Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Manitoba 29e 3e Discours du trône 7 avril 1971 William John McKeag Lieutenant-gouverneur NPD Mr. Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba: I welcome you to the Third Session of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the Province of Manitoba. May I first of all, on behalf of all the people of Manitoba, as well as on my own behalf, express to my predecessor in office, The Honourable Richard S. Bowles, our warm appreciation of the distinguished and devoted service he has given our province. May I as well convey to him and to Mrs. Bowles an expression of our continuing good wishes. We may all take a good deal of pleasure and satisfaction from the successful commemoration of Manitoba's Centennial Year. The visit to our province by Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the royal family proved to be a memorable event, while the numerous other special ceremonies and events of the year 1970 enabled a great number of our citizens to take part in the commemorative festivities in a way that will be long remembered. The happiness which Manitobans derived from their Centennial Year was sharply disturbed when they learned of the sudden death of Mr. Maitland B. Steinkopf, Q. C., Chairman of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation. There will be another opportunity for the House to pay tribute to Mr. Steinkopf but it is well for us to acknowledge as we meet for this session how much our province owes to the devoted service and the imagination which he brought to the work of our historic Centennial. La Journée du 15 mars dernier a marqué le centième anniversaire commémorant la réunion initiale de la première assemblée législative du Manitoba. Les députés de l'assemblée ont devant eux l'occasion d'achever de façon spéciale leur participation à l'année du Centenaire en évoquant les cent ans de service auprès de la population de la province qui ont été assurés par le truchement des débats et des décisions de l'assemblée législative. Translation: March 15th marked the One Hundred Anniversary of the first meeting of the first Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Members of the House have an opportunity to complete their own participation in the Centennial Year by taking note of one hundred years of service to the people of the province provided through the debates and decisions of the Legislative Assembly. In the same historic vein Manitobans will want to be aware of 1971 as being the Centennial Year of the signing of Indian Treaties Nos. 1 and 2 at Lower Fort Garry. Appropriate commemorative events are being organized by the Indian Councils and the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood. My Ministers inform me that implementation of most of the 190 legislative measures passed between August 1969, and August 1970, is proceeding well and without serious problems. Major reforms that were passed respecting human rights, the lowering of the voting age and ages of majority appear to have been well and maturely received. We meet at a time when citizens from all walks of life are questioning the traditions and practices that have been with us for so many years. We see these questions most in the young people in our society, but a basic re-examination is now in process among all our citizens. What is at stake today is the faith of our citizens in the ability of our traditional institutions to rise to the occasion and solve the problems of tomorrow. Through our deliberations here we have the opportunity to demonstrate to our citizens that government can and must be responsive, and open, and humane. We meet at a time when policies of the federal government of Canada have caused the citizens of all provinces to live with an economy in recession and, for many, serious economic re-adjustments. My Ministers inform me that in the last few months programs have been undertaken on a broad basis to stimulate the provincial economy and reduce unemployment. My Ministers inform me that these special projects are now bearing fruit and that the provincial economy is showing signs of healthy recovery from the national situation. As a consequence the rated performance of Manitoba's economy is exceeding that of the national-average in many important respects. In the field of economic development my Ministers tell me that they have set the reduction of regional economic disparities and a rise in the standard of living of the people of Manitoba among their foremost objectives. Programs for economic and industrial development will be focused primarily on activities which will not only increase average per capita income, but will also improve the distribution of that income among the population. The government intends that these programs should respect the need to reduce pollution and other unfavourable aspects of some industrial development and that they should foster the control of economic resources by Manitobans and for Manitobans. You will be asked to consider amendments to The Development Corporation Act, further clarifying the functions of the Manitoba Development Corporation and the requirements for reporting on its activities. My Ministers inform me also that plans have been made to provide for more effective recognition of the potential of small business through a small business loans operation as an integral part of the Manitoba Development Corporation. Further to that an Economic Development Fund will be established with specific relevance to disadvantaged communities affording, at the same time. an opportunity to its residents to be involved by being represented on the board of directors. You will be asked to approve of expenditures for the purpose of the creation of a mineral exploration company which will be able to embark on programs to discover viable Manitoba resources either on its own