December 2, 2003 - Debate on Throne Speech
Hon. Jim Rondeau (Minister of Healthy Living): Good day, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to speak in favour of the Throne Speech. I believe that it is important to be a government that governs for all, a government that cares about its people and a government that makes positive changes each and every day.
I believe that this is a government that is very progressive and moves forward for every part of Manitoba, the North, the rural, the city, not only that, seniors, young people, students, and, of course, the working people. I am proud to be part of a government that reflects the population and reflects the values of all Manitobans. I look at some of the things we have done. In Manitoba we should be proud of the fact that the job creation averaged 6000 per year over the last four years. That is double the rates of the 1990s.
We have more people in universities. Enrolment is up 29 percent since 1999. We also continue to increase the property tax relief, keeping property taxes flat. We have increased the credit from $150, when the members opposite were there, to now $400 per property, which ensures that property taxes are appropriate and fair. In fact, it is interesting to note that the average growth in Canada has been 2 percent and ours, in our province, has exceeded it by 2.2 percent in 2003.
It is interesting to note that while most provinces have had difficulty balancing the budget, have had to borrow, have had difficulty all the way across, Manitoba has continued to pay down the debt. Manitoba has continued to invest in its human capital, its education and its infrastructure. We continue to balance the budget each and every year.
Other things we have done that I am very, very proud of are we have worked to make sure the working class, the average Manitoban can continue to have a good standard of living. An example of that is we followed through our 6% income tax cut in January 2004. This means that every year we have worked to keep decreasing the tax burden on Manitobans. I am proud to say this has helped improve the quality of life.
The Conference Board of Canada a couple of years ago did a study. What the study did was it compared different areas of Canada, different parts of the country, and it gauged what the quality of life was for people in different employment areas. It found that Manitoba was either first or second in quality of life for specific jobs in each and every category of life. I am proud to be part of a government that does that.
It is also a government that cares about the future. I look at some of the initiatives we have done, one on renewable energy. A few years ago when I built my new house, what happened was I went and I studied geothermal heat pumps. We were able to instal one in our house. It is nice to see that the new Minister of Energy has focussed on building houses that are energy efficient. We are talking about having geothermal as a major initiative in this province. In fact Manitoba is a leader in it.
We also are developing clean energy alternatives like wind, ethanol and hydrogen fuel. We are a world leader. We are also working with First Nations to develop new dams, new economic activities in the North. I think with the demographics, where we have the Aboriginal population increasing, we have to continue to work with Aboriginals and First Nations to make sure they are part of a growing, prosperous economy.
Other things I am pleased with: We actually are building for the future. We are investing in education. One of the important legacies, the most important legacy we can leave is an educated, talented, high-value-added workforce. So what I look at is our new training opportunities in nursing; the new media and aerospace opportunities have high-value-added. We can compete with the world. We are doing that.
There are six new programs to support growth in bioengineering, life sciences, et cetera. The nutraceutical industry is growing by leaps and bounds. What we are doing is we are also opening up the ACCESS programs. It is interesting to note that we believe in bringing people who are economically disadvantaged, we give them a hand up, so that not only can they participate fully in our economy, in our industries, but they can become full citizens. When you break the cycle of poverty, you end up breaking the cycle of poverty forever.
It is interesting to note the professional literature on ACCESS programs. Most organizations are very supportive. I am proud to be part of the Government that did not cut the ACCESS programs, as the members opposite did, but enhances the ACCESS programs each and every year.
Other things we have done: I am pleased to see that we are spending all of the gas tax into roads, highways and infrastructure. This is really important. We also gave the City of Winnipeg about $5 million to help with their residential roads and regional roads. This is really important because what we are trying to do is we tax with gas tax and therefore use the gas money that we have collected to fix the roads, not only in the city of Winnipeg but in the entire province.
Another thing we have done that makes a great deal of sense is the support of small business. The business threshold for paying taxes keeps on increasing. In other words, the small business tax continues to decrease.
The small business tax rate has fallen to 5 percent from 8 percent when the members opposite were in power. That is a 3% cut in the basic small tax rate. We have also cut the corporate tax rate. It is interesting to note that it was an NDP government that cut the tax rate for corporations, the first time in 50 years. So it has been going down by about half a percent a year and what we are doing is we are dropping the corporate tax rate. It was not members opposite, the Opposition, that did that, but we did that.
