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May 14, 2013

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLVII No. 20

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Before we start today's proceedings, I want to acknowledge a special guest in

our Chambers, Mr. Gilbert Osmond, a member of the Arnold's Cove 50 Plus Club,

who is accompanied by his daughter Janet Abbott, today.

Welcome to our Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Today we have members' statements from the Member for the

District of Baie Verte Springdale; the Member for the District of Lewisporte;

the Member for the District of Humber Valley; the Member for the District of St.

Barbe; the Member for the District of Humber West; and the Member for the

District of Mount Pearl North.

The Member for Baie Verte Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize Zion United Church of La Scie

upon the celebration of their 50 th anniversary.

On April 27, Saturday night, my wife and I had the privilege to celebrate

this special event with the people of La Scie and surrounding area. The Lay

Leadership, former clergy, and the church congregation are to be commended for

their steadfast faithfulness, zeal, and passion in serving the people of the

area in the past fifty years.

The message of love, peace, and reconciliation has been heralded, impacting

the social, mental, physical and spiritual needs of numerous recipients as they

open their hearts. The occasion was marked by a tasty dinner, encouraging

remarks by former leaders, punctuated with a few jokes, followed by an

inspirational concert by SEEDS of HOPE.

Reverend Bruce Rideout and his team are to be applauded for their present

ministry and for organizing such a memorable event.

I respectfully invite all hon. colleagues in this hon. House to join me in

congratulating La Scie Zion United Church for a wonderful evening on the

occasion of their 50 th anniversary of ministry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Lewisporte.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: That is pretty weak accolades, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. VERGE: I rise today to recognize the members of Lewisporte Collegiate

Drama Club who recently won the Regional Drama Festival in Grand Falls

Windsor. Their play entitled I'm Still Here was written by

teacher-director Pam Cole and centres around the struggles of one family dealing

with the early onset of Alzheimer's disease.

This play provides a dual storyline of the younger Sara growing up with her

childhood sweetheart and discovering that she has Alzheimer's. Juxtaposed to

that storyline is the older Ms Sara having regressed further into the worsening

stages of Alzheimer's. These two storylines intersect when the family must make

the difficult decision to place Sara in a facility that specializes in care for

Alzheimer's patients.

The play is powerful and an emotional depiction of the reality of Alzheimer's

and its effect on all those who are touched by this disease.

In addition to winning the regional festival, members of Lewisporte

Collegiate Drama Club won several other awards. Outstanding Supporting Actress

Awards went to Kristen Bursey, Amber Tremblett and Jessica Boyd; while Andrew

Greenham received the Overall Best Male Actor Award.

Members, please join me in sending congratulations to all members of the cast

and crew for a great production.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Xavier Junior High School of

Deer Lake on their Grade 8 girls' and Grade 9 boys' victories at recently held

provincial basketball tournaments.

The Xavier Grade 8 girls' team won the provincial tournament that was

recently held in Lewisporte. Heather Janes of Xavier was named tournament MVP

and four different Xavier players were named Player of the Game throughout the

tournament. These young ladies were coached by Ryan Chaulk, with the assistance

of Jo-Ellen Chaulk.

The Xavier boys' team won provincial honours at the Grade 9 provincial

basketball tournament held at Templeton Academy in Meadows. Andrew Moss of

Xavier was named the tournament's MVP. This team was coached by Dave Parsons and

Trevor Lodge, assisted by Cameron Sparks.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in extending

congratulations to the Grade 8 girls' and the Grade 9 boys' basketball team from

Xavier Junior High of Deer Lake on their recent provincial basketball victories.

It is through athletic events, such as these tournaments, that lifelong memories

are created for these students.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to recognize the work

of the Lifesaving Society, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Lifesaving Society, LSS, is a national volunteer organization and

registered charity comprised of ten provincial-territorial branches, tens of

thousands of individual members, and over 4,000 affiliated pools, waterfronts,

and clubs. LSS-NL is responsible for offering swimming, lifesaving, lifeguard

and leadership programs, and remains the sole certifying body for lifesavers and

lifeguards throughout the Province.

In addition to the bronze medallion, LSS-NL offers a whole range of

lifesaving courses. LSS-NL also holds an annual Honour and Rescue Awards

ceremony, with the support of Patron, the hon. Frank Fagan, Lieutenant Governor

of Newfoundland and Labrador. Some LSS-NL national rescue awards include

Clarence and Victor Haas of Brent's Cove; Zachary Clarke of Springdale; Lorne

Hynes of Baie Verte.

LSS-NL also annually presents the Tina Moores Memorial Cup to Lifeguard of

the Year. This award honours the late Tina Moores, a lifeguard, instructor and

volunteer who tragically lost her life while rescuing a child at Red Indian Lake

in 2009.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of the House to join me in recognizing the

Lifesaving Society, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Humber West.

MR. GRANTER: Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 4, I had the opportunity to

attend the 16th Annual Western Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Heritage Fair

held at G.C. Rowe Junior High in Corner Brook featuring students from the

Western School District.

I extend congratulations to the many students who worked diligently to

celebrate our history and culture and share their projects with residents of the

region. It was indeed a fabulous collection on display through word, picture,

poetry, music and song.

I want to extend special thanks to the many teachers and organizers who gave

so willingly of their time to make this event a success. To the sponsors: WNLSD,

Canada's History, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Historic

Sites Association, Newfoundland and Labrador Government, Department of

Education, Parks Canada, Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives, The

Rooms, Investors Group, and MANL. To the retired teachers who volunteered and to

the planning committee made up of Wally Childs, Chrystal Hartley, Brad Lambe,

Graydon Pelley, Darlene Sexton, and Christine Elliott, and to all student

participants, as well as Honorary Patron Dave LeDrew and his Newfoundland dog.

I ask all hon. members to send congratulations on another successful Heritage

Fair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize athlete Samantha Marsh of Mount Pearl.

Ms Marsh is a highly successful target shooter and has recently returned from

Australia where she competed in the sixth Australian Youth Olympic Festival.

This is an IOC sanctioned multi-sport event held with the intention of

encouraging youth around the world to embark on following a path to the

Olympics.

Mr. Speaker, this success is a testament to the hard work and devotion

demonstrated by Samantha. She earned this opportunity by finishing second in the

3P Junior Women's Category at the 2012 Canadian Small Bore Nationals. This

exposure to world-class talent is great experience as she prepares for the 2015

Canada Winter Games.

I would be remiss not to mention her coach, Mr. Dave Woolridge, who was

appointed as the head coach of the team that went to Australia.

I wish Samantha all the best in her future endeavours and hope that she will

continue on her path to the Olympics.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating

Samantha on another major achievement.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this hon. House to recognize the contributions

of the late Dr. Ian Rusted and the role he played in the founding of Memorial

University's Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Rusted was born in Upper Island Cove in 1921. During his career he served

in many distinguished roles including Medical Consultant to the Department of

Health, family physician, and most notably Memorial University's first Dean of

Medicine.

Dr. Rusted, recognizing the need for rural physicians, developed formal

post-graduate and continuing medical education programs. These programs received

national and international recognition, and ultimately led to the founding of

the Faculty of Medicine in 1967.

Today, as a result of his efforts, we are fortunate to have one of only

seventeen medical schools in Canada. Since its creation, Memorial University's

Faculty of Medicine has graduated over 2,000 students and is nationally

recognized as a leader in developing rural physicians.

Memorial University continues to produce high-quality physicians who are

positively impacting our health care system. Our Province currently has more

active physicians practicing than ever in our history, half of whom are

graduates of Memorial's Faculty of Medicine.

Our government continues to support the medical school. Through Budget 2013,

$14.6 million is being provided for the continued expansion of the Faculty of

Medicine and construction of the Craig L. Dobbin Genetics Research Centre. This

expansion will increase the medical class size from just over sixty students to

more than eighty students, starting in the fall of 2013, as well as provide

space for the growth of leading edge genetic research activity.

Dr. Rusted's contributions were recently highlighted with his induction into

the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. This honour is bestowed on individuals who

have advanced health care and health research in Canada and around the world.

Today, our government remembers and is grateful for Dr. Rusted's

contributions to our Province. Together with his family we celebrate his

impressive career and his valuable contributions to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. Dr. Rusted played

a crucial role in medicine and medical education in this Province. He served in

many roles, including the Director of Medical Education as well as the first

Dean and Professor of Medicine at MUN. Almost fifty years later, MUN as we know

has a world-class med school and it is pioneers like the doctor who we have to

thank.

It is interesting. We actually had a very informative meeting this morning

with some young med students from Memorial University, second years and a first

year. They talked about some of the challenges they are facing. I know they met

with the minister as well. Hopefully we can work together with these med

students to conquer these challenges, one of which is ensuring we know what

stream these physicians want to go in when they specialize, whether it is in

rheumatology or whatever specialization, so we can keep these home-grown doctors

right here in the Province where they want to be and that they are not forced to

go out of the Province. So we hope to continue with that.

Again, I think it comes back to the fact that we have a fine individual in

Dr. Rusted, who over his years in service provide a lot to this Province.

Certainly, his induction into the Medical Hall of Fame was well recognized and

well deserved. We congratulate his family.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. It is a

wonderful honour for Dr. Ian Rusted to be inducted into the Canadian Medical

Hall of Fame.

MUN's Facility of Medicine said Rusted's contribution to health care in this

Province is immeasurable. He overcame fierce opposition to help establish MUN's

medical school in 1967, at a time when medical schools were all being

established only in larger cities. He was inspired by the need for physicians

with the interest in skills needed to serve rural patients.

Dr. Rusted's commitment is an example that the government should continue to

follow and build on, and to continue his vision, Mr. Speaker. Now more than

ever, it is critical that this government develop a health human resource plan

so that our medical grads can stay and serve the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. I have met with them and this is what they want. It is what he always

wanted.

