Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 17 March 2005 (45th General Assembly, 2nd Session, Vol. XLV No. 3)
2005-03-17
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
March 17, 2005 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLV
No. 3
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: This afternoon we have members' statements as follows: the
hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, the hon. the
Member for the District of Mount Pearl, the hon. the Member for the District of
Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune, the hon. the Member for St. John's West, the hon.
the Member for Labrador West, and the hon. the Member for Bonavista North.
The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to acknowledge the accomplishments of my fellow Labradorian, Zoe
Webb. Ms Webb, who is a good friend of mine, Mr. Speaker, has a biography that
reads like a best-selling adventure novel. Ms Webb is the embodiment of the
spirit of modern Labrador. Growing up in the village of Webb Bay, she was taught
with her siblings to hunt, trap and live off the land, by their father, while
their formal education was home schooling that was taught by their mother.
Webb Bay had no electricity. The only means of entertainment, besides
reading, was exploring the Labrador wilderness, creating art and storytelling.
The rugged lifestyle fostered a spirit of adventure in Ms Webb that led her to
soar higher than most people can imagine. After graduating high school in Nain,
Zoe left to attend Memorial University. During this time, her mind often
returned to Labrador and a helicopter ride that she had taken years before.
One day, while walking to class, a helicopter flew overhead and at that
moment she knew that she needed to change careers. After completing Visual
Flight Rules pilot training, Zoe was hired by Canadian Helicopter Corporation in
Goose Bay to fly in Labrador and Northern Quebec. As a pilot, she has been
involved in medivacs, firefighting, mining exploration and military operations.
After eight years with Canadian Helicopter Corporation, Zoe decided to move
to a new challenge and began training to fly using Instrument Flight Rules.
Currently, she is employed by Cougar Helicopters, flying to offshore oil rigs.
It is believed, Mr. Speaker, that she is the only woman in Canada flying
offshore, and one of only a handful of women in the world who actually fly
offshore.
Mr. Speaker, Zoe is indicative of the high-flying spirit of many Labradorians
and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating her on her success in the
aviation industry and breaking new ground for women in our Province and across
the country.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DENINE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I stand here today to bring congratulations to the Mount Pearl Frosty
Festival Committee and the City of Mount Pearl.
From February 10-20, Mount Pearl held its twenty-third annual Frosty
Festival. Mr. Speaker, this festival continues to grow more and more each year.
Our opening gala was held at the Glacier with special guest appearance of Jason
Greeley, who everyone knows in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is the first year that so many events were sold out prior to the start
date of the festival. There were variety shows, dinner theatres, various sports
events and tournaments, battle of bands competitions, seniors and kids parties,
old fashioned jiggs dinner, and karaoke nights. Mr. Speaker, these were just a
few of the events that were held during the festival. Participation from the
community for this festival was phenomenal, and I can definitely say that the
community spirit is alive and well in our city.
Also, Mr. Speaker, the success of the festival can be attributed to this
being a special year for Mount Pearl as they are celebrating their fiftieth
anniversary. It has been fifty years for Mount Pearl being incorporated as a
municipality. The City of Mount Pearl has combined their anniversary
celebrations into the Frosty Festival, making it bigger and better.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, an event such as this involved a lot of hard work,
and I take this opportunity to thank the committee members, the event
organizers, sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers who gave so freely of their
time to enhance our city. I ask all members to please join with me in
congratulating them on their hard work.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay-Cape la
Hune.
MR. LANGDON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of Ms
Vera Mullins to her community. Ms Mullins was recently named Harbour Breton's
Citizen of the Year.
Ms Vera Mullins is very well known for her volunteer efforts. She has
dedicated an incredible amount of time to many volunteer organizations,
including St. Bartholomew's Church, Harbour Breton Lioness Club and the
Harbour Breton Cadet Corps, just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to her time contributed to groups and organizations,
Ms Mullins has contributed in other ways. Recently, Ms Mullins was featured in a
news article, praising her volunteer efforts for donating her hair for the
manufacturing of wigs for children who use chemotherapy treatments. Thus far, Ms
Mullins has given nearly three feet of her hair to the cause.
Mr. Speaker, upon accepting the award for Citizen of the Year, Ms Mullins
stated she loves being a volunteer in the community and that she never thought
of an award when she started volunteering in community activities.
Ms Mullins is an asset to her community and her dedication to make Harbour
Breton a better place to live for everyone, from children to seniors, is indeed
rewarding for all residents.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members of this House join me in congratulating
Ms Mullins for her outstanding volunteer efforts and her strength for
continuously helping others.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's West.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS S. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am delighted today to congratulate Beaconsfield Junior High School on being
officially designated as a member of Peaceful Schools International. This took
place in a ceremony at the school on Monday past and Beaconsfield Junior High
will now have the proud honour of flying that organization's flag on the
school grounds.
Peaceful Schools International was started in Nova Scotia in 2001 by an
educator, Hetty Van Gurp, whose son was killed in a bullying incident in school.
To become a designated member of this organization, schools must demonstrate a
strong commitment to a peaceful school environment.
Mr. Speaker, the staff and students of Beaconsfield Junior High have worked
very hard over the past three years to achieve this designation. Among other
things, the school has implemented a bullying intervention program and a
classroom buddy system. It has also held workshops on such topics as drug
awareness and suicide intervention. Students themselves have taken active roles
in food drives, recycling programs, peer tutoring, and a host of community
service programs and fundraisers. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the students and staff
became so involved that they actually surpassed the qualifications required for
this designation.
Everyone involved in this endeavour should be very proud and I ask all hon.
members to join me in congratulating Beaconsfield Junior High School on this
wonderful achievement.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to congratulate Joey Russell, a sixteen-year-old figure skater
from Labrador West who has, and continues, to excel in the figure skating world.
I am pleased today to inform Members of the House of Assembly of Joey's
most recent success, winning a gold medal for Canada in the junior men's
division of Mladost Trophy Figure Skating event held in Zagreb, Croatia on March
10-12.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. COLLINS: Joey won both the short and free skates event to claim the
gold medal. This was his first international event outside North America.
Joey's past successes, Mr. Speaker, include seven regional titles, six
provincial championships, a silver medal from Skate Canada Eastern Challenge, a
bronze medalist at the 2003 Canada Winter Games, a bronze medal in the 2005 BMO
Financial Group Skate Canada Eastern Challenge in the junior men's division,
and a two-time silver medalist in the Canadian Junior Nationals.
He also competed internationally with Team Canada at the North American Skate
Challenge in 2003 and 2004 and Lake Placid, New York and San Jose, California
where he won a bronze medal.
Joey is a member of the Polaris Figure Skating Club in Labrador West and is
currently training under Jan Ullmark at Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club. There
is no doubt in my mind, Mr. Speaker, the name Joey Russell will soon be a
household name in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in congratulating this outstanding
young figure skater and wish him success on his accomplishments to date and wish
him well in his future endeavours.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bonavista North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to offer congratulations to the New-Wes-Valley Corps of the
Salvation Army. The New-Wes-Valley Corps includes the combined corps of
Greenspond, Wesleyville and Deadman's Bay.
On March 5, the corps officially opened the doors to their new citadel in the
New-Wes-Valley area. I had the honour of attending this special event and was
very impressed by their new $800,000 facility. It is, indeed, a far cry from the
second floor of the waterfront store where their first meeting was held over 110
years ago. The event was a tremendous success and it was made possible through
the leadership of the corps officers and the hard work and dedication on the
part of the corps membership. This new facility will enable the corps to
continue to deliver the spiritual and social programs that have helped sustain
and strengthen our region throughout the past century.
I call on all hon. members of the this House in offering congratulations to
Captains Paul and Kelly Rideout and the New-Wes-Valley Salvation Army Corps in
recognition of this milestone in their history.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services; and
the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to inform my hon. colleagues about Les Rendez-vous de la
Francophonie. From March 4 to March 20, Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie is a
time for Canadians to recognize and celebrate our nation's French language and
communities closer and to foster mutual respect between them.
Mr. Speaker, here in our Province there are many activities taking place to
mark the occasion, and today, government welcomes representatives from the
Province's francophone organizations who have set-up an information display in
the main lobby of our Confederation Building. The purpose is for all of us to
learn more about and develop greater appreciation for our Province's rich
francophone culture.
Notre province a une longue et riche histoire fran aise
et acadienne. C'est une histoire qui continue B
s' crire
au 21 e si P cle.
Nous saluons les personnes qui travaillent au sein de nos organisations
francophones et qui font de b n volat
dans nos communaut s
francophones afin d'assurer que la langue fran aise
continue B
s' panouir
et B
prosp rer B
Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. [Our Province has a long and rich French and Acadian
history, a history that continues to write itself in the 21 st
century. We recognize those individuals who work in our francophone
organizations and volunteer in our francophone communities to ensure that the
French language continues to grow and prosper in our Newfoundland and Labrador.]
Mr. Speaker, I ask and encourage all hon. colleagues to take the opportunity
to visit the display and to meet representatives from our francophone community.
These individuals have given generously of their time so that government many
learn about the work they perform every day to promote and protect francophone
interests in our Province.
Mr. Speaker, today I also want to acknowledge the work of the Office of
French Services for organizing this event. This office is focused on building
the provincial government's capacity to deliver quality services in French and
to contribute to the development and vitality of the Province's francophone
community. Through its various activities, including French language training,
translation and linguistic support, government-community liaison and
intergovernmental co-operation on Francophone Affairs, the staff at the office
ensure that we, as a government, and as a public service do our best to consider
the needs of all French-speaking Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, to all those participating in Les Rendez-vous de la
Francophonie, enjoy the event.
Thank you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear1
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the minister for an advanced copy of his statement
today.
Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House would also like to thank and
acknowledge the francophone community and the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador for the excellent work they have done over the years in preserving the
rich culture of our francophone society.
Mr. Speaker, earlier today I had an opportunity to visit the display booths
in the lobby and to talk to people from the francophone society that was
representing the youth, representing community services and programs, and
representing education.
