-89. In 1988-89, the per capita debt in the province of Manitoba was $4,750, every man and woman $4,750 each. As of December 31, in the minister's own document–there is the number–what is the per capita debt? $6,049. It is an increase of 27.3 percent in the per capita debt in the province of Manitoba. So much for fiscal management, so much for great economy, so much for all the great things you are doing.

Madam Speaker, those are the facts. Members opposite want to delude themselves. They want to ignore it, but that is the fact, just as the member from–the Minister of Education (Mr. McCrae) was going on about job creation and investment priority. If he would look at the facts, he would find that the rate of job creation was greater under the Pawley NDP government than it has been under this government. The figures are there. I invite the minister to look at the figures. He will see the rate of increase in jobs was far better under the NDP government than it has been under the last 10 years of this government. Thank you.

Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, this past Saturday I had the pleasure of joining the owners of the Viking Motor Inn, Rick and Monica Kalyn and John and Janice Strutynski at the hotel's official reopening. Six months ago the restaurant and the nightclub portions of this popular Gimli establishment were destroyed by fire. Even in the face of this devastation the decision was quickly made to rebuild, and the people of the Gimli area are certainly pleased that the Viking is back in business.

The three parts of the business, Rick's Two Friends' nightclub, Gordon Lee's Chinese Restaurant and the 21-unit motel are all very important for tourism in the Gimli area. In the summertime, visitors from all over find a nice room, a great meal and an entertaining evening at the Viking. The restaurant and the nightclub are also popular among the people of the community year-round. So I would just like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate the Kalyns and the Strutynskis on the reopening of the Viking Motor Hotel and to wish them even greater success in the future. Thank you.

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, last Saturday night at Flin Flon's R.H. Channing auditorium, my wife and I, along with hundreds of other northerners experienced a delightful new musical entitled Bombertown. Mark and Crystal Kolt and the 150-member volunteer cast from the Flin Flon region put on a truly magnificent production. Bombertown was an explosive multimedia event celebrating the 1957 Memorial Cup victory of the Flin Flon Bombers over the heavily favoured Ottawa Junior Canadiens.

The 150-minute two-act performance, full of original songs, captured in a most dynamic and creative fashion that upbeat feeling of hometown pride that first galvanized the town in 1957. Bombertown was a sophisticated blend of sound, colour, costuming and set design. It was a blend of history and nostalgia. It was a story about hard-rock mining and hockey, a story about love and northern pride. It was our story. Bombertown was a perfect marriage of sports and culture. I only wish that people south of 53 could have had the chance to see this original and powerful musical.

I am sure that all members in this Chamber are happy to join with me in expressing profound thanks to the many volunteers who made Bombertown such a successful musical. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): I wanted to take this opportunity, on behalf of the party, to congratulate the efforts of Wally Fox-Decent. When the province of Manitoba and indeed our country was in a crisis situation during constitutional debates, Wally Fox-Decent did a first-class job in guiding Manitoba with our response, an all-party response. He was able to build upon a consensus.

Yesterday, it pleased Manitobans to see a tentative agreement, and we will have to wait and see what is actually voted on from the membership of our nurses, but suffice to say we applaud the individuals sitting down around the table and particularly Mr. Fox-Decent, who obviously has great ability in bringing different people at the table in order to handle a situation.

The real winner is going to be all Manitobans as we realize the important role that our nurses and other health care professions play in providing what most Manitobans hold so close to their hearts, and that is our health care system. Thank you.

Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): I move, seconded by the member for Dauphin (Mr. Struthers), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections be amended as follows: the member for Brandon for the vacancy.

Mr. Hickes: This change was moved during the April 26, 1999, meeting of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections, and the same change is now being moved in the House so that the official records can be updated accordingly.

Madam Speaker: It has been moved by the honourable member for Point Douglas (Mr. Hickes), seconded by the honourable member for Dauphin (Mr. Struthers), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections be amended as follows: the honourable member for Dauphin for the vacancy, and this change was moved during the April 26 meeting of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections. The same change is now being moved in the House so that official records can be updated accordingly. Agreed?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Madam Speaker: Agreed and so ordered.