Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Manitoba 30e 1ère Discours du trône 31 janvier 1974 William John McKeag Lieutenant-gouverneur NPD Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba: I have pleasure in welcoming you to the First Session of the Thirtieth Legislature of the Province of Manitoba. As this session inaugurates a new Parliament, I am sure that the people of the province can look forward with confidence to the constructive efforts of all members of the Legislature in advancing the prosperity of Manitoba citizens. 1973 was the highest growth year in Manitoba's economic history. My ministers inform me that many new records, even after discounting for the effects of inflation, were set in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism, employment and other important indices of activity. Last year's forecasted increase of $500 million in gross provincial product was in fact exceeded with Manitoba s gross value of production rising to $5 billion. It is expected that 1974 will be a year of continued momentum in economic growth. Manufacturing, the largest sector of economic activity in our province, advanced strongly in 1973. Total factory shipments were in excess of $1.3 billion, an increase in excess of 21% over the previous year. In addition, 900 persons obtained employment as a direct result of the expansion or creation of manufacturing plants throughout the province, and my ministers inform me that 31 manufacturing plants were under construction in this period. In recognition of the different problems confronting small business and the role small firms play in the provincial economy, my government will continue to provide financing and management service support to small firms as requested. My government reaffirms its policy of encouraging a fair regional distribution of industry and job opportunities in rural Manitoba, even though this may require from time to time public sector equity financing under conditions of higher risk. The issues raised at the recent federal-provincial conference on energy will remain a priority concern throughout the next several months. The conference of First Ministers reached a consensus that for the months of February and March voluntary price restraints and the federal export tax will continue. Most of the longer-term issues, however, have not yet been resolved and consequently a large amount of uncertainty still surrounds the subject of energy. Further meetings of ministers will be held and my government will do its share to contribute to a new national policy to cope with this Canada-wide problem. Our desire that there be a rational basis for determining price levels and for the allocation of windfall gains will underlie our representations to other governments in Canada and will also determine our actions within the jurisdiction of Manitoba. Although the question of oil policy necessarily requires priority consideration in the present circumstances, my government will also urge that an examination of the best means of large scale substitution of renewable energy in place of depleting energy resources be commenced systematically in 1974 as a matter of national priority and with a sense of obligation to a not so distant future. In the meantime Manitoba Hydro is proceeding on a major scale to harness the renewable energy of the Nelson River, consistent with long-term objectives and responsibilities. Expanded production and improved prices made 1973 a record year for Manitoba agriculture far above any previous year. Gross value of farm production reached an estimated $1.2 billion, nearly double that of the previous record set in 1972. In 1973 the province assumed all of the administration costs of the Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation, thus enabling all of the federal contribution to be applied to premiums. In response Manitoba farmers took out approximately $60 million in crop insurance, a substantial increase over past years. A land lease program through the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation has been introduced. It provides young farmers and those operating on a smaller basis with an opportunity to start or enlarge farming operations with the land required for operation without having to incur large capital costs to purchase land. The farm diversification program and livestock production incentive program are being well utilized and there is continuing interest in the operation of these programs. The two programs to assist farms and municipalities in sewer and water installation costs are also coming into increased use. To date some 7, 000 applications for grants and technical assistance have been received relative to farm operations and 23 communities have received formal offers for financial assistance totalling approximately $3 million in grants and $7 million in loans. You will be asked to improve amendments to The Crop Insurance Act to permit a wider range of crops to be insured and to approve as well certain amendments to The Agricultural Credit Corporation Act. To enhance the stay option opportunities, increased emphasis will be placed on promoting the production of crops that support the livestock industry and of special crops for processing and export. In this connection you will be asked to approve funds for an intensive program to improve the livestock carrying capacity of Crown grazing lands. My government reports that the Legal Aid Program to provide legal aid to needy citizens of Manitoba has been significantly extended. Plans are being developed to provide additional legal aid clinics that will relate to a number of smaller communities in rural and northern Manitoba by way of pilot projects. Wives who have been legally separated or divorced from their husbands and who have found great difficulty in having Court maintenance orders enforced have historically found it necessary to obtain public assistance in order to maintain themselves and their children. In an attempt to solve this problem, a staff of enforcement officers was established in the Winnipeg Family Court. This enforcement program will now be expanded to give it wider geographical application. In furtherance of the policy of decentralization of government services, my government informs me that a report has been requested on the feasibility of establishing a Land Titles District for northern Manitoba. Provision will be made in the estimates to continue to assist all those who wish to secure post-secondary education or vocational training, whether they are adults whose earlier opportunities were limited, or whether they are persons who wish to retrain or upgrade their qualifications. Child