Again, I congratulate his family and say thank you for sharing him with us.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to highlight another

example of how this government is partnering with the fishing industry to

maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Mr. Speaker, today I am

pleased to announce approximately $65,000 of funding for the Fish, Food, and

Allied Workers so they can pursue Marine Stewardship Council Certification of

our provincial lobster fishery.

The Marine Stewardship Council, or MSC, offers a certification process that

is the most widely recognized wild fishery sustainability standard in the world.

When a fishery gains this certification, it tells the consumers that the fishery

is carried out in a way that protects the resource for current and future

generations.

Consumers in key international markets such as Europe and the United States

are more eco-aware than ever, and are placing a premium on fisheries that can

demonstrate a responsible and sustainable approach to providing seafood

products. MSC certification will be vital to maintaining access to these markets

in the future, protecting the reputation of our lobster products, and assuring

the industry can attract the best possible price.

Mr. Speaker, this government has a tremendous track record for helping

industry players enhance and promote the sustainability of their practices,

having contributed over $310,000 since 2008 to assist with the eco-certification

of various fisheries. I am proud to say that this investment has resulted in 82

per cent of the landed value of our provincial fisheries being certified or in

assessment for certification. I am also pleased to note that our efforts to

promote sustainability do not end there.

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador is the only Province in Canada that is

solely funding its own offshore fisheries research through the Centre for

Fisheries Ecosystem Research and other partnerships. Since 2010, the provincial

government has committed more than $12 million to enhance our understanding of

our changing ecosystem and protect the sustainability of the industry.

Our billion dollar fishing industry remains key contributors to the success

of our provincial economy, and this government will continue to work with the

industry to protect the sustainability and reputation of these industries for

years to come.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy. This is a good news message and it

is always good news when the government is working with the Fish, Food and

Allied Workers Union, unlike a year ago when they were threatening to cut off

funding if they did not go along with what they wanted them to do. This is

certainly a move in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, the fishery employs approximately 20,000 people in our Province,

being the largest sector in terms of employment for us, and approximately 80 per

cent of those people are members of the FFAW. The minister keeps referring to it

as a billion dollar industry. I certainly look forward to the day when he can

put a two in front of that billion, and it is a $2 billion industry. In fact, it

is closer to being possible than many would think.

A prominent fisheries commentator, Bob Verge, has said we throw away

approximately $500 million worth of product in waste. There is underutilized

species and there are better marketing techniques and arrangements, such as the

agreement the Province entered into with OCI back in December. At that time, the

Opposition took no position. We would not criticize it, but nearly five months

have passed now and I certainly look forward to a Ministerial Statement telling

us in the near future how that project is going and whether there are more

opportunities for other fish processors with the OCI yellowtail.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. On April 8 I

issued a release calling for lobster certification, so I am delighted to see

this statement. This is good investment and needed as we are certainly in

catch-up mode.

The Marine Stewardship Council recently certified Maine lobster as

sustainable, giving the state a competitive advantage as retailers and

wholesalers in Europe and the US demand and are willing to pay a premium for

product labelled fish sustainability. We need continuous promotion of our

provincial seafood and our responsible fishing practices. I am very encouraged

by this.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Acting Minister Responsible for the Status of

Women.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SHEA: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to provide an

update on the progress of Atlantic Canada's CyberSafe Girl Initiative.

In August 2010, the Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women

held their first annual meeting and at this time they shared concerns on

cyber-violence.

Cyber-violence is the use of the Internet to harm or intimidate another

person and includes name calling, teasing, threatening, starting rumours,

posting embarrassing or degrading pictures, or encouraging violence. Acts of

Facebook or Twitter, blogs and on-line games.

To address this disturbing issue, the Atlantic ministers committed to

creating an initiative that provides educational tools to youth, parents and

educators.

From this commitment, the CyberSafe Girl Initiative was developed. This

initiative focuses on creating awareness and preventing cyber-violence being

perpetrated against young girls on-line. The Atlantic Ministers Responsible for

the Status of Women were pleased to officially launch the CyberSafe Girl

Initiative campaign in St. John's on October 11, 2012 International Day of the

Girl.

Through the CyberSafe Girl Initiative, a Web site and three fact sheets were

developed to promote safe Internet usage for young girls. These fact sheets,

entitled 10 Tips for Girls, 10 Tips for Parents, and What Everybody Needs to

Know, are available throughout Atlantic Canada. In our Province, the Department

of Education assisted with the distribution of the CyberSafe Girl fact sheets

earlier this month to Newfoundland and Labrador schools with students in Grades

7 to 9.

The CyberSafe Girl Initiative was also recently showcased during the

fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York on

March 6. During this international event, two of the Atlantic Canadian Status of

Women Ministers presented background information on the initiative and

highlighted interactive components, including the fact sheets and Web site, to

emphasize that ending cyber-violence against girls is a global effort; one that

our Province is proud to be part of.

Mr. Speaker, the Atlantic Ministers will continue to make progress and spread

the word with this initiative in the collective effort to end cyber-violence. I

encourage all families in Newfoundland and Labrador to join this effort by

reviewing these fact sheets and visiting cybersafegirl.ca to learn more about

cyber safety.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. The Internet plays

a predominant role in our lives today, and it is a virtual meeting place where

seeming anonymity provides a platform for harassment.

Girls tend to bully differently than boys, using ostracism and rumours to

exclude and humiliate, and hiding behind a computer screen makes it easier to

join in. Sadly, this behaviour brings bullies together at the expense of others

and it is important to educate the public on how cyber-bullying is not as

anonymous as it might seem.

Certainly, girls are not only targeted online by peers, but also predators.

Child luring is a disturbing behaviour made easier by the use of Internet and

warning signs is crucial to equip kids growing up in today's virtual world.

Beyond bullying, the Internet puts even more pressure on girls to be thin and

beautiful with countless images popping up. The psychological damage imposed on

girls in their exposure to such images is just as a much a threat to the girls'

well-being.

Kudos to the Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women on this

important initiative.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS: I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement.

There is nothing more wonderful we can do for our young girls than to develop

programs that empower them. I applaud the Cybersafe Girl Initiative.

the potential to take us places and connect us with people we never thought

possible before. It is imperative, Mr. Speaker, we equip all our citizens with a

equally imperative that we not discourage or frighten girls or any of our

citizens and cause them to fear the medium, but instead give them the tools and

knowledge so they can embrace it and be fully engaged.

I applaud this initiative; however, we still have 190 communities without

broadband and forty schools without broadband. What an impetus to encourage this

government to ensure that high-speed Internet is available to every young girl

in the Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Private members' motions are brought forward for debate in this House by MHAs

who are not in Cabinet. They are designed to allow backbenchers and Opposition

MHAs to bring forward motions for government to consider. Yet, yesterday the

Member for Conception Bay East Bell Island tabled evidence that the Premier's

office is telling backbenchers what motions to bring forward.

I ask the Premier: Why are you controlling the issues that MHAs can and

cannot discuss in this House?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, if it is a question of communications between the Premier's

office and this caucus that the Leader of the Opposition is referring to, we

communicate all the time on a daily basis back and forth. We share information

back and forth. That is what a team does. That is a well-oiled caucus does. We

do not make any apologies for that to the Leader of the Opposition or anybody

else in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The PMR is a little separate. It gives the MHAs like us and backbencher MHAs

to let their positions be brought forward, too. The evidence that was tabled

yesterday is very clear and similar to the type of control that Stephen Harper

demands over his MPs. The Premier's office gave instruction to the MHA, saying,

Dave has to say the following.

So I ask the Premier: Is dictating control over your MHAs one of the

recommendations of the secret $150,000 taxpayer-funded PR makeover?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for his efforts

with regard to our caucus, but they are absolutely unnecessary. We do not need

any help from the people of the Opposition. This is a healthy, happy caucus

where we have

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: strong communication, Mr. Speaker, between all

members. Do we have questions of process sometimes that we help one another

with? Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. As I said, we communicate on a daily basis, one

with the other. We are very proud of that on this side of the way.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition.

MR. BALL: Mr. Speaker, when you tell the MHA you have to do this that is

not communication; that is a directive. That is saying you have no choice; you

have to do this.

Mr. Speaker, not only is the Premier's office controlling what MHAs say, but

personal e-mail accounts such as Hotmail, were being used to send talking points

instead of government e-mail. Using personal e-mails is a roundabout way to hide

access to information. We have seen this with PIN numbers and poll-padding.

So I ask the Premier: Why do you insist on secrecy and instruct your staff to

use personal e-mail? Does not the draconian Bill 29 offer enough secrecy to this

government and your office?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in the last two months I have had meetings with Premier

Selinger, Premier Redford, and Energy Ministers of Canada on energy policy that

is extremely important to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I have had a meeting with Premier Kathleen Wynne of Ontario,

again around energy issues important to her province and to us. I have had

meetings with Premier Ghiz, Premier Alward, and Premier Dexter in Nova Scotia

about energy, about EI reform, about procurement in Atlantic Canada, about

harmonization of criteria for apprentices in Atlantic Canada, and not one

question, Mr. Speaker, not one question from leaders of the Opposition. What, in

fact, he is worried about is our caucus and you ought to be worried about our

caucus because we are strong and we are united and we have a vision and a plan.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, I am worried about your caucus actually, so are many people in this

Province worried about your caucus

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. BALL: Because the decisions we have seen in Budget 2013 is making us

all worry. The next generation is starting to worry, too.

The way government has tabled a private member's motion yesterday made a

mockery of this Legislature. In an e-mail printout from the Premier's staff that

some details were even scribbled out right here. This disorganized and

unprofessional behaviour illustrates a larger issue that the Premier and her

government have no respect for this House at all.

I ask the Premier: Why do you

treat this Legislature, the symbol of democracy in our Province, in such

disdain?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition would like to convince

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that on this side of the House we are as

disorganized as they are over there.

