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March

28, 2017

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVIII No. 1

The

House met at 2 p.m.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):

Order, please!

Admit

strangers.

Please

be seated.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Mr. Speaker, the Justices of the Supreme Court have arrived.

MR. SPEAKER:

Admit the Justices of the

Supreme Court.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Mr. Speaker, His Honour the Lieutenant Governor has arrived.

MR. SPEAKER:

Admit His Honour the

Lieutenant Governor.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

(Mr.

Speaker leaves the Chair.)

(His

Honour the Lieutenant Governor takes the Chair.)

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

It is the wish of His Honour

the Lieutenant Governor that all present be seated.

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT

GOVERNOR (Frank F. Fagan, CM, ONL, MBA):

The Way Forward to Greater

Prosperity

It is my

pleasure to open the second session of the 48th General Assembly of the Province

of Newfoundland and Labrador.

I offer

a warm welcome to all Members of the House of Assembly, who have been elected to

represent the good people of our province. I wish you well in your forthcoming

deliberations in this chamber.

This is

a time of national commemoration and celebration.

marks the 150th anniversary of

Confederation and the Birth of Canada .

This

year we also celebrate the 35th

anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , which protected

our rights and freedoms as Canadians in the Constitution of Canada.

It is

not only fitting but imperative that we celebrate these rights. The right to

democratic government. The right to freedom of thought and expression. And the

right to peaceful assembly. These are values we uphold as Canadians. I encourage

you all to take

part in the many activities being planned this year to celebrate

Canada's 150th birthday, including free access to Canada's national parks,

national marine conservation areas and national historic sites.

Indeed,

as we celebrate Canada 150, we ought to reflect on the sacrifices made by those

who fought to protect our rights, freedoms and sovereignty as a nation.

Last

year marked the 100th anniversary of the battle of Beaumont Hamel, when

approximately 800 men left their trenches on July 1st, and only 68 answered the

roll call the following morning.

This

year, we commemorate such battles as the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge, a

pivotal battle for Canada and its Allies, and the 100th anniversary of

Monchy-le-Preux, where nine Newfoundland Regiment soldiers and one British

soldier held off over 200 German soldiers for over 10 hours after losing 485

men.

recognition of the bravery of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, in December

1917, His Majesty King George V honoured the Newfoundland Regiment with a new

title, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. This was the sole occasion that any

regiment was so honoured during the First World War and only the third wartime

designation of the title in British history.

Honour

100 commemorated Newfoundland and Labrador's First World War story. More than 60

projects were made possible by Honour 100 funding, including Opera on the

Avalon's First World War opera, called Ours, as well as a visit by dozens of

students to Beaumont Hamel to trek the Trail of the Caribou first-hand and to

learn a story that should never be forgotten.

We also

recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by the women during the First

World War, serving as nurses or with the Voluntary Aid Detachment abroad, and

holding the fort at home while almost 36 per cent of our men aged 19 to 35 went

to war. The Women's Patriot Association raised money, knitted socks, sweaters

and scarves for troops. It is estimated that women's work contributed over

$500,000 to the war effort at that time.

To say

the war impacted those who lived through it is an understatement. One notable

and positive impact was on the women's movement, as their contributions to the

war effort were recognized, helping fuel the suffrage movement, which ultimately

led to women winning the right to vote and run for political office in 1925 in

our province.

also marks a number of other anniversaries for our province.

Legend

has it that John Cabot returned to England from the Grand Banks with stories of

how plentiful the cod was in our waters. For centuries, our stocks have

attracted international fleets, and indeed, many of our ancestors settled along

our rugged coasts to fish. The fishery, and particularly, the cod fishery, was

formative in our economy and our identity.

marks the 25th anniversary of the cod moratorium, a Federal Government response

to dangerously depleted cod stocks. The moratorium put 30,000 Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians out of work, kick-started youth outmigration en masse, and

shone a light on the socio-economic consequences of not managing and maximizing

our resources.

On this,

the 25th anniversary, we are cautiously optimistic about the return of cod and

the ground fishery. It is fitting that we mark this anniversary with reflection

on what led to the moratorium that, in turn, depleted our greatest resource: our

people.

also marks the 20th anniversary since first oil at Hibernia. Just five years had

passed since the Federal Government imposed the cod moratorium, marking a

pivotal shift in our economy. Suddenly, oil replaced cod as the leading

industry, attracting multi-national oil and gas companies the world over.

It is

valuable to reflect on this. First oil at Hibernia just five years after the end

of the cod fishery shows us how quickly things can turn around. Our experiences

in both the cod fishery and oil have taught us that natural resources are

precious commodities that need to be managed carefully to the maximum benefit of

the people, and that requires a long-term view.

Our

Government is focused on building a sustainable future. A future with a stronger

economic foundation. As we reflect on our history as a province and as a nation,

we are together building on our narrative of resilience and resourcefulness.

This resilience and resourcefulness is exactly what we need to harness to build

a stronger tomorrow.

identify strongly and proudly as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. In an

increasingly globalized world, we continue to position ourselves as world-class

performers and partners, harnessing the perseverance it has taken to survive in

the harsh North Atlantic to compete and win no matter the challenge before us.

Last year, we celebrated such successes as Katarina Roxon winning Paralympic

gold in the 100-metre breaststroke in Rio. In January, with a record score,

Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown won her third national figure skating title.

As well,

incredible athletes from our province earned medals at the Special Olympics

World Winter Games in Austria. Sandra Smith of Carbonear, Crystal Young of

Harbour Grace, Justin Dodge of Grand Bank and Floressa Harris of Gander brought

the province together in celebration just a few days ago.

From Rio

to Torino to Ramsau, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have set out on their own

personal journeys and achieved the unimaginable bringing home Olympic Gold.

Both abroad and at home, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are not only competing

on national and international stages, they are winning.

Ladies

and gentlemen, just two weeks ago, Team Gushue stepped out on home ice under the

weight of the province's hope. The Brier showcased to the nation and the world

our hospitality and our culture two fundamental aspects of our identity as

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The last shot of the championship curling game

rested on the dreams of his teammates, and the hopes of our province. In a sea

of red, in a breadth of baited silence, in that final sweep, rushed a collective

sense of pride and achievement. Team Gushue did not buckle under the pressure of

a national championship game on home ice. They rose above it. They won. And in

that perfect moment, when something that seemed too good to be true happened, we

all won.

On the

heels of Team Gushue's 2017 Brier victory came another Newfoundland and Labrador

curling milestone. The Memorial University Sea Hawk's team, skipped by Adam

Boland, won the USports Men's Curling Canada Championship with a victory over

the University of Alberta.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are being recognized not only for sport, but

also for their business acumen.

Recognized as the best of 60 teams in Canada eight times, Enactus Memorial, a

student-run organization of creative entrepreneurs supported by Memorial

University's Faculty of Business Administration, took home their second World

Cup in 2016. Enactus Memorial outperformed teams from 33 countries and 1,700

campuses, and 69,000 participants worldwide. Enactus Memorial creates

innovative, local and sustainable solutions to global economic challenges. Their

winning enterprise, called Project SucSeed, partners with Memorial's Faculty of

Engineering and employs at-risk youth through Choices for Youth to build

hydroponic systems from recycled materials for produce production. Project

SucSeed is helping to make healthy food more accessible and affordable, a

particular challenge in rural and remote communities, is helping to improve our

food security and health outcomes as a province overall and is supporting social

enterprise in the province.

Our

artistic and creative talents are also receiving accolades worldwide.

Adapted

from local writer Wayne Johnston's award-winning novel of the same name,

Colony of Unrequited Dreams just

completed a two-week run at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Written by

Robert Chafe and directed by Jillian Kielley, themselves local success stories,

the play brings the story of Newfoundland's first premier and Canada's last

founding father Joey Smallwood and the story of Confederation to the national

stage. Upon its debut, The

Globe and Mail called

Colony of Unrequited Dreams the type

of meaty yet moving work about this country that audiences should be hungry for

this year.

Theatre

audiences are also enjoying stories of more contemporary Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians this year. Irene Sankoff and David Hein's musical

Come from Away , tells a story of how

the people of Gander and surrounding areas opened their arms to the world on

September 11, 2001. There is no better reflection of the compassion and

welcoming spirit of the people of our province than how they responded by

opening their homes and hearts in the days following those tragic terrorist

attacks. During an event that reverberated around the world, our participation

was revered in such a touching way. With performances in Gander, Toronto,

California, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and now Broadway,

Come from Away is leading in nominations for the upcoming Helen

Hayes Awards in Washington, D.C. in May 2017.

From

stage to screen, our province is making its mark.

Co-created by Rob and Peter Blackie, and produced by Take

the Shot Productions, and ASAP Entertainment in association with Discovery,

Frontier chronicles the ruthless world

of the fur trade in 18 th century North America. Set against our

rugged landscape, the majority of the series has been filmed right here, and is

garnering considerable attention from viewers. 571,000 people tuned in to watch

the series premiere on Discovery, making it the most-watched Canadian scripted

series debut on entertainment specialty TV this year. Take the Shot Productions

showcased the beauty of our capital city through

Republic of Doyle . This time around, Take the Shot is showing the

breathtaking natural heritage and beauty of our province to the world, with

Discovery as its exclusive Canadian broadcaster, and Netflix its international

broadcaster.

Our province has also become a world-class foodie

destination. Voted Best New Restaurant in 2011, Raymond's; the restaurant

created by Jeremy Charles and Jeremy Bonia, was just honoured as among the next

generation of dining destinations in the world in the Diners Club 50 Best

Discovery Series. The Merchant Tavern recently partnered with Ontario-based

Order of Canada winning Chef Jamie Kennedy for a restaurant takeover. Adelaide

Oyster House was named one of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in 2015 by

enRoute magazine . The Fogo Island Inn

was recognized with the same award in 2013. Our local chefs have competed and

won on the national stage. People are travelling near and far to enjoy the

bounty of our land and a true land-to-table experience at the food festival,

Roots, Rants and Roars in

Elliston.

Indeed,

we ought to celebrate the many successes of our province, while reflecting on

its challenges. We have rich resources and creative and inventive people. Our

Government will harness these resources and the ingenuity of our people to build

a stronger economic foundation.

Our

Government inherited a deep-rooted reliance on oil, and with it, a culture of

overspending. Our fiscal problem was not caused by a drop in oil prices, but

rather this decline in oil prices exposed the culture of overspending.

inherited an economy lacking diversity and we inherited responsibility for a

massive structural deficit, the true size of which had been hidden from the

people.

Our

Government inherited Muskrat Falls, a legacy project for some, a tremendous

financial burden for all of us. When we formed government, almost $4.5 billion

had been spent and a total of $6.6 billion in contracts had been signed. If we

cancelled the project, we would still owe billions of dollars. If we cancelled

the project, we would have to somehow provide the power promised to Nova Scotia,

or financial compensation in lieu. We are in too deep. Cancelling the project is

not feasible and it would put more financial burden on the people of this

province.

