Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 23 May 2012 (47th General Assembly, 1st Session, Vol. XLVII No. 36)
2012-05-23
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
May
23, 2012 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVII No. 36
The House met at 2:00 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Today I would like to welcome to our galleries the Mayor of Burlington, Mr.
George Kelly.
Welcome to our Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Also, I am very pleased today in our gallery to have Mr. Leo
Bonnell, who is the provincial chairperson of the Provincial Advisory Council on
Aging and Seniors.
Welcome to our Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: Today we have members' statements from: the Member for the
District of Exploits; the Member for the District of Terra Nova; the Member for
the District of Port au Port; the Member for the District of Bonavista North;
the Member for the District of St. John's West; and the Member for the District
of Kilbride.
The hon. the Member for the District of Exploits.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FORSEY: Mr. Speaker, this year Canada's literary giant, Indigo Books,
allocated $1.5 million for new books and other literacy materials to be shared
among twenty elementary schools across Canada to upgrade their libraries.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to Indigo's Love of Reading Foundation, Helen Tulk
Elementary of Bishop's Falls will receive $19,000 each year for the next three
years, for a total of $57,000. Principal David Alcock said, "they have a
literacy committee consisting of teachers at the school and they researched the
applications and completed the necessary info needed to file for the grant."
According to Mr. Alcock, the school can order any books and technology Indigo
Books may carry.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the
staff at Helen Tulk Elementary for taking the initiative to apply for this grant
and for the love of reading.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Terra Nova.
MR. S. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to applaud the Canadian Cancer Society on its Relay for Life
event held in Gambo on May 11. This is an all-night event to celebrate the lives
of those who are living with cancer, remember those who have lost their battle,
and to raise funds and awareness in order to beat this horrible disease. More
than just an event, Relay for Life is a life-changing experience for many.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure to participate in this year's Gambo Relay for
Life and I am very pleased to report that due to the huge commitment and
dedication of the volunteers and participants, they raised in excess of $25,000.
What an amazing feat by a relatively small group.
I ask all members of this House to join me in recognizing this group's
tremendous effort. As many have said before me, Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and
Labrador have some of the best volunteers and most giving people in the country
and this is a true testament to that.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port au Port.
MR. CORNECT: I am happy to rise in this hon. House of Assembly to extend
my sincerest congratulations to both the Town of Stephenville and the Town of
Port au Port East as they will be celebrating their sixtieth anniversary of
incorporation as municipalities.
Anniversaries are a time to reflect and think about the past and celebrate
our accomplishments. It is also a time to say thank you to the many volunteers
and to all who have worked hard to build these towns over the past sixty years.
Their efforts have helped their towns grow and improve, make it safer, bring
people together, and be proud of where they come from. They have become
landmarks and hold a great sense of community and pride to all who call or have
called these communities home. The towns possess deep character and defining
elements that capture the attention of residents and visitors alike.
I ask all hon. members of this hon. House of Assembly to join me in extending
congratulations to the Town of Stephenville and the Town of Port au Port East as
they celebrate their sixtieth anniversary and to wish them prosperous futures.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Bonavista North.
MR. CROSS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in our hon. House today to congratulate and recognize a unique
individual from Bonavista North. In the community of Badger's Key there lives a
mild-mannered gentleman with a very distinctive voice and a distinctive
personality. Wayne Brown is a man among men and as a volunteer he is in a class
of one and about to reach a very significant milestone.
In the summer of 1967 he participated in his first summer carnival-regatta
for the Rural District Sports Club. In successive years, Wayne has been a very
active member of many reiterations of such a carnival. In 2012, the Town of
New-Wes-Valley enjoyed its first winter carnival in two decades. One need not
guess who was on the committee. This guy does not just organize; he is also
there, where we say, the rubber hits the road, in ticket booths and hot dog
stands.
This is not his first, his second, or tenth, but his fiftieth carnival in
New-Wes-Valley. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, he is only sixty-two years old.
An invitation I extend now to all hon. members to come to New-Wes-Valley Crab
Festival carnival day in July. I am confident you will hear Wayne Brown in his
finest style, calling the phrase, "Get your tickets here, folks only three more
left until we spin."
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's West.
MR. CRUMMELL: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Colin Thomas, a
resident of my district, who received the 2012 Sport Newfoundland and Labrador
Scholarship.
Mr. Speaker, these scholarships were awarded earlier this month, and all of
the recipients have worked hard and demonstrated excellence in sport.