Mr. Speaker, it is sad that we have seen so many cuts to teacher units in
this Province that we are running the risk of having French programs and French
Immersion programs in schools, especially like those in Labrador West, being
eroded from the system. Mr. Speaker, two regions of our Province border on the
Province of Quebec, the Labrador Straits and the Labrador West region. It is
important that children in those areas of our Province have the opportunity to
seek French language classes and French Immersion classes.
Mr. Speaker, the people of Labrador West, along with their MHA, have fought
really hard over the last number of months to have a commitment to keep those
programs in the school in Labrador West. I think, Minister, during Francophone
week it would be timely for government to step up to the plate and to make that
commitment to people in Labrador, to the children there, to ensure that they
have access to French programs in their schools and that they are educated in
the way that they should be, I say to the minister.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to commend the minister on his French capabilities.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. COLLINS: However, I would like to say to the minister, how much
better it could be if he had had early French Immersion when he was going to
school.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, there is no question about the influence that
the French culture and language has had in our Province. Last year we celebrated
the 400 th Anniversary of French culture within our Province, a very
important milestone. The French language, Mr. Speaker, in my area of Labrador
West is extremely important and there is a lot of interaction.
I find, Mr. Speaker, that I am sort of confounded, because here, on one hand,
we have the minister today acknowledging how much of a good influence our French
culture is in this Province -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. member's time has expired.
MR. COLLINS: By leave?
MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. member have leave?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.
MR. COLLINS: - that provides to our Province the riches, and yet on this
hand, Mr. Speaker, we have the future of French Immersion hanging in the
balance. What a contradiction!
I want to say to the minister, and the Minister of Education, and this
government, that during this Budget review, instead of looking at cutting French
Immersion programs in Labrador, and Labrador West in particular, where 50 per
cent of students are enrolled at Kindergarten, they should be expanding that.
However, Mr. Speaker, I will acknowledge the statement by the minister that
reflects upon the importance of the Francophone Associations within our
Province, and the tremendous amount of work that they do. When we have two
societies interacting together with different cultural backgrounds, it certainly
adds to the richness of our Province.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in referencing the future of Abitibi's operations
in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Minister of Natural Resources said in his
Ministerial Statement in this Legislature, and I quote, "... this
government agreed to a request from the company to provide a contribution of $1
million, which offset the power rate increase for a period of 60 days...".
That was his quote right here in the Legislature. Outside the House of Assembly,
Mr. Speaker, the same minister contradicted this statement and told the media
that this money has not actually been given to the company at all.
Would the minister like to clarify for us in the Legislature the
discrepancies between what he said inside the House and what he said outside the
House?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it being St. Patrick's Day, I am reminded of the words of a
famous Irish poet by the name of George Bernard Shaw, who, responding to a long
time critic of his, said this: It has never been characteristic of his critic -
and this is what he said, Mr. Speaker, not what I say, of his critic - to let
the facts and the truth of a matter interrupt with a good story that he is about
to tell.
Mr. Speaker, let me say this: What I said yesterday in this House was an
absolute fact, that there was an agreement and an arrangement reached. Now, the
fact of the matter that we reached an arrangement does not mean that the money
has already been expired or the money has already been spent. The fact of the
matter is, there are obligations under the arrangement with respect to Abitibi
that they have to meet. Now, if they do not meet those arrangements, which
includes the closure of Stephenville at the end of March, then they do not get
the money. Even though, if they do not get the money, what we wanted from it,
which is the intellectual property, engineering financial studies and other,
and, I might add, the consideration for discussion and negotiation on water
rights -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the minister now to complete his answer quickly.
MR. E. BYRNE: I will.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
- discussion and negotiation on water rights, we end up getting anyway.
If that helps clarify the situation for the Leader of the Opposition, then so
be it. I look forward to more questions, Mr. Speaker, on the future of the pulp
and paper industry, and potentially the constructive role that he and some of
his other members might like to play.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
There is another saying, too, that you should always keep your words sweet
because you might have to eat them some time. I would suggest that the minister
is starting to eat some of his words.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, as well, the Minister of Natural Resources confirmed
that Abitibi-Consolidated told him three months ago, in December, that they
intended to close the mill in Stephenville permanently. This government's only
response so far has been to fall back on Bill 27, an initiative of members on
this side of the House - nothing new from the government, no permanent solutions
at all.
Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, he also confirmed that the company will not be given
any priority access to wood in Labrador, and the company will not be given
access to wood from Central Newfoundland, and, Mr. Speaker, that sixteen months
after the election there is no plan to deal with energy costs in Stephenville.
I ask the minister, Mr. Speaker: Where is the long-term solution promised to
the people of Stephenville nearly two years ago, that they were going to act on
immediately upon being elected?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, let's not confuse any of the questions or notions being put
forward by the Leader of the Opposition. Because he suggests that there has been
nothing done does not mean that nothing has been done.
Let me say honestly, Mr. Speaker, to the people of the Province, in
particular to the people of Stephenville, on this very important matter, that
discussions and negotiations are ongoing. I am sure the Leader of the Opposition
would understand why he is not my lead consultant on this file.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is clear that they have great difficulty answering direct questions
because they do not have any answers, just like yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, again, a final question, the minister stated yesterday as well
that he intends to follow the remedies set out in Bill 27 and pull Abitibi's
timber rights if they do not maintain a two-paper-mill machine operation in
Grand Falls-Windsor. He said it quite emphatically I ask the minister: Will he
confirm, in this Legislature, that he will use the legislation that applies to
Abitibi and to ensure - as he said yesterday - that they will lose access to
wood supply and fibre if they downgrade production in the Grand Falls-Windsor
mill? And, has he personally advised the Abitibi representatives of that, or has
he just said it through the media like he did yesterday?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am having difficulty, like most people in the Province, to be
honest with you, finding out where the Opposition is on any issue.
Yesterday, the critic condemned me. This morning, his colleague, the Member
for Windsor-Buchans, applauded me. This morning, the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape
la Hune applauded me and this government through me.
The fact of the matter is, yesterday, in a Ministerial Statement in this
House to the people of the Province, we affirmed and confirmed to the people of
Central Newfoundland and Labrador this very thing, that the laws of this
Province that we are sworn to uphold we will uphold them. That is the bottom
line now. Abitibi got the message and so they should have, and so did everyone
else in the Province, Mr. Speaker. We are not ashamed of standing up for the
laws of this Province, for the people if this Province, and holding companies,
corporations, or individuals to the commitments that they made to the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.
MR. LANGDON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Yesterday in the House, and today on Open Line, and again in this
Legislature, the Minister of Natural Resources has made it emphatically clear
that he would use legislation passed by the Liberal Government to protect
workers at the Grand Falls mill. Access to timber resources are tied to
production levels in the Grand Falls mill. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the minister.
I told him so this morning and I do it here now, so the people across the
Province can see it. I really do.
Just as there is a piece of legislation that covers Abitibi, there is also a
piece of legislation that covers FPI. That company is leaving Harbour Breton and
taking its community historical resources with it.
Won't the minister stand up to FPI the way that this minister is standing
up to Abitibi and have the resources remain in Harbour Breton?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am sure that the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune - I don't know about
his colleagues - but I am sure that the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune and
most people will recognize that trees on land in the Province of Newfoundland
and Labrador fall solidly under the jurisdiction of the Province of Newfoundland
and Labrador and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Fish in the water
off the Coast of Newfoundland and Labrador falls solidly under the jurisdiction
Mr. Speaker.
Having said that, Mr. Speaker, we have indicated to the people of Harbour
Breton that we will support them along the way in trying to find a solution for
the people of Harbour Breton and the people of the Connaigre Peninsula. We
worked with them over the past number of months on that. We have committed a
fair amount of money to helping them find a resolution both in the short term
and the long term. We will remain committed to that and we will continue working
with the people in that area to find a solution.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la
Hune.
MR. LANGDON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I say to the minister, that the FPI Act is not offshore it is right here in
this Legislature.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. LANGDON: Minister, you have ordered production quotas for crab in the
Province, you have directed where crab production is to take place, and you have
directed how much is to be produced at any one plant. When you were asked to do
that for the Town of Harbour Breton, you said that you do not support a portion
of FPI's quota to be left in a community. Minister, why the double standard?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
First of all, to correct one of the member's statements. We did not say
that we did not support the people of Harbour Breton. We did not say we would
not support the request for quotas. We did not say we would not support
one-third of the quota. We said that we were prepared to work with the people to
find a viable solution for Harbour Breton and the Connaigre Peninsula, and that
we would - and we have informed them of this and the member knows of this - be
prepared to give them up to $250,000 to develop a business plan that identifies
a long-term solution for the people of Harbour Breton, and if that included some
quotas or allocations being tied to Harbour Breton, then, Mr. Speaker, we would
support that. We have said that publicly, we have said that privately, we have
said that in this House and we have said it outside this House.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the FPI Act; the FPI Act governs
Protection Act and the Fisheries Act, have total authority under the
constitution of this country, have total authority over the harvesting sector of
the fishery in this country.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.
MR. LANGDON: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the minister say it, but it was reported to me. I
have not played politics with him and I think you will agree with that because
it is too important for the people of Harbour Breton and the whole Connaigre
region; it is an area that needs recognition.
The minister was supposed to have said: If the people of Harbour Breton think
that they are going to get a portion of FPI's quota, they have blinkers on. I
did not hear the minister say it myself, but it was reported to me.
Minister, you say that production quotas for crab producers will stabilize
the industry and protect rural areas of our Province. If you really believe
this, you will also have an opportunity to do the same for Harbour Breton and
the entire Connaigre Peninsula by standing up to FPI and demanding that the
historical quota stay with the town. Will you commit to doing that?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, if the member is going to stand in the House and repeat rumours,
then he should, at the very least, tell us who said it because it certainly did
not come out of my mouth.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, what we have said time and time again in this
House, outside of this House, in the public media and inside closed doors, in
the Premier's boardroom, and wherever, with the people of Harbour Breton, the
IAS committee and all of the people involved, is that we would support the
people of Harbour Breton, and if that required support on quota allocations,
quota retention and what have you, then we would do that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. TAYLOR: We told them that we are prepared to give them $250,000 in
order to identify a long-term plan for that region, Mr. Speaker, that takes into
consideration the wild fishery, quota allocations, the aquaculture industry and
the whole gamut in that area. That is what we have committed to because we are
looking for a long-term solution not a short-term political fix.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, I will just ask this question of members
opposite: Where do they stand on community quotas and plant production -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday afternoon, at 12:19 p.m., I spoke with an official of Occupational
Health and Safety who advised me that he had just returned from the office on
Water Street, met with the staff there and said everything was fine, there was
no concern for personal safety. Today, that office has been evacuated because of
dangerous conditions which the department has known about for some time.
