February 2018
Celebrating Over 20 Years of Service to Our Communities!
Budget Time With a New Twist In the last few months, both provincial and municipal governments have experienced wild contortions on the subjects related to marijuana and its potential taxation windfall. First, it was the provincial government’s pontificators that there should be a delay to the July 1 implementation deadline, then there was the imperative need for an extraordinary larger share of the “pot pie” which they got and their whining disappeared along with the lion’s share of said desert. Then it became the municipalities turn to attempt the extraction of a substantial cut out of the tight-fisted Provincial government hands. They are claiming more expenses because of increased managing and policing this new legal product. Were they not doing a good job before? I find that this was a smidgen or two, of politician double speak or embarrassing immature spin. I can’t be the only one who wonders where their managing budgets now are coming from while this product is still illegal. Police budgets will not be something new. Under aged kids if they want it, will still have continuous access on their speed dial direct to their local neighbourhood drug provider. You and I may not know who he or she is, but they sure do. This has been a teen prerequisite for years. How many of our young have smoked enough of this enticing weed to now have permanent health problems? Debatable point I know. Of course, much of this will continue, but if the proper protocols are put in place to reduce the number of underage future health problems it will be a win. If the criminal activity can be curtailed that will also be a win. What will change? First, it was an unrecognized social problem attached with some unnecessary legal problems that now a more enlightened society may manage a wee bit better. Secondly, different levels of government will salt this new revenue into their bottomless pit, continue whining for more and definitely not acknowledge this new windfall. The jury is still out on many of the surrounding questions. I wonder, how long will the uptick of users continue after July 1? And will we see the young indulge less? For sure, the social problems will continue. You can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Dawson Trail Dispatch
Communities Receive Heritage Revitalization Funding Even though winter won’t be over for a while, those who enjoy summer recreation in the Lorette area have received good news from our Manitoba government. I’m very pleased to have announced funding for the Lorette Skatepark development project this past month. The provincial community development grant of $35,000 is part of more than $1.4 million that our government is providing to nonprofit and community-led organizations and community-driven neighbourhood revitalization projects. Our government is also funding a number of other important initiatives across the province. Among these is the Heritage Trust program for Manitoba’s small museums and archives, most of which are in rural areas. This program is providing $5 million over three years to create endowment funds within local community foundations, in order to support small and medium-sized museums and archives. A maximum of one provincial dollar will be provided for every two private dollars raised by qualifying organizations. Heritage Trust will create an incentive for communities to develop an endowment pool worth up to $15 million to support heritage projects across the province. This $5 million is part of an overall provincial investment of up to $25 million to strengthen heritage organizations. We are contributing $8.75 million to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada as part of its project to construct a new facility in Winnipeg, and will provide another $1.25 million if the museum’s private donation targets are met. Our government will also contribute $10
million over five years to the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Inuit Art Centre, a proposed $65-million programming hub that would celebrate Inuit art and Indigenous cultures. During our hard work this winter to prepare for the legislative session resuming in March, I’ve been pleased to see so much fun continuing in the Dawson Trail constituency – particularly throughout the unseasonably cold weather. One highlight for me has been the Taylor Christensen memorial hockey game I attended on Hawks Day during the St. Adolphe Winter Carnival, which ran from January 19 to 21. Congratulations to the organizers and thank you to the contributors and volunteers for making this event so successful. I took in the Snowman Festival in Ile des Chenes on February 3 and I’m
looking forward to the 4-H Communication Event in St. Genevieve on February 10. In addition, the Making Tracks Snowmobile Ride is slated for February 16 and Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg is coming up from February 16 to 25. I hope Dawson Trail constituents as many as possible attend these celebrations. As well, it would be nice to see a good turnout at my next “Coffee with Bob” gathering at Chicken Chef in Lorette on February 15 at 1 pm. Come on down to meet your Dawson Trail MLA in a friendly and relaxed setting. Stay up to date by following me on Facebook. If you have questions or comments, I can be reached at 204-807-4663 or by e-mail at bob. lagasse@leg.gov.mb.ca.
St. Adolphe Winter Carnival puck drop.
Red Tape Initiative Moves Us From Worst to First Since forming government in 2016, it has been our goal to make Manitoba the most improved province in Canada. Under the previous government, Manitoba was in last place among the provinces in many ways. We have worked hard to change this, and our efforts are producing results. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has given Manitoba an ‘A’ grade on its latest National Red Tape Report Card, putting our province in the top spot along with Quebec and British Columbia – and bringing us from worst to first. Just two years ago, Manitoba was dead last among the provinces with an ‘F’ grade under the previous NDP administration. The work we have done to reduce the immense burden that outdated, overly complicated or unnecessary regulatory requirements placed on Manitobans is significant. We found more than 900,000 rules that residents, local governments, businesses and non-profit organizations have had to comply with, taking too much time and money
out of Manitoba’s economy. A good regulatory system will protect public interests while minimizing the paperwork burden on local governments, businesses, non-profit groups and others. Under the NDP, red tape grew without a system to ensure that new regulations were based on evidence or whether they actually made a difference to help Manitobans. Our Progressive Conservative government has reduced red tape and has further committed to remove a regulatory requirement in Manitoba every time a new requirement with a similar administrative burden is put in place. This ‘one-for-one’ law caps the growth of such requirements faced by companies, local governments and non-profit agencies. Last year, Manitoba became the first province to commit to this kind of legislation through the Regulatory Accountability Act. We are going even further by enforcing a stricter ‘two-for-one’ rule until 2021. Our system is described by the CFIB as the most comprehensive government initiative in North America for
reducing red tape. As CFIB Executive Vice-President Laura Jones says, Manitoba has become “the one to watch” among Canada’s provinces and territories as we push toward our goal to become the most improved province for regulatory accountability by 2020. It is a government’s job to create conditions that can grow the economy, not to create unnecessary regulations. There is a lot more to do, but we are showing the political leadership and innovation to reduce regulatory barriers and make Manitoba a better and stronger province for all. As always, I look forward to hearing from you with your questions or concerns. I can be reached at my constituency office at 204-424-5406, at my legislature office at 204-945-4339 or at dennis.smook@leg.gov.mb.ca.