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As I said in committee and acknowledge , my partner works in an inner city drop-in centre where many people on social assistance are there . I think the minister probably would want to qualify that to 99.9 or 99.44 percent single line service - - we never want to say 100 percent of anything - - nevertheless an immense benefit for rural Manitobans in particular , so that cities like Portage la Prairie and others can have enhanced 911 service where it was previously not available , but perhaps even more important , where individuals have a level of safety and security which was not available to them under party line service and where individual businesses , and I include in this our many , many farm businesses , can have access to the modern technological tools that they need to be successful . The Union of Manitoba Municipalities is comprised of those who do not understand the situation and have no access to competent advice . He identified them as people who were competent in the field . Now , it is really interesting , the government takes pride in the fact that under its stewardship this company has made solid profits , has invested wisely in services to Manitobans , yet its board of directors was apparently not competent to use its wisdom to even advise the government . Now , I am sure this was no surprise to the telephone company , and I am sure it was no surprise to the minister responsible because he is a well-informed and competent minister . The teachers were one of the groups that did the extensive advertising on the issue of public schools funding for the province of Manitoba , and you are attempting by way of this legislation to punish those teachers . " I feel it is necessary to put in place , so there is not an extensive period of time involved , that where there is undue delay in making a decision and holding that vote , there be an automatic certification process , because I do not want to have circumstances that we already know exist at the board , which is lack of funds to be a factor , or any other matter for that sake to be a factor , in allowing for an undue delay in the vote to determine whether or not the employees of the affected unit wish to become a member of a union . Even if the government did not want to have the board of directors move a motion requesting privatization , because of these new circumstances that so rationally and logically required a change in the management structure , ownership , even if the government did not want the advice of the board of directors , they could have at least have gone to them and said let us get some information , some credible , logical , system-wide information based on privatizations elsewhere , based on this new technological environment . With respect to its employees , the Province of Manitoba takes the position that the salaries should be affordable in the context of taxpayers ' ability to pay - - I would hope we can all agree on that principle - - be within a reasonable range of pay levels for comparable positions in Manitoba , compensate individuals in relation to their responsibilities at a level that attracts and retains competent employees - - we have had no difficulty in getting people wanting to be provincial judges ; I think members are aware of the numbers of individuals that are interested in being provincial judges - - reflect economic realities in Manitoba . It is a problem that sometimes poisons our debates , and it is regrettable when that happens , and I would acknowledge that both sides - - and I take personal responsibility for my part in this - - sometimes poison debate , because we do , by virtue of the fact that this is to a significant extent a class-based , sociodemographic representation that we enjoy here , work with disproportionately more poor people in our ridings than the Conservative Party does .