I ask the minister: Why did it take her so long to act on this issue, and
what contingency plans have been put in place to deal with the chaos which will
be caused because of her tardiness in dealing with this situation?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and
Employment.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the issues with the downtown
office and it has been reported in the news. The building next door is in the
process of being demolished. We are also following the situation. Today, we
removed the workers from the building under the orders of Occupational Health
and Safety. The main phone lines still remain open. The workers are available if
we need them. We will be issuing the pay centre from the West Coast until the
situation has been dealt with. The clients still have access to services. The
phone lines are located in Regatta Plaza. Other than that, we will continue to
monitor the situation. Our priorities are the health and safety of our workers
and the fact that the clients' needs are being met.
Thank you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I say the priority came into effect after I
called Occupational Health and Safety.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. BUTLER: There was no -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair recognizes the hon. Member for Port de Grave District.
MR. BUTLER: There was no concern, Mr. Speaker, for personal safety
yesterday up until 12:19, and today the office is evacuated.
Can the minister confirm that the serious backlogs that already existed,
coupled with the latest situation which will mean serious delays for some of the
most vulnerable people in society, and what plans have been implemented to take
care of the situation?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resource, Labour and
Employment.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, in case the member across the way did not hear the
first answer I gave, we are going to work with the situation. We do have our
lines open. Clients do have access to leave messages. Everything will be dealt
with. Our workers are on notice in case we need them. The pay centre on the West
Coast will pick up right now if we cannot process from our downtown office.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate, the importance of this situation is the
health and safety of our employees and equally as important to that, is that the
clients who need service from that office will continue to receive the services.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the Minister of Education and it raises concerns that
people in Labrador, in general, have over the cancellation of the Early French
Immersion program in our schools.
Mr. Speaker, residents of Labrador, and Labrador West in particular, and
other organizations in our Province for some time now, in excess of a year, have
been after the Labrador School Board and the Department of Education through the
ministers, to make a decision that French Immersion will continue to be offered.
We have had twenty years of Early French Immersion in Labrador West. Currently,
12 per cent of all students under the Labrador School Board are in French
Immersion programs; 50 per cent of all Kindergarten intakes are enrolled into
French Immersion for the past number of years.
I ask the minister, will he commit today to the people in Labrador, and
Labrador West in particular, to protect the integrity of the Early French
Immersion program?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his question.
I certainly agree with him with regard to the value of the French Immersion
programs throughout this Province, as well in Labrador West. Again, I would
indicate to the member opposite that certainly from the department's
standpoint, we have been working closely with the board in an attempt to resolve
this situation. We continue to work with the board to resolve this situation and
I would hope in the very near future that that situation will be resolved.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to say to the minister, and ask the minister, Mr. Speaker, given the
fact that jobs in the local economy in Labrador West, because of the close
proximity to the Quebec border, because there are three large mining companies
in the area, and at times suppliers to these companies have to speak in the
French language as well, given that consideration, that mostly all jobs that are
posted require people to be bilingual, given the fact that we have graduates
from our French Immersion program in Labrador West who are now professors at
major universities across this Province, and given the concern that in the local
papers today in Labrador West there are advertisements from other school boards
across this country soliciting French Immersion program instructors, teachers,
because the word is out that the French Immersion program may not be there, will
the minister address this immediately to allay the concerns of the parents and
the students in Labrador West? Again, I ask the minister to commit, to stand in
his place today and commit to the people of Labrador West, that this program
will indeed be continued.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, I say to the member opposite that I certainly will commit to work with
the board to resolve this situation. Again, a reminder that the French Immersion
program within Newfoundland and Labrador is an optional program, it is the board
decision whether or not to continue with the program. That is why I say I will
work closely with the board to make sure that we do everything possible to make
sure that program continues.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, the recent Hay Group report that was done for the
Northern Peninsula and Southern Labrador focused on saving money and not saving
health care services in that region. Mr. Speaker, medical staff in the St.
Anthony area - we have been made aware - are now tendering resignations. People
are fearing the worst. Community leaders will, this evening, start a rally in
this area to try and protect medical services.
I want to ask the minister today: Will he commit that obstetric services,
psychiatry, radiology, gynecology and pediatric services will not be eroded from
the hospital at St. Anthony, regardless of the Hay Group recommendations that
are now in his department?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The hon. member opposite knows full well that the report that was released
several weeks ago, released publicly for everybody in the Province to see, was a
series of recommendations; in fact, Mr. Speaker, some 270 recommendations.
What government is now asking is for a variety of stakeholders in health,
whether it be our medical profession, our nurses, our employees within the
system, our municipalities, our advocates in health care, to assess and to
consult publicly with our new CEOs, with our new health authorities, which will
be coming into effect just in a matter of days.
It is a consultation process, I say to the hon. member. There are no
decisions made. There are no prejudgements. There are no biases. There are no
preconceived notions. There are no decisions. These are simply recommendations,
and we now ask publicly for a variety of individuals, for a variety of bodies,
for a variety of (inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Still no commitments, though, Mr. Speaker.
In January, I visited the Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital in
Labrador West and I was shocked to find the deplorable condition of the
hospital, especially in the emergency department, with the ceilings falling,
with the plaster peeling off the walls, and very little privacy there.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the minister himself is also now aware of the
condition that exists there. I know that last week he announced $200,000 to do a
study on whether there should be a new facility. Well, Mr. Speaker, even if
there is a new facility, it is years down the road if that is the way government
wants to go.
I say to the minister today: Will you commit to invest, from your new-found
wealth on the other side, some money into bringing the hospital in Labrador West
up to a standard that is required to provide adequate services?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, had the opportunity and the privilege to visit the very facility that
the hon. member is referencing. We have had support, I might add, recently from
the mayor of both communities in Labrador West, the Mayor or Wabush and Labrador
City, with respect to the approach and the announcement that was made during our
recent visit in Labrador.
I say to the hon. member that strategic decisions will be made by our new
health care authorities, by our new CEOs, and these decisions, in time, will be
made that will address what is indeed in the best interests of Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians with respect to any issue that they are confronted with.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is my understanding that, although the mayors welcome the $200,000 study
to look at a new hospital, they would certainly welcome some money to do the
repairs that need to be done there right now, I say to the minister.
Mr. Speaker, another troubling recommendation in the report was to remove
doctors from the Forteau health centre, to have the 3,000 residents in the
Labrador Straits use the Blanc-Sablon hospital in Quebec as a referral service
for health care in that region.
Mr. Speaker, the minister already said, quite clearly, that he would not
accept the recommendation by the Hay Group to close clinics in Southern
Labrador. I ask him today to stand and tell me he will also not accept the
recommendation to remove physicians from the Forteau health centre, that he will
not accept the recommendations to have 3,000 Labradorians use a hospital in
(inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I can only repeat, I guess, my response to her first question. Again, this is
a document with a series of recommendations. These are not decisions. The public
at large, and interested individuals, they will consult, they will engage. They
will apprise the new health care authorities and the new CEOs of their position
and, in due course, a proposed implementation plan within the next three or four
months will be presented to government. At that time, and in due course, I say
to the hon. member, and indeed all hon. members, that government, having
consulted with and having received the information gleaned over the next few
months, will make the appropriate decisions, again in the best health care
interests of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are also for the Minister of Health.
What rubbish! He talks about a report, and he waits for consultation and
input from the general public. He has already looked at the Hay report and made
his decisions about clinic closures. What a farce this is! We know what they do
with reports. The Minister of Fisheries yesterday said, when you get reports
over here they act on them. They do not let dust grow on them. They intend to
implement the Hay report.
I say to the minister: When will you end this tardiness and pointing this
issue out to the public endlessly, end the uncertainty and commit that you will
not implement the Hay committee report recommendations?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite is very familiar
with the process. He is a member of a party that, a number of years ago, engaged
the same advisors with respect to a report that ultimately was used and of great
assistance to the Health Care Corporation in St. John's. There was an Atkinson
Report prepared several years ago, I might add, Mr. Speaker, that members
opposite were afraid to release. They sat on it. It was under lock and key for
some twenty-four months.
What I am saying to the hon. member who just asked the question is that we
will take this obligation and responsibility seriously. Our new boards and our
new CEOs will listen to what the public has to say, will listen to what the Town
of Port aux Basques has to say, for example, will listen to the physicians in
your community, will listen to the nurses in your community, and having heard
and having consulted with those individuals, who are indeed the appropriate
individuals to make representations, in due course -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I say to the minister again, he has already acted on the Hay Report. He said
in his press release of February 24, the report recommendations about clinic
closures will not proceed. If he can make that decision then on clinic closures
without any consultation, he can make other decisions about the recommendations.
Now, the report recommends drastic downgrading of the services at
Stephenville and termination of the obstetrical services at Port aux Basques. We
already know your government's plan for rural Newfoundland is still blowing in
the wind, but little did we ever dream that it might include that we couldn't
have a baby west of the Wreck house.
You stopped the clinic closures, Minister. Will you commit today that you
will stop this foolishness about the obstetrics recommendations?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I will allow the process to unfold and to carry out in the way
that it should, again to respond to individuals, to respond to professionals,
and to respond to municipalities that are impacted. In due course, Mr. Speaker,
our new CEOs, our new health care authorities, will present to government a
proposed implementation plan taking into account everything they have heard and
the representations that have been made to them. Having their own assessment
completed, it will be forwarded to the department, it will be forwarded to
government, and the appropriate decisions will be made, again in the interests
of those impacted.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: We just have time for a very brief question and an equally
brief response.
The hon. the Member for the Bay of Islands.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE: My question is for the Minister of Health and Community
Services.
One of the recommendations of the Hay Report, 172, would allow a procedure
whereby long term care patients waiting for placements would be transferred from
Corner Brook to Stephenville. This would separate parents from children, spouses
from each other, and create an unacceptable level of stress and anxiety for
patients.
