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November 21, 2013 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 33

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by Members

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

District of Bonavista South; the Member for the District of Port de Grave; the

Member for the District of Signal Hill Quidi Vidi; the Member for the District

of The Straits White Bay North; the Member for the District of St. John's

East; and the Member for the District of St. John's South.

The hon. the Member for the District of Bonavista South.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize Mr. Bramwell Mouland, resident of Bonavista, for

the countless hours of volunteer work that he has given to our Province

throughout his life. Mr. Mouland is quite devoted to his community and its

residents. He once said, "We have a responsibility to serve each other as we are

able to do."

Bram committed thirty-six years to our children's development, both as a

school teacher and principal. He has served as Bonavista town councillor for

twenty-six years, and because of his vision, Bonavista now has the boardwalk

walking trail and a Habitat Stewardship Agreement with the provincial

government, located in the town's centre.

He has been a very active member of the Bonavista Lions Club for thirty-four

years, including numerous terms as a president, past District Governor for

Eastern Newfoundland, and recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award.

Mr. Mouland was a founding member of the Matthew Legacy Committee. He was a

member of the Discovery Regional Economic Development Board for several years,

and is a member of the Retired Teachers' Association. Bram is active within the

church community, having served on numerous boards.

Honourable colleagues, please join me in honouring Bramwell Mouland for the

lifetime dedication he has contributed to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today in his House to recognize the Conception Bay North Figure

Skating Club on their fortieth anniversary. The club was officially formed in

1973 under the leadership of its first President, Anne Wakelin.

The club has seen many changes over the last forty years while growing the

sport of skating throughout Conception Bay North. The club operates out of both

the Bay Arena and the S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium. As well, more than 200

skaters from beginners, to recreational and competitive represent the club at

all levels of competition.

Through the years there have been many volunteers and skaters who went on to

distinguish themselves. Josh and Rebecca Babb won the 1998 Canadian Junior Dance

Championship, Heather Dawe and Matthew Wakeham were provincial Novice champions,

and Christine Moores was President of Skate Newfoundland and Labrador.

Success though, is not measured by champions or volunteer leaders. Success is

the thousands of children who have learned to skate in its programs. Skating is

a lifelong physical activity which enhances people's health.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating the Conception Bay North

Figure Skating Club on forty years of success.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill Quidi

Vidi.

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

It is a real honour to stand today to recognize Tim Facey, an integral part

of the Virginia Park community for thirty-five years. Tim started teaching

physical education at Virginia Park Elementary School in 1978. He retired in

June, but remains committed to the students as a member of the school council.

Tim has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Park

Community Centre for twenty-eight years. I cannot tell you how often I have seen

Tim at events in Virginia Park, organizing or helping out in some way or other.

He volunteered on both the provincial and national level for conference

committees and received the Award of Honour for his outstanding contribution,

professional competence, and long-time devotion and dedication to physical

education in this Province.

The Virginia Vaulters gymnastic display team that he founded in 1979 has

performed more than 200 shows in the Province.

Tim says he deserves the rest retirement will bring, but I suspect we will

continue to see him at school and community events for a long time to come.

In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in thanking

Mr. Tim Facey for his many contributions to Virginia Park in the last

thirty-five years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Tana Genge of Anchor Point for her

participation in Miss Achievement Newfoundland and Labrador and receiving the

New World Fitness Healthy Living Award.

On November 10, I attended the Miss Achievement gala, which is a sponsorship

program for young women between age thirteen to eighteen who are high achievers

and a big part of their school and community groups.

Tana is community-minded, volunteering her time with the cross-country ski

group and Operation Christmas Child. Tana, an honours student, contributes to

extracurricular activities including student advisory, guidance team, drama

troupe, book club, Students Working Against Tobacco, Tutoring for Tuition, and

part of every sports team.

She has received numerous awards for speak offs, drama, cross-country skiing,

minor hockey and various sports at regional and provincial levels, including

Female Athlete of the Year. She earned the Girl Guides Canadian Cord and

achieved Bronze Cross and Bronze Medallion status with the Lifesaving Society

and is a recipient of the Johnson Horizons Scholarship, awarded by Memorial

University.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Tana Genge and all

participants, these young women are role models truly shining examples in

their community and Province.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a business in my

district which celebrated fifty years of operation since September of this year.

Jack and Jill Nursery and Kindergarten was opened in September 1963 by Jean

Barnes, who had been Principal of Winterton private school.

The school originally had two classrooms in St. Thomas's Parish Hall, a

nursery class of three- and four-year olds and a kindergarten class which was

more attractive to many parents than the alternating

schedule for kindergarten

in the public system.

In the early 1970s, Jack and Jill relocated to St. Michael's Parish Hall. In

1982 it moved again to its current home in St. Mark's Parish Hall on Logy Bay

Road. It discontinued kindergarten classes and became Jack and Jill Preschool in

1986. In 1991, Joanne Kavanagh, who became the owner and operator in 2009,

started working there.

Today, Jack and Jill Preschool has morning and afternoon classes for

forty-nine students, some of whom are the children of those who attended Jack

and Jill in their early years.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating everyone at Jack and Jill

Preschool on a successful fifty years of operation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to stand today and convey my sincere congratulations to three

young people in my district. Joshua Lehr of Bishops College High School,

Shaziana Kaderali of Booth Memorial High School, and Liam Long of Booth Memorial

High School have all been awarded the Electoral District Scholarship.

These scholarships are awarded to the three high school graduates in each

district who achieve the highest Department of Education scholarship score,

which is derived from the results of the public exam.

It is always exciting to see young people excel in the area of academics and

this award is no doubt an achievement through hard work and dedication.

I would like all hon. members to join with me in congratulating these

Electoral District Scholarship winners, and I extend wishes that they will be

further rewarded with a bright and prosperous future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental

Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to rise today in this hon. House to highlight the considerable

progress we have made in advancing the Provincial Solid Waste Management

Strategy in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In May, 2007, the provincial government announced the implementation of a

multi-year Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy to ensure efficient and

effective management of solid waste in Newfoundland and Labrador. To date, we

have invested a total of $147 million in the strategy, including $84.5 million

from the provincial government and $62.5 million from federal Gas Tax funding.

Mr. Speaker, in the last two years, we have seen tremendous success

throughout the entire Province. The Central Newfoundland Regional Waste

Management Facility, located at Norris Arm, was opened through a total

investment of $64.6 million. A further investment of $16.5 million this year

will fund the construction of a materials recovery facility which will be built

at the Norris Arm site and allow residents of the Central Region to begin

recycling.

Also, $3 million in funding was announced in the spring of 2013 for the

construction of a transfer station in the Eastern Region. This new facility,

which is expected to become operational in the last quarter of 2014, will accept

residential and commercial material for transfer to the Regional Integrated

Waste Management Facility located at Robin Hood Bay.

Mr. Speaker, imperative to the successful implementation of the strategy is

the setup of Regional Service Boards to administer waste management programs

across the Province. In the spring of 2013, the department announced two new

Regional Service Boards for the Burin and Bonavista Regions. With these

additions, there are now six regional service boards in place across the

Province.

In Labrador, we have worked with the Towns of Wabush and Labrador City to

establish a well-managed landfill for that area. In Happy Valley-Goose Bay we

are working the regional committees on the design of waste management solutions.

In Southern Labrador, the regional committee has received recommendations from a

consultant, and is now beginning planning for a centralized landfill for that

area. Finally, on the North Coast we are working with the regional committee to

seek a consultant to begin a review of potential solutions in that area.

Mr. Speaker, my department remains committed to the delivery of waste

management services across the Province. We will continue to work with our

Regional Service Boards and communities as we proceed towards full

implementation of the strategy by 2020.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy.

Once again, you can see that it is a polling period. Once again we see the

same rhetoric coming out time after time after time. We always hear the

rhetoric. I notice in this Ministerial Statement there is nothing about Western

Newfoundland. The plan was done in 2003 and was supposed to be developed in

2012, just like the hospital in Corner Brook. All we hear is more and more

statements about it.

They just announced about a year ago Don Downer as Chair of the Board in

Corner Brook, the same person who did the advisory committee on the land

management, which they shelved. That is how important they think his work is.

Because of his connections with the Minister of Finance, he is the regional

board.

We see in Labrador in 2003, the South Coast of Labrador, nothing done. Up

again in Northern Labrador, we are going to start consultations. Once again, Mr.

Speaker, we see a polling period, we see rhetoric, we do not see a lot of

action, but we do see in Western Newfoundland, and I warned all the councils of

this here, because of the political connections and because they want to keep in

good, the subsidy has been dropped with no conditions to build a waste

management site in Western Newfoundland, something we should be careful of and

something we should be right about.

I say to the minister, if you are going to make these statements, let us have

something behind it, not just during polling period.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am thankful to the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I just

want to say while government and the taxpayers are putting an awful lot of money

back into waste management as well, we still have the problem with smaller

communities out there and their waste management funding. Smaller communities

are having a particularly large problem these days with having to fund waste

management. It is costing a small community.

So I say to the minister, it is great to hear down at Municipalities NL over

the last week that they are working on that funding formula, but at the same

time as that they have been working on that funding formula and saying they are

going to come out with that funding formula pretty much now since 2008. It has

been a long, hard go towards a funding formula and an arrangement around that.

I also want to address the simple fact with the minister, as well, that there

is a large problem out there that we are dealing with, with illegal dumping.

