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December 4, 2013 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 40

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by Members

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

the District of St. John's Centre; the Member for the District of Lake Melville;

the Member for the District of Lewisporte; the Member for the District of Humber

Valley; the Member for the District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair; and the

Member for the District of Port au Port.

The hon. the Member for the District of Lake Melville first.

MR. RUSSELL: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Canadian Cancer

Society of Lake Melville.

Our

chapter held its thirteenth annual Christmas Soiree on November 23. The

event was held at the Royal Canadian Legion and included a beautiful hot turkey

dinner followed by a dessert buffet of a large variety of homemade cookies,

pies, and cakes. The dinner was followed by a silent and a live auction.

The Soiree continues to be the signature event for kicking off the Christmas

season and celebrations for Upper Lake Melville and was again filled to capacity

with over 250 people purchasing tickets and was sold out two weeks prior to the

event.

The 2013 Soiree event raised approximately $43,000, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RUSSELL: This is a tremendous contribution by the great people of

Lake Melville who continues to support the Canadian Cancer Society year after

year.

I would like to specifically congratulate Stanley Oliver and the organizing

committee, made up of Stephanie Janes, Wilson Baggs, Cora Hamel-Pardy, Mandy

Hope, Alison Haggerty, Stacy Ryan, Janet Payne, Dee Wells, Lynn Durno and chair,

Davina Mugford for continuing this great, great event.

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

Canadian Cancer Society of Lake Melville.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the wonderful spirit of

volunteerism and care exhibited by the Boys and Girls Club of Norris Arm.

The Norris Arm Boys and Girls Club began in 1989 and have shown great

success. They promote healthy and active living through their Walking Club and

also through a chefs program. The Walking Club involves teen volunteers who walk

with children from school to the club on a daily basis. The junior Chefs program

trains youth to shop and to also prepare meals.

The club also has a Tots program, an After School Club, as well as a weekend

teen gathering that serves youth from Norris Arm and the surrounding

communities. There is no financial cost to any child and no one is ever turned

away.

The club manager Eudora Goulding has been with the club since it was

established twenty-four years ago. She, like the other volunteers who run this

program, gives daily to the youth in their area.

I ask all hon. members to join me in recognizing the great work done by the

many volunteers who make the Norris Arm Boys and Girls Club a great success.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Melissa Hardy of Deer Lake on

her accomplishments in cross-country running with St. Francis Xavier University

in Nova Scotia.

Melissa recently won gold in the six kilometre race at the Atlantic

University Sport Championships with a time of twenty-two minutes, fifty-two

point four-five seconds. This is just the latest in the stellar two-year career

of cross-country running at the Atlantic University level. An accomplished

student with a Bachelor of Science degree, Melissa is completing her internship

at St. Francis Xavier University.

Mr. Speaker, Melissa also went on to compete in the Canadian Interuniversity

Sport Cross-Country Championships last month in London, Ontario. There she

competed against the top university runners in Canada.

Melissa also represented our Province as part of the provincial contingent at

the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in August. There she

finished in sixth place in the women's five-kilometre race.

Mr. Speaker, it is encouraging to see athletes like Melissa compete on a

national level.

I ask all members in this House to join me in congratulating Melissa Hardy on

her athletic success.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS DEMPSTER: Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise in this

hon. House today to pay tribute to a passionate young Labradorian.

Ryan Russell was one of three young men who went missing in a boating

accident near Muskrat Falls in 2010. The tragedy touched many across Labrador,

especially in his hometown of Charlottetown.

Ryan had a great passion for the outdoors and for the Labrador wild. His love

for hunting, fishing, and trapping was evident from the time he was able to

carry a firearm.

Ryan was also a tremendous athlete who participated in many school sports,

including volleyball, basketball, and floor hockey. His compassion for others

became evident during one of his competitions when he unselfishly put his

sportsmanship award around the neck of a father who had just lost his son in a

snowmobile accident.

Ryan had a talent for music and song writing that was not discovered until

his father retrieved his laptop after the terrible accident.

Mr. Speaker, today, right about now, Ryan's family, friends, and community,

three-and-half years later, will lay him to rest in Charlottetown.

I ask all hon. members to join me in offering our condolences to Ryan's

family, and pray that they find strength in the coming days.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Stephenville

Lassies ladies hockey team who recently won the bronze medal at the Second

Annual Exploit's Roofing Ladies Invitational Hockey tournament, which was held

in Grand Falls-Windsor during the weekend of November 22-24.

This team is comprised of players from many different communities of the

Stephenville-Port au Port-Bay St. George area. They play in a house league of

only two teams at the Stephenville Dome. When they participate in tournaments,

Mr. Speaker, they bring together players to form one team. It combines the many

skills set necessary to be competitive and to have fun.

These players, Mr. Speaker, range from the age of twenty-two years to

sixty-two years of age. They are to be commended for maintaining an active and

healthy lifestyle. Winning medals is a special delight for this team, as well as

the fostering of new friendships. They will quickly tell you that the

camaraderie of the team is the main purpose for traveling to tournaments.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join with me in offering my congratulations

to the ladies of the Stephenville Lassies hockey team.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to celebrate the brilliant career of a brilliant, feisty woman

who has, for forty years, been a tireless advocate for the workers of this

Province.

On December 20, Judy Vanta will retire from her job as the Workers' Adviser

at the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour. In this role, she helped

and advocated for both unionized and non-unionized workers in their dealings

with the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission.

Judy has spent decades in the labour movement a total of forty years. She

was particularly active on women's issues and occupational health and safety.

She was President of the St. John's and District Labour Council, worked with the

Canadian Labour Congress as a member of the Union Label executive, and more,

making incredible changes as a strong advocate.

Last night, the Federation of Labour surprised Judy with a tribute to her at

their convention banquet. The respect and love that woman has inspired filled

the room, and I was so happy to be able to share in it.

I ask all hon. members to join me in wishing Judy, a straight-talking

advocate for workers, a fabulous retirement.

Bravo, Judy Vanta!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform hon. members that the

Combined Councils of Labrador have travelled to St. John's this week to hold a

series of meetings with provincial Cabinet ministers.

The Combined Councils of Labrador represents twenty-six communities

throughout Labrador and as many municipalities are isolated, it can be

challenging for community leaders to meet and discuss issues related to

Labrador. The provincial government continues to financially support the

Combined Councils of Labrador by way of an annual operating grant of $100,000

through Labrador Affairs. This funding enables Labrador's communities to come

together and address matters of mutual concern.

Our government maintains a strong working relationship with the Combined

Councils of Labrador. As Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister

Responsible for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, I am pleased to report that my

meetings with the group this week were very productive and I have heard the same

feedback from my Cabinet colleagues.

Specifically, Ministers of Advanced Education and Skills; Child, Youth and

Family Services; Environment and Conservation; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Health

and Community Services; Innovation, Business and Rural Development; Municipal

and Intergovernmental Affairs; and Natural Resources concur that meetings were

very valuable.

Community prosperity, improved communications with government, better

services and transportation networks, economic growth, and a sustainable future

for the people of Labrador continue to be high priorities for the Combined

Councils of Labrador.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to share the vision of

the Combined Councils, and we are committed to advancing growth and prosperity

in the region.

Since 2004 the needs and opportunities in Labrador have remained a provincial

priority. Investments have been made to improve the health and well-being of all

Labradorians through expanding infrastructure, improving the delivery of

programs and services, and encouraging economic prosperity. Total spending in

Labrador has exceeded $4 billion since 2004 including more than $500 million to

build the Trans-Labrador Highway.

Mr. Speaker, our Province is stronger as Labrador advances and we will

continue to work with the Combined Councils of Labrador to ensure steady growth

and success.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. Mr. Speaker, the

Combined Councils of Labrador is a very important group for the municipalities

in Labrador, as they continue to advocate for improved infrastructure and

services. The Liberal caucus looks forward to meeting with the Combined Councils

tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, the CCL was first formed in 1971 in Hopedale to lobby on behalf

of the Inuit communities of Northern Labrador. It was not until 1979 that its

mandate expanded to include all of Labrador.

It is ironic, Mr. Speaker, that forty-two years later the communities

requiring those improvements the most are still Inuit communities of Northern

Labrador. Whether it is in transportation, housing, health, justice, or social

issues, there is considerable work that needs to be done to improve the quality

of life for the residents. The Combined Councils, in partnership with the

government, can still play a significant role in ensuring that challenges facing

the people of Labrador are addressed.

Both as a community leader and as an MHA, like the minister, I have had the

privilege of attending CCL annual general meetings and experience the

co-operation and purpose of all communities in Labrador and the things they

share with each other. I would strongly urge the government take all of the

resolutions from the annual general meeting seriously and address them in a

timely manner.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. When the

Combined Councils members come into St. John's, yes, they meet with Cabinet but

they also meet with the Opposition parties. I am looking forward to my meeting

with them tomorrow morning.

I am also looking forward to going back to Labrador, this time to L'Anse au

Clair, for their upcoming February annual general meeting where we can discuss

the many things government refuses to address, such as their concerns regarding

poor roads, poor cellphone coverage, and the need to reinstate the three-day air

medical evacuation service.

My time allotment stops me from going on about the many other issues the

council has addressed in several resolutions from all of their annual general

meetings, which are still waiting on the books for this government to respond.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. It is nice

to see the work of the Combined Councils recognized here in this House. A

collaborative voice is stronger, so having that ability to work with government,

to speak on the issues that are important and advocate and there are many

challenges in Labrador that still need to be addressed. It is good to see this

dialogue continue. I think all of our communities are stronger when we

collaborate and work together with a bigger voice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury

Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to rise today to provide an update on the Parental Benefits

Program, a universal program that our government created to assist families

regardless of their income or status. Mr. Speaker, since the inception of the

program in 2008, approximately 27,000 applications have been processed,

providing support to families throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

This program was introduced in 2008 as a way to support families and includes

the Progressive Family Growth Benefit and the Parental Support Benefit. The

Progressive Family Growth Benefit provides $1,000 for every child born or

adopted and the Parental Support Benefit provides $100 per month to parents for

the first twelve months for each child born or adopted.