Colin is an avid curler who, despite his young age, has already had an
accomplished sporting career. Colin has competed and won at the provincial,
national, and international levels. He was Provincial Junior Men's Champion in
2008, and last year he won the bronze medal at the Canadian Junior Men's Curling
Championships. Colin also led his Memorial University team to a gold medal at
the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Curling Championship last season. In January,
he and his university team won the silver medal at the Karuizawa International
Curling Championship in Japan. Most recently, Colin and his Newfoundland and
Labrador team travelled to Ontario to again represent our Province at the
Canadian Junior Curling Championships.
Mr. Speaker, Colin Thomas is truly a credit to his sport, and I ask all hon.
members to join me in congratulating him on receiving the 2012 Sport
Newfoundland and Labrador Scholarship and in wishing him continued success in
his athletic pursuits.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Kilbride.
MR. DINN: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bishops College on
hosting the Eastern Newfoundland Science and Technology Fair.
On Friday, March 30, students attended tours at Memorial University during
the morning, followed by judging in the afternoon at the high school. Over 200
students from twenty senior and junior high schools on the Avalon Peninsula
competed. A snowstorm cancelled the Saturday event, but on Sunday the public
viewing and awards ceremony took place. Several hundred people showed up on
Sunday, including representatives from the major sponsors of the fair, and our
own MHA for the District of Conception Bay East Bell Island.
Six students were selected to represent Eastern Newfoundland at the
Canada-Wide Science Fair in PEI in May. They were Hannah Boone, Michael Fleet,
Anna O'Grady, Kaitlyn Stockley, Jared Trask, and Sarah Winsor. Anna O'Grady, a
constituent of mine from Kilbride, was awarded the Best of the Fair.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in commending Bishops College,
Eastern Newfoundland Science Fair Council, and the six students who went to the
Canada-Wide Fair in PEI, and especially Anna O'Grady.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to recognize a
milestone achievement in the development of the Trans-Labrador Highway. Today,
the provincial government awarded the final two tenders to complete Phase I of
the highway from Labrador West to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, the completion of Phase I was made possible
by a $65.8 million allocation through Budget 2012: People and Prosperity
Responsible Investments for a Secure Future . This investment puts us one
step closer to achieving our 2011 Blue Book commitment of completing the entire
highway, which is one of the largest road infrastructure projects ever
undertaken to meet the economic and social needs of the people in the Province.
I am pleased to inform the members of this hon. House that Humber Valley
Paving has been awarded the contracts, and will begin paving activity
immediately. Work will be carried out simultaneously between Wabush Junction and
Churchill Falls, and between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Churchill Falls. These
contracts will be completed over a two-year period, and by 2014, every kilometre
of pavement between the two most populated centres in Labrador will be widened
and covered with blacktop.
Mr. Speaker, there will be a total investment of approximately $254 million
in this phase of the Trans-Labrador Highway by the time it is completed. This
investment is representative of this government's overall efforts to promote
economic and social development in Labrador, and is part of a series of
expenditures in the Big Land that have exceeded $3.5 billion since 2004.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Clearly, we are committed to ensuring residents in
Labrador are ideally positioned to take advantage of the tremendous potential
and the opportunities that exist in their region of the Province, and we will
continue to make investments to support continued prosperity in Labrador for
years to come.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I will conclude by saying that as Minister of
Transportation and Works, I am very proud of our achievements in establishing
new and substantial infrastructure in Labrador, and I am confident these
achievements will help promote continued development and growth in Labrador to
benefit future generations.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright L'Anse
au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Mr. Speaker, I
have to say that in Labrador we are very pleased with the amount of work that
has been done on the Trans-Labrador Highway.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we cannot forget how long Labradorians have gone
without proper transportation networks in this Province and in the country.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I have to say that it was the vision of a Liberal
government in 1997 that decided that Labrador had waited long enough and it was
time to move ahead with highway development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I say that at the same time that I acknowledge the
work that the government opposite has done in carrying forward with that vision
on behalf of the people of Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have to say is the job is far from done.
Even though we are going to see pavement between Labrador West and Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, you also have to realize that in order to get out of Labrador
and onto the rest of the Province, you have to come through Southern Labrador as
well. That needs to see highways that are paved as well. We have seen the amount
of traffic on those highways double and triple over the last few years, which
are great indicators of the amount of development that is occurring in Labrador
and the tremendous prospects that we have for the future.
I would say to the minister, congratulations on the two contracts. I am glad
to see it has gone to a Newfoundland and Labrador company that has tremendous
expertise in that area and are hiring local people. I would also say to you,
show us the plan to finish the highway right across Labrador. We want to see the
pavement right down to L'Anse-au-Clair. Mr. Speaker, it is never too soon to
start that work. It is never too soon to invest in the future of one of the
strongest regions and strongest economies in this Province today. It will bring
rewards for all of us.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East.
MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would also like to thank the minister for the advance copy of his
statement.
The people of Labrador have been waiting long enough to see this road network
come to fruition. It may be a while yet until residents see completed blacktop.
While government is making a substantial investment, it has to remember how much
of a contribution Labrador has been making to the Province and to our own
well-being. A good road system along with other transportation links is truly a
necessity to be competitive in today's markets. Labrador does deserve its fair
share.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to highlight
the continued progress in implementing the Provincial Waste Management Strategy
in our Province.
Mr. Speaker, the goals of this strategy are to reduce the amount of materials
in provincial landfill sites by 50 per cent, reduce the total number of waste
disposal sites by 80 per cent, eliminate open burning of waste at disposal sites
and phase out incinerators, phase out unlined landfills, and encourage the
residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in waste diversion
programs such as recycling and composting. Full implementation of the strategy
is scheduled for 2020.
A total of $145.3 million has been invested in the Provincial Waste
Management Strategy in the Province, $82.8 million by the provincial government
and $62.5 million from the Gas Tax funding. As a result of these investments to
date, approximately two-thirds of the Province's population is disposing of
waste in one of two lined landfills with leachate collection. Mr. Speaker,
throughout our Province we are reducing the number of disposal sites, with over
120 dumps closed to date, which is more than a 50 per cent reduction.
Mr. Speaker, the Provincial Waste Management Strategy is a large
regionalization initiative. My department is actively working with twenty
regional and sub-regional communities or boards, representing over 500
communities at the grassroots level to find appropriate solutions.
In the last two years, we have seen success throughout the entire Province.
Mr. Speaker, with the exception of one community, all municipal waste west to
Goobies and Swift Current is currently being transported to the Eastern Waste
Management Site at Robin Hood Bay.
Mr. Speaker, the Central Waste Management Facility, located at Norris Arm,
became operational earlier this year. Through an investment of $15 million, a
new Materials Recovery Facility will be constructed in Central Newfoundland,
which will allow residents of the Central region to begin recycling. Mr.
Speaker, almost 50 per cent of our Province's population already has access to
recycling facilities.
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased with the progress being made in the Western
region. In addition to the important work of closing community dumps and
incinerators, the Western Regional Waste Management Committee has made
tremendous progress in their search for a long-term solution for the Western
region. My department will continue to work with that committee to finalize
those plans and I hope that is soon.
In Labrador, we have worked with the towns of Wabush and Labrador City to
close the local incinerator and establish a well-managed landfill for that area.
We are also working with local leaders throughout Labrador to find appropriate
solutions to the unique challenges we face in Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with the communities as we proceed
towards full implementation of the strategy by 2020.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.
MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for an advance copy. As we all know, waste management is
a good benefit to everybody in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We do
see some successes in the St. John's, in the Central area with the waste
management, and recycling is a big part of it. The education for people of
the whole Waste Management Strategy.
As we move on the West Coast, as we know, the West Coast is a bit behind. I
know the minister has agreed to meet with the Great Humber Joint Council to
discuss the waste management for the West Coast. As we know, it is a bit behind
the rest of the Province. We hope that we would be able to get it moving on the
West Coast, because it is a major concern. It is a major headache for a lot of
people on the West Coast; a lot of municipalities are wondering what to do.
In Labrador, also, they have their own unique problems and circumstances,
which I know the department is working through. There are a few things that I
would suggest to the minister; one is the illegal dumping, if there was some way
that we could get better education and some kind of better monitoring or even
stiffer penalties for illegal dumping, which is a major concern.
There is another thing I would just raise to the minister, and the Minister
of Natural Resources may be able to help at this also. It is out, we see, in
central; when a lot of the dumps were closed down in central, there were an
estimated 1,800 cats that may have to be trapped and euthanized. I am not sure
if the Minister of Natural Resources could get involved in some way and help out
the groups in central with euthanizing the cats, the SPCA; it is a very
traumatic thing for a lot of the people. That is something that we can learn,
also, in western; when we close down the dumps in western, there is a lot of
animals that are around, cats, so we can learn from that before we close them
down.
Keep with the strategy. I hope the West Coast is going to be next, because a
lot of people want the site in the West Coast, not shipped to central. That is
something we have to work through, so I just encourage the minister to keep the
education for the recycling program, try to work on something with illegal
dumping, keep up the work for the West Coast, and we will see him at the meeting
with the Great Humber Joint Council.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East.
MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the minister also for the advance copy of his
statement.
While government continues to roll out the strategy, it fails to realize the
consequences of the immense cost to smaller municipalities and regional boards.
These costs and challenges include the heavy transportation costs in removing
waste, and no way for some municipalities to recoup the cost of rising fuel, for
example. While government only now has begun to address the funding formula
problem with municipalities, it will be more time before this Waste Management
Strategy will come to fruition and see the success that we hope this is going to
be.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday the Premier stated that the federal government did not live up to
its humanitarian responsibility in the failed Makkovik search. This morning
Newfoundland and Labrador's federal minister, Peter Penashue, stated that he was
glad to hear that the Premier was accepting responsibility for the ground search
and rescue. He went on to say that a lot of things went wrong in that particular
search.
I ask the Premier: Hasn't the back and forth between the Province and the
federal government gone on long enough, and will you now call a public inquiry
and get to the bottom of this once and for all?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have reviewed at length the materials associated with the
tragedy that took place in Labrador on January 29. I have asked the Leader of
the Opposition a number of times in this House: do you have pertinent
information of anything that went wrong on the ground with the RCMP and the
Canadian Rangers that you have not made public or shared?
Mr. Speaker, he has a member of his caucus who was active in that search. In
terms of the questions that were raised in Labrador at that time, it was about
air support for the search. Mr. Speaker, we have provided all of the information
and in that there are not grounds for an inquiry.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: In our opinion, what makes it grounds for an inquiry, Mr.
Speaker, is that there is a lot of confusion around all of this. As a matter of
fact, the federal minister said that; the Premier has even said that she does
not know why the Cormorant was not dispatched.
The Premier yesterday concluded that the Cormorant helicopter was not
dispatched from Gander to Nova Scotia because of a bad judgment call by the
person in charge. People across the Province have been calling for an inquiry.
Even last night, one of the backbenchers said that there would be no downside to
calling one.
I ask the Premier: Can you please explain to the people why you would not
call a public inquiry into search and rescue in this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of confusion, most of it created by people across
the aisle.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: It is offensive, Mr. Speaker, that the life of a
young man that has been cut tragically short has been bandied around by a
football by members opposite, who want an inquiry now not only on what happened
in Labrador, Mr. Speaker, but they want it broadly about search and rescue in
the Province, which gets to their real agenda.
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, his House Leader, and another
member of his caucus went to Ottawa. The Liberal House Leader met with Minister
MacKay and did not ask for an inquiry about the deployment of their resources.
That exposes the (inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
At the time, if the Premier could remember what she was saying, she needed
co-operation from her federal counterparts. In our meeting they agreed to do
that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. BALL: The other thing is the Premier is making comments about this
being about Makkovik. This is about search and rescue in all of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Speaker has acknowledged the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, the Premier stated that she was not satisfied with the answers she
received from the federal government but would not commit to discussing the need
for a public inquiry in her meeting with the Prime Minister. Instead, she said
she would discuss what she thinks is important.
I ask the Premier: Will the need for a public inquiry be on your agenda when
you meet with the Prime Minister?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it is too bad it was not on the Liberal agenda when they met
with Minister MacKay, really too bad. Mr. Speaker, Minister MacKay agreed to
offer up information to inform events around that time. We did not need a
delegation from the Liberal caucus to go to Ottawa. Minister MacKay made that
commitment to me weeks before then and to the people of the Province, Mr.
Speaker. That was quite clear.
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, there was only one ministerial
meeting in Ottawa and he did not bother to attend. Mr. Speaker, he sent in his
House Leader, she never had enough respect for him to say to Minister MacKay: My
leader is sitting outside the door; I insist that he come in. We do not look for
any lessons on leadership from that side of the aisle.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I did speak with the minister and he agreed to co-operate with the provincial
government, and she knows that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. BALL: Mr. Speaker, on two occasions in this House I have asked for
the report on natural gas commissioned by Nalcor to EnerSea Transport. They were
never made public. Both times, the Minister of Natural Resources stated that
they were unaware of the report. Since that, we have submitted an Access to
Information request to Nalcor and they have indicated that the cost for us to
get that would be over $700.
Why is Nalcor attempting to charge us, the Opposition, refusing to give us
this information without paying $700 for the report when we have all stated, and
you have told us, that this stuff should be available to the public?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is true that Nalcor had a couple of reports prepared in relation to
natural gas. They were looking at that point, Mr. Speaker, of different aspects
of natural gas. At that point, natural gas I think was selling for around $8 per
million BTU. The price subsequently dipped, Mr. Speaker, to $3, down around $2.