We have

committed to doing our best to mitigate the impacts of the project on residents,

and as such, appointed a world-class leader in the energy sector, Stan Marshall,

as CEO of Nalcor Energy. In order to mitigate the potential efforts of soaring

energy bills when Muskrat Falls comes online, we have instructed Nalcor to

pursue all options for rate mitigation. Through the Independent Appointments

Commission, a new, stronger Nalcor Board of Directors, led by Chair Brendan

Paddock, was appointed to work with Mr. Marshall to get this project on track.

Also, in

November 2016 our Government was pleased to announce we secured $2.9 billion in

additional loan guarantee support for the Muskrat Falls project. Through our

efforts with the Federal Government, we were able to receive positive benefits

for adjustments to escrow account obligations. These actions have improved our

financial position and will provide much needed support to the ratepayers of the

province. Our Government has followed through on discussions with the Government

announce the detailed agreement in the near future.

We also

forged a historic partnership with Indigenous governments and organizations,

ensuring appropriate environmental and human safeguards are in place. Our

actions will be guided by evidence-based decision making, and we will work with

stakeholders to make this project work for all our benefit.

As a

province, we have had to come to terms with the unprecedented fiscal situation

before us, and it has not been easy. We faced the very real risk of losing the

ability to borrow to pay for programs and services government provides.

Innovative measures were required to make up for falling oil prices while we get

government spending under control and diversify beyond oil. For over a decade,

the province was operating without a plan for a sustainable future. That had to

change.

Through

extensive consultation with the public and leaders from the business community,

labour and arts, we drafted The Way

Forward: A vision for sustainability and growth in Newfoundland and Labrador .

The

vision of The Way Forward is this:

Together we will achieve a strong, diversified province with a high standard of

living. The determination and drive of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will be

supported by responsive, innovative and efficient programs and services.

Our

government's vision is centered on three guiding principles: we will do better

with less, we will collaborate, and we will challenge ourselves.

We will do better with less.

There is

a great opportunity to do better with less. While Newfoundland and Labrador's

program costs are the highest per capita among provinces, many of our outcomes,

including health outcomes, rank among the lowest. Put simply, we are not seeing

a sufficient return on investment. Further, poor outcomes drive spending higher.

It is incumbent upon us as a government to ensure a healthy return on investment

of taxpayers' dollars.

As such,

Our Government introduced a new Public

Procurement Act, which will govern the acquisition of goods, services,

public works and leasing of space by all public bodies, including

municipalities, health boards, school boards, academic institutions, Crown

corporations and government. We are focused on the concept of best value and

enhancing oversight, transparency, accountability, consistency and fairness. The

new procurement framework will include the Act, as well as regulations, policies

and procedures that are actively under development. Thresholds governing buying

activity are to be increased through regulation, which will enhance the

opportunity for local suppliers while maintaining consistency with our trade

agreements.

For the

first time in our history, the provincial government is employing a zero-based

budgeting approach. No longer can departments assume their base budget will be

automatically approved; under zero-based budgeting, departments have had to

build their budgets up from scratch justifying any continued investment in all

areas of operations. Government agencies, boards and commissions have also been

required to follow the zero-based approach for discretionary spending areas.

We have

reorganized departments based on identified synergies to reduce silos,

streamline operations and reduce costs. We are also implementing a flatter,

leaner management structure to address what is the largest provincial public

sector per capita among provinces. Our Government will also work with agencies,

boards and commissions to implement a flatter, leaner management structure.

We will collaborate.

We are

stronger together. This past year has been a challenging one as we are finally

facing the dire consequences of years of spending without a sustainable plan for

the future.

It is

time for us to come together, to work together on addressing a deficit and a

debt that will overwhelm our children and grandchildren in the absence of

action. We formed government at a fiscal breaking point. We are determined to

embrace what some may deem a crisis as an opportunity to do better with less. We

are working with our partners at all levels of government to achieve better

outcomes. We continue to engage stakeholders so their perspectives inform and

enrich our overall approach. We will work together to improve our province's

economic foundation. Last year, we hosted the first annual Premier's Forum on

Local Government. We have also committed to establish a Leaders Roundtable with

Indigenous Governments and Organizations, who will meet for the first time this

spring. Together we will shape an agenda, and develop even stronger

relationships as we build for our future.

We will challenge ourselves.

The

roadmap of The Way Forward spans three

phases of action comprising tangible initiatives.

These

first six months have focused on Securing our Footing rapidly implementing

initiatives to reduce spending and support economic growth. Yesterday, we

released our report card on progress. We are well on our way to addressing the

challenges facing our province.

We are

now entering the second phase of The Way

Forward, Realizing our Potential , which spans the next 18 months and focuses

on actions to reverse negative socio-economic indicators that prevent economic

growth and drive up public expenditures. This update to our vision outlines the

work we will prioritize in 2017-18. Yesterday, the Premier released this plan.

The

third phase, Building for our Future ,

looks beyond 18 months and focuses on creating long-term conditions for growth

in the province by investing in the future, including redesigning government

services to fit demographics of the future and investing in children and youth.

As we

achieve the goals outlined in our plan, Our Government will challenge ourselves

to achieve even more. At the beginning of each fiscal year, we will release the

next phase of tangible actions to ensure our vision becomes reality. And as we

did yesterday for Phase One, we will issue a report card on our progress at the

end of each additional phase. Through concrete actions, timelines and reporting,

we will challenge ourselves to remain ambitious, responsive and accountable.

The Way Forward: Realizing

Our Potential ,

which outlines or province's priorities for 2017-18, is an economic development

plan for the province. The actions we have committed to undertake this coming

fiscal year focus on constructing a stronger economic foundation for our

province.

A Stronger Economic

Foundation

Establishing a stronger economic foundation means improving the conditions

necessary for private sector job growth and economic growth. We will adopt a

whole-of-government approach to creating the conditions necessary for new

private sector job creation and economic growth. Building a sustainable economy

is our top priority.

The Way Forward: Realizing

Our Potential has

outlined a new approach to economic development and private sector job growth.

Jobs will be our top

priority.

Our

Government is immediately mandating a new Cabinet Committee on jobs to foster

stronger employment conditions and opportunities. This Committee of Ministers

will serve as a forum to identify new whole-of-government opportunities for

private sector job growth.

The

Cabinet Committee on Jobs will seek the advice of provincial leaders, including

private sector labour representatives and members of the province's business

community.

As part

of this approach, each minister and government department will be expected to

report on how their actions create stronger conditions for economic and private

sector job growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. This will encourage decision

making that places our economic future at the center of all decisions.

We have set targets for

sector growth.

Last

fall, we outlined a number of targets for our economy related to agriculture,

forestry, aquaculture, tourism and immigration. These targets show

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians where our economy is headed. This provides

certainty and shows clearly how we plan to diversify our economy.

Our

Government is focused on supporting well-established industries like the

fishery, oil and gas and mining, while growing industries with tremendous

potential, such as aquaculture, agriculture and technology. Beyond our resources

and diverse wealth in non-renewable resources, our greatest resource is our

people, and their resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity.

The Way Forward outlines a tangible

plan for diversification.

A return to groundfish is a

centrepiece of our economic development approach.

The Way Forward

includes a commitment to

support a successful transition to greater activity in the groundfish sector.

Work in this area includes establishing a Fisheries Advisory Council to help Our

Government work with industry stakeholders to achieve a successful transition.

We will develop an action plan for cod revitalization, which will support all

stages of the value chain harvesting, processing and marketing to maximize

the value of available resources to the province.

We are

also funding new technology, research, and marketing activity by industry

players through the Seafood Innovation and Transition Program. The program funds

projects that focus on innovations in harvesting, processing, aquaculture and

marketing which will strategically place Newfoundland and Labrador in a position

to avail of opportunities in the international marketplace.

Soon, we

will build upon this work on a scale the provincial seafood industry has never

seen before. Working with our federal partners, we have secured a commitment of

$100 million in federal funding through the new Atlantic Fisheries Fund. This

funding will be leveraged by Our Government and industry to support innovation,

new infrastructure, a successful transition into greater groundfish activity,

and increased aquaculture.

Our

Government will work closely with industry over this year to ensure the

unprecedented funding we gained for our province will position our harvesters,

processors, and aquaculture operators for long-term success in markets around

the world. We will protect jobs and grow new economic opportunity within our

iconic seafood sector by helping industry players pursue best practice across

their operations. That means we will not only support innovation, but also

science, sustainability and safety.

keeping with that goal, we will be working with our federal partners to leverage

the $1.5 billion allocated to the Ocean Protection Plan to protect our waters,

the resources within them, and the people who rely on them. Specifically, this

funding will play a key role in studying and managing fish stocks at a time when

our provincial fishery resources are changing, and support innovation in

aquaculture. As well, under the Ocean Protection Plan, new Canadian Coast Guard

lifeboat stations will be constructed in our province and the Maritime Rescue

Sub-Centre in St. John's will be reopened.

We will seize opportunities

in aquaculture.

Our

Government made aquaculture a focus of our research and development support

program because we see great potential in the industry. We are working to see

the industry grow from the 22,815 metric tons of salmon it produced in 2015 to

50,000 metric tons annually. The mussel industry is estimated to have the

capacity to grow to 10,750 metric tons of production annually. These are the

targets we have set and our Government will take measures to remove stale

applications from the licensing system to free up water area for aquaculture

development. In addition, Our Government will establish rigorous criteria that

companies must meet in order to maintain site applications and licences in the

Newfoundland and Labrador aquaculture licensing system (i.e., use it or lose

it).

We will position Newfoundland

and Labrador as the preferred destination for oil and gas development.

The oil

and gas industry has generated considerable wealth, opportunity and expertise

here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and holds much promise for our future.

Considerable research has been undertaken through our public institutions into

exploration and development in Arctic and harsh environments. We know our

industry and the research that drives it is world class.

The Way Forward commits to positioning the province as a preferred

global location for oil and gas development. And we are on our way.

As part

of capitalizing on the potential of new developments, we made it a focus under

our vision to: decrease the time between identifying prospects and production;

ensure that our regulatory environment is consistent with recognized global

standards; and promote innovation.

December, our Government announced an Oil and Gas Industry Development Council.

Chaired by the Minister of Natural Resources, the council's membership was

selected via the merit-based appointments process and comprises the breadth of

experience and skill sets needed to determine a long-term vision for the

industry. Our Government is also assigning officials to be facilitators for

early-stage proponents within not only the oil and gas sector, but in mining and

renewable energy as well.

The

Labrador offshore will also attract new interest and investment in the coming

years as the next licensing round for exploration rights is scheduled to take

place in the Labrador South Region. We are confident this activity will build on

the region's reputation as a natural resource powerhouse, and generate even more

economic activity and employment.