From 2008 to November of this year, about 27,000 applications have been

processed through the program, with an average of 4,500 applications processed

each year. The deadline for filing an application is within three years after

the baby is born, or in the case of an adoption, three years after the child has

been placed with the parent. Approximately $10 million a year is invested in

this program.

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on supporting individuals and families

throughout the Province and this program is one of the many ways we are doing

that. Since 2007, our government has been able to decrease taxes by over $500

million a year, creating a competitive tax regime that allows disposable income

to go back to Newfoundland and Labradorian families.

Our government has increased the number of regulated child care spaces by

almost 70 per cent since 2003. We continue to have the best pupil-teacher ratio

of any province in this country. We continue to provide free textbooks to all

K-12 public school students, and our post-secondary education students continue

to have the lowest average tuition fees in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, our vision for a prosperous Newfoundland and Labrador is

demonstrated in our commitment and investments in important social program,

strengthened communities, and the health and well-being of our children, seniors

and families.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement.

The Parental Benefits Program of course is useful to many families in our

Province. The benefits are paid out regardless of income or social status. I

would mention there that we do see many families of low income that are still

struggling in our Province today. They really need supports that sometimes are a

little difficult to come by outside the Parental Benefits Program.

Raising a child, as we know, is very expensive. The annual cost in Canada

right now is just under $13,000. It would be 27,000 children since the program

was implemented at a cost of $10 million, as the minister clearly points out.

We also know the cost of providing education the basic necessities right

now for families are increasing every year. As MHAs, on a daily basis, we all

get calls to our offices about not only finding affordable housing, but just the

cost of it. In my own district and even in the community where I live, we still

have forty-four families who are currently using the food bank.

The amount of the program, and of course the amount of this program, has not

increased since 2008. So it is important that we give the families the tools

they need. Decreasing taxes, even though it is something that this government

talks a lot about and it has done a lot to stimulate the economy, really does

not help those families who are struggling. Regulated child care spaces is

indeed an important initiative, yet again we still have families who cannot

afford those.

So, Mr. Speaker, this is a good initiative, but there is still a lot of work

to be done, and we look forward to continuing with that work.

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

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

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. I want to say to

the minister that raising babies cost parents a lot more than the $2,200

government pays out in a child's first year. If government was really concerned

about helping families raise children, they would implement a full government

administered and regulated child care program like families in Quebec enjoy.

In Quebec they have universal daycare, beginning with six months, at $7 a

day. They have proven that better daycare can not only transform child

development, but also vastly improve the prospects of women and the poor and

build a better labour force. Economists have attributed a 25 per cent boost to

Quebec's economy because of this daycare program. That is what I would call an

economic plan, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

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

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

In today's complex world, education is more important than ever for our young

children. Full-day kindergarten for these 27,000 children would give them a

stronger start in school, and a stronger start in life. Full-day kindergarten

for five year olds would support early learning and child development, build a

stronger school system, and contribute to our long-term competitive advantage.

Let's get this done.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Before we move on to Oral Questions, I want to acknowledge a

special guest in our galleries today, a former member of this House the former

Member for the District of Bellevue, Mr. Percy Barrett.

Welcome, Sir, back.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: You will notice the House is much more civilized.

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services said they brought

in the Children and Youth Care and Protection Act to help improve services for

children in care. The act was passed in this House on June 24, 2010, but it was

not proclaimed until June, 2011.

So I ask the minister: Why did it take a full year to proclaim this act?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Children and Youth Care and Protection Act is a progressive

piece of legislation. It was a child-centred and child-based piece of

legislation. It was one of the finest pieces of legislation for children and

youth ever passed in this House, I say.

As well, Mr. Speaker, when that bill was passed in June 2011, there were

ninety-six policies and procedures that were developed to come into force with

that piece of legislation. Today, that has grown to well over 100 policies and

procedures that are used by social workers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I really appreciate the fact that there were ninety-six policies and

procedures. My question was about the time that the act went through this House

until it was proclaimed.

It was an important document. Why did it take so long?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a very important piece of legislation. It was planned that when this

legislation came into force in June 2011, that the policies, procedures, and the

framework would be in place to initiate this piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes it takes time to initiate legislation. I will remind

the hon. member opposite that when they were in government they brought through

an Adoption Act. It was passed in the House here in 1999. It did not come into

force until 2003.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

He still did not answer the question if this was such an important piece of

legislation.

Yesterday's report from the advocate revealed that John was removed from his

alternate living arrangement because he turned sixteen. The minister is right

that John turned sixteen just before the act was proclaimed, just a few months.

I ask the minister: Why did this youth fall through the cracks when you had

the legislative authority, the legislative tools available to you for months, to

prevent this from happening?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The report that has been compiled by the advocate for children and youth in

Newfoundland and Labrador was a very extensive piece of work which was carried

out by her and the people in her office over a two-year period. It is a

comprehensive report that has a number of recommendations contained within it

for a number of departments. It is a piece of work that we are studying, we are

looking at, and we are currently reviewing.

If we go back to 2011 at that point in time, we had come to terms with the

important point that we needed to develop a stand-alone line department for the

best interests of children and youth. It comes from a clinical study that was

done in 2008.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DAVIS: I am sure I will speak to that (inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Where we are trying to get to is that there was a period of time here where

we had a sixteen-year-old child, who had turned sixteen in the spring of that

year; the legislation was proclaimed in June of 2011 this is a

sixteen-year-old child. Even after the act was proclaimed in June, you had the

opportunity to help this youth and bring him back into your care.

Why did this not happen?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There is no doubt this is a very important matter. The best interests of

children and youth are very important to us as a government. That has caused us

to develop a new department and new legislation, which the hon. member opposite

has referenced.

If we go back to the clinical review done in 2008, the author of that review,

Susan Abell, was very clear when she commented in that report, in saying that

the priorities she had listed in her report will require concertive and

sustained focus of strong leadership over several years in order to achieve the

improvements of child protection in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is what she

referred to. She said it is going to take a long time to develop that.

We have done a lot of good work, Mr. Speaker, to improve services to children

and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador, and we are going to continue to do that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are talking about John that the report references. He was a

sixteen-year-old child who was taken out of protective care.

My question is: When the act was proclaimed and before the fire, before the

tragic death of a senior here, why was this youth not brought back into

protective care?

AN HON. MEMBER: He could not be.

MR. BALL: He could.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Newfoundland and Labrador was one of the earlier provinces in Canada to

provide services for children when they moved beyond sixteen years of age. Right

now under the new act, which I have just mentioned, the Children and Youth Care

and Protection Act, we provide opportunities for children that when they now

reach their sixteenth birthday they can voluntarily stay in care. That is an

important piece of work, Mr. Speaker, I say.

Mr. Speaker, it is an important piece of work for our Province because it

allows for children and youth who reach their sixteenth birthday, if they so

desire and if they wish, to stay in care. Between the ages of sixteen and

eighteen, we have new support systems. We have opportunities for them. We have

one of the I would say, Mr. Speaker, we are comparative to any province in

Canada on the services that are available for sixteen up to twenty-one years of

age.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It was identified yesterday that when this sixteen year old when this

discussion took place, he was not clear and he was looking for help to help make

this decision. Right now our fear is that we have other sixteen year olds from

that time frame who will still be in the system.

Has the department done an assessment on how many sixteen year olds we would

still have in that one-year time frame who could be falling through the cracks?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, there are youth service clients that we have in

the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services throughout Newfoundland and

Labrador. If they come into our care prior to the age of sixteen, once they

reach their sixteenth birthday they are offered an opportunity to voluntarily

stay in programs and supports from Child, Youth and Family Services. They can

lead that person right up to the age of twenty-one. If that individual chooses

to remain in school, in post-secondary education, we will support them and

assist them in continuing their education all the way up to twenty-one.

Mr. Speaker, I would say the services we are providing to that age range are

comparable to anywhere in Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: As part of that service, as part of the policies and procedures

you now have in place, has there been a review done in the caseloads of how many

sixteen year olds in that one-year time frame we have in the system right now

that could actually be taken back?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, what I just referred to was when a child is in

care, receiving services from Child, Youth and Family Services prior to the age

of sixteen. We also have an opportunity to allow for children who are sixteen

years of age until they reach their nineteenth birthday, that if they are

looking for services and assistance and supports, we still allow them to come

into our services, but at age sixteen onwards it is a voluntary process. It has

to be a decision made by the young person to come into the service, and we will

provide those services to them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister said yesterday he needed time to review the advocate's report

and the recommendations. He was also in the media saying there was a meeting.

I ask the minister: When did you first receive a copy of this report?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I said in this House, this piece of documentation, this report is a

lengthy, comprehensive documentation. I did reference in the House yesterday

that my intention is to have a meeting with the Child and Youth Advocate so we

can have a full, frank, fair discussion about all the recommendations that are

contained within that report, so we can both have a full understanding of what

her vision and view is, what her intentions are with each of those

recommendations so that we can talk about the work that has already been done,

because there has been work done on several of those recommendations already.

Some of those recommendations that are there are currently in place.

We have already been reaching out. I have directed my officials today to

reach out to the Child and Youth Advocate to begin the planning of that meeting.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The question was not answered.

The question is clear: When did you first receive a copy of the report?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, the final report was released yesterday by the

Child and Youth Advocate. She released it publicly yesterday morning. It was a

public event. It was well advertised and promoted and it was seen throughout the

media.

The final report was released yesterday by the advocate, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Mr. Speaker, the concern is not about the final report.

The concern is about: When did you have this discussion with the Child and

Youth Advocate? When did you receive the report from the Child and Youth

Advocate?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I have had a meeting with the Child and Youth

Advocate. I reached out to her after being appointed as the Minister of Child,

Youth and Family Services. Our intention is to have a future meeting with her.