Mr. Speaker, if we were trying to keep things secret, we would hardly table

them here in the House of Assembly. This is navel-gazing. It is

small-mindedness. We need to get back to the serious issues that are important

to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Can you confirm that two parts of the regulations which you imposed upon the

CICPO group five years ago were deemed today in a unanimous decision of our

Court of Appeal to be ultra vires or invalid and that the court awarded costs

against your government at both trial and appeal level?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what I can confirm is a victory for the beneficiaries of the

Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Plan.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, the regulation that required a pharmacy to give

120 days notice prior to discontinuing participation in the NLPDP was upheld by

the courts.

Those regulations were developed in response to our stated intentions to make

sure that the beneficiaries of this Province were protected, and they were. Mr.

Speaker, further to that, the decision reinforces government's right to make

such regulations in this Province. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador need

to be comforted by this decision.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, we have lost cases in Quebec with the Rgie,

we have had the Abitibi mess, and now we have this situation.

Can you tell us that due to the heavy-handed action of our former minister,

what are the costs of this decision against the people of this Province, the

taxpayers?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what we are concerned about in this government is the most

vulnerable of our populations. What we are concerned about is ensuring that

people who need access to our Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Plan

are getting access to it. Our concern was about the protection of those people

here in Newfoundland and Labrador. That also was the concern that the court

upheld.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, during Estimates the Minister of Transportation

and Works committed to provide two engineering reports for the Corner Brook

hospital, the Stantec and the Hatch Mott MacDonald reports. The minister

confirmed that he would provide them.

I ask the minister, it has been three weeks since I asked in Estimates: Will

you now live up to your commitment and provide us with these reports?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We had some good discussions during Estimates. During the period of time that

there were discussions being asked, the member opposite asked for some

documents. While my deputy and I had conferred on the question, he went on and

started saying: oh, thank you very much, I look forward to it. He has been doing

it ever since. I do not know where he is getting his information from, Mr.

Speaker.

Having said that, he has made a request, we are reviewing his request and

making consideration to it. We have to bear in mind that we have an obligation

and responsibility to protect private information. We have a responsibility to

respect any proprietary or commercially sensitive information. We will review

his request. We will abide by the laws in the Province that govern such

requests, and we will follow up on it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, I say to the minister, if you can tell me what is

so private about engineering reports that are going to benefit the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador and the people in Western Newfoundland, I would love

to hear the answer. What is so private about an engineering report?

I say to the minister, Mr. Speaker, that during Estimates you and your deputy

minister did confer. You did confirm and it is in Hansard.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the member to direct his comments to the Chair.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, it is in Hansard, during Estimates that the

minister said, yes, we will provide those reports.

If we are going to uphold the spirit of the House and follow through on

Estimates, which we are supposed to see what is being spent in the Budget, I ask

the minister: Will you please table those two reports which you committed to at

Estimates hearings?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, over and over again, the Member for Bay of Islands has gotten up

and talked about what is in Hansard. Well, I would like for him to show it to me

because as far as I am told, and I followed up on this again this morning,

Hansard records do not exist for that period of Estimates as of yet. So I do not

know where he is getting his information from, Mr. Speaker.

The Hansard records have not been completed. They are not carried out. They

are not available to me, because I have been trying to figure out what he was

talking about.

As I said, he has made a request. We have to follow the rules and the laws.

We have to protect the privacy. We have to protect commercially sensitive

information. We have to protect the privacy of individuals who deserve such

protection, and we will do that, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, faced with a legal challenge, they would

certainly lose. The Eastern School District was forced to backtrack on closing

two schools last night. Unbelievably, in the same meeting by a notice of motion

in a meeting where there were no minutes and no written agenda, they decided to

go forward and pass the same motion all over again.

I ask the Minister of Education: Will he stop this school board from closing

this school and let his super board deal with it whenever the super board is

appointed?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as elected school boards they have legislative authority to make

decisions. The trustees are elected by the people of the Province for the

particular region. They make a determination on the operations in regard to

school closures. We certainly respect those volunteers and the work they do.

Sometimes they make difficult decisions. We recognize that, but we are not going

to interfere in their decision. They have the authority to do the process.

They went back and did reconsideration. Now they are following through with

due course and due process. We will certainly see how that goes, but as a

government we are not interfering with that. They are the elected trustees and

they will do the work which they were elected to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the CEO of the Eastern School District, former

Tory MHA Milton Peach, was in the news again for his lavish spending on travel,

food, and booze while our students have had to fundraise for basic school items.

Presumably the minister approves of this disgraceful conduct as he rewarded Mr.

Peach for his scandalous spending by appointing him to the transition team.

I ask the minister: Given Mr. Peach's complete loss of credibility, will he

remove Mr. Peach from the transition team?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, elected school boards as well has legislative authority to

determine policy and procedures. Having said that, last year there was direction

given to the school boards to look at expenditures, look at efficiencies, and

look at personal development for attendees and what the cost was in terms of

that. Also, look at expenses related to entertainment expenses.

At that time, it was certainly determined that changes needed to be made.

Changes have been made. They have been scaled back and brought in-line to what

people expect today in terms of expenses related to entertainment. It was taken

care of. It is done. It is in place. Going forward those rules are now in place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, in addition to spending for good times here at

home, Mr. Peach spent over $50,000 last year to travel outside the Province.

This is just outrageous. This board spent twice as much as any other board in

the Province. Clearly, the Eastern School Board trustees and their CEO Milton

Peach, has shown themselves to be incompetent, big spenders, and totally out of

touch with reality.

I ask the minister: Will he dismiss this board to prevent them from even more

waste and mistakes in the last few months of their reign?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, these are volunteers. We certainly respect

the work they do in Newfoundland and Labrador. They make difficult decisions at

times; a lot of time they put in. We certainly respect that knowledge of people

on the ground in Newfoundland and Labrador who are helping to build our

educational system.

In regard to expenses, as I said, they have gone back to last year and

reviewed. We have changed some of the policy and directive the school districts

have, in regard to expenses and how that should be administered in the boards.

We feel going forward that we are in a good position now, but we do recognize

there are professional development and other expenses that are required.

We certainly support them in that. Again, we have gone back and looked at

that, the school boards have, and we are comfortable where they are now in terms

of expenses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: On one school board bash they spent $1,600 on booze for

forty people. That is $40 a head. I hope we also paid for the transportation

home so we do not get sued for some impaired driver where people might be killed

by our school board trustees.

Mr. Speaker, the minister only wishes to defend the indefensible. If the

minister is not going to do the right thing and dismiss Mr. Peach and the board,

will he at least stand up for the taxpayers and order a complete audit of the

Eastern School Board's disgraceful spending and attempt to recover any amounts

improperly spent?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, the authority to make

policies and procedures rest with the school board entity, and certainly the one

in question. At the time those expenses were approved, those procedures were in

place.

As I said, that has gone back to be revisited. Today, what the expectation is

changes have been made, those have been altered. As I said, moving forward we

are confident in terms of what is in place now.

We are respectful of those volunteers and the work they do, and we are going

to continue to support them, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, in August 2011, ahead of the general election,

government made a $17 million promise to Canada Fluorspar to conduct a deepwater

marine terminal at St. Lawrence. Two years later, people are still waiting for

work.

When can we expect this publicly funded business to start hiring people, I

ask the minister?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are very excited of a $100 million project, a $17 million

investment by this government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: On the Burin Peninsula, our commitment is to the wharf

infrastructure. I understand a company had to do a review in regard to cost

escalation.

The latest we hear is they are still very committed, looking to get started

this year and tendering work for the wharf infrastructure, which is a $100

million project in rural Newfoundland and Labrador that we partnership with the

private sector, and we are proud of it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, despite this delay, government has already paid

out $637,000 to this company.

I ask the minister: What exactly did the people get for the $637,000?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, as I said, we committed to the actual

infrastructure of the wharf as part of the $600,000. It is engineering design to

get the project started, to get tenders out. The tender has been put out in

public. I understand it is getting very close to closing. At that point there

will be a selection made in terms of starting the $70 million in regard to the

wharf infrastructure and moving this $100 million project forward.

The hon. member is against the aquaculture industry on the South Coast.

Surely he is not against this in St. Lawrence. I do not know, but we are for

economic development. We are going to fully support it and it is a great

opportunity for the Burin Peninsula.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains, time for a quick

question without

preamble, please.

MR. EDMUNDS: Mr. Speaker, this Justice budget cut

MR. SPEAKER: A quick question, please, no

preamble.

MR. EDMUNDS: (Inaudible) and Aboriginal victims are impacted by this.

I ask the minister: Will you take into account the further impacts on

Aboriginal victims of crime in this budget when it is revisited?

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice, for a quick response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Last spring this government showed interest in an east-west energy grid in

Canada. It is funding a major project that would bring energy to the Maritimes,

and it has let it be known that a major reason for building Muskrat Falls is to

serve mining interests in Western Labrador. This government seems to be

concerned about everything except the energy needs of people on the South

Labrador Coast.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: What is her plan for the replacement of

diesel-generated energy on the South Labrador Coast?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the Leader of the NDP recognizes the value of Muskrat

Falls, not only for ratepayers here on the Island in the Province, but for

industrial development, particularly in Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, we have two pilot projects that have been completed in Labrador

in terms of energy efficiency and finding smaller projects to replace the

diesel, either in wind or small hydro. Currently, we have identified several

sites on the South Coast of Labrador where small hydro may be feasible, Mr.

Speaker, and work is progressing on those fronts as we speak.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to ask the Premier: What is her hope in terms of the timeline

for that work that is happening?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that work is ongoing. The studies will take the amount of time

that they take. We have identified in the last two years sites that have

potential, particularly for hydro development. We have also looked at wind.

