Manitoba.

• Author: Yarish, Rick
• Position: Legislative Reports

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The 3rd session of the 39th Legislature began with the presentation of the NDP government's 12t" Speech from the Throne by Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard on November 20, 2008.

The address outlined the province's response to the growing global financial crisis, conveying a range of government commitments and proposals, including:

* Committing to a four-year, $4.7-billion infrastructure plan to fund needed capital projects in health, education, transportation, water and waste-water treatment, and housing;

* Bolstering security for citizens and communities through more funding for police officers, hiring more Crown prosecutors, and introducing a new police act;

* Introducing new child-care programs in schools, new recruitment and retention initiatives for child-care workers, while doubling investments in specialized medical equipment;

* Launching a new Sustainable Agricultural Program as part of the province's Kyoto and Beyond plan; and

* Bolstering recycling programs by setting aggressive targets for the reuse of plastic bags and banning the distribution of bags that do not conform to composting or recycling standards.

In his non-confidence amendment to the Address in Reply motion, Official Opposition Leader Hugh McFadyen (PC--Fort Whyte) identified a number of shortcomings in the government's plan, including:

* Failing to recognize that a strong economy is a prerequisite for a united province that offers safe communities, effective health care, first class education systems, leading-edge environmental protection, healthy families and communities and the safety-net programs that protect our seniors, the poor and the vulnerable;

* Failing to apply the record revenue increases over the past nine years to more aggressively pay down debt, so that Manitoba's total debt has gone up when it should have gone down; and

* Failing to accept responsibility for systemic failures and broken promises in health care, Child and Family Services, public safety and the economy.

In his sub-amendment to Mr. McFadyen's amendment Jon Gerrard (Independent Liberal--River Heights) identified a number of additional faults with the government's performance, including that:

* The speech does not provide a coherent plan to address the plethora of health-care problems, such as the diabetes epidemic sweeping the province, overburdened health-care professionals and lengthy wait times; and

* The speech failed to recognize the importance of Lake Winnipeg to all Manitobans by not providing a strategy that will keep Lake Winnipeg environmentally and economically viable for generations to come.

Following the defeat on November 27 of Mr. Gerrard's sub-amendment on a vote of yeas 18, nays 32; and the defeat of Mr. McFadyen's amendment on December 1 by a vote of yeas 20, nays 32, on December 2 the main motion carried on a vote of yeas 30, nays 19.

On December 3, 2008 the Leader of the Official Opposition moved an opposition day motion urging the provincial government "to consider acknowledging that, under its stewardship, Manitoba has failed to fulfil its potential over the last nine years;" and urging the provincial government "to consider releasing an economic plan for the...