HANSARD A Report from the Government Relations Office

HANSARD
A Report from the Government Relations Office
May 2007
IN THIS
EDITION…
•
The Manitoba
Provincial Election
•
Tuition Fee Poll
•
Upcoming Events
•
Changes in
Federal Civil
Service
•
New CSA
President
•
Heard on the Hill
THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION ISSUE
The Manitoba Provincial Election: May 22, 2007
On Friday, April 20th, 2007, the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, the Honourable John
Harvard, P.C., O.M., formally dissolved the 38th Manitoba Legislative Assembly on the
'advice' of the Premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer. Almost immediately thereafter, Premier
Doer announced that the 39th general election in Manitoba would be held on Tuesday, May
22nd - just shy of four years after the previous general election held on June 3, 2003.
At the time of dissolution, the party standings were 35 NDP, 18 PC, two Lib, one
Independent and one vacant seat. Cris Aglugub (The Maples, IND), Glen Cummings (Ste.
Rose, PC), Jack Penner (Emerson, PC), Denis Rocan (Carman, IND), Tim Sale (Fort
Rouge, NDP) and Harry Schellenberg (Rossmere, NDP) are not seeking re-election.
Below is a summary of the post-secondary education (PSE) and research related initiatives
contained in the platforms of the three main political parties as of May 17, 2007.
Manitoba New
Democratic Party
HANSARD
is published by the
Government Relations
Office.
If you have any
comments or questions
please
contact us at:
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University of Manitoba
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Government_Relations
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http://
www.umanitoba.ca/
government_relations
• $5.36M to hire 100 more
doctors over the next four
years, including:
o 10 new spaces at the
University of Manitoba
(UM)’s Faculty of Medicine;
o 10 new spaces to the
International Medical
Graduate Program;
o One new pediatric residency
space in each of Brandon
and Thompson;
o Two new oncologist/
haematologist residency
spaces, four new postresidency training
fellowships and three
international clinical/research
fellowships;
o Eight new ER residency
spaces;
o New $7,000 annual scholarships for six Aboriginal
medical students at the UM;
and
cont. pg. 2
Progressive
Conservative Party of
Manitoba
• Will move towards a longerterm strategy for universities
and colleges “so they can
attract the best faculty and
students, and ensure fair
tuition levels for students”.
• Within 30 days of taking
office, will establish a task
force to examine the
challenges facing PSE
institution and determine what
investments and reforms are
required; the task force will
take eight months to report
back to government with
recommendations.
• Will double the Manitoba
Scholarship and Bursary
Initiative funding to $10M per
year immediately and will
allow professional and
graduate faculties to increase
cont. pg. 2
Manitoba
Liberal Party
• $24M Manitoba Liberal
Program for Higher
Education:
o Lifting the tuition freeze
but limiting annual
increases in all student
fees - tuition, ancillary
fees, and other campus
fees - to the annual rate of
inflation for all postsecondary students undergraduate, graduate
and international students;
o $5M to eliminate course
wait times at RRC;
o $10M increase in core
funding to universities and
community colleges,
investing in new
technology, libraries and
infrastructure;
o $9M for up-front student
grants and bursaries, with
a condition that the grants
cont. pg. 2
HANSARD
Page 2
o New supports for emergency room
doctors, including by establishing
community teaching sites at Grace,
Seven Oaks, Concordia and
Victoria General hospitals for a new
ER program being established at
the UM.
• $6M to build on the “Manitoba Nursing
Recruitment Strategy”, including:
o 700 new nurses over four years
and 100 new training spaces in
nursing schools (including
expansions at Red River College
(RRC), Brandon University (BU),
UM, University College of the North
(UCN) and Collège Universitaire de
Saint-Boniface); and
o Seven new graduate seats at the
UM to increase the number of
“qualified professional instructors”.
• Will expand midwife education
programs to address the growing
demand for their services.
• $10M to create 4,000 new active
apprenticeship training spaces over
the next four years, 500 of which will
be at Assiniboine Community College
(ACC), 2,500 at RRC.
• $15M for a new Heavy Equipment
Training Centre at RRC where applied
research and advanced training in
leading-edge technologies will occur;
the Centre which will double the
number of student spaces to 400 is
expected to open by December 2008.
• $4-$5M for an apprenticeship wing at
the new ACC.
• Funding two more seats for
Manitobans at the University of
Saskatchewan veterinarian college.