initiative, or in partnership with other exploration companies. You will also be asked to approve other resource development projects designed to provide persons living in the proximity of our natural resources with greater opportunities of realizing some of the benefits thereof. It has become increasingly apparent that planning for economic and social development is being hampered by a lack of meaningful data at the provincial and regional levels. My government intends to introduce legislation to be known as The Statistics Act. This act will enable the government to complement existing information sources such as the Dominion Bureau of Statistics and to provide more adequately for provincial and regional information requirements. A healthy and aesthetic environment is of critical concern to my government. Last year anti-pollution standards were raised. In Manitoba, a new and substantial environmental agency, separate and distinct from other government departments and agencies, will be created. In addition there will also be established an Environmental Council comprised of citizen members to advise the responsible Minister. It is the intention of my government to continue with strong support and new programs for the farm economy, some of which were initiated during the past year. I am told that response to the new farm credit program has been favourable. The government will be making sufficient capital available to continue it at a high level. Efforts to assist farmers in developing and seeking new markets for their agricultural products will be pursued actively and strengthened. I am further informed that municipalities are responding favourably to the establishment of regional veterinary clinics and this program will be stepped up in the coming year in order to encourage and strengthen developments of the livestock industry in Manitoba. Under the new ARDA program whereby the province will soon be entering into agreement with the federal government, it is our intention to introduce running water and sewage systems to homes in rural Manitoba in order to raise the comfort and standard of living of rural residents. A new Agricultural Services Complex is under construction on the campus of The University of Manitoba and will provide, through the Department of Agriculture, such services as a diagnostic veterinary laboratory, a feed testing laboratory and allied services needed by farmers throughout the province. My government will continue to make vigorous representation to the Government of Canada in an attempt to influence federal agriculture policy in a manner that will deal more effectively with the problems of Manitoba farmers. In this session you will be asked to deal with the proposal to inject directly approximately $4 million into Manitoba's farm economy. We shall immediately be entering into negotiations with the Government of Canada respecting a new policy aimed at improving the position of industrial milk producers in Manitoba. I am informed that it is necessary and desirable to introduce new legislation relating to conditions and sale of farm machinery in order that farmers and farm machinery dealers may have adequate protection in the purchase and sale of this equipment so necessary to the industry. My government is pleased to announce that it is establishing a Department of Co-operative Development as one means of strengthening support for the development and use of the co-operative movement as a means of helping people to improve their social and economic position. Associated with that development will be increased financial support for development of co-operatives in northern Manitoba communities for economic resource development and allied purposes. Recognizing that there is a problem everywhere in this country regarding social welfare programs; my government proposes that existing piecemeal social welfare programs should be transformed into an integrated income security system. At the provincial level this will involve special co-ordination arrangements to ensure liaison between the new income security system and other health and social services, thereby making both systems more responsive to the needs of citizens. This new orientation to health and social services will require a vigorous renegotiation of federal-provincial arrangements including cost-sharing formulae. The introduction of new approaches for the rehabilitation of public offenders which were initiated during the past year will be expanded and accelerated. Proposed developments will be outlined in a forthcoming Government White Paper on Corrections. In the meantime construction will begin soon on a new Manitoba Youth Centre to provide improved care and treatment. During the coming year increased emphasis will be given to employment opportunities for Manitobans of native origin and to the further development of New Careers opportunities for Manitobans. My Ministers inform me of the increasing demands for day care services. During the past year groundwork has been laid for the development of day care services and significant initiation of these is planned for the coming year. My government has taken major steps to increase in a dramatic way the amount of personal care or nursing home accommodations for the elderly and infirm and at the present time a substantial number of new facilities is under construction or soon will be. Further development of facilities for elderly and infirm citizens continues to be a pressing need and increased attention will be given to their development. A new psycho-geriatric centre will be established in the Winnipeg area to provide more appropriate in-patient care for elderly persons. Improvements in the quality of family life will be sought through the expansion of a variety of family oriented services. You will be· asked to consider amendments to The Health Services Insurance Act