MR. SULLIVAN: (Inaudible).
MR. JOYCE: This is a very serious issue, I say to the Minister of
Finance. Parents are going to be separated, spouses are going to be separated -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member, he has limited time and I have to provide for a
limited response. I ask the member to finish his question.
MR. JOYCE: Will the minister now do the right thing and cancel this
recommendation 172, as you did to the other closures of the clinics because, Mr.
Speaker, you are putting a lot of stress on spouses, senior citizens, and
families in the Corner Brook area. Will you take recommendation 172 off the
table to relieve the stress?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there are 270 recommendations. The process that I have outlined
will carry out. There will be a process put in place whereby their boards and
those impacted will respond, and, in due course, the appropriate decisions will
be made. We are simply not going to pick, as in the example that was given, pick
and choose recommendations. What we are saying is that there is a process, there
is a procedure. It will be carried out, Mr. Speaker, and it will be carried out
in the interest of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allocated for Oral Questions has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of documents.
Notices of Motions.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I give notice that I will on tomorrow move the following motion, that this
House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Further Notices of Motion.
The hon. the Member for Trinity North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I wish to give notice today that I will on
tomorrow ask leave to introduce a private member's motion which reads:
Veteran; and
WHEREAS throughout Canada all citizens are being asked to pay tribute to
veterans of the wars of the last century; and
WHEREAS Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have volunteered to serve their
country, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly call on all citizens of
Newfoundland and Labrador to seek out veterans in their community and to thank
them for the contribution they made to preserving democracy, restoring peace to
the world, and to pay tribute to the many veterans who gave their lives to our
freedom.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Further Notices of Motion.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to present a petition on behalf of a number of residents of
Labrador and the Province. The petition deals with the French Immersion program,
and the prayer of the petition is as follows:
WHEREAS the Labrador School Board has made a decision not to offer French
Immersion beginning in 2005; and
WHEREAS this decision is totally in opposition to the goals of the federal
government who have set a target of having 50 per cent of high school graduates
bilingual by the year 2013; and
WHEREAS this program is very valuable and is high demand within Labrador; and
WHEREAS bilingualism provides our students with greater opportunity in their
future careers and opens many doors that would otherwise be closed; and
WHEREAS the Early Immersion program is in itself a benefit that can be used
to attract new families to Labrador; and
WHEREAS ultimately where it is the responsibility of the government to ensure
our students receive the best and broadest education possible.
We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to direct the government
to intervene and take whatever action is required to have this outrageous
decision cancelled and reversed so that children in Labrador can be better
prepared to meet the challenges facing them upon graduation from high school.
Mr. Speaker, I spoke earlier today on the value of the Early French Immersion
program and the number of people in Labrador who have benefitted from this
program, and because of the program itself, have gone on to far and greater
things in life. I also talked to the minister about the local employment
opportunities that require people - because they are dealing with two provinces
and three mining companies, to have this program reinstated because any
potential employment opportunities for a lot of people in Labrador, and in my
district, depends upon a person being bilingual.
Mr. Speaker, the demand, generally - in politics, government should listen to
the demand of the people, and the demand there is clear, when we have in excess
of 50 per cent of the intake at Kindergarten opting to enroll in the Early
French Immersion program; that speaks for itself, Mr. Speaker. It is the
minister's ultimate responsibility, not the school boards, to ensure that this
program is available to students in Labrador through the education system.
Mr. Speaker, 50 per cent of early enrollment in Early French Immersion, I
think speaks volumes about the success of the Early French Immersion program. As
I indicated earlier, 12 per cent of students under the Labrador school board are
indeed enrolled in Immersion programs. Mr. Speaker, that is the highest of any
school board in this Province. It is totally ludicrous. It does not make sense
for this government to condone a school board, or anyone else, denying
opportunities to the students and to the parents of Labrador when numbers like
this suggest that the demand is very high for the Early French Immersion program
to continue.
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage and urge the minister -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's allotted time has expired.
Does the member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.
MR. COLLINS: I would encourage the minister, Mr. Speaker, because Monday,
in politics, the Budget will be coming down for the Province. I would encourage
the minister, that in this short time - if it is not done already - between now
and then, to think long and hard about the problem that we are experiencing with
the cancellation of Early French Immersion and to do what is in his power to
meet with the people who are concerned, to meet with the representatives of the
school board and to make sure that, come Monday, this program will be allowed to
survive and flourish the way it has been for more than twenty years now.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HICKEY: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the hon. House today to present this petition:
To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned, being residents of the
Districts of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, Labrador West, Lake Melville, and
Torngat Mountains;
WHEREAS the auditorium committee has the support of all of Labrador
communities for an auditorium in Happy Valley-Goose Bay; and
WHEREAS the committee has obtained $300,000 funding for the Department of
Canadian Heritage, dependent on provincial money and has raised $20,000 locally;
and
WHEREAS there is no performance base in Eastern Labrador and it needs to be
within walking distance for students to use;
THEREFORE we ask the government to provide the $2.4 million designated, but
not deferred to begin construction during this season, as in duty bound your
petitioners will ever pray.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a couple of comments about this.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. HICKEY: There are a number of key infrastructure needs for us in
Labrador, particularly in my district, and the auditorium is certainly but one.
I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that we have a number of needs, and this is
certainly one of the top priorities that has come to me as an MHA from Labrador.
I will tell you that we have given, certainly, my views on this, as an MHA, to
the Premier and to the Cabinet, and I hope that we will see some success in this
particular file on this particular issue in the forthcoming Budget.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I do not know if there is going to be a revolt in the back
benches over there, or if the money is actually in the Budget for the
auditorium, but it has to be one or the other.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to rise today to present a petition on behalf of people
in Labrador with regard to a campaign that has been on the go to have a kidney
dialysis unit put in Labrador to service the population there.
Mr. Speaker, the people of that area have found that over recent weeks and
months they have had to have their loved ones go outside of Labrador, to move to
places in different parts of the Island of the Province, to seek medical care.
They feel that this is a very legitimate request, and I support them in it. Most
places in the Province right now where there have been a number of people that
have required kidney dialysis, we have put the money there to put the units
there to provide the services to the people. Now, Mr. Speaker -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair is having difficulty hearing the hon. member. We are aware of the
fact that the acoustics are not good in here, and the sound system is not
operating as we usually have it. I ask members for their co-operation.
The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, and in the last year, we have
seen more people in Labrador requiring kidney dialysis than we have before. We
have a number of people right now who are on portable dialysis systems at home,
and we know that it is a matter of time when they will require more significant
services. That is why the campaign is on now to have a kidney dialysis unit put
in Labrador to service the population there.
I talked to a man only a few weeks ago, from Cartwright, whose parents had to
move to Conception Bay South to live because they were not able to access the
service in Labrador itself, and this has been very traumatic for families. They
do not always have the financial ability to be able to come down here to visit
their parents, who have had to move away from home at a very young age. It is
causing a lot of turmoil within these families.
I know that the stats are not at the level where government would like them
to be to make this investment, but I am asking them today to please consider
this as an important piece of medical equipment that needs to be placed in
Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, you already know, the Department of Health already knows, that
there is a growing rate of diabetes in our Aboriginal community, that there is a
growing rate of diabetes in the Labrador population in general, and that we have
reason to believe that, in the coming years and future years, there will be more
of a demand placed on having this kind of a service in the Labrador region.
Mr. Speaker, I am asking government. This year you had almost $50 million in
new money, in transfers through the Department of Health. You have also signed
the Atlantic Accord, which will bring in billions of dollars in new money to the
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. I ask you to sincerely give
consideration to having a kidney dialysis unit placed in Labrador, to service
the Labrador population, so that we can keep our people at home in their
communities and accessing a service that is in Labrador, and they do not have to
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's allotted time has expired.
Does the member seek leave?
MS JONES: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Okay, the Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Grand
Falls-Buchans.
MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise again today to offer a petition to this hon. House on behalf of the
Central Regional Committee Against Violence in Grand Falls-Windsor.
That committee is doing wonderful work, and their only wish is that they will
be able to continue this wonderful work. A couple of months ago, they were
advised by the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, and the
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, that they might discontinue
funding for violence prevention. Now, that is a big statement to make -
discontinue funding for violence prevention.
That office has operated there in Grand Falls-Windsor, at 5 Hardy Avenue, for
the past seven years. That office has received government funding to do its
important work for the past seven years. Prior to that, the central co-ordinator
of that particular organization worked from her home, gave out her own telephone
number so that the public could seek her assistance. This has now become a
government-run office, which it should be. Can you imagine the partnerships that
have developed with the RCMP, with Health and Community Services and so on? I
can just give you one example that has happened most recently.
The RCMP needed a non-institutionalized centre where they could interview
children who had been abused. Naturally, this was the perfect setting for them
to use, so they went to the violence prevention office and they struck up a
partnership where they could use their office to interview victims of sexual
assault. Their resource office provided a much less threatening environment, so
they, the partners, furnished and equipped rooms to interview victims.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow this office to close. When you think about child
abuse, sexual abuse, elder abuse, all kinds of family abuse, how can the
minister responsible for this office say funding is a problem when we already
know that the Atlantic Accord will bring in excess of $2 billion to this
Province? They are looking for such a small amount of money to operate, and
mostly all of the operations are done by volunteers. There are only a couple of
paid staff.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to impress upon this House and the minister:
Reconsider your decision. Don't lose sight of what important work is being
done by this office, and how many people are depending on it. Reconsider. You
are a few days away from your Budget, and I know all you decisions have been
made. The funding arrangement for this office is pittance when you consider the
value that government will get for the investment. Government should not
consider cutting off funding. They should consider investing more in violence
prevention. That is the way to go, and -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's allotted time has expired.
MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I just hope I will be able to convince the minister otherwise.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to present a petition, signed by a number of resident in this
Province, calling for a referendum with the view of banning VLTs in our
Province.
WHEREAS the alarming statics in our Province indicate that there is one VLT
for every 155 adults - the highest ratio of any province in this country; and
WHEREAS gambling addiction has increased with the availability of VLTs in
restaurants and bars; and
WHEREAS it is estimated that at least 5 per cent of those who gamble face an
addiction which has led to not only costs to society but tragic consequences in
the lives of those afflicted; and
WHEREAS the people of our Province should have a right to decide on whether
or not they want to have something that causes as much destruction as VLTs in
our society;.