• $2.4M for a new YMCA at BU.
• $125K to double the uptake in
Manitoba’s Co-operative Education
Tax Credit.
• 60% tuition rebate (up to $25K) for
new graduates who stay in Manitoba.
cont. pg 3
fees, but only following a student referendum.
• Would allow current projects planned
for and already underway, like the
relocation of ACC and the expansion
of UCC, to go forward.
• Will move forward with legislation that
recognizes professional credentials
for new immigrants: regulated
professions in Manitoba would be
required to implement processes that
recognize credentials based on
equivalent education, training and
skills levels; these processes would
have to clearly identify education and
skill requirements, application steps
and expected time and cost to
process applications; the strategy
would include the development of an
internship program to provide
newcomers with Manitoba work
experience.
• Will create the Caring for Cancer 2020 Task Force which will be chaired
by the Minister of Health and will
include oncologists, health care
professionals, cancer survivors and
CancerCare Manitoba officials; the
Task Force will be charged with
preparing a cancer strategy and
implementation plan within 10 months
of election; the Task Force will follow
a five-point process focusing on,
among other things, research.
• $4M for the Manitoba Health
Research Council’s research
strategy.
• Up to $20M towards establishing an
Agricultural Centre of Excellence to
bring together rural Manitobans with
key institutions and researchers
specializing in crop and food
development research; would involve
partnering with the federal
government, the private sector, the
Rural Development Institute and the
Food Development Centre; two cited
possible locations include the UM and
BU.
cont. pg 3
are free only if the students remain
in Manitoba (if they leave, the
grants would turn into repayable
loans); a bursary program would be
created for low-income students to
ensure that no student is barred
from access for financial reasons,
and to make sure that student aid
reflects the special challenges
facing rural, northern and aboriginal
students, and students with
disabilities;
o Increasing core funding to
universities, especially by investing
in new technology, libraries and
infrastructure;
o Increasing funding for postsecondary and graduate research
and to build on existing industry
clusters in Manitoba, including
biotech, aerospace, and food
processing; and
o Faster accreditation for foreigntrained professionals.
• Will expand co-operative education
and graduate student programming to
give better opportunities for new B.A.
and B.Sc. graduates in Manitoba.
• $4M annually towards research and
development on building better roads
and bridges.
• $4M in the first year of a Liberal
government towards health research,
with a goal of contributing 1% of the
province’s entire health budget by the
end of the government’s term.
• $75M in immediate funding for rapid
transit in Winnipeg, including the
option of light rail.
• $7.1M for transit passes for seniors
and post-secondary students, free on
weekends and reduced fares on
weekdays
• Reduction in transit fares for
post-secondary students in Brandon.
• Work with the City of Brandon, BU,
ACC, the Brandon Chamber of
Commerce and Westmen businesses
cont. pg 3
HANSARD
• $60M in capital support over four
years for community-based recreation
facilities, like “increasing the $2.9M
commitment to the new soccer
complex in south Winnipeg”.
• Will establish a 5% mandate for
biodiesel by 2010 focusing on school
buses, government fleet vehicles,
agricultural fuel and the trucking
industry.
• $1M to create a Biodiesel
Development fund to support
additional biodiesel projects.
• Continuing to invest in agri-product
development.
• $100K to the National Screen Institute
for Aboriginal film training programs.
• $1.8M over three years to develop
32km of trail across the city, possibly
including a path to the UM.
• $11M over 2008 and 2009 to create
2,500 newly-funded childcare spaces,
set up a $1M training and recruitment
fund for early childhood educators
and to increase operating grants to
allow for a 6% salary increase - 3% in
both 2008 and 2009.
Page 3
• Would co-operate with the federal
government to streamline the
regulatory review for functional foods.
• Will create a baccalaureate midwifery
training program within the Faculty of
Nursing at the UM (training
approximately 12 more midwifes per
year).
• $3M to build a new, covered fourplex
soccer facility in south Winnipeg.
• $3M over the next five years towards
the City of Winnipeg plan to create a
network of bike paths, potentially
including a corridor to the UM.
• Will create The Premier’s First
Nations and Aboriginal Issues Council
which will, in part, focus on access to
education and will include
representation from urban, rural and
northern First Nations and Aboriginal
people, all three levels of government,
post-secondary institutions and
business leaders.
• Would explore options for further
advancing rural and remote access to
broadband Internet.