In conjunction with doing that, what we have also done is we have continued to increase the minimum wage so that people can have a reasonable wage. We have increased it again by 25 cents effective April 1. What we have to do is each and every year we have increased it by 25 cents, and I think what we have to do is ensure that the people who are earning the minimum wage can live. What also happens is that, when we raise the minimum wage by 25 cents an hour, people who are just above that economically benefit because then their wage also goes up. So that becomes important.
I would also like to talk a little bit about how we do work in the economic activities. First, what we do is we work with people. We work with labour. We work with management, with small business, we work with large business. We work in partnership.
I believe that we are a government that actually does listen and listen well to all sectors of the economy. I think that the method that we deliver for hydro development ensures this, because what we are doing is we are working with them. We allow equity partnership. We also share revenue. We share job creation, and we use hydro development as an economic tool for all Manitobans.
Other new initiatives that we are doing: It is interesting, in the 1990s the central part of Winnipeg was basically deserted. What was happening was because the house values were so low-houses could be bought for $8,000, $10,000, $12,000-and because the tax base was so low, then that would force increased taxes on the suburbs.
What I am pleased with is the improving of the central core did a few things. One, it really improved. We have been able to improve 2000 homes, restored or built in older neighbourhoods. What has happened is that you have improved the quality of life for all people in those neighbourhoods and people take ownership, people feel proud. They are able to own a home for the first time and that really improves the quality of life.
The other thing it does is it revitalizes all activities in the neighbourhood. It gives people a reason to not want to vacate the core. What that means is people want to live in the core. People want to own homes there. It is interesting to note that house prices have doubled in certain cases and tripled in certain areas. That helps the area and it also helps the suburbs. What you do is the tax burden is then spread further and foremost.
I am proud of what is happening in our city. I look in my own area. When I was first elected in 1999, Unicity was basically being demolished. We had 36 empty buildings in west Winnipeg. I am pleased to see that Unicity has now been completed. We have had a new seniors home being built on Sturgeon and Ness by the Lions. We have had a new seniors condo project going up right by Woodhaven and Portage. We have another complex going up by Sturgeon, and this is really important because what we are doing is revitalizing the area.
We also, for the first time, have recreation activities. We have a new YMCA being built in the old Canadian Tire. That is really wonderful because it provides good recreation for youth. We also have a new wellness centre that is being built on Centennial Pool which will provide activities and wellness activities for seniors and for families that wish to partake. So what we are doing is there is this new sense of revitalization out in Assiniboia as well as in the city. We have a new Red River campus, which is wonderful, and it has got wonderful programs, technology programs, computer programs and innovative programs that will make our youth very, very competitive in the world.
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We have the new Hydro headquarters that is being contemplated and built down in the central part of the city. That is important.
What we are trying to do, and what we have done in the last four years, and what we continue to do is improve our province for all sectors. We not only work in the core, but we also work out in the suburbs. We work out in the North; and we work in rural Manitoba, like in Brandon where there are many, many activities.
I would like to also talk about some things that we do that I am very proud of as the new Minister of Healthy Living. Some of the things that we are doing that does not get a lot of questions and does not get a lot of press are things that make a huge investment now and for the future. I was pleased to be at a number of Healthy Baby initiatives. Healthy Baby looks at taking the child prenatally and what we do is we work to make sure that there is a healthy baby being born. We have nurses who go out and visit the mother and talk about education, talk about nutrition, talk about parenting.
What we do is we work out in the community before the baby has been born to prevent illness, to ensure that healthy children are born. It is wonderful because what you are doing is you are providing a nutritional supplement. You are providing nurses to do checkups before the baby is born and again afterwards. You are providing a lot of information. You are providing support.
If you look at the other aspects of the Healthy Child program, you are talking about parent-child centres, 26 parent-child centres where parents can get support, get literacy materials, work with others, deal with others and share good practice and good information. Basically, what we are trying to do and what we have done very successfully is build community.
Other programs, what you are talking about in Healthy Child is the NRNs. The neighbourhood resource councils work to build stronger communities. I know in our own area, the St. James/Assiniboia Senior Centre, a bunch of community groups, the daycares, et cetera, work together to build a strong community. Some of the things they have done is the summer literacy program where they have readers, young students who go into a number of homes in the community and work with the parents in order to read, in order to give books, in order to get the kids so that they are better prepared to enter school. That is investing in our future.
