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March 17, 2022

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. L No. 38

The

House met at 1:30 p.m.

SPEAKER (Bennett):

Order, please!

Admit

strangers.

Before

we start today, I would like to recognize one of our Commissionaires, Mr. Tom

Donovan, who will be retiring today from the Corps of Commissionaires at the end

of the day.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Tom has been a part of our

security team at the House of Assembly for the past 16 years, of which the last

three years he was the Commissionaire site manager.

All the

best, Tom, in your retirement and thank you for your service.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Today I would like to acknowledge and congratulate two former Pages and a Member

of this House, who are currently studying law at the University of New

Brunswick, and competing at the national rounds of the Sopinka Cup. Former Pages

Raylene Mackey and Alden Spencer, and former MHA Mark Browne will be joined by

their teammate Duncan Wallace, and coaches Professor Jane Thompson and James

Lockyer at the national event in Ottawa.

The

Sopinka Cup is awarded annually at the National Trial Advocacy Competition to

participating teams from across Canadian law schools. After regional

elimination, eight law schools representing the various geographical areas of

the country compete in the national finals for the Sopinka Cup.

behalf of the House of Assembly, I congratulate Raylene, Alden, Mark, Duncan and

their coaches, and I wish them all the best luck at the competition.

Congratulations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

In the Speaker's gallery

today I would like to welcome Colleen Hogan, daughter of the former MHA William

Hogan. Colleen will be joining us today for a Member's Statement.

Welcome,

Colleen.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Statements by

Members

SPEAKER:

Today we will hear Members' statements by the hon. Members for the Districts of

Topsail - Paradise, Placentia West - Bellevue, Torngat Mountains, Exploits and

Placentia - St. Mary's.

The hon.

the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker, and Happy

St. Paddy's Day to everyone. Hopefully there'll be no blarney today in the

House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

P. DINN:

There's always hope.

Speaker,

I'm honoured today to extend congratulations to Brandon Bowen from the District

of Topsail - Paradise as being this year's Easter Seals Newfoundland and

Labrador Ambassador, and as well to thank last year's ambassador and also a

Topsail - Paradise resident, Gavin Baggs, on being such an exceptional role

model.

Brandon

was born with cerebral palsy and has been involved with Easter Seals since the

age of 12. He says that Easter Seals has helped him in so many ways, creating

friendships, boosting his self-esteem and feeling included. He has participated

in many Easter Seals programs and events over the years such as swimming,

boccia, sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball, youth socials and summer and

winter camps.

Brandon

is also a talented musician. At the age of nine, he started playing the button

accordion and, over the years, has played in many music festivals. He has played

at O'Reilly's Pub, shared the stage with Newfoundland and Labrador's most

popular bands such as Shanneyganock, Rum Ragged, Masterless Men and the legends

Bud Davidge and Fergus O'Byrne.

As a

young person with a disability, Brandon is excited about being the face and the

voice of people with disabilities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr.

Speaker, I ask all to join me in congratulating Brandon.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER:

Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker,

I stand in this hon. Chamber today to recognize two courageous sisters from

Marystown in the beautiful District of Placentia West - Bellevue.

December 2, 2021, Mrs. Beatie Hooper and Mrs. Claudia Kelly celebrated the 30th

anniversary of their kidney transplant.

In the

late '80s, Beatie was diagnosed with kidney failure and, after diagnosis, Mrs.

Hooper would have to travel off the Burin Peninsula and away from her family for

four days each week for dialysis treatment. Shortly after dialysis started, they

started looking for a kidney donor for Mrs. Hooper. They tested the brothers and

sisters and, fortunately, her sister, Claudia, was a match.

Claudia

underwent many tests and procedures to ensure the transplant was a possibility.

Her commitment and dedication to helping her sister never wavered and her words

were: “If I can give her my kidney, she can most certainly have it.”

December 2, 1991, Beatie and Claudia travelled to Nova Scotia for the surgical

procedure, which was a success.

recognition of March being Kidney Month, I invite all hon. colleagues to join me

in congratulating Beatie and Claudia on the 30th anniversary of their kidney

transplant.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS:

Thank you, Speaker.

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, which represents all Inuit women in Canada,

has named Emelia Angnatok, from Nain, as Young Inuk Woman of the Year. This is a

very prestigious award.

Emelia's

life is one of connection to her Inuit culture and traditions. She hunts, fishes

and traps with her father, growing into a strong, confident woman. A great role

model, she shows the utmost respect for her Elders.

A senior

at Jens Haven Memorial School, Emelia is a distinguished athlete and scholar. An

active community member, running a small business making traditional earrings,

promoting her Inuktitut language and participating in Inuktitut speak-offs,

promoting the language fluency, she is a positive influence on her community.

Emelia

said: “Being awarded the Young Inuk Woman of the Year Award showed me that no

matter where you come from, big or small, there are ample opportunities for

Inuit youth by showing passion about our culture and participating in events

that will carry on traditional practices. I'm beyond thankful to have been

awarded, and I hope that other Inuit youth will continue to do what I have been

doing by keeping our culture alive.

Emelia

plans to become a registered nurse, and all of Nunatsiavut is very proud of her.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Exploits.

P. FORSEY:

Thank you, Speaker.

November 2021, the Loveman family of Leading Tickles appeared on national TV as

contestants of Family Feud Canada .

I would

like to congratulate the Loveman family, not only on their tremendous win of

$20,885 during three episodes to have won the most by any family from

Newfoundland and Labrador, but also for the way they promoted our province and

their community of Leading Tickles. Melissa, Amanda, Wendy, Trudy and Dexter

made us proud as they gave each answer, and sometimes made us laugh to hear

them.

Mr.

Speaker, I would like to ask all Members of this House of Assembly to join me in

congratulating the Loveman family and recognize – as in Trudy's own words – they

are the “moster.”

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Placentia - St. Mary's.

S. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Speaker, Mr. William Hogan

was recognized for his dedication to the people of this province through a

political career that spanned almost 40 years.

His tenure in politics began

at the municipal level where he

served as mayor of the Town of Dunville and subsequently of the amalgamated

municipality of Placentia.

He served as president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of

Municipalities. He was elected in 1989 as the MHA for Placentia and was

appointed to the roles of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Social

Services in the government of former Premier Clyde Wells. He was a long-standing

member of the provincial Liberal association.

He has been recognized and honoured on many occasions, awarded the Senate 150th

Anniversary Medal, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and three Governor

General medals for his contributions to community, province and country.

He had a deep passion for sports and in 1975 was named national all-star coach

and subsequently was inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame.

He will be remembered for his no nonsense approach to life. Mr. Bill Hogan

passed away peacefully at the age of 84 on January 12, 2022.

Please join me as I offer my condolences to his family and friends.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you, Speaker.

I rise

today to recognize March as Pharmacy Appreciation Month. This is a time we

reflect and celebrate the important role pharmacists play in health care – a

role that's been very evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pharmacists are valued members of the team of health care professionals who help

protect Newfoundlanders and Labradorians against diseases such as COVID-19 by

administering vaccines and were instrumental in making us the leader in COVID-19

vaccination rates across the country.

Our

government has worked collaboratively with the Pharmacists' Association of

Newfoundland and Labrador and the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board over

the past couple of years to improve their scope of practice, allowing

pharmacists to administer flu vaccinations in pharmacies at no cost to

residents. This removed an unnecessary barrier to access and allows better

protection for residents, no matter their age group or where they live. We also

expanded the ability of pharmacists to distribute a number of other vaccines.

Speaker,

we also recognize the valuable role for pharmacists in our primary health care

teams. As Collaborative Team Clinics, like the ones recently opened in St.

John's, become more prevalent in our towns and communities, pharmacists will be

one of the many team members serving the health care needs of individuals

through a team-based approach.

I ask

all Members to join me in acknowledging the important work of pharmacists in our

province in light of our ongoing efforts to help ensure access to health care.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

I want to thank the minister

for an advance copy of his statement.

Speaker,

on behalf of the Official Opposition, we recognize March as Pharmacy

Appreciation Month and the contributions of our pharmacy professionals.