While we are talking about waste management on one hand, Mr. Speaker, we have to

get a bigger handle on what is happening with illegal dumping. It is a growing

problem.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

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

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Regional service

boards are good models. NorPen was one of the first, which is in my district.

One of the things that I cannot support is looking at having to truck garbage

all the way to Central without having a real plan because the cost will simply

be prohibitive for my constituents.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to provide hon.

members with an update on the significant progress being made on all three

phases of the Trans-Labrador Highway.

Phase I, representing close to 530 kilometres from Labrador City-Wabush to

Happy Valley-Goose Bay, is very close to completion, with just sixty kilometres

between Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay remaining to be paved in

2014. I look forward to the momentous occasion of being one of the first

motorists to drive on a fully paved highway from Labrador West to Happy

Valley-Goose Bay next summer.

Mr. Speaker, two project tenders recently awarded called for the widening and

upgrading of eighty kilometres on each of Phase II and Phase III of the

Trans-Labrador Highway. Significant progress was made this past construction

season on both two-year projects. Over 90 per cent of the work is now completed

on the eighty-kilometre

section of Phase III, from Happy Valley-Goose Bay

heading south; and 20 per cent of the work is completed on the eighty-kilometre

section of Phase II, from Red Bay heading north.

The Trans-Labrador Highway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in

our Province's history, spanning close to 1,100 kilometres and navigating some

of the most remote land in our country.

Mr. Speaker, Labrador is fittingly referred to as the Big Land and with the

current boom we are seeing in the energy and resource sectors, the economic

opportunities are even bigger. Every kilometre that is widened and upgraded is

significant to both residents and visitors of Labrador, and every kilometre that

is paved helps to advance growth and prosperity for the region.

More than $500 million has been invested to date on construction of the

Trans-Labrador Highway and we will continue to invest to ensure completion of

this megaproject, helping to shape our Province's future.

Mr. Speaker, we all look forward to the completion of the Trans-Labrador

Highway and to fulfilling our promise to the people of Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement. It is wonderful that finally, after six years,

that 530 kilometres that you can drive from Goose Bay to Churchill Falls, is

going to be completed next season.

I want to talk about what is happening in my district, Mr. Speaker. From Red

Bay right now today, as I stand and speak, we have mail service that has be

interrupted; there is a mail truck that lost two axels yesterday off its

vehicle. We have teachers today who have not been able to compute for work

because of the condition of the road. We have social workers who have not been

able to go into work today, Mr. Speaker.

Right now today and anybody here, I invite you to check my Facebook and

look at the pictures we are driving in two feet of mud. While the pavement has

been announced and is coming and that is wonderful, they were six years working

on the Goose Bay end, we have to have maintenance continue on the road. We

cannot wait five or six years. It is a big safety issue to the travelling

public.

The minister talked about Safe and Caring Schools yesterday. We have kids,

Mr. Speaker, who are being bused on this

section of the road. We have Cartwright

that is a gateway to the Mealy Mountain Park; it is not even on the horizon for

pavement. The shrimp processing facility in Charlottetown, a number of

communities travel six months of the year, it is not even on the horizon, Mr.

Speaker.

Also, if we had six inches of stone put on the gravel road for the interim we

would be able to maintain this, Mr. Speaker, but what happens is, and I will

correct him next week

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member that her time has expired.

MS DEMPSTER: Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would also like to thank the minister for the advance copy of his

statement.

What we are hearing out of Labrador is some great investment, which is great.

That is fine and dandy. It is one thing, $500 million is a good number; a lot of

that no doubt is probably federal money. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, it also

tells you whenever the minister stands up on his feet and gives us an update, he

is talking about of course some sort of concrete plan they had for Labrador, and

that is great but we need a little bit more in Labrador at the same time.

We would also like to hear from government what is happening on the Island

portion of the Province as well. The Island of Newfoundland also needs a good

concrete plan when it comes to road construction. If they came out with a proper

plan for road construction perhaps we would see a lot more investment happening

because they would be able to maintain it a lot better.

Mr. Speaker, it would be nice to hear an update from government as regards to

what sort of representation they are making to our own federal representatives

to get more federal money put into roads as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an important project for the Province's

correctional system. On October 7, I had the great pleasure to announce that the

provincial government is moving forward with the planning of a new penitentiary

for Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: A new facility, Mr. Speaker, would replace Her Majesty's

Penitentiary in St. John's, which is currently the Province's primary location

for housing medium and maximum security male prisoners. With the recent closing

of Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, HMP has the distinction of being the oldest

prison in Canada. First constructed in 1859, HMP has a capacity of 175 inmates,

and though it has received extensive renovations over the years, it has

certainly outlived it usefulness as a correctional facility for Newfoundland and

Labrador.

We have heard the concerns of stakeholders on a number of occasions with

regard to the challenges related to the facility, and we believe that the time

has come to start planning for a replacement.

Mr. Speaker, we have been urging the federal government to contribute to the

construction of a new penitentiary for Newfoundland and Labrador for a number of

years. So far, they have been unwilling to participate in the project, and we

can wait no longer to proceed as the safety and the security of our inmates and

our staff is paramount.

A public Request for Proposals has been issued and the successful proponent

will be asked to develop the functional space requirements as well as provide a

cost estimate for the new penitentiary. After this phase of the planning is

complete in 2014, the government will consider the project budget and the

proposed

schedule for implementation.

The planning of a new penitentiary is a very exciting development for all of

those connected within our justice system, and most especially for those in the

field of corrections, Mr. Speaker. Not only would a new facility ensure a safer

environment for staff and inmates, with this first important step, we have also

now established the ability to do a design that provides opportunities for

enhanced rehabilitation services for those incarcerated.

Mr. Speaker, the security and the safety of all residents of Newfoundland and

Labrador is of paramount importance to this government. By proceeding with the

planning of a new penitentiary to replace Her Majesty's Penitentiary, we are

taking a significant step in making our communities safer places in which to

live.

Thank you.

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 the statement announcing the new

plan for His Majesty's penitentiary. That is not a slip of the tongue, I think

it is going to be His Majesty's by the time we ever see a new penitentiary.

The fact is that it is necessary. It is something we have called for and it

should happen. I think this is going to be a good news announcement because it

is today, and it is going to be a good news announcement every time that they

make it over the next number of years. Something similar to the Corner Brook

hospital, it is a great big project that we are going to announce every time we

need to put out a bit of good news.

I look forward to seeing the results of the RFP. I do not know whether it

ties in with this week's theme of justice and protection because I think we are

doing themes here. It could tie-in to the by-election that is coming up in

Carbonear Harbour Grace. That is the place that has been rumoured to be a

site.

I do not know. I do not know what the message is, but I look forward to

seeing this. I look forward to speaking to the progress of this over the next

decade or so.

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

MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. This facility is

long overdue and long promised. However, this appears to be an announcement of

planning for planning.

I would like to know some hard facts, such as what timeline do we see for

completion of an actual penitentiary. I hope we will not be subjected to endless

re-announcements like we have on the hospital in Corner Brook.

I would also like to know exactly where government intends to build this new

penitentiary. It is a curious timing of this statement, Mr. Speaker. I would

hate to think government is playing by-election politics in Carbonear Harbour

Grace where people were promised such a facility years and years ago.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Does the Member for St. John's North have leave?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Does the Member for St. John's North have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Yes.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thanks to the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

There is no question that Her Majesty's Penitentiary needs to be replaced but we

cannot I say to the minister, and I say to the Premier you cannot let

Stephen Harper and the federal government off the hook. They have increased

spending for corrections elsewhere in Canada in the past few years and there

must be a cost-sharing arrangement for the capital cost construction of the

facility.

Do not let them off the hook.

Thank you.

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.

Yesterday, government confirmed that a forestry contractor had been removed

from a major piece of work at the Muskrat Falls. He also went on to say that

there was a rigid process that would be followed to select a new contractor. We

have checked the Nalcor Web site for a Request for Proposal. It is not posted,

yet we hear in the media that the contract has been awarded.

I ask the Premier: Was there an RFP for this multi-million dollar piece of

work?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, contracts of this magnitude, contracts

associated with Muskrat Falls, we go through a bidding process and companies

will have an opportunity to provide their bids. There is a rigid process, Mr.

Speaker, very extensive, to ensure that they pick the best contractor to be able

to deliver what needs to be delivered, and more importantly be able to maintain

the cost of the project.

Mr. Speaker, they went through this process, they were unsatisfied with the

work of the company, they have been removed in the best interest of the project

and now they are ready to go forward with the next bidder.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister mentioned move forward with the next bidder; so was there an RFP

in place for this contract that has been awarded today?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the company that has

been selected was a part of the original bid process; however, I can certainly

verify that and report it back to the House if it becomes necessary.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Since the minister said yesterday that there is a rigid and extensive process

that is usually followed, why did Nalcor not follow that rigid process this

time?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, clearly, they went through a process and there

were a number of bids. I am sure the bids were ranked and, in this particular

case, the successful bidder has not been complying with the work that needs to

be done. As a result of that, they have been removed, Mr. Speaker.

I would suspect again I can report back because, Mr. Speaker, contrary to

what they may be suggesting, I do not review all of the bids; I do not make the

selection for the companies. It is hands off from government and that is the way

we should have it.

It is a fair process, Mr. Speaker, extensive, where the experts do the

evaluations. In this case again, I suspect it was the next bidder, but I will

check on that and certainly report back to the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, we raised concerns about the about the Aboriginal component to

bidders on the Muskrat Falls Project.