• $190M to reduce the PST to 6%.
• Will provide a guaranteed increase in
unit funding to childcare centres—2%
annually for each of the next five
years.
• Will establish a science council
focused on water quality impacts.
• Will continue ongoing research on the
effects of nitrogen on water quality in
the Lake Winnipeg watershed.
to explore turning the former ACC site
into a business incubator and ‘virtual
marketplace’.
• $3M to childcare facilities to hire 100
new workers; $1,000 raise in the
annual salary of childcare workers;
and $3M ‘facility upgrade and
renovation fund’ for physical
improvements to childcare sites.
• The Manitoba Liberal Party’s
complete platform includes references
to the following additional initiatives,
though no monetary details are
provided:
o Expanding the mandate of Manitoba
Hydro to allow it to work
cooperatively with the province’s
private sector to build globally
competitive partnerships that
develop other forms of energy such
as wind, bio-diesel, geo-thermal,
and solar;
o Encouraging water conservation by
making low-flow faucets and toilets
mandatory in new construction, and
providing incentives and rebates for
their use in retrofits;
o Training more medical students
from rural areas; and
o Funding for research for the
establishment of a series of small
“model” watersheds to do the
research required before applying
solutions basin-wide, including Lake
Winnipeg.
• $2.5M in the first year for research
and development including:
o Bringing research and development
funding up to the Canadian average; and
o Developing partnerships with PSE
institutions and local businesses to
retain and support technical workers
TUITION FREEZE POLL
In a Winnipeg Free Press poll taken after the Manitoba Liberal Party announcement, 50% of the 3,281
responding readers felt that the freeze on university tuition in Manitoba should be lifted, as the Manitoba Liberal
Party has proposed. 49% said no, while 1% were unsure.
HANSARD
Page 4
Who are the Candidates?
CONSTITUENCY
NDP
PC
LIB
ARTHUR-VIRDEN
Senff, Bob
X Maguire, Larry
Curry, Fred
ASSINIBOIA
X Rondeau, Hon. Jim
de Groot, Kelly
Bellan, Bernie
BRANDON EAST
X Caldwell, Drew
Waddell, Mike
Burke, Cheryl
BRANDON WEST
X Smith, Hon. Scott
Borotsik, Rick
Willard, M.J.
BURROWS
X Martindale, Doug
Negrych, Rick
Hohne, Bernd
CARMAN
Sadowy, Sharon
Pedersen, Blaine
Oldcorn, Don
CHARLESWOOD
Willis, Mel
X Driedger, Myrna
Rosenberg, Michael
CONCORDIA
X Doer, Hon. Gary
Waddell, Ken
Worthington, Leslie
DAUPHIN-ROBLIN
X Struthers, Hon. Stan
McKinney, Lloyd
Petryshyn, Yarko
ELMWOOD
X Maloway, Jim
Carrington, Allister
Love, David
EMERSON
Murash, Chris
Graydon, Cliff
Guetre, Monica
FLIN FLON
X Jennissen, Gerard
FORT GARRY
X Irvin-Ross, Hon. Kerri
McCaffrey, Shaun
FORT ROUGE
Howard, Jennifer
FORT WHYTE
OTHER
CPC-M
Gallagher, Lisa
GPM
Basham, Andrew
Hildahl, Craig
GPM
Weinberg, Alon
Waddell, Christine
Hesse, Paul
CPC-M
GPM
IND
Komarniski, Frank
Enns, Gerald
Nash, Ron
Dhaliwal, Sunny
X McFadyen, Hugh
Olivier-Job, Angelina
GIMLI
X Bjornson, Hon. Peter
Bourgeois, Chris
Greenberg, Lynn
INKSTER
Magsino, Romy
Bennett, Roger
X Lamoureux, Kevin
INTERLAKE
X Nevakshonoff, Tom
Wasylowski, Garry
Swark, Franklin
KILDONAN
X Chomiak, Hon. Dave
Olynyk, Brent
Parke, Wade
GPM
Zahn, Nathan
KIRKFIELD PARK
Blady, Sharon
Kozier, Chris
Kayler, Douglas
LA VERENDRYE
X Lemieux, Hon. Ron
Stefaniuk, Bob
Chaput, Roland
IND
Murray, Jay
LAC DU BONNET
O’Connor, Patrick
X Hawranik, Gerald
Gmiterek, Christopher
LAKESIDE
Obach, Mitch
X Eichler, Ralph
Band, Ian
GPM
Carey, David
LORD ROBERTS
X McGifford, Hon. Diane
Makus, Wilf
Schenkeveld, Larry
GPM
Scott, Vere
MINNEDOSA
Paterson, Harvey