During

the COVID pandemic, pharmacy professionals, like many of our health care

professionals, have shouldered much of the burden to help us through the

pandemic. Pharmacies have remained open and accessible to those that require

their services and have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Through care,

support and education, pharmacy professionals have rose to the challenge to keep

our communities safe.

Speaker,

we recognize the invaluable contributions that our pharmacy professionals have

made during the pandemic and the future contributions they will make in the

lives of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS:

I thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement.

Our

caucus would also like to show our support for pharmacists of this province and

their role in Public Health especially during this pandemic. That is why we call

upon government to allow them to practice to the full scope of their abilities,

help unclog the bottleneck in our health care system by letting pharmacists

provide treatment for blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and other

contributions as requested by pharmacists and their associates.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SPEAKER:

Further statements by

ministers?

The hon.

the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology.

A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Speaker.

I am

pleased today to notify Members of the House of Assembly and indeed all

residents of the province of some exciting news – t he Valentine Gold Project in Central

Newfoundland has been released from the provincial government's environmental

assessment and the project is approved to proceed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

A. PARSONS:

I've got to give a shout out to my friend the minister responsible for

Environment.

Speaker, when completed, the Valentine Gold Project will be the largest

gold mine in Atlantic Canada and a significant contributor to the economy of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

A. PARSONS:

According to Marathon, the company expects to create approximately 11,000

person years of employment in this province and an average of more than 400

employees annually.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

A. PARSONS:

Speaker, this will result in the generation of approximately $750 million

in income to workers and businesses located within our province.

The initial capital investment is estimated at $305 million; life-of-mine

capital investment is estimated at $662 million. Marathon estimates this project

will contribute $2.9 billion to the provincial GDP and approximately $400

million in incremental revenues to the Newfoundland and Labrador Treasury.

Speaker, this is a significant project that will provide numerous

economic benefits to Central Newfoundland and the entire province.

Our mining industry experienced a record breaking 2021 in terms of

exploration expenditures and value of mineral shipments. Our government fully

recognizes that the economic potential of the mining industry is critical for

our province and we will continue to support its growth.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congrats to Marathon.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

L. PARROTT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like to thank the minister for an advance

copy of his statement.

Speaker, it is indeed great news that Marathon's Valentine Gold Project

has been approved to proceed. The Valentine Gold Project will be the largest

gold mine in Atlantic Canada and with more than 400 employees will be a

significant employer, economic driver and contributor to, not only Central

Newfoundland but the entire Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

My caucus colleagues and I have met with representatives from Marathon

Gold on numerous occasions. Their passion for growing our province and for being

a strong corporate citizen is indeed infections. I congratulate Marathon Gold on

this important step towards gold production and I look forward to hearing

about job postings, site

construction and first gold in the not-too-distant future. Great news indeed.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

J. BROWN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I

thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

Developing a new mining industry opportunity is a welcome announcement for

workers of this province and for their communities that they are part of. Our

hope is that the project, and all new industry development, utilizes the world's

leading innovation and technologies, like the transitions we're seeing in

Labrador West that secure jobs, adds value to the resources mined and to the

global market, respects the environment and helps leave behind a future for many

generations.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Are there any further

statements by ministers?

Oral

Questions.

Oral Questions

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

Yesterday the Premier said, and I quote: “We all understand the importance of

the cost of living. I think we are all here because we want to make a

difference.” Yet seniors, those on low and fixed incomes are repeating again and

again how the plan announced isn't enough to support them and ignores the needs

of everyday Newfoundlanders and Labradorians feeling the cost of living crunch.

Will the

Premier finally listen to the people of the province and introduce a plan that

works?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

course we all recognize the stress and strain on families and seniors right now.

That's why we started with a five-step plan on Tuesday past with respect to

addressing seniors and the most vulnerable in our communities, Mr. Speaker.

It is

the start of a broader plan. Of course we have the budget coming up in the next

few weeks and we'll have an opportunity to debate more fulsomely how we are

caring for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We know

it was a start, but, Mr. Speaker, people can't wait a month or two before the

budget is passed here to actually deal with the cost of living crunch that

they're facing on a day-to-day basis.

The

Premier himself admitted their plan was flawed. He said, and I quote: “… it is

not the last of the plan and the minister will speak to budget.”

Why does

the Premier wait for the budget to be announced with additional measures when

people cannot afford to pay their bills today?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's

because we're trying to take a more holistic approach to looking at the cost of

living for people in the province, Mr. Speaker. We recognize the acute need of

the most vulnerable in society, that's why we want to get out ahead of the

budget.

That

said, we don't do myopic knee-jerk policy instruments. We want to make sure that

we're employing the right instrument at the right time to fully address the cost

of living as best we can, recognizing the externalities that exist on the

economics of the province, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Mr. Speaker, I don't know if

it's knee jerk when people can't go to work anymore because they can't afford

gas, when people have to leave their home in the morning and find somewhere

where it's warm because they can't put their heat on and when people have to

make a decision between food and medication because of the additional cost of

living. I'd prefer to have a proactive approach here than a knee-jerk reaction.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

D. BRAZIL:

Speaker, following the

desperate situation described by the staff at the Labrador Inn, we see another

community group in Happy Valley-Goose Bay speaking out about the lack of housing

for women trying to escape abusive relationships. Libra House says people are

being forced into wooded areas and sleeping on park benches in frigid

temperatures. The federal government has denied requested funding and the

province has been ignoring the crisis for years.

Will the

Premier immediately take action to address this crisis situation?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Children, Seniors and Social Development.

J. ABBOTT:

Speaker, thank you for the

opportunity to respond.

I met

with the folks at Libra House in the fall and we talked to many of the issues

that the Leader of the Opposition raised. A couple of things: we provide over

$700,000 to Libra House to support their operations. We are also working with

them to see how they can expand their services. We're also addressing all the

other housing and homelessness issues in Labrador through an action team.

There

are a lot of conversations happening; a lot of investment taking place, and

their issues are being addressed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

doubt, everybody welcomes investment, but, obviously, it's not enough. It's not

working because this organization here, as just outlined and we've heard in the

past the detrimental effect it's having on those people who don't have a place

to sleep, who can't escape abusive relationships.

Speaker,

as of February 7, there were 45 people on a wait-list for just three units in

Happy Valley-Goose Bay. This wait-list dates back years. It means women in

Labrador have an even more difficult time leaving an abusive relationship, which

risks keeping them in a dangerous situation.

Will the

Premier show leadership and help these desperate women in Labrador today?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Children, Seniors and Social Development.

J. ABBOTT:

Again, Speaker, thank you for

the opportunity to respond.

The

housing needs of people in Labrador, the women in Labrador, those fleeing

violence are being addressed. We are supporting them wherever and whenever we

can. If there's anybody sleeping on a park bench, that we are not familiar with

because we are providing sufficient shelters in the community to make sure their

needs are addressed. We're providing funding to the Housing Hub. We're providing

funding to the Labrador Inn. We're providing funding to Libra House and we're

also providing funding for housing units in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Not to

say that we can't be doing more, and we are working on that as we speak.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I

reiterate, what you're doing is welcome, but it's not enough. We can see the

facts here with the impact it's having on people in Labrador, particularly in

the wintertime. More needs to be done.

Speaker,

the Longshoremen's Protective Union Local 1953 has rejected the latest contract

offer and voted 100 per cent in favour of strike action. This threatens to

cripple supply chains including food and medication that arrives via Oceanex.

We all

recall the labour dispute at the St. John's airport last month that shut it down

for the first time in our history. Is the Premier going to take action or sit

back and monitor the situation again?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Environment, Climate Change and Labour.

B. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I

thank the hon. Member for the question.

As in

any labour dispute, we have conciliation officers available to come to the table

to support. We understand that both parties have to get back to the table. We

encourage that to take place. In addition to that, those services of

conciliation officers are available to them. We encourage them to do that. The

best deal is always a negotiated deal and that's what we're hopeful for here.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we

saw with the airport dispute, the Premier and the federal minister sat back and

we had an actual impact financially on the province here with conferences being

cancelled, sporting events being cancelled and a number of other important

things that were lost here to the people of this province. While, yes,

conciliation and mediation are very important, but the leadership means this

could be offered by the province now. Anything to get the two sides back at the

table.