We have a commitment to all of the people in Newfoundland and Labrador,

particularly to people on the Coast of Labrador, Mr. Speaker, who are

circumvented, particularly in their commercial activities, by their lack of

access to an energy grid or any other source of power. We have made that

commitment to them, and we are going to keep following up on that commitment. We

all look forward to the day when we can see diesel replaced by renewable energy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I assume it is Nalcor that is doing that work. I wish they would put that

information on-line because I have searched and the only thing they are talking

about is Ramea.

We know that Nalcor has been working on a wind hydrogen diesel project in

Ramea which it expects will deliver reliable and cost-effective electricity to

customers in the future. Customers on the South Labrador Coast are getting no

alternative to diesel that they are aware of

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: and will get no energy from Muskrat Falls, though the

transmission lines will go through their region.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Can she be more specific for the people on

the South Labrador Coast, and explain to them why the transmission lines are not

going to affect them?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish the Leader of the NDP would really stop playing catch-up.

In terms of our discussion around Muskrat Falls in this House, we have talked

at length about power to the South Coast of Labrador and why it is not feasible

to run power lines down there, because ratepayers pay for the cost of

electricity generation. Because of the small number of people and the cost of

running the energy lines down there, Mr. Speaker, it would be almost impossible

for ratepayers to afford electricity from Churchill Falls. Those are the facts

of it, Mr. Speaker.

The people of the South Coast of Labrador are well informed about Nalcor's

intentions and this government's intentions. Why don't you catch-up with

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I am going to point out that it will be more than the people on the South

Coast of Labrador who are going to have to be worried about the rate they are

going to be paying for electricity down the road.

In recent years, government has earmarked public funding for wage increases

to keep home support workers from leaving their jobs. Mr. Speaker, getting fair

wages for these workers was not just a deal between the union and private

businesses; it was supported by government to make sure there would be enough

workers in the essential health care occupation.

Why is the minister refusing to acknowledge government's responsibility for

making sure that seniors and people with disabilities have the home care they

need to survive?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see that at least today she is acknowledging that

these are private businesses. Private businesses negotiate with their employees.

They develop their terms. The employees decide under what terms they are going

to work for that private business.

Government has no

part in that, Mr. Speaker, but what we do have a

part in is

the provision of home care in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is why we have

invested $161 million in this year's Budget. We will continue the home support

program that we have in place in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It is so disturbing that the minister refuses to acknowledge publicly the

money that government put in each year until this year to help subsidize those

wages.

Mr. Speaker, home support workers are a group of predominantly female workers

who earn slightly more than minimum wage, but provide important support to

seniors and people with disabilities. These workers are caring for the most

vulnerable in our society but government holds the purse strings and seems to

devalue their work.

Mr. Speaker, why won't this government provide decent wages for home support

workers?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, I am going to reiterate what I have already

told this House and the member opposite. We are very concerned about home care

and home support in this Province. That is why we have invested $161 million.

Mr. Speaker, that is $123 million annually of new money that this government has

brought to the table for home support. We have reduced the client contribution

by $291 a month.

Mr. Speaker, we still have a very viable home support program in this

Province. We will continue to invest in it. We will continue to ensure that the

needs of seniors and persons with disabilities in this Province are met.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MITCHELMORE: Mr. Speaker, there is lack of echocardiogram service at

St. Anthony Hospital despite a staff complement and equipment. The CEO agreed to

conduct a review some months ago. He has since confirmed the service would not

be added. So I requested the information used to base this decision. Mr.

Speaker, the CEO, in a recent e-mail, said there was no written report.

Will the Minister of Health restore accountability and direct her CEO to

produce a report, or is she okay with decisions made based on discussion?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is referring to an operational decision

within one of our RHAs. Mr. Speaker, we have very, very competent people in our

RHAs who have expertise in all of these areas, who made those decisions based on

evidence, based on facts, et cetera. Mr. Speaker, evidence-based decision making

is something that we support on this side of the House.

Mr. Speaker, if the member would like me to consult with the RHA and the CEO

in terms of that particular decision, then I will; but I will tell the member

opposite these are operational decisions inside of our RHAs. They are not

decisions that we look at every day inside of the Department of Health and

Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Mr. Speaker, certainly for accountability, we should

have written documentation when we are making such decisions.

Three weeks ago I requested a meeting with Labrador-Grenfell Health CEO to

discuss echocardiogram service and other health-related

matters, as he suggested. To date, he has not acknowledged this request but has

since penned a letter to the editor of the Northern Pen .

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health direct her CEO to meet with my

office to discuss a ream of health issues, as the majority of people served at

these hospitals are my constituents; or will the CEO and I continue to have

media conversations?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the CEO of Labrador-Grenfell is doing exemplary work in that

region.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, I could not be happier with the work that he is

doing. Now, the fact that the member requested a meeting three weeks ago and has

not had it yet is no surprise, given the amount of work that happens at the

particular regional health authority.

Mr. Speaker, let me just enlighten the House a little bit more here. The

member opposite has asked me several questions. I have gone out and I have

gotten the information for him. I have walked across the House, I sat in the

chair next to him, and I gave him that information. I do not know what his

problem is in terms of not being able to get information. More than happy to

continue to try to find the information the member

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Member for St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this is National Police Week, a time we remember those peace

officers who have been killed and injured on the job. We can begin helping them

do their job in safety by passing move-over legislation. The government has had

move-over legislation on the books now for the last two sessions.

When will we see the government introduce this legislation to protect all

emergency workers on our highways?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Mr. Speaker, I have met with the hon. member from across the

House and as he well knows our departments are working diligently on putting

together a move-over law. When we have all of that information put together and

we feel that it is ready to move forward, then we will move forward with it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Province has jurisdiction on land for search and rescue. It has

helicopters that are available to perform tasks from ferrying passengers to

performing SAR duties. The call for helicopter service this time went through

Halifax.

Why the call to Halifax for assistance first when we had one available in

Happy Valley-Goose Bay?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: The hon. member has clearly shown, Mr. Speaker, that he does

not understand protocol. He does not understand the process that is involved in

regard to providing search and rescue to the Province and the rest of Canada. It

has to go through the JRCC in Halifax and then the call comes back. It takes a

matter of minutes, I say to the hon. member.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East, time for a quick

question without

preamble.

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, do we have a wheels-up protocol as we expect

from our federal counterparts in search and rescue?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs, for a quick

response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: As the hon. member knows, I had a meeting with the minister,

Minister MacKay, last week. I reiterated that issue in regard to wheels up,

thirty minutes, is an adequate service and that is the service we require in

this Province. This is the action we are asking of the federal minister to place

in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: I am sorry. The time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. MCGRATH: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to table the annual

report of the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities on operations carried

out under the Automobile Insurance Act.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Notices of Motion.

Answers to Question for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, a petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament Assembled, the petition of

the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the offshore of the West Coast of the Island of Newfoundland is

recognized as a region containing potentially billions of barrels of oil; and

WHEREAS hydraulic fracturing could be an accepted and effective method of

petroleum discovery and exploration, and is compatible with the protection of

the natural environment and water sources when executed within the context of a

comprehensive regulatory framework; and

WHEREAS the petroleum exploration sector needs the certainty and confidence

of a stable regulatory regime; and

WHEREAS with that regulatory regime in place oil discovery and industry

development could provide unprecedented economic opportunity and bring people

home to a currently economically challenged region; and

WHEREAS the undersigned support properly regulated exploration and

development of the oil and gas resource in the Province;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to

introduce a regulatory framework immediately under which hydraulic fracturing

could proceed safely and move this industry forward in Western Newfoundland.

Mr. Speaker, people are really waiting, they are really literally hanging by

their thumbs wondering how this is going to turn out. The people in the whole

region do not necessarily believe that it would be a huge development. They

certainly do not believe that the scare tactics of the opponents to hydraulic

fracturing are helping the industry.

The people in the region I represent, the people who have signed this

petition are people from Port Saunders and Port au Choix, which is an hour or so

north of the northern most extremity where this Green Point shale is located.

They are very concerned. They would like to see economic development. They would

like to see the port of Hawke's Bay again receive commercial shipping, tankers

that would come and take the oil away.

Mr. Speaker, we hear the fear mongers, the people with scare tactics who are

talking about what it means with hydraulic fracturing in the park. If they would

just look at the map they would realize and maybe they do realize that there

is no hydraulic fracturing proposed in the park. Any hydraulic fracturing that

is proposed is within enclaves which are clearly provincial land set aside for

people of the Province and for provincial development.

This is not about hydraulic fracturing in Gros Morne National Park. This is

about people who oppose development and people who want development and jobs.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the issue is development and anti-development. The

battlefield is my district and the people who I represent. They do not want to

be used as pawns; they want this to move forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER (Verge): The Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS residents of Newfoundland and Labrador have not been provided with

detailed evidence providing justification for government's decision to remove

Adult Basic Education from College of the North Atlantic; and

WHEREAS residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned that

government's decision to remove ABE from the College of the North Atlantic will

lead to a decline in already low provincial literacy rates; and

WHEREAS residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned that

government's decision will limit access to ABE services in remote regions; and

WHEREAS residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned that

government's decision will result in a decline in the availability of supports

to assist ABE learners; and

WHEREAS government's research shows that educational attainment is the most

important determinant of earnings and sustained attachment to the labour market;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to provide the full details of enrolment,

graduation, and funding analysis that were carried out to justify the decision

to cut the Adult Basic Education program at College of the North Atlantic.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this petition has petitioners from all across Labrador, Happy

Valley-Goose Bay, Sheshatshiu, North West River, quite a number from Goose Bay;

other petitioners from Port Hope Simpson, from Hopedale, from Charlottetown and

from a number of different communities, Forteau, a variety of different

communities across Labrador.

