Hon. Mr. Doer, Hon. Ms. Mihychuk

Mr. Chairperson: Good afternoon. Will the Standing Committee on Law Amendments please come to order. The first order of business before the committee is the election of a Vice-Chairperson. Are there any nominations?

Mr. Daryl Reid (Transcona): Mr. Chairperson, I would like to nominate Ms. Korzeniowski.

Mr. Chairperson: Ms. Korzeniowski has been nominated. Are there any further nominations? Seeing none, I declare Ms. Korzeniowski as elected Vice-Chairperson.

This afternoon, the committee will be considering the following bills: Bill 4, The Order of Manitoba Amendment Act; Bill 300, An Act to Amend an Act to Incorporate the Portage District General Hospital Foundation.

Does the committee wish to indicate how late it is willing to sit this afternoon?

Some Honourable Members: Until we are done. As long as it takes. No later than midnight.

Mr. Chairperson: I hear till the work is done. That is kind of open-ended.

An Honourable Member: No later than midnight. We would not want to sit too long. We would not want to detain the legal people. Six o'clock.

Mr. Chairperson: I have heard six o'clock. Is it the will of the committee to sit until six?

An Honourable Member: Six o'clock.

Mr. Chairperson: Six o'clock has been agreed. We do not have presenters registered to speak to these bills. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to register, or who is not yet registered? Seeing none, we will begin with Bill 4, The Order of Manitoba Amendment Act.

Mr. Chairperson: Does the First Minister have an opening statement?

Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): I would like to thank the members of the committee for their co-operation. I would also want to pay tribute to the previous government and my predecessor for bringing in the original Order of Manitoba. We supported it. I think it is safe to say that it has exceeded all our expectations, and I think the quality of the people that were selected in both the first two years of the award indicates the tremendous amount of quality citizens in Manitoba and their full range of making our community a better place for all our citizens to live.

So I want to pay tribute to the recipients of the award. I want to pay tribute to the previous government for bringing in the initial Order of Manitoba. The selection committee unanimously recommended to us that we increase the number. There are hundreds of nominees now, and I think that just bodes well for the good people of Manitoba. So I would recommend it to all members of the committee.

Mr. Chairperson: We thank the Premier. Does the critic from the Official Opposition have an opening statement?

Mr. Harry Enns (Lakeside): Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to echo the Premier's comments and indicate that this bill has the enthusiastic support of the Official Opposition. I commend the Government for bringing this bill forward, with only one possible suggestion. We Canadians, in our laid-back style, have little pageantry in our public affairs, and so forth, and I would suggest to the Premier (Mr. Doer), in the expansion of the program here, that we make every effort to, when we are honouring noteworthy citizens with this award, that we, in fact, make it a special occasion for them, as I know it is and always has been in the past and, perhaps, it could have been done even with a bit more panache.

Those are my few comments to this bill. We are pleased to support this bill.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Mr. Enns.

Mr. Doer: I will take the advice of the member to the selection committee and to the Lieutenant-Governor, who is the ultimate chair of the event, and I will make sure he hears the comments. I am sure that he will take very seriously the recommendation from members of this committee in a non-partisan way as our Queen's representative.

Mr. Chairperson: During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order.

Clause 1–pass; clause 2–pass; clause 3–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass. Bill be reported.

Mr. Chairperson: The next bill is No. 300, An Act to Amend an Act to Incorporate the Portage District General Hospital Foundation.

On Bill 300, An Act to Amend an Act to Incorporate the Portage District General Hospital Foundation, we will first hear a report on the bill from Legislative Counsel. Perhaps you could give us your name too.

Mr. Jake Harms (Deputy Legislative Counsel): Jake Harms, and I am the Deputy Legislative Counsel.

Mr. Chairperson: Please proceed.

Mr. Harms: As required by rule 121 of the Rules of the House, I now report that I have examined Bill 300, An Act to Amend an Act to Incorporate the Portage District General Hospital Foundation, and have not noted any exceptional powers sought or any other provision of the bill requiring special consideration.

Mr. Chairperson: Thank you, Mr. Harms for that report. Does the member sponsoring the bill have an opening statement?

Mr. David Faurschou (Portage la Prairie): Mr. Chairman, I just want to express my appreciation to all members present today in assisting with the legislative process in which to bring forward this act, which is vitally needed in order to carry on the good work of the Portage and District Hospital Foundation. Thank you.

Mr. Chairperson: We thank the Member for Portage la Prairie.

During the consideration of a bill, the enacting clause and the title are postponed until all other clauses have been considered in their proper order. Also, if there is agreement from the committee, the Chair will call clauses in blocks that conform to pages, with the understanding that we will stop at any particular clause or clauses where members may have comments. Is that agreed? [agreed]

Clauses 1 and 2–pass; clauses 3 to 5–pass; clauses 6 to 8–pass; enacting clause–pass; title–pass.

Mr. Harry Enns (Lakeside): Simply allow me to put on the public record an acknowledgment of my colleague Mr. Faurschou, the honourable Member for Portage la Prairie, that, as those of us who have been in the Legislature for a while know, successfully passing a private members' bill is an accomplishment, even if it is a relatively non-partisan bill. Mr. Chairman, I so want to acknowledge the good work on behalf of the people and the foundation members of Portage health district for the work that he has accomplished.

I want to thank him for allowing to have me be associated with a bill as a seconder for the bill, and wish the foundation every success. Thank you.

Mr. Chairperson: Bill shall be reported.

I understand there is a motion for the refund of fees with regard to this bill.

* (17:10)

Mr. Faurschou: Mr. Chairman, I would like to move a motion

THAT this committee recommends that the fees paid with respect to Bill 300, An Act to Amend an Act to Incorporate the Portage District General Hospital Foundation.

Mr. Chairperson: Shall the motion pass?

Some Honourable Members: Pass.

Mr. Chairperson: Agreed. Shall the motion be adopted, I am supposed to say.

Mr. Faurschou: The balance of the motion reads "be refunded, less the cost of printing"–my error.

Mr. Chairperson: It has been moved by Mr. Faurschou that this committee recommends that the fees paid with respect to Bill 300, An Act to Amend an Act to Incorporate the Portage District General Hospital Foundation; Loi modifiant la Loi constituant en corporation la Fondation de l'Hôpital général du district Portage, be refunded, less the cost of printing.

Shall the motion be adopted?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Mr. Chairperson: Agreed.

The hour being before six o'clock, shall the committee rise? Committee rise.

COMMITTEE ROSE AT: 5:12 p.m.