We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to direct government to
immediately increase funding for problem gambling, strictly enforce the existing
VLT regulations, remove VLTs from venues frequented by individuals under
nineteen years of age, limit the number of VLTs to bars, and to hold a
Province-wide referendum in conjunction with the municipal elections in 2005 to
determine whether or not the people of our Province want to have VLTs in our
midst.
Mr. Speaker, in recent days there have been some new developments on the
issue of VLTs in other provinces. The Province of Quebec is taking steps to
reduce the number of VLTs. The Opposition in Nova Scotia have gone public,
calling on government to decrease by 50 per cent the number of VLTs in their
province by the end of this year, with all of them to be eliminated by the year
2008. Mr. Speaker, that is a direction that this Province should be taking as
well. We do not need things in our society that cause the problems that VLTs
cause. They are known by experts in the addiction field as the crack cocaine of
gambling, and they are known as that for a reason, Mr. Speaker, because of the
speed and the so little time it takes for people's lives to be destroyed.
Mr. Speaker, recently, in yesterday's The Telegram , there was a case
in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, where a person lost his income tax refund to
VLTs, and he went home, got his axe, came back to the club, and you know what he
did with the five VLTs. Well, they might not have paid out but they did not take
any money after either.
Mr. Speaker, that is what these machines can drive people to do. He did not
get thrown in jail for that, Mr. Speaker. When he went to court, he was placed
on probation and ordered to pay the damages, but the judge understood what this
man was going through as a result of losing so much money to an addiction that
he had with the VLTs.
Mr. Speaker, this Province has to consider the amount of damage that has been
done to people, the people who have taken their lives, the people who have
ruined themselves and their families financially. I think it is time for the
Province to take a serious look -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's allotted time has expired.
MR. COLLINS: By leave, Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: Yes.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted for some concluding comments.
MR. COLLINS: Hopefully next week, on Budget Day, we will see some sign
that this government is willing to relinquish the millions of dollars taken in;
because this money that they can go without, by getting rid of VLTs, will come
back into the economy in other ways, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the day that
government takes its responsibility and calls for the elimination of VLTs in
this Province.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to present a petition on behalf of people from all regions of
Labrador, Mr. Speaker. This petition is in light of the Province's new fiscal
position that they find themselves in, but basically -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JONES: Basically what the petition says, Mr. Speaker, is with regard
to the funds that will be received on recall power being sold by the government,
exported into the United States. They are calling upon the Premier and the
government to now invest these funds solely into infrastructure in Labrador, to
have the highway through Labrador paved, and to start the building of
transmission lines to transport cheaper power for industry development into
Labrador communities.
Mr. Speaker, in 1999, the Liberal government, under Brian Tobin, did sign a
deal to export recall power on the Upper Churchill. Last year, the Premier of
the Province, Premier Williams and his government, renegotiated and signed that
deal as well to continue with the export of power. As far as I know right now,
there is about 90 megawatts of power being exported into the U.S., that the
government this year will earn $45 million in profit on that particular
resource. It is a five-year contract that will bring in about $230 million in
profit over a five-year period.
Mr. Speaker, when this deal was signed almost a year ago, the Province was in
a very different fiscal situation. They were not in a position to be able to
cover off the daily expenditures for social programs within the Province, and it
would have been unrealistic for Labradorians to expect that this money could be
put into a separate fund or into separate investments for their community.
Well, in light of the fact that the government has now signed the Atlantic
Accord, has made a special case within the federation of Canada to allow
Newfoundland and Labrador to keep 100 per cent of its royalties on oil and gas,
now Labradorians also want the government to consider their fiscal and their
need for infrastructure, and ask the government to give them some priority under
this particular agreement.
Mr. Speaker, I am not talking about power that is being sold under the winter
availability agreement - I understand how that works - but this is power, 130
megawatts, that was reserved for Labrador communities, to be used to supply them
with options for industry development. They are not able to access it simply
because they do not have the infrastructure at this time. So what we are asking
is that government, when they receive this profit over the next five years, make
a commitment to invest it directly into Labrador, to start building the
transmission lines - which I understand now the cost of a line that would run
from Churchill Falls into Happy Valley-Goose Bay would be somewhere around $55
million. A line that would see an upgrading, addition of a substation and
running into Labrador West, would cost about $60 million.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's allotted time has expired.
MS JONES: Just a minute to clue up, Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: Yes.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted for some concluding comments.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we know that it is well over a $100 million
expenditure to be able to deal with that problem, but we also know that in five
years, when the agreement runs out, there would be an opportunity that this
power could stay in Labrador communities and be used to attract alternative
industry, as well as seeing some of it invested into upgrading and paving of the
Trans-Labrador Highway.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am always interested to hear the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair. I
am not trying to diminish the issues that she raises, because they are all
important to the people of Labrador, but I am not sure if it is a farewell
speech or a final dash for the cash in terms of the nomination that is coming up
on March 29.
Having said all of that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish her well. What she
is doing today is either one of two things: Either the Member for Torngat should
get back here, or she should get back up there. I am not sure which is true, Mr.
Speaker.
Having said that - I do want to be clear that I am not trying to diminish the
importance of the issues that are being raised, because they are important -
many of the issues that she has raised are issues that government is dealing
with. The decisions, the potential decisions, will unfold in due course.
Mr. Speaker, with that, I move Motion 1, that the House resolve itself into a
Committee of Whole on Supply to consider certain resolutions for the granting of
Interim Supply to Her Majesty, Bill 2.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the House that I have
received a message from His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.
MR. SPEAKER: All rise.
The message from His Honour reads as follows:
As Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, I
transmit a request to appropriate sums required for the Public Service of the
Province for the year ending 31 March 2006, by way of Interim Supply, and in
accordance with provisions of sections 54 and 90 of the Constitution Act, 1867,
I recommend this request to the House of Assembly.
Sgd.: _________________________________________________________
Edward Roberts, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that the message, together with a bill, be referred to the Committee
of Supply.
MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that the message, together with a bill, be
referred to the Committee of Supply.
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Motion carried.
Committee of the Whole
CHAIR (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
Bill 2,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For
Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For the Financial Year Ending
March 31 2006 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just rise to comment briefly on the Interim Supply Bill which is, as
members are aware, seeking approval for $1,446,010,500, which is really
technically an advance on the Budget amount for this year, which will be brought
down on Monday, and approval to be able to carry on the functions of government
until the Budget will get approval from this Legislature, which may be in May or
may be in June, depending. Last year it was in June. We hope it won't be
August. If so, we will have to come back to the House with another Interim
Supply Bill, if it goes much beyond July.
The numbers are all there, so the department can continue to pay employees,
so it can continue to meet payrolls for income support, to be able to advance
money for road construction, operation of ferries, maintenance of buildings, and
pay utilities, the costs of running government operations. That is the purpose
of an Interim Supply Bill, to advance monies to enable the workings of
government to go on. Without Interim Supply, as we know, and no legislative
authority to spend, activities of government would stop, without legislative
approval.
That is basically the intent of it. The amounts here are just percentages of
the amounts needed to run each department. Some requirements are obviously
higher than others at certain times. Sometimes approval may be getting monies
out, whether it is a tender process. Some programs require early expenditures of
money and some require expenditures later in the year. The cash flow on programs
vary, depending on the type of program, the involvement of the program, the
season of the year and so on, and the financial requirements needed to be able
to meet those ongoing commitments.
Of course, the Legislature is one of these, to be able to function, to be
able to be here beyond the end of March. Technically, we need approval so the
Legislature can even meet and be able to get paid, to meet and be able to
approve then the general budget and expenditures associated with it. I am not
going to belabour any of these points. In due course, between today and I am
sure on Tuesday or Thursday, whenever this bill passes, we will have ample
opportunity to look at all the details. Within the next legislative day we will
have an opportunity to look at the Budget, the estimates. Every detail of that
particular bill will be encompassed within the Budget and within the total
estimates in our spendings for the 2005-2006 year.
So, with that, Mr. Chairman, I will conclude my comments. I am sure over the
course of this afternoon or next week during debate on this, I will add other
comments to it if necessary and so on.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.
MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This is a rundown, I guess, or a warm-up for next week. So it is a preview of
next week, starting Tuesday.
MR. SULLIVAN: It is a preview of next year, actually.
MS THISTLE: Well, it is a preview of what we are going to be saying,
starting next week.
The first thing I wanted to say, Mr. Chairman, yesterday the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board laid a special warrant on the table.
Now, my ears are still ringing with his words to me, when I was the President of
Treasury Board, about special warrants. I can tell you, when I was the President
of Treasury Board there were very few special warrants.
The special warrant that he laid on the table yesterday was dated March 9,
2005. Now, when you present a special warrant, it has to be an urgent situation
to have a special warrant into effect when the House is not in session. Now, he
knew full well that within a week the House of Assembly would open. His special
warrant was dated to the Lieutenant Governor March 9, and we opened the House of
Assembly March 16. I would like for him to tell me what was so urgent that it
could not wait seven days so that it could have been - there was nothing in the
media. I did not hear in the media anyone wanting special emergency funding. I
did not hear doctors crying out, saying that they needed extra money. I did not
hear health and community services crying out in the media there was any panic -
no panic buttons to be pushed. Yet, for all of that, the Minister of Finance,
who was always the strong proponent of no special warrants, could not wait seven
days until he got in the House to do it properly. So, we will all be interested
in hearing what his excuse is when -
AN HON. MEMBER: He wanted to do it under the cover of darkness.
MS THISTLE: Yes.
I am sure he will have some reason to tell us, but I cannot imagine how there
would be anything that life shattering or earth shattering -
MR. SULLIVAN: (Inaudible).
MS THISTLE: Oh, I know you are itching to answer, but you just hold onto
your seat, your britches, and you will get plenty of time.
CHAIR: Order, please!
MS THISTLE: Now I would like to talk about Bill 2, which is the Interim
Supply. I had to go and check when I saw Bill 2 -
MR. SULLIVAN: A point of order, Mr. Chair.