Speaker,

we understand the Marine Base that supports offshore supply vessels will also be

impacted. These supply vessels play a critical role in supply and safety for our

offshore installations.

Again,

the Premier and Minister O'Regan's approach at the airport was to sit back until

it shut down. What is the Premier going to do this time?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Environment, Climate Change and Labour.

B. DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, thank you for

the question.

We're

not sitting back and waiting. Obviously, we encourage our federal counterparts –

the federal Minister of Labour is responsible, in this case, but we always come

to the table with what we can do to support our workers and our unions to come

to the table and get back to bargaining. That's what we want to see.

Obviously, it's not in our purview from a provincial standpoint but we do

encourage the federal Labour minister as well as our colleagues. We're available

to chat. We're available to work with them and we're always there to support.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Speaker,

it was discouraging yesterday to hear the Minister of Finance say that she

couldn't do anything about the taxes that she collects on gasoline, or is it the

fact that she just doesn't want to do anything.

I ask

the minister: Which is it?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

Speaker, let me tell you what

is discouraging, is when people misinformed or they're misinforming the people

of this province.

What I

said yesterday is true. The provincial government does not have control over the

HST. It is a Harmonized Sales Tax. I am sure the Member opposite understands

that. Carbon tax is a federal policy. We do have one lever, it's called the

provincial gas tax, but in fairness we also have an agreement with the federal

government around carbon tax. They will not impose carbon tax on home heat fuel

if we ensure the provincial gas tax stays as it is.

I'm

going to ask the Member opposite: Do you want to have carbon tax on home heat?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville - Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon.

the Member for Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Mr. Speaker, it appears the

Minister of Finance has no control over taxes in this province. If it is not

her, who is it? That's what I'd like to know.

Yesterday I asked the minister if she would write her federal counterpart to

actually reduce or remove the carbon tax for a period of time while people

suffer through these high prices and she has refused to even answer the

question. New Brunswick has written the federal minister. Why doesn't she?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will

address, as it was brought up yesterday as well, that that this is an active,

live conversation amongst premiers across the country and Premier Horgan is

taking action on behalf of the Council of the Federation to ensure that the

federal government understands the pressures of families and the impact that the

carbon tax will have. The point is taken and it has been heard, it has been

heard by us and it has been heard by every premier across the country, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Speaker, it is good to hear

that the Premier is listening and the Premier can take action that apparently

the minister can't. I'm glad to hear that.

The

Province of Alberta has implemented a program that actually sees the gas tax

removed when a barrel of oil is over $90 a barrel. It is a proactive type of

initiative.

So I

ask: Is it possible the Minister of Finance could look at such a program and

actually reduce the gasoline tax while oil remains higher than $90?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

Again, either the Member is

misinformed or he is misinforming. I will say to the Member opposite that, yes,

Alberta has lower their gas tax. They also have a $500-million surplus, Speaker.

Too bad we don't have an additional $500 million that we could have had if it

hadn't been for Muskrat Falls.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

S. COADY:

I will say to the Member

opposite again, if we change the provincial gas tax, then we risk the federal

government coming in and imposing carbon tax on home heat fuel. I am sure there

is not one person in this province who would like to have carbon tax on their

home heat. Forty-eight per cent of this province relies on oil fuel for their

furnace.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Before I

acknowledge, there is too much talk across the floor, so I ask people to keep

qui et .

The hon.

the Member for Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Speaker, the Liberal

government had no trouble controlling the gas tax when they doubled it in 2016,

but now they can't seem to be able to do anything about it.

Yesterday, the minister talked about the Income Supplement and Seniors' Benefit.

That's not a home heat rebate program. A home heat rebate program was

specifically designed to help people who needed that rebate now, actual cash,

anywhere from a hundred dollars to $500. You have the ability right now, with

the additional revenue you've received this year, to do something immediately

before the end of the year.

I again

ask the minister: Will you please implement a home heat rebate program for the

people of the province?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

He almost couldn't keep a

straight face on that one, could he?

Mr.

Speaker, I will say again, either misinformed or misinforming, home heat is

included in the Income Supplement and the Seniors' Benefit.

To the

education of the people of the province and especially the Members opposite, let

me tell you what is up in this province. The labour force is up, employment is

up, home sales are up, retail sales are up –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

S. COADY:

– food services are up, Mr. Speaker. This government is about results, about

respect and about responsibility, not about rhetoric.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Mr. Speaker, she also forgot

to mention that the revenue from taxes is also up. It's about time the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador got a break on the taxes that they pay.

We ask

again: Will the minister take action and help the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador with a home heat rebate program?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will

say that on Tuesday we announced a program that assisted 230,000 Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

S. COADY:

I know the Members opposite

say disparaging words about it but 230,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have

been helped – close to $350 million. That's through the Income Supplement,

through the Seniors' Benefit and through income support. That's real assistance

for those people and it's very important assistance.

We're

only glad on this side of the aisle, as your governing party –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Enough;

I need to hear the speaker.

The hon.

the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

Thank you for your

protection.

As your

government, we're putting resources where we can put resources. I can say to the

people of the province that we're doing everything that we can and we're

prepared to do more.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

J. WALL:

Thank you, Speaker.

Let me

be clear, from the seniors I've heard from in my district who are cutting their

prescribed medications in half to try to get them to last throughout the month,

we need to do something. We all need to keep that in mind, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

J. WALL:

Speaker, Local Service

Districts and unincorporated areas across the province are continuing to reach

out and speak out about the lack of details on the costing in the government's

regionalization plan.

I ask

the minister: Can she please provide a cost-benefit analysis for communities, so

residents can make an informed decision?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

K. HOWELL:

Thank you, Speaker, and I

thank the Member for the question.

The

regionalization plan is moving forward. I'm pleased to say that we've had

conversations with the Local Service Districts. We received a report earlier

this year with a bulk of information that will be used as we move forward with a

plan that's reasonable for the people of the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Over the

past few months, I've had the opportunity to sit with representatives from 50

Local Service Districts. From Placentia - St. Mary's, from the St. Barbe -

L'Anse aux Meadows District, from Boyd's Cove, New Harbour, Hopeall, Eddie's

Cove East, St. David's, O'Regan's Central, Black Duck Siding: all of these

communities have had opportunity to have their input and their say on how we

shape regional government for the people of the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

J. WALL:

Thank you, Speaker.

I do

look forward to the cost analysis when it's ready. I encourage you to continue

to speak to Local Service Districts. There are many throughout the province who

are still asking questions.

The new

provincial property tax was recommended by the Premier's Greene report. I ask

the minister: Can she table the analysis that supports that conclusion?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

K. HOWELL:

Thank you, Speaker, for the

question.

Right

now, at this point, these are conversations that are ongoing within the

government. As we move forward with plans that transform and shape how we do

business in this province, there are key portions of that conversation.

As time

moves on and more information becomes available, it's certainly the intention of

this government to always be transparent and put those things forward, so that

people have an opportunity to understand what it is we're doing to benefit the

residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

J. WALL:

Thank you, Speaker.

Many of

these communities already have their own water and sewer service. Garbage

service and fire protection are contracted.

What new

services will these residents receive at what cost, as a result of the new

provincial tax?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

K. HOWELL:

Thank you, Speaker, and I

thank you for the question.

As I

mentioned, we're still very much in the process of determining what services

will work for what areas of our province. As the Member mentioned, there are

communities that are doing a really good job with managing the services that

they're responsible for.

But we

also recognize that there are communities that are struggling. They're reaching

out for help and they have needs that are above their capacity to take care of.

As we're faced with challenges of democracy, having open councils that don't

have anybody on their seats, or challenges of demographics where people are

aging out and a 70-year-old man is down in a ditch with an ice pick trying to

get a waterline open, those are things that have to come up in conversation as

we move forward, and figure out what it is that each service district needs.

We're going to implement a plan that is responsible for each area, and certainly

it is not a one size fits all.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

J. WALL:

Thank you, Speaker.

We all

remember the public outcry when government tried to impose the regional garbage

collection on cabin owners.

Will

these same cabin owners, along with seasonal residence owners and possibly

vacant land, be now subject to that provincial tax?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

K. HOWELL:

Thank you, Speaker.