Essentially, what they were looking at the time has no relevance to what is
going on today, or very little relevance.
As for the provision of the reports, Mr. Speaker, I will certainly have a
discussion with Mr. Martin at Nalcor to see if there is any commercially
sensitive information in there. This government has committed to provide any and
all information that we have in our possession, and we continue with that
commitment. We are having a report prepared on natural gas, both in terms of the
importation and the building of a pipeline from the Grand Banks.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Quebec Innu have accused Nalcor of cutting and pasting from the Texas Oil
and Gas manuals for their environmental assessment on the Muskrat Falls
transmission link. They state that the sections in the EIS on marine mammal
detection are almost identical to that of the Oil and Gas manual.
I ask the Premier: Is it true that Nalcor did cut and paste from the Texas
Oil and Gas manuals for their EIS?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I happened to just meet with Mr. Martin over lunch, and I guess I forgot to
put Randy Simms' question to him today, in terms of the cutting and pasting, Mr.
Speaker. I will certainly have that discussion with Mr. Martin as we move along.
Mr. Speaker, the Innu some of the tactics that are engaged in by groups who
are opposed to this project, or who are based on looking for money for
themselves, Mr. Speaker. I am not saying that this particular group, or
attributing improper motives to them, but we always have to look at it with
somewhat of a jaundice and skeptical eye when people are challenging projects
like this.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well, the excuse that was offered by Nalcor yesterday was that the same
consultant worked on both projects, but they did not argue that the
environmental situation in Texas is much different than it is in the Strait of
Belle Isle. I have not seen nothing that I am aware of that Atlantic salmon
has been in Texas, at least. So, the EIS is a critical piece of this project on
which we are looking to commit billions of dollars.
How can you trust that this information would be specific to Newfoundland and
Labrador?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
I think in the MHI report, the company that was retained by the Public
Utilities Board to review Nalcor's work, and the company that we have now
retained to review the Decision Gate 3 numbers, Mr. Speaker, they did a lot of
work. They examined and re-examined the work in relation to the subsea cable,
and there was no indication at that point, Mr. Speaker, of there being concerns.
In fact, the opportunities I have had to meet with Nalcor and they explain what
has gone into that work is actually quite fascinating. I could suggest to the
member opposite, it might be helpful to sit down with Nalcor and look at the
quality of the work that has been done, Mr. Speaker, and stop always casting
aspersions on a company that employs our best and our brightest and are
committed to the people of this Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, parents were lined up as early as 4:00 this
morning to register children for early French immersion. Four years ago, schools
were warning about a looming teacher crunch in French immersion as student
interest continues to swell.
I ask the minister: You have had four years to respond to this expected
demand; what is the holdup?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The French Immersion question is certainly brought to light by some of the
interviews this morning. The French Immersion program, Mr. Speaker, is an
optional program. It is very much dependent on the demand, infrastructure ,
and space.
I will just give an example, Mr. Speaker: If we had sixty-five students, and
let us say forty-two of them wanted to do French Immersion. Well, with our
twenty-student cap, that means we need three teachers, and we would need two for
the other two, which would mean we would need five spaces for that. Let us take
it the other way around. If we had sixty-five students and thirty-eight of them
did French Immersion, we would need two classrooms and two for the others.
Mr. Speaker, it is very much dependent on the numbers and space. All of that
has to be taken into consideration.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS: I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, that if there is a demand,
then we have a responsibility to make sure that demand is met.
Mr. Speaker, government provides funding to certain not-for-profit groups to
provide supportive housing for our emancipated youth. However you look at it,
government is paying the bills for housing. Since we first raised the issue a
few weeks ago, we have learned of more youth living in poor and unsafe living
conditions.
I ask the minister: Does your department carry out inspections of the living
conditions of our emancipated youth since government is paying for their
funding? If not, why not?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the one thing I will tell the member that this government does
is certainly support
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JOHNSON: our children and youth in the Province, particularly the
vulnerable children and youth in the Province. The Premier is certainly
supportive of this department. Financially, in terms of the Budget, over the
last three years we have received $41.8 million. Other than financial support,
there has been tremendous support for the children and youth of the Province and
we will continue to make sure their needs are met, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS: I would remind the minister, Mr. Speaker, that supportive
housing may mean affordable housing, but that does not mean it is safe. These
youth are under voluntary agreements with the department. Another family told us
yesterday of a house that was not insured and windows that would not open.