My direction to my staff and my officials today was to reach out to her again

and begin that dialogue of trying to find a beneficiary time that is available

for both of us to have a meeting to further those discussions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, I guess I will ask the question in a different way: Did you receive a

draft copy of this report in advance? The media is reporting there was a meeting

and this was discussed. When did you get the draft copy of this report?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I should probably clarify for the hon. member opposite, the intention of my

meeting with the Child and Youth Advocate was not to discuss the report. When I

reached out to the Child and Youth Advocate back in October when I first came in

the department, my intention was to have an opportunity to sit down with the

Child and Youth Advocate so we could have an opportunity to meet each other, to

have a discussion about our goals, objectives, roles, and relationship, and how

that would develop and how that was going to operate. That was the intention of

the discussion, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Well, in media reports it is saying there was a copy in advance

given to the minister.

I ask the minister: When did you get the advance copy?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the final report was released

yesterday. The meeting I had with the Child and Youth Advocate was a

get-to-know-each-other opportunity so we could have a discussion about our roles

and we could meet each other. I have never met the person before and I reached

out to have the opportunity to meet with the Child and Youth Advocate and have a

discussion with her about our roles and our relationship.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Well, maybe the answer should be just yes or no.

Did you get an advance copy of this report? If so, when?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear about this. The intention

of that meeting when I met with her was to have a discussion with her. I have

never the person, but to meet with her and to have a discussion. During that

discussion, the meeting I had with her, there were many topics that we

discussed. This upcoming report came up in our discussions. It did.

That was not the intention of the meeting. The intention of the meeting was

an opportunity to meet with each other. This report and other reports that the

Child and Youth Advocate had produced were topics of discussion that came up

during that conversation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: In the time frame between that meeting and the final copy being

released, did you get an advance copy of this report?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There was a draft of the report that was provided by the Child and Youth

Advocate and I cannot give you the exact date, Mr. Speaker, offhand. I cannot

give you an exact date. It was within a week before this release occurred this

week, is my recollection, and it was about that time. So, it was some time last

week, but I cannot give you an exact date. The final report was released

yesterday.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you for the answer, Minister.

Citizens of this Province have a legislated duty to report to the

authorities, information that a child is or may be in need of protective

intervention. As the Child and Youth Advocate's report on the fatal boarding

house fire illustrates, sometimes children need protection from the system

itself.

I ask the minister: Will you enact whistle-blower legislation so that workers

who know the system best are protected from speaking out on the systemic cracks?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite is probably

referencing a topic that we have talked about many times in this House; it is

the issue of whistle-blower legislation which, while connected perhaps to the

previous topic, certainly falls within my department.

As I have said before, we are quite confident at this point in time that our

current legislation within the Province and current laws within the Province

provide a lot of protection for workers to speak out. We encourage that, as a

matter of fact, all the time.

We want to hear from people. We amended a piece of legislation last week that

provides just that particular protection so that people are feeling comfortable

about speaking out. At this point in time, there is no intention to bring

forward the whistle-blower legislation in this session of the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, Recommendation 26 and 27 of the Turner

report states that government has a fundamental obligation to ensure proper

record keeping. Yesterday's Recommendations 1 and 19 states that government

needs to ensure strict adherence to documentation standards. The advocate found

incomplete documentation in all CYFS program areas. Seven years later and it is

clear the same problem still exists.

I ask the minister: Why has this not changed in seven years?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The fact is that it has changed. When the development of the new department

occurred Child, Youth and Family Services occurred there were a number of

steps that were being taken based on the report completed by Susan Abell in

2008. We knew and said publicly that once the new department was developed that

it was going to take three to five years for the full evolution and development

of that particular department.

A couple of things that have happened, Mr. Speaker, are the development of a

new training unit in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. What

that training unit has developed, as part of what the member opposite is

referring to, is a documentation and case management training module. It is

compulsory for all staff and all supervisors to complete that training before

they receive any files.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I would note that the Child and Youth

Advocate's report was released yesterday. It was new yesterday, and in her

report yesterday she said these problems still exist.

I ask the minister: Are you saying that the Advocate is wrong?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: No, Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that at all. What I am saying

is that report was based on events leading up to a tragic fire in 2011, a

tragedy that resulted in the loss of life.

What I am saying is through that period of time, 2011, 2012, 2013, there are

a number of things that the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services has

done to develop and improve our ability to provide the finest care for children

and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador. One of those pieces was a new training

unit. Part of the requirement of that training unit is to deliver a new module

on case management and documentation that is a compulsory training for all front

line people in our department.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I would note that I was at the briefing

yesterday with the Child and Youth Advocate, and yesterday she said these

problems still exist.

Recommendation 12 in the Turner report states that all activities and

discussions must be recorded no matter at which level they occur. Recommendation

2 from yesterday's report says that all consultations and any decisions

pertaining to the child must be documented.

I ask the minister: Seven years has passed, why are we still seeing the same

recommendations?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thought I just explained that to the hon. member. I will make an effort to

explain that to him once again.

The basis of the report released yesterday by the Advocate for Children and

Youth in Newfoundland and Labrador was based on a series of events that led up

to a tragedy in the fall of 2011. During that time period, and since 2008 when

the government undertook a clinical review of child and youth services in

Newfoundland and Labrador, one of the decisions made as a result of that report

was to develop its own department, its own standalone department, and bring

forward new legislation. As outlined in the recommendations from Susan Abell,

there were a number of other recommendations.

What I would say, Mr. Speaker, is that all of these recommendations are being

acted upon by us.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I again have to note that I was at the

briefing yesterday. The Child and Youth Advocate said yesterday these problems

still exist, yet the minister is saying that they do not exist.

I ask the minister: Who is right here?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to take the opportunity to review some of the recommendations by

Susan Abell in her 2008 report. It was completed December, 2008. It was in early

2009 when this government announced, for the very first time, that we are going

to have a standalone department for Child, Youth and Family Services in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

The development of that department was based on this report and the

recommendations contained in it. It included legislative reform. We brought

through two significant pieces of legislation surrounding the best interests and

well-being of children and youth.

Stabilization of our workforce, we brought in social work students from the

School of Social Work, one of the best qualified units anywhere to help us in

development of social workers. We bring those in now as students and initiate

the process. We bring them in as

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, the Abell report was in 2008. It is just

about 2014, six years. She said three to five years to have everything in place,

so obviously your department is still behind.

Recommendation 13 of the Turner report says that when a child may be in need

of protection the worker must seek out and document all relevant information.

Recommendation 3 of yesterday's report says that social workers must complete

comprehensive assessments. John was left at risk throughout 2010 into 2011 and

no one picked up on the red flags.

I ask the minister: Again, the recommendations are seven years apart, why

wasn't it fixed?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Susan Abell report was in December, 2008. It was in 2009, fiscal year of

2009-2010 when this government took the initiative to begin the development of a

standalone Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. It was in 2011 before

social workers who previously worked under health authorities began to come into

the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. The last one did not come in

until 2012.

What was said was it is going to take three to five years to develop that

department, not from 2008 but from the time the department was first

established. We are following that process because one of the things Susan Abell

talked about was quick fixes are not going to fix anything. That it takes a long

sustained, concerted and sustained focus to make this department work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, Recommendation 15 of the Turner report from

2006 states that when a worker assumes responsibility of a child from another

worker, the worker must be informed.

Recommendation 10 of the Advocate's report yesterday states, "when a child

or youth is being transferred from one program area to another, a meeting"

should be held to transfer the client's information. Again, it is all about

sharing information on the case of a child.

I ask the minister: Why is there still not collaboration seven years later?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Once again the hon. member opposite, with all due respect, is failing to

recognize that the events and recommendations leading up to this report are

events prior to the fall of 2011, which led up to a tragedy in the fall of 2011.

That is what the recommendations are based upon.

Mr. Speaker, in the formation of the department following the clinical

service review that was (inaudible), this was a significant piece of work.

Nothing like it has ever happened before in Newfoundland and Labrador. Some of

the other recommendations that were made were on training and development, and I

have referenced that in the good work we are doing in training; and quality

improvement, we are doing that. We have a quality unit now. We have an audit

process that is compulsory. We have increased our zone managers from five to

thirteen. We have increased the number of supervisors for each team throughout

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

Last month, the Baie Verte Miners' Registry team of miners, experts, and

community representatives, wrote to the Minister of Service Newfoundland and

Labrador asking that miners' claims for all asbestos-related diseases be

eligible for Workers' Compensation. Today, the minister announced publicly that

he will not make a decision about legislative changes. He will just let the

process unfold.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Why did he choose to go out in public to

make his announcement rather than give the team the courtesy of a reply to their

letter?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL: Mr. Speaker, our government strongly advocates for fair

treatment and compensation for injured workers in this Province and workers who

are facing occupational diseases. We have worked very closely with the community

of Baie Verte, we have worked very closely with the United Steelworkers, and we

have worked very closely with the commission to go through a process. That is

the process I am referring to.

We established a registry a former miners that captures their health and

their work history, Mr. Speaker. It is going to help in the adjudication of

their claims. We have over 1,000 former miners registered to date. We have

adjudicated 177 claims. We have seventy-four claims we have ruled in favour of

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Most Baie Verte miners receive more exposure to asbestos in months than the

law permits for a lifetime, but only 36 per cent of miners who register with

medically verified asbestos-related diseases have been compensated. They have

been waiting for many years.

Why does the minister continue to deny former miners the right to

compensation for diseases recognized as caused by working in the Baie Verte

mine?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL: Mr. Speaker, we will continue to adjudicate claims on a

case-by-case basis based on the merit of individual claims. We will base it on

the best scientific and medical evidence available that is out there in the

purview in this area. All jurisdictions in Canada and around the world follow

these protocols.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Government does not need to make any changes to legislation to ask WHSCC to

reconsider the rejected claims of sick miners.