The plan

for regionalization is widespread across this province. As I've been having

conversations throughout the communities, that is part of the discussion that

has come up. We're still very much working on a plan as we work through the

report that has been received from the working group. When those decisions are

made, they'll certainly be made public.

But I

think the important point that we want to acknowledge here is that there is so

much space and so much land in this province that each area will have to be

treated very differently. What's going to work on the Northeast Avalon certainly

won't work on the Northern Peninsula. All of these things have to be considered,

and when we make a plan we want it to be specific to each region so that it fits

the needs of the people that are represented there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Exploits.

P. FORSEY:

Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker,

despite a track record of failing to act on important issues facing our

province, the Premier was quick to act in hiring two Liberal friends to his new

office in Grand Falls-Windsor. When low-income workers need support, the Premier

can't do anything; yet, when his political friends need jobs, he can step right

up.

I ask

the Premier: Why do you prioritize your political friends over everyday

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

I'm certainly happy to

address this question.

The

people of Central Newfoundland are incredibly important, we all appreciate that

and I think that they need a voice direct to the Premier's office, Mr. Speaker.

We have one –

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible.)

PREMIER A. FUREY:

No, we don't.

We have

an office on the West Coast, traditionally. We have an office on the East Coast.

We have a full Department of Labrador Affairs. It's important that the people of

Central Newfoundland have a voice to the Premier's office.

The

people I've talked to in Central Newfoundland including mayors and deputy

mayors, all have been incredibly supportive of this initiative because they now

know that their strong voice will be heard and listened to.

With

respect to hirings, Mr. Speaker. I look across and I see a great combination

that existed before of a former minister and an executive assistant that was a

failed candidate. I think it's failing on deaf ears, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Exploits.

P. FORSEY:

It's unfortunate the

Premier's office won't talk to us. We have to take our voices here to the House

of Assembly for him to listen to us.

The

Premier was quick to spend $250,000 to reward political friends in Central

Newfoundland with political positions; yet, a single parent in my district is

left to wonder with the recent announcements –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

P. FORSEY:

– how an extra $65 a year

will help put food on her table. That's less than a dozen eggs per month.

I ask

the Premier: Why are you choosing to put more money in the pockets of political

friends rather than in the pockets of single parents?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This is

a direct investment in the people of Central Newfoundland, Mr. Speaker. I would

assume that the Member opposite –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

– would know the difference.

We had a

great announcement today in Central Newfoundland, and you can plan to hear many

more because of that office, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Grand

Falls-Windsor - Buchans.

C. TIBBS:

Thank you, Speaker.

I have

people in my district who have to stay in bed from midnight until 8 a.m. because

their home hours are cut, and as much as we ask for them, the money isn't there.

But the money's there to line your buddies' pockets. Are you kidding me?

Leadership, fiscal responsibility, find the people in Grand Falls-Windsor a

doctor with the money you're going to use for your office out there. That would

be much better, wouldn't it? A way better plan to spend money.

Speaker,

the lack of long-term –

S. COADY:

Disrespectful.

C. TIBBS:

Excuse me?

S. COADY:

Disrespectful.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

C. TIBBS:

Absolutely disrespectful. I

couldn't agree more.

SPEAKER:

Move on to your question,

please.

C. TIBBS:

Speaker, the lack of

long-term care beds is overcrowding our acute care beds in hospitals and this is

having a devastating impact on our seniors. The longer seniors await acute care

beds, the more their health will decline.

Simple

question: When will our long-term care centres open in Grand Falls-Windsor and

in Gander, which people are waiting on for so long?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Transportation and Infrastructure.

E. LOVELESS:

Thank you, Speaker.

I want

to begin, too, to use the Finance Minister's words, as the Member across the way

is misinformed or misinforming and I back up my statement by saying because he

did some interviews to say that there was additional costs to the delay in the

opening of the long-term care.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

E. LOVELESS:

If you give me the

opportunity, I listened to his question, you listen to me answer.

So there

is no additional cost to the taxpayers of this province. When it's going to

open: we're happy to say that we're working with Central Health and the planned

time is in April.

But I

must add, instead of talking doom and gloom, which the Member has earned his

title, let's talk about the benefits: 120 new beds for the families and the

seniors in Central Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

E. LOVELESS:

And since 2020, we've had 285

new beds.

SPEAKER:

The minister's time is

expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Ferryland.

L. O'DRISCOLL:

Well, hopefully, they can get

in them soon. That's the answer, that's what he's trying to get.

Speaker,

just two weeks ago, I heard a story from a family in Cape Broyle who waited 1½

hours for an ambulance, when they could see two ambulances sitting at idle at a

rental property through their kitchen window.

I ask

the minister: When are you going to step in and improve ambulance services in

the District of Ferryland?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I think

I would refer the Member opposite to Dr. Parfrey and Sister Elizabeth's Health

Accord document, which states quite clearly that an integrated, coordinated

ground and air ambulance system is crucial to transforming the health care of

this province. I look forward to their implementation document next month and we

are ready in the department to move rapidly to address the recommendations that

they came forward with.

There

are mutual aid agreements for the private operators and a lot of these operators

have stepped up, despite significant staffing challenges as crews went down with

COVID. As the pandemic winds down, this will hopefully ease.

The

ambulance service is a priority for all of us, Speaker.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Ferryland.

L. O'DRISCOLL:

Well, if we had an extra

$250,000 we could get a couple of paramedics, I guess.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

L. O'DRISCOLL:

Speaker, we have ambulances

that are not shovelled out and covered in snow. When these ambulances are

available, they are under staffed. You took an ambulance out of Trepassey and

placed it in Cape Broyle.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

L. O'DRISCOLL:

Meanwhile this ambulance sits

in Cape Broyle covered in snow.

I ask

the minister: Will you restore the second ambulance in Trepassey, yes or no?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

Hard to

know where to start to rebut some of that. I have not had my go yet. How about

$500 million every year in perpetuity.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you to some decisions

made without any due diligence.

Due

diligence has been done on this, Mr. Speaker. The population shifts in that area

warrant the changes that were recommended by the operator on the ground and I

support them.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker,

today government announced its decision to set-up a Ukrainian Family Support

Desk in Poland. Yesterday, I asked about the resources and supports available to

refugee families – I was unenlightened by it.

October 2021, the Minister of Education was unable to provide clarity about the

extra EAL supports that would be provided to schools accepting children of

Afghan refugees.

So I am

asking the Minister of Education if he would care to elaborate on government's

plan to provide additional teaching, EAL and counselling resources to schools

where the children of these families will attend.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Education.

T. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker,

it's nice to see the Member ask a question on education. It's also nice to be

able to inform him we don't have to react to the question, Mr. Speaker; we've

been proactive. As a result of the additional Afghan students in our schools and

some of the additional pressures, we've added 30 teaching units to help with

that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

T. OSBORNE:

Language resources available. There's the LEARN program sessions that were held

to welcome our Afghan students into our schools, Mr. Speaker. There are IRT,

instructional resource teachers. We also have the 30 full-time equivalent

student assistant positions for our schools, Mr. Speaker. We have put resources

in place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'll be

looking for the specific details to verify that. I thank you for your answer.

Speaker,

affordable and stable housing is already an issue for many Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. Would the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development or

the Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills be able to provide

details on how housing supports will be provided to these refugee families?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Immigration, Population Growth and Skills.

G. BYRNE:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

May I

say to the hon. Member, your enthusiasm and your support for the Newfoundland

and Labrador initiative in not only here with the Ukrainian desk but now on the

ground in Warsaw, Poland is really, really uplifting. We really appreciate your

effusive support that you have offered.

With

that said, I would like to say when it comes to the Afghan refugees that came to

Newfoundland and Labrador, all are now within housing and we will make sure, Mr.

Speaker, that all refugees are treated with respect, generosity and with love.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

J. BROWN:

Thank you, Speaker.

I thank

the Minister of Health for a letter to me regarding the senior in long-term care

in Labrador West who was slated to be separated from her spouse and moved over

700 kilometres away from her community and her spouse because of the requirement

for protective care. The minister has indicated that they are waiting for

solutions from the Health Accord. That will take about 10 years.