CHAIR: Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, on a point
of order.
MR. SULLIVAN: Mr. Chair, the hon. member has made a statement that is not
correct. I think it is important at this time, rather than to move forward, to
spell that out.
We had hoped to wait until the House opened to be able to deal with this. We
were told that there was not sufficient money in the vote to be able to pay
doctors. There was an extra $7.5 million extra money on doctors because there
are sixty-five new doctors in the Province since last year. There was not enough
money in the vote for the fee for service and we would not be able to pay the
doctors. We had hoped it could last until the House opened, but because it could
not - we held it as long as we could, hoping we could wait until the House
opened and get a supplementary supply bill. We were told if we did not issue it
then, they would not get paid. That is the reason why, and that is what
warranted a special warrant in the opinion of the Minister of Health.
CHAIR: Order, please!
There is certainly no point of order, just a point of clarification.
The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.
MS THISTLE: Well, Mr. Chairman, you can see he is pretty sensitive, isn't
he? After standing on his feet for ten years talking about special warrants -
complaining about them - and here he could not wait seven days. He had to go and
issue a special warrant.
MR. SULLIVAN: Well, we could wait but we did not want the doctors to wait
for their cheques.
MS THISTLE: What do you mean you did not want doctors to wait for their
cheques? They are dropping off like flies. They are quitting sure.
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MS THISTLE: Well, that is what we are hearing. They are dropping off like
flies.
CHAIR: Order, please!
I ask that the hon. Member for Grand Falls-Buchans be heard. Every member
will get an opportunity to respond and have an opportunity to speak to this
resolution.
The hon. the Member for Grand Fall-Buchans.
MS THISTLE: Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I hope that his point of order is not cutting into my time
because I was looking over this Bill 2, this Interim Supply, and I would say to
the general public out there watching this telecast this afternoon, there is
going to be big spending in the Budget on Monday. There is going to be big
spending in the Budget. We already know that they are looking for Interim
Supply, almost $200 million more than they asked for this time last year. They
are looking for almost $200 million for Interim Supply to run the services of
government more than they did last year, and that tells a lot of things about
this government. They laid off a lot of staff. They cut a lot of services. They
generated new income by way of new fees and so on, but still, for all of that,
they are going to spend close to $200 million in this request alone.
Now, where are they going to spend this money, I wonder? That is the key.
Where are they going to spend this money? I have an idea where they could spend
money. I can tell you that the people of Grand Falls-Buchans - on Monday they
are expecting a huge announcement in Grand Falls-Windsor. We are expecting a
huge announcement in Grand Falls-Windsor on Monday. I do not think I will be
wrong in this, but I think the government has realized that the Central West
Health Care Board, which has a new name now, their request to government for the
cancer clinic will be approved on Monday. The request for the cancer clinic in
Grand Falls-Windsor will be approved on Monday. That is an announcement I am
going to make and if I am wrong, I will not believe it because there will be no
excuse. There will be no excuse that this government will be able to produce
that will cover off why there would not be an announcement on the cancer clinic
on Monday. The board has done their homework. The need is there. The requests
are by many. The endorsements come from every sector that you might imagine. The
Canadian Cancer Society has endorsed this request. Every community within
Central Newfoundland has endorsed it. There is no excuse, under the sun, why the
people of Grand Falls-Windsor will not get their cancer clinic on Monday. I am
truly expecting it, and you will never satisfy me with any reason why it will
not be announced on Monday. So, I am going to write that down as a very positive
decision that this new government is making on Monday: There will be a cancer
clinic in Grand Falls-Windsor.
I was on my feet a few moments ago and I talked about the centre for violence
in Grand Falls-Windsor, which has a very legitimate request. We are not talking
about a lot of money, but we are talking about a lot of good this centre can do
for a lot of people. It has already been proven that this centre helps many
people from Eastport to Westport. They cover four geographic regions, and they
have partnerships with everyone connected to social issues in Central
Newfoundland.
I would ask the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, the
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women - I am looking directly at her as I
speak - I ask you to sell this idea to your Cabinet colleagues, if you have not
already done it, because you will be doing a lot of good for the people of
Central Newfoundland and, in particular, Grand Falls-Windsor.
If the RCMP and Health and Community Services can partner with the community
violence organization and ask that their premises be used to interview sexual
assault victims, and raise money and furnish that office for that purpose, can
you see the good in that? Can you see the money that you are saving as a
government? Because mostly all the people in that office are volunteers. They
have a record of doing good over the past seven years. There is very little
money required.
Make the right investment. Do the right thing as a government and you will
not need to second-guess your decision. It is the right thing to do. So, I call
upon the minister to make that decision on Monday. I am sure it has been made
already. Let the people in Grand Falls-Windsor know they can continue their
violence prevention, and those victims have a place where they can turn, and
they can pick up a phone and they know there will be somebody at the other end
to help them in their time of need. You can make no better decision. I would
like to impress upon you that importance.
I want to congratulate Jessica Magalios and the Canadian Federation of
Students. They have outwitted the Premier. They have outwitted the Premier. When
I saw Jessica Magalios and her entourage do their press conference, they used
the posters of the commitment that Paul Martin made to our Premier, and they
used them so effectively. It did not cost them any money to do it. They just
recounted the words that our Premier used against Paul Martin. It was so
effective. They came to see the Premier and the Minister of Education, not
expecting a direct answer. The Throne Speech was on Tuesday, and they had met
with the Premier in the morning.
I have to say cheers to Jessica Magalios and the Canadian Federation of
Students. They upstaged the Premier with his own words, and he could not resist.
He could not look away from it. He had to admit that he expected the Prime
Minister of this country, once he made a promise, to keep it. The young people
reminded our Premier that once he made a promise he should keep it.
The promises were all the ones that were outlined in this book, about
freezing tuition for post-secondary students. He had to abide by his own words,
because it meant so much during the Atlantic Accord.
I would say congratulations to our young people. They were able to secure
that tuition freeze without spending any of their own money that they did not
even have. Congratulations!
I wonder, is the Minister of Education ready to make that same commitment to
the students who are at the College of the North Atlantic? Can he assure
students, teachers and parents, that there will be no campuses of the College of
the North Atlantic closing in the Budget on Monday?
They were able to secure a commitment from the Premier. Can people around
this Province - students - secure that same commitment from the Minister of
Education, that there will be no cuts to campuses of the College of the North
Atlantic on Monday? Is he willing to stand in his place and give that
commitment? I wonder.
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MS FOOTE: Did you hear what the Member for Gander just said?
MS THISTLE: I heard what the Member for Gander just said. I have a keen
sense of hearing, and I am not going to even mention what the Member for Gander
said. There is lots I could mention that the Member for Gander has said. I have
a briefcase here of things that were in the media, that the Member for Gander
has said. I will not embarrass the Member for Gander today. He will have lots of
chances to get up on his feet and speak for the people in his district, if he
wants to.
I want to talk about an e-mail that I received today, just before I came to
this House of Assembly. It talked about the money that was announced earlier
this week by the Minister of Education and the Premier. It talked about the
money that was announced regarding repairs to schools, and improvements. It did
not talk about new construction. This parent impressed upon myself that all the
talk about school repairs seems to be happening on the Avalon.
Now, there are lots of schools throughout the Province that are well in need
of repairs and they are outside the Avalon. Apparently there was a meeting held
- actually, there is supposed to be a meeting held this afternoon, March 17,
with the Minister of Education and a group of parents and school councils from
the Avalon to discuss school maintenance items.
I know that the Minister of Education is from the Avalon, but that does not
preclude - I ask a question to the Minister of Education: Why do you just invite
people from the Avalon when you are having a meeting? I mean, there are issues
all over this Province; they are not unique to the Avalon.
We have three schools in Grand Falls-Windsor that have leaks, as well as
those here in the Avalon. In fact, in Woodland Primary there was a leak in the
roof last week and water came in through the library ceiling. Computer classes
were cancelled because equipment from the library had to be stored in the
computer room.
You are having a meeting today with parents and teachers just from the
Avalon. Let me tell you that your jurisdiction is the whole entire Province and
it would not hurt sometimes, when you are wanting a perspective from right
across the Island, to invite people from different districts so you can hear
different concerns being raised.
We also had notice today of a leaky roof at Millcrest gymnasium in three
separate areas. So, you know how disruptive that is to sports programs that are
being taught at the gymnasium and how disruptive it is for play and so on. So,
$16 million, that is not a whole lot of money to announce for schools right
across our Province. I hope that is just a preview that people can expect in our
Budget on Monday, that you are going to see a whole lot of more money put into
school repair and new school construction.
I want to talk about Bill 2, and I was trying to compare -
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. Member for Grand Falls-Buchans that her time has expired.
MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am sure I will have another opportunity.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just wanted to address, in a little more detail there - I did not want to
take too much time. With reference to - even though it is not a part, I say to
the member, of this Interim Supply Bill, it is a monetary matter and it is a
matter that pertains to the 2004-05 fiscal year while Interim Supply is approval
for an Interim Supply Bill as a part of 2005-06 year, but I do want to comment
on the special warrant as she raised it.
We, as a government, have been very critical of issuing special warrants,
particularly where it could be debated here in the House under Supplementary
Supply. In the past, what we have done over the past year, and even last year
before March 31, we brought a Supplementary Supply Bill to the House rather than
a special warrant because we could do it. In this instance, the House was slated
to open on March 15 - or the second Monday of March, which would have been March
14, and the holiday. Then on March 15 we had hoped to bring a Supplementary
Supply here and be able to deal with this under a Supplementary Supply Bill, but
because the House was not open and the Department of Health issued a special
warrant - because we were informed that if they did not have the money prior to
March 10, the Department of Health could not meet the payroll needed to be able
to pay the accounts, in particular to physicians on that basis. The money was
not appropriated here to do it.
So, on that basis the Department of Health, and under a special warrant as
issued by the minister of the department who considers it urgent to have to
issue a warrant to meet an ongoing commitment - we consider it essential. It is
in the
interpretation of the minister, essential, that if we can meet a payroll
or pay a cheque and the House was closed, that it was urgent, that somebody has
to be paid and physicians had to be paid. Whether it was income support people
who had to be paid, we would have a warrant or a Supplementary Supply Bill. If
it is anybody in our system or any public employees of our Province who would
have to be paid on a certain day, it would have necessitated that.