Our

Government is very engaged in significant, modern seismic acquisition activity

to reveal more of the province's oil and gas prospects.

As a

result, we now have an inventory of high-quality data on our offshore prospects,

which forms the basis of the recent publically released resource estimates,

which is attracting global attention.

Through

new seismic work, we have delineated significant new basin areas, and over 350

leads and prospects to add to our 20 basins, all of which are of great interest

to global players.

Last

November, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board

announced a successful call for bids in our province's offshore, with a total

work commitment of close to $758 million. This call was one of the most

successful in the world in 2016. In just over one year, we have welcomed seven

new entrants to the province's offshore oil and gas industry. We aspire

for our province to be the energy capital of the Atlantic and recognized

globally as an important energy hub.

Our Government also recently celebrated the one billionth

barrel of oil that's the one billionth barrel of oil produced from the

Hibernia platform, and with advances in technology and continued exploration

work in the slope and deep waters of our offshore including the Flemish Pass,

Orphan Basin, and Hopedale and Holton basins, there are significant, exciting

opportunities for the oil and gas industry here at home.

We will promote opportunities in the mining sector.

Mining has been a key economic driver throughout our

province for decades, and like our fishery, has driven settlement to particular

areas of the province, and has helped shape our identity.

Despite lower commodity prices, mineral shipments are

forecast to be $2.9 billion in 2017. At Voisey's Bay, the underground mine

expansion project has started. Tata Steel Minerals Canada restarted production

in spring of 2016 after a winter shutdown. IOC has sanctioned its Wabush 3

project. Rambler Metals and Mining announced financing to support their mining

of the Lower Footwall Zone, extending the life of the Baie Verte area mine to 21

years. Anaconda Mining has begun exporting waste rock from its Pine Cove gold

mine and continues to explore its Viking project in hopes of mining following

the exhaustion of the Pine Cove mine. Canada Fluorspar has begun constructing

the mine in St. Lawrence and there are many advanced exploration projects for

potential investment for gold, base metals, rare earths, and other commodities.

Throughout the province, new activity in mining is

happening. Approximately 21,000 claims were staked in 2016 almost four times

the amount staked in 2015, and the most staked in the last five years. Our

Government is taking advantage of this upswing by increasing efforts to support

growth in the industry.

Our vision includes a commitment to increase mining

activity through targeted promotional efforts, as well as through innovations

like core digitization. Just as seismic data is shared with oil and gas

companies to spur interest in petroleum exploration and development, core

digitization makes core sample imagery readily available in electronic format to

companies worldwide to complement the data currently available. Our Government

is also encouraging further exploration through a variety of other initiatives,

including public geoscience, efficient and transparent regulation, the core

storage program, prospector training and mentoring, and the mineral incentive

program.

We are confident our additional efforts to promote the

industry and share

information will build on the recent growth in exploration activity. By creating

an attractive environment for exploration, we will strengthen the industry, and

grow private sector jobs and the economy throughout our province.

We will provide a new focus

on agriculture to promote food security and explore untapped economic potential.

Our

Government is also aggressively pursuing new agricultural development by making

more Crown lands available for agriculture purposes, which will contribute to

increased agricultural food production and improve food security in Newfoundland

and Labrador. Farmers and agricultural producers will now have almost double the

amount of land available to them with additional Crown lands now available for

agricultural production.

Our

Government is creating new ways for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to become

farmers. We will transform the Wooddale Tree Nursery to a Centre for Agriculture

and Forestry Development. The facility will not only produce tree seedlings for

silviculture, but will also undertake fruit and vegetable crop propagation and

research activities that advance and diversify the agriculture sector.

Our

Government will also complete a pilot project to undertake large-scale land

development on priority areas of interest, with the objective of offering

agriculture leases that are more advanced in their productive capacity and

readiness. This will enable new entrants to the agricultural sector to become

profitable earlier.

These

actions will not only foster economic development and create jobs; they will

also help improve health outcomes. Doubling the amount of Crown land available

for agriculture will also help deliver on

The Way Forward commitment to double our food security to at least 20 per

cent by 2022. Our efforts in supporting the fishery, aquaculture, and

agriculture sectors will be key in achieving this goal.

Our

Government is increasing awareness of opportunities in agriculture by providing

support to Agriculture in the Classroom to develop an agri-career initiative for

junior and high school students. We also helped fund the Newfoundland and

Labrador Federation of Agriculture's Young Farmer's Leadership Summit. We are

confident that these kinds of investments will encourage and support new

farmers, expand existing farmland, and promote commercialization and growth in

the Newfoundland and Labrador agriculture and agrifoods industry.

Research

and development will also play a vital role in supporting the development of the

provincial agriculture industry. In 2016, the Agrifoods Development Branch

conducted its first canola research trial. In May, 30 acres were planted in

Pasadena which proved to be a success with yield beyond our expectations. Canola

meal is currently being fed as an ingredient in livestock rations and the oil is

being assessed for quality and suitability for human consumption. In 2017,

canola research will be expanded with additional producer participation.

Our world-call tourism

experience and rich culture will greet you at the door.

Newfoundland and Labrador is increasingly becoming a destination of choice for

tourists, and it is no wonder given the rugged beauty of our landscape and the

distinct culture of the people who live here.

We have

a superior tourism product, and our awareness as a tourism destination is

growing. Newfoundland and Labrador now welcomes a half million visitors

annually, our tourism industry generates approximately $1 billion in spending

per year, and it also employs more than 18,000 people. Just last year, our

stunning 'Find Yourself' Campaign was awarded Best in Show by Hospitality Sales

and Marketing Association International.

We are

proud of what the industry has already achieved, and our focus now is to build

on that strength. Our vision includes a commitment to achieve $1.6 billion

annually in resident and non-resident visitor spending by 2020, which will

double the 2009 levels.

A sense

of arrival is the welcome and warmth that visitors feel once they have reached

their destination. Ideally, this sense of arrival is in keeping with the

perceptions generated through the promotional activities and in meeting

expectations of the vacation experience in the mind of the visitor prior to the

trip. Having advanced a new tourism plan, this is the next aspect of our tourism

sector that Our Government will focus on. We will collaborate with tourism

operators, municipalities and transportation organizations at major entry

points, gateways, hubs and attractions to establish common sense of arrival

goals and priorities and initiate partnership activities.

recognize our growing tourism industry is due not only to the diverse beauty of

our province, but to the creativity of our people. From

Frontier to Come From Away ,

our artists are proving themselves as key economic drivers for our province. The

calibre of their work can be seen in the multitude of award winning and

attention grabbing television and film productions taking place here, or the

globally renowned musicals featuring stories and performers that originate from

our great province. We see it in the award winning music from bands and

performers who hail from every part of Newfoundland and Labrador, and we see it

in the visual arts, crafts and dance productions on display here and around the

world. We are committed to supporting such great work, which not only attracts

people to our province and enriches our daily lives, but also preserves the

sense of place and history that is the center of who we are as Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians.

enhance recognition and support of artists in our province,

The Way Forward includes a commitment to introduce Status of the

Artist legislation. The legislation and other policy measures will be based on

feedback from an Arts Advisory Committee and will be part of a broader work we

will do to develop a new cultural plan for the province. Consultations on

this plan have occurred, including an online survey that was completed by 256

artists across the province.

And I'm now halfway through.

We will adopt a new approach to innovation and will

support social enterprises.

As we work to grow the provincial economy, Our Government

will support new innovation initiatives. We are working on a Business Innovation

Agenda for Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as federal-provincial innovation

initiatives from the Atlantic Growth Strategy and other federal Research and

Development funding opportunities specific to clean technology.

Through the province's long-standing collaboration with the

Maritimes, Our Government is focused on harmonizing the regulatory burden on

Newfoundland and Labrador companies that do business elsewhere in the region to

avoid unnecessary impediments to growth, helping them succeed and expand across

Atlantic Canada.

By collaborating with Maritime provinces and the federal

government through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, Our Government is extending

further still the effort to drive growth in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We have contributed to the modernization of government

procurement in the province by bringing together the purchasing power of Our

to achieve savings and make it easier for Newfoundland and Labrador companies to

sell their products to more public organizations.

Through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, Our Government is

also supporting innovative Newfoundland and Labrador firms with high growth

potential in an effort to create more well-paying and skilled jobs right here in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

We are working to ensure that Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians are getting maximum benefit from the federal government investments

in infrastructure in the province, including investments in clean growth; and we

continue to work together to drive growth in priority areas such as health

innovation, which will enhance the sustainability of health care in our

province.

Our Government has committed up to $4.5 million over seven

years to support Memorial University's involvement in the Ocean Frontier

Institute, a partnership between Dalhousie University, Memorial University and

the University of Prince Edward Island. Our Government's overall investment

played an instrumental role in leveraging investment through the Canada First

Research Excellence Fund competition. This Institute will play a key role in

developing the technical expertise required for world-class research and

innovation.

To increase the number of social enterprises in

Newfoundland and Labrador and enhance services for existing social enterprises,

Our Government will develop a

Social Enterprise Action Plan. Social enterprise development is another

innovation tool for advancing regional growth opportunities to benefit the

economy, support rural

sustainability and encourage

entrepreneurial governance models and service delivery.

A strong labour market will

underpin our stronger economy.

Businesses in our province often cite a shortage of skilled labour as one of

their major impediments to success. Better aligning labour supply and demand is

essential to our economic development plan.

Our

Government is developing a comprehensive human resource plan, informed by

forecasted labour market opportunities and enhanced labour market information

products to assist in workforce planning for individuals and businesses. In

developing this plan, we will seek input from sector associations and industry

groups to better respond to their labour market needs and support industry

diversification. This work will include working with priority sectors, including

the agriculture, aquaculture and oil and gas industries.

The

College of the North Atlantic is essential in developing an educated labour

market for our province. To strengthen the role of College of the North

Atlantic, Our Government is working with them to review their operations and

activities. This ambitious review involves implementing forward-thinking

strategic initiatives to modernize all aspects of the college and maximize its

potential as a provincial leader in labour market relevant training, lifelong

learning, entrepreneurship, innovation, research and development, community

access and capacity building. Our Government will enhance and revitalize the

College's ability to have its campuses serve as local and regional economic

generators and community hubs. A report will be issued in the coming weeks,

providing details on College of the North Atlantic's vision moving forward.

Our

Government is also enhancing collaboration between Memorial University and the

College of the North Atlantic to increase the amount of research and program

initiatives undertaken at both institutions. As such, Our Government has formed

a council that is comprised of representatives from Government, Memorial

University and College of the North Atlantic, including students, to deliver a

report on recommendations for more opportunities for post-secondary

collaboration. The council will also explore further options for articulation

agreements between both institutions. The council had its first meeting on March

23, and we look forward to receiving their recommendations.