I ask the minister: What controls do you have in place to ensure that
supportive housing is safe for our youth?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite have a very short memory. It was just this
last year that we proclaimed the new Children and Youth Care and Protection Act.
Under that act, we extended the opportunity for our youth in continuous custody
to stay under our care until eighteen, Mr. Speaker. If they are under our care,
we certainly determine where they live and that is certainly is monitored. The
experts said that you have to keep the choice voluntary. The majority of the
youth do stay in our care but, Mr. Speaker, we cannot force a youth to live
somewhere, just as well as a natural parent cannot.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, in 2006, eighteen Daley companies, several in
the fishery here in this Province, went bankrupt. We understand the directors
are responsible for certain monies owning to government on bankruptcy.
I ask the minister to confirm how much money was written off by the Province
in those eighteen bankruptcies and if he pursued the directors to recover this
money? If not, why not?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I would ask the member if he would be interested
in tabling more specific details. It is a pretty overarching question about
monies owing to government; there are fifteen or sixteen departments and
corporations and agencies. I do not think any one minister would be able to
stand on their feet today and answer a question of that magnitude unless he can
narrow in and say it is a workers' compensation issue, or it is something to the
Treasury, or fees to the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. It is a very
hard question for anybody to stand on their feet and answer without more detail.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: I can table some of the bankruptcy documents that list the
eighteen companies and then the minister will be able to determine if money is
owed or not.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has final say on who is issued fishing licences to
process fish in this Province.
I ask the minister to outline the government's policy with respect to
companies owing money to the government when these licences are assessed for
approval, either at the Fish Processing Licensing Board level or at the
minister's office. If they owe money, do they get a licence?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, as I have outlined a number of times in this House
for members opposite, there is a very clearly delineated process on how one can
acquire a fish processing licence in this Province. An application has to be
made to the Fish Processing Licensing Board, which is an independent board
established by this government to keep the politics out of establishing
licences, Mr. Speaker. I remind the member that it was back in the heyday of the
Liberal government when they handed out crab licences like crackerjack boxes, to
use the term from my colleague opposite in the NDP. Mr. Speaker, we do not do
that. We do not do that. We have a Fish Processing Licensing Board that operates
independently, they assess the applications put before them, and they make
recommendations to the minister, Mr. Speaker. The application for the licence is
based on a very defined set of criteria.
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Torngat Mountains.
MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In a report entitled Inuit and the Right to Food , national and
international Inuit associations have identified the rate of food insecurity in
Nunatsiavut at 45 per cent, five times the Canadian national average. Food
insecurity, Mr. Speaker, is impacted by such factors as cost and lack of
availability, variety, and quality.
I ask the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs: Are you aware of this
report, and what input did you have into recommendations of the report,
including the national Inuit strategy on the right to food?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal
Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. McGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Our government has two food subsidy programs; one is the national Food
Subsidy Program, the other is the Air Foodlift Subsidy program. Both of those
programs are designed to subsidize the food that goes to the North Coast. We are
the only government that still has the provincial Air Foodlift Subsidy. The only
thing is we do not monitor what happens when the subsidy is provided. We are
very aware of it and we work very closely to make sure that those subsidies are
(inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.
MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, something is definitely wrong when the price of a case of beer
has to retail in Northern Labrador for the same price it does in St. John's,
when things like healthy cereals are allowed to go at three times the cost
compared to other regions.
Mr. Speaker, the Food Subsidy Program has been in place for quite some time,
as the minister alluded to, yet the cost of essential food items to consumers in
Nunatsiavut and other coastal communities remains extremely high. Inquiries as
to how subsidizing retailers actually benefits the consumer go unanswered.
I ask the minister: Will you undertake a full investigation into the
Nutrition North program in our Province to ensure that all aspects of the
program are applied so that the consumer is the one who benefits?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal
Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. McGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Nutrition North program and the Air Foodlift Program regulate certain
foods. The foods that we regulate and subsidize there is to provide wholesome
foods to the residents on the North Coast. We do not regulate how the retailer
uses the subsidy.
I ask the hon. member, being a retailer on the North Coast from the
Opposition: does he pass the subsidies on? That is up to the retailer, not to
the government, to pass that subsidy on. We provide the subsidy for wholesome
foods such as milk, dairy products, and good cereals.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard government
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS MICHAEL: will not be stepping in to fund the 75 per cent cut to RED
Boards by the federal government. The minister said their current 25 per cent
contribution was $1.2 million, making the total needed only $4 million. RED
Boards have been working hard in their regions to develop their economies,
working hard to achieve a government-stated goal of diversifying the economy.