X Rowat, Leanne
Baker, Christopher
GPM
IND
Beddome, James
Atkins, Colin
MINTO
X Swan, Andrew
Daodu, Kenny
Helgason, Wayne
CPC-M
Carr, Cheryl-Anne
MORRIS
Stevenson, Kevin
X Taillieu, Mavis
Sherby, Michael
PEMBINA
Moore, Lisa
X Dyck, Peter
Gowan, Ralph
POINT DOUGLAS
X Hickes, Hon. George
Rosentreter, Alexa
Bourgeois, Mary Lou
CPC-M
GPM
Rankin, Darrell
Andrews, Kristen
X Faurschou, David
Krawec, Marvin
GPM
Bennet-Clark, Christine
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE Kostuchuk, James
Zamzow, Garry
RADISSON
X Jha, Bidhu
West, Linda
Cliff, Murray James
RIEL
X Melnick, Hon. Christine
Turner, Trudy
Woods, Grant
RIVER EAST
Penner, Kurt
X Mitchelson, Bonnie
von Lau, Margaret
RIVER HEIGHTS
Shiells, Fiona
Burner, Ashley
X Gerrard, Hon. Jon
ROSSMERE
Braun, Erna
Cox, Cathy
Oyeleru, Isaiah
RUPERTSLAND
X Robinson, Hon. Eric
Harper, David
Fontaine, Earl
CPC-M - Communist Party of Canada GPM - The Green Party of Manitoba IND - Independent LIB - Manitoba Liberal Party
NDP - New Democratic Party of Manitoba PC - The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba X - INCUMBENT
Cont...
HANSARD
Page 5
Who are the Candidates cont...
CONSTITUENCY
NDP
PC
LIB
OTHER
RUSSEL
Nicholson, Teri
X Derkach, Len
Wilson, Clarice
SEINE RIVER
X Oswald, Hon. Theresa
Andjelic, Steven
Lukovich, Jennifer
SELKIRK
X Dewar, Greg
Dehn, Gordie
Keppler, Karen
SOUTHDALE
Selby, Erin
X Reimer, Jack
Woodstock, Don
SPRINGFIELD
Muswagon, Ernest
X Schuler, Ron
Johnston, James
ST. BONIFACE
X Selinger, Hon. Greg
Tarrant, Jennifer
Laberge, Gilbert
CPC-M
GPM
Carr, Thane-Dominic
Landry, Alain
ST. JAMES
X Korzeniowski, Bonnie
McGhee, Kristine
Morris, Fred
GPM
Johannson, Mike
ST. JOHNS
X Mackintosh, Hon. Gord
Hooper, Tim
Bieber, Selina
GPM
Carey, Dawn
ST. NORBERT
X Brick, Marilyn
Brousseau, Tara
Bloomfield, Wendy
ST. VITAL
X Allan, Hon. Nancy
Cooper, Grant
Wolbert, Harry
GPM
Koster, Kristine
STE. ROSE
Harder, Denise
Briese, Stu
Mailhot, Janelle
STEINBACH
Squires, Rawle
X Goertzen, Kelvin
Thiessen, Jonathan
GPM
Gibson, Janine
SWAN RIVER
X Wowchuk, Hon. Rosann Plesiuk, Maxine
Spence-Pranteau, Niomi
THE MAPLES
Saran, Mohinder
Fernandez, Lou
Brar, Pritam
THE PAS
X Lathlin, Hon. Oscar
Muswaggon, George
Houston, James
THOMPSON
X Ashton, Hon. Steve
Phillips, Cory
Braun, Kenny
TRANSCONA
X Reid, Daryl
McLeod, Bryan
Basarab, Gerald
TURTLE MOUNTAIN
Faron, Douglas
X Cullen, Cliff
Hunter, Allen
TUXEDO
Schaubroeck, Matt
X Stefanson, Heather
Bayer, Audra
WELLINGTON
Marcelino, Flor
Tomas, Jose (Boy)
Gordon Powers, Rhonda
IND
IND
Chan, Joe
X Santos, Conrad
WOLSELEY
X Altemeyer, Rob
Nelson, Gus
Thundersky, Raven
CPC-M
GPM
Tymoshchuk, David
Basham, Ardythe
CPC-M - Communist Party of Canada GPM - The Green Party of Manitoba IND - Independent LIB - Manitoba Liberal Party
NDP - New Democratic Party of Manitoba PC - The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba X - INCUMBENT
RESULTS OF PREVIOUS ELECTIONS
Year
Liberal Party
New
Democratic Party
Progressive
Conservative Party
Total
Voter
Turnout
2003
2
35 (Majority)
20
57
54.17%
1999
1
32 (Majority)
24
57
68.11%
1995
3
23
31 (Majority)
57
69.20%
1990
7
20
30 (Majority)
57
69.05%
1988
20
12
25 (Minority)
57
73.97%
1986
1
30 (Majority)
26
57
67.91%
1981
0
34 (Majority)
23
57
72.39%
1977
1
23
33 (Majority)
57
75.59%
1973
5
31 (Majority)
21
57
78.34%
1969
5
28 (Majority)
22
(1 Social Credit; 1 IND) 57
64.42%
Source: Elections Manitoba publications
HANSARD
UPCOMING
EVENTS…
May 13 to May 19
Provincial Election
Advanced Polls
May 21
Victoria Day,
University Closed
May 21 to May 25
House of Commons
Break Week
May 22
Manitoba Election
Day
May 23
Federal/Provincial
Agriculture and
Agri-Food