So, with the company that has been awarded this contract, my question would

be to the minister: Is there an Aboriginal component to the company that has

been selected?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that this was not an

Aboriginal-first contract. I do know, as I stated yesterday, the importance here

in a project of this size, that there are opportunities for everyone. There are

500 people in Labrador now, roughly, working on this project. There are a number

of companies from the Innu and Innu partnerships that are availing of the

contract opportunities. There are, obviously, things built around a project of

this size, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that it is the least-cost option for the

people of the Province.

That is the focus, and a goal for Nalcor; but, at the same time, our

government has negotiated benefits for the people of Labrador, for the

Aboriginal groups in Labrador. By all accounts, by the update on the Web site

from Nalcor, they are certainly getting those benefits.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the questions that we would have about awarding this contract in such

a short time frame is: How much was this contract awarded for? It is public

funds, so I ask the minister: How much was this contract worth?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I want to speak to that, because the Premier

spoke to it yesterday, about the sensitivities around commercial information,

and that we are through a bidding process and it is important, in that

information, that it be protected.

I will give you an example. Just recently a company, under ATIPP two ATIPP

requests from the company to Nalcor for information; Nalcor determined that it

was commercially sensitive, Mr. Speaker. There is a process in place to

challenge that, and the process was followed. It was challenged in the highest

court in the Province, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The judge made a ruling on a request for commercially sensitive information.

I quote, the judge said, "I cannot accept this argument. It is clear to me that

the information provided by the consultant is clearly commercially sensitive

information." It goes on to say the harm far outweighs the non-disclosure

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is quite unusual, I believe, that you would see public funds being spent

on a project that we owned, the ratepayers of this Province would own, yet we

are not allowed to see the numbers in the bidding process.

There are two mechanic's liens that were posted against Great Western

Forestry. I ask the minister: Who is responsible? Has Nalcor accepted

responsibility for those mechanic's liens?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, Nalcor certainly accepts the responsibility of

managing the Muskrat Falls Project. They have a process put in place. They have

experts to work through all of the processes with respect to contracts and

awarding of contracts.

In this particular case, the contractor has been removed. Outside of that,

Mr. Speaker, the commercially sensitive information around that, I cannot reveal

that and I do not have that information. With respect to who is responsible,

certainly Nalcor is going to manage the project.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There are ongoing problems associated with Great Western Forestry. It was

publicly discussed in many places around the Province, and everybody who was

watching this project was aware of it.

I ask the minister: How much extra will it cost this project because of the

removal of Great Western Forestry?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I do not have a number as to how much extra it

is going to cost, if in fact it is going to cost anything. I would assume there

are things built into the contract. Again, some of that stuff is commercially

sensitive information, but if there is anything that I can bring to the House or

share with the member opposite, I am more than willing to do so.

I think what is important here, Mr. Speaker, two things: Nalcor is a

Newfoundland-owned company, the people own it. They are a great company with

expertise that has the responsibility to manage this project. I will say again,

contrary to issues with contractors, this project this project is about the

lowest-cost option for long-term energy supply for the Province. It is the right

thing to do, Mr. Speaker, and I believe Nalcor are the right people to manage

this project.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In April of this year, we projected a deficit of $563 million based on $105 a

barrel of oil.

I ask the minister: When we will expect this year's mid-year update?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Thank you.

The mid-year update is traditionally released in the latter part of November

or the early part of December. Mr. Speaker, the report will be forthcoming. If

it is not in two weeks, it will be next week.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister said there was no extra

million dollars gone to anyone when referring to the Roddickton pellet plant.

Well, the Auditor General said, and I quote, "the Department paid the company

approximately $1.0 million that should not have been considered an eligible

expense of the project."

I ask the minister: Will you now say that your comments yesterday were

incorrect or are you claiming the Auditor General is wrong?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, let me clarify again. First off, Mr. Speaker, we

respect the work of the Auditor General. We invited the Auditor General in to do

the work on behalf of the people of the Province, and, Mr. Speaker, his

recommendations we take very seriously.

In this particular case, Mr. Speaker, the Forestry Diversification Fund was

set up to help the integrated saw millers of the Province who were going through

some very difficult economic times, and the Northern Peninsula was one of them.

The fund was provided, Mr. Speaker, there was no clarity around the tax issue.

There was, I think it was a $7 million loan plus $2 million, about $9 million,

Mr. Speaker, including $1 million from the Green Fund. Mr. Speaker, no clarity

around the taxes. It was initially used, but since that time receipts have been

provided to reimburse the million dollars. So there is no extra million dollars

for the company.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. JOYCE: I will just let the minister know, you should go read the

Auditor General's report because the money was not initially used. It was

reimbursed back to the company. Read the Auditor General's report if you are not

going to read your own department's files.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I will remind the member once again, please direct all your comments through

the Chair.

MR. JOYCE: Yes, Mr. Speaker. I am sorry.

Mr. Speaker, the minister said that some of the economics changed an excuse

for the failure of the $11 million pellet plant but the Auditor General said

the money was approved for the project even though the department's own

assessment questioned its long-term viability. The assessment said, and I quote:

The Province will be taking a significant risk by approving the funding.

I ask the Premier: Why did you, as Minister of Natural Resources, approve

this project against the advice of your own officials?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, our government has a long history of supporting

the economic development in the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, go down to the South Coast, and we can all admit

there is a risk in the aquaculture industry. There are 1,000 people working in

the industry, Mr. Speaker. We have allowed a whole region of the Province to

survive because we were prepared to work with that region and take the risk. We

did the exact same thing on the Northern Peninsula. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker,

that story is not over. The story is not over on the Northern Peninsula. We

continue to work with the operators.

I ask the member opposite, if we are not prepared to take the risks are you

going to stand and say we should not do anything in Corner Brook? Stand on your

feet and tell us we should not take the risk.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: With the Corner Brook pulp and paper in operation for almost

eighty years, with almost 400 or 500 people working there and the woodlands

department.

I ask the minister: How many people are working today in Roddickton for the

$11 million?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, the Corner Brook pulp and paper mill could have

gone the way of all the other mills, many, many mills in the country. We had

three in the Province and we lost two. The Corner Brook pulp and paper mill

could have gone the way of the other two.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DALLEY: Our government tried to support and got involved, Mr.

Speaker. It never worked out but we have continuously supported Corner Brook,

the people who work there, and the company. We have a good working relationship.

We look forward to supporting the economics of the Corner Brook region and

Western Newfoundland again, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DALLEY: I will say, Mr. Speaker I will say, and I will say it to

the people of the Northern Peninsula, even though they are opposing to us having

that investment and to trying to give you an opportunity to survive, we are

going to continue to work with you. I say, Mr. Speaker

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will answer the question, five part-time jobs. I know the minister did not

know or was too embarrassed to say. It is starting to sound like Bull Arm, the

Joan Cleary situation where we had to drag all the information out from the

Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier did not do her due diligence on this project and now

the people of this Province are out $11 million. Now she is considering the same

company for another pellet plant in Central Newfoundland.

I ask the Premier: Given your track record with pellets plants and this

company, will you guarantee that all the taxpayer funds are repaid before you

approve a new project for this company?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I am going to inform the member opposite,

without being too crass, he really does not know what he is talking about. The

reality is that we have been in a long-term discussion about the wood fibre

supply in Central Newfoundland. Mr. Speaker, we have two commitments around

that: one is that the fibre be developed for the economy of Central

Newfoundland; and secondly, because of the co-dependence in the forest industry,

that we develop this to the benefit of all of our forestry industry, which has

about 5,000 people working in this Province.

I can tell you, the company on the Northern Peninsula is certainly a part of

that equation. No more or no less than Cottlesville, or Sexton, or Burton's

Cove, or Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, Mr. Speaker. There is a co-dependency in

the industry and we are going to try and find a way to support it.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, government announced that the Norcon Galatea will be used

on the Bell Island run.

I ask the minister: How long does government intend to lease this vessel, and

how much is the lease costing the taxpayers of this Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a contract with the Norcon Galatea . She is on

her way to Portugal Cove today, actually. Over the next couple of days there

will be an orientation process where our employees will be orientated to the

ship. There has been over $1 million when that ship was sold invested into

it for improvements; new engines, new emergency equipment put on it, revamps

made to the passenger area. We have entered into a contract, a short-term

contract, and we will continue to use the Galatea for the benefit of the

people on the Tickle for as long as we need.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR. OSBORNE: I am going to dumb this down for the minister, Mr. Speaker.

How long is the lease? How much is the lease?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I just told the member opposite, we have entered into a

short-term contract. It is an open contract that we will use for as long as we

have to. We will continue. As long as the people need the service on the Tickle

that will be in a contract.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR. OSBORNE: Mr. Speaker, government sold the Hamilton Sound to a

private company for a meager $214,000. With an investment of approximately $1

million, this vessel was converted into like-new condition.

I ask the minister: If this vessel is like new, why would government

themselves not have invested $1 million and kept this ferry in service? Would

that not have been sound, financial management?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, at the time that and as everybody knows, we are in the process

of renewing our ferry fleet now. Last week I made the announcement of $51

million to go into a new ferry on the Fogo Island Change Island run, and a $10

million investment into the Bell Island Portugal Cove infrastructure system. I

also announced that we are in the process of looking at a second 80 metre ferry.

At the time that we sold the Galatea , we decided it was not in our

best interest to keep that ship because it was not part of the new system. We

are quite pleased with the investment the new owners have made in that and we

will avail of that system.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER: Mr. Speaker, in September of last year the Department of AES

rebranded their strategic plan for 2011-2014. Missing from the new version is

government's commitment to begin implementing a new four-year poverty reduction

action plan.