We know, Mr. Speaker, that ABE has been cut in Grand Falls-Windsor, it has

been cut in Gander, it has been cut in Corner Brook, and it has been cut in

Happy Valley-Goose Bay, one of the hardest hit colleges at College of the North

Atlantic.

It has been cut at St. Anthony, Bonavista, and at the Bay St. George campus.

Also in Port aux Basques and in Burin, another campus that has been fairly hard

hit by these cuts. In Placentia, in Seal Cove, Labrador West, the Baie Verte

campus, Clarenville, and the Prince Philip Drive campus.

As has been pointed out time again here in the House of Assembly, we have

nothing other than mere sound bite type explanations of why it is that these

programs are going to be privatized. College instructors and students and those

who are interested in this issue in the community have told us time and again

that there are a variety of services that are offered at the College of the

North Atlantic that may or may not be available depending on who the provider is

going to be for the new privatized Adult Basic Education program

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The member's time has expired.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS students of the Adult Basic Education program at the College of the

North Atlantic do not wish to attend privatized educational facilities; and

WHEREAS College of the North Atlantic has the most accredited Adult Basic

Education program in Newfoundland and Labrador; and

WHEREAS students are concerned as to the availability of private institutions

and whether or not they can accommodate additional students;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to reverse

this damaging decision to students and reinstate the ABE programming at the

College of the North Atlantic.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is a subject that has had considerable attention, as it

should, because it was what I think to be a very short-sighted decision. There

was one small group of students who got some reprieve this week with the

announcement that the

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. A. PARSONS: program at the Waterford will be continued. It will not

be provided by the College of the North Atlantic so we will wait to see who does

that; the same as we are going to wait everywhere else.

We did ask the acting minister in Estimates about the ABE tenders that are

going out. We anxiously await those as they come out because we know that it is

one thing to put out the tender, then the tender has to be filled and then there

is a process. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that these students

have the ability to continue this education in the fall.

We all know that these students, many of whom have barriers, need to get this

and they need it sooner. The quicker they can do this, the quicker they can

transition into other trades to fill this work shortage that this government

talks about but seems to take actions that contradict their goals.

Again, I could continue on that, but I only have a couple of minutes. I just

want to say I look forward to seeing these tenders and these RFPs and hoping

that more places have an ability to achieve this service, as the Premier said,

but again, I will cross my fingers and hope for that.

It says nothing about the over 100 people that this government let go,

qualified instructors at the College of the North Atlantic that this government

let go and basically said thank you for your service but you are no longer

required. We are going to do it for cheaper and easier. Even though they have

done nothing yet to show us how they came to these numbers, which again,

depending on who you talk to on any given day the number changes.

Given that the government refuses to table the documents that show us how

they came to these numbers, I am sure they do not have anything to hide. Maybe I

will send a personal e-mail off, we will get a personal e-mail back, and that is

how we will get to the bottom of it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS with the passage of Bill 29, the Access to Information and Protection

Of Privacy (Amendment) Act, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has

weakened citizens' access to information and has reduced government

transparency; and

WHEREAS the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has moved towards greater

secrecy and less openness; and

WHEREAS the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is breaking its own

commitment for greater transparency, accountability, and freedom of information,

which it said at one time was the hallmark of its government;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to repeal

the passage of Bill 29.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, we know that even more so now than ever how important it is for

us to have access to information. With these drastic cuts that we have seen in

this Budget, we constantly are asking for information, on what basis were they

made, what were the plans if, in fact, there were any plans, Mr. Speaker. I do

not know if they are withholding the plans or if there were not any plans. It is

hard to know, because they are not forthcoming.

With all the core mandate reviews that have been done almost in every

department, we need to see those. We need to see if, in fact, what those core

mandate reviews were revealing, and also how departments are functioning and how

these cuts affect whether or not departments can maintain their core mandate

reviews, can deliver their core mandate reviews, can execute their core mandate

reviews.

Hiding behind Bill 29 is old-style politics, Mr. Speaker, and we know that

this government said that its hallmark was that it was going to be a government

of transparency, openness, and accountability. Bill 29 is the actual opposite of

that. It is the nemesis of that, and I cannot believe that still this government

is holding on to it.

Again, it is old-style politics, it is hiding, and now again more than ever,

particularly when we see the rollout of Muskrat Falls, how much even more

important it is that this government be absolutely transparent, absolutely open

and accountable to the people of the Province. The money that belongs to the

people of the Province is being spent on very large projects and it affects then

also the small aspects of the people's lives, particularly program delivery and

social service delivery, and it is very important to have a clear idea of what

is going on.

So, Mr. Speaker, that is all that I want to say at this point. I think again

that

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member that her time has expired.

MS ROGERS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, a petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of

the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there has been an agreement between the Federation of Newfoundland

Nation Band; and

WHEREAS persons submitted applications, with the required documents, for

registration in the Band up the application deadline of November 30, 2012; and

WHEREAS the reported number of applications received by the Qalipu Mi'kmaq

First Nation Band is in excess of 100,000; and

WHEREAS the reported number of applicants now registered as members is

approximately 22,000; and

WHEREAS the agreement between the Federation of Newfoundland Indians and the

scheduled to end on March 31, 2013; and

WHEREAS the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band Chief has requested, but has not

received, an extension to the agreement to process the remaining applications;

and

WHEREAS to date there is no decision on how to deal with the remaining

applications;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to work

provide a fair and equal review of all our applications.

And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is a simple request for fairness. It is not a request for

money. It is not a request for any sort of benefits. It is not a request for

pensions. It is not a request for a raise in pay. It is simply a request that

our provincial government would assist, would intervene, would offer to help and

would simply, maybe through Aboriginal Affairs, maybe through Intergovernmental

Affairs, make representations on behalf of individuals who have submitted

applications clearly within the timeline, potentially within the guideline and

wish to have their application assessed.

It is a request to our government to speak on behalf of up to 20 per cent of

the people of the Province. Mr. Speaker, that would have to be seen as probably

the largest ethnic group in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, bar none.

They simply are asking for their applications to be assessed so they can be

recognized.

Mr. Speaker, we have not had a very good history in this Province with our

relations with native people. I would hazard a guess that many people in this

very Chamber, maybe even approaching majority, may well have some native

ancestry from some parts of the Island and some parts of Labrador. It is very

important that people be able to have their genealogy recognized and have their

status recognized. It is a simple request to the Government of Newfoundland and

Labrador to help us.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member that his time has expired.

The Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS students of the Adult Basic Education program at the College of the

North Atlantic do not wish to attend privatized educational facilities; and

WHEREAS College of the North Atlantic has the most accredited Adult Basic

Education program in Newfoundland and Labrador; and

WHEREAS students are concerned as to the availability of private institutions

and whether or not they can accommodate additional students;

WHEREUPPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to reverse this damaging decision to

students and reinstate the Adult Basic Education programming at the College of

the North Atlantic.

And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I received a number of these petitions, as well as other

members. I believe even today, this is the third time this petition has been

presented into the House of Assembly. It is a clear indication based on the

number of people who have signed on many occasions, calling for this decision to

be reversed.

They have some real, legitimate concerns. They do not know where things are

headed. There is a lot of uncertainty out there and there is a lot of

information that has not been provided when it comes to looking at how this

decision was truly made.

This petition is signed by residents in Labrador, in Sheshatshiu and the

North West River. The people of Labrador here in these communities are very

concerned about where the delivery of Adult Basic Education is going to be with

the removal of the program from the College of the North Atlantic, as well as

looking at if the number of people are going to be accommodated. So there are

legitimate concerns by people all across the Province in Newfoundland and

Labrador as to how ABE is going to be delivered.

We do not see a timeline. We have not seen the RPF, the tenders called. When

we had something that worked really well, and to see it just cut. We do not

really know what type of savings is there and what overall impact this is going

to have on the education system and where people are headed for their careers.

This is certainly something people are speaking out loudly about, Mr. Speaker.

I put forward this petition in the House of Assembly to urge government and

to urge all members of the House to make these changes.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, a petition to the hon. House of Assembly for

the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition

of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS home care allows the elderly and people with disabilities to remain

within the comfort and security of their homes, home care also allows people to

be discharged from hospital earlier; and

WHEREAS many families find it very difficult to recruit and retain home care

workers for their loved ones; and

WHEREAS the PC Blue Book 2011 as well as the 2012 Speech from the Throne

committed that government would develop a new model of home care and give people

the option of receiving that care from family members; and

WHEREAS government has given no time commitment for when government plans to

implement paying family caregivers;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to

implement a new home care model to cover family caregivers.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this again is another request that does not actually cost

government money. It does not cost government more money than is actually

already being paid because the individuals who are entitled to health care are

entitled to health care. The issue is who provides the home care, rather?

Whoever provides the home care, it could be a stranger, it could be a relative,

but it must be an accredited person to a qualified individual.

Government has already indicated in this year's Budget that enough funds have

been committed for approximately three-quarters of the year. Does that mean we

will wait for one-quarter of the year to pass and then try to ramp up instantly

to 100 per cent coverage and then run through the year?

Mr. Speaker, that is not efficient. It would be far better if the government

would move forward with the promise, move forward with the commitment, start

approving people, and moving this system to benefit everybody that this promise

was made to.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland

and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents

of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS transgendered people face high risk of discrimination, violence,

unemployment, and lack of access to housing and other services; and

WHEREAS a recent EGALE Canada survey found that 90 per cent of transgender

youth hear transphobic comments regularly from other students and one-quarter

hear such comments from teachers; and

WHEREAS the Public Health Agency of Canada reports that nearly half of trans

youth seriously considered suicide and one-fifth attempted it in the previous

year; and

WHEREAS all individuals should have equal opportunity to live their lives and

meet their needs without being hindered or prevented by discriminatory practices

based on gender identity or gender expression;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to amend the Human Rights Act to include

gender identity and gender expression in the list of prohibited grounds of

discrimination.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to be able to present this petition, as the

Minister of Justice is here in the House. He is able to hear this petition on

behalf of so many families. This is a petition not only on behalf of transgender

youth, but it is on behalf of their families, their communities, their schools,

and their workplaces.