I ask

the minister: Will the seniors and others in the situation in Labrador West have

to be shuffled around for a decade while we wait for solutions?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

Some of

the challenges we have in long-term care relate to beds and levels of care. The

prime concern –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

J. HAGGIE:

– that we have to have for

the individual is for their well-being and safety. Unfortunately, protective

care services are such that we don't have them easily available everywhere. The

important thing in this situation is that people are looked after safely and

with the level of care they need.

appreciate it causes problems in long-term care. I would, however, point out

that in personal care homes, for example, we have a spousal reunification

program and are prepared to subsidize healthy spouses in personal care homes if

their spouse needs that level of care.

Thank

you Speaker.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

J. BROWN:

Thank you, Speaker.

We have

a critical shortage of teachers in Labrador West. Teachers cannot take jobs in

the region due to a housing shortage. Students are falling behind on allocated

instructional resource teacher time and it's inadequate. The middle school has

been without a guidance counsellor for over a year.

I ask

the minister: What is he doing to address these deficiencies and what are you

going to do about the 1,500 students in Labrador West who are understaffed in

teaching?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Education.

T. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I

thank the Member for his question.

There

are some pressures, no doubt, Mr. Speaker, throughout the province. Part of that

is due to the pandemic, obviously, and the isolation requirements of the

pandemic. In terms of the teaching resources, Mr. Speaker, we've added a number

of teaching resources. Over the last three years, we've added about 380 teaching

resources in this province. We've also got our substitute teachers, where we've

reached out to Memorial University to supply us with additional. We've made

changes to the retirement policies to allow retired educators to come and assist

as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The time for Question Period

has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling

of Documents.

Tabling of

Documents

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Environment and Climate Change.

B. DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, in accordance

with the Transparency and Accountability

Act , it is my pleasure to table today the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan for the

Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Industry, Energy and Technology.

A. PARSONS: Thank you, Speaker.

I hereby

table the 2021-2023 Activity Plan for the

Muskrat Falls Project Land Use and Expropriation - Arbitration Panel .

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Children, Seniors and Social Development.

J. ABBOTT:

Speaker, likewise, I am

pleased to rise to table our 2021-2023 Department of Children, Seniors and

Social Development Strategic Plan. This plan is being tabled in accordance with

section 5 of the Transparency and

Accountability Act .

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Immigration, Population Growth and Skills.

G. BYRNE:

Mr. Speaker, today I table

the Immigration, Population Growth and

Skills Strategic Plan 2021-2023 in accordance with the provisions of the

Transparency and Accountability Act .

SPEAKER:

Any further tabling of

documents?

The hon.

the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

K. HOWELL:

Thank you, Speaker.

accordance with subsections 5(1) and (7) of the

Transparency and Accountability Act , I hereby table the 2020-2023

Strategic Plan for the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

SPEAKER:

Further tabling of documents?

Notices

of Motion.

Answers

to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Exploits.

P. FORSEY:

Speaker, the residents of

Exploits have a great concern from the result of the 24-hour emergency service

cut to the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Care Centre in Botwood. All resident feel that

the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. service does not adequately or efficiently address the

requirements of this district, affecting both patients and residents to receive

adequate care when needed.

We, the

undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador to restore the 24-hour emergency service at the Dr.

Hugh Twomey Health Care Centre immediately.

Speaker,

this is still an ongoing story. Back in 2016, the Liberal government, of course,

stripped the 24-hour emergency service from Botwood. In 2019, they promised to

reinstate it after the 2019 election. We went past the 2021 election, where

there was another promise to reinstate the 24-hour emergency service. Actually,

now that the Liberal candidate who promised it has been gracefully appointed to

the new office in Grand Falls-Windsor, at that time the candidate said in the

election: I've been told by the Premier that this is a cost-neutral savings and

would be restored in the spring of 2021.

I know

probably the minister is going to get up – I'd like for the Premier to answer it

because the Premier gave him direction to say it anyway. Again, another promise.

Before the minister gets up and says this is left to the RHAs and the CEOs; they

didn't promise it. The regional health authority didn't promise it.

Before

he gets up says the Health Accord is reviewing all this and coming back, the

Health Accord didn't promise it. The Liberal government promised it. The

residents of the Exploits District need the 24-hour emergency service as

promised. Minister, give them an answer.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER:

Thank you, Speaker.

I guess

the minister didn't hear the last petition; he's staying in his spot.

These

are the reasons for this petition or the background of this petition is as

follows: The rising cost of fuel is having a dramatic effect on the

transportation industry in our province. Drivers are finding it increasingly

difficult to pay their bills, maintain their machines and pay for

ever-increasing fuel costs. This means that for many they must spend more time

on the road with smaller margins of survival and for those with families, more

time away from home.

Therefore we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: To urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to consider a fuel rebate for the

transportation industry so that they can continue to supply those essential

services to many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that depend on it each day.

The

thing is, the reason why I think this petition is so important, especially to

the Minister of Finance, is that these are the very people that kept our economy

going during COVID. We applauded, we thanked them and we showed them that they

were resilient in the face of adversity and that we really appreciated what they

were doing for our economy.

It's our

time now to really help them out or let them know that we're going to look into

something like this for them. I know that I have a bill from an independent

truck driver. In April of last year, he paid $2,078, Speaker, to fill his truck

to do his rounds. Just this past January 24, he paid $3,948, so we're talking

about almost a doubling. Like I said, it's very impactful because they're having

to work on lower margins because this comes off their bottom lines.

I think

it's incumbent on us here at the House of Assembly to show the respect now that

we were so appreciative of that they showed us in the first place.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board for a response.

S. COADY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I've

heard the MHA for Placentia - Bellevue. This is the second time, I think, that

he presented that petition.

We, on

all sides of the House, do recognize the tremendous efforts of the

transportation industry and the impacts on the economy. I will say that I heard

his petition. I know the transportation industry is really impacted by global

events. We'll certainly take it under advisement, if there's anything that we

can do assist.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER:

Thank you, Speaker.

The

background to this petition is as follows:

WHEREAS

individual residents and municipal leaders have spoken to the deplorable road

conditions in the District of Harbour Main; and

WHEREAS

the district is made up of many smaller communities and towns, like Holyrood,

Upper Gullies, Seal Cove, Cupids, Colliers, South River, North River, Roaches

Line and Makinsons who have roads in desperate need of repair and repaving; and

WHEREAS

these roads see high-volume traffic flows every day and drivers can expect

potholes, severe rutting, limited shoulders and many washed-out areas along the

way;

THEREFORE we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the

undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador to immediately take the necessary steps to repair and

repave these important roadways to ensure the safety of the driving public who

use them on a regular basis.

Speaker,

I've raised this petition a number of times in the House of Assembly. I will

continue to do this because this is a serious issue, one of the biggest issues

in the District of Harbour Main. Not only am I getting calls from individuals

throughout the district, they are calling in, the calls are overwhelming, in

fact, and constituents have every right to be concerned and angry. They are in

fear often for their safety because they have to divert themselves off the road

at times to avoid the potholes. The conditions of the roads are really bad.

But not

only do we have individuals, just in the last two weeks, Speaker, I have

received a letter from the councils in North River, South River, Colliers and

CBS imploring the minister to do something about these roads. In fact, they have

indicated, for example, that the roads in Colliers are deplorable and they've

been unsuccessful in receiving any assistance from government on this.

They are

asking that there be attention given to the highways. The Holyrood council, in

fact, said they have made requests for attention to the conditions of the

highway and they have not been satisfactorily addressed by government.

South

River, the roads are terrible as well.

The

minister – I thank him for coming out. He took a road trip with myself in the

last year just to see first-hand. We appreciate that, but we need to see action.

I mean, this is not only just people damaging their vehicles, but it's also a

safety issue.

When we

look at the roads, for example, in North River, for years past and present

council of North River have been lobbying the Department of Transportation and

Infrastructure regarding the deplorable conditions. They state that in their

letter. Speaker, we need to see action. We need for this government to do that.

Roaches

Line as well, you drove over Roaches Line, these roads are in need of repaving.

