Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Manitoba 31e 4e Discours du trône 21 février 1980 Francis L. Jobin Lieutenant-gouverneur PC Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba: I welcome you to the Fourth Session of the thirty-first Legislature of the Province of Manitoba. Manitobans were pleased to welcome His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to our province last year. He inspected the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, the senior military unit in western Canada of which the Prince is Colonel-in-Chief. Le jugement récent de la Cour Suprême du Canada sur les droits linguistiques fondamentaux au Manitoba a fait l'objet d'un examen attentif de la part de mon gouvernement qui a pris des décisions administratives prévoyant la traduction des projets de loi, des lois et des règlements tel que le stipule l'article 23 de l'Acte du Manitoba. Nous vous demanderons d'adopter la législation requise pour la mise en vigueur du jugement de la Cour Suprême dans l'administration provinciale. Two years ago, in the Second Session of the Thirty-First Legislature, my government announced its intention of achieving a basic redirection of the public policies of Manitoba. The principal commitments made at that time were: first, to begin to restore the ability of the economy and the people of Manitoba to compete within the larger national and international economy. To achieve this my Ministers undertook to remove government from fields of activity where, in the opinion and by the traditions of the people of this Province, government had no legitimate role; and secondly, to manage the programs and operations of government with prudence and efficiency to assure that Manitobans were not forced to bear excessive levels of taxation and to assure that the resources of government were not wasted; and thirdly, as these efforts took effect, to concentrate the resources of government on an effort to stimulate and encourage well-founded growth within our economy and on measures to assure that the services provided by and for the people of Manitoba, through their government, were both adequate to meet real needs and responsive to the changing and emerging requirements of our evolving society. My Ministers inform me that in large measure the first two of those principal commitments have been fulfilled. The levels of taxation borne by the people of Manitoba are now once again comparable to those borne by the people of other parts of Canada. Government intrusion into the ownership of private enterprises and of farmland throughout Manitoba have largely ceased. Specific taxation and other measures of government that had adversely affected the ability of family-owned enterprises and small businesses to grow and to compete and that discouraged investment and development in our key resource industries have been changed. As a result my Ministers inform me that the economy of Manitoba is expected to grow at a rate generally above the national average. In addition the total spending of government as a proportion of the wealth created by the people of Manitoba has been reduced. The deficits of government have been controlled and reduced. The size of government, as reflected in the size of the public service, is significantly smaller today than it was two years ago. Major improvements in the administration and organization of government including improvements in the mechanisms whereby government is held financially accountable to the Legislature have been undertaken. My Ministers believe that providing more complete and accurate financial information to the people of the province and to the Members of the Legislature contributes to more effective and responsible government and to a greater effectiveness of the House. In summary the first stages of the recovery which my government began during its first months in office have now been largely completed and are beginning to bear fruit. Based on the success of the First part of that recovery process my Ministers inform me that during this session of the Legislature they will put before you a program of measures to stimulate and encourage stable long-term economic growth in Manitoba and a series of initiatives to reform, improve and expand the contribution government makes to the quality of life enjoyed by Manitobans through the services and activities of government. Over the next number of years the economy of Manitoba, like other economies of Canada, will face a range of changes, challenges and opportunities. The international situation, which has become very unsettled since we last met, adds yet another dimension of underlying concern to all our domestic challenges. Inflation will however continue to be the most serious economic problem facing our nation. As long as interest rates remain at their current high levels they will represent a burden on the consumers, farmers and small businessmen of Manitoba. In response to those economic realities, my government will be proposing a series of measures to assure that Manitoba benefits from and is successful in adjusting to the major economic changes that will take place over the next number of years. At the heart of my government's strategy for development of our economy lies the sound and orderly development of our hydro-electric resources. My government remains committed to the full development of the hydro-electric potential of our Nelson-Churchill river system. My Ministers are currently involved in discussions with the other western provinces and with certain electrical utilities in the United States with the objective of achieving agreements for the sale of electrical power generated in Manitoba. My government is optimistic that those discussions will be successful in the near future. My government's position is that further development of our northern hydro-electric resources should proceed only on the basis of such clearly identified markets in order to protect the interests of Manitoba hydro consumers and the overall financial strength of our provincially-owned utility Manitoba Hydro. The Energy Rate Stabilization Act passed at the last session of the Legislature removed from Manitoba Hydro the tremendous burden that had resulted from the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on Hydro's debt. This has permitted a five year freeze on hydro rates adding in a