Nobody wants to see discrimination, Mr. Speaker. It does not benefit anyone.

As a matter of fact, it is a hindrance. It is a negative influence that can be

in the place of school. It is a negative influence that can be in the place of

work.

We have an obligation. As a government, there is an obligation to do as much

as we possibly can to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation, on

sex, on ability or physical disability, and on this issue of gender identity and

gender expression.

I do not know how many times I have gotten up in the House and spoke about

this. As a matter of fact, the Premier, in the media, said: Oh, she is always

standing up in the House talking about the rights for transgendered people.

AN HON. MEMBER: The hon. member (inaudible).

MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, yes, I am. I respond to that: I will get up every

day and present this petition if I have to, because this is the right thing. It

is the right thing for this government to do. It is the right thing for the

Minister of Justice to do. I know that he is a smart man; I assume that he is a

smart man and he knows the difference. He knows that the time has come to do

this, that human rights legislators across the globe across the globe are

dealing with this issue. What do we have to do to drag this Minister of Justice

into the twenty-first century to be able to deal with this.?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member her time has expired.

MS ROGERS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: I am coming to the twenty-first century, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 1 that the House approves in

general the budgetary policy of the government, the Budget Speech.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Mount Pearl North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a great pleasure to rise in the House today to speak to the Budget, to

speak to the main motion that will hopefully pass soon enough to approve the

budgetary policies of this government. I have had a chance to speak in

Committee, I have had a chance to various pieces of the Budget, but I am very

pleased to have an opportunity today to speak to the main motion.

We have heard lots during this Budget debate. There has been lots of coverage

of this Budget, perhaps more than any Budget in our recent history. We have also

heard lots of criticism of our Budget from the other side and not a lot of it

has been constructive.

In fact, we have heard, particularly from the NDP, lots of comments around

how this Budget is not good for families and it is not good for child care, and

it is not good for home care and it is not good for poverty reduction. Knowing

how this Budget came to be, knowing how we have listened to the people that we

represent in

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENT: the Province and in our districts, and knowing some of the

issues that are important to the people in Mount Pearl North, in Paradise and

Mount Pearl, I am going to focus on those issues in the few minutes that I have

today, Mr. Speaker. I am going to talk about families. I am going to talk about

child care. I am going to talk about home care and poverty reduction. Issues

that absolutely matter to people in every community in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

We will continue to invest strategically in areas that we know matter most to

the people of this Province. We listened to what people had to say and we have

delivered a Budget that focuses on education, that focuses on health care, and

that focuses on issues that truly do matter to the residents that we represent.

Our Budget has really taken into consideration what is important to people

and the working families and that is why we see in this Budget $2.9 billion

directly supporting the health and well-being of families. That is why in this

Budget we see $1.3 billion for the K-12 education system and post-secondary

education in Newfoundland and Labrador.

That is why we see $230 million to support communities and to support our

residents of those communities. So we have invested in the well-being of

families, with steps to put more money into the pockets of hard-working families

in Newfoundland and Labrador. One way that we have actually been able to do

that, Mr. Speaker, is through having a tax regime that protects Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians from onerous tax burdens.

Now, it was just a week ago, maybe two weeks ago, it might have been three

weeks ago, that I heard the Leader of the New Democratic Party on one of the

Open Line shows in the morning. She was proposing that now that we have the kind

of economy that we have in Newfoundland and Labrador, now that we have the kind

of prosperity that we have, we should tax people more. We have the ability to

tax working families, we have the ability to tax the very people who I am

talking about, and that is all we have heard through the course of this debate

from the NDP. We have heard no alternatives, no solutions. We have just heard

lots of empty promises and the threat of increased taxation, which I find

frustrating.

When this government came to power in 2003, the tax burden on families in

this Province was absolutely excessive. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that this

Premier and this government is not going back there. In projecting a significant

deficit earlier this year, we could have made the easy choice to raise taxes

quite easily, but we did not. The fact that we have lowered taxes since coming

into office speaks to our commitment to helping those working families. We have

lowered taxes for working families in Newfoundland and Labrador by over a half

billion dollars. We actually have in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker, the

most competitive tax regime in Atlantic Canada but you will not hear the

parties opposite talking about that.

So we have to advance and continue the growth we are experiencing in this

Province, and we have to make sure that there are no increases to personal

income taxes, and that is what we have done in this Budget. In fact, we have put

a half billion dollars a year back into the pockets of Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians through tax cuts. Just through tax cuts that we have introduced

alone, we are talking a half billion dollars of savings to Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians.

Now, we know that there are some people in this House who do not support

cuts, but young working families who bear the brunt of the tax burden in this

Province certainly do support the investments we are making and the tough

decisions that we are making.

In recent years, I was really proud to be part of a government that set up

the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, speaking of our commitment

to children and families. A really core mandate of our government has been to

ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth. We want to create safer

communities. We want to secure prosperity for the next generation, and we need

to do that through sound planning for the future.

Through the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, we have announced

a number of programs and initiatives that will serve to protect our young people

and to enhance programming for children and youth in this Province. Through this

Budget, the Budget we are debating in this House today, the Budget that we have

been debating for the last number of weeks, we announced $185 million for

program delivery in essential areas for child protection, essential areas like

youth services and child care in this Budget.

Our record is clear and strong, Mr. Speaker. We support families and we

continue to invest in families and we are continuing to do so through this

Budget.

You will often hear members across the House talk about how we do not have

plans and we do not have strategies. You will see them all over Twitter and

We have taken more proactive steps than any other government in the history of

Newfoundland and Labrador to support young working families. We do have a plan.

We have many plans. We have a 10-Year Child Care Strategy; that is a prime

example.

Under the Budget that we are introducing this year, Mr. Speaker, we allocated

$31.1 million in 2013-2014 for child care in Newfoundland and Labrador, yet

members opposite will suggest that we are doing nothing. We continue to

implement our ten-year strategy. It is called Caring For Our Future: Provincial

Strategy for Quality, Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

There are a number of things in that strategy that will directly impact

families like mine, families like the Member for Terra Nova, who is expecting

another child, I hear. Congratulations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: These investments include a Child Care Subsidy Program to

increase capacity in the system, workplace training for early childhood

educators. In all, there are eight exciting initiatives to enhance child care in

this Province that will support young working families.

We also have a Continuum of Care Strategy, Mr. Speaker, to assist some of the

most vulnerable children in our society. It is a first for the Province. It is a

groundbreaking piece of work. Budget 2013 will invest a total of $14.3 million

to continue to implement this strategy, and it is working. It is working to

improve the care options for children and youth that are in need of out-of-home

placement. The investment also includes $250,000 to launch the second phase of

the foster parent recruitment campaign.

I recently chatted with the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services, and

I was really pleased to hear that campaign is working. Our efforts to recruit

more foster families in Newfoundland and Labrador are making a difference. When

I see in this Budget that we are going to enhance that investment, I know that

is a sound decision and a wise decision.

Since our Continuum of Care Strategy was announced, we have implemented a new

four-level system for foster care. It provides compensation that is specific to

each level by recognizing the experiences, the training, and the skills of the

foster parents who we work with, and matching children and youth with a foster

family who best meets the specific needs of those children.

As I said, the Foster a FutureFoster a Child Today promotional campaign is

making a real difference in terms of recruiting foster parents. We have issued a

Request for Proposals for contracted staff residential placements, which I

believe is a huge step forward for foster care. That is going to be awarded in

the coming months.

We have also commenced the initial development of the remaining level for

specialized foster homes, again, a really proactive, progressive move forward

for foster care. Our commitment to supporting families and children is reflected

in our Continuum of Care Strategy as well.

Ensuring the health and safety of kids in this Province is a central

commitment of this government. That is why we invest in supports for vulnerable

families and children. We understand how important front line people are who

make these programs work. That is why we are investing another $314,000 this

year to hire four new front line positions.

That brings the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services total of front

line positions in Newfoundland and Labrador today to over 500 people. These new

positions will assist the department with improving the programs and services we

offer to children, to youth, to their families. It will also help improve

caseload management, which is an ongoing challenge for us and we have made huge

progress.

We also remain committed to placing social worker students within the

department. We have about seventy social work students each year who work in

recruitment, and who are recruited and retained through the department so that

we do have an influx of new social workers in the Province. We also provide

these students with opportunities for exposure and experience in critical areas

like child protection.

We are also investing in Labrador. We are making some strategic investments

to help vulnerable children in Labrador as well. Funding of $380,000 in this

Budget is provided to continue with the purchase of some staff housing in

Labrador to build upon the recruitment and retention of staff in that region.

We have done some other things that you have recently heard about and that

people of the Province have recently heard about. Just as we began the Budget

debate in this House, we announced an investment of $1 million to set up a Task

Force on Child Exploitation and Drugs, an effort to make our communities safer

and to protect our children. This is a unique partnership between the RNC and

RCMP that will focus on serious criminal cases from a dedicated facility.

We have also invested $750,000 to advance the work that is underway for the

development and implementation of a Province-wide 911 system. I know that is

important to municipal governments and it is important to residents of

communities, particularly rural ones in our Province. It is all about continuing

to enhance public safety.

I want to talk specifically about home care because it was raised in Question

Period today. It is raised most days. If you simply listen to some of the

commentary from members opposite you would assume there is nothing in place to

address this growing need in our society, nothing could be further from the

truth.

More help for families will come from this Budget's allocation of $92 million

to strengthen long-term care and community support services to help seniors, to

help persons with disabilities, to help them achieve independence, Mr. Speaker,

to improve their quality of life in their homes and in their communities. That

is another major step forward. That has not been reflected in some of the

comments we have heard from across the way.