I ask the minister: Why have you gone back on your commitment to reduce

poverty levels through a new four-year plan?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

As a matter of fact, I am glad the hon. member referenced one of the greatest

strategies ever developed in the free world in regard to poverty reduction

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. O'BRIEN: - $148 million hailed by people. You should listen up to the

people who hailed this as one of the best strategies ever developed in North

America, I say to the hon. member.

Social housing is being invested in, and various other components of the

Poverty Reduction Strategy. We are investing in our most vulnerable people, I

say to the hon. member. I say she should read the Poverty Reduction Strategy

from the beginning to the end.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright L'Anse

au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER: Mr. Speaker, in November 2012 the then Minister of AES said

a new poverty reduction plan was coming very soon.

I ask the minister, one year later: When will you release the new action plan

on this great Poverty Reduction Strategy?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, each and every strategy that we have developed

over the last number of years and great strategies we have developed are all

ongoing. We are investing in the people of the Province. We are investing in the

most vulnerable people of our Province.

No school fees, free textbooks, prescription drugs in the Prescription Drug

Plan, not counting affordable housing and putting 1,700 affordable units into

the revenues of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, in their bank, Mr. Speaker.

That is the kind of things that this government is doing. That is the kind of

things that we are going to continue to do, I say to the hon. member.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Mr. Speaker, we have a serious situation with homelessness

in some Inuit communities in Northern Labrador. Many communities have seen an

increase in clientele who are in need of shelter, with Nain having the greatest

demand.

I ask the minister: What is your strategy to address existing homelessness in

communities in Northern Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, I am quite aware of the issue in regard to

Nain. As a matter of fact, I have been in Nain many, many times, not only as a

minister and a member of government but also in my personal life.

Yes, there are challenges in Nain at the moment. Newfoundland and Labrador

Housing has been working closely with Torngat Housing and has been working

closing with the Nunatsiavut Government. We have built two units to get our

complement up to thirty-five units right now in regard to affordable housing in

Nain.

I plan on visiting Nain very soon, as soon as possible actually, and I will

be meeting with the First Minister there to discuss options and discuss the

issue in detail. Hopefully, with all partners involved, we can come up with a

solution for Nain, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Mr. Speaker, I fully realize that all government agencies

and front-line workers are doing their best to combat homelessness. The reality,

Mr. Speaker, is that the resources are simply not there to even turn the tide on

homelessness.

I ask the minister: What are your long-term plans to address homelessness in

Northern Labrador communities?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: As the hon. member referenced in his

preamble, Mr. Speaker,

that it takes all levels of government, all partners, to come to the table in

regard to addressing that very most important issue in Newfoundland and

Labrador. We have been cognizant of that and that is the reason why we came

forward with our Poverty Reduction Strategy in the first place. We recognize the

need, and we have invested approximately $148 million every year now for the

last number of years in regard to that very issue.

I will be looking forward to visiting Nain in the very near future,

addressing the issue, and talking it through. Hopefully, with the partners all

at the same table, we will come up with a solution for Nain, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, in August this government committed funds to

pay connors to pick the sea lice off the salmon on the South Coast. When we did

an ATIPP and asked how many sea lice we have, the minister said it was highly

confidential. Well, in British Columbia it is not highly confidential; it is

public information, through DFO.

I ask the minister: When will he commit to be as open as the government is in

British Columbia regarding Connors?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I understand there was a request and if I can remember the

request correctly, I think there was 14,000 items identified in regard to

identification of sea lice. I will certainly go back and check on it again.

As a government, we are very committed to the aquaculture industry. We are

open; we are going for consultations now, a very diverse process in terms of

meeting with stakeholders and moving the industry forward. If there is further

information the hon. gentleman needs or requires, let us know and we will try

and get it for him.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member, for a very quick question without

preamble.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, in Norway they are slaughtering salmon due to

sea lice and in Ireland they are covering

MR. SPEAKER: Without

preamble, I say.

MR. BENNETT: I ask the minister: Why wouldn't he follow the Norwegian

model of openness, instead of the Irish model of cover up?

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

quick response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, sea lice are naturally occurring in the wild.

They are not introduced by farmed salmon. We have engaged in activities in terms

of looking at the research, entered into a project with Memorial University with

stakeholders looking at sea lice and the possible reduction.

As I say, they naturally occur in the wild; they are not introduced by farmed

salmon. We are going to continue to build industry on the South Coast, even

though the hon. party on the other side

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

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

New Canadian Forces helicopters from Sikorsky, the same manufacturer of the

helicopter that crashed off St. John's in 2009, are required to have a

thirty-minute run dry capability.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Will she push the federal government to join

her in ordering the C-NLOPB to ensure the same level of protection for offshore

workers as we have for our military personnel?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I will reiterate today our government's firm

position on our belief and support for offshore safety, and whatever measures. I

said the other day whatever it takes, whatever we can do, every opportunity we

will advocate for the people who work in our offshore.

Mr. Speaker, certainly around the operations of the offshore, we leave that

to the experts. The C-NLOPB has the experts there. It is a joint board between

the federal government and the provincial government. They do a good job in

oversight.

They build a relationship with the industry, but not just the industry, the

people who work in the industry which is ultimately most important here for all

of us. Mr. Speaker, we still take the stance that if there is anything we can do

to support offshore safety, we will do it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Doesn't he believe that our

offshore workers deserve the same protection as our military personnel?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I believe our offshore workers, the

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who go to work out there every day, deserve the

absolute best safety anywhere in the world.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker

I ask the minister then to make sure that they get it.

Mr. Speaker, recently issued federal regulations for offshore safety ignore a

requirement that offshore helicopters be able to operate for thirty minutes

after complete loss of gearbox oil, a feature that would have avoided the

tragedy of March, 2009.

I ask the Premier: Will she formally request the federal government join with

her in instructing the C-NLOPB to immediately implement this vital regulation?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, any regulation, anything that can be done to

support the offshore that is within the means, that is reasonable, that is a

benefit to the people who go out there to work each and every day, we are going

to support it. We will have discussions with the federal government.

We went through an inquiry in this Province, a very difficult time in this

Province. There were twenty-nine recommendations and we were very clear that we

support the recommendations. We have been very clear, Mr. Speaker, that we

support offshore safety, and we will support the C-NLOPB in their work. We will

have discussions of anything. Any opportunity that we will be able to enhance

offshore safety, we are going to support it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

More words. Canadian emergency physicians are warning in a report released

this week that more patients may die or require a second ER visit within a week

if they are seen in a crowded ER, something they call a public health crisis.

Health professionals here are calling for more physicians and nurses in the ER

to address this crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Health and Community Services: What steps

has she taken to alleviate the immediate public health crisis in the ERs in this

Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, our goal right throughout our health care system is to provide

quality care and efficient care. We have about 170 facilities within

Newfoundland and Labrador that we are working through with 20,000 employees, and

we are doing a very good job in those facilities.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, the CAEP report that came out had eleven

suggestions, eleven strategies. We have already begun on seven of those. We did

not need a report. We have been working away. As well, we have had an emergency

department strategy in place for quite some time, and we are seeing huge results

as a result of that strategy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

I ask the minister: Where is the plan for increasing long-term care to solve

the hospital blockages that are causing the ER problems?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, some of the improvements we are seeing in our emergency

departments as a result of that have to do with exactly what the CAEP had

suggested. In terms of the number of visits, though, we have seen an increase of

16 per cent, in terms of visits to our ER departments. In spite of that, we have

seen decreases in the wait times.

Let me give you some of those numbers. Times to an initial physician have

decreased by 17 per cent, Mr. Speaker. The total length of stay in an emergency

department has decreased by 11 per cent.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MS SULLIVAN: Now, Mr. Speaker, I hear her over there saying we are not

answering the question. In terms of long-term care, $600 million annually is

invested in long-term care.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, the recent contract for new ferries has the

business community in the Province asking questions. They are upset. The Tory

Blue Book of broken promises allowed for Newfoundland and Labrador content in

the purchase of the new ferries.

What efforts did government put into finding Newfoundland and Labrador

businesses that would be able to carry out components of the ferry replacement

program?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we put out an RFP on the eighty-metre ferry. We had fifteen

proposals that came in. I have to note that there were no companies from

Newfoundland and Labrador that bid on the eighty-metre ferry. We can only put

out a proposal and hope that they will bid.

The company, Damen, that we have chosen to build the eighty-metre ferry is

looking very forward to working with Newfoundland and Labrador companies in the

future on this ferry and many others.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

question.

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, are there any business opportunities that are

going to come with these ferries being built overseas?

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

quick response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will try to dumb it down, Mr. Speaker. I just said that Damen, the company

that we have given the proposal to for this ferry, is looking forward to dealing

with companies here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time for Question Period has expired.

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, during Question Period, upon a question from

the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Minister of Natural Resources

referred to notes and quoted from them, I would ask that he table those

documents.

MR. SPEAKER: The time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. 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 autism spectrum disorder has been estimated to occur in as many as

one in eighty-eight children; and

WHEREAS individualized and intensive early interventions are important for

improving outcomes for children with autism; and

WHEREAS long wait lists are forcing many parents to wait up to two years

before their children receive needed paediatric assessments and diagnostic

services; and

WHEREAS the Intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis Program is not available

to children after Grade 3 while research supports the use of Applied Behavioural

Analysis throughout the lifespan; and

WHEREAS a co-ordinated, multi-agency approach among key government

departments and agencies is needed to ensure that individuals with autism

spectrum disorder are provided with services that will promote independent

living; and

WHEREAS a comprehensive province-wide strategy for autism spectrum disorder

will decrease the lifetime costs of treating and providing services for persons

with autism;

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

House of Assembly to urge the government to develop a comprehensive

Province-wide strategy for autism spectrum disorder in consultation with

parents, advocates, educators, health care providers, and experts in the autism

community.