very significant way to Manitoba's ability to attract needed new investment and safeguarding the financial strength of the utility itself. Further to augment the ability of Manitoba Hydro to meet its responsibilities to the citizens of the province my government will be bringing forward legislation based in part upon the recommendations of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Hydro's operations. That legislation should enable better management structures in the future operations of all Crown agencies in Manitoba. During the session you will also be asked to approve legislation creating a Manitoba Energy Authority. The Authority will provide a central focus for the province's initiatives on a broad range of energy matters including expanded export opportunities, supply monitoring and contingency planning. The Manitoba Energy Council will be re-structured and given a stronger mandate to encourage public participation in energy matters with particular emphasis on conservation, research and development so as to complement the operations of the new Energy Authority. In addition my Ministers report that negotiations for the federal-provincial Energy Conservation Agreement will be completed in the near future. The agreement will provide the government with financial capacity to support new energy conservation initiatives with particular relevance to Manitoba in such fields as housing, motive fuels, community services, product development and renewable resource development including more efficient use of our hydro-electric resources. My government will also be bringing forward proposals for the provision of incentives through the tax system for the promotion of the practical use of gasohol and other renewable energy sources as well as other conservation measures. The total impact of all these measures will be to provide a sound foundation for Continued hydro-electric development in Manitoba as well as for the range of other energy initiatives from which Manitoba can benefit over the next number of years. When construction of additional generating capacity in northern Manitoba becomes economically viable it will provide a significant stimulus to the construction industry within the province. My government is also determined to use those major capital projects to provide opportunities for the manufacturing industries of Manitoba and the other regions of Canada. Similarly Manitoba's manufacturing industries stand to gain major benefits not only from our own hydro developments but from the many other major capital projects that will be undertaken in the rest of Canada and particularly in western Canada over the next number of years. To assure that Manitoba does benefit to the greatest extent possible from the growing economies to our west my government will be undertaking a greatly expanded marketing effort in western Canada. That marketing effort will include working in co-operation with the other western provinces to identify areas where major resource developments can result In increased orders for products manufactured, first of all in the west, and secondly, elsewhere in Canada. Further to assist the ability of our manufacturing and distribution enterprises to serve the growing western market my Ministers also inform me that the government will be making significant improvements in the support services available to small businesses. In addition the role of the Manitoba Research Council will be expanded to provide more adequate service to industry in the development and transfer of industrial technology. My government will in addition be exploring opportunities for increased sales of manufactured goods elsewhere in Canada, for expansion of some of our traditional U.S. markets and for opportunities in the emerging Mexican market. My government is pleased as well at the encouraging recovery that is already taking place in our mining industry. Government policies that provide that industry with improved security of tenure and opportunities for competitive financial returns in combination with improved world markets for many metals have caused mining exploration activity in Manitoba to reach its highest level in nine years. My government tells me that continued expansions in mineral exploration activity are anticipated for the coming year. In addition to the potential for major new mineral discoveries the high level of exploration activity also adds to the security of existing mining communities by extending the life of our current mining enterprises. I am a]so told that geophysical exploration in the oil-potential areas of Manitoba is currently proceeding at levels unequalled since the early Fifties. Even relatively modest oil finds in Manitoba by reducing the amount of oil we must purchase outside the province can have very significant impacts on Manitoba's economy. Once again my government believes that the current high levels of exploration activity in the oil industry are taking place as a result of energy demands and of the reforms made in the taxation of these enterprises during the last session of the Legislature. While my government is optimistic about the new opportunities for Manitoba through additional hydro-electric development through expansions in our traditional role as the centre of manufacturing and distribution for western Canada and through expansion in our mining and oil industries, we will continue to rely on agriculture as our primary industry. To assure that that primary industry remains strong Manitoba will continue to press for improvements in the grain handling system. And to assure that current branch line abandonments do not harm the ability of Manitoba's farmers to compete my government will also be seeking federal cost-sharing of funds to provide necessary improvements to accommodate freight transfer from rail to highway. In that way in addition to accommodating an estimated three per cent increase in overall traffic growth my government will assist in offsetting the impact of the branch line abandonments that will occur. My government will also be asking you to vote funds to support enhanced programs to expand markets and marketing activities for the livestock and other agricultural products of Manitoba. The Agri-Water program will continue to provide water for livestock and crop production and under the terms of the "Agro-Man Agreement" my government