We have one special warrant tabled here in this House. Last year, I think
there were fifteen special warrants. The former government passed them out like
they were going out of style; like it was an everyday occurrence. There were
dozens of them there at the end of the year, to move monies around and to avoid
proper accounting procedures. We stand for proper accounting procedures. We want
things done properly. We would have liked to do a Supplementary Supply Bill; we
could not do it because the commitment had to be made. That is why there is a
special warrant here stated for $7.3 million, a special warrant, and there will
be a Supplementary Supply Bill debated in this House in this session to give
approval to do that.
When we took over as a government in November, 2003, we had to deal with
Supplementary Supply Bills from 2002-2003, from 2003-2004. We had to go two
years back. The former government would not even bring a bill to this House and
debate it for legislative approval for money that they issued in a special
warrant and would not come to the people here in the people's House to approve
that money. We had to do it. We had to clear off a whole backlog of bills when
they did not exercise their responsibility to deal efficiently and expeditiously
with bills on expenditures they had already made and did not bring it to the
people of the Province. We are not going to do that, Mr. Chairman. Every single
instance where we can deal with a Supplementary Supply Bill, we are going to it.
If there is a forest fire that requires money and there is no budget and we have
to deal with it through special warrant, that is a just cause. If people who
work for this Province giving medical services, fee-for-service, whether they
are specialists or in family practices or whatever, they have to do their jobs.
Whether it is an operation, whether it is cardiac surgery, replacement of hips
or whatever the case may be, they are employed indirectly on a fee-for-service
by the Province, we pay for that service and we expect them to get paid.
In that $7.3 million, there was also a $2.8 million on top of the $4.5
million for physicians that was necessary to deal with medical services for
out-of-province programs. That was the amount that we needed over and above what
was allocated in the Budget. That money had to be paid, and when money has to be
paid it has to be paid, and we are going to live up to our responsibility to do
that. We are not going to expect people to wait until it comes to the House here
to have to get paid. We have minimized it. We have it down to one.
Look at history. Read the Auditor General's reports in the past, how often
the AG has cited the manipulation of funds at year end. There are numerous
things, I say to the hon. member, that she would see as being done differently.
It is done properly and it will be properly accounted for and be done in a
manner that is open and transparent. We will give exactly the reasons for doing
what we have to do.
It is a last resort when you see a Special Warrant issued. We had two
earlier. Two were issued last fall. We dealt with them in a Supply Bill in the
House last fall. One was 100 per cent reimbursable, $72,700 on a search and
rescue program, I think it was, the Department of Justice. We had 100 per cent
reimbursement from the federal government. If we didn't do it then, we would
not have gotten the continuation of a three-year program and gotten 100 per cent
of the money. That is a justification. They are not issues that have ever been
raised in the past.
We had one other one this fall. We made a decision last fall - the House was
not open and they wanted to add new RCMP officers in Labrador to deal with
policing and problems of a justice nature - and last fall we brought a bill to
the House, debated it here in this House, and approved it subsequently, a
Supplementary Supply Bill to deal with putting RCMP officers in Labrador, and
extra staff. They needed approval right away so they could have them in place.
If they had to wait for the House to open it would have been a lag. In the
opinion of the Minister of Justice it was sufficient to warrant that and the
Warrant gets issued by the minister who is responsible for that department. It
was one that we endorsed and we acted on. We put the wheels in motion to get
those RCMP officers. In the process, arrangements were made to have them moved
there and to be used in the necessary policing in Labrador.
We don't make any excuses for doing that. It was a very justifiable
procedure. It was debated and got approval, I think. I cannot speak for that
side of the House. I do believe it was supported, from memory, by that side of
the House on that issue. It was open and transparent. Not only was it done, but
the bill that gave authority to it was brought to the House immediately. I did a
news release indicating that we had done it and it would be brought to the House
in a Supplementary Supply Bill, not wait until the House opens.
This one was done very recently. I would have followed the same procedure if
there was time, but since the House was open I wanted to give notice immediately
on that. That is what was done when I tabled that yesterday at the very first
opportunity, basically, when the House opened here on Tuesday. So, that is an
opportunity to be able to be open, to be transparent and debate that issue. Even
though that is not even related to the bill that is on debate here in the House,
the minister raised it and I want to clarify that issue here so it is fully
understood here.
What we are debating here in this House is an Interim Supply Bill of $1.4
billion, to get approval for this money so we can carry on the workings of
government beyond March 31. That is what this bill is about; we want to be able
to carry on the workings of government. The Province cannot shut down on March
31. It was common in the past, an annual thing, to have an Interim Supply Bill.
I must say, when we were in Opposition, and the current Opposition, last
year, were always co-operative in getting this. I think they realize the
importance of government being able to carry out its day-to-day business here. I
have never in my time in the House, I think, seen problems associated with
Interim Supply passing. That has always gotten the co-operation, I think, of
everybody in the House, as they know we need to pay employees, we need to do
work that is needed to be done, and we need it to be able to carry on business
in anticipation of a Budget getting passed later on in the spring or early
summer, whatever the case may be.
I just wanted to clarify those particular points, and if others arise that
require clarification or comments I will certainly get an opportunity later on
today or next week to be able to do that.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I wanted to rise today and have a few words with regard to Interim Supply.
Mr. Chairman, I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the announcements
last week when the Cabinet took their jaunt into Labrador for the first time,
all of the Cabinet up in the Big Land, up there, flying all the mayors in from
all of the communities to discuss the important issues of Labradorians.
Mr. Chairman, I have to say, it is good to see the Cabinet going out and
doing that, and we are hoping that discussion was a fruitful one. We are hoping
that when the Budget comes down on Monday there will be oodles and oodles and
oodles of money announced for Labrador, Mr. Chairman. We are expecting it. The
expectation is definitely there. I can tell you that the mayors who sat at that
round table - I have talked to a lot of them - they feel confident that Monday
the floodgates will open up and there will be lots of new investment for
Labrador communities.
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible) Newfoundland and Labrador.
MS JONES: Not like that, that was announced last week, Mr. Chairman, I
say. Fifty-six million dollars was announced in Labrador, for Labradorians. Mr.
Chairman, out of the $56 million, I would say close to $54 million of it was
federal money. Close to $54 million was federal government money.
MR. SULLIVAN: That is our money, too. (Inaudible).
MS JONES: Now, don't get me wrong, because I don't care where it
comes from, if it is the federal government or if it is the provincial
government, as long as it goes into the pockets and the communities of people in
Labrador.
I say this, Mr. Chairman: You give credit where credit is due. It was only
about $2 million of all that money that actually came from the general revenue
of the Province. I could be corrected. It might have been $100,000 or so either
way. I can be corrected.
Let's talk about some of these announcements. The money for the medical
travel program for Labrador was a transfer of money under the Health Accord from
the federal government to the provincial government, that was signed in
November. For almost six months that money has been lying somewhere within the
revenue of the provincial government. It has not yet been allocated to Labrador
communities. Every single day, somewhere in my district, or somewhere in another
district in Labrador, someone is looking to get to hospital in St. John's, or
in Corner Brook, or in Grand Falls, and they cannot afford to get there.
Mr. Chairman, it is very, very frustrating for people when they know that the
government, in November, signed a health accord, when they know that in November
the federal government gave them money for this program so that they could have
access to these hospitals and that they would not have to pay out of their own
pocket.
Mr. Chairman, I hope that on Monday, finally, the government will see fit to
take that money and put it where it belongs, in the hands of Labradorians who
have to go out for medical treatment, so that it does not matter if you live in
Nain, if you live in L'Anse-au-Loup, if you live in Goose Bay, if you live in
Cartwright, if you live in Labrador City - it does not matter - you will be able
to have access to the services of the main hospital in St. John's at a rate
that people can afford to access them, not like it is now.
Mr. Chairman, we will be expecting that announcement, and I will be expecting
an announcement, I want to say to the Minister of Transportation and Works, an
announcement that will make some corrections on the highway between Lodge Bay
and Red Bay. That
section of road is currently closed. We have had very little
effort and very little equipment applied to that highway over the winter. The
government just announced $750,000 for another depot to go on that road. I am
not saying that is a bad thing, but what I am saying is: Where is the priority
right now? The priority right now, for us, is to have some money invested to
make the corrections that have to be made to some of the rock cuts in that road
so that next year we can hope to keep the road open for the entire year.
Mr. Chairman, we want to see some small things done as well, like putting a
few snow blowers on the road, dedicated to that
section of road, to try and keep
it open.
Mr. Chairman, I know that the minister, with the new-found wealth in the
government opposite, is going to do everything in his power to try and get this
road corrected this summer, and get some work done on it. Mr. Chairman, I
certainly hope that all efforts are going to be made to see that happens.
Mr. Chairman, we also heard a few other announcements made with regard to
municipal infrastructure money. There are a lot of communities in Labrador that
will access that money to improve infrastructure in their communities, but there
are a lot that cannot access it. They cannot access it simply because, having to
pay a portion of the cost, as small municipalities, they are not able to do so.
When you look at a community like Black Tickle, that has no water and sewer, Mr.
Chairman, we have to ensure that we work closer with the federal government to
try and get 100 per cent funded infrastructure programs for those communities,
because they will not be able to participate in cost-shared initiatives. They do
not have the revenue in their community and they do not have the investment to
make it happen.
Mr. Chairman, what a lot of people expected to hear last week when the
Cabinet was in Labrador was, when the new office of Labrador and Aboriginal
Affairs was going to have a deputy minister. When the Budget came down last
year, when the Throne Speech came down last year, it had all kinds of nice
little words and nice little commitments that talked about opening a Premier's
office in Labrador, Mr. Chairman. Well, last week they said the same thing
again. Three times now they have announced that they are going to put a Premier's
office in Labrador and yet we still do not have one.
Mr. Chairman, in fourteen months they have not even been able to fill the
Deputy Minister of Labrador Affairs vacancy in Labrador. That is the emphasis
and the effort that they have put on it.