Our

province leads the country in offering the most generous student financial

assistance program available anywhere in Canada. Memorial University tuition is

the lowest in Canada and students pay only a fraction of how much it costs for

their education. In 2016-17, we committed $62.9 million to Memorial University

and College of the North Atlantic to enable a continuation of the tuition

freeze. In 2017-18, Our Government will continue to ensure supports are in place

so our students can avail of a high-quality, affordable education.

Both culturally and

economically, there is strength in diversity.

John

Cabot's reports of waters teeming with fish brought people from Ireland and

England to settle here and our identity as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

continues to evolve. Our Government is committed to opening our doors to people

from other countries.

Immigration is a focus of The Way Forward

given its tremendous potential for economic and labour market growth in

Newfoundland and Labrador. Moreover, immigration contributes to our social and

cultural vibrancy. Our Government will support immigration to the province by

focusing on increased recruitment and retention of newcomers. As committed in

our Vision, Our Government has recently released

The Way Forward on Immigration . It outlines concrete actions we will

take in collaboration with our partners to welcome 17,000 immigrants annually by

2022, an increase of 50 per cent over 2015. We will do more to welcome newcomers

and immigrant entrepreneurs to our province. Our Government's approach would

pathways for international students to establish businesses in our province,

creating their own employment opportunities and opportunities for others at the

same time.

Better Services

As part

of The Way Forward , we are delivering

better services to residents. Service improvement must underpin all our

decisions.

From

this commitment, Our Government will improve the integration of business

financing programs, which are currently provided by multiple departments and

agencies. We will complete an analysis of existing non-commercial economic

development funding to improve government-wide collaboration and maximize

resources. Our Government will also publish service standards for major

programs, including average timelines for decisions, to provide more

transparency and clarity for the public on how decisions are made. We have

recently released timelines for our major business programs, and we will release

timelines for other programs in the future.

Our

Government has adopted multi-year planning and early tendering of road work, and

a full list of roads projects for 2017 was released earlier this year. This

initiative will enhance planning and decision making for road projects, will

contribute to cost savings, and more effective use of taxpayers' dollars while

improving information sharing, transparency and accountability to the public and

other stakeholders.

Building

on that initiative, Our Government released its multi-year infrastructure plan

prior to the budget. This key vision initiative prioritizes infrastructure

projects, will be updated as new priorities are identified, and provides the

public and the construction industry with an outline of commitments to

educations, health, buildings and roads infrastructure over the next five years.

addition, a five-year plan for marine-related infrastructure was released

yesterday. The plan includes upgrades to terminal facilities, access roads,

wharves and washroom facilities, with a goal of improving services at ferry

terminals for the travelling public.

While

these initiatives will improve the overall approach to developing transportation

infrastructure in our province, we realize community infrastructure is also

vital, and have taken steps to help communities in this regard. We appreciate

the challenges that municipalities face providing services and maintaining

infrastructure. Local service districts and unincorporated areas also face high

expectations from residents, but have even fewer resources. There are many cases

in our province where communities exist close to each other, and in those cases,

sharing infrastructure and service costs is a viable option to bearing them

separately.

As per

Our Government's commitment in The Way

Forward , we have introduced new infrastructure program guidelines and

criteria that strategically enable communities to pursue regional infrastructure

improvements and allow for the expansion of shared services.

supporting collaboration among communities, we expect to reduce costs for both

the provincial government, and municipal taxpayers.

Making

transportation and community infrastructure development a focus of our

activities positions Our Government to strengthen communities, and support a

higher quality of life for residents. Having the right infrastructure in place

will allow Our Government to pursue better outcomes for residents in key areas

such as health and education, and advance important province-wide initiatives

that promote wellness in our society, including combating climate change and

on both, while maintaining a higher level of efficiency that will allow us to

achieve fiscal balance.

Labrador

is a distinct and integral part of the province's culture, history and identity.

Our Government will continue, through the Office of Labrador Affairs, to

coordinate and implement a focused and innovative approach to improve service

delivery as well as continue to prioritize strategic infrastructure needs in the

region.

Better Outcomes

Our

Government is committed to improving the health, education and social outcomes

of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Even though our province spends more per

person on health care than any other province, our residents still have some of

the poorest health outcomes in Canada. But we know that in order to change this

we must do more than simply invest more money into our hospitals and health care

services.

Evidence

from across Canada and around the world shows us that our health is primarily

determined by factors like income, education and the way we build our homes and

communities. Better medical services are critical to treating our illnesses but

will not make us a healthier population. If we truly want to make a difference

in the health of our population we know that we must invest in and focus on the

root causes of health.

As such,

Our Government will build health impact considerations into all policy

decisions, from infrastructure planning to labour market supports. This

Health-in-All Policies approach will enable Our Government to make all decisions

in a manner that strengthens focus on measurable improvements in our health

status. It will help prevent illness and create the environments needed to

support and promote healthy people, with better quality of life and capacity for

learning; stronger families and sustainable communities; and a healthier, more

productive and socially inclusive economy.

Our

Government is committed to improving the health and well-being of the people of

this province. We have established targets through our Way Forward initiative to

increase breastfeeding rates, reduce obesity and smoking rates, and increase

physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. All of these are designed

to achieve significant progress by 2025.

Supporting a Healthier Province

To do

this, we will implement healthy living initiatives to achieve a healthier

tomorrow. A healthier province will result in lower health costs per capita,

which will enable our health system to be more sustainable. We will work with

schools and communities to develop healthy environments, and will encourage

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to live healthier, more active lives through

initiatives such as the Carrot Rewards app.

December 23, Our Government reached an agreement with the federal government on

health funding. This agreement includes targeted funding of $160.7 million over

10 years for home and palliative care and mental health. A further example of

Our Government's productive working relationship with our federal colleagues,

this agreement provides stability to health funding, as well as focusing on

targeted areas that are of key interest to our province.

Our

Government also recognizes the need to better address mental health and

addictions concerns in our province. We have made great strides in the past year

with a community treatment order quality assurance review, the

Secure Withdrawal Management Act , and with the Department of Health

and Community Services partnering to pilot a new social and emotional learning

curriculum for primary and elementary grades. The All-Party Committee on Mental

Health and Addictions has completed its work, and with its report recently

tabled. Our Government will develop an Implementation Plan that responds to the

recommendations of the All-Party Committee.

The

abuse of prescription medications has become an increasingly serious issue at

both the national and provincial level in recent years, with the inappropriate

prescribing of medications with high abuse potential, and patient practices such

as double doctoring of such medications identified as particular issues. Our

Government will build on the work done in 2016, including the introduction of

Suboxone as an alternate to methadone and the funding of 1,200 Naloxone kits to

treat opioid overdoses. The core initiative of the provincial Prescription

Monitoring Program will be the full implementation of the Primary Network by the

end of March. Our Government will supplement full implementation of the Pharmacy

Network with legislative and policy changes to: allow physicians to view a

patient's drug history before writing a prescription; allow checks to be made

for potential inappropriate prescribing or double doctoring when a prescription

is filled; and permit the analysis of prescription databases to detect possible

areas of abuse or trends in inappropriate prescribing.

Through

the Departments of Justice and Public Safety and Health and Community Services,

Our Government is conducting a feasibility study for a drug treatment court in

our province as part of The Way Forward .

Drug treatment courts provide specialized court-monitored treatment and

community service support for offenders with drug addictions, combining judicial

supervision with substance abuse treatment with the goal of addressing the

linkage between drugs and crime. The Court will be targeted towards offenders

with drug dependencies, in particular those with serious addictions to illicit

use of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or other opiates, and is intended to

address the criminal behaviour of individuals who have engaged in non-violent

offences that were motivated by their addictions.

While

addressing drug addiction is a foremost priority, so is addressing the medical

needs of our aging population. It is a known fact that by 2025, one in four

Newfoundlanders will be seniors. Our Government is committed to a strong health

and community care system that meets the needs of our aging population. Care

should be provided in the home where possible, in the community including

long-term care facilities where available, and in hospitals when there is an

acute health care issue. Our Government is working to provide more and better

care in the home through the Home First Program philosophy and systematically

working to increase long-term care beds throughout the province to provide the

most appropriate care for our seniors.

Our

Government recently introduced a new care option, enhanced care in personal care

homes, which allows for the placement of individuals with enhanced care needs.

We have also expanded access to the Paid Family Caregiver Option through the

Home Support Program. Alongside improving our Home Support Program, these

initiatives support individuals to live in their communities thereby reducing

admissions to long-term care or acute care.

January, Our Government announced that it is proceeding with the development of

a new long-term care home in Corner Brook. Planning is currently underway to

address the long-term care needs of people in the Central Region. Creating more

space in long-term care will ease pressure on the health care system, moving

people far more quickly from acute care beds to more appropriate care in the

community.

Earlier

this year, Our Government also announced its commitment to proceed with the

development of a new regional hospital in Corner Brook. Construction of the

facility is expected to begin in 2019 with completion anticipated in 2023.

It is important for Our Government to explore innovative

ways to advance needed infrastructure and deliver services in a cost-effective

manner. In announcing construction of both the hospital and the long-term care

facility, Our Government has signalled its intention to partner with the private

sector. Both facilities will be designed, built, financed and maintained by the

private sector but, in keeping with a previous commitment, resident and patient

care will be continued to be administered and provided by public sector

employees, as is currently the case. By partnering with private industry, we can

help ensure that the new facilities are designed, built, financed and maintained

in a way that provides greater value for money for all Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. Both the hospital and the new long-term care facility are examples

of how we are finding more innovative and effective ways to deliver services.

In line with the commitments made in

The Way Forward , Our Government is committed to expanding the number

of interdisciplinary primary health care teams. New interdisciplinary teams,

available in local communities such as Bonavista, are helping individuals and

families to maintain and improve their health. These teams are better positioned

to meet the changing health care needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,

particularly as we continue to age and with the management of chronic diseases

like diabetes.

Our Government is supporting front-line providers, such as

nurse practitioners where Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in Canada, to

ensure they are able to work at full scope of practice and fully utilize their

expertise to improve health outcomes. We are also investing in new electronic

record keeping systems and a provincial electronic medical record that will help

to connect health care providers and ensure secure patient information is

available to these teams and health professionals across the health care system.

Through overall better management of our health care

resources and targeted investments to support critical care areas, Our

Government will achieve better health outcomes, better care and better value in

our health care system to benefit all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Supporting Education

Following a successful year that saw the implementation of

full-day kindergarten province-wide, we will continue to invest in the

improvement of educational facilities. This includes funding repairs and

maintenance of K-12 school facilities to ensure that students and teachers have

the best possible learning environments. We will also see ongoing major capital

projects, including new schools and extensions, needed to address student

capacity.