Innovation
Programs Workshop
May 24
10th Annual Campus
Beautification Day
May 26 to 27
Doors Open
Winnipeg
May 30
The Eureka Project:
Smartpark’s
Incubator’s BYOB Be Your Own Boss
June 5 to June 7
Spring Convocation
June 11
Collège universitaire
de Saint-Boniface
Convocation
Page 6
Changes in the Senior Ranks of the Federal Public Service
On May 15, 2007, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced changes in the senior ranks of
the federal Public Service, effective June 4, 2007.
•
I. David Marshall, currently Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services,
will become Senior Advisor to the Privy Council Office, pending his next assignment.
•
François Guimont, currently President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, will
become Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services.
•
Carole Swan, currently Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Industry, will become
President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (Note that Ms. Swan is an alumnus
of the University of Manitoba.)
On the same date, the Prime Minister also announced the appointment of Dr. Brian Evans as
Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, effective June 28, 2007,
as well as the reappointment of Alan Latourelle as Chief Executive Officer of the Parks
Canada Agency, effective August 7, 2007.
New President of the Canadian Space Agency
On April 12, 2007, the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister
responsible for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), appointed Mr. Laurier (Larry) J. Boisvert
as President of the CSA. Mrs. Carole Lacombe, Senior Vice-President, served as Acting
President for the past year.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Boisvert had served as President and CEO of both Telesat
Mobile Inc. Telesat Mobile and Telesat Canada until his retirement in 2006.
In February 2007, he became the second Canadian to be inducted into the Society of
Satellite Professionals International (SSPI).
Mr. Boisvert obtained a Radar Technician Certification Diploma from the Royal Canadian Air
Force in 1962. He graduated from the Carleton Honours Commerce Program in 1981.
Established in 1989, the CSA coordinates all civil, space-related policies and programs on
behalf of the Government of Canada. The Agency directs its resources and activities through
four key thrusts: earth observation, space science and exploration, satellite communications,
and space awareness and learning. By leveraging international cooperation, the CSA
generates world-class scientific research and industrial development for the benefit of
Canadians.
Heard on Parliament Hill...
On March 22, 2007, during the House of Commons debate about Bill C-42, An Act to amend
the Quarantine Act, in response to a comment by Hon. Keith Martin (Esquimalt – Juan de
Fuca, Lib.), Mr. Stephen Fletcher noted:
Mr. Stephen Fletcher (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC):
The member brought up HIV and AIDS. This government has done a huge amount
in this area. We had the announcement with the Bill Gates Foundation a few weeks
ago. It is partnering with expertise in Canada, with my university, the University of
Manitoba, and with David Butler-Jones and Dr. Frank Plummer. This will be revolutionary for AIDS prevention and hopefully a vaccine. This government did that. We
are also partnering with international leaders in the field. This government is very
proud of the tremendous amount of work that we have done in the area of AIDS research.
The full Hansard transcript is accessible online through the Government Relations website.