As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, people from all over the Province have signed and been signing

this particular petition. During this sitting of the House or since we resumed

sitting in the fall, I have been presenting this petition and another

specifically about the Applied Behavioural Analysis Program. This is something

that is not new.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: The call for a comprehensive strategy is not something that is

new or novel at all. I believe the former Member for Carbonear Harbour Grace

was actually in the health portfolio at one point when this was something that

was being discussed.

It is not going to go away. I think it only makes sense from a variety of

different perspectives if you cannot hear the social perspective, or the mental

health perspective, or the education perspective. There is a very good economic

argument to be made here.

The better we treat, serve, educate, and provide services for people with

autism in their younger years, the less costly it will be in the long run to the

taxpayers of the Province to provide services throughout their lives. This is a

way to save government money while providing a higher level of services to those

people with autism in our communities who need it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to rise on a petition concerning the road, Route 450. I will

read the petition:

WHEREAS we are concerned over the deplorable condition of Route 450; and

WHEREAS many residents of the Town of Lark Harbour and York Harbour travel

this road on a daily basis; and

WHEREAS after repeated requests for upgrades and repairs, the road has

continued to deteriorate; and

WHEREAS there is only one road in and out of these communities and many of

our residents are of an aging population with health issues; and

WHEREAS having the road completely give way would pose a whole set of issues;

and

WHEREAS we feel that the condition of this road presents an accident waiting

to happen;

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

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

serious consideration to making repairs to this road.

Mr. Speaker, I brought this petition up yesterday also. This is a condition

of the road that has been brought to the former minister's attention on numerous

occasions through letters from me and town councils.

I met with the current minister who has done some repairs in the last little

while, the washouts that were done. He has put in guider rails. The big concern

there is by Copper Mine Brook, the road has given way which is eighty kilometres

down to thirty. The minister has committed to monitor the situation.

It was late in the year when I brought it to the current minister's

attention. The minister said he will monitor it and see what can be done. They

are going to monitor it on a regular basis, have an engineer have a look at the

site, and I thank the minister for that.

Mr. Speaker, my concern here is that some of these damages have been done

since March and April. I have written the previous minister on numerous

occasions. The Town Council of York Harbour and the Town Council of Lark Harbour

have written the minister on these dangerous situations, Mr. Speaker, and there

has been no work done.

I read one letter from the former minister, Mr. Speaker. He said: Yes, the

work will be completed. In August another letter went off to the towns, and

myself, and it said some may be completed.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very dangerous situation. The current minister is

aware of it. The current minister is going to be looking it and monitoring it. I

thank the current minister for that.

Some of the guide rails, Mr. Speaker and I will just give you an example. A

guide rail that has been washed away since last April, with over a 200-foot

drop, has just been replaced. I thank the minister for that, but it took him

eight months to get it. Eight months for this government the duty of any

government is to keep the people safe. This is not a luxury. This is definitely

not a luxury.

When you get both town councils Mr. Speaker, I will be presenting more

petitions

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member his time has expired.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. 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 Route 432, Grenfell Drive, is the primary highway for residents on

the Great Northern Peninsula East; and

WHEREAS prior to 2012's repaving and patches, Route 432 had a

twenty-kilometre rough road sign; and

WHEREAS without repaving on the remaining

section of Route 432, this past

investment will rapidly erode; and

WHEREAS Route 433 connects Roddickton-Bide Arm, Englee and Conche and it too

is in deplorable condition; and

WHEREAS it is the government's obligation to provide basic infrastructure to

all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; and

WHEREAS an improved road network is needed to enhance road safety, and help

with local commerce, enhance tourism and create new business opportunities

surrounding this

section of highway.

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge government to

allocate funds under the provincial roads program to pave this

section of Route

432 and 433.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, in 2012 I commend the former Minister of Transportation and

Works for utilizing a budget as effectively as possible to fill in all of the

potholes on that

section of highway to make life better for the residents that

travel that route. More work needs to be done there to ensure that the people

utilizing that highway, the commuters and the commercial activity that is

happening there, so that we are protecting and getting best value for our tax

dollars.

On Route 433, which passes through the Town of Roddickton-Bide Arm, and is

the turn-off route to Conche as well as to Englee, in many places you will see

the crocodile marks, basically, where all the ripples are there. It is a shot

road. It really needs some investment there. It is gone beyond being able to

fill with tar and patch and fill that. It really needs to be pulverized. There

needs to be an investment made in that

section of road, as the petitioners are

stating.

I have driven over it several times doing my constituency work serving

constituents; however, the residents who live there on a daily basis must

travel. They have to travel for government services and for all kinds of

services. It is a road that is in bad condition that certainly would like to see

made a priority by the Minister of Transportation and Works.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

I am standing on a point of order. Just a few minutes ago, I stood in this

House and asked the Minister of Natural Resources to table the document from

which he quoted during the Question Period. I refer to page 433 of Bosc and

O'Brien, "Any document quoted by a Minister in debate, or in response to a

question during Question Period, must be tabled. Indeed, a Minister is not at

liberty to read or quote from a despatch or other state paper without being

prepared to table it."

Now, there has been enough time, I think, in the House, Mr. Speaker, for the

document, which I would note was two pages stapled, to be tabled here so we can

review the document to which he referred during Question Period.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader, to the point of order.

MR. KING: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

The minister is quite prepared to table the document from which he quoted. It

is a one-page sheet and is certainly prepared to table it now. Mr. Speaker, it

is my understanding that you

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The member is standing on a point of order.

The hon. the Government of House Leader.

MR. KING: Maybe you can clarify. My understanding, as was just quoted by

the member opposite, is that you have to table what you read from. I am seeking

some direction here because I understand that you could have 100 pages on your

desk, but you read from one and you are expected to table the one.

Maybe you could clarify?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Government House Leader has raised a question. If a member is reading

from a document, obviously the reference they may be reading from may be just

one page in that document or one sentence in that document. If you are reading

from a document, you are responsible to table that document. That is the content

that is extracted from that document, so you table that document.

The hon. the Government House Leader, to the point of order again?

MR. KING: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate your clarification. There are two pages and we are quite

prepared to table it. I would ask the Opposition to be mindful; there is some

sensitive information in here. The minister did not realize it was a part of

this; otherwise, you are welcome to it.

MR. SPEAKER: Continuing with petitions.

The hon. 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 play-based, full-day kindergarten has been proven to give children a

stronger start in school and in life; and

WHEREAS a full day of learning early in life can help improve children's

reading, writing and math skills, and provide them with a strong foundation for

future learning; and

WHEREAS full-day kindergarten provides opportunities for children to

socialize with others and develop academic and social skills that are necessary

for future success; and

WHEREAS children in full-day kindergarten programs are able to remain in

familiar surroundings with staff and friends all day, rather than moving between

different locations; and

WHEREAS full-day kindergarten makes the transition to Grade 1 easier for both

parents and children; and

WHEREAS provinces that invest in full-day kindergarten are seeing a return on

investment in terms of better school achievement and fewer children at risk of

falling through the cracks;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to

introduce a full-day kindergarten program for children and families in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is something that we have been talking about for some time.

Of course, the Minister of Education, the hon. Member for the District of Burin

Placentia West, is actually on the record I believe he did an interview with

both the CBC News and also with The Telegram newspaper whereby, I

believe, he said it was inevitable. He certainly acknowledged that it is

something that we are going to have and perhaps something that we ought to have.

I think we are all in general agreement I know the Liberal Party at one of

its recent conventions endorsed the idea - we are all in agreement that this is

a good idea. We certainly know from research that 85 per cent of brain

development in humans is complete by the end of kindergarten. We know that for

every dollar invested in early learning and care there is a return of about

$2.54. There is a lot of advantage of full-day kindergarten programs. In some

provinces, they not only have full-day for five year olds, they have it for four

year olds as well. There is really a lot of advantage here.

A lot of parents are calling for this, certainly people with young children

of their own or people who have had children themselves and put them through

school or had to deal with child care while they are working. In a lot of cases

both parents are working. They know this is a real advantage for their children,

for them, and good for the economy.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. member that his time has expired.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Parliament assembled, this petition humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there is an identified need for all levels of care in all regions of

Labrador; and

WHERESA the Paddon Home is suitable for all levels of care;

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

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

a needs assessment to identify the needs of all levels of long-term care in

Labrador, and to reopen the Paddon Seniors Nursing Home, located in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay, to provide all levels of care.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, earlier in Question Period I asked the minister some questions

on homelessness in Labrador. That just includes one portion of our population

who are going through a crisis situation, which has been identified by

representatives from the community of Nain, as well as myself.

Mr. Speaker, we have another level of homelessness, and that is with our

senior citizens. A lot of seniors who go out to seniors homes are put on waiting

lists. We have long-term care patients who are in the Miller Centre here in St.

John's awaiting a chance to get back home. There is simply nowhere for these

seniors to go.

These seniors come from Aboriginal backgrounds. They have different cultures,

and to see them in the Miller Centre and I have visited them at the Miller

Centre. I am saddened to see the state of these people, who are from Inuit

backgrounds, who are here in St. John's just simply existing and waiting to get

into a long-term care facility that is closer to home than here in St. John's.

