Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 4, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press december 2000 local a3 City editor Steve Pona 6977292 features editor Margo Goodhand 6977292 parental leave Bill tops Las list by Sean Oconnor All indications Are that the government will hit the ground run Ning tomorrow when the legislature returns from its four month while Premier Gary doer is keeping mum on the governments throne traditionally a recital of general the government still has a list of past promises to fulfil and new commitments to our belief is our work is not completed and weve got a lot of work ahead of doer but he said not everything will be new were not coming in with legislation just for legislation the province is already under pres sure to increase maternal and parental House in session tomorrow after four month break leave to keep Pace with new Federal its one of the few pieces of legis lation that May appear before this the Federal government extended the combined length of mater Nal and parental leave covered by employment insurance to 50 weeks from the changes take effect but Manitoba employers Are currently required to give new mothers a maximum of Only 34 weeks after their jobs Arent while attacking the government for dragging its feet on the progressive conservative Leader Stuart Mur Ray has pledged to work with the nip to get legislation passed before the Christmas but most legislation will come once the House resumes Likely in March or late february at the one Promise the government intends to fulfil this Spring is the introduction of a Law requiring referendums before any Crown corporations can be the Law would be binding on future gov the Public the shareholders will be Given an Opportunity to not governments that come and doer labour groups want the nip tighten workplace safety and health Mak ing it easier for workers to take Delin quent employers to they say it is now almost impossible to police Viola while discussions on the Issue have taken it May raise the hackles of already grumbling Over labour remembering the love Jeff de body free press Samantha hangs a card for her Grandfather yesterday on the memory tree at vital shopping the which will remain in the mall into the new provides a Way for people to acknowledge that the Holiday season May be painful for those dealing with the loss of a loved last More than cards were Hung on the trustees May ask Granger to quit following afternoon Board meeting by Nick Martin Winnipeg one trustees will sit in judg ment of Betty Granger this afternoon and could emerge from behind closed doors to ask the Lightyear Veteran to they have no Power to remove Granger from the school but trustees May pass a motion of censure and take the extraordinary action of openly asking Granger to resign when they return to Public session at 7 Granger has virtually dropped out of sight since her now nationally infamous asian invasion comments on Immi Gration issues to University of Winnipeg students last month led to her resigning As Canadian Alliance candidate in Winnipeg South trustees have read transcripts of that and this afternoon will watch a video together of the hour Long controversial Granger has skipped the last two Board meetings including one in which trustees repeatedly blasted her comments on immigration and questioned How she can continue to serve so diverse a school division but has said she will attend today Board chairwoman Liz Ambrose Ambrose acknowledged that Granger was speaking As a Federal candidate when she made the inflammatory com but said those statements will have a profound Impact on parents and the Granger int a said trustee Mario who was outraged by Media accounts of grangers a professional Shes a not an she knows what Shes in for when she comes said in sure Shes reevaluating what her political career is going to Ambrose has heard informally that several Ethan cultural organizations plan to demand grangers resignation at the 11 Board meeting that hears Public Granger told the Winnipeg free press in a Brief interview 26 that she wont comment on trustees actions or and wont be granting inter views to the free in trustees considered censuring but took no action after a five hour closed Granger had been quoted saying that she had raised a teachers sexual orientation in complaining about him to a principal and you know that never Granger said last in former trustee Bill Sanderson accused Granger of having made racist statements about natives an Allega Tion she denied at the Granger said last week that Sander son had subsequently apologized to her at a school Board while holding an Eagle that not Sanderson now i didst apologize to her at trustee Anita Neville and retired trustee Lionel Orlikov cannot recall Sander sons having apologized to Granger was first elected in but has often found herself on the losing end of All the key Board and commit tee chairmanships Are held by members of the Centre left majority that controls Winnipeg Granger was an outspoken opponent of the boards anti homophobia Educa Tion plans in and has Long been an advocate of establishing a traditional classroom As a Pilot project children sitting in neat working independently rather than in Law changes and plans to increase the minimum one of the More vocal business the Canadian federation of inde pendent fears the nip will make company directors liable for work place safety doer hinted that new Laws on the Issue May not be its still an open question whether you need legislation or you need to enforce existing Legisla he on the Lawa Dorder Justice minister Gord Mackintosh has promised new legislation targeting drunk driving and car it would take away convicted car thieves Drivers licences for a maximum of 12 the legislation May also Call for an ignition interlock program for convicted drunk such Drivers would be forced to blow into a breathalyser attached to their vehicle before starting the if the Driver blows Over the Legal blood alcohol the ignition wont the province plans to get strict with new Drivers by introducing graduated this would create a probationary period for new Drivers during which they would attain a full licence in a series of apart from such the government will be dealing with recommendations from panels and health minister Dave Chomiak has promised Quick action on the recommendations of provincial court associate chief judge Murray Sinclair from his inquest into 12 baby deaths at health sciences its ugly outside Rural officials agree Long list of problems outlined to doer Cabinet by David Obrien if you think Winnipeg a Tough try a dose of Rural life where dangerous roads and Flimsy health inadequate policing and outdated libraries Are just the tip of the Grain Farmers Are facing a Cash crunch so it wont be Long before they abandon their accelerating the depopulation of parts of Rural Man and natural Gas service critical to stimulating new development in Rural areas is still just a faraway dream in vast reaches of the those were just a few of the com plaints aired at the annual convention of the association of Manitoba municipal which Drew More than Rural and Small town politicians to Winnipeg last Premier Gary doer and his entire 14 member Cabinet met for two hours thursday with the group in an open ses Sion at the convention Centre As Rural leaders pleaded for help to their struggling communities and preserve a Way of weve got an unpaved Road that cant be maintained any a councillor from the Rural municipality of Cypress in Southwest Manitoba and theres an old Bridge off of 2 Highway that weve stitched but its just a temporary the Man wooden Bridge we still have a wooden Bridge and no Money to replace said Dorothy Boz Reeve of the Rural municipality of Lac do several speakers demanded to know when the province would repair the provincial drainage which has been neglected for so Long it no longer works in some causing water to Back up on to farm Wayne president of the said provincial and Federal governments have been downloading costs on to municipalities Over the last 10 years to balance their that Hurt communities of All sizes but Rural areas have suffered More because chronic Low commodity prices have decimated farm Motheral Motheral noted that Many Rural areas of particularly the Western have witnessed populations decline Over the last 10 years As discouraged particularly Young pack up in search of Greener Pas doer and his Cabinet listened expressed but stopped Short of promising More Money to solve a sin Gle highways minister Steve Ashton blamed the Federal government for fail ing to maintain the country National immoral Ottawa collects 10 cents plus get on every litre of Gas sold in but it Hast been turning any of the Money Over to the provinces so they can fix their Ashton he added Ottawa neglect of the coun try roads was More than a its the associations members debated nearly 90 resolutions highlighting Many problems Rural residents several motions complained the ramp raids Small town police forces for new refuses to enforce local bylaws and is too slow in responding to communities with regional airports complained they Haven been Able to run them properly since the Federal government decided in 1995 to divest itself of the and while ambulance service is taken for granted in most Large Many Remote communities rely on Volunteer paramedics who provide Only the Barest As for one Rural politician wanted to know when the province would update its catalogue of the current one is two years Diane minister responsible for culture and said she hoped to introduce a Manitoba wide Library card in the future that would make books More widely available across the when you make the right feel Good about at image our team of refractive along with our knowledgeable staff will provide you with total patient care during and after your corrective Eye before choosing corrective Eye make an informed the difference Centre suite medical arts 233 Street my r3c 3j5 mall so mat our new Centre or Call for a consultation 9436287 ;