Our Government will also work with the Conseil Scolaire

Francophone de Terre-Neuve et Labrador to address francophone junior and senior

high school programming issues in the greater St. John's area.

As outlined

in The Way Forward ,

Our Government will continue

work with the Premier's Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes in the

coming year. Recommendations are anticipated this spring, which will guide

changes to the education system starting in the 2018 school year.

We will

provide increased educational support to disengaged and at-risk students and

youth by expanding options for acquiring high school equivalency testing and

for distance education supports.

Indicative of Our Government's commitment to early learning and child care, we

will increase child care subsidies available to low-income families throughout

the province by increasing the income threshold eligibility requirement.

Our

Government will also look to increase the Early Learning and Child Care

Supplement for qualifying early childhood educators.

Supporting Our Communities

Public

safety is a top priority for Our Government. Recently, the House of Assembly

passed amendments to the Highway Traffic

Act to strengthen impaired driving laws. These changes include the

introduction of a mandatory ignition interlock program; mandatory roadside

impoundment; and requiring drivers under 22 years of age to maintain zero per

cent blood alcohol content. The amendments were developed through extensive

consultation with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and with the support of the

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We

believe these improvements to the Highway

Traffic Act will help reduce impaired driving and make our roads, highways

and communities safer. Our Government will continue to identify opportunities to

improve highway safety, with input from community stakeholders and law

enforcement.

This

past December, Our Government announced amendments to the

Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Act to include presumptive

cancer coverage for career and volunteer firefighters. As a result of these

changes, firefighters who serve for a specified period of time and develop a

specific form of cancer will be presumed to have developed that cancer as a

result of their work. Qualifying firefighters will receive wage-loss benefits,

medical aids and certain other benefits through WorkplaceNL, while health care

costs associated with their cancer treatment will be paid through the Medical

Care Plan. Our Government made a commitment to firefighters in the province, and

we have followed through.

September 2016, Our Government established a commission of inquiry into the

death of Mr. Donald Dunphy, naming the Honourable Justice Leo Barry of the Court

of Appeal as Commissioner. The inquiry has been examining the facts and

circumstances of Mr. Dunphy's death and will provide its report to the Minister

of Justice and Public Safety before July 1, 2017. The Department of Justice and

Public Safety will respond to and address the recommendations of the inquiry

upon their receipt.

This

year, Our Government will introduce a bill to create a Serious Incident Response

Team. This team will investigate all matters that involve death, serious injury,

sexual assault and domestic violence or other matters of significant public

interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in the

province. This is a vital step towards ensuring public confidence in policing

and the need for independence in all aspects of the investigative process. It

reflects Our Government's commitment to upholding the administration of justice

and to making our communities and regions safer.

Supporting our Environment

Climate

change is one of the most challenging long-term issues facing the world today.

All jurisdictions must be part of the solution and Newfoundland and Labrador has

committed to do its part. To this end, Our Government, in partnership with our

provincial and federal colleagues, adopted a pan-Canadian Framework on Clean

Growth and Climate Change in December 2016. This framework seeks to advance

collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, grow the clean economy and

create jobs, and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The framework also

gives provinces flexibility to develop their own approaches and Newfoundland and

Labrador will tailor its approach to fit our unique circumstances and balance

economic and environmental interests. Our Government has committed to develop a

Climate Change Action Plan that sets out next steps. We completed public

consultations in the fall and will use this input to inform future direction.

Supporting Community

Organizations

As Our

Government focuses on better outcomes, we will continue to work towards the

implementation of a strategic one-window, multi-year approach to community grant

funding. This will ensure an efficient and consistent approach to

administration, accountability and evaluation. Issues related to equity,

value-for-money, overlaps/duplication and service gaps will be addressed and

application processes, assessment tools, and outcome tracking will be

standardized. Legislative frameworks have been modified and financial systems

will be modified as required to support the implementation of multi-year funding

arrangements for community-based organizations through one access point. The

overall outcome will be supporting community-based organizations by enabling

them to plan more efficiently.

Supporting Indigenous People

Our

Government is proud of our strong working relationship with Indigenous

governments and organizations. We have worked with them to establish the

Independent Experts Advisory Committee on the Lower Churchill and have made this

relationship a top priority.

Last

November, Our Government issued an Order-in-Council, establishing the Commission

of Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in this province

under the Public Inquiries Act, 2006 .

Through this action, Our Government's commitment to participate and support the

national inquiry has been confirmed. We have engaged Indigenous governments and

organizations in our province on this issue and look forward to continuing to

work together to ensure the National Inquiry incorporates the perspectives and

concerns of all Indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Supporting Women

Our Government will strengthen the capacity of departments

and agencies to understand and apply gender inclusive analysis to policies,

programs, services, legislation and budgets in order to ensure equitable

outcomes for women.

In order to improve the social and economic status of

women, we will lead the development of a women's leadership strategy and work

with women's organizations to overcome barriers to women's participation in

leadership positions.

We will work in collaboration with departments and

agencies, community organizations, post-secondary institutions, employers'

groups, unions and the private sector to prevent violence against women and

other at-risk populations.

We will also continue to collaborate with Indigenous

governments and organizations to prevent violence and advance the social and

economic status of Indigenous women.

Our Government will also establish a Sexual Assault

Response pilot program. This pilot program will provide victims of sexual

assault with free and independent legal advice. It is intended to improve access

to justice for victims, allowing better preparation for victims and creating a

greater understanding of court processes. It will offer early legal intervention

to victims to assist them with decisions around how they may wish to proceed

given their own circumstances.

Supporting Seniors

Our Government recognizes the challenges and opportunities

resulting from our aging population must be considered as we evolve our

policies, programs and services. Recently, legislation was passed to establish

the Office of the Seniors' Advocate. The Seniors' Advocate will report to the

House of Assembly, focus on systemic issues affecting seniors and make

recommendations to government accordingly. Regulations will be developed in

consultation with key stakeholders over the next several months. The Independent

Appointments Commission will actively recruit for the Seniors' Advocate position

this year.

We must always, as a society, ensure that those that need

help the most receive it, and we have an obligation to protect our low-income

seniors. Our Government will continue its investment in the Newfoundland and

Labrador Seniors' Benefit that is paid directly to eligible low-income seniors

in quarterly installments.

Supporting Children

The protection and care of children and youth is a core

value of Our Government and we are committed to working closely with all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to ensure our children and youth benefit from

the sense of well-being they deserve. Last year, Our Government embarked on a

statutory review of the Children and Youth

Care and Protection Act and a review of the Youth Services Program with the goal to further

strengthen services to children, youth and their families. During this review,

we met with numerous stakeholders and were pleased with the strength of the

responses we received. The shared commitment to the safety and well-being of

vulnerable children and youth is evident. We are committed to building on what

we heard to make improvements to this legislation and we will also identify

strategies to address the issue of continued program growth in children's

protection and in care services. This analysis will be informed by a

jurisdictional and literature review of promising and best practices in child

welfare that address factors that impact program growth.

Our Government will continue to work cooperatively with the

Child and Youth Advocate to develop legislation on mandatory reporting of

critical incidents and deaths to the Advocate for consideration in the House of

Assembly.

Supporting Inclusion

Our Government continues to work with the community of

persons with disabilities and all residents to move forward on our commitment to

become an inclusive province by removing barriers and ensuring residents have

equitable access to opportunities and services. We will lead by example as we

introduce new policies and guidelines that will make government communications

more accessible and engagements more inclusive.

Supporting Affordable Housing

Our Government understands that safe, stable and affordable

housing is fundamental to the social and economic well-being of individuals,

families and our communities. We are committed to the development of a

comprehensive provincial housing plan that addresses the diverse needs of our

residents, paying particular attention to the housing needs and supports for the

most vulnerable and those with distinct needs.

Our Government is currently working with our federal,

provincial and territorial colleagues to finalize the development of a National

Housing Strategy. This strategy will include a common vision and priority areas

to achieve better housing outcomes for all Canadians and will complement and

support our provincial housing plan.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Our Government has begun the

difficult work of getting our province back on track. We have laid forth our

plan to achieve a strong, diversified province with a high standard of living.

As we continue our work, we are reminded that we are

stronger together. We look back so we can look forward. We celebrate our

country's history and diversity. We celebrate the people who were here first,

and the people who came after, choosing to settle in our wonderful province.

We reflect on Beaumont-Hamel, on Monchy-le-Preux, on Vimy

as moments when Newfoundlanders and Labradorians rose to the occasion, setting

aside their fears in the face of great uncertainty. Our ancestors fought

alongside their allies. We are proud of our history ,

and motivated for our great future.

Estimates of expenditure will be laid before you in due course and you will be

asked to grant supply to Her Majesty.

I invoke

God's blessing upon you as you commence this new Session.

May

Divine Providence guide you in your deliberation.

Thank

you very much.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

(His

Honour the Lieutenant Governor leaves the Assembly Chamber.)

(Mr.

Speaker returns to the Chair.)

MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):

Order, please!

Please

be seated.

The hon.

the Government House Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I ask

leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act Respecting The Office Of The Auditor

General And The Auditing Of The Public Accounts Of The Province. (Bill 1)

MR. SPEAKER:

Is there leave for the hon.

the Government House Leader to introduce the said bill?

AN HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR. SPEAKER:

Leave granted.

The hon.

the Government House Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded

by the Premier, that Bill 1,

An Act Respecting The Office Of The Auditor General

And The Auditing Of The Public Accounts Of The Province, be now read a first

time.

MR. SPEAKER:

Is it the pleasure of the

House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

CLERK (Murphy):

A bill,

An Act Respecting The

Office Of The Auditor General And The Auditing Of The Public Accounts Of The

Province. (Bill 1)

MR. SPEAKER:

Bill 1 has now been read a

first time.

When

shall the said bill be read a second time?

MR. A. PARSONS:

Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

Tomorrow.

motion, Bill 1 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

His Honour the Lieutenant

Governor has been pleased to make a speech to Members in this General Assembly,

and we shall take a few moments now to distribute that speech to Members.

(The

Pages distribute the Speech to all Members.)

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FINN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is my

great pleasure to rise in this hon. House today to represent the kind-hearted

people of the beautiful District of Stephenville Port au Port. I want to begin

by thanking the Lieutenant Governor for delivering of the Speech from the Throne

this afternoon, the Hon. Frank Fagan and his wife, Patricia, so truly dedicated

to their roles. Without hesitation, their Honours spend so much time around

engaging communities across this great province.

I'd like

to say how pleased I am to be here today on behalf of my party as well as my

district. The Stephenville Port au Port area is a place of scenic beauty and

cultural diversity. We owe so much of our history to Mi'kmaq, French,

Portuguese, Basque and American influences. Echoes of this rich past are still

heard clearly today. They're heard in our songs, our family names. They are on

our street signs and in the stories we share and pass on.

Mr.