When the long-term care facility in Goose Bay opened it was immediately

filled up. There is still a wait-list for long-term care patients in that

facility. There is a lot of talk about opening a long-term care facility maybe

in Nunatsiavut, somewhere in Labrador on the North Coast.

Mr. Speaker, we have a long-time resident who gave years and years of

municipal service, who is from Makkovik and lives in Mary's Harbour. He is going

through bouts of depression. It is simply not an ideal situation for seniors who

come from an ethnic background.

I humbly urge this government

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member his time has expired.

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, 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 violent workplace incidents involving convenience store clerks and

gas station attendants are a serious health and safety issue; and

WHEREAS many public and private sector employees are being left in vulnerable

situations, especially in the opening and closing of their buildings and

establishments; and

WHEREAS all workers deserve protection from danger and harm; and

WHEREAS current government regulations are woefully inadequate in providing

even basic protection for these vulnerable workers; and

WHEREAS it is the responsibility of employers to keep workers safe and the

responsibility of government to ensure employers adhere to regulations;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge government to

immediately enact legislation and regulations to protect workers in hazardous

workplaces, including late night shifts in convenience stores and gas stations.

This legislation must direct employers to have a minimum of two workers on site

after 10:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m., or have a secure barrier between the

worker and customer in place between these hours.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure everybody in this House is aware of the many dangers

that are going on, especially on the Avalon Peninsula and the Northeast of the

Avalon these days, with different break-ins, number one. It is not just

break-ins; it is the hold ups where employees have to face people who are now

armed. It is something which ten years ago in this Province we probably would

never have thought about, or what people were armed with may have been nothing

more than maybe a stick or a baseball bat, which is bad enough in and of itself.

Now we are seeing people going into convenience stores, especially when they

are open late at night, armed with handguns, armed with knives, armed with

weapons that can really do damage to a worker, Mr. Speaker, and can really

frighten the workers. So it is really important that we become aware of the need

of the workers in these stores; in the convenience stores and gas bars in

particular that are open at night.

The workers are alone, and while more and more we are starting to see some

things put in place, like locked entrances or barriers, it is not something that

is yet required and it is not something we are seeing in every store. What we

are looking for, Mr. Speaker, and what we are calling for is legislation so that

we really have solid legislation that would make sure there would be protection

there for these workers.

So, Mr. Speaker, I will hopefully have more petitions of this nature, and

when I do I will come back to the floor and speak to it.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. 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 humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS residents of the Southwest Coast must travel the Trans-Canada Highway

between Channel-Port aux Basques and Corner Brook for work, medical,

educational, and social reasons; and

WHEREAS Marine Atlantic ferries dock at Channel-Port aux Basques at various

hours on a daily basis resulting in extremely high volume of commercial and

residential travellers using this

section of the TCH; and

WHEREAS the world-renowned Wreckhouse area is situate along this

section of

the TCH; and

WHEREAS the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador initiated a twenty-four

hour snow clearing pilot project in 2008 that excluded the

section of the TCH

from Channel-Port aux Basques to Stephenville;

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

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

the

section of the TCH from Channel-Port aux Basques to Stephenville in the

twenty-four hour snow clearing project.

As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, there has been four days in this House, and it is the fourth

time I have stood up and put this petition in. As I say this, we have horrible

weather conditions afflicting many places in this Province, especially in the

Central areas and Western areas. On a usual basis, there are not many places

worse than travelling across the Wreckhouse between Port aux Basques and Corner

Brook.

Now, the fact is, as I have said many times, but I will continue to say until

government makes the right decision and includes us in the pilot project. They

have made the decision to include trunk roads, they have made the decision to

include other parts of the Province; yet, the main entry for rubber-tire traffic

to this Province is not being covered.

We have people getting off the boat at all hours of the day and night not

getting that coverage. We have ambulances travelling on the roads. We have

expectant mothers travelling the roads, but they had better hope they do it

during the times that they are already clearing, and that they do not do it

during the late hours of the night or else they are not going to be given the

same treatment that they should be elsewhere.

I call upon the minister and his department to make the right decision. I am

going to continue standing up. I am going to continue asking for it. I would

like to see it done because it is the right decision to make and it is going to

save lives.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

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

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there is no cellphone service in the Town of Trout River, which is an

enclave community in Gros Morne National Park; and

WHEREAS visitors to Gros Morne National Park, more than 100,000 annually,

expect to communicate by cellphone when they visit the park; and

WHEREAS cellphone service has become a very important aspect of everyday

living for residents; and

WHEREAS cellphone service is an essential safety tool for visitors and

residents; and

WHEREAS cellphone service is essential for business development;

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

House to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to partner with the

private sector to extend cellphone coverage throughout Gros Morne National Park

and the enclave community of Trout River.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this petition keeps coming. There are many people in Trout River

and also in the surrounding area, people who pay for cellphone coverage, pay for

cellphones, and they are of absolutely no benefit to them when they are living

at home.

One of the initiatives this government announced this week is to extend 911

services. For sure, 911-service is a very important safety feature to be

extended throughout the Province. One of the features of 911-service is that it

is very handy to have a cellphone to be able to call 911. People who are

visiting that area would have difficulty. What would they do? Would they go

knock on a door and ask if they could use a telephone because somebody is having

maybe a heart attack?

There was a story on CBC Radio this morning about somebody who had a heart

attack and died last night on the Avalon Peninsula. In that particular

community, there was no cellphone service available and there is discrimination

between Bell Aliant that they charge more for certain public groups in this

Province than they do in the Province of Nova Scotia, and that is being

addressed.

It is important that people throughout the Province not be discriminated

against in the advancement of 911 service. For sure, cellphone service would be

an important part of a 911 service in Trout River as well as elsewhere.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you.

I would like to ask leave of the House, if I may, the Minister of Finance

intended to table a document earlier.

AN HON. MEMBER: No leave.

MR. SPEAKER: No leave.

Leave has been denied.

MR. KING: Okay.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader on Orders of the Day.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move Motion 7, pursuant to Standing Order 11, that this House not adjourn

at 5:30 p.m. today, Thursday, November 21

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move Motion 7, pursuant to Standing Order 11, that this House not adjourn

at 5:30 p.m. today, Thursday, November 21, 2013.

Further, I move Motion 8, pursuant to Standing Order 11, that this House not

adjourn at 10:00 p.m. today, Thursday, November 21, 2013.

MR. SPEAKER: It has been moved and seconded that this House do not

adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2013 and it has been further

moved and seconded that this House do not adjourn at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday,

November 21, 2013.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, referencing our Order Paper

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Speaker is having difficulty hearing the recognized speaker.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, referring to our Order Paper, I move, seconded by the Minister

of Health and Community Services, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act

To Amend The Pharmaceutical Services Act, Bill 10, and the said bill be read a

first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. Minister of Health

and Community Services shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act To Amend The

Pharmaceutical Services Act, Bill 10, and that the said bill be now read a first

time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to

introduce Bill 10, and that the said bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services to introduce a

bill, "An Act To Amend The Pharmaceutical Services Act," carried. (Bill 10)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act To Amend The Pharmaceutical Services Act. (Bill

10).

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KING: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 10 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs, to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To

Amend The Municipal Elections Act, Bill 18, and so move that the bill be now

read a first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It has been moved and seconded that the hon. Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs shall have leave to introduce a bill, An

Act To Amend The Municipal Elections Act, Bill 18, and that the said bill shall

be read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to

introduce Bill 18 and that the said bill be read a first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs to

introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Municipal Elections Act", carried. (Bill

18)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act To Amend The Municipal Elections Act. (Bill 18).

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KING: On tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 18 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs, to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To

Amend The City Of Corner Brook Act, The City Of Mount Pearl Act, The City Of St.

John's Act And The Municipalities Act, 1999, Bill 20, and I so move that the

bill be now read a first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. Minister of Municipal

and Intergovernmental Affairs shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act To

Amend The City Of Corner Brook Act, The City Of Mount Pearl Act, The City Of St.

John's Act And The Municipalities Act, 1999, Bill 20, and that the said bill be

now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to

introduce Bill 20 and that the said bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs to

introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The City Of Corner Brook Act, The City Of

Mount Pearl Act, The City Of St. John's Act And The Municipalities Act, 1999".

(Bill 20)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act To Amend The City Of Corner Brook Act, The City Of

Mount Pearl Act, The City Of St. John's Act And The Municipalities Act, 1999.

(Bill 20)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KING: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 20 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Health and Community Services, to ask

leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Repeal The Health Care Association

Act, Bill 26, and I so move that the bill be now read a first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act To

Repeal The Health Care Association Act, Bill 26, and that the said bill be now

read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to

introduce Bill 26 and that the said bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services to introduce a

bill, "An Act To Repeal The Health Care Association Act", carried. (Bill 26)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act To Repeal The Health Care Association Act. (Bill

26)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KING: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 26 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I call from the Order Paper, Order 11, under second reading of a bill,

An Act

To Amend The Human Rights Act, 2010, Bill 25.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Environment and Conservation that Bill

25,

An Act To Amend The Human Rights Act, 2010, be now read the second time.

MR. SPEAKER: It has been moved and seconded that Bill 25,

An Act To Amend

The Human Rights Act, 2010, be now read a second time.

Motion, second reading of a bill, "An Act To Amend The Human Rights Act,

2010". (Bill 25)

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice.