In addition to those dollars and in addition to the money that we spend

annually on home care, we have invested over $550 million

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER (Littlejohn): Order, please!

MR. KENT: - a half billion dollars in new funding over the last eight

years in enhanced long-term care and community support services. This support

continues in Budget 2013.

We are seeing $72 million for the continuation of several long-term care

infrastructure projects, facilities in Carbonear, facilities in St. John's. If

he would stop chirping long enough to listen, the Member for Bay of Islands

would know that we are investing in facilities in Corner Brook as well, in

Clarenville, in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, in Bonavista.

There is over $9 million to address growth and the need for additional

resources in the Home Support Program. We know that more individuals require

this support. There are more applications coming in, which is why we are

increasing the funding.

We are also committing over $6 million in this Budget for the paid family

care giving option. We continue to hear members opposite raise it over and over

again to suggest that somehow we are not committed to that program. Again,

nothing could be further from the truth. In this Budget there are new dollars

committed to bringing that program to life. It annualizes to $8.2 million in

2014-2015.

We have $1.6 million for the continued implementation of a pilot project for

Community Rapid Response Teams, and that will expand to four sites from two this

year. It will provide enhanced health services and home support to seniors in

their homes. It will ultimately reduce the need for admissions to hospitals in

our Province.

We have $1.5 million for the implementation of enhanced care and personal

care homes for a pilot project. That will allow residents to achieve greater

levels of care in personal care homes. You will not hear members opposite

talking about any of those initiatives that are clearly spelled out in this

Budget and in the various Budget documents.

We are also adding another $624,000 to add 100 new portable subsidies to the

Personal Care Home Program. This provides individuals with greater personal care

home choices and it brings the total number of subsides in Newfoundland and

Labrador to 2,348. Again, the NDP would tell you we are doing nothing.

There is $372,000 to introduce forty subsidized respite beds in personal care

homes to allow for increased access to respite services in communities all over

Newfoundland and Labrador; $150,000 to enhance palliative care comfort rooms in

long-term care facilities and in health centres throughout Newfoundland and

Labrador. These are just a few examples of what we are doing to improve home

care, to improve support to families, seniors, and some of the folks in our

Province who really need this specialized care.

If you listen to the Opposition, particularly the Third Party, you would

think that somehow we have abandoned our Poverty Reduction Strategy, which

continues to receive national recognition for the positive impact it is having.

In addition to the work we are doing on health care, child care, safety, and

supporting vulnerable families, we have a Poverty Reduction Strategy that is

making a difference. It is one area we are particularly proud of and we are

seeing increased investments in that strategy in the 2013 Budget.

We have been able to move from the Province with the highest rate of poverty

in Canada to the Province with the third-lowest rate of poverty in Canada. That

is a pretty impressive accomplishment, and it is real progress, Mr. Speaker.

We announced approximately $149 million in this Budget to further support the

Poverty Reduction Strategy to improve health and living conditions, education,

incomes, and overall well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our

society, some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

It is a comprehensive approach. We have a plan. It is an integrated approach.

It is a long-term approach. It is really making a difference in terms of the

prevention, the reduction, and the alleviation of poverty in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

We are now below the national average. This strategy is considered a model

for others to follow. Newfoundland and Labrador is a national leader in this

area, but you will hear the crowd opposite continue to suggest that the sky is

falling.

We are seeing close to $150 million invested in continuing initiatives that

are directly related to our Poverty Reduction Strategy; $6.5 million for board

and lodging supplements for adults with disabilities who live with family; $4.8

million for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Supportive Living Program to

advance the work of community partners and stakeholders.

Now, if you listen to the Member for St. John's Centre, she would tell you

that Newfoundland and Labrador Housing is pretty well shut down, that there is

nothing going on to address the unique housing needs and challenges we have in

Newfoundland and Labrador. These are new investments on top of the great work

that Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and other agencies of government already

are doing. These are new investments that will continue to advance the work of

our Poverty Reduction Strategy.

In this Budget we have $1.2 million to enhance health benefits for Income

Support recipients in our Province; $1.1 million for the Kids Eat Smart

Foundation. We have expanded the prescription drug program. We have initiated a

dental program. We provide vision care and special diet needs, just to name a

few things we are doing through our Poverty Reduction initiatives. We are proud

to say that we are making a difference in the lives of people throughout

Newfoundland and Labrador.

This Budget clearly demonstrates that we, as a government, are focused on

what is important to the people of the Province. Our Premier and this government

are not afraid to make the tough decisions. When I talk about families, I am

concerned about the future of my family and the many other families throughout

our Province. We need to ensure they are not saddled with debt and with a burden

that is created by short-sighted or political opportunistic decision making.

We are committed to meeting the needs of the people of the Province while

also maintaining the kind of fiscal responsibility that this government has

demonstrated over the past decade.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: We are investing in families. We are investing in health care.

We are investing in communities, and we are investing in our children. There are

billions of dollars of investments in this Budget, a Budget that the members

opposite at some point in the hours or days ahead are likely to stand and vote

against, Mr. Speaker.

We are investing billions of dollars to support working families, to avoid

irresponsible tax hikes that the Leader of the NDP proposes. If you are in doubt

because she certainly talks out of both sides of her mouth just listen to

Open Line. It was just in the last few weeks that I heard her describe the

economic policies, or lack thereof, of the New Democratic Party.

Members opposite can create spin, they can create fear, they can create

confusion all they want and they can steal their policies off the Internet,

let's get back to the facts. We will continue to do what is responsible for the

people of the Province. We will invest in families.

Our government, led by our Premier, will support families through progressive

taxation, through investments in health care, investments in education, support

for children and youth, investments in safety and policing. With every aspect of

our Administration and in every aspect of life, we are committed to families,

and, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say I support this Budget.

This Budget proves yet again our commitment to families, and I for one will

be voting in favour of the initiatives that I have just outlined.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Lewisporte.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to stand here today and to speak to

Budget 2013. I want to start off, first of all, and thank the people of

Lewisporte District who have put their confidence in me as their member, and

have asked me to represent them in the House of Assembly. For them, I guess I

owe a great debt of gratitude, and I certainly want to thank them.

I do not get a whole lot of speaking opportunities, Mr. Speaker, since taking

the position as Deputy Speaker in the House of Assembly. A lot of times when

speaking opportunities arise or certain bills are being brought forward, I am

actually presiding over the proceedings in the House; thus, I am not afforded

the same number of speaking opportunities. I certainly am thankful for this

opportunity today.

Mr. Speaker, the Budget is a piece of legislation, of course, that we pass

each year. The Budget is used to forecast the manner in which government intends

to manage the people's finances for the fiscal year that lies ahead. There has

been much talk about Budget 2013, and then, of course, about Budget 2014 and

2015 in the time leading up to this budget.

The accounting tells us, Mr. Speaker, that if we, as a government, continue

to spend like we have been spending then this year we would end up with an

overall shortfall, a deficit that we believe to be unacceptable. We are a

responsible government. Mr. Speaker, we need to take measures that protect the

long-term health and the financial well-being of this Province. We are never

going to lose sight of that fact and that responsibility.

We took government, Mr. Speaker, at a time when the financial health of this

Province was very weak. Confidence in our economy and in our Province from both

inside the Province and from outside the Province was extremely low. Our goal

was to restore the Province back to a position of economic growth and to a place

of balanced budgets, and to be fiscally prudent. We recognized this from the

early days of our government and we made a conscious decision to govern

according to principle and according to sound fiscal management. I guess to more

fully explain, I want to take a brief look back at where we were when we took

government and to also look at how far we have come.

Mr. Speaker, in 2003, and in the preceding years, there were deficits that

continued to add up year after year. The cumulative effect was a provincial debt

that continued to get increasingly higher. The debt of this Province back when

we took government in 2003 had risen to a whopping $12 billion. That meant at

that time that every man, woman and child in this Province owed approximately

$23,000.

It was obvious, Mr. Speaker, that trend had to stop. Things needed to be

turned around. We had to make tough decisions to turn the financial picture in a

positive direction. We had hoped at that time to bring the Province back from a

nearly $1 billion deficit position to a balanced budget and then to a potential

surplus within a few years. With surplus budgets, the net debt could be lowered

and we could potentially have cash on hand to fund future projects and to avoid

borrowing.

In 2004-2005, we had a deficit that year of approximately $500 million.

Compared to nearly $1 billion the year before, which was what the Liberal

government was budgeting in their last year in office, about $1 billion deficit,

Mr. Speaker.

By 2005-2006, things actually had started to turn around for us at a quicker

pace than we even anticipated. In just the second year of office we were able to

turn a surplus Budget. Mr. Speaker, for six of the following seven years we were

able to report surplus Budgets. During that time we made some decisions. We

decided that we must stay the course, that we need to be fiscally prudent, and

we needed to be wise with the revenue that was coming into the Province.

We used the surplus money to lower our net debt, and we also used it to

invest back into the infrastructure and into services for the people of the

Province. At that time as well, Mr. Speaker, we had to strike a balance between

economic stimulus and fiscal prudence. We had grown to a place where we were

able to take control of our own decisions, and to move ahead with renewed

confidence and also with a greater sense of pride.

It was at that time, Mr. Speaker, when world economies were collapsing and

provinces throughout this country were facing financial turmoil that we had

gotten ourselves to a position where we could stave off the negative effects of

the recession. How? By investing back into the Province and that is what we did.

At a time when there was a recession looming, we were in a position where we

could invest in infrastructure, provide stimulus to the economy, and able to

stave off the effects of the recession. One of the projects that we did, Mr.

Speaker, was in my own district, a $30 million investment in a health facility.

A great investment it has proven out to be.