I ask the minister: When will he instruct the compensation board to change

its policies concerning asbestos claims?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL: Mr. Speaker, we rely on professionals to make these

decisions. We rely on professionals to adjudicate these cases. Once again, Mr.

Speaker, we do it on the best evidence available, medical and scientific. We

will continue to do so on a case-by-case basis.

Some claims are not adjudicated in favour of the workers, for various

reasons. Various reasons, including some where there was a lack of medical

evidence, is one of the areas that you would go down.

Mr. Speaker, we are doing some good work around this. We work very closely

with all of the parties involved and we are moving forward.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

The team that wrote the minister had very specific requests, and he has not

bothered to respond to them.

I want to know: What does the minister intend to do about all of the rejected

claims, and the sick miners, if government will not introduce legislation? He

has a responsibility to these people.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL: Mr. Speaker, we take these claims very seriously. We want

to do what is right for the workers of Baie Verte. We will continue to do good

work around this.

Again, Mr. Speaker, we will adjudicate these claims; the commission will

adjudicate these claims based on the best scientific and medical evidence in

front of them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, we are facing the worst housing crisis in our

Province's history and the victims are growing. The sexual exploitation report

that government tried to hide for years told us of young people having to sell

their bodies for sex so they could have a place to sleep.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services: What is

he concretely going to do to help our vulnerable youth who have nowhere to live

and who are begging for help?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, at various times during this sitting of the

House we have recognized the challenges that we have in various parts of the

Province, including Labrador, in regard to affordable housing. We have invested

in the past, heavily, through Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and various

other programs across two or three departments in assisting people with

affordable housing challenges.

We are going to continue to do that and work with Newfoundland and Labrador

Housing through me, as being the minister responsible, to address the issue. As

a matter of fact, it was only this morning, Mr. Speaker, that I met with the

Combined Councils of Labrador. The subject that we spoke about the most was

affordable housing in Labrador. I have committed to go to Nain next Thursday to

meet with the local government and work on that issue.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: These are young people who have nowhere to live, Mr. Speaker.

The Child and Youth Advocate's report, that government could not hide, says

youth are not given proper supports for living in the community. Youth agencies

are saying the same thing. They are swamped with youth whose lives are at risk,

and they cannot keep up with the demands right now.

I ask the minister: What is he going to do?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, as I just referenced, we are going to continue

to address this issue. It is a challenge; it is not unique to Newfoundland and

Labrador. It is prevalent right across all jurisdictions in Canada, as well as

the United States.

In the meantime, we have invested heavily in youth since we took government

in 2003, and will continue to do that.

They have my assurance that I, as the minister responsible for housing in

Newfoundland and Labrador, will work closely with our youth in our Province to

make sure that we can address their issues as best as we possibly can under that

program, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, during Question Period, the Minister for

Child, Youth and Family Services referred to and quoted from a document upon

questioning.

We would ask that he immediately table the document.

MR. SPEAKER: Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

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

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS current government regulations deny busing services to students who

live closer than 1.6 kilometres to school; and

WHEREAS parents have expressed concern that children living within 1.6

kilometres of school face dangers in walking to school, such as congested

streets and busy intersections, especially during winter weather conditions; and

WHEREAS the $75,000 review of the school transportation system completed by

Deloitte recommended that the Department of Education consider reducing the 1.6

kilometre eligibility zone for kindergarten and elementary students; and

WHEREAS the $75,000 Deloitte report also noted that only 10 per cent of those

surveyed for the school transportation system review agree that the current 1.6

kilometre policy is reasonable for students and families; and

WHEREAS parents are continuing to demand more flexible policies to meet the

current needs of school children;

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

House of Assembly to urge the government to change the outdated 1.6 kilometre

school busing eligibility policy in order to ensure safe travel to school for

primary and elementary school children in the Province.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, this is a petition that I have presented on a

number of different occasions. Members opposite and members on this side will

certainly recall that I had a different petition when we came into the House of

Assembly in 2012 about getting a review of the school transportation system.

Thankfully the Minister of Education listened. He listened to the petitioners

and he did a review. The review has been done. The results are pretty clear.

I am going to say, Mr. Speaker, and I say to the Minister of Education the

next time we get a dirty day and the buses are on the road, I invite the

Minister of Education to come up with me. We will start 1.6 kilometres from

Larkhall Academy and we can walk down together, I say. He can find out what it

is like, on a dirty day, to walk 1.6 kilometres to school and imagine if he is

in kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, or 3.

Mr. Speaker, I offer that invitation to the Minister of Education. I will

keep you advised.

Thank you very much.

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

MS DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS until 2013, calcium was applied to provincially owned gravel roads in

and around communities to suppress dust; and

WHEREAS dust suppression is very helpful for residents experiencing health

conditions like asthma and allergies; and

WHEREAS the cost of administering the calcium program is very affordable to

government; and

WHEREAS dust suppression is an effective way of improving safety for the

travelling public;

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

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

in 2014, to reinstate the calcium application program on provincially owned

gravel roads in and around communities.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, I have been up a number of times on the calcium. I

will continue to get up until the House closes and I will start again in the

spring session. Maybe it will be reinstated into the Budget. It is not a lot of

money. I will look into it and find out what the amount was. I believe it is

only something like $300,000 that was being spent in the whole Province on

calcium.

When you look at the benefits, the health benefits, you have to look at all

of this interconnected. You cannot look at just one thing. If you have people

with asthma and allergies, what is that costing the health care? I mentioned

before a seven-year-old child the night I was in Cartwright who was medevaced

out, and you look at the cost of that. It would not take very many medevacs to

add up to the total cost of what it would be to reinstate calcium on our roads.

With most of the Island having paved roads, they would have very little

understanding of what I am talking about. On a hot day in Labrador with a breeze

of wind, you simply cannot walk on the road. While we are awaiting pavement,

which might be three, four, five, or six years, this calcium was a very huge

help. Even when pavement goes through, the community road right now will not be

paved, so it is imperative that the money be put back into the Budget for this

calcium, Mr. Speaker, so people can go out for walks in the evening.

This is all tied in with healthy living and the benefits associated with

that: type 2 diabetes; seniors who hang their clothes on the line, I mentioned

yesterday, to keep their electricity rates down because they have to make

choices; and the biggest of all, Mr. Speaker, is the safety of people who are

walking. It is almost like a whiteout condition in the dust.

I am not exaggerating here, and I would encourage anybody to come into my

district with me and I will take you for a walk on those roads and show you just

how bad it is.

Thank you.

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS in the past the Town of Conception Bay South has provided space for

the Conception Bay South Public Library, but will not be providing space for the

library in its new town hall building; and

WHEREAS losing the provincial library means one of the fastest-growing

communities in the Province, with a population of 25,000, will no longer have

local library services; and

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MURPHY:

WHEREAS a library is more than just books; it is an open

community space for Internet access, online lending, children's reading programs

and community events and services, which improve literacy levels, provide access

to information, stimulate creativity and innovation, and foster the development

of strong communities; and

WHEREAS the Town of Conception Bay South has expressed interest in cost

sharing a new site for the Conception Bay South Public Library;

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

House of Assembly to urge government to provide the necessary resources to

retain the public library in Conception Bay South.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I received this petition today on behalf of the people of

Conception Bay South. Signatories include people from St. John's, CBS, Mount

Pearl, and there is no doubt of the importance of having a public library within

a community. We all know what it does. It provides a meeting place one of the

most important things: a meeting place for members of the community to meet

each other and discuss issues.

The second thing that it provides, Mr. Speaker, that the petition talks

about, is resources. We are talking about an access point, if you will, so that

people, for example, if they do not have Internet access themselves or they

cannot afford Internet access in their own homes, they can go to a public area

and they can benefit by having the Internet services that are offered within a

public library.

Not only that, Mr. Speaker, this is an important resource for the people

there, particularly when it came to creativity and innovation; you cannot start

up a small business without doing important background research and sometimes

you need a library resource to do that. In a growing town like Conception Bay

South not to have a library here to help develop the small business end of

things, Mr. Speaker, it deserves some thinking on the part of government.

One need only think, Mr. Speaker, at the same time final thought on this

before I present it over to the House the final thought here is that

government made an immense cut to library resources in this last Budget. They

should reconsider that and help the Town of Conception Bay South here gets its

library resources back.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Orders of the Day

Private Members' Day

MR. SPEAKER: This being Wednesday, Private Members' Day, I now call upon

the Member for St. John's South to introduce the motion on the Order Paper in

his name.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will read the motion again before I start speaking to it:

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Assembly urge the government to consider

following the recommendation of their own consultant, Mr. John Noseworthy, and

implement a rental rate structure for Income Support clients based on regional

market rates.

MR. SPEAKER: Seconded by?

MR. OSBORNE: It is seconded by the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair.

MR. SPEAKER: Thank you.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. OSBORNE: No, it was seconded yesterday.

MR. SPEAKER: You served notice on Monday; today you are making the

motion.

MR. OSBORNE: Okay.

It is seconded by the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR. OSBORNE: Mr. Speaker, here is the exact wording from Mr. John

Noseworthy's Business Transformation Report on that particular recommendation.

His report was very eye opening. I read his report, and it touched on a number

of areas and the need to improve how Income Support clients are treated.

On this particular recommendation here is his wording, "AES should have

legislative capacity and budgeting flexibility to ensure that rates for such

expenditures as rent are adequate in the context of current market conditions.

This is subject to the budgetary process and there is no provision to increase

funding for shelters unless approved. One recommendation could be to implement a

rental rate structure based on regional market rates other jurisdictions don't

have this," but, remember, costs are more for rent in St. John's as opposed to

Piccadilly.

He talked about in his report how different areas of the Province have

different rental demands. He pointed out, in particular, the fact that St.

John's has a much higher rental rate for apartments than Piccadilly does. That

is the reason for this recommendation, that is the reason that he made the

recommendation in his report to government, and this reason for this private

member's resolution today.