Speaker, the district I represent is some 770 kilometres west of the City of St.

John's and though the challenges and characteristics of our rural communities

are different from the capital's, our needs and uncertainties are the same as

those held across the Island and in Labrador. Jobs, health care, good schools,

better prospects, these are the foundations of our families and our communities.

And for too many, that footing has never felt more unsteady. But I strongly

believe that our government is delivering action to get Newfoundland and

Labrador on firmer ground.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FINN:

I have learned in my short

tenure here that to describe responsible governance as an application and

compromise is an understatement. Each and every one of us in this hon. House is

called upon daily to serve the interests of the many, without neglecting the

often conflicting needs of the few. Decisive action is frequently needed but

less often popular.

Mr.

Speaker, I want to take a moment to draw attention to the title of this year's

Throne Speech: The Way Forward to Greater

Prosperity. In the fall of last year, our government presented

The Way Forward: A Vision for

Sustainability and Growth . As you know, this is our plan to address the

province's economic, social and fiscal challenges.

In many

ways, our government was left with critical issues that demanded immediate

attention after years and years of neglect.

The Way Forward not only sets out the

policies, targets and goals our government is taking to correct the course of

the province, but they also serve as a record of our commitments. The government

you see here today is a very stark contrast to the previous administration that

led this province for 12 years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FINN:

Instead of relying on a

volatile commodity to carry our province, we have set plans and targets to both

diversify and grow our economy.

evident in our plan, we will no longer hang our hat on one industry. Our

economy, like our people, must be innovative and diverse. But, Mr. Speaker, our

people are also bold, and we cannot ask them to accept an inheritance that only

burdens generations to follow.

To this

end, our government has been very bold and open when addressing the fact that

while we have the highest revenue per capita in the country, we also lead the

country in spending. And from all the spending we saw from the former

government, our outcomes have not improved. This uninformed spending inflated

our public sector and sent our health and education indicators well below the

national average.

Mr.

Speaker, this province was never in more need of a strong plan than it was when

we entered government, and as we saw in yesterday's report card on our last six

months, Phase One of The Way Forward ,

we are delivering on our plan. By working together we are making real progress

and moving our province in the right direction.

reflected in our five-year infrastructure plan, we are supporting improvements

in health care, education, roads and municipalities. These investments are

making our communities more attractive places to live, and support economic

development.

Examples

of initiatives set out in the infrastructure plan include the Corner Brook

long-term care facility and the replacement of Western Memorial Regional

Hospital. Aside creating hundreds of jobs, these projects will address the

critical needs of our province. One of those critical needs is an enhanced

cancer care program which will include radiation services so that individuals

who require this treatment will be able to receive it in a supportive

environment near family and friends.

Mr.

Speaker, we are also committed to food security and the development of rural

industry. In February, we announced that farmers and agricultural producers will

now have almost double the amount of land available to them for agricultural

production. Specifically, we identified 62 agricultural areas of interest,

totalling approximately 64,000 hectares to support agricultural development.

This is a significant increase over the 19 areas that were formerly available,

and this will help farmers expand their operations and also encourage new

entrants to view agricultural production as a viable and profitable opportunity

that can bolster activities in the rural regions.

addition, just yesterday we announced our five-year marine infrastructure plan.

This plan delivers on commitments to improve services at ferry terminals for the

travelling public, including both residents and tourists. With almost $28

million budgeted for the next five years, our government has set a plan in

motion for the future; a plan that will ensure that our critical marine

connections meet the needs of the 11,000 residents of remote communities via the

42 ports throughout the province.

Mr.

Speaker, whether we're discussing economic development, efficiency or services,

a key point I want to emphasize about all of our vision initiatives is that they

were developed through extensive feedback. Feedback from stakeholders, like our

constituents and like the representatives from organizations in the gallery here

today.

As our

government developed a vision for maintaining economic strength while navigating

unprecedented financial challenges, we availed of the insights of business,

community, cultural and industrial stakeholders and we used these collective

insights to develop a shared view of The Way Forward . We arrived at our guiding principles of doing

better with less, increasing collaboration and challenging ourselves because

this is what we heard from you.

Following priorities set in collaboration, we are finding ways to deliver much

needed infrastructure despite our financial constraints. We're supporting

industries with growth potential and we are finding efficiencies as a part of

achieving our fair vision of a stronger tomorrow.

Mr.

Speaker, we are making our commitments concrete and continuing on our promise to

take a whole of government approach to policy design and decision making. As I

mentioned, our province was left in one of the most challenging situations we

have ever faced. In following our vision faithfully, I am confident we will

achieve great and enduring prosperity throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Today, I

count myself proudly among the 40 men and women blessed with the distinct honour

of serving in this Legislature representing the more than 500,000 residents

throughout this great province. My colleagues here are men and women who care.

They're women and men who signed up to help our people and our province, and I

believe I can speak for all of us when I say that each and every one of us here

is committed to doing just that.

conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I now move that a Select Committee be appointed to

draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the

District of Exploits.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DEAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in this hon. House on behalf of the

constituents of Exploits and second the motion that a select committee be

appointed to draft an Address in Reply to this year's Speech from the Throne.

I would

like to take a quick moment to echo my fellow Member for Stephenville Port au

Port in thanking His Honour for the excellent job in delivering the Speech from

the Throne. I believe all of us here today can agree that His Honour continues

to be such a great figure in the communities that we all represent.

In the

opening of the Speech from the Throne, His Honour acknowledged a number of

milestones such as the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and the 35th

anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As well, he

acknowledged the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge and Monchy-le-Preux, both

pivotal battles for Canada and its allies that further demonstrated the virtues

of strength, bravery and resilience in the face of great hardships and

challenges. Our people have seen our fair share of challenges. We have seen

wars, the rise of the baby boom and the related social change, and as well a

moratorium, just to name a few.

In the

face of all this adversity, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have always come

together and made their way forward. Mr. Speaker, over the last year, our

government has actioned a number of measures to address our fiscal situation. As

my colleague for Stephenville Port au Port mentioned, through

The Way Forward we have taken new

approaches to infrastructure, policy making, as well as engagement.

Yesterday, the Premier launched Phase Two of our vision called

Realizing our Potential . The actions and goals outlined in Phase Two

of our vision focuses on creating the conditions necessary for new private

sector job creation and economic growth. One of these actions is the immediate

establishment of a new Cabinet committee on jobs, as well as an external

advisory committee of business leaders that will provide input and prospects on

issues facing employers in our province.

Mr.

Speaker, our government has also outlined targets for specific sector growth in

industries such as agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and tourism. However, we

are also supporting the traditional industries of the fishery, oil and gas,

mining, as well as technology.

It is

the responsibility of government to ensure that we are creating a sound economic

environment that supports new opportunities that have always been found along

our rich coastlines and throughout the remainder of this great province. You do

not need to teach Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to innovate. You can't like

in the edge of the North Atlantic for centuries without learning how to rise up

and effectively meet new challenges as they arise.

As my

colleague for Stephenville Port au Port also mentioned, our province spends

more per person on health care than any other province in this great nation of

ours. It's quite shocking to think we also have some of the poorest health

outcomes in this great nation. It has been very clear to our government that we

must initiate change to improve the health of the province. We are committed to

expanding the number of interdisciplinary primary health care teams across

Newfoundland and Labrador new teams that are helping individuals and families

to maintain and improve their lot in life.

Mr.

Speaker, this is the type of support our province needs, as we and our loved

ones continue to age. Through better management of our health resources, as well

as investments based on evidence, science and need, we will achieve better

outcomes and provide the people of this province a system that fits their

future's needs.

Our

government is committed to ensuring we make smart and responsible investments to

reverse the negative social and economic indicators that have prevented economic

growth and driven our expenditures to record levels. We must think and act in a

way that is long term and across government. We can no longer afford to be bound

by short-term, reactionary thinking. We all will have a role to play in building

and supporting our communities through generations and beyond. And that begins

with a solid foundation.

Mr.

Speaker, I would not be here standing today representing the great people of the

great District of Exploits if I didn't believe in the actions that this

government has set forth. As I mentioned when I started, we as a people have

seen our fair share of challenges. However, I am firm in my opinion that this

province as a whole will come out on the other side of this challenge. And, Mr.

Speaker, we will be in a stronger position as was before, and in a better

position to succeed.

Mr.

Speaker, once again, it's a great honour to second the motion that a select

committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply in response to the Speech

from the Throne.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

behalf of the Official Opposition, I'd like to take a moment to thank the

Lieutenant Governor for his very eloquent delivery of the government's message

today. I also want to thank the mover and seconders who just spoke, the Member

for Stephenville Port au Port and also the Member for Exploits who moved and

seconded the motion this afternoon.

I want

to take a moment to welcome and thank our judges for attending today. We are

accompanied here today by leaders in business, labour, academia, church leaders,

cultural groups, community representatives, some family members here and tuned

in quite often and citizens who have either joined us here or are watching

from home this afternoon.

I want

to extend greetings to the caucus leader of the Third Party, to the Premier, to

all Members of his hon. House. I want to take a moment to say how grateful I am

for my own caucus team here in the House of Assembly, a team of seven of us who

were elected to serve a very important role in our province. It's a role that we

take very seriously. It's a role not only to represent the constituents who

elected us, which is a very important role that we all hold as MHAs, but we've

also been tasked to hold the government to account as the Official Opposition.

That's our obligation, it's one that we take seriously, and it's one that we

tend to fulfill vigorously.

A Throne

Speech is supposed to be a day for laying out priorities. It's an opportunity

for sharing strategies; a grand vision, if you like; also outlining specific

initiatives for the coming year. It's supposed to be about charting a course and

fulfilling promises and obligations that quite often are laid out in election

platforms. It's also about giving hope and confidence to the people of our

province, to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and it's supposed to

instill a belief in people that the affairs of the province are in good hands.

Even though His Honour today delivered the words very eloquently, the

government's message that he shared, the Premier's message that he shared, is

some cause for concern.

Sadly,

the message today was not about what the province needs. At a time that we need

hope, we get uncertainty. At a time that we need accountability, we hear blame.

At a time that we need decisive course of action, we get more waffling and

wavering. Instead of a way forward, in many respects today the speech was about

the way behind and what we've seen in the past. We need the strength to stand up

for our province. We need the strength to stand for Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. We need a government who is willing to stand for Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians when we get acquiesce.

Our

province and our people need and deserve an economic plan to create the

conditions for growth. What we are promised and what we are getting from this

government are two distinctly different things.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

We need a government that

people can trust, but we have a government that people do not support. They do

not have confidence in; are not satisfied with; cannot trust to keep their word;

to own up to their actions and to be transparent about the work that they are

doing.