Economists and banks at this time were talking about the great way in which

our Province of Newfoundland and Labrador was growing and prospering. Even

though there were things falling apart internationally, there were things on the

decline nationally, economists throughout the country were talking about the

great example that Newfoundland and Labrador had provided. We were leading the

country in economic growth. We were leading the country in Gross Domestic

Product. We were also leading the country in job growth.

As I look back at those times, it was only four or five, five or six years

ago, Mr. Speaker, I can see more clearly now that we did, in fact, make the

right decisions. We had surplus Budgets and we had to make decisions what to do

with that money. It was through sound fiscal management that we were able to

have surplus Budgets, then we needed to decide what we would do. We gave raises

to our public service people. We hired additional personnel to assist with the

delivery of services. We maintained tuition freezes at Memorial University and

at the colleges. Doing all of that, we were still able to reduce taxes for the

people.

As well, even doing all of that, we had money to invest in our infrastructure

and we built roads and we built schools and we built bridges. We invested in

water and sewer facilities, in municipal buildings, in fire departments and in

infrastructure from one end of this Province to the other. We invested in it, we

provided stimulus, we kept our economy growing, and we restored the

infrastructure of this Province back to an acceptable level.

Our Province was pumping and producing, while areas all around us nationally

and internationally were fighting to keep their head above water. Mr. Speaker,

we have been a government that is an example of wise investments and we have

coupled that with fiscal prudence and the people of the Province have been the

beneficiaries of this direction that we have taken.

Mr. Speaker, we have reached a point when we were looking forward to this

coming year, we had reached a point where our revenues were not as great as they

were in recent years so we had to sit back, take stock, and respond in a wise

and a prudent manner.

We cannot ignore the fact that oil revenues have been dwindling and that is

both from a lower price per barrel of oil and also from a decrease in production

levels. We cannot ignore the fact that we now have $500 million less coming in

from taxes. That is thanks to the tax reductions we have made and the additional

money we have put into the hands of people.

The NDP, Mr. Speaker, would not have done that. They would increase taxes and

they would take more money out of the hands of hard-working Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. They have said that they would increase taxes, Mr. Speaker. That

is their answer to increased expenses.

We cannot ignore the fact that the money we have traditionally gotten from

the federal government is now reduced by some $500 million. We also cannot

ignore the fact that our expenses have risen mainly because of the investment we

have made in personnel and because of the investments, Mr. Speaker, we have made

in health care, in education, in social programs, and in the rebuilding of

infrastructure.

So what do we do, Mr. Speaker, to address the current reality? It is a

reality that sees our Province in its best position ever. Let us not forget that

fact. Companies want to invest here. Consumer confidence remains very high.

Tourists are flocking here by the thousands. Opportunities abound, and we have

more jobs than at any other time in our history.

With all of this prosperity, government revenue, though, is less than its

expenses. So we have to do what is right. We have to do what is prudent. We have

to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador remains a place of growth and

opportunity.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: One of the ways we do that is we bring the revenues and the

Budget back to a surplus as quickly as possible. We will do that, Mr. Speaker,

for the long-term health and the well-being of our Province. We will do it

because it is the right thing to do. In the longer term, the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador will thank us for it and they will see that we did the

right thing.

We will not run up the debt of this Province irresponsibly. We will not

destroy consumer confidence in our Province by spending irresponsibly. We will

not discourage multimillion-dollar companies and multibillion-dollar companies

from investing in this Province by telling them we will tear up contracts and we

will set new terms, as suggested by the NDP. We will not promise the sky and be

willing to ramp up debt, increase taxes, and spend this Province into

bankruptcy, Mr. Speaker. No, we will not do that; we will do what is

responsible.

Mr. Speaker, we have to do what is right. We have to do what is credible. We

cannot suggest ludicrous alternatives, such as those put forward by members of

the New Democratic Party.

Recently, Mr. Speaker, a journalist in this Province wrote an article, on May

4, actually, and asked some questions about the future direction of the New

Democratic Party. I quote from that article. It said, "It happened very quickly

this week but it was a long time coming It is no longer good enough to simply

list all the things the party would like to do for people. It is time for the

NDP to start telling people how they will do these things and how they will pay

for them."

These are not my words, Mr. Speaker, this is a journalist in Newfoundland and

Labrador asking some pointed questions, doing some digging.

He said the Leader of the NDP and " her caucus have led an aggressive

condemnation of the recent provincial budget cuts. But they have never precisely

outlined how they would do things differently. He said, "The NDP also talk about

the need to look at ways to increase revenues, which either means cutting more

economic deals or raising taxes."

He goes on to say, "The province's business community is already quietly

worried. They fear a renewed expansion of the state financed by an increase in

corporate taxes."

Mr. Speaker, this particular

article and this particular journalist went on

to ask questions about the wood pellet crusade that has been raised by the

Member for The Straits White Bay North. Again, these are not personal attacks,

Mr. Speaker. I have nothing against anybody in this House. I could shake hands

and talk to anybody here. These are policy decisions.

When we have, not just our government, but when we have members of the media

now questioning the credibility of this party.

He goes on to say, "The MHA for the Straits-White Bay North is a vocal

supporter of a domestic wood pellet industry, going so far as to advocate the

wholesale conversion of all public buildings to wood burning as a source of heat

and electricity.

"It amounts to a plan to create a domestic market for an industry that has

already requested repeated government subsidies."

The Member for The Straits White Bay North recently Tweeted, according to

this article, and I am just quoting a journalist in this Province, "Government

of NL should convert government buildings from heating oil to wood pellets.

Let's save taxpayer money'".

He goes on to say again, the Member for The Straits White Bay North

Tweeted, "When will NL Gov realize energy savings & convert schools, hospitals

& public buildings to wood pellets. Much cheaper than electricity.'"

The journalist says, "Is that the official NDP policy? Would an NDP

government unhook the Health Sciences from the electricity grid in favour of

wood pellets? Is that how an NDP government would spend infrastructure dollars?"

He says, the member "has been preaching this for months, along with plans to

burn shrimp shells and other biomass to fuel greenhouses, which will provide

food security to the Province. Is he freelancing? Or is that the official party

line?"

Mr. Speaker, I raise that not to attack the member personally; I would never

do that. I raise it because we need credibility in this Province. We need people

who will be responsible. We need people in government who will make considered

decisions built upon sound research. We need people who will listen to the

people and will also be responsible and make sure that no, we are not going to

raise taxes irresponsibly. We are not going to ramp the debt of this Province up

to an uncontrollable level. We are going to be concerned about the future of

Newfoundland and Labrador. We are going to be concerned about our children and

we are not going to be irresponsible.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, responsibility is what our government is all

about and that is why we get rave reviews from economists worldwide. That is why

our Province, under this government, will continue to grow.

Our Premier is a leader who sets the course in a visionary manner. She is a

person who leads by principle. Mr. Speaker, she is genuinely interested in doing

only what is in the best interests of the people of this Province. She is not

satisfied to make irresponsible decisions just because they are popular. At the

end of the day this Premier and this Province will do what is right, regardless

of the unsubstantiated, the frivolous criticism that sometimes comes from the

other side.

Mr. Speaker, despite that, we will do what is right. This is a good Budget.

This is a fiscally responsible approach that lays out a plan for this Province

well into the future. It brings us back to surplus within a few years, and, Mr.

Speaker, it is the right thing to do.

The people of the Province will see it is the right thing to do. We are doing

it because it is the right thing to do.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Before I begin, I would just like to offer my condolences to the families of

the late Joseph Riche and the late Judge Gordon Seabright, two very hon.

gentlemen in our Province.

Mr. Speaker, on a brighter note, I would also like to stand and congratulate

our new MP for Labrador, Ms Yvonne Jones

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. EDMUNDS: A very proud accomplishment. I think, Mr. Speaker, what we

are seeing is a trend and certainly we would like to see that trend applied to

our Province in the unlikely event that the Premier can find a candidate for

Cartwright L'Anse au Clair and call an election. Mr. Speaker, one other thing

that was, as a Liberal, good to see, is that the NDP supported a drop more so

than in the last general election, a changing trend and one that we look forward

to.

Mr. Speaker, on the Budget, I find myself rising in this hon. House on many

occasions still waiting for the Budget. The reason I say this is because there

have been so many changes to the Budget since it came out that it is starting to

confuse everybody. They had decisions on Justice; they had to go back and

revisit it and make changes. If the Budget cannot be accepted how it was

presented by this government through the accountability that they have been so

held to all because of us on this side, I certainly look forward to seeing the

Budget in its entirety.

A couple of things in the Budget, Mr. Speaker, and I find myself jumping

around this Budget. There are a whole bunch of areas where this Budget leaves a

good bit of stuff to be required. I would like to start off on wildlife, since

this is my last address to the Budget, and the shortfalls that have clearly been

brought forward.

First of all, I would like to talk about the cuts in personnel as it relates

to the Wildlife Division. We see cut backs in conservation officers, Mr.

Speaker, biologists, and a whole range of other resource people. In Corner

Brook, this office was strained before this Budget came out in looking after the

resources of our Province, which leads me to believe that this government has

not placed the attention it should on our wildlife resources.

On the Northern Peninsula, we are seeing declines in the moose populations.

Adjustments have been made through quotas, from some 1,250 quota cutbacks out of

a total cut of 1,500, and no one seems to know the reason why this herd is

declining. Yet, this government will cut back the people who are supposed to be

there to find out the resources. There is a safety factor; you have one

conservation officer, Mr. Speaker, to look after the whole Northern Peninsula.

That is like having one wildlife officer to look after the District of Torngat

Mountains. It is not a small district, but it is the size of the Northern

Peninsula.

I was very saddened to hear about the loss of a life in the Wildlife Division

earlier this winter, Mr. Speaker. My hon. colleague from St. Barbe knew this

gentleman. I