I ask the Premier: If she is willing to set aside $64 million for one
project, Muskrat Falls, why can she not invest a few million to support
community-based economic development?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, regional economic development is something that this government
takes very seriously.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: In 2003, when we came to government, there was
exactly $2.6 million in the government's financial arrangements, Mr. Speaker, to
drive economic development in this Province. We did our diversification
strategies, we did our nine regions; we talked about strengths and where good
investments were required. Right now, available for economic development in this
Province through a variety of programs is nearly $200 million annually, all over
the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development spoke
of a suite of government programs to promote economic diversification.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS MICHAEL: He knows these programs are being under-utilized. He spoke of
work being done with municipalities and volunteer groups. We know RED Boards
have success in rural revitalization. They are made up of volunteers
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS MICHAEL: and trained staff working in their regions to develop local
economies.
I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker: Is government telling the RED Boards that
they are not playing a significant role in their regions?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the involvement of all volunteers in our
communities who are working hard
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: to make life better in Newfoundland and Labrador.
That is why we have developed this whole suite of programs, Mr. Speaker. That is
why we have regional economic development offices coming out of IBRD all around
the Province. That is why we have developed a whole new department, Mr. Speaker,
about Advanced Education and Skills, so people are able to take advantage of
opportunities right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is why we have made
available funds that were never available in our history, not only for people
who have business ideas, Mr. Speaker, but for communities as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
The Harper Government's attack on this Province continues. Many people in
this Province who have seen their jobs taken away from them by the federal
government will now face a second blow when they apply for EI and find new harsh
regulations which could force them to relocate or force them into lesser-paying
jobs.
I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker: Will she make EI regulations a priority on
her agenda when she meets with the Prime Minister?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, EI regulations has been on this government's agenda for some
time. Mr. Speaker, when I attended COF on behalf of our former Premier three
years ago, squarely on the agenda of all of our Premiers in this country. EI is
a very important program to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. There are
others in other parts of the country though, Mr. Speaker, who also have very
definitive views on how the EI program ought to be administered. Without a
doubt, strong arguments are going to be made. Mr. Speaker, very strong arguments
are going to be made in rebuttal as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We will await the report from the Premier then, Mr. Speaker.
In a release issued Friday afternoon, government appeared to lay the blame
for the situation at Corner Brook Pulp and Paper at the feet of the workers. The
fact of the matter is this situation was caused by Kruger who has not lived up
to its end of the deal with workers to pay into the pension fund. Workers lived
up to their commitments and now they are being forced to make concessions.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: How can she sit by and watch her Natural
Resources Minister blame the workers of this Province when they stand up to a
multinational corporation?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I suppose, Mr. Speaker, one should be grateful that an industry that is so
important to the western part of this Province has finally rated a question from
the Opposition in this House when it is in such a dire circumstance, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the mill in Corner Brook is extremely important, not only to the
people in the Corner Brook region but to all of the Province, and this
government has demonstrated its support with over $50 million in the last five
years. Mr. Speaker, the minister has met any number of times with the union, as
have I, Mr. Speaker. We met with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper management. I have
met with Mr. Kruger, as has the minister, Mr. Speaker, and we are going to work
together to try and resolve in a successful way the issues facing Corner Brook
Pulp and Paper.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE: Mr. Speaker, Cooke Aquaculture executives are facing
millions of dollars in fines and possible decades in prisons for charges laid by
Environment Canada for depositing lethal pesticide cypermethrin into the
environment in New Brunswick and they also face charges in Nova Scotia.
Mr. Speaker, given that Cooke Aquaculture has substantial holdings in this
Province, can the minister ensure the House that these practices are not
happening here?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I do not spend every minute of everyday with Cooke
Aquaculture, or any other business in the Province. It would be more than my
neck is worth to say today that I can categorically guarantee what the member is
asking me to do. What I can say though, is that bar none, Newfoundland and
Labrador has the highest expectations and regulations of aquaculture than any
other industry I am certain of Atlantic Canada, but I am told North America,
Mr. Speaker and we have no reason to believe, no reason whatsoever, let me be
very clear, that Cooke Aquaculture or any other industry involved in aquaculture
in this Province is not upholding the high standards that we expect of them in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE: It is certainly something to be concerned about.