Other things that we have done and we continue to do is support information. Some of the things that I am really pleased with is a program called Teen Talk. What it is is it works with youth. It is talking about the important strategies to prevent teen pregnancies, lowering the instances of STDs and basically giving kids a better self-image. It promotes capacity and skills within youth through peer support and through presentations. It is wonderful. I have had the opportunity to look at it. What I see in this is what you are doing is providing good solid education and information for young people to make intelligent decisions.
It is not just in the city. We are not a government that suffers from Perimeteritis. These presentations and some of these programs are delivered in Morden, Shoal Lake, Duck Bay, Rorketon, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Carberry, St. James-Assiniboia, Fort Garry and throughout the entire province. That is really important because what we are trying to do is provide people with information.
You also have other programs where you are working with youth at risk. We are providing information on FAS, support and information. We just recently held a wonderful conference here, a national conference, which provided best practice so that you can provide good, solid education to young people. You can provide them with information on FAS and how to prevent it. Basically, no drinks is the safe amount, so do not drink while a woman is pregnant. It is talking about strategies on how to deal with it and how to cope with people who suffer from FAS. It was a really wonderful conference. It is nice to note that Manitoba actually is in the lead as far as prevention of this issue.
Some other things that are interesting to note. We also have a number of other programs like the Rainbow Resource Centre where they are talking about ensuring that barriers and hate and discrimination are eliminated. What they are trying to do is talk about how it is essential to treat everyone with tolerance, respect and dignity. You have other ones. Solvent abuse and prevention programs throughout the system. You also have a number of regional health authorities that go out and do Baby First activities. You have parenting and family support initiatives. You have daycares, many, many daycares that are being supported through these initiatives which are providing support to parents. I am very pleased to be the Minister responsible for the Healthy Child Manitoba.
Other initiatives that I am responsible for are seniors, and special attention is going to be given to living healthy and aging in dignity and in respect. Some of the things I know that we have to deal with are the risk factors in preventing chronic diseases. Some of those are smoking, obesity, inactivity, lack of community and isolation. What we have to do is we have to continue to work as a community to ensure that those risk factors are addressed. I am pleased to see that I will be responsible to try to keep people well rather than treating illness. We have to improve the healthy behaviours and supports.
It was interesting to hear the Member for River East (Mrs. Mitchelson) talking about some of the supports that we do provide, the seniors' wellness centre because what we are talking about is providing supports and building community. That program is one of those programs that we want to emulate throughout the province where seniors are given emotional support, they provide activities and they stay healthy longer.
I look now at some of the things that we have to work on. One is the smoking issue. What we have to do is ensure that people-Helen Crowe is an example-where she died because she was working as a waitress for many, many years in an area where people smoked. She died of lung cancer. Workers Compensation has basically said that this is not appropriate, that it forces a person to have to work in a smoke area, and so we have to take action. We do not want people to succumb to cancer because they have to work in an area where smoking is allowed.
Obesity. Mr. Speaker, one of the concerns I have on obesity is we have to ensure that students, young people, develop a lifelong skill of keeping healthy. Participaction was right. When you stay active, if you stay active for 30 minutes three times a week, you will have less chance of getting diabetes, less chance of getting chronic heart disease, less problems with hip and knee, and even if you stay flexible and active, osteoporosis, et cetera, will be decreased. You can delay or avoid many chronic diseases if you look at the risk factors and try to alleviate them. Inactivity is not acceptable. What we have to do is work with all sorts of community partners, with schools, with community clubs, with seniors organizations. What we have to do is get people fit. Once we get them fit, they will stay healthier.
The other thing is community activities. It is interesting to note and be involved with the St. James Senior Centre. It is a wonderful organization run by Merv Jones and Karen Pirnie and a wonderful board of directors, wonderful staff. They do everything. I truly mean that. They create a sense of community. They have golf tournaments. They have crib tournaments. They have speaking. They have circles. They do all sorts of fitness. They have gym equipment there.
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What they do is they are a true sense of community. People get up everyday and go and partake in all the wonderful events they do. I think it is important to note that this keeps people healthy and strong. We must ensure that those programs are supported. I know the previous government started, but we will continue to expand them. We will continue to enhance them, because it is not good enough just to have a program in River East. It is not good enough just to have a program in south Winnipeg, Tuxedo. What we need is programs for everyone.
Mr. Speaker, I think what we also have to do is work in the North to ensure that people have access to proper food, nutrition. We have to work throughout the province so that people have the proper supports to make sure that they stay healthy and stay in place. The Seniors Directorate is basically wanting people to stay and age healthy. Healthy aging is a challenge, but it is also a challenge that we as Manitobans, we as a good, solid government are up to.