Promise

after promise has been broken by this government, and there are many. No

layoffs. No job losses. No tax hikes. No erosion of education or health care. No

political appointments. No hiding from scrutiny. Openness like never before and

a level of accountability that they promise would be second to none. The

government has not only abandoned their mandate that it was elected to deliver;

it's also has abandoned its obligation to lead our province. It has abandoned

our people. Very little talk today in the Throne Speech about people, Mr.

Speaker, and very little talk about people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

The

loudest cheers for the government, quite often, it don't come from the streets

of communities throughout our province, they're not coming from kitchens and

living rooms or workplaces of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, the loudest

cheers for our government are coming from Members opposite. They are the ones

that cheer for this government.

Mr.

Speaker, there's so much today missing from the Throne Speech about our future.

What about Mistaken Point, just determined and designated a UNESCO World

Heritage Site? The opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador with Mistaken

Point are endless. It's critical for communities. It's going to help drive the

economy. It's going to grow visitors to our province. It will provide

opportunity for our people. No mention of it today.

Mr.

Speaker, the All-Party Committee on Mental Health and Addictions that just

finished up its work very little reference to it. Reference to the development

of a plan that The Way Forward

document says we'll see in June. I look forward to the budget and to see what

kind of funding and endorsement for the plan we'll see in the budget coming up.

Also,

it's important for us to take a moment to thank not only the Members of the

House that worked very hard, travelled the province as part of the All-Party

Committee, but also those stakeholders, health care providers, those interest

groups. And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, the citizens of the province who sat

with committee members and poured out their hearts on the crises that they

faced, the challenges they faced in their own lives and shared some very, very

personal stories. We owe them our thanks, Mr. Speaker, and our appreciation for

their commitment and their presentations to the all-party committee.

Mr.

Speaker, without Members opposite cheering for and supporting the government,

the government would be obligated to change its course and to come more in line

with what the people of the province actually want and need, and what the people

of the province expected from this government. They're now well into their

second year of office and all Members opposite share a collective responsibility

for the legacy of governance that the people of our province are really

they're wringing their hands and shaking their heads in disbelief.

Instead

of leading, the government opposite has spent their time blaming. They love to

blame the previous administration. They did it today in the Throne Speech. They

blame boards; they blame individuals for everything that they have failed to

achieve.

While we

were in government we faced challenges, and challenges for Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians is nothing new. There have been many challenges in the history of

our province, and governments have faced challenges. We faced a challenge in

2004, a significant challenge in 2009. We were the first and fastest province to

come out of that fiscal challenge era in 2009. We faced it again in 2015, but we

faced them with plans that worked, and history proves that.

Now the

Liberals want people to believe that we hid the truth and the true state of the

province's finances and we weren't open about it. Well, perhaps they were not

paying attention during the 2015 budget, because absolutely everyone, except for

Members opposite, knew exactly what challenges we were facing. Everybody knew

it, Mr. Speaker.

Oil

revenues were down, way down, and it was hardly a secret. It was impacting every

oil producing province in Canada, and other oil producing jurisdictions around

the world. It wasn't a unique circumstance that existed solely here in

Newfoundland and Labrador. They say they didn't know, and the premier says he

didn't know. Oil prices are reported every day.

They

said they had a plan. We now know they had no plan to face the challenges. They

knew better, and we knew that they knew better. We did have a plan. We had a

plan that was clear and coherent. It was comprehensive. Some say it was

aggressive in some areas and it was laid out in our 2015 budget. It was a

document that the credit rating agencies supported, but the Liberals voted

against our plan.

While we

focused on pulling back and reduce spending, streamlining delivery, the Liberals

were calling for more and more spending. Right here in the House of Assembly,

Mr. Speaker, they came in here day after day, after our 2015 budget, asking and

demanding for more.

We had

an attrition plan to reduce the size of the public service while minimizing the

impact on people and families. They voted against that. When we talked about

reducing the size of the workforce by capitalizing on the attrition

opportunities, they promised no job losses. They said not on their watch.

When we

built schools, they criticized us for not making them bigger. When we announced

the hospital, they criticized us for not including more health services within

it. When we delayed a project to manage expenditures, they condemned us for not

bulldozing ahead. They were all over the map. As they talked about fiscal

control, they were still promising the moon. On our watch we were following a

course, and the Liberals were determined to change that course.

Well,

Mr. Speaker, they've certainly done that. They went into 2015 with hefty, red

book commitments. It blew all of the modest but affordable Blue Book commitments

out of the water with all of their bells and whistles, and castles in the sky.

They had chickens in every pot, they did and they threw in a kitchen sink just

for good measure. It read like a Christmas wish book, Mr. Speaker. It was

utterly unrealistic and it was completely unaffordable.

I can

tell you, Mr. Speaker, I remember vividly the very day that they announced their

plan. It was only a few short days before the election in 2015. I remember it,

and what I remember most is how fast and harsh the criticism was that they felt

immediately. Media, academia, business, ordinary Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians who had an interest and have an interest in their future, all saw

it for what it was.

The Telegram

published an editorial, said it's magic. That's right, magic, because nothing

else can explain the bizarre expenditure revenue sheet the Liberals released

this weekend. That's what they said.

MUN math

Professor Tom Baird was shocked, saying that the Liberal leader expects a 10,000

per cent return on his diversification investments. We haven't heard much talk

of that since the election. Economist Kerri Clark wrote: their numbers are

wrong. That's about as straightforward as it could be put.

The

Liberals assured the people they had an economic plan to pay for it, the LEAP

Plan, the Liberal Economic Action Plan. Trust us, they said, Mr. Speaker. They

still say trust us, but people did. The people of the province elected a Liberal

government to deliver on their promises. People took them at their word. They

took you at your word, but since the election it's been one excuse after another

for abandoning those promises. They blame us for their unrealistic commitments.

wasn't our party who made those promises, Mr. Speaker. It was their party who

did so, and the truth is they had no plan. They had no plan and they've had no

plan since then. Clearly, today they still don't have that clear plan almost

midway through their second year after taking office. As the old saying goes,

you reap what you sow.

Today,

they're paying a political price. They're paying a political price for throwing

caution to the wind in 2015, making promises they couldn't afford to keep. Since

then, they've been trying to distance themselves from the red book commitments,

the mandate that they were elected on, and they've published a new document,

The Way Forward .

Yesterday, we heard about their report card just yesterday. It's interesting

how many governments get to scrap their election platform and create a new one,

with taxpayers' dollars, to say here's what our plan is actually going to be.

Not what we campaigned on, not what our campaign platform was, but here's our

new The Way Forward . A much thinner

document, there are 60-odd bullets of content. Many of them are very, very

vague, devoid of substance in many areas, and some are as brief as one line, but

when you actually look at the document you'll see how much is not there.

They

make a commitment to return to surplus no details how they're going to do that

and that passes as their economic plan. They say they're going to double

tourism by 2020 compared with 2009. A very interesting commitment for them to

make in their Way Forward document, their new plan, because what makes this even

more interesting some may think ludicrous is they're actually referring to a

plan we instituted as a government, and a commitment that we instituted.

Most of

the period of time from 2009 to 2020 was time on our watch in which we saw

tremendous growth in development of tourism. It was a strategy created and a

strategy worked. Now a government who doesn't believe in strategies is taking

that over.

The next

time when they celebrate their stories, maybe they'll reflect on some of those

strategic approaches that we brought forward as a government and they're

continuing to pursue. So where is the mandate they actually were elected to

deliver, and what happened to it?

If you

think for a second that it's easy to lower expectations of the people of our

province, than I believe government better think again, because Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians expect better, they deserve better and they will continue to

demand better from their government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, as a new

government, their very first commitment it was referred to yesterday during

the speech here in the House, to prorogue the House yesterday afternoon, and

that was the commitment to take politics out of appointments. And we know that

that commitment actually had a very early grave.

They

still talk about merit-based appointments and taking the politics out, but no

government in living memory has politicized the most senior non-political role

in a public service never before. I can't find it anywhere in the country

actually, when the Liberals filled the clerk of the Executive Council with a

former Liberal leadership candidate. It's never happened before, Mr. Speaker,

never, and that was just the start of it.

Last

fall, they went to the people and they talked about their new flatter, leaner

management structure, and they moved out managers. They fired management

employees, senior executive members and assistant deputy ministers, and at great

cost of taxpayers. Let's not forget, at a great cost to taxpayers. They fill so

many of those positions with former Liberal candidates and Liberal friends.

They

celebrated their flatter, leaner management system. They call it fiscally

responsible, but, Mr. Speaker, we know that people of the province are smarter

than what the Liberals give them credit for. Their very first red book

commitment, all the way down we see example after example of commitments made by

the government that they're not delivering on.

Government's approach to fiscal and economic management has been wrong. The

Premier, what he even said as Leader of the Opposition in 2015. When we said we

had to reduce the size of the public service and increase taxes, he publicly

stated it was the wrong direction and the wrong thing to do. He's doing exactly

that and more as the Premier today.

They now

say reverse the HST increase, leaving the province with a loss in revenue of

hundreds of millions, or over a hundred million dollars in a very short period

of time, at a time when oil revenues were on free fall. Then they persuaded

Ottawa to stop the increase from being implemented, changed their minds very

shortly after and brought it in on July 1, six months later; over $100 million

in revenue gone and lost. It was seen by many as a lazy approach to revenue

shortfalls that left consumers with no money to spend and employers with no

money to hire, when you look at all the taxes and additional fees and burden

they put on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians last year.

Mr.

Speaker, they said they would take some time to decide how to do some

expenditure reduction, they referred to it as. The Minister of Finance stood

here in the House of Assembly and said there will be three key decision points

and there would be a fall budget to announce those expenditure reductions.

In the

spring, when they announced there would be revenue generation, it was code name

for taxes and fees. We know that expenditure reduction is code name for cuts,

layoffs and job losses. They stated in the fall they were going to do that.

There is going to be a second expenditure reduction. A second decision point,

but when the fall came there was no second budget. The Premier was to say, look,

we all misunderstood. That wasn't what was said by the Minister of Finance.

That's what he told the people of the province. It would be a fiscal update, not

a fall budget, when it was clearly, in the Budget Speech, talked about by the

minister.

Now that

we're well into our second year, that threat of job losses and cuts and so on

continues to strangle the public service. But not only does it strangle the

public service, it's the impact on the greater province that we must also think

about as well. Because all the public servants, they do not know where the

government is going to lead with these cuts and reductions in expenditures.

Instead of spending their money and making investments in their properties, in

their homes and their families, they're pocketing their money because they don't

know what the future holds, and that's a negative impact on our economy tens

of thousands of public employees in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

Who's

going to build or buy a new home? Who's going to remodel their kitchen, replace

their windows or siding or shingles, or build a new fence or take a vacation?

Who's going to go to a restaurant? Who's going to buy a steak instead of a

hamburger? It all impacts the economy when people are measuring and watching

their money, not knowing what is in the future for them.

