MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

Tourism

Winnipeg Week Competition

Mr. Mike Radcliffe (River Heights): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in this House today and address the members and welcome them all back from the summer break.

In Saturday's Free Press there was a wonderful letter to the editor by a young man from Verdun, Quebec, named Matthew Roy. Mr. Roy visited our wonderful province this summer, and I would like to quote from some of his letter to our members here today. Mr. Roy says, it all began with a careless aspersion meant to make Montrealers reeling from the referendum, a sluggish economy and a long winter feel better about their city. He said, if you think things are bad in Montreal, wrote the Montreal Gazette, try a week in Winnipeg.

Well, Madam Speaker, Matthew Roy had an opportunity to visit Winnipeg and I would like to share with the members of this House today some of his thoughts. He says, what I experienced was an absolutely unbelievable outpouring of generosity and hospitality. Friendly Manitoba is not just a motto; it is a state of mind. I do not think I will ever again meet such an extremely hospitable and amiable collection of people as I did that weekend in Winnipeg. We and the rest of Canada would do well to strive to emulate not only Winnipeg's friendliness but also its strong community spirit and multicultural harmony manifested by festivals such as Folklorama.

As a native of Quebec, I was also very impressed with the Manitoba Franco-Manitoban community of St. Boniface, articulate, warm and jovial. They assured me at a bonfire at Fort Gibraltar that their culture was well entrenched, their annual Festival du Voyageur a cornerstone of Winnipeg life. Both Folklorama and the Festival du Voyageur are testaments to cultural harmony and a model for my own embattled province, he says. Multicultural harmony is a hallmark of what it means to be Canadian, as is friendliness, humility and, of course, the love of hockey, all of which seem to be cornerstones of Winnipeg. In that regard, Winnipeg is very much the heartland of Canada, the place where all things truly Canadian thrive. Thank you.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I was experiencing some difficulty in hearing some of the comments by the honourable member for River Heights.

Employment Creation

Government Strategy

Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Madam Speaker, on March 12 this year the Filmon government announced their so-called welfare reform. It consisted mainly of cuts to people already subsisting on welfare for a total of about $23 million in cuts, and as of May 1, people who are deemed employable on city welfare are expected to live on $411 a month. However, when you look at the reasons behind this--and I assume that the reason was to reduce rates so much that they would force people to find jobs--what has happened?

Well, in August there were 5,000 fewer people employed than in July. No change August over August one year to the next. The number of people on provincial social assistance, many of whom are deemed employable, is static. It is stuck at about 26,000. Winnipeg Harvest though is now feeding 36,000 people a month, an 8.6 percent increase over June, July and August of last year, but when it comes to job creation, which should be the real task of this government, their efforts are pathetic. Their own press release admits that they only intend to create 700 jobs as a result of their initiative and one of their programs, Taking Charge!, has no job creation goals, none whatsoever. What people in this province want is work. They do not want to be punished for being poor. The Filmon government should invest in job creation not in poor bashing. Thank you.

Water Pure & Simple

Grand Opening of New Building

Mr. Frank Pitura (Morris): Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to address the House today.

I would like to tell the members about a small company called Water Pure & Simple. The company was started three years ago by a Manitoban named Micheal Poirier. With a 20-year plus history of sales and marketing, wholesale pumps and filtration equipment, the current trend toward purified water created a wonderful business opportunity as another example of how small business can successfully create jobs in Manitoba.

I had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of the company's new building this past Saturday in Otterburn, Manitoba. The company employs two full-time and three part-time staff. They also service the market area of all of southeastern Manitoba including the city of Winnipeg. This Manitoba company is the first of its kind to utilize a reverse osmosis process. Using a six-step purification procedure, including reverse osmosis, it takes out up to 98 percent of the impurities in the water. Bacteria and parasites, inorganic materials, organic contaminants, pesticides, herbicides and radionuclides are removed from the water.

Madam Speaker, this government has created a positive environment and provided businesses and communities with the tools to launch their ideas and create jobs. Water Pure & Simple is just one example. There are many more examples of small businesses that are helping to make Manitoba strong.

Under the Filmon government the stage has been set. We have worked hard to establish a foundation on which Manitoba can build a solid and prosperous future. We have created the right climate in order that small businesses can prosper and create jobs. This right climate is based on having a long-term strategy, accountable and responsible fiscal management focusing on creating jobs and wealth in the private sector and working in partnership with the community.

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Northern Health Care System

Physician Resources

Mr. Steve Ashton (Thompson): I wish to address an issue that strangely enough is not addressed in the document being distributed by the Minister of Health (Mr. McCrae) on health reform, which was so aptly described as a Tory propaganda piece, and some of the very real medical concerns in my community, starting with a critical shortage of doctors. I want to indicate that I have been contacted by many constituents just the last number of weeks; they are unable to receive urgent medical care because of that shortage.

I want to first of all indicate that the Thompson General Hospital has been actively trying to recruit doctors, but there are a number of problems with the recruitment process in particular because of some pressures, I believe, in terms of qualifications. There have been a number of doctors, and one very good doctor, who have left our community, and there has been increasing difficulty in recruiting doctors from overseas. Unfortunately, that has often been the main source of supply of physicians in the last number of years because of the reluctance of Canadian-educated graduates to come to northern Manitoba.

It is something that I think is very unfortunate because, as is the case with much of rural Manitoba, there is a very good lifestyle, as well as a very important medical practice that is available. I believe, Madam Speaker, there are things that can be done, and I look to the Minister of Health and to the Department of Health to take some initiatives. In fact, I would recommend a number of things. First of all, we have to recognize the fact that salaries are not the only factors involved. One of the concerns of one of the doctors that has left Thompson was over the impact on medical procedures of the health care cuts, so we have to stop cutting back on our rural and northern hospitals.

The second thing, Madam Speaker, we have to do is identify the need to make sure that Canadian-educated grads who get their education at the expense of the taxpayers practise in rural and northern Manitoba. The bottom line is we need to avoid the kind of critical doctor shortage we have in Thompson.

Carte International

Expansion

Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): It is my pleasure to rise in the House today on this the Second Session of the Thirty-sixth Legislature and address the members. When our government was re-elected for a third consecutive term, our goal was clear: to make Manitoba the best place anywhere in which to live, to work, to invest and to raise a family. I would like to relate to all members a success story in my constituency of Pembina, a story that emphasizes our government success in creating the right climate for business growth and job creation.

This story focuses on a business called Carte International Inc. Carte International Inc. manufactures and distributes power and specialty electrical transformers for electrical utilities and commercial and industrial consumers. The company's goal is to be a world-class manufacturer that consistently meets all technical and delivery requirements for all its customers in the global marketplace.

Carte International is committed to excellent customer service, continuous improvement and the principles of total quality management. From its inception in April of 1973, the Winnipeg-based Carte International has undergone a great deal of expansions, one of which resulted in facilities being leased in the community of Morden. Initially, 30,000 square feet was leased and to that an additional 15,000 square feet was added just last year. The employees of Carte International have recently announced that they would be buying the business. The employees' goal has been achieved through the Crocus Fund.

Their announcement demonstrates how strong the economic climate in Manitoba is and, by extension, Manitobans benefit as businesses not only remain in Manitoba but as they continue to expand just like Carte International.

From a local point of view, the decision by Carte International to first of all expand and then expand again in Morden is very welcome. This organization employs close to 200 Manitobans, 200 Manitobans who continue to contribute to the well-being of Manitobans. This decision by Carte International indicates the level of confidence they are placing in the people and the government of Manitoba. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.