development services through the Department of Education are being extended so that the delivery of specialized services to handicapped children in smaller communities will become more readily available. Computer access is being installed in a number of secondary schools in our province in order to relate this pervasive modern technology to school administration and to the needs of education and vocational training in an age of growing computerization. An obligation of all responsible government must be to protect those low income families who are most vulnerable to the effects of inflation. In order to reduce some of the hardship on these families, there will be an indexing of all social allowances to increase automatically with the consumer price index. At the same time the work incentives program, which can encourage social allowance recipients to seek employment, is experiencing success and will be pursued with vigour in the future. The care which we as a society collectively provide for those unfortunate persons who cannot care for themselves is a basic expression of the humanity and progress of our society. My government will therefore introduce additional major developments for the care and treatment of the mentally retarded and the mentally ill. New programs will be introduced for the delivery of community-based mental health services. My government has previously indicated its objective to improve the dental care available to our children in this province, to alleviate the burden of purchasing vital prescription drugs for persons of all ages suffering from chronic illness, and to extend home care services as a partial substitute for institutional care. Detailed studies have now been undertaken in these areas and in the coming year my government will inaugurate programs which will set out toward these important goals. I am informed that in the year past the Government of Canada gave a commitment to introduce legislation which would enable provinces to secure minority equity ownership in chartered banks. My ministers will await the proposed legislation and will assess the desirable form of provincial equity participation in banking ventures or alternatives thereof. In the interim, my government is preparing legislation to enable the establishment of treasury branches, in the event that the changes to The Federal Bank Act do not provide adequate scope for public equity involvement in banking operations. Public interest concerning the development of our mineral resources is a matter which has already been given serious attention by the government. Past development has been left almost exclusively to the private sector and my ministers advise that the wealth created by the exploitation of these resources has not resulted in sufficient benefits accruing to the general public. For these reasons my ministers have given greater emphasis to public participation in the mineral resources development field. Measures taken have included the creation of a public corporation to participate in the activity of mineral exploration, both as an exclusive public venture and in joint participation with private sector companies; an increase in the royalties payable for utilization of the mineral resources; and a more stringent attitude towards disposing of resource leases to private interests. As a result of further studies relative to these questions, my ministers will be seeking approval of the Legislature for further government participation consistent with directions already taken. In past and recent years wild fur harvesting has provided limited benefits for our trappers. Concerning this matter, my ministers inform me that they expect to finalize an agreement in the near future with the Government of Canada. Under the agreement, the program would provide these persons with an increased financial return together with improved living and working conditions. In 1970, Manitoba undertook to proceed more rapidly with a system of northern highways that would provide northern residents with the benefits of a highway system directly connecting Grand Rapids, Thompson and Lynn Lake with the road network to the south. In November 1973, with the completion of the highway between Thompson and Lynn Lake, that phase of the northern highway system was completed. The second challenge of this northern highway policy, namely the further extension of pioneer roads, is already well under way. I am informed regretfully that accidents and Highway Traffic Act convictions for the past year have substantially increased. Examination of ways in which to reduce this pattern is under way and my ministers hope to report progress in reversing this trend. Changes in drivers' licensing, which will align us with a number of other Canadian provinces in a uniform driver licensing system of seven categories, will be introduced in 1974. The program of driver testing is being expanded to include the northern communities of Leaf Rapids, Norway House, Moose Lake and Berens River. In northern Manitoba, my government will continue its aggressive developmental policy. Emphasis will be placed on employment and training; efforts to bring about a greater degree of equalization in the cost of living; increased participation in local government; and improved community services and facilities. It is expected that assistance for local economic development and improvements in transportation and modern communications will reduce the isolation of northern communities and increase the living standards of northern residents. You will be asked to consider amendments to The Workmen's Compensation Act to increase coverage to injured workmen and to provide for increases in pensions to those affected by accidents in industry. My government is also beginning consideration of a plan which will provide for accident and sickness insurance for all our people. A proposal for control and accountability of private pension plans will be introduced which will involve consideration for portable pensions for Manitobans. You will be asked to consider certain changes to The Civil Service Act. Amendments to The Legislative Assembly Act including measures intended to assist elected persons and appointed public servants in identifying and avoiding possible conflicts of interest will be brought forward. My ministers have informed me that the universal automobile insurance which was implemented by my government on November 1, 1971, has proved to be beneficial to the residents of Manitoba. To improve upon the payment of compensation to victims of automobile accidents and to set up better procedures, you will be asked to approve certain amendments to The Automobile Insurance Act. My