will continue research into new crops to provide additional value to the processing industry in Manitoba. My Ministers are also pleased that in 1979 the decline in our tourist industry which had begun in 1975 has been halted. As Members will know the responsibility for that important industry has been placed in the Department of Economic Development and in 1979 the funding of the province's tourist market effort was expanded. As well as continuing that higher level of financial support for tourist marketing my Ministers inform me that through the enhanced programs of support to small businesses they will be providing additional management and other help to smaller tourist operators in the coming year. In addition through the expansion of highway transportation to communities throughout the province my government believes it can permit more communities to benefit from that important industry. In summary my government will continue to enhance its support for our basic agricultural industry and our mining, oil and tourist industries. These are some of the major features of the economic development program my Ministers will be putting before you during the present session of the Legislature. My Ministers will of course also be putting a range of other related measures before you including measures to provide added protection for holders of surface rights in oil-producing areas of the province and measures to improve the efficiency of the motor carrier industry. You will also be asked to consider revisions to the Wildlife Act both to facilitate more effective management of our wildlife resources and to encourage land owners to maintain wildlife habitat. My government will also be proposing a number of initiatives to help assure that the kind of economic activity taking place within the province serves the public interest. You will be asked to consider amendments to the Clean Environment Act to provide the basis for protection of the environment in the field of hazardous waste management and other environmental health factors. The amendments will also incorporate an environmental review process designed to assess the impacts of new projects across the province and to assure that environmental matters are considered carefully in the processes whereby such new projects are planned and approved. My government will also be asking for funding for two new programs in workplace health and safety. The first will seek to identify and control toxic and carcinogenic substances within the workplace. The second will protect the hearing of Manitoba workers. In addition my government will be establishing a clear policy regarding the handling of asbestos in the workplace to reduce the hazards associated with the use of that substance. My Ministers inform me that the report of the Commission of Inquiry regarding safety in the mines will be tabled early in this session. At the time of the first session of the thirty-first Legislature the ability of my government to undertake significant reforms or improvements of the services provided to people in Manitoba was severely limited by the harsh financial realities my Ministers had to face. Because economic growth and job creation were lagging behind the rates being achieved in other parts of Canada government revenues were growing slowly. Resources available to government were committed in many cases to purposes which, in the view of my Ministers, did not operate effectively or usefully in the interest of Manitobans. Because of the measures my government has taken over the past two years while carrying out the first part of its overall process of recovery for Manitoba my Ministers inform me that we are now in a much stronger position to continue additions and improvements in services to people in the province. Members are aware of the Shelter Allowance for Elderly Renters or SAFER program that has already been introduced. That program is only one part of an overall effort to improve services to the elderly in Manitoba. My Ministers have as their first priority the maintenance and improvement of the basic and essential services in the fields of health and education which have been developed under successive governments of Manitoba. In addition my Ministers have identified a number of areas in which the quality of life of our people can be improved by the provision of additional or special services to help individuals and families to deal with health or other problems. My government has established a new fee schedule negotiated with the Manitoba Medical Association. That fee schedule by addressing the legitimate economic concerns of medical practitioners in Manitoba will reinforce our Medicare system. My Ministers remain committed to the principles of Medicare and are determined that Manitobans will continue to enjoy full access to medical service. Another feature of the new fee schedule that will be of interest to Members is the fact that it provides special compensation to doctors who practise north of the 53rd parallel. My Ministers will also be seeking approval for funds to carry out a continuing program of new and replacement hospital construction throughout the province including the completion of the 336 bed Seven Oaks Hospital in northwest Winnipeg and some major phases of the $138 million redevelopment of the Health Sciences Centre. In addition my government will seek approval for the construction of a number of new personal care homes in Manitoba. As well as those basic measures to maintain and improve our existing health care system my Ministers will be bringing forward a number of new services in the health care field. A new program financed through the Health Services Commission will provide improved capacity to protect high-risk, new-born infants. The program will make a substantial contribution to improvements in maternal and child health. A new insured dental service will be introduced to provide the special treatment needed by children suffering from cleft palate and lip disorders. You will be asked to approve funds to improve the services at the emergency department of the Victoria General Hospital. My Ministers intend to expand the capacities of the self-care dialysis programs at both the Health Sciences Centre and the St. Boniface General Hospital. Funds will also be requested for enhanced work in Rheumatology and Immunology and the Rheumatic