Please, Speaker, I implore the minister to do something with this, please.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Transportation and Infrastructure.

E. LOVELESS:

Thank you.

To the

Member opposite, I appreciate she acknowledged that I did go to her district and

travel the roads.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

E LOVELESS:

But did not appreciate that

your colleague next to you said the department is probably handling the worst

conditions there's ever been since I've been leader or I've been minister of the

department. I didn't appreciate that but that's all the same. You can have that

conversation with him. In terms of the challenges around the roads, I've heard

it. I've driven, yes, the hon. Member's roads – many roads – and I get it from

all sides.

My hon.

colleague here has three gravel roads in his district. So not to diminish the

importance of your roads, but there are lot of roads in this province. But just

to try to stress the importance and the challenge around what budget I have

versus what I can do. I appreciate the petition and I will take it under

advisement.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

I am

presenting a petition to fund continuous glucose monitors, flash glucose

monitors and insulin pumps for all people living with Type 1 diabetes. The

undersigned are calling on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to take

immediate action to help patients living with Type 1 diabetes achieve better

health outcomes and quality of life by funding access to continuous and flash

glucose monitors, and to remove the financial means test for insulin pumps.

Speaker,

the reasons: Managing blood sugar is vital with Type 1 diabetes. If neglected,

it can lead to dangerous and expensive complications including acute

hospitalizations; nerve damage causing pain and then requiring amputations; and

various forms of damage to the cardiovascular system, eyes, kidneys and joints.

On the surface, it certainly seems to be a cost, but in the end, the benefit is

going to pay off because you're looking at a device that's more preventative.

If we

look at the Health Accord and about the social determinants of health, it's

about making sure that all people have access to the most current technology and

the most reliable technology that will help them monitor their blood sugars on a

minute-by -minute, hour-by-hour basis and to prevent the outcomes that could

result in more expensive visits to the hospital.

As a

note, the constant monitoring of continuous glucose monitors and flash glucose

monitors allows for individuals and caretakers to make early interventions and

informed decisions throughout the day about how they should balance their food,

physical activity, medicine and sleep. The currently funded glucose monitoring

method involves finger pricking, provides no more than seven readings a day –

not as accurate. It's painful. It can be a problem for those who do it and it

doesn't allow for the user to evaluate blood glucose trends in real time.

This

seems to be another simple fix. An investment to fix a long-term problem and

which is going to have long-term savings, if we're looking at cost savings to

our health system, and making sure that people are more productive, healthier

and are able to stay at their jobs and enjoy a decent quality of life.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Deputy

Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER:

Speaker, I call from the

Order Paper, Order 4, second reading of Bill 28.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

I move,

seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that Bill 28,

An Act To Amend

Various Acts Of The Province Respecting The Publication Of A

Summary Of A

Decision Or Order Of An Adjudication Tribunal, be now read a second time.

SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that

Bill 28,

An Act To Amend Various Acts Of The Province Respecting The Publication

Of A

Summary Of A Decision Or Order Of An Adjudication Tribunal be now read a

second time.

Motion,

second reading of a bill, “An Act To Amend Various Acts Of The Province

Respecting The Publication Of A

Summary Of A Decision Or Order Of An

Adjudication Tribunal.” (Bill 28)

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

It's a

wonderful title for this bill and there's quite a bulk to it, but in actual

fact, it's really quite simple. Essentially, we have 17 health professions'

statutes that govern the various bodies. What this bill is trying to do – and

succeeds I would argue – is that it aligns the acts with respect to access,

notification and retention of the decisions of tribunals and any orders they may

issue.

These 17

regulatory authorities actually govern 23 separate health professions. They're

mandated to protect the public. As part of that role, they manage a disciplinary

process to deal with allegations where a health professional may have engaged in

conduct deserving of sanction. Such conduct would include: misconduct,

professional misconduct, professional incompetence, conduct unbecoming and

incapacity, or unfitness to practice.

The

governing statutes by and large have the same disciplinary process and

provisions. Once an allegation is made, there are a number of options. It can be

a mutual resolution, an alternate dispute resolution. It can go to an

investigation. It can go to a tribunal for a disciplinary hearing. These

allegations need a thorough hearing. We do not have any intent and there's

nothing in this bill that interferes with that process.

Where a

health professional, however, pleads guilty, or is found guilty at the end of a

hearing, a tribunal has the ability to make certain types of decisions or

orders. Those can be remedial measures about education, medical treatment,

counselling. They can also suspend a person's licence or place conditions on a

licence or actually revoke completely.

The

current 17 health statutes require a regulatory body to publish a

summary in a

newspaper of general circulation in the community nearest to where the

professional practice is. This publication is mandatory. There's a list of

information that has to be included in it: the health professional's name, the

address of the practice, brief description of the conduct and the complainant's

name, unless the complainant has asked to have it withheld.

These

are significant decisions. Publication is meant to allow the public to make

informed decisions over who and where they seek health care services, so these

need to be available more generally. The current requirement is to publish in a

newspaper, but as we all know, print newspaper are kind of a rare beast now and

really are only probably available in limited areas across the province.

What

we're trying to do with this – according to my speaking notes it says update and

modernize. I would argue we're actually dragging it into the 20th century.

Publication of the decisions is an important policy decision. We're not

achieving it with the means that we have in statutes at the moment.

So while

this amendment continues with the stipulation that it be published, the bill now

requires the publication of a

summary on either the regulatory authority's

website, or where they don't have one, they can publish it on the Department of

Health and Community Service's website. There are a small number of regulators

in this province who don't have a site of their own,

The bill

requires publication on the website for at least three months or longer, where

the suspension lasts longer than three months. It requires notification of the

publication to be provided to at least two media outlets in or near where the

health professional practice is, so the public have the ability to be made aware

of it and the content of the

summary is clarified.

The bill

stipulates that it'll include the name of the complainant; however, only where

the complainant has requested it be published. It flips it to an opt-in rather

than an opt-out. That is to protect, by default, more fully the privacy of the

complainant.

keeping with current practices, Bill 28 enables the publication of the full

decision or order. It stipulates also that the sharing of information in this

manner provide a learning experience to other professionals. So if the

professional has fallen afoul of the disciplinary process or the professional

standards process, others can learn from where their mistakes are. A feature

that's common, for example, in another field of endeavour with which I'm

familiar with, which is aviation.

It also

permits the publication in a database or a repository as approved by a minister;

for example, the Canadian legal Information database, which is free and contains

thousands of decisions of tribunals and courts. It also includes the Labour

Relations and Human Rights Commission. It also includes, currently, the College

of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador. So we're proposing to

bring everybody onto the same playing field.

The

initial focus was around the manner of communication, but in actual fact, there

are also a number of inconsistencies between different regulatory authorities.

So what we've done is we've gone back to the health regulators to address each

of these inconsistencies. Those are also aligned in terms of duration and

content and these kinds of things.

There's

also a requirement now about retention of records. A copy of the decision has to

be retained by the regulator for 10 years. It has to be accessible in a way that

allows anybody who's interested to go back and review that. It aligns all 17

statutes and requires the publication on either their website or Health and

Community Services within 14 days from the expiry of the appeal period after the

decision.

addition to those who must be notified, Bill 28 also grants discretion to

regulatory authorities to notify other persons of the decision where that might

be appropriate.

This

House in the fall adopted amendments to the

Law Society Act . These amendments are

consistent with the direction the House took on that particular process.

To draw

to a conclusion, this was done in consultation with the regulatory authorities;

they're very supportive of these amendments. Their feedback was very important

in the crafting of this legislation. It's open, it's transparent, it's modern

and it sets a bar for any future professions that may wish to adopt

self-regulation.

Importantly, and perhaps most of all, it allows the public to have knowledge of

these incidents, these issues and to make informed decisions. It helps them have

confidence that their health care professional is meeting standards and enhances

that level of confidence.

With

that, Speaker, I would encourage Members of the House to support this bill. I

look forward to their comments now and a discussion in Committee.

I'll

take my seat. Thank you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

The name

of this bill, of course, is pretty daunting but, again, it's a pretty

straightforward bill. It's a little bit more than just housekeeping. We do have

bills that clean up acts and such, but this is more than housekeeping. It's very

important.

