PRESENTING PETITIONS
Home Care Services
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Joanne Pritchard, Robin Cordray, Rosana Corpuz and others requesting the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.
Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Vinh Nguyen, Roland Sanchez, Kitouang Vong and others requesting the Premier and the Minister of Health to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of Betty Ann Palidwor, Irene Martin, Sherry Bohonas and others requesting the Premier and the Minister of Health to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.
READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS
Seasonal Camping Fees
Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Thompson (Mr. Ashton). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?
An Honourable Member: Yes.
Madam Speaker: Yes. The Clerk will read.
Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): The petition of the undersigned citizens of the province of Manitoba humbly sheweth that:
WHEREAS seasonal camping has provided an affordable form of recreation for many Manitobans; and
WHEREAS the provincial government has announced increases in seasonal camping fees of up to 100 percent; and
WHEREAS this huge increase is far more than any cost-of-living increase; and
WHEREAS this increase will lead to many people being unable to afford seasonal camping.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly urge the provincial government not to increase seasonal camping fees by such a large amount.
Home Care Services
Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?
An Honourable Member: Dispense.
Madam Speaker: Dispense.
THAT on at least six occasions during the 1995 provincial election, the Premier promised not to cut health services; and
THAT on December 16, 1995, a plan to privatize home care services was presented to Treasury Board; and
THAT this plan calls for the complete divestiture of all service delivery to nongovernment organizations, mainly private for-profit companies as well as the implementation of a user-pay system of home care; and
THAT previous cuts to the Home Care program have resulted in services being cut and people’s health being compromised; and
THAT thousands of caring front-line service providers will lose their jobs as a result of this change; and
THAT profit has no place in the provision of vital health services.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to request the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.
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Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale). It complies with the rules and practices of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the petition read?
An Honourable Member: Dispense.
Madam Speaker: Dispense.
THAT on at least six occasions during the 1995 provincial election, the Premier promised not to cut health services; and
THAT on December 16, 1995, a plan to privatize home care services was presented to Treasury Board; and
THAT this plan calls for the complete divestiture of all service delivery to nongovernment organizations, mainly private for-profit companies as well as the implementation of a user-pay system of home care; and
THAT previous cuts to the Home Care program have resulted in services being cut and people’s health being compromised; and
THAT thousands of caring front-line service providers will lose their jobs as a result of this change; and
THAT profit has no place in the provision of vital health services.
WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray that the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba may be pleased to request the Premier (Mr. Filmon) and the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) to consider reversing their plan to privatize home care services.
PRESENTING REPORTS BY
STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Committee of Supply
Mr. Ben Sveinson (Deputy Chairperson of Committees): Madam Speaker, the Committee of Supply has considered certain resolutions, directs me to report progress and asks leave to sit again.
I move, seconded by the honourable member for Turtle Mountain (Mr. Tweed), that the report of the committee be received.
Motion agreed to.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS AND
TABLING OF REPORTS
Hon. Bonnie Mitchelson (Minister of Family Services): I would like to table the Second Annual Report of the Children's Advocate for 1994-95, and I also have a statement for the House.
Department of Family Services Initiatives
Mrs. Mitchelson: The legislation which established the Office of the Children's Advocate requires that an annual report of its activities be presented to the Minister of Family Services. I have received the second report for April 1, 1994, to March 31, 1995, and have tabled it today. I have met with the Children's Advocate both in his office and in mine, not only to discuss recommendations in his report but also to include the Advocate in the resolution of matters of vital concern to Manitoba children and their families. Recently the Department of Family Services has undertaken a number of initiatives as have agencies, the Children and Youth Secretariat, and various committees to ensure the protection and safety of children in this province.
We continue to search for ways to improve on the services we provide, especially to children and families in crisis. Madam Speaker, along with the creation of the Children's Advocate's office to ensure that children in contact with the Child and Family Services system have a voice in decisions which affect them, we established the Children and Youth Secretariat to improve co-ordination of services for high-risk children and youth. We introduced the Family Support Innovations Fund to test new ways to keep children in their families. This fund has also been used to provide support to developing the ManitobaYouth-in-Care Network which will serve as a support system for young people who have left the formal care system.
An adoption initiative has been undertaken, and we have improved training and support for the dedicated men and women who provide child and family services across the province. The department has recently undergone organizational restructuring which has resulted in the amalgamation of all our children's services within the Child and Family Services Division. Finding better ways to serve children and families in crisis will continue to be the main focus of this division.
Child welfare services will place a stronger emphasis on compliance and community development. As we continue to review the Child and Family Services system, I can assure Manitobans we will look at all aspects of the current system, the legislation, child protection, adoption, services to families and the supports and programs they require to build strong, safe and stable communities.
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In the weeks ahead, I will announce the details for the review of The Child and Family Services Act. We plan to strengthen child abuse legislation and establish a risk estimation system as a fundamental tool in child protection situations, along with developing a process to ensure providers have the necessary skills to serve their clients. Officials have met with the Faculty of Social Work to provide input into the social work curriculum. We are implementing the Child and Family Service Information System to track children at risk, and we are considering ways to respond to allegations of abuse of children while they are being cared for by government or its agencies. We are developing a written format for releasing noncase-specific recommendations from investigative reports on child welfare matters. We will continue to hold agencies accountable to government and the public through compliance audits of their services and monitoring and enforcing standards throughout the province to ensure that all children benefit from the same right to protection.
Consistent with the legislative requirement, an all-party committee of the Legislature will be established to undertake a comprehensive review of the Office of the Children’s Advocate and will submit a report to the Legislative Assembly along with any amendments to The Child and Family Services Act which the committee recommends. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Ms. Becky Barrett (Wellington): Madam Speaker, I appreciate the ministerial statement regarding the Children’s Advocate report the minister has just tabled. We look forward to seeing the actual report of the Children’s Advocate.
I would just like to say very briefly that while there are some positive statements in the ministerial statement, there are some areas that we have major concerns with that the Children’s Advocate shares along with us. Again, I would reiterate for the minister’s benefit, on behalf of the Children’s Advocate of Manitoba and, to my understanding, Children’s Advocates across the country, they see that their role in order to be truly effective as Children’s Advocates, they must report directly to the Legislature, not to the minister.
I am sure that recommendation will be in the report of the Children’s Advocate that is being tabled. I can assure the minister that when the all-party committee does meet, and I hope it is very soon, to review the three years that the Children’s Advocate has been underway in Manitoba, I can assure the minister that we will again make that recommendation and I am sure, again, it will be strongly acceded to by the Children’s Advocate. Thank you.
Hon. Albert Driedger (Minister of Natural Resources): Madam Speaker, I would like to table the Supplementary Estimates for the Department of Natural Resources for the year 1996-1997.
Introduction of Guests
Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would like to draw the attention of all honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us this afternoon thirty-two Grade 9 students from Grant Park High School under the direction of Mr. Norm Roseman. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Crescentwood (Mr. Sale).
We also have twenty-five Grade 11 students from Churchill High School under the direction of Mr. Lenzmann. This school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Osborne (Ms. McGifford).
On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you this afternoon.
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