changing the membership of the Manitoba Health Services Commission from the present seven members to nine members, clarifying certain provisions pertaining to third party liability actions, and making changes arising from The Age of Majority Act passed during the last session of the legislature. Reports will be made to the House concerning capital plans for expansion and replacement of hospitals and other health facilities with special reference to relationships of these facilities to a community health centre base. Mon gouvernement a crée un Comité consultatif sur l'Achat et le Distribution des Drogues qui se préoccupera parallèlement dans cette question des aspects économiques et hygiéniques. Sur accusation des recommandations de ce comite, vous serez appelés à étudier des mesures législatives visant à réduire pour les citoyens du Manitoba le coût des drogues obtenues par ordonnances . Translation: My Government has established an Advisory Committee on the Central Purchasing and Distribution of Drugs, concerned with both the economic and health aspects of this matter. Following receipt of the recommendations of the Committee, you will be asked to consider legislation designed to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for the citizens of Manitoba. The portion of education costs borne by property continues to be a considerable burden to the farm and residential property owners of Manitoba. My government will seek provision during the session for additional provincial input into financing of education, The major portion of this money is intended to shift some of the costs of education off property tax to the more equitable provincial tax base. As a result of this shift in taxation, there will be a drop of 1½ mills in the foundation levy imposed on farm and residential property. The distribution of costs for the foundation program will be changed from the present 70/30 formula to 75% provincial support and 25% municipal support of the foundation program. Legislation will also be introduced to make possible a system of tax credits on residential units and to equalize some of the costs of education beyond the foundation program over Metropolitan Winnipeg. Through this combination of means my government not only expects to fulfill its pledge to the citizens of Manitoba to relieve some of the tax burden on residential and farm property, but as well these changes will be yet another step in the movement towards a more equitable taxation system in the province. There is increased public concern over the escalating costs of education in Manitoba. At the same time powerful sentiment is focused on the development of an educational system to provide an instrument through which each individual has an equal opportunity to realize self-respect, self-fulfillment and his relevance in a dynamic society which is moving steadily now to more equality in the human condition. It is planned to expand in a major way the research and planning capabilities of the Department of Youth and Education. That branch will undertake studies into the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of the education program in Manitoba. Major emphasis will be placed on innovation in the schools and on education planning. Schools in the province will be encouraged to develop new and experimental programs. In keeping with its policy of equality of educational opportunity for all and with its policy of respect and encouragement for the rich cultural heritage of Manitoba's peoples, the government will seek funding for new and expanded programs at all levels for Manitobans of native ancestry. Steps are being taken to establish an elected Advisory Council for the Frontier School Division and to expand the Council's responsibilities for the school division. These changes will allow parents in the far-flung division to participate more directly in the determination of school policy. À la dernière session de l'assemblée législative le bill 113 a été accepté et a permis un élargissement dans les cadres de l'instruction publique de l'usage du français dans les écoles du Manitoba. Une section administrative, chargée du développement et des plans d'étude, à été crée dans la section du curriculum au Ministère de la Jeunesse et de l’Éducation, et nous escomptons qu'au début de septembre il y aura un accroissement majeur dans l'enseignement de la langue française et dans l’usage de la langue française comme langue d'enseignement. Translation: At the last Session of the Legislature, Bill 113 was passed to provide for an extension of instruction in French in Manitoba schools. An administrative and curriculum development unit has been established in the Curriculum Branch of the Department of Youth and Education and it is anticipated that this coming September there will be major extensions in the teaching of the French language, as well as extensions in teaching in the French language Greater education opportunities will become more widely available in Manitoba when four of the five regional composite high schools now under construction open in September. Legislation will be introduced to enable any pupil to attend school in another division if the program of studies required by the pupil is not available in his home division. Any residual cost accruing to the division receiving a pupil will be paid by the student's home division. Post-secondary enrolments have continued to increase although less than expected in the Universities. At the Community Colleges enrolments were much larger than expected. This expansion seems to indicate a growing realization of the importance and the potential of the post-secondary opportunities available within the Manitoba Community College system. In their efforts to be responsive to the needs of the community, the colleges will continue to expand the scope of their educational perspectives and introduce