Mr. Speaker, you look at the fact and I have raised it on a number of

occasions in the House that Income Support recipients are receiving $522 a

month as a maximum family allowance to pay their rent, regardless of where they

live in the Province. In some areas, Mr. Speaker, that allowance would be high

enough to cover rent; in many areas, that allowance is certainly not high to

cover rent.

When you are receiving a rental rate of $522, but you are paying $800 or

$900, or maybe $1,000 for rent, you have to take the money from somewhere else.

Generally, those clients are taking the money from food. That is a very real

concern, Mr. Speaker, the fact that they are taking money from their food

allowance to cover rent.

I just want to look at some of the rental rates around the Province to give a

better example of why we put this private member's resolution forward, as

recommended by government's own consultant, Mr. John Noseworthy.

If you look at, in St. John's, the rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment

this year, the average rate, according to CMHC and they look at the rental

rates around the Province, but I am going to just touch on the five major urban

areas on the Island. That is what they have covered in the report. I am not

leaving out Labrador, because I know there are rental concerns in Labrador as

well, but CMHC did not cover it in their report.

I will just speak to the five major urban areas on the Island. We know that

in Lab West $522 certainly is not enough. We know that in Goose Bay it is not

enough, with the work on Muskrat Falls and Churchill Falls workers and so on.

Mr. Speaker, it is a problem in all parts of this Province.

You look at the rental rate for St. John's being $832 for a two bedroom

apartment. Now a two bedroom apartment, I would argue, is not big enough for

many families that are only receiving the $522 maximum family allowance for

rent. If their rental costs are $832 for a two bedroom apartment, and they are

only receiving $522, that means they need to come up with $310 from somewhere

else. Where are they coming up with that? From their food allowance, Mr.

Speaker, and that means they are not eating healthy. They are sending their

children to school hungry, and that is a concern.

If you look at a three bedroom apartment, according to CMHC the average

rental rate for a three bedroom apartment in St. John's is $885. You take the

$522 rental allowance out of the cost of their rent at $885, it is a $333

shortfall. Again, where are they coming up with the $333, Mr. Speaker? From

their food allowance, and they are not eating healthy.

Bay Roberts was covered as well. For a two bedroom apartment, the rental rate

there is $634. It is a little more affordable to somebody who is only getting

$522 rental allowance. A little more affordable, but they are still taking $112

out of their food allowance.

You look at Corner Brook, for a two bedroom apartment it is $626. If you take

out their maximum family rental allowance of $522, and they are short $104 for

rent. It is unbelievable that government get up and espouse what a great job

they are doing on their Poverty Reduction Strategy, but they are expecting

people to take $104 in Corner Brook out of their food allowance just to cover

their rent. If a family in Corner Brook is renting a three bedroom apartment, it

is $779 according to CMHC. It is the average rental rate, which means there is a

shortfall of $275.

In Gander, Mr. Speaker, which is the lowest rate for a two bedroom apartment,

you are looking at $605. So you deduct the $522 rental allowance out of that and

they are short $83. It becomes a little more affordable for a family in Gander

who only has to steal $83 out of their food allowance to pay their rent compared

to somebody in St. John's having to take $333 out of their food allowance, but

they still should not have to take $83 out of their food allowance.

You look at a three bedroom apartment in Gander, $678, which means there is

shortfall of $156 based on what social services provide, or Income Support it is

now called, to a family renting a three bedroom apartment in Gander and needing

to take $156 out of their food allowance just to pay rent.

In Grand Falls-Windsor, Mr. Speaker, a two bedroom apartment is $662. You

deduct the $522 that Income Support provides for rent there, and they are short

$140.

So you get the picture, Mr. Speaker, on the five urban areas on the Island.

Now if you look at what Mr. John Noseworthy, government's consultant pointed out

that the rent in St. John's and Piccadilly are two different stories.

There are areas in the Province, Mr. Speaker, where $522 will cover the cost

of rental for somebody on Income Support. That is their allowance and it will

cover the cost of rental in some communities in the Province. In some

communities, such as Grand Falls, Windsor, Gander, Corner Brook, Bay Roberts,

St. John's, Lab West, it does not cover the cost of their rent. The $522 that

Income Support provides for rent in the major urban areas certainly will not

cover the cost of renting an apartment for a family in those areas.

That is why we say this private member's motion is important. What we are

asking for is that government implement a rental rate structure for Income

Support clients based on regional market rates. It is a very simple resolution,

something that government's consultant recommended. It is something that members

in our party agree with that recommendation.

We are hoping that government today will vote in favour of this, and in the

upcoming Budget, Mr. Speaker, government will look at a rental rate structure

for Income Support clients based on where they live as opposed to a flat rate

across the Province where some people can afford to pay the rent out of the

Income Support allowance that they are getting and some people cannot.

Mr. Speaker, I want to cover a couple of other areas here. Income Support

rates are legislated and reviewed annually as part of the department's budget

process; however, staff have identified issues and this comes out of John

Noseworthy's report as well. That staff have identified issues with such things

as the current maximum rates of $522, we just touched on that, as the allowable

rate for rent.

The security deposits are another issue. Security deposits can also cause

issues for clients in today's market rate. Many times most landlords require

half a months rent. It varies, some landlords require less and some require

more. Most landlords require half a month's rent as a damage deposit.

If you are paying $1,000 rent for a three bedroom house in St. John's, then

you require a $500 damage deposit. Income Support is certainly not providing

enough in damage deposits either. That is not a part of today's resolution, and

I understand that. We are simply looking for a rental rate structure based on

the areas of the Province that people live.

Mr. Speaker, the Housing Market Outlook from Canada Mortgage and Housing

Corporation say that we can expect an average two bedroom monthly rent to

increase by the end of 2014. We have seen that. They expect it to increase from

$825 to $875. What we are seeing is that rental rates in areas where there is

a low vacancy rate and a high demand for housing that rental rates continuously

rise, but the Income Support rate does not.

Government did something else a few years ago; they took away the Consumer

Price Indexing. They discontinued the indexing of Income Support rates to the

Consumer Price Index. That saved government money in the Budget. There is

absolutely no doubt about that, but it made it even more difficult for Income

Support clients who are trying to pay rent, especially in the major urban areas

in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, the spring 2013 Rental Market Report from CMHC point out that

overall the average two bedroom rent was $751 per month across the five urban

centres surveyed which were all on the Island as I explained earlier, they did

not touch Labrador urban areas with increases recorded in every centre.

The highest average two bedroom rent recorded was $832 in St. John's. Gander

recorded the lowest average rent at $605. The remaining average two bedroom

rents were $626, $662, and so on. Bay Roberts did not record because there were

not enough apartments advertised, perhaps because the vacancy rate there was so

low, but recorded a $648 average in Bay Roberts in April, 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I talked about the fact that in areas such as St. John's where

$832 is the average rent for a two bedroom, it is certainly not a big enough

apartment for many families on Income Support, but we will talk about the

two-bedroom at $832 where a family has to pay $832.

They are only receiving a rental allowance of $522, a shortfall of $310. They

come up with that money out of their food allowance, and they have to make a

determination as to whether they put food in the fridge, keep the heat up, or

pay their rent. They need a place to live so they are paying their rent, which

means there is not enough food in the fridge.

Mr. Speaker, let us look at some HungerCount findings and the key HungerCount

findings: 37.9 per cent of children in Newfoundland and Labrador rely on food

banks. Many of those families are on Income Support. In fact, 72 per cent of

families on Income Support rely on food banks according to these statistics 72

per cent of families on Income Support.

That is what this resolution is about today: providing Income Support

recipients with a rental rate based on where they live, as opposed to a flat

rate across the Province. So 72 per cent of families on Income Support rely on

food banks.

You talk about the Province's Poverty Reduction Strategy, Mr. Speaker, and

government will tell you what a great job they have done. I will agree there are

some good things in the Poverty Reduction Strategy, but there are many things

left out of it, such as looking at Income Support rates for rent. That has been

left out of the Poverty Reduction Strategy obviously.

You look at 2008, there were 8,037 families in this Province that is

households, Mr. Speaker 8,037 households had registered as using food banks.

Keep in mind in 2008 there were 8,037 families registered as using food banks.

In 2013, there were 8,923 families registered as using food banks, an increase

of almost 900 families using food banks.

Now, we know that the minister is going to say

MR. SPEAKER (Littlejohn): I remind the hon. member his time up.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will have much more time to speak on this as I close.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased and delighted to stand in my

place this afternoon, representing the great District of Port au Port, to take

part in the debate on the private member's resolution as brought forward by the

Official Opposition.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be part of a government that has done so much

for the most vulnerable and, in general, for the whole population of the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. When we look at the private member's

resolution today, that is why we commissioned the former Auditor General of the

Province, John Noseworthy, to do some work for the Department of Advanced

Education and Skills.

Mr. Speaker, the report that came back was called the Business Transformation

Report, and I want to take a bit of time to talk about the report itself. A

review was done on the departments, programs, and services. The subsequent

report outlined numerous recommendations to improve the services that we provide

to the people of the Province.

I want to assure you that the department executive meets each quarter to

review the status of the implementation commitments. We have implemented or plan

to implement the majority of the report's recommendations, Mr. Speaker; that is

very important. We take every report that we commission very serious, because it

does affect the people of the Province.

Some examples of the transformation activities completed, Mr. Speaker,

include a new integrated case management system that is currently being

developed that will provide enhanced services for individual clients and

third-party service providers. The new system will also improve efficiencies in

the delivery of departmental programs and services.

Another activity, Mr. Speaker, is one-stop employment centres. As you know,

Advanced Education and Skills has streamlined employment services throughout the

Province, which has resulted in a single point of entry and eliminated the need

for citizens to visit multiple sites to access these services.

Other initiatives that are underway: new case management models being

developed for all Advanced Education and Skills clients. The model, Mr. Speaker,

will enhance the services offered through the employment centres, and include

components such as standardized employment and counselling approaches,

documentation standards, and monitoring and follow-up.