As the

minister noted, this proposed bill will amend 17 health professional acts. I

just want to read the acts here, just so people will get an understanding of

what we're talking about here. The 17 acts that it's going to amend are: the

Chiropractors Act, 2009 ; the

Dental Act, 2008 ; the

Denturist Act, 2005 ; the

Dieticians Act ;

Dispensing Opticians Act, 2005 ;

Health Professions Act ;

Hearing Aid Practitioners Act ;

Licensed Practical Nurses Act, 2005 ;

Massage Therapy Act, 2005 ;

Medical Act, 2011 ;

Occupational Therapist Act, 2005 ;

Optometry Act, 2012 ;

Pharmacy Act, 2012 ;

Physiotherapy Act, 2006 ;

Psychologists Act, 2005 ; Registered

Nurses Act, 2008 ; and the Social

Workers Act. Of course, what's quite obvious is they're all health related,

as we already know. So a very important bill here.

This

bill is bringing consistency to the publication of decisions of adjudication

boards. Decisions generally consist of professional misconduct complaints, and

other complaints originated by the employer, the public or a self-employed

individual.

Currently, there are a variety of ways in which a professional association is

required to publish decisions that meet a certain threshold such as a suspension

or a forced surrendering of a licence. Bill 28 brings uniformity to the

publication requiring the following: “… (

a) publish the

summary of the decision

or order on the board's website; or (

b) where the board does not have a website,

provide the

summary or order to the Department of Health and Community Services

for publication on its website.”

It's

important to note that certain decisions will not meet that threshold so they

won't be published publicly, but the key here is this is talking about

misconduct and that, and it provides very important information to the public.

addition to those points that I've noted, where the registrar of a specific

public or professional association publishes a decision, the registrar must

inform at least two media outlets in or nearest to the community in which the

respondent practices.

As the

minister alluded to, I think he said dragging it into the 21st Century. I think

he's very much correct there. I think the current acts require publication in

newspapers and we know that the media has come a long way since newspapers. The

key here is making sure that the information is put out there so the public can

make informed decisions.

I also

look at the point here, as I said earlier and listed all the acts, it's all

health acts we're talking about; a very important issue for many. When you're

looking for some service or looking for a health care professional to help you,

this will at least outline to you those that may not be the most appropriate to

go to, for the lack of a better word.

It's all

there to protect the public and get the information out there. It's certainly

not there to punish anyone, but it's there to get the open and transparent

information that informed decisions can be made, especially when it comes to an

individual's health.

certainly will have no issue in supporting this bill.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

support these amendments as well, so I'm not going to dwell on that.

This

bill really updates the obligation by regulatory bodies and health professionals

to publish decisions arising from hearings for misconduct allegations by their

members. What's important here is about public trust, about communication and

about protecting the rights of the professionals as well. So this is very, very

important.

Currently, there are 23 health professional bodies in this province that are

regulated by 17 statutes. This bill is important because it updates the

mandatory procedures of these bodies when they conduct adjudications in cases

regarding misconduct allegations against one of their members. Being relevant

and updated is very important, and standardizing as well. This bill also

standardizes the procedures and makes them uniform throughout all 17 acts and

the 23 bodies.

Specifically, these changes in the amendments deal with the order-making powers

of the tribunals for each professional body and their duty to report on the

results of the adjudications. Currently, the tribunals do have the power to

suspend the licence of a professional governed by their statutes, so it's very,

very important. The rights of the professional must be protected, but also the

rights of the public to access the communication is equally important. They can

also force a person found guilty of violating the statutes to surrender their

licence or put restrictions on the ability of that person to practice.

Moving

on, with these amendments, there's an obligation for professional bodies to

publish a

summary of their decisions and the orders in these cases on their

website. If the body doesn't have a website, the decision will be published on

the website of the Department of Health and Community Services. As my fellow MHA

for Paradise said, it's about making sure we communicate in a way that is

relevant with modern-day society.

The

obligation to publish a decision in a newspaper is outdated. That was one of the

things that were brought forward. A lot of areas in the province now don't

actually have a current area newspaper. So now, the registrar must advise at

least two media outlets in the nearest community which the correspondent

practices, allowing for a broader dissemination of the findings.

That's

about making sure the public are updated and aware of the findings of the

tribunals. I think what really was of interest to me is these amendments were a

result of a number of professional bodies reaching out to government and asking

for certain updates to the publication provisions in the act and governing of

the professions.

Like I

said, this is basically housekeeping. It's just making sure the communication is

updated, is modern. It's making sure the procedures are standardized. With us –

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible.)

L. EVANS:

Yeah, I'm not going to

continue to talk, Mr. Speaker, because we support this bill.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount

Pearl - Southlands.

P. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm just

going to take a minute or so just for the record, for

Hansard , to say that I'll be supporting this bill as well. I'm not

going to get into all the details. I had the briefing with the minister's

department; thought it was a very good briefing. I certainly thank the staff for

providing it.

At the

end of the day, what this comes down to is that as citizens, when we have health

issues, we depend on health professionals. Whether they be physicians or

optometrists, or pharmacists or whatever the case might be, we depend on them to

provide us health care, to utilize their expertise and to do so in a way that is

professional and that's ethical.

Like any

profession, these professions in health care being no different than any other

profession, from time to time there are going to be situations where people make

poor judgments. Perhaps there could be some (inaudible) to creep in and

sometimes there are ethical issues that arise. As the expression goes, there's

always a bad apple or two in every barrel. That can happen in every profession,

including health care. When that happens, of course, there have to be mechanisms

put in place to protect not just the public, but also the profession itself.

I would

say that all of these health care professions welcome these changes because they

want to ensure the integrity of their organization, the integrity of their

craft, if you will. I'm sure there's not a doctor out there, a nurse out there,

an optometrist out there that doesn't want to have these stringent rules in

place, these guidelines in place and to have mechanisms to ensure that anybody

who qualifies to be part of their group are operating in a very professional and

ethical manner.

Therefore, there are organizations set around all these groups; they have

governing bodies, if you will. They lay down the standards and so on for these

governing bodies. Part of that, of course, is that if there is a concern that is

brought to the attention of the governing body, whether it be by a colleague,

whether it be by a patient or whatever the case might be, then there has to be a

mechanism in place to be able to investigate those allegation. If those

allegations are found to be accurate and legit and so on and there was any kind

of wrongdoing or unethical behaviour that occurred, then these individuals have

to be sanctioned.

Sanctioning of the individuals can go from, as some would say, a slap on the

wrist, a warning, to somebody being suspended for a period of time, to someone

actually losing their licence, maybe temporarily, maybe permanently, depending

on what that individual did.

course, this legislation that we're talking about today, the updating of this

legislation, is around this whole idea of when there is an investigation, when

this tribunal takes place for any of those health care fields that have been

mentioned and there's some finding there of legitimacy and there's some

sanction, then it's the duty upon that body to make that information available

to the general public so that the public knows, upfront, that there's a health

care provider of some sort in my community, in my area – maybe I have an

appointment to see that individual, maybe this individual has been recommended,

whatever the case might be, and I have the right to know as a citizen that

before I go to see that individual, that this individual has made whatever that

particular error in judgment or unethical behaviour, so I can make a decision

about my health to say, do I actually want to see this person or not. I may

choose to say I don't want to go to see this doctor, and I'm going to wait and

see a different doctor somewhere else because of what this particular individual

has done. That's everybody's right to know that.

This

legislation basically talks about the fact if there's a sanction, this is going

to be – first of all, it's bringing all these different groups in line in terms

of how this process operates to standardize it, so to speak. There will be some

changes in language in some of these actual pieces of legislation, because not

all of these bodies operate exactly the same way. There's going to be a few

differences but, by and large, it's standardizing it and it's providing for a

mechanism to ensure, based on today's reality and modern reality; the fact that

we don't use newspapers anymore or, for the most part we don't, and making sure

there's mechanisms in place so that people in various communities throughout the

province are made aware if there is any kind of a breach of ethics or so on with

any of the health care providers in there area so they can make that informed

choice whether or not they want to avail of that individual's services.