Mr. Chairman, maybe, just maybe, if they took the Member for Lake Melville,
the only government-elected MHA in Labrador, and put him in the Cabinet, let him
sit at the inner circle, maybe they could all learn something, I say to the
members opposite. Maybe then, Mr. Chairman, we would have a good voice in
Labrador representing Labradorians.
Mr. Chairman, that is the key. I will tell you, my experience is this: When
you know the issue, when you know the solution, when you are shown a way to get
it done, it gets done. No one is going to convince me in this House of Assembly,
and no one is going to convince anybody in Labrador, that having someone from
the Northern Peninsula, or the Baie Verte Peninsula, or any other peninsula on
the Island, is going to do a better job at representing Labradorians than the
person who someone in a district in Labrador had the confidence to elect and
send to the House of Assembly. Mr. Speaker, do you want to do the right thing?
Do you want to show a commitment to Labrador communities? Well, you pay respect
to what people have said, and they have said that they are going to send a
member to your side of the House and to your government and you give them the
kind of respect they deserve, and take the advice. Let him sit at the inner
circle, let him represent Labradorians and Labrador communities, and I think you
will get a lot more results.
Mr. Chairman, when that is done, maybe they will fill the deputy minister
position for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, a department that we have seen
fourteen, fifteen jobs in. When they took over that, there are five or six
positions left in that office. That is the kind of commitment we have seen to
Labrador issues. I think there is a lot more that could be done.
As I said, we have listened to them announce the Premier's Office now three
times and it is still not set up. Maybe when they came in to make the big
announcement last week, or perhaps this will be in the Budget. Perhaps in the
Budget on Monday, Labradorians will finally get a full commitment from the
members opposite, and the government opposite, to put a full marketing division
in Goose Bay for 5 Wing. Maybe that is what they will do. They will make a
commitment to put a marketing division there for 5 Wing Goose Bay so that they
can send someone, that there is someone who is dedicated just to go to Europe to
meet with the allied countries, to try and secure contracts for the base there.
That is a good suggestion for a commitment for investment for the government
opposite.
Mr. Chairman, I am well aware of the commitment that they made to the
hospital in Labrador City and Wabush, the $200,000 to do a study. It is okay to
do a study, it is okay to look at if you need to put a new facility there or
not, but if the government, even tomorrow, announced they were going to put a
new facility there, it would be five or six years down the road before a patient
would ever be able to check into it. In the meantime, there is still work that
has to be done. I want to encourage the members opposite to take some of the $50
million that you received this year in health transfers, extra money from the
federal government, and invest it in this infrastructure.
Mr. Chairman, I can tell you that, at the present time there are a lot of
very pressing issues in Labrador. I am not going to go into all of them.
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair that her time has
expired.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will speak again later in the
session.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Trinity North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am very pleased today to be able to stand and make a few comments about
Bill 2, a bill that is asking this Assembly to approve some $1.4 billion to
allow government to continue on and function between now and the time we
actually approve our final budget. I think it is critical, Mr. Chairman, as we
ask this Legislature to approve this money, to look at some of the things that
we want to spend that money on. To help us do that, I think one of the first
documents we look to is the map that we saw laid out for us the day before
yesterday in the Speech from the Throne.
My two colleagues, in responding to the Speech from the Throne, did an
admirable job in commenting about the significance of this particular speech and
the direction this government is taking with respect to the people in their
districts and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
I want to add my own comments, Mr. Chairman, if I could, because I think this
document, this Speech from the Throne delivered on March 15, clearly outlines a
clear, distinct vision for the next twelve months. I think our government has
outlined a number of strong initiatives on a variety of areas. It is a
well-balanced perspective on what Newfoundland and Labrador needs to do during
the next twelve-month period. As we sit in this House on Monday I am certain
that the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board will deliver a
Budget that reflects the balance that is outlined in this Speech from the
Throne, and that Budget will reflect the financial commitment to ensure that we,
as a government, are able to follow through and deliver on some of the
commitments and understandings outlined in the Speech from the Throne.
Looking at some of it, I just want to take, Mr. Chairman, if I could, a
couple of the areas, because one of the most significant dollar amounts in this
request is to the Department of Health and Community Services. Some $610 million
of this fund will go directly to the Department of Health and Community
Services, and understandably, because the Department of Health and Community
Services, through its boards and operations throughout the Province, in fact
spend the biggest portion of government's funding on an annual basis. That is
to be said for years in the past and I am certain it will reflect the reality of
the future as well.
In this Speech from the Throne, there are a couple of points, I think, Mr.
Chairman, I would like to comment on directly related to health care. The first
one deals with a commitment to expand dialysis services. I am extremely pleased,
and this government has been extremely pleased, to be able to finally announce
the dialysis services for Gander. We received the first patient on dialysis
services on February 28; a unit that once it has it full twelve patients will
have met - in fact, one of the promising things about this is that once we have
accepted up to the twelfth patient we will have addressed the entire wait list
for that entire region, I say to the Member for Gander, a tremendous
accomplishment, a commitment made by this government last year, and a commitment
delivered.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: It is the kind of money we are asking for here, Mr. Speaker,
that allows us to continue to provide that service.
In my own district, dialysis service introduced several years ago
outstretched its demand. It, in fact, had reached the point where it was
bursting at the seems. I was very pleased to be able to announce that in recent
months we have been able to expand that service to take us from six patients up
to twelve, adding three more units to that service.
Dialysis services in this Province, as we have heard in this House - members
opposite have raised the issue many times. My colleagues on this side of the
House have raised the issue many times with respect to their regions. We have a
crying and increasing need for dialysis services in this Province. It is a
growing need. It reflects the reality of some of the health problems experienced
by many of the residents of this Province.
This government is committed to continuing to respond to the need for
dialysis services, just like they have done in Clarenville where there was an
increased need to expand the service that was there already established and
established well. Gander, a brand new service and now up and running. Those are
the kinds of services and the kinds of programs we are providing with the money
that we are now asking this House to approve, so we can continue, without
interruption, between now and the time we have our Budget approved.
One of the other significant thrusts to this Speech from the Throne that I
think is really important, important, Mr. Speaker, because I think it reflects a
new reality, a new direction for health services in this Province, and indeed
should reflect the reality across this country - for far too long health
services in this country, and in this Province as well, have thought very much
about putting in place large amounts of infrastructure to treat illness, to cure
people who have gotten sick. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we have
probably not done as good a job at is, in fact, health promotion, the prevention
of illness, providing a healthy population. What we are talking about here, a
major shift in thinking and a thrust that is outlined in the Speech from the
Throne, is a refocusing, a refocusing of our attention, a refocusing of some of
our resources on prevention, and looking at a healthy population.
How do we, in fact, improve the health status of a population to avoid the
very expensive medical interventions that are required down the road? Dialysis
services, that I alluded to a moment ago, come about as a result of - one of the
major contributing factors is the significant incidents of diabetes in this
Province. Some of the things we are running into with respect to child health in
this Province reflect the lack of physical activity by many of our children.
I just want to read, Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of the House, a couple of
very startling statistics that came out in a report that was released sometime
in the late fall. There are a couple of startling things here because here is
what it tell us. It tells us, Mr. Speaker, that within Newfoundland and Labrador
physical activity rates lower than anywhere else in this country. Newfoundland
and Labrador reported lower rates of physical activity than in other provinces
in this country. In Newfoundland and Labrador we have a higher percentage of our
population categorized as being obese, more than any other jurisdiction in the
country.
Mr. Speaker, any province, whether it is Newfoundland and Labrador or any
province across this country, cannot continue to ignore the deteriorating health
status of a population and at the same time expect to reduce the costs of health
services in their particular jurisdictions. These are some of the things, Mr.
Speaker, that we need to start addressing today. The investments that we are
going to start making today, as announced in this Speech from the Throne and
announced in the Budget, these are the kinds of investments that we need to make
to ensure that when we reach ten, fifteen, twenty years from now we will not
continue to have the high instance of diabetes that exists today in the Province
or the high instance of kidney failure that we are experiencing in this Province
this year, during the last five to ten years particularly.
Mr. Speaker, these are the kinds of initiatives in health care that reflect a
different vision than the past, and focus on the future. They focus on a
healthier population, creating an environment, fostering an environment,
investing in initiatives, whether it is increased physical activity for our
school aged children or whether it is in improved dietary habits.
This past Monday I had an opportunity to spend some time with a number of
health coalitions from around the Province. In fact, the entire Province was
represented. There were people there from Labrador, the Northern Peninsula,
Western Newfoundland, Central Newfoundland, the Avalon Peninsula area, the
Eastern part of the Province, all of them sitting around a table talking about
the great things that are happening in their regions with respect to health
promotion. These are a large number of people. This coalition - this is what is
important, I think - is a collection of groups and organizations throughout the
Province who have come together with a common vision. They all have one purpose
in mind, it is to improve the status of health to the people in their respective
regions. A large number of volunteers, community-based organizations, are coming
together collectively, focusing on improving the health status of the people. We
are committed, as a government, as outlined in this Speech from the Throne, to
improving the health status of the population.
I just want to quote, as we focus on our children, "If we can support
our young people eating well and exercising regularly, we as a society will be
healthier, hardier, and happier."
Mr. Chairman, that is the kind of population that we want to be in fifteen or
twenty years time. It is not going to change overnight, I say. It is going to be
a gradual process but it requires a commitment today, it requires a government
with a vision and a strong understanding of what the future should look like.
That is what is this Speech from the Throne reflects, Mr. Chairman, it reflects
a government that has a vision and an understanding of what the future of health
services should look like.
A couple of other things I think are important to recognize in here, Mr.
Chairman. We have made - as I just said a moment ago, as we talked about the
coalitions that existed. Our government is committed to - last year we put in
some $1 million into community-based grants to mobilize volunteers in this
Province to become supporters of our health system, providers of health
services. We have a large network of community-based organizations volunteering
their time and effort to improving the health status of our people.
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. Member for Trinity North that his time has expired.
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Chairman, I want to commend government for having
introduced that, or at least read into the record, the Speech from the Throne on
Monday that reflects a clear vision that at least all members on this side of
the House have wholeheartedly supported, because it reflects a strong vision for
a strong population (inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
CHAIR: The hon. the