Disease unit of the Health Sciences Centre. You will be asked to approve funding within the budget of the Health Services Commission for a histocompatability laboratory program at the Health Sciences Centre and an additional specific appropriation for Manitoba-based medical research. Funding will be requested to enable certain hospitals to expand out-patient physiotherapy services. In addition my Ministers intend to proceed as quickly as possible to meet the need for specialized facilities for adolescent Manitobans suffering from psychiatric disorders and for children with learning disabilities. My Ministers will be bringing forward legislation to strengthen the administrative capability of the Health Sciences Centre. Since my government took office it has increased support for virtually every aspect of our health care system. This has made possible the maintenance and improvement of the essential health care services that have grown up in Manitoba under successive governments as well as the addition of new services and initiatives to provide better health care for Manitobans. Similarly in the field of education my government is committed to the maintenance and improvement of the basic and essential services as well as to the introduction of a number of specific improvements to provide enhanced services for our people. I am informed that the estimates for the coming fiscal year will contain substantial increases in the amounts provided for the operation of post-secondary institutions and the public school system. You will be asked to approve increases to support expanded programs for children with special needs. You will also be asked to approve increases for initiatives in curriculum and professional development including improvements and expansions in French language education. Funds will be sought for expansion of the Assiniboine Community College in Brandon to provide additional opportunities for vocational education at the post-secondary level to the people of western Manitoba. To improve the effectiveness of our vocational education programs throughout the province my government will begin the development of a variety of on the job training programs in Manitoba schools. My Ministers inform me that the hearings having been completed by the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections and they will reintroduce a revision of the Public Schools Act and the Education Administration Act. My Ministers have been impressed by conscientious and effective efforts that have been made throughout the school system, as a whole, to achieve greater efficiencies and more effective management of resources. In order to improve program analysis and budgeting procedures in school systems throughout Manitoba my government will begin the development of a new program-accounting and budgeting system this year. Because of the changes that are taking place in the age mix of our society our school systems face rapid and dramatic shifts in the kind of services demanded from them. It is important that they have the planning and management tools needed to permit them to adjust to those changes in the most effective possible manner. In addition to the maintenance reform and improvement of existing government services my Ministers believe it will be increasingly important for government to be able to respond to the emerging needs and expectations of our evolving society. They believe as well that the people of Manitoba can and should play a greater role in identifying new needs and in the process of developing responses to them. To that end my government is appointing the Manitoba Council on Aging announced a the last session of the Legislature. At the present session you will be asked to approve funding for an Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Although the new Council will concern itself with every aspect of government operations as they affect women in Manitoba, it is anticipated that much of its early activity will focus on the adequacy of services provided to women and to the family in the light of the much wider participation by women in the workforce of Manitoba. In addition during the session my Ministers will establish an Attorney-General's Advisor Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to review existing legislation and to recommend new programs in that field. ln order to permit as many retarded people to live as fully and as independently as possible my government will ask you to approve funds for the development of new community residences for the retarded as well as workshops, day activity centres an training centres in order to offer needed support to retarded people living in the community. You will be asked to approve funds for similar expansions in the facilities available t mentally ill people in the community. In order to provide more effective protection for the elderly, the mentally ill and other in Manitoba who reside and receive care in "guest homes" my government will introduce legislation to permit the regulation, licensing and inspection of those private facilities order to ensure acceptable levels of safety and public health in them. Because of the changing and broader role played by women in all aspects of our society my government recognizes the importance of any care services and will be asking you approve funds to permit the continued viability of pre-school day care in Manitoba and allow for the development of additional day care places. My government will ask you to approve funds for a major effort to improve fire protection in northern Manitoba to improve northern transportation services and to support economic development and the creation of additional opportunities in northern communities. Our citizens of native ancestry will continue to benefit from these and other programs offered by the Province of Manitoba. Because of the importance my government places on the cultural and recreation resources and activities of the province you will be asked to approve funding to help reduce deficits built up by some of our major cultural institutions. My Ministers will introduce amendments to the Public Libraries Act incorporating incentives for the establishment of larger and better regional libraries and an equalization formula to take into account the varying ability of municipalities to bear a portion of the costs of the development and