Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure earlier today to join midwives in recognizing International Midwifery Day in Manitoba. Throughout history, midwives have been recognized as community experts in providing knowledge, skill, guidance and support to women through pregnancy, labour, and childbirth. In 1994, our government announced its intention to implement regulated midwifery in Manitoba, and since that time we have undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at providing midwifery service as part of Manitoba's health care system.

One of the first initiatives undertaken by our government was the appointment of the Midwifery Implementation Council which was given the task of making recommendations on all aspects of regulated midwifery. Thanks to the work of the council, the Manitoba Legislature was able to pass The Midwifery Act in 1997. Although the act was passed, it was not proclaimed, in order to give Manitoba Health and the Midwifery Implementation Council time to do the necessary preparatory work so that midwives could take on the self-regulatory functions required by the act. Much of that work has now been completed, and our government looks forward to proclaiming the act in the near future.

To ensure that midwifery is practised safely and competently, our government is funding an upgrading program which is being offered to 50 midwives over the next two and a half years. It is hoped that all 50 midwives will be registered with the College of Midwives of Manitoba by the year 2001. One of the key features of a regulated profession is the establishment of a regulatory body to oversee the profession. For midwives, this responsibility will be carried out by the College of Midwives of Manitoba.

To enable the college to function effectively, the Manitoba government has taken two important steps. First, in December of '98, cabinet appointed the Midwifery Implementation Council to serve as a traditional council of the College of Midwives of Manitoba. Secondly, my colleague the Minister of Health (Mr. Stefanson) announced today that the government has granted $198,000 to the College of Midwives of Manitoba for this current fiscal year; also it has approved $840,000 for up to 20 midwives to begin practice in Manitoba by March 2000.

With today's commitment of over $1 million from our government, we have taken an important step forward towards integrating the profession of midwifery into the continuum of health care services. Thank you.

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, today I was also pleased to attend the International Midwives Picnic and assembly outside the Legislature and to hear the member for Charleswood on behalf of the Minister of Health announce plans to support midwives and their work in Manitoba.

I understand that the funding will be used to hire midwives and establish their practice as well as to provide start-up costs for the new college. This is one step along the way and an important one. Still I want to point out that since 1991 this government has had a detailed paper from the Health Advisory Network on the full implementation of midwifery in Manitoba. This government's response has been a succession of baby steps, pardon the expression, while other provinces, for example Ontario, have developed full programs which are currently functioning.

Just as Manitoba women, Madam Speaker, had to wait for an election for modern birthing rooms in the women's pavilion at the Health Sciences Centre, so have they had to wait for an election for midwifery, wait until mere days before a provincial election. This announcement is one more in a series of pre-election ploys, and Manitoba women will not be fooled.

In closing, Madam Speaker, all members of the opposition take this opportunity to congratulate midwives on their long struggle to win acceptance in this province and for their work in delivering our children. We hear that this evening midwives will be celebrating International Midwifery Day in the constituency of the member for Wolseley (Ms. Friesen). Our best wishes are with them for a stimulating gathering and a joyful celebration.

Mr. Denis Rocan (Gladstone): I am proud to stand in the House today and talk about a recent government initiative that will benefit the Metis people of this province and will lead to renewed pride of their heritage and identity. The Manitoba government has provided a hundred thousand dollars to the Louis Riel Institute in Brandon to promote education and training for the Metis people in this province. These funds will also help foster an appreciation and understanding of Metis culture, heritage, and history and help promote education and training in our community.

The Metis people played a hugely important role in the founding and building of Manitoba, and they continue to make important contributions to our provincial and national identity. This latest funding announcement shows a recognition of this fact. This government support of the Louis Riel Institute is an important investment in the Metis population of Manitoba as it will help them attain educational goals and give them increased opportunities to move ahead.

The Louis Riel Institute is a Metis cultural and educational resource centre; however, all Manitobans can make use of the centre to better educate themselves about Manitoba history and the pivotal role the Metis people played in it. I am proud to be a part of a government that supports centres of cultural importance such as this one.

Je suis Métis et j'en suis fier. Les Métis ont joué un rôle décisif pour bâtir cette province. Ça me fait grand plaisir que notre gouvernement a donné son appui au peuple michif pour qu'ils puissent protéger et promouvoir leur propre culture. Cela sert à renforcer leur identité et l'identité du Manitoba. Merci.

I am Metis and am proud of it. The Metis played a decisive role in building this province. It gives me great pleasure that our government has given its support to the Michif people so that they may protect and promote their own culture. This serves to reinforce their identity and the identity of Manitoba. Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, a few days ago at McIsaac School in Flin Flon, during the Citizenship Award ceremonies, a special Random Act of Kindness Award was presented to seven-year-old Doug Christianson. Doug risked his life to save a friend, Cody Halldorson. Cody had fallen through the ice on the creek near the Aqua Centre. The current was very strong. Cody was up to his chest in freezing water and could have been swept under the ice. Doug Christianson, who is lighter than his friend Cody, ventured out on the ice and pulled his friend to safety. Fortunately, there was a happy ending to this story.

I am sure that all members of this Legislature are willing to join me in saluting the courage of young Doug Christianson, and equally all of us share the relief felt by parents, teachers, friends and citizens that both boys came through this ordeal safely. Thank you.

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, six years ago the Conservatives decided to cut funding for the friendship centres, removing $1.3 million from their annual budget. In Manitoba, we have 11 friendship centres, all of which are community-based, service-delivery organizations. The primary objectives of friendship centres include: to assist aboriginal people in adjusting to urban life; to improve the quality of life of aboriginal people in an urban environment; to develop culturally appropriate programs and services; to promote awareness and understanding between aboriginal and nonaboriginal cultures; and to remain nonpolitical, nonpartisan and nonsectarian.

These friendship centres provide a very important service, but when the government decided to cut their funding by a hundred percent, it meant that many of these services would not be provided. The loss of funding caused friendship centres to reduce the number of programs and services offered and to rely heavily on their own fundraising activities. At the same time, the government installed video lottery machines in rural Manitoba and took away the ability of friendship centres to raise their money through bingos, which they always do.

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The removal of this money, $1.3 million annually over six years, means that $7.8 million was removed from friendship centres and reduced their ability to provide very important services. People who run friendship centres, people in rural Manitoba, aboriginal people, are not going to be fooled by this government's pre-election announcement to finally recognize the importance of friendship centres and now are going to announce that they are going to put the funding back in. People will not be fooled, and they will not appreciate this government taking such cynical action when they have taken the funding away for six years and destroyed much of the base work that the friendship centre does in providing very important services to their people. This is a disgrace that a government would try to use people that way.