The Spring session of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly is on a break now. Portage la Prairie MLA Jeff Bereza shares some of the highlights of discussion, including the raw sewage spill going into the Red River and then ultimately into Lake Winnipeg. 

"It was the 230 million litres of raw sewage, which is high in phosphorus and high in nitrogen," explains Bereza. "We're going to likely see some terrible algae blooms. Where I'm really concerned about this is, I don't want to see the farmers blamed for this. Typically, we see them say it's effluent from hogs, cattle, or the farmers are over-fertilizing. No, it was sewage; raw sewage from the city of Winnipeg that went right into our pristine waterways."

He says they're working with the City of Winnipeg in response. However, he adds, if that was a farmer at fault, it would result in several inquests.

Bereza explains there was a hog moratorium created in the past by the NDP because of waste-related issues. He understands that the City of Winnipeg didn't do this purposely, but it shows the kind of shape that the province's infrastructure systems are in. 

"In saying that, the shape that our infrastructure system is in, it shouldn't play a negative effect on our waterways."

He adds the issue of the Gas Tax increase on April 1st was also heavily discussed.

"Manitobans and Canadians are going to see the worst April Fool's joke that we've seen in a long, long time. It's on so many things. I think about our own transportation companies like Portage Transport or Paraclete. They do business all over North America, but they're also they're also in competition with businesses all over North America, but they are going to have one huge, huge distinctive disadvantage; it's this 23 per cent carbon tax."

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