That's

what this is doing. As it's been said, this is a protection for the public but

it's also a protection for the actual health care providers themselves because

it ensures that everybody that's working within their field, within their scope

are operating in a professional way, in an ethical way. That's, of course, what

these people would obviously want as professionals.

So, as

I've said, I will support it. It's not earth-shattering legislation, so to

speak. Some people have referred to is as housekeeping but it is still important

nonetheless. With all of our legislation, it is important that we continue to

make sure that it is up-to-date, it's modernized, it's standardized and that we

are ensuring that all the protections are in place for the people that we serve.

And that's what this is doing.

So with

that said, I'll take my seat.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SPEAKER:

Seeing no other speakers, if

the minister speaks now he'll close debate.

The hon.

the Minister of Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

I am

pleased to see the level of support in the House for this piece of legislation.

It's about transparency. It is about clarity. It's about openness. As the Member

for Mount Pearl - Southlands referenced it; I will just mention the briefing.

The

briefing was, in actual fact, the last act to be briefed by the current legal

counsel in the Department of Health and Community Services, Ms. Gerrie Smith who

has served the department extremely well throughout COVID. She was responsible

for the drafting of all of the Special Measures Orders, all 49 of them, as well

as providing yeoman service over the years for a whole raft of legislation

including some of the groundbreaking stuff that we introduced in 2018.

So I

would like to use this opportunity to commend her services to the House and wish

her well when she is pirated away by the Minister of Justice and Public Safety

in the not-too-distant future.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

Is the House ready for the

question?

The

motion is that Bill 28 now be read a second time.

Is it

the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay'.

Motion

carried.

CLERK (Barnes):

A bill,

An Act To Amend

Various Acts Of The Province Respecting The Publication Of A

Summary Of A

Decision Or Order Of An Adjudication Tribunal. (Bill 28)

SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a

second time.

When

shall the bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole?

L. DEMPSTER:

Now.

SPEAKER:

Now.

motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend Various Acts Of The Province Respecting The

Publication Of A

Summary Of A Decision Or Order Of An Adjudication Tribunal,”

read a second time, ordered referred to a Committee of the Whole presently, by

leave. (Bill 28)

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Deputy

Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER:

Mr. Speaker, I moved,

seconded by the Minister for Health and Community Services, that the House

resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider Bill 28.

SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that

I do now leave the Chair for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the

Whole.

Is it

the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Motion

carried.

motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, the Speaker

left the Chair.

Committee of the

Whole

CHAIR (Warr):

Order, please!

We are

now considering Bill 28,

An Act To Amend Various Acts Of The Province Respecting

The Publication Of A

Summary Of A Decision Or Order Of An Adjudication Tribunal.

A bill,

“An Act To Amend Various Acts Of The Province Respecting The Publication Of A

Summary Of A Decision Or Order Of An Adjudication Tribunal.” (Bill 28)

CLERK:

Clause 1.

CHAIR:

Shall clause 1 carry?

The

Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Thank you, Chair.

I only

have a couple of questions here, and it's just to look at the extent in which

this bill is needed or not needed. I don't want people panicking out there that

we have a lot of individuals who are going to have their licences revoked. But

can we get the number on, approximately, how many decisions are estimated to be

published each year?

CHAIR:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

That's a good question. In

actual fact, it's probably one of the facts I don't actually have at my

fingertips, but I could certainly get the Member opposite a ballpark.

As he

says, it's not a great number, and certainly speaking from my more limited

experience in a previous life around the medical profession, these are few and

far between and tend to be some years after the event. It's a lengthy process,

in the case of physicians, to get to this stage. I don't really have a ballpark.

Certainly, we don't anticipate that this will generate more, if that was the

concern.

There is

no cost to government or the regulators because they're doing this already. This

is just simply the ability to publish those decisions in a forum that is

clearer, more widely accessible and actually allows other members of the

profession to read them more easily and learn from the potential hiccups of

their colleagues

CHAIR:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Thank you, Chair.

So just

related to that – and I thank the minister first for his response – so we may

not have the actual numbers and you're going to get them for me, but in looking

at the past number of years, what has been the trend? Have we seen a trend

upwards or downwards in these cases?

CHAIR:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

We have followed the trend of

other G7 countries in that by and large the population have become a little bit

more litigious in their approach to things and this is often the first stop. It

is the easiest stop from the point of view of the complainant because there is

actually no cost to them. Each of these organizations funds the disciplinary

process out of their existing funds. There is a trend to see increasing numbers.

CHAIR:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Chair.

Just to

clarify: Increasing numbers in terms of complaints or increasing numbers of,

I'll say, malpractice?

CHAIR:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

An increase in the number of

complaints, whether or not that is tied distinctly to an increase in the number

of positive findings, again, would be part of a deeper dive. It will vary from

regulated body to regulated body. So it would not be possible for me to say,

well, my experience in medicine is this and then generalize to everybody else.

Certainly, the complaints numbers seem to have risen.

CHAIR:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

J. DINN:

Thank you.

One last

question. We talked about bringing this into the 21st century in terms of

publication. Do you anticipate that would open the door for more complaints,

which is not always a bad thing, I guess, more accountability? Do you see that

happening here?

CHAIR:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Quite frankly, I don't think

this is going to have any effect one way or another on societal trends or

peoples desire to avail of these complaint mechanisms. This is really about the

backend of it. It is what comes out of the other end and it is only in the case

of positive findings and orders that are made to vary someone's licence.

I don't

see it generating more work, necessarily.

CHAIR:

Any further questions?

The hon.

the Member for Lake Melville.

P. TRIMPER:

Thank you, Chair.

I just

had an overarching question for the minister, if I could. First of all, I

appreciated the opportunity to meet with staff and have a good explanation of

what the contents and rationale for this bill. I did reach out to some of the

professional organizations that I was familiar with or had contacts. They've

been coming back to me here as I've been sitting and endorsing the changes. I

compliment the minister and his staff for doing that.

But I

just had a final thought, as a lowly independent and working with the small team

that I have, I wonder if I missed anything. I just would like to ask the

minister where there any disagreements between some of those 17 professional

associations and the contents of Bill 28?

Thank

you.

CHAIR:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Certainly, none in concept.

There may have been an argument over whether it should be three months or 14

days after the appeal period, but this was very much, as I understand it, a

consensus process.

CHAIR:

Shall the motion carry?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

motion, clause 1 carried.

CLERK:

Clauses 2 through 52

inclusive.

CHAIR:

Shall clauses 2 through 52

inclusive carry?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

motion, clauses 2 through 52 carried.

CLERK:

Be it enacted by the

Lieutenant-Governor and House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as

follows.

CHAIR:

Shall the enacting clause

carry?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

motion, enacting clause carried.

CLERK:

An Act To Amend Various Acts

Of The Province Respecting The Publication Of A

Summary Of A Decision Or Order

Of An Adjudication Tribunal.

CHAIR:

Shall the title carry?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

motion, title carried.

CHAIR:

Shall I report the bill

without amendment?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

Motion,

that the Committee report having passed the bill without amendment, carried.

CHAIR:

The hon the Deputy Government

House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER:

Chair, I move that the

Committee rise and report Bill 28.

CHAIR:

The motion is that the

Committee rise and report Bill 28.

Is it

the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

motion, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again, the

Speaker returned to the Chair.

SPEAKER (Bennett):

Order, please!

The hon.

the Member for Baie Verte - Green Bay and Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

B. WARR:

Speaker, the Committee of the

Whole have considered the matters to them referred and have directed me to

report Bill 28 without amendment.

SPEAKER:

The Chair of the Committee of

the Whole reports that the Committee have considered the matters to them

referred and have directed him to report Bill 28 without amendment.

When

shall the report be received?

S. COADY:

Now.

SPEAKER:

When shall the bill be read a

third time?

S. COADY:

Tomorrow.

motion, report received and adopted. Bill ordered read a third time on tomorrow.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Deputy

Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER:

Speaker, I move, seconded by

the Government House Leader, that this House do now adjourn.

SPEAKER:

The motion is that this House

do now adjourn.

Is it

the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Motion

carried.

This

House do stand adjourned until 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.

motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Monday, April 4, 2022,

at 1:30 p.m.