What we want to do is allow people to stay in their homes as long as possible, provide the appropriate support so that they can stay there, avoid the risk factors. So what we want to do is make sure that we avoid risk factors and help people do that and also look at people so that everyone is valued, so that we do not just provide the services in River East or something like that. What we want to do is provide the services not only in River East but across the entire province so that everyone has the support services.
I look at the finances in our Government. It is interesting, because there is a huge difference between our Government and the former government. What we have done is we continue to focus on developing new initiatives such as aerospace, the computer industry, we are looking at biotech, we are looking at all the areas that have huge growth that we can actually have a niche market and we can compete across the world.
I think it is important that we focus on that. What we try to do is we make sure that the tuition is small enough so that people can actually get into these programs. I am pleased to be part of a government that started off with a $5-million bursary and then worked it up so that there is now $11 million in bursaries, which means it is not just the rich that can afford to go, but all people can afford to go to university and college. I think that is really critical.
I think it is important to look at programs like Health Links, where what we do is we provide a system where everyone regardless of where you are in the province can phone up and get good advice, medical advice over the phone about your conditions. That does two things. It stops the pressure on the emergency rooms and also provides assistance for everyone in the whole province to get good, professional advice and good, timely advice, I might add.
I think what else you do is you focus on improving the health system in general. I look at it this way, and I say, hey, we have invested heavily in good diagnostic equipment. It is nice to see that we have an MRI in Brandon going in very shortly. We have a new one in the Health Sciences Centre. We have more CAT scans. We have a number of new pieces of equipment.
When we came into power in 1999, most of our equipment was down because of repairs. Pieces were not being used, equipment could not be used because appropriate pieces, you could not fix them. It is interesting to note that now we have more operating time. We are conducting far more evaluations and tests, and we are conducting earlier tests, more and more.
It is interesting to note that even though we are conducting more tests, even though we are conducting faster tests, people are sent to their specialists and they get responded to faster than before, what happens is that what we are trying to do is improve the system even more. With the federal government, who have provided some of the money, what we are going to continue to do is buy better and new diagnostic equipment so that people get more timely access to health care.
It is interesting to note that we need to invest in health care. You pay them appropriately, and people will stay. People left in droves. When we were just getting into power, a lot of the nursing graduating class, even when it was smaller, would leave because our salaries were not competitive. We were not treating people well.
We are doing a number of things. One, we are getting more and more full-time positions. No. 2, what we are doing is we are paying people appropriately so they are not leaving for other jurisdictions. We are also increasing the number of nurses that we actually produce. We have multiplied the number of nurses by about three times, and so we have more graduates.
It is interesting to note that once you create better working conditions, once you create the philosophy that you are working together and you do not blame others for mistakes, what you are trying to do is work together with all professionals to get a better system. When you are working with them, you are creating a better environment, and they stay; they stay far more than they used to.
Mr. Speaker, we also have more doctors. It is interesting to note that we are gaining doctors from provinces that had Tory governments. They are coming here because they believe there is more of a future. There is more of a future because what we are trying to do is invest in health care so people get timely, good health access.
I think what we have to do is continue to work so that where we move in the future is the following. We need to work so that we keep people healthier longer. We focus on illness prevention, not dealing with illnesses. We work in conjunction, in partnership, with many areas and all stakeholders.
Mr. Deputy Speaker in the Chair
I laughed at one of the questions from across, they said, well, how big is your department.
I think I would have failed if we had one specific partner or one specific Department of Health. I think what we have to do and, Manitobans, what we have to do is say, okay, education has a huge part in health care. So you want to get all kids involved in health care and keeping healthy and making it a lifelong commitment.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, you look at Family Services. Family Services means you have to have decent housing. If people live in decent housing, it makes a huge difference than if they lived in decrepit housing with mould, et cetera. So what you want to have is make sure you have decent housing. You want to make sure that families have appropriate support in Family Services, so that they stay healthier.
As far as Northern Affairs, you want to make sure that there is appropriate food and supplements that are affordable.
You want to make sure in other departments that you actually work together so that everybody works together to make it a healthier society.
So I hope to be a Healthy Living Minister where what you want to do is work all together with all departments, with all Manitobans, with all organizations so that we actually move forward in a healthy living agenda, rather than continuing to go down the road of treating illness.
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