special out-reach programs into communities in Manitoba. You will be asked to consider legislation permitting the creation of a new body to be known as the Manitoba Lotteries Commission, with the object of conducting lottery schemes similar in nature to the series of sweepstake lotteries held during our Centennial Year. The 1970 lotteries proved to be successful in every respect. The proceeds from the future lottery schemes will be used for cultural and recreational purposes for the benefit of the people of the province. A new act will be presented to be known as The Public Trustee Act to establish the office of Public Trustee. Under the terms of the new act, the Public Trustee will exercise the jurisdiction now held by the Administrator of the Estates of Mentally Disordered Persons, official administrators and official guardians. The government intends to introduce legislation respecting security interests in personal property which will, among other matters, provide for the central registration of such security interests. It will also provide a codification of much of the law relating to personal property transactions, with some variations from existing law. This legislation will be known as The Personal Property Securities Act. A bill will be presented to amend The Provincial Police Act which will, among other matters, provide for the establishment of a Provincial Police Commission empowered to hear appeals from rulings made by local Police Commissions, and to act in an advisory role in such matters as police training, police education and police relations with the community. Legislation will be introduced to provide a more expeditious and less costly procedure for the settlement and recovery of small claims. My government intends to make arrangements for the provision of more legal assistance to those unable to obtain legal services on their own. My Ministers have expressed to me their continuing concern over the problems that afflict the urban centre of Greater Winnipeg in which live somewhat over half of the people of the province. They have given long and intensive study to these problems and have reviewed all available data and reports on the subject, including the report of the Manitoba Local Government Boundaries Commission, and the views expressed at a lengthy series of public meetings. My government is deeply concerned over the disparities in services, inequitable uses of the available tax base and fragmented jurisdictions, all of which now inhibit proper planning and development in the area and have led to a regrettable loss of citizen involvement in the processes of local government. Since a vigorously healthy urban centre is vital to the well-being of all the people in the province, my Ministers will be placing before you certain measures designed to improve the economic climate of Greater Winnipeg and to make the area's processes of local government more democratic and more meaningful to its citizens, that is to say, in every respect. My Ministers remind me that, in recognition of the continent-wide trend toward rapid and ever-increasing urbanization, it has designated a Minister responsible for urban affairs. It is the specific task of that ministry to co-ordinate, and to seek to improve. the performance of the government of the province in its relationship with the Greater Winnipeg region. It is also its assigned task to co-ordinate and Integrate all provincial-urban administrative links with a view to strengthening the competence and autonomy of local government in the urban area. Manitoba continues to have an excellent industrial relations climate. Collective bargaining has increased and, by achieving one of the best records of dispute settlement in the country, the parties have shown how effective this process can be as a means for working out necessary arrangements between labour and management. At the present time, for example, only one bargaining unit in Manitoba is involved in an industrial dispute coming under the provincial Labour Department's jurisdiction. My Ministers believe in the principle and value of collective bargaining and have introduced many legislative changes intended to promote its. growth and development. Management and labour are being encouraged to establish management-labour committees at plant level so that continuous consultation between parties on matters, apart from collective agreements, may take place to the mutual advantage of both. Progress is being made in producing a labour code for Manitoba. It is hoped the proposed code will be ready for consideration of the Assembly at this session. You will be asked to consider certain changes in legislation dealing with workmen's compensation, labour relations and employment standards. My Ministers wish to acknowledge the efforts of Manitoba's public servants in the carrying out of their duties. In concrete recognition of the need to update the law respecting the public service amendments will be. proposed to The Civil Service Act. The question of minimum wages has been under consideration by the Minimum Wage Board and the government. You will be informed at an early date of possible changes in this field. My government will re-introduce in revised form The Personal Investigations Act which will control personal investigating and reporting procedures, inform an individual he is being investigated, allow him to obtain a copy of the report and compel the correction of any wrong information. Amendments to The Consumer Protection Act to control multi-level and referral selling no-down-payment advertising and the circulation and use of credit cards will be placed before you. My Ministers inform me that a new Mortgage Brokers and Mortgage Dealers Act will be presented to replace the existing act. It will provide for better regulation of persons accepting investment money through mortgages and will