Mr. Speaker, new amendments of the Aquaculture Act appear to beef up
government's ability to enforce biosecurity measures in the aquaculture
industry. Biosecurity has been a long concern in the industry around the world.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Why has it taken so long for his department
to get around to enacting these measures?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, if I had the time I could take the member through
a litany of changes that we have made and advances that we have made in the
aquaculture industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Hundreds and hundreds and
hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested, and, Mr. Speaker, not only
in infrastructure, when we talk about wharves and harbours and developments to
assist companies, but we have assisted in other opportunities, particularly
along the Coast of Bays, the Connaigre Peninsula Region of the Province, as the
Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune would attest, and other areas. I attended,
not long ago, an event on the West Coast in Stephenville with the hon. members
for that area, Mr. Speaker.
We have made significant advances in aquaculture, but I can say one thing to
this House very clearly, is that the key priority for this government in
development of aquaculture is biosecurity, and ensuring fish health and safety,
and environmental health and safety in all that we do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
Hundreds of children have been apprehended and placed in hotels in
alternative living arrangements for the past five years. The department is
finally trying to recruit more foster parents but they are also proposing a
so-called framework for staffed residential facilities.
I ask the minister: What are staffed residential facilities, and how and who
will operate them?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: First of all, before I give a definition of the staffed
residential facilities, Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct her misinformation.
We have not had a child in a hotel for the last year and half, at least, Mr.
Speaker, so where she is throwing out information of hundreds of children is
totally incorrect, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to clarify that to the public,
because I think that is the right thing to do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JOHNSON: In terms of staffed residential facilities, they would be
things like Waypoints and groups like that where there are staff that actually
work in the homes where the children are in our care. The definition is clear.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, research tells us that taking kids away from
their families is the most radical surgical process and should be the last
resort. The minister has promised more supports for children at risk. We see
that there will be more supports for foster parents.
Will the minister tell us what additional services will be provided for
families to prevent apprehensions and help families stay together in the long
term?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to make it quite clear, Mr. Speaker, that our first and primary focus
in the department is to keep a child with their family. Absolutely, that is
where we want the children to be, but when the situation arises that a child
needs to be removed for their safety, then it is incumbent upon us to do that.
It is difficult, but it is necessary, Mr. Speaker.
In the Budget this year, we announced over $18 million for the next two years
for a new continuum of care strategy. We will get to debate it in the House
today and I certainly hope that the member supports us on that strategy today.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, we know student success is endangered if
government does not allocate sufficient numbers of teachers to schools, yet
schools offering French Immersion and Intensive Core French are often penalized
by the current teacher allocation model.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. KIRBY: When will the Minister of Education stop defending his flawed
and outdated teacher allocation model and give all students equal access to
French education?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, let's straighten out some misinformation. To
hear the member yesterday talking about our allocation model and kindergarten,
and giving the example of a kindergarten class that he has portrayed as being
out of whack; Mr. Speaker, I went back out of curiosity and checked. We have no
classes in kindergarten over twenty; we have three classes that are at twenty,
and the average size in our classrooms in kindergarten is 13.3 students to one
teacher.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the onus is on all people in this House,
whether we are asking or answering, to give correct information.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The time for Question Period has expired.
MR. JOYCE: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the Bay of Islands on a point of
order.
MR. JOYCE: I just wanted clarification, Mr. Speaker.
When the Premier answered the question from the Third Party, she mentioned
that finally she got a question from the Opposition.
MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.
MR. JOYCE: Are we finished the point of order?
MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker is on his feet, please, one moment. I would
remind members there is no point of order, I say to the Member for the Bay of
Islands.
MR. JOYCE: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker is on his feet, I remind the Member for the Bay
of Islands.
Before we proceed to the next order of business I would remind members that
their cellphones are to be turned off while in the House of Assembly. For the
last few days there have been a number of cellphones left on loud and the rings
are coming into the Assembly. There is a privilege extended to allow the use of
electronic devices after Question Period, but I remind members that they are to
be on silent mode.
Thank you.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Notices of Motion.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today in response to the Member for Burgeo La Poile who has tabled a
question in the House of Assembly regarding the Business Transformation Project.
As confirmed by an Order-in-Council tabled in the House of Assembly on Thursday,
March 8, 2012, former Auditor General John Noseworthy has been retained by the
Department of Advanced Education and Skills as a consultant to complete an
assessment of the current programming and business transformation for the
Department of Advanced Education and Skills.
This department was created to help address labour demand and has a mandate
to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador has the highly educated graduates and
skilled workers needed for this fast-growing economy. Given this new mandate, a
comprehensive transformation plan is needed to ensure all departmental policies,
programs, and services are streamlined and best fitted to meet the growing