Several new online tools, Mr. Speaker, have also been introduced to enhance

services to clients and include the following: a new employment and training

assessment tool to assist in determining the most appropriate supports for

individuals. Since its inception, over 3,800 people have completed the

assessment that will assist in developing and implementing an employment plan.

Mr. Speaker, new employment workshops have also been created and, to date,

over 2,300 individuals participated in online workshops on topics such as career

planning process, employment readiness and retention, skills assessment, labour

market information, job search process and methods, and also an overview of the

AES programs, what we have to offer, the services and the application processes

that are needed and required. We are putting the tools out there to help assist

our people to achieve or acquire employment that will put money in their

pockets, Mr. Speaker.

The report also talked about the four wage subsidy programs having merged

into one program called JobsNL, with online access, and approximately 400

individuals have availed of the online application. JobsNL is again easy access

where the people of Newfoundland and Labrador can go to one site to find out

what opportunities are out there for employment in the Province and outside the

Province as well. So we are very pleased with that.

Mr. Speaker, we talk about rental for Income Support clients. This government

has invested substantially in social housing and many more people today than

ever before are able to access social housing in the Province. In addition to

funding provided to Advanced Education and Skills clients, Newfoundland and

Labrador Housing Corporation provides funds and they fund a Rental Supplement

Program for low-income individuals and families.

Mr. Speaker, it is worthy to note that we are the only government in

twenty-five years that doubled the rent supplement funding for Newfoundland and

Labrador Housing Corporation from $4 million to $8 million per year. This

government is fully cognizant of the needs of low-income people in our Province.

We are continually providing and improving programs and services to address

these social housing needs.

Mr. Noseworthy's report provided 158 recommendations, and the department is

doing diligent work necessary to assess and implement many of these

recommendations.

Mr. Speaker, when you talk about Newfoundland and Labrador Housing

Corporation and how it assists seniors in our Province, we look at the programs.

Since the program began in 2004, approximately 547 seniors have been assisted

through the Investment in Affordable Housing program, IAH, which has created 800

new affordable housing units throughout the Province in the last five years, 95

per cent of which are occupied by low-income seniors. The units were created in

partnership with non-profit community groups and the private sector as well.

Mr. Speaker, 86 per cent or 2,650 of clients assisted under the 2012-2013

Provincial Home Repair Program were seniors with low incomes. This program has

helped them make renovations and repairs to continue living comfortably in their

own homes. When we talk about affordable housing and housing, it is important

yes that we talk about those who rent, but we also encourage people to stay in

their own homes. That is why we are providing these programs and an increase in

these programs so that they can stay in their own homes. I think that is

dignity. I think that is the right thing to do, if we can keep people in their

own homes as well. We are very proud of the investments we make in this.

Mr. Speaker, this past fiscal year Newfoundland and Labrador Housing

Corporation, through their Home Modification Program, has assisted approximately

their homes. That is very important as well, if we are to encourage our seniors

and our most vulnerable to stay in their own homes. We have to make it

accessible as well. We are investing heavily in that as well.

MR. SPEAKER: I am going to ask the hon. member to link some of this to

the amendment.

MR. CORNECT: It is all linked, Mr. Speaker. It is all linked to housing.

Mr. Speaker, Province-wide, the Rental Supplement Program provides a total of

1,732 affordable private sector rental units to households with low incomes. The

majority of these households are seniors with an average age of sixty plus.

Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about the vulnerable, the seniors, or even

myself, we are all people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. That is

very important to note today as well.

Through the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation's own social

housing portfolio of the 5,556 units Province-wide, 34 per cent house seniors

who are sixty plus. As well, all seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador Housing

Corporation's social housing units are eligible for heat subsidies. So, Mr.

Speaker, when we give these subsidies we are putting monies back in the pockets

of our people. That is very important to note.

The Residential Energy Efficiency Program provides grants to mostly senior

homeowners as well 83 per cent of the applicants are seniors to help them

make energy retrofits to their homes. That is very important. If we have a home

that is retrofitted and it is energy efficient, that again is putting money back

in the pockets of our people, and that is very important.

Mr. Speaker, it was referenced earlier about the Poverty Reduction Strategy

of our government. That is something that is the cornerstone, a milestone, the

envy of the country. The provincial poverty strategy is a comprehensive,

integrated and long-term approach to prevent, reduce, and alleviate poverty in

the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

When we took office, Newfoundland and Labrador ranked the eighth-lowest with

poverty levels in the country. Today, Mr. Speaker, because of our strategy and

investments in our people and in our communities and our families, we are now

the third-lowest in Canada, and I can tell you we are going to be number one

with the lowest in the country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, the goal of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is

to improve the health, the living conditions, the education, the incomes, and

the overall well-being of vulnerable people throughout the Province. That is the

heart and guts of this Province, looking out for our people of the Province.

That is what we are all about on this side. That is why a lot of our services

and programs reflect that; reflect the needs of our people.

Mr. Speaker, I am ever so proud to be part of a government that looks after

the people of the Province; that is the number one priority. In whatever we do,

the needs of the people of the Province are always number one with us as a

government.

Before our Poverty Reduction Strategy was in place, Newfoundland and Labrador

had an incidence of poverty that was above the national average, as I said.

Today, we are below the national average and our poverty strategy is considered

a model. Mr. Speaker, imagine; our Poverty Reduction Strategy is a model to

other parts of the country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: All of these initiatives in the Poverty Reduction Strategy

are putting money back into the pockets of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador, and more so, is enhancing services of programs that our people can

avail of to make them proud, Mr. Speaker, to be a part of this beautiful

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, our government has always known that fighting poverty would be

challenging. There is no doubt about that. Fighting poverty is challenging and

we recognize that poverty is a complex issue. There is no denying that. That is

why we are taking a long-term integrated approach in how to combat poverty in

the Province, and I think it is working. We have seen the results. We have come

from eight to third and we are on the move. We are a like a football team, we

are marching down the field, but in this case we are marching up the field.

A key part of our Poverty Reduction Strategy is to ensure that future

generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are afforded every opportunity

to be successful and to contribute to the Province's prosperity. We only have to

look to the future and the things we have done. The future of this Province has

never been brighter and we want to give every opportunity to every

Newfoundlander and Labradorian to access and to avail of those services, those

programs, and those jobs so they can live in prosperity as well.

Mr. Speaker, addressing poverty issues is the balance of opportunity for all.

It is truly an essential part of being a prosperous Province, no doubt about

that. Moving forward to provide strong social programming, including initiatives

to prevent, reduce, and alleviate poverty, our government is making significant

investments to help people vulnerable to poverty.

Budget 2013, just to look at our Poverty Reduction Strategy again, provided

nearly $149 million to continue the important efforts under the strategy so we

can become that prosperous people we talk about every day that this government

has the vision and believes in.

MR. SPEAKER: I remind the hon. member his speaking time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to be able to get up today and speak in support of the private

member's resolution, and I am just going to quote it again, "BE IT RESOLVED that

the House of Assembly urge Government to consider following the recommendation

of their own consultant, Mr. John Noseworthy, and implement a rental rate

structure for income support clients based on regional market rates."

Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about here today is the basic necessities of

life: shelter; that is what we are talking about. Safe and sound housing is key

to surviving and thriving in a community. Homelessness is a spectrum from living

in abusive relationships, for lack of somewhere to go, or couch surfing, to

living on the streets.

Mr. Speaker, in Labrador we are certainly seeing increased numbers. Sadly,

you have this going on in places where wealth is increasing, like my colleague

would be familiar with in Goose Bay. It is growing exponentially. There is a

housing problem, and you have people who cannot afford the Income Support rate

that we are talking about here is just not sufficient. We are always talking

about how we are a have Province, but people are constantly being left behind

and that is what we want to raise awareness of here today.

Anyone who has looked for an apartment lately knows that the maximum rate of

$522 for a family is an absurd amount to secure safe and sound housing. We know,

Mr. Speaker, that overall the provincial vacancy rates are down and this is

stats that confirmed for us that it is much, much harder to get a place to live.

Now, the $522, Mr. Speaker, that is for a family. The rate for individuals is

only $372. When we look at apartments right now in Labrador, where people are

paying $2,500 a month, and we have a rental rate in place of $522 I was never

really strong at math, but it is easy to do the math here; we have a serious

problem on our hands.

The average for a two-bedroom in St. John's is over $800 a month. When you

look at the wide disparity between the $2,500 a month in certain places in

Labrador and the $800 a month in St. John's, clearly one size do not fit all.

Clearly, we cannot say to someone on Income Support here is your monthly rental

rate, take it and pay your rent. It is much better use of the money if we look

at a regional rental rate structure, just as John Noseworthy recommended in his

report.

I just want to quote him, the exact wording from John Noseworthy's Business

Transformation Report. He said, "AES should have legislative capacity and

budgeting flexibility to ensure that rates for such expenditures as rent are

adequate in the context of current market conditions." That is what we are

talking about here today, Mr. Speaker, the wide variances in the market in what

people are paying across this Province.

The Income Support rates are legislated, we know, and reviewed annually as

part of the department's budget process; however, staff have identified issues

with such things as the current maximum rates for rent. Staff who are dealing

with this every single day are very aware because staff are the people that

these people on Income Support are coming to, continuously, many of them and

looking for emergency money.

In the fall of 2013 the housing market outlook from Canada Mortgage and

Housing Corporation said expect the average two-bedroom monthly rent to increase

to $825 by the end of this year and to $875 in 2014. We see, Mr. Speaker, that

the rate increases are going to continue.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about, for a minute, the rates and how people are

having to take from their food money to help pay their rent. I want to talk

about when you are left with not enough money for proper food. There have been

many studies done on the connection between poverty and health, strong links

between poverty and health. Low-income, we know, Mr. Speaker, is a primary

detriment of health. Poverty is making Canadians sick, leading to widespread

preventable illnesses and creating huge costs for our health care.