MR. KING: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I am certainly very pleased to stand and introduce this legislative change

that we are bringing forward toward in the Human Rights Act. For those who were

following the debate around this issue at all, what we are talking about today

is a very small change with respect to physically what is happening within the

Human Rights Act, but I think it is fair to say a very significant change

relative to how it will be received by our public.

I am just going to give you the quick synopsis. The change we are making

today is that we are adding gender identity and gender expression as prohibited

grounds of discrimination within the Human Rights Act. As I said, it is a very

small change relative to the physical terms that we are inserting in the act,

but a very important change, and I am certain a very big change, as it is being

received by those out in the community and those who have been advocating for

it.

By way of a little bit of background to this bill, Mr. Speaker, the Human

Rights Act was brought in by government in 2010. That was following a series of

consultations that went across Newfoundland and Labrador engaging stakeholders

and engaging members of the public on their views about human rights and what

they felt should go in the act, what should not be there, and the kinds of

things that we ought to consider.

The whole intent of the Human Rights Act was to recognize that people in

society needed to be treated equally, treated fairly, treated with dignity and

treated with respect, and provided equal opportunities and equal rights in

society. The purpose of the act is to ensure to the extent that we can that

happens. It aims to create a climate of understanding and a culture of respect

for each other, and respect for other persons in society.

When the act was passed in 2010, a number of people have asked the question

why gender identity and gender expression would not have been included. When the

act was initially passed, Mr. Speaker, there was what you might call an evolving

dialogue occurring around the

definitions and what ought to be included in the

act and what ought not to be included. We consulted not only across the Province

but we consulted widely with other jurisdictions across Canada.

It was very clear at the time that the act was written, that there was no

agreement on the language and what the language should say, other than we needed

to talk about prohibited grounds of sex as a basis for discrimination. Because

it was still evolving, it was decided at the time that the language would not be

used in the act.

I will say, however, that gender identity and gender expression, while it was

not included as specific language in the Human Rights Act, it was indeed very

much considered as a ground for discrimination. The Human Rights Commission has

always accepted and continues to accept to this day any cases brought before

them that has to deal with gender identity and gender expression.

While we are fixing the terminology, I just want to be very clear for members

of the public, there has never been a case related to gender identity or gender

expression that has been refused because this terminology was not included in

the act. I want to be very clear on that situation. However, having said all of

that, though, we do recognize that the environment we are living in has evolved

considerably over the last three years. We have continued to consult and

listened to what people were saying to us and we have looked at what other

provinces are doing, and very clearly, we now believe it is time to update our

legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this is no different than we do with any other piece of

legislation from time to time. We bring in all sorts of things into the House of

Assembly. Later today we are probably going to go back and talk about some

justice bills, for example, that I brought in a few days ago. Sometimes it is

about housekeeping items and sometimes it is about making substantial changes.

My point is that is the normal proceedings in this Legislature. You bring in

a bill and from time to time you need to make changes to update it, to make sure

it reflects current thinking and current practices. That is what we are doing

today. We are adding gender identity and gender expression because we believe

the time is right to do that.

I have talked to any number of individuals, and I want to thank individuals

who have had input in this, and who have talked to me about this and met with me

on this. I do want to take a moment to recognize my college from St. John's

Centre who has been a strong advocate for this. I certainly thank her for her

voice on this issue on behalf of people in her district and on behalf of other

people associated with her throughout the Province.

As I said, it is a good change. If I did not think it was a good chance to

make, I would not be doing it. So I do thank you for your input in this and I

look forward to hearing from you in a few moments on this particular issue. As

well, I look forward to hearing from my colleague across the way from Burgeo

La Poile in a couple of minutes.

Mr. Speaker, with those introductory remarks, I am going to conclude. There

is not a lot more to be said at this point on this particular issue. I think I

have made the points I want to make which is again, in

summary, this is a

change that I am very supportive of. I think the time is right to update the

legislation.

Also, to remind people that we have not rejected excuse me, not we. The

Human Rights Commission has not rejected any cases to this date because of

gender identity or expression. They have always accepted any cases brought

before them, but this now I think enshrines it in the legislation, that this is

indeed grounds for discrimination. I think it makes it very clear to those who

may be affected by this or who are paying attention, that we do respect gender

identity and gender expression as grounds for discrimination.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

I am certainly very happy to stand today and speak to Bill 25,

An Act to

Amend the Human Rights Act, 2010. I would also like to thank the Department of

Justice for providing us a briefing on this, as they have on other bills this

week. I think the minister said it right in that the bill itself is very small,

but in many ways it is very large. It is small physically, but what it does is

something that a lot of people have been asking for, for some time.

I do not mind saying that my colleague, the Member for St. John's Centre, has

been one of the ones leading the charge. Obviously, it has had some results.

Congratulations to her on that.

I just want to give some background to this. The fact is we do have a Human

Rights Act. We go back to the fact that the Declaration of Human Rights was

signed back in December, 1948. Then it was actually brought into this Province

back in 1971. The fact is, as times change and society changes, we have to

update our legislation. Just like any piece of legislation, you have to update

them to make them relevant with today's society. We have done the same here with

the Human Rights Act.

We know that in 2010 the legislation was updated again to reflect the new

regulations and the new protections that were needed, and it increased the

efficiency. We are back here again today to add some new sections to that.

For those who are watching, it says the

preamble to the act, "is amended by

adding immediately after the words and comma sexual orientation,' the words and

commas gender identity, gender expression'". Then, "Subsection 9(1) of the Act

is amended by adding immediately after the words and comma sexual orientation,'

the words and commas gender identity, gender expression'".

Again, it is the right move and I applaud government for bringing this

forward. I appreciate and I know where the minister is coming from when he says

you want to put it on record that there have been no claims that have ever been

turned down. That is obviously good and positive, but we need to make sure our

legislation is proper and right. We cannot just rely on that forever. We need

make sure that our legislation is updated.

Some of the questions I had during the briefing were simple. Are we the first

Province? Are we the last Province? Where are we in the grand scheme of things

when we talk about this? At the time, back in 2009 when the government did their

human rights consultations, only the Northwest Territories had gender identity

in legislation.

As we speak to this today, Manitoba, PEI, Nova Scotia, and Ontario have now

put this language in their legislation, and it seems that the trend is to

include both. This is information that we get from speaking to the legislators

and to the solicitors with the Department of Justice when we talk about this. I

understand that this is also at the federal government level, but the bill is

stuck in the Senate. One of the reasons for that is that Mr. Harper up in Ottawa

tends to do omnibus bills.

Actually, right now, this bill is being proposed together with a hate crime

bill. Again, it may not pass because people are linking this together. That is

how Mr. Harper tends to operate, is to tie together these pieces of legislation.

It is funny, you see his commentary from back years ago when he talked about

omnibus bills were terrible, and then he gets in and omnibus bills become the

new trend and the way to do things.

Enough about Mr. Harper, we are going to speak about the good things this

Province is doing right here.

We already know that under prohibited grounds of discrimination we have race,

colour, nationality, ethic origin, social origin, religious creed, religion,

age, disability, disfigurement, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family

status, source of income, and political opinions. So we are adding to that a

large group, and I am very glad to see that we are adding to it now.

I do find it interesting and I am sure that the member to my right may

speak to this after I do find it interesting that in previous debates and

questions on this, the former Minister of Justice was very adamant that this

legislation was fine and dandy. Actually, I think the quote, "it was impossible

to encapsulate it all into one single provision" and that all discriminations

under that issue are adequately covered under the sex discrimination in the act.

So these are just some of the responses.

Again, there was another one, "The conclusion, Mr. Speaker, was definite on

all sides that it was too confusing an issue to try to explain it in one single

provision in the Human Rights Act." Obviously, that has been changed now. The

department and the new minister have made sure to include it, and kudos to them

for making sure that it was done. I am glad to see that we have managed to pull

it together and that it is not too confusing an issue it should not be.

I am not going to speak to this much longer, Mr. Speaker; I am just happy to

be a part of this debate. I think it is a good change. It is one we are all

going to support. It is going to have unanimous support from this House

certainly unanimous support from this side. I am happy to speak to it today, Mr.

Speaker.

Thank you very much.

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

MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am so very happy to be able to stand today and to speak to this, Bill 25,

An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act.

I want to thank the Minister of Justice for this excellent piece of work. I

would also like to thank the staff from Legislative Counsel from the Department

of Justice for the thorough briefing that they gave us, and for the work that

they have done on this particular piece of legislation over the years, since the

consultation on the Human Rights Act.

I had the pleasure of meeting with the minister and his staff from Justice to

talk about the importance of this amendment to the Human Rights Act and to talk

about clarity among some of the issues and some of the outstanding questions. It

was a very positive meeting.

I cannot help but think how wonderful it is when we do have the chance in

this House to be able to collaborate. Again, it reminds me of how wonderful it

would be if, at times, we could have all-party standing committees, legislative

committees. so that we could work together, so that we could come up with the

best legislation possible to address the needs of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. That experience of working closely with the minister was such a

positive experience, and I thank him and I praise him for providing that

opportunity as well. Thank you very much.

I would also like to congratulate the presidents and the board of directors

and the staff of the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission who have

worked so hard to enact and to administer the Human Rights Act for the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador. This is a change that they too wanted to see happen.

So, I am sure that they feel very proud of the work that they have done; the

work that they have done in collaboration with the department, with the

direction that they have given the department on this particular issue.

Mr. Speaker, human rights are never given. Nobody gives disenfranchised or

vulnerable people or minorities their rights. They are hard won. They are won

after hard work, after brilliant work, after persistent, courageous work. Hard

work from both those directly affected but also by their allies, by people in

organizations who understand that when anyone is left behind, we are all

affected. We cannot as a society go forward when someone is left behind. In

fact, what we have to do then is we have to go behind and start pushing. This is

a win-win situation for everyone.