What

happens then? Well, business sales fall. Business hiring falls. Business

confidence and investment falls. The level of employment falls. Unemployment

increases, but revenue falls and we find ourselves the only province in the

Canadian Federation today that's experiencing an economic decline.

Mr.

Speaker, that's not on us; that's entirely on the watch of (inaudible)

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, the credit

rating agencies saw our plan and liked it. What they saw, they maintained our

ratings. They felt confident in it; they felt we had a good plan. Not so much

for what the Liberals had to bring forward. Without exception, they issued

warnings and lowered the boom on ratings. That raised the cost of borrowing and

the size of the debt. That was the indictment of the current government's failed

fiscal and economic approach. They were the independent reviewers of their

approach versus ours.

So we

have this perpetual uncertainty. We have concerns throughout our province. We

had a waste of months of HST revenue. We had a waste of public money now on

consultations they're duplicating a study on a fixed link that was done a few

years ago. Look at the funds spent with McInnes Cooper, duplicating in-house

work on collective bargaining, and their communication strategists duplicating

the work of in-house communication staff. The decision to pay the cost of

severing management-level employees and then pay the cost of hiring new Liberal

friends to replace some of those is a colossal waste of talent and revenue.

Now, as

they celebrate, as they did yesterday, the moving of government offices from

rental space to government-owned space, they're also about to uproot a

government office here, not far from the Confederation Building, in a

government-owned building, and move it to a yet-to-be-determined likely rental

space in the Premier's backyard. Uprooting and moving 30 families, all at a cost

to government, without a budget to do so, without an estimate on cost, without a

location known and without a good reason for doing so. And one can't help but to

wonder there's no other reason to move that office than pure political gain.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, you don't have

to wonder why people are not happy. If Members opposite don't believe that

people aren't happy with them, then they're not listening to what people are

saying. They're not listening to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

People

don't like what they see; they don't like what they hear. And this, the

government's second Throne Speech, is not the correction course that people were

looking for. People were looking for hope, they were looking for opportunity,

and they were looking for a future here in Newfoundland and Labrador. What we've

heard here today, in many ways, is the same old, same old.

Mr.

Speaker, there were some comments today in the speech that I think are worth

referencing in particular, that were quite interesting to me, to hear what the

government had talked about. The feasibility study for drug treatment court: I

look forward to seeing it. I think it's going to be, no doubt, a benefit for

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. A Serious Incident Response Team: We look

forward to hearing more about that as well. Sexual assault response pilot

program and providing advice and legal advice to victims of sexual assault

these are all good initiatives from the government and we look forward to

hearing more from them on them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

They are good initiatives and

they are good things to do. There's a constant evolution of providing more

creative programs and services to the people of the province, and this is an

area that's very important, many of these.

Increasing child care subsidies for low-income families by changing the

eligibility threshold: We want to know more about that, but it looks like it's

going in the right direction. Increase early learning and child care supplement

for qualified child care educators: It is important to recruit pay and attract

educators into early childhood education.

They

talked about full-day kindergarten today in the Throne Speech, and talked about

it as a success. Well, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, and I know first-hand from

talking to constituents, as do my colleagues, that there has been many

challenges with full-day kindergarten as well. It's not all rosy. It's not all

fantastic. There have been challenges for families, there have been challenges

for children, and there certainly have been challenges expressed by educators.

In our education system, there are inclusion challenges no mention of that in

today's Speech from the Throne. There are resource challenges. Larger class

sizes are impacting our students and our teachers as well.

Mr.

Speaker, it's not all bad, what we see in the Throne Speech or what we heard

today, not a lot of detail, and we do look forward to more detail. Interesting,

I noted, there's no mention of Mistaken Point. There's very little reference to

expenditure reduction that was supposed to happen six months ago. I mentioned

reference to inclusion for education. And what about the carbon tax and what the

impact of carbon tax is going to have on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians? No

reference to that at all. No reference today to the royalty regime, generic

royalty regime critical for offshore exploration and future production and

benefits to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

So, Mr.

Speaker, there are a number of items, and I have a long list of items that were

not mentioned in today's Throne Speech that I expected to see and I hoped to

see, and I don't know why some of these are not there. There's no reason why

Mistaken Point couldn't be celebrated. Early in the Throne Speech today there

are many references to culture, celebrations for Newfoundland and Labrador,

reflection on our past. It speaks volumes nationally and internationally about

the cut of the jib of our people and how wonderful and how great we are to other

people, not only just here in our province but around the world; celebrations

about our history and what we have to offer those who might want to visit here.

But it

still appears to me that we still have a government they haven't learned much

since taking office in 2015. We know there's going to be time for growing and

learning. It gives everyone a reason to pause and to be concerned and to brace

for next week's budget.

It's

unlikely that there will be anything in the budget next week that's going to

drive economic growth that we so desperately need. Mr. Speaker, at a time when

we've seen and experienced over the last several months rising oil production

I've been hearing really good production levels in our oil industry, prices have

been stable and favourable against the government's estimates. The dollar

exchange rate has been favourable as well. We fully expect to see a lower

deficit in this year and a lower deficit from what's happened in 2016-2017 and a

lower deficit for '17 and '18 because those world indicators are moving in the

right direction to benefit the government of the day. Not necessarily the result

of economic growth or fiscal management, and let's not forget this is a

government who predicts a shrinking economy.

Nonetheless, they have once again applauded themselves into thinking that they

are on the right track. They did it yesterday; they're doing it today. But how

can a shrinking economy benefit Newfoundlanders and Labradorians? Every other

province in Canada, even oil-producing companies who had struggles in the

downturn of the oil prices, they're turning the corner. While Newfoundland and

Labrador continues in free fall, other provinces are doing well. And that should

tell us something.

They

talk about not raising taxes this year and no new taxes. Well, what about

lowering the burden on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians?

AN HON. MEMBER:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

What about lessening those

significant burdens they placed on hard-working Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

people who work hard to earn lower incomes. How about our seniors? Are they

going to take steps this year to lower the tax and fee burden placed on

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians? I can assure you easing that tax burden will

take that money and put it back into the economy, and it will have a positive

impact on families and on employers.

Mr.

Speaker, this government appears to be so focused on counting beans and hitting

targets that they fail to step back and notice what they are actually doing to

the economy and the impact they're having on people. I mentioned earlier the

Throne Speech is almost absent on a focus on people, which is terrible. You

don't cure an illness by killing the patient. You can't celebrate targets if, in

the process, you leave the economy in ruins, too weak to grow, and tens of

thousands of fewer people working in our province. They've placed all the burden

on families and on employers of this province.

What

about demanding Ottawa live up to its constitutional obligations to ensure that

we have comparable levels of service at comparable levels of taxation? They're

letting Ottawa off the hook off the hook for their obligation to step in.

Because the government's approach to federal-provincial regulations is simply to

say: All good here; no problems.

But

simply to say nothing and do nothing, it fails the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. Mr. Speaker, I'm not advocating for an all-out war with Ottawa. I'm

not suggesting that or advocating for that at all. The people of the province

are simply looking for a government who's going to represent Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians first, instead of representing Ottawa here in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, government says

they're facing tough times. As I said earlier in my comments this afternoon,

it's not the first time that Newfoundland and Labrador has faced troubled waters

and difficult times. But I do believe, as we have in the past, that with proper

planning, with strong leadership, we can weather this storm as we've done

before.

Last

year's budget forecasted more than 30,000 job losses over the next four years.

The government seems to be okay with that, and that's part of the reason that

people in our province, real people, people all over Newfoundland and Labrador,

are so upset. It's the real reason they're upset, they're frustrated and they're

fearful. With a government that thinks it is tolerable, how will our province

endure this until we finally get a government that's ready to face the

challenges as they need to be faced?

So, Mr.

Speaker, I challenge Members opposite today, especially caucus and backbenchers

over across the way, because they have a significant power in this whole mix of

politics in our world and constituents and people they have a significant

power to change how business is being done.

I say to

them don't applaud for things that don't warrant it or that you don't believe

in. Stop supporting an approach that's not working. You can all lead change. You

can effect change that's going to be in the best interest of Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. You can demand better. People are demanding better. Mr. Speaker,

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve better.

Thank

you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's East Quidi Vidi.

MS. MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I am

pleased to stand here today to respond to the Speech from the Throne, to be here

with my colleague from my own caucus, with my colleagues in the Official

Opposition and all my colleagues in government as well. It is an important day

in the province when we have the Speech from the Throne. I recognize that our

leaders from the various aspects of our community think it's important enough to

be here with us as well.

So we

need to take the time to talk about what it was that we heard here today. Just

12 months ago have passed since I stood in this hon. House with my colleagues to

reply to the March 2016 Speech from the Throne. At the time I said, among other

things, that a constant message of doom and gloom can become a self-fulfilling

prophecy.

Well,

Mr. Speaker, a year later, we find ourselves in recession. Consumer confidence

in our province is by far the lowest of all the Canadian provinces, and by quite

a large margin. I heard nothing in today's Speech from the Throne that will

address this downward spiral; no message of hope for young people who would like

to put down roots in the province they love; no relief for seniors who were so

adversely affected by last year's budget; no plan for exactly how to attract and

retain the immigrants they claim will flood our shores in the next five years.

Speeches

from the Throne tend to have lots of fine words and embroidered phrases. In this

case, government is glossing over the grim reality of an austerity budget with

facile phrases like doing better with less. I say, ask women if they are doing

better with less. Ask seniors in our province if they are doing better with

less. Ask people with disabilities if they are doing better with less. Ask the

students in our post-secondary educational institutions, are they doing better

with less.

Mr.

Speaker, if you want to find out what a government is really about, it's not the

words that are in a Throne Speech, you'll read the budget. For example, the 2016

Speech from the Throne had this to say, My Government recognizes the critical

role education has to play in creating a strong future for our province. Then

along came a budget that taxed books and closed libraries.

Last

year's Speech from the Throne identified poverty and inequality as problems

which affect all people in the province, but

Budget 2016 demanded much more from

those with little or nothing than from the top earners in the province. It was

an anti-literacy budget that instead of tackling the root causes of poor health,

compounded them through such mean penny-pinching measures as cutting adult

dental coverage and reimbursement for many over-the-counter drugs, and

eliminating bus passes, and it did absolutely nothing to shore up an economy in

free fall.

wonder the public backlash was so strong, Mr. Speaker. Broken promise after

broken promise, one financial burden after another imposed on people with very

little to begin with. People reacted as they did because they felt betrayed. An

unfair share of the burden of Budget 2016

was downloaded to low- and middle-income earners. The disjointed and

uncoordinated mirage of taxes and fees was devoid of any clear social or

economic objectives. The budget wasn't founded on clear values, and it offered

people no hope for the future.

The

Premier later blamed government's budget woes on bad communications. I a