government proposes to complement the Crown operated automobile insurance plan by offering additional options to the public of Manitoba to purchase general insurance to suit their needs. To that end you will be asked to consider legislation authorizing the public underwriting of other classes of insurance. My government will continue the construction of regionally decentralized accommodation in 1974-75 by building office accommodation for the public service at Portage la Prairie, Dauphin and Thompson. New correctional institutions will be built at Brandon and The Pas to replace existing obsolete facilities. Last year the people of Manitoba continued to make increasing use of their provincial parks and recreation areas. Continuation of the Accelerated Winter Works Program to supplement the regular budget was necessary to meet this demand. Under this program, development and upgrading of wayside parks, campgrounds, sports facilities and other major developments in provincial parks are being carried out. The program to permit senior citizens free entry into provincial parks will be continued in 1974. My government is launching a $2, 300, 000 Park Facilities Development Program, including a pilot project whereby the department will share the cost with municipal governments in the development of regional parks for local residents. The new Convention Centre under construction in downtown Winnipeg has already generated huge complementary structures and, after becoming operational late in 1974, will bring in an estimated 40, 000 visitors or 160, 000 visitor days per year. The province has made a grant towards the capital construction cost of the centre in anticipation of significant business activity and employment it will generate. The concept of a Sports Directorate to provide assistance to amateur sports associations in coordinating amateur sport activities in the province, along with the sums required to assist Manitoba amateur sports programming, will be placed before you for your consideration. May 2, 1974 will see the opening of the new addition to the Museum of Man and Nature for the "Nonsuch" which was a gift to the people of Manitoba from the Hudson's Bay Company. This historic company, now headquartered in western Canada, has also arranged for the transfer of its world recognized archives. The Manitoba Archives building is being greatly upgraded to accommodate these priceless documents. In line with my government's wish to help preserve the cultural inheritance of people, grants in aid, both program and capital, have been awarded toward multicultural activities and events. Measures will be proposed to provide a more effective means of preserving historic buildings, sites and artifacts. Cette fondation travaillera en étroite collaboration avec le gouvernement fédéral dans le cadre de son Programme des lieux et parcours privilégiés. Le Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain est maintenant ouvert et constitue un foyer important de la culture francophone dans notre province. Son coût a été partagé conjointement par les gouvernements provincial et fédéral. Notre gouvernement, dans le but de contribuer à l'unité nationale du Canada, continuera d'appuyer les activités et les programmes des organismes culturels franco-manitobains. You will be asked to approve the continuation of efforts to provide rental housing for low and moderate income families and senior citizens throughout the province, and the continuance of efforts to extend clean, warm and safe shelter in remote communities. You will be asked to vote funds to allow my government to make grants of $300 to first-time homeowners and annual subsidies scaled up to $300 per year to help families buy homes. Special provision of grants and subsidies, with a limit of $500 will be made in the northern region to allow for the higher cost of housing. I am informed that my government is pursuing the spirit of cooperation which developed among the four western provinces following the first Western Premiers' Conference which took place in Winnipeg in Manitoba, 1973, and at the Western Economic Opportunities Conference held in Calgary in July. While it was hoped that the Government of Canada would respond more specifically at that conference to the concrete policy recommendations put forward by the western provinces in respect of agriculture, transportation, industrial development and financial institutions, my ministers wish to acknowledge that some progress is being made. My ministers reaffirm that it is essential for all three levels of government to consult regularly on major municipal problems. Accordingly, my government has joined representatives of the City of Winnipeg in proposing that the third national Tri-level Conference be held in Winnipeg during 1974. In this, Winnipeg's centennial year, my government wishes to recognize the contribution to the province of its capital city. Accordingly, my government will ask for this Assembly's approval of financial participation in marking that event. Mes ministres constatent que la nouvelle ville de Winnipeg a fait des progrès considérables dans la fusion et la légalisation de ses services et aussi dans la planification du développement urbain. Vous serez appelés à approuver certaines modifications à la Loi sur la ville de Winnipeg, qui visent à rendre encore plus efficaces son gouvernement et son administration. My government is aware of the critical importance of urban transportation in enhancing the quality of life enjoyed by Manitoba's urban residents. My government last year announced its support for innovation in public transit and stands ready to work with the governments of urban areas to plan, finance and facilitate the development of energy conserving, efficient and integrated multiple-form urban transportation systems. Non-renewable energy depletion rates and cost give added impetus to this objective. In order to encourage creative urban development in this, Winnipeg's centennial year, and to ensure that the potential social, economic and environmental benefits of an urban transportation system are realized, my government will ask you to approve substantial funds for public transit systems. You will be asked to supply funds for a general increase in civil service salaries and in health service costs. These requirements and the entire estimates of expenditure for the public service of the province for the next fiscal year as well as the Public Accounts for the last fiscal year will all be submitted for your consideration. In leaving you I pray that you may have the guidance of Divine Providence and reason in your deliberations ! Que Dieu bénisse la Reine et notre pays.