I can remember, Mr. Speaker, over thirty years ago, maybe even longer than

that, when the Canadian Charter of Rights was being amended and when we wanted

women's rights enshrined through clause 28 in the Charter of Rights and that

they were negotiated out of the Charter of Rights. We were told not to worry it

did not matter, but it did matter. We knew how important it was to have the

rights of women explicitly stated in the Charter of Rights, and we worked so

hard.

I would like to remind everybody once again that human rights are not given.

They are won after hard persistent work, work that sometimes is collaborative.

That is the ideal situation. When one group is vulnerable in society, we all

lose as a society.

This bill is about amending our Human Rights Act to include gender identity

and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination. This week in

Newfoundland and Labrador there is programs for the Transgender Week of

Awareness and Action.

On Monday, I was lucky enough to be able to go to city hall for the flag

raising of the transgender pride flag. There were a number of young trans folks

there, Mr. Speaker. I was very moved by it because a lot of these young people

were young people who were absolutely tortured in school, who were vilified, who

were so misunderstood. They were able to stand together, be acknowledged by

legislators, by politicians, by human rights activists and with such pride

raised their flag.

There were a few people there, trans folks who were afraid of having their

picture taken, or were afraid if the media caught them. They know it is still

not safe in their own communities, or it is not safe in their places of work.

It was incredible to watch this historic moment because I do believe it is

the first time that the trans flag was raised at city hall for the Trans Week of

Awareness and Action. It was a positive thing and it was a good thing. Nobody

lost by it. As a matter of fact we were all winners; we all gained.

The change that is being recommended here not only gives explicit rights and

protection to trans folks but it also gives all of us guidance and direction on

how we live our lives in our society, how we live together peacefully and in

respect. It is a recommendation not only to protect trans people but a

recommendation as to how we all should live our lives together. That is a good

thing. It affects us all. It is a win-win situation; this is only positive.

The transgender population in the world is emerging today. People are coming

out. They are identifying, they are self-identifying as we saw in the flag

raising on Monday. That means we see some pushback. We have seen that in the

history of human rights all over the world. When women fought for rights during

the civil rights movement in the US, when gays and lesbians fought for rights,

what we saw then is an increase in misunderstanding, in prejudice and injustice,

an increase on a daily basis, a push back. That is what we have been beginning

to see with trans-folks as well. We have seen there is a push back because of

their emergence, but ever so why we need to have our Human Rights Act amended.

Again, trans folks are among the most vilified, misunderstood group of people

in our society today. For a long time they have not been afforded equal rights

or freedoms, and have been subjected at times to atrocities and absolute

inhumane treatment, sometimes at the hands of lawmakers and society at large.

This can only be a positive thing. It is step in the right direction.

Amending our human rights legislation shows us once again that our Human

Rights Act is a living document. That it is not cast in stone; that as we evolve

as a society we understand one another more. We understand the scope and the

breadth of human rights legislation and how it must change and how it must

reflect and respond to our understanding as we grow as a society. As a society

we know that we have less tolerance for hatred and discrimination, and for

crimes based on hate. Consequently, our Human Rights Act must respond to that.

I have stood in this House for over a year presenting petitions and doing

member's statements on the issue of trans rights. I am so glad, Mr. Speaker,

that I will not have to do that any more because this legislation, this

amendment is exactly what we needed. I have listed the difficulties and the

incidents of discriminations and crimes of hate, and I have talked about how

difficult it has been for trans-folks who are our brothers, our sisters, our

mothers, our fathers, our neighbours, our co-workers.

Yesterday, November 20, was the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The

Transgender Day of Remembrance actually started in Canada, but now it is

celebrated or acknowledged all over the world. It is where we remember those who

have been murdered directly or who have taken their own lives because of hate

and discrimination.

On that day we acknowledge the empty places that exist by the loss of these

people. Empty places in family's hearts, in communities, empty places in the

hearts of people who have lost people because of hate and discrimination. The

people whom we have lost are somebody's brother, sister, uncle, father, mother,

little brother, little sister, a neighbour, a co-worker, a classmate, or

someone's teacher. Our remembrance is not just to sit and mourn. Our remembrance

must compel us to action and compel us to the type of action that we are

acknowledging here today.

I am proud of our Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. I am proud that this

Province, and I am proud that this Minister of Justice, I am proud that our

Human Rights Commission, I am proud that our Legislative Council has worked hard

to include both gender identity and gender expression in our Human Rights Act.

That is important, Mr. Speaker, that we have both gender identity and gender

expression. That is the best practice in human rights legislation.

I am happy that after all the work of trans activists and human rights

activists all over Newfoundland and Labrador, we will be able to proudly

proclaim that we have fully amended our Human Rights Act to include both gender

identity and gender expression in our legislation. We will, as a Province, be

able to say we have joined other provinces in this progressive piece of

legislation Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, now

Quebec, and PEI has just introduced in their province as well; this, joined by

the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

This will affect issues of housing and employment in health care in a

positive manner for trans folks. For instance, in the Province right now, as it

stands, any person who needs to be assessed and diagnosed is sent by the

Province to CAMH in Toronto. It is a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

where there is a formalized process of assessment and diagnosis. It is a costly

procedure. It takes a lot of time. People have to leave their own homes and

communities in order to do it, but there are doctors who are fully qualified to

do that assessment and diagnosis.

I gave a letter, as a matter of fact, to the Minister of Health about half a

year ago, identifying doctors in the community who can do that assessment and

diagnosis right here in the Province and who are willing to do so. They are

psychiatrists, family practitioners, and physiologists. As a matter of fact, one

of the psychiatrists I included in that list was a psychiatrist who actually did

the diagnosis and assessment at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in

Toronto. Why can she not do it here?

The Minister of Health had said she was very willing and open to making

changes, so that assessment and diagnosis can be done here so that our people do

not have to travel to Toronto under great expense, taking time off work, when in

fact that process can be done here.

There are other issues that will be affected. One of the things that may seem

so simple and inconsequential is the very fact of being able to change your sex

on your driver's licence. Imagine if you were a man transitioning to a woman and

from all outward appearances you dress like a woman, you look like a woman, you

pass as a woman, but when you have to show photo ID, when you are flying, when

you have to give your licence for work purposes, it says that you are a man.

That is so difficult because that means every time that happens this person has

to say, I am not who my ID says I am. It is a really, really difficult situation

for trans people.

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to speak much longer, but before I finish I want

to also praise the Department of Education for the incredible work it has done

in the schools to make the schools more inclusive and safe for all lesbian, gay,

bisexual and transgendered students, staff and teachers all over the Province.

Our Province has been a leader in that area, and our Department of Education has

been a leader in that area.

I am not sure if the current Minister of Justice, at the time that was

introduced was the Minister of Education, I am not sure if that was the case,

but it was an incredible progressive step forward; the first Province in the

whole country, probably the first education department in the world to do such

comprehensive work and such progressive work.

I think that as a Province we must stand on our laurels for doing such

incredible work because that work is not just about changing attitudes. That

work in fact has saved lives because of the high suicide rate among LGBTQ

students who are tortured in schools. I would like to commend this government

for taking that action, that very concrete action. That it is not just

philosophical, it was concrete steps.

Mr. Speaker, the trans folks in our community, I have talked about how

difficult their lives can be. I have talked about the discrimination. I also

want to talk about the strength and the creativity. I would like to talk about

the positive contributions trans folks make to our communities because they are

our police officers, politicians, union leaders, teachers, nurses, and doctors.

Trans folks are included in all aspects of our community. Again, they are our

brothers, our sisters, our family, our co-workers, and our neighbours.

I am very happy that this legislation in fact honours the fact that trans

folks have a right to full and equal participation in our society. They have the

right to full access to all services and programs. This is the right thing to

do. Amending our human rights legislation at this point is the right thing to

do. I would like to commend, again, the Minister of Justice for taking this

stand. I would like to thank him for taking this stand.

Mr. Speaker, I have been able celebrate at gay pride. I have been able to

celebrate at trans pride. I would hope that all of us at this point would take

part in that pride, that we can all be proud that this is a historic moment and

this is a moment that we can celebrate. This is a moment where we say that all

people are equal and have rights in our society in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: I recognize the hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi

Vidi.

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

I am glad to have an opportunity to speak to this bill today. It is a very

important bill. I am not going to speak long. I think my colleague from St.

John's Centre has done a wonderful job in speaking to the bill and I am not

going to repeat a lot of what she has said.

I wanted to speak to it because it was four years ago when I first stood in

this House and asked a question of the then Minister of Justice with regard to

the lack of recognition of gender identity and gender expression in our Human

Rights Act. The question, I think, was extremely important because the question

talked about what the situation is for transgendered people, what it was then

and what it still is, and pointed out the level of discrimination that

transgendered people suffer from right around this country, not just in our

Province.

We know it is much wider than just what we experience here in our own

community; it is worldwide actually. We know there are many human rights cases

that demonstrate that unless gender identity is specifically included as a

prohibited ground of discrimination, then the ability of transgender persons to

access employment rights and parental rights, health care, and even basic safety

would continue to be challenged.

What we have done today I hope what we are doing is making our society a

safer place for transgender persons. In 2010, when the government announced the

new Human Rights Act, which came after the consultations and the review that had

taken place, I spoke again to the issue. At that time I was so very disappointed

that in the new a