maintenance of library services. You will be asked to approve increased levels of funding for the upgrading and expansion of facilities within provincial parks in order that Manitobans and visitors to our province will have greater opportunities for recreational enjoyment of our natural resources. In addition to continued support for programs and services to communities and to sport and recreation organizations my government will ask you to approve a major new sports program. The purpose of that program will be the upgrading and improvement of the capital recreation facilities in towns, villages and rural municipalities. The initiative will provide a major benefit to those communities and will extend the use and the useful life of recreational facilities throughout the province. Many areas of our province experienced extensive flooding in the spring of 1979 and in the Red River Valley it was the most severe since 1950. Flood fighting initiatives undertaken by my government, by municipal governments, Indian Bands, and by individual citizens, assisted by the Government of Canada and the Armed Forces, minimized property damage and no loss of life was suffered. The effort expended by volunteers and government employees was exemplary. I am informed that the Winnipeg Floodway functioned as intended and prevented what would otherwise have been a disaster for the City of Winnipeg. The citizens of our capital city have thus been reassured as to their security during floods. In order to minimize future effects of flooding in the Red River Valley my government initiated a special flood damage reduction program cost-shared with the Government of Canada. You will be asked to approve funding for the first stages of a long-term program of providing flood protection to towns and villages with a history of significant flooding. My government proposes to undertake new initiatives in water management in co-operation with the Government of Canada to ensure the existence of water supplies during periods of drought and to improve the management of groundwater. Discussions are underway with rural municipalities to develop a new legislative framework within which municipal governments may co-operate to manage water resources more effectively. My government informs me that within the older neighbourhoods of the City of Winnipeg there are a variety of special housing problems which will be addressed over the coming months. The importance of preserving stable neighbourhoods and of maintaining the quality of the housing stock in the Core area of the city has been recognized and acted upon by my Ministers. The development of further housing in those areas to maintain the quality of the housing stock will continue to be a priority for my government. In addition at the present session you will be asked to make provision for the introduction of the community improvement program. That program has been negotiated with the federal authorities and will permit the province to provide 2596 of the costs of renewal projects in designated improvement areas. One of the additional benefits of my government's program of Shelter Allowance for Elderly Renters is that it contributes to the maintenance of the stability of neighbourhoods by making it possible for older residents to continue to live in the areas where they have long resided. You will be asked to approve funds for the continuation of SAFER. You will be asked to approve measures to provide increased support staff and systems to improve the administration of justice in the province. In total these initiatives represent a significant series of improvements, additions and reforms to the services provided by and to the people of Manitoba through their government. In order to ensure that government continues to have the capacity to provide needed services my Ministers remain committed to the effective management and control of all operations of government. During the session you will also be asked to consider a variety of other legislation including amendments to the City of Winnipeg Act, the Defamation Act, the Executions Act, the mental Health Act, the Landlord and Tenant Act, the Consumer Protection Act, the Corporations Act, the Securities Act, the Mechanics' Lien Act, the Child Welfare Act and other. During this session as well my government intends to present to the House the results of its review of the provincial cost of living and property tax credit programs. My Ministers inform me that during the past twelve months Manitoba has enjoyed a year of impressive stability in labour-management relations. My government tells me that this will be a busy and demanding session of the Legislature as my Ministers continue to put before the House the major elements of their economic development program and the measures they are proposing for the improvement of services to people in Manitoba. It is their hope that the debates and discussions that take place here can contribute markedly to the quality of the measures finally adopted. In the twenty-seven months since my Ministers first met the House Manitoba has taken important steps toward an overall recovery. Current estimates indicate that the annual gross output of Manitoba's economy exceeded the milestone level of $10 billion for the first time last year. In 1979 there were 24,000 more Manitobans with jobs on average than there were in 1977 with virtually all new jobs in the private sector. My Ministers believe the needed foundations have been laid in the form of a restored ability for the people and the economy of Manitoba to compete in the larger national and international economy and in the form of prudent and orderly management of public affairs within the province. During the session you will be asked to join in building upon those foundations to stimulate stable, long-term economic growth and to enhance the contribution that government can make to the quality of life through the various services it provides to the people of the province. The estimates of expenditure for the public service of the province and capital works projects for the next fiscal year as well as the public accounts for the last fiscal year will be submitted for your consideration. En vous quittant, je prie la Divine Providence de vous guider et d'éclairer votre jugement dans vos délibérations. May God bless the Queen and our country. God Save the Queen.