I believe in Newfoundland and Labrador we are spending close to forty cents

of every dollar from our Budget in health care. Mr. Speaker, we need to look at

this as a full, inclusive picture and not just separate departments and see how

they are all intertwined, and see how giving people more money to be able to

afford to eat properly will decrease the risk of some of these health issues and

save the taxpayer when it comes to health care in the Province.

Some groups are more vulnerable to poverty than others: mother-led,

single-parent families, First Nations and Aboriginal people, and people with

disabilities. I want to mention that because sometimes we know it is a fact

that Aboriginal people are more likely to develop chronic diseases like type 2

diabetes. The cost that diabetes is having on our health care is absolutely

staggering, the financial burden, and that is going to continue to grow and

escalate.

When compared to 20 per cent of Canadians with the highest income, 20 per

cent of Canadians with the lowest income and I am talking about these diseases

because they are directly linked with the healthy eating, and that is directly

linked to not having enough money to eat if you are using your food money to pay

rent are more than two times as likely to have diabetes or heart disease, more

than two times as likely to have two or more chronic health conditions, more

than three times as likely to have bronchitis, and nearly two times as likely to

have arthritis or rheumatism, and 358 times more likely to have a disability.

Poverty, as we can see, has a very high cost for health. I could go on, Mr.

Speaker, in this area and talk about the limited social and cognitive

development in the early years that we see when people do not have enough money

to meet their basic living needs, barriers to recreation and social inclusion,

and nutritionally deprived food environments. You end up with higher rates of

obesity in low-income populations.

Also, we know that when people are living in poverty we are talking about

the many obstacles in making good health choices. The choices people make are

shaped by the choices that they have, Mr. Speaker. In low-income neighbourhoods

there are few options available for healthy eating, sports, and recreation. We

know that some neighbourhoods are not safe and then we can talk about the stress

associated with poverty, how isolating that is and the cost surrounding that.

Oftentimes, your postal code may be more important, Mr. Speaker, than your

genetic code when determining your health. Where you live influences your

health. We are seeing, Mr. Speaker, people are being forced to make choices to

take mould infested, unhealthy living arrangements because at $525 you cannot

afford very much. We know that research shows that people who live in low-income

neighbourhoods are more likely to be hospitalized for heart attacks, and mental

health problems.

Just to clue up the health aspect that I am talking about, Mr. Speaker,

simply put, the better off you are the healthier you are and the less health

care that you use. I am just trying to state the case that it is all

intertwined.

Children who live in poverty often do not get a good start in life. The

conditions of early childhood life set the stage for health across their

lifespan. Children living in poor families have much higher rates of illness and

disability. We know that children who experience persistent poverty are at an

even greater risk than children who experience sporadic and or short-term

poverty.

Mr. Speaker, I can think back to many houses that I went to in the spring.

Often we ride in and out of communities and we rarely drive through every street

in town or go door to door, but when you are campaigning you do that. I saw

firsthand at many doors, the lowest income people, the people on Income Support,

that was where you saw the frying pan on the stove. That was where you saw

things in the garbage container, very, very unhealthy choices, and high in salt,

fat, sodium. Do you know why, Mr. Speaker?

We are paying, in some of the places in my area, almost $6 for a carton for

milk when you can go out and get a two litre of Pepsi for half the price. This

is one of the reasons we want to bring in a rental rate structure, Mr. Speaker,

because health is a prerequisite for economic productivity and prosperity. Any

time you can prevent, that is a good investment.

I want to quote the Conference Board of Canada that released a report:

Healthy People, Healthy Performance, Healthy Profits. That report concluded,

"Well-targeted investments in preventative measures have the potential to

produce long-term cost savings through reduced demand on health care

services...." Merging economic and health policies, they just make sense, Mr.

Speaker. They go hand in hand.

The boarding house fire on Springdale Street, Mr. Speaker, we have been

hearing about here in the House the last couple of days. This illustrates that

the current government is failing children in care, but the poor as well. We see

emerging from this story people with complex needs, mental health and addiction

issues, and in the mix of all of that a boy of sixteen, all forced to live under

the same roof; adults who had their own issues, a young boy who had his issues.

Then you put all of that under one roof, because where are you going with $500

of rental rate on Income Support? You cannot get an apartment anywhere in the

Province right now for that rate.

We get calls from constituents, Mr. Speaker, living in flooded out,

mould-infested apartments, as I mentioned earlier. They cannot go anywhere else.

Their choice is heavily compromised by poverty.

Mr. Speaker, the Member for Port au Port talked about the wonderful things

they are doing in employment, in case management, in counselling. I have to

comment on that, Mr. Speaker, because I live in a district where we had six

offices that were providing employment-related services. We were helping people.

Sometimes people need extra hand holding. We were doing that with people. We

were helping them move from Income Support into the job market and we were

helping them move from unemployed to employment.

What is happening now, Mr. Speaker? I have communities in my area where

people will have to drive 600 kilometres on a gravel road if they want to see a

face-to-face dialogue.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MS DEMPSTER: I hear the member from across the way, but I am just

responding to what I heard when I was sitting down before I stood up.

I just want to say that, too, is having a negative impact. Removing the human

face of all of the employment counselling and picking up a phone or going online

and filling out a client assessment is not a replacement for that, in any way,

shape, or form. Counselling is such a sensitive nature. People are making life

choices, sometimes forty-five and fifty-five. Picking up a phone is not the

answer. In two or three years, I have said it many times and I will say it

again, my fear is when the labour market has never been stronger we are going to

have more people on Income Support.

We talk a lot here in the House about the services now that are online. The

Member for Port au Port referenced the services available online. Well, Mr.

Speaker, I have many communities in my district that cannot go online. It was

brought to my attention yesterday by a constituent in a community where they

could always go into the school and use the Internet; they can no longer do that

now. We have to be very mindful when we are bringing in changes that those

changes are going to be able to benefit everyone, and not just some people in

more urban or the larger rural areas.

To follow up on that, one more point on the closing of the EAS. I travel home

to Labrador most weekends. This particular weekend, Mr. Speaker, I met a lady in

the airport in Blanc-Sablon. Her son is gone to Fort McMurray because he could

not get work here and he did not know where to call to find work because the

offices are gone.

Every single day in my office I have a call from somebody who needs help,

trying to reach somebody about Income Support, needing help with a resume, or

something of that nature. We live on the Coast of Labrador in a rural area and

the nearest place for them to call right now is Goose Bay, although there is one

person serving twenty communities centred in the middle of that district. People

are not travelling to her because of the distance and the barriers.

Mr. Speaker, AES staff told John Noseworthy that the rate was not enough.

Many people on Income Support constantly apply for emergency funding to get by.

We have the highest percentage of people using food banks, twice the national

average, with 11,000 kids in our Province living on food banks. Newfoundland has

the fourth-highest rate in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we have put forth a resolution that certainly needs to

be considered today and we need to obviously change how we are doing things

right now because it is not working.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it certainly is a pleasure for me to stand in this hon. House

once again and to share some thoughts on this private member's motion today. Mr.

Speaker, let me say right off the bat, I believe there is one particular issue

being referenced in the private member's motion. That is about rental rates in

different parts of the Province, but I think it does tie into a much broader

picture.

I was very pleased that you have been allowing latitude here this afternoon

discussing it. The member opposite talked about everything from recreation,

food, health, drugs and so on, and that is great. There is not much there that I

would argue with, there really is not. I am glad you are allowing that latitude.

I did not hear the Member for St. John's South talking about relevance when she

was speaking, so I hope he not going to do the same as he did to my colleague

who was up before.

That being said, Mr. Speaker, we are very fortunate in this Province, we

truly are. We are in a place now that we have never been before in our history

in terms of the development we see around us, in terms of the new home starts,

in terms of our economy, in terms of the wages that we see, the second-highest

average wage in the country. The highest disposable income we ever had, the

lowest rate of unemployment we ever had in our Province. That is certainly

attributed to a number of things. Primarily, I think, the great deals that our

government has signed and the great investments our government has made.

That being said, Mr. Speaker, we also realize that there are people in our

society who are vulnerable. It is the vulnerable people in our society that this

private member's resolution really speaks to in particular. I think we all

recognize that. This is not a new phenomenon, unfortunately not. I think we

would all wish here that everybody was doing great. I think there is nobody in

this House who would not like to see a situation where everybody was doing

great.

The reality of it is, if you look today, or if you look at twenty years ago,

if you look at fifty years ago or a hundred years ago, we have always had

vulnerable people in our society, but as government, as leaders on all sides of

the House, we all have a responsibility. We all have a responsibility to stand

up for those in need, stand up for the most vulnerable, and certainly from a

government's perspective to continually work to improve on programs and services

to address the needs of the vulnerable. I believe, Mr. Speaker, the people who

elected us feel as well that we have that responsibility because as a society

that is certainly how by and large we all feel.

If you look at the generous spirits of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians when

it comes to charity, helping others, and helping their neighbours, we see that

as a common thread throughout our communities and throughout our history. I

really believe the people of Newfoundland and Labrador have an expectation for

all of us that we continuously work on improving programs and services for all

the population but in particular, I believe, for the most vulnerable in our

society.

I would say, Mr. Speaker, that is something we all believe; we believe it on

this side of the House and I am sure they believe it on that side of the House.

The Member for St. John's Centre is up all the time talking about these issues.

I would say to her she does not own the monopoly on caring about people and

caring about the vulnerable. We all do.

MS ROGERS: Well, then show it.

MR. LANE: We do show it all the time.

Now, Mr. Speaker, she has already started her heckling as she heckled my

colleague before. It is interesting how when we are talking about an issue of

this seriousness and she wants to stand up all the time on her soapbox and

pretend that she is the only one who cares about the vulnerable, but when we are

actually here to discuss it in a serious way then she decides that she wants to

start heckling. Anyway, I will leave that to her constituents to make that

judgement as to whether that is a good thing or not.