improve the system of registrations of mortgage brokers. The number of non-resident visitors to the province increased substantially in 1970. Manitoba led all Canadian provinces in the rate of growth for visitors from the United States. One of the benefits of the Centennial Year to the tourist industry was that many more Manitobans spent their vacations within the province than in any previous year. Attendance at provincial parks and recreation areas reached a new high of 2.6 million in 1970. It is estimated that between 80% and 85% of all park visits are made by Manitobans. My Ministers inform me that development of facilities in the provincial parks and recreation areas was speeded up late in 1970 as part of the government's plan to ease unemployment. The projects started under this program will continue in 1971. Developments under the ARDA and FRED agreements at Hecla Island, Spruce Woods and Asessippi Provincial Parks will continue. My Ministers inform me that the Manitoba Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport has been reconstituted and has started to work. As part of building up a data basis for assessing recreation, an inventory of recreation facilities, programs and leadership will be undertaken this year. The possibility of holding annual or biennial provincial games as part of the building-up and selecting process leading to participation in the Canada Winter and Summer Games will also be given careful study by the Council. My Ministers inform me that the Standing Committee on Municipal Affairs has completed its study of The Municipal Assessment Act and The Municipal Tax Deferral Act, and that legislation win be introduced to help relieve the assessment burden in certain cases. You will be asked to consider measures relating to the national building code. My Ministers inform me that the government has undertaken a greatly expanded program of construction of residential housing for those on moderate and low incomes and for Manitoba's senior citizens. This program, which will apply to both rural and urban Manitoba, will involve the expenditure in the coming year of some $35 million with costs being shared by the federal government. Our two publicly owned utility corporations, Manitoba Hydro and the Manitoba Telephone System, continue to expand in their scale of operations providing service at costs that are among the lowest in North America. My Ministers inform me that pursuant to The Automobile Insurance Act, passed at the last session of this Legislature, rates and regulations will soon be tabled relating to a system of publicly operated automobile insurance. My Ministers inform me that plans have been made for the building and reconditioning of several provincially-owned public buildings including the long awaited facilities for Brandon and Dauphin. The 1971-72 program of construction and reconstruction of Manitoba's highways will be used as a tool for economic development of Manitoba. The safety of the travelling public will again receive top priority. My government intends to make representations to the Government of Canada for the reestablishment of some form of a cost-shared transportation access program, possibly in the field of development roads and landing strips in potentially rich resource areas. Every effort will be made to give a maximum of employment to the local residents and to have as much work done during the winter months as possible. My government intends to continue the new winter tendering program which has resulted in a substantial saving to the Manitoba taxpayer. My Ministers will be studying the federal income tax changes to be presented to the federal parliament in the near future. These proposals will be examined carefully to determine their impact on the taxpayers of Manitoba, on the development of the province, and on their achievement of objectives which will best serve the needs of the people of Manitoba and the Canadian nation for a tax system based on the principles of fairness and ability to pay. My government is deeply concerned lest the new federal income tax system to be introduced this spring will not remove the regressive features of the existing tax system or will not give sufficient emphasis to equity and fairness based on ability to pay. My Ministers reject the false trade-off in choices between economic growth and equity. Equity and economic growth, and how these relate to the tax system, are totally independent choices. There is no conflict between fairness in the tax system and the promotion of economic growth to serve the people of this country. My government win do everything within its powers to ensure that the promised reform of the income tax system to be introduced in the Parliament of Canada will not be based on false choices which deny equity and fairness to Manitoba taxpayers. It is to be hoped that the tax reforms talked about in the past two years will not be abandoned. The income tax fields are at present shared between the federal government and the provincial governments on the basis of arrangements made in 1966. The se sharing arrangements will now have to be renegotiated on the reformed federal tax system. My government intends to ensure that the people of Manitoba receive a fair share of the income tax revenues for their provincial government for the financing of better provincial public services. My Ministers propose to alleviate some relatively minor problems in existing provincial taxes by recommending for approval some modifications in The Revenue Tax Act and The Gasoline and Motive Fuel Tax Acts. My Ministers inform me that estimates for the requirements of the welfare and prosperity of the province for the next fiscal year and the accounts for the last fiscal year will be submitted for your consideration. In leaving you I pray that Divine Providence and right reason may guide you in your deliberations.