MR. KENT: At least she is showing up these days.

MR. LANE: Anyway, Mr. Speaker, this particular private member's

resolution speaks to the Noseworthy report. Certainly, it was this government

who brought in former Auditor General Mr. Noseworthy, a very qualified

individual. You could certainly not argue the man's credentials. We brought him

in to look at the newly formed Department of Advanced Education and Skills and

to look at the programs and services that were being offered to people in our

Province, in particular the most vulnerable people in our Province.

The government accepted 158 of Mr. Noseworthy's recommendations coming from

that report. In discussions that I have had, Mr. Speaker, with the officials in

the department, I am advised that 90 per cent of those recommendations have

either been implemented already or they are in various stages of review and/or

implementation 90 per cent. I think that is very important to note.

I think it is also very important to note that the private member's motion

and the issue or the particular recommendation that has been referenced today as

it relates to rental subsidies in various areas of the Province is included

amongst those recommendations. It is certainly something this government is

taking very seriously and something we are very pleased to be able to do. I

think it is a very good recommendation. I think it addresses a very important

need in our Province.

There is no doubt when we talk about the prosperity, Mr. Speaker, that we are

experiencing it depends on where you go. I think we all recognize that. There

are certain areas of the Province which are feeling the boom more than other

areas of the Province. That is not to be unexpected.

Generally speaking, this is the capital city and the capital city region. I

think it is just a natural phenomenon that happens in these types of situations,

whether it is through oil and gas or other developments that are occurring. The

businesses and the developments tend to go in the capital city region. Whether

you like that or not, sometimes people maybe in some of the other areas might

say: Why don't they come here? I would like to have some of this so we would

have more businesses; paying business tax would help our municipalities, and so

on. Sure they would like it, absolutely.

MR. SPEAKER: I remind the hon. member to tie this to the resolution.

MR. LANE: I am tying in, Mr. Speaker. I am trying very hard to tie it in.

I really appreciate the latitude that you have been giving on this. You

certainly gave a lot of it over there and I am glad that you are doing this and

it is great. I really appreciate it.

MR. JOYCE: (Inaudible). Tell it to the Speaker.

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, I think the point is very relevant because

MR. JOYCE: (Inaudible).

MR. LANE: Now the Member for Bay of Islands is chirping again. I do not

know why. I never even mentioned him today, but I will give you a shout out. The

Member for Bay of Islands, there you go.

So, Mr. Speaker, when we look at that we recognize that not all areas are

going to feel the same boom, but when you get the boom in certain areas because

of development, because of natural resource development perhaps and certainly

we have seen Long Harbour where we have a big project going on out there. We

have seen Bull Arm. Now we are having one at the White Rose Extension in

Argentia, and of course the capital city region. We look at Lab West and Happy

Valley-Goose Bay, I believe the Member for St. John's Centre referenced, or

maybe it was the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

Because of those hotspots, I will call them, what happens is that the real

estate market all of a sudden moves upward, in an upward trajectory in

comparison to the hotspots in the areas where we are seeing all the development.

We have seen that. While we have always had situations where there have been

vulnerable people who are struggling for housing, in boom times that is

magnified even greater and you see rents and so on start to go upwards. That is

what happens.

It is certainly evident in the City of St. John's. It is certainly evident in

the City of Mount Pearl. It is certainly evident in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It

is certainly evident in Lab City. Even areas in, say, Arnold's Cove and those

areas, we have heard stories where someone may have been renting a basement

apartment, they might have been paying $300 or $400 a month or whatever the case

might be, and now all of a sudden because we have Long Harbour, because we have

Bull Arm in full swing, and you have workers at that site requiring housing who

are making very high salaries, the landlord decides to up the rent, to double

the rent, triple the rent, or whatever the case might be.

Some people might call that gouging. Other people might say: Do you know

what? It is their house, it is their investment, and they are taking advantage

of the opportunity to get a great return on that asset and on that investment

they have made. I guess it depends on your philosophy on that and where you

stand on it.

Nonetheless, it is happening. As a result of that, people who are on low

incomes, whether they are people who are in receipt of Income Support, whether

they are senior citizens, single parents and so on, Mr. Speaker, those people

now find themselves in a situation where they can no longer afford, or find it

is more difficult to afford, certainly maybe we could argue and argue that

they cannot afford to live in an apartment any more. They just cannot afford it.

In order to stay there they either have to take money that they would be

using for something else, as has been referenced, to pay their rent; or they

have to find alternative living arrangements, which means possibly a downgrade

in the actual place where they are living because that is all they can afford.

Maybe they have to move out the area where they were living to another area

where it is cheaper to live; but, in doing so, then there are challenges around

not being close to family and things like that, which I have heard referenced.

In that regard, I think there has to be recognition, and Mr. Noseworthy has

said that there needs to be a recognition, of the fact that while $522, I think,

is the amount for a family, or $299 for a single person, while that may

potentially work he said Piccadilly. I did not use Piccadilly; those were his

words, but it could be any other small rural community that maybe is not doing

so well, you can get a place. That is not going to cut it in the City of St.

John's. It is not going to cut it in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It is not going to

cut it in Labrador City, and there are many other places where it is just not

going to cut it.

What he has said in the report is that government, through the Department of

AES, or Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, needs to recognize that and needs to

look at the way that rent supplements are allocated and perhaps adjust the

amounts based on what it costs to live in a particular area.

I am not adverse to that idea, absolutely not, and I do not think our

government is adverse to that idea. We have accepted that recommendation. The

department is, as I said, in the process of reviewing these things. They have

implemented a number of things. I am pretty confident there are some other

things that are going to be implemented. Anything we can do, Mr. Speaker I

have thirty seconds left as a government

MR. JOYCE : (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, the Member for it does not even matter where he

is from.

AN HON. MEMBER: Bay of Islands.

MR. LANE: Bay of Islands, there you go.

AN HON. MEMBER: Terry Loder's member.

MR. LANE: Yes, Terry Loder's member. The Member for the Bay of Islands is

over there chirping again.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. LANE: Let me say, anything that we can do as a government to help the

most vulnerable in our society we are on board for those people, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

I am very happy to stand in this House and speak to this motion. What I find

quite amazing is to have the Member for Mount Pearl South describe what we do in

this House as standing on a soapbox. How disrespectful to accuse those of us who

stand and speak about the lives of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and

relegate that to standing on a soapbox.

MR. LANE: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South, on a point of

order.

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, I never said that all members get up here and

stand on a soapbox. I said the Member for St. John's Centre gets up here all the

time and stands on her soapbox.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, I proudly stand here in this House to talk about

this motion because this motion is not about a house. This motion is not about a

cheque that someone might get from Income Support. This motion is about the

lives of families right across Newfoundland and Labrador.

We are in the worst housing crisis ever in the history of our Province and

this government for nine years have sat back and watched it happen. They have

watched it happen. They have watched the housing situation unravel, and they

have watched how it has affected the lives of men, women, and children all over

the Province. That is what we are talking about here right now.

We are talking about people living in poverty, in absolute abject poverty,

because the amount of money that is given to people so that they can live in a

house, so that they can have a roof over their heads, leaves them sometimes with

a $170 or less per month to feed their children, to clothe their children, to

make sure that there is a computer and Internet so that their children can do

their homework. We know that those are important things; none of those things

are frills.

Having a house over your head is not a frill, it is a basic human right, and

to talk about it as if this is a soapbox is absolutely disgraceful. Again, this

government has watched the housing crisis come to the head that it has come to

at this point. We have to say as a society: What is acceptable? What is an

acceptable level of poverty for our people? Is there an acceptable level of

poverty? Obviously this government is closing its eyes. It is not listening to

the people and saying it is acceptable for people to live in poverty.

What is that acceptable level of poverty? I want to know that. We know that

people cannot find adequate housing and affordable housing. It means that we are

relegating families to below the basic necessities they need in order to be able

to thrive.

We are not talking about just warehousing people, Mr. Speaker. Let's look at

the situation of a single mom making minimum wage. If she has a child or two

children under the age of six, she has to get child care as well. There is no

possible way. She would take home maybe about $350 a week. That adds up to about

$1,400 a month. We know for her to adequately house her two children she is

going to have to pay at least $1,000 in rent at least. That leaves $400, for

what?

We know that child care is an average of $800 to $1,000 a month. She cannot

do it. She cannot take a minimum wage job so she has to rely on Income Support.

If she cannot get housing because we know that there is a waiting list for

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and it is fine for the government to say that

there are only 800 people.

That is 800, some are individuals, some are families, but those people may

have been on that waiting list for two years, possibly three years. Mr. Speaker,

once you are on the waiting list for a year, after a year you fall off and you

have to reapply. We really do not know the number of people in our Province who

are under housed, who are precariously housed. That is what this is about. This

is about people's lives.

The Canadian Medical Association did a nationwide study and consultation and

came up with a document that talked about the social determinants of health. One

of the key areas they identified was housing. Housing was one of the key social

determinants to health. If you do not have a place to live, you cannot work. If

you do not have a place to live, you cannot go to school. If you do not have a

decent place to live, you cannot be healthy; you cannot thrive.

Mr. Speaker, if this government does not do something about the current

housing crisis, and does not do something about the amount of money that is

allocated not given, but allocated. One of the reasons we are in this housing

crisis is because of the prosperity we are experiencing, but also because it has

been unmanaged. There are increasing numbers of victims who are negatively

affected by this housing crisis. The number of victims who are being affected is

increasing, and it is seniors, it is single people, it is low-income families,

it is working families, it is people with mental health issues, it is people who

have been in prison, and it is some of our most vulnerable people.

Again, Mr. Speaker, what is happening is that we are seeing the middle class

and the working poor are the ones who are also getting really squeezed by this

housing crisis. So we are talking again about people's lives. We are talking

about people who, for whatever reason, have to be on Income Support and who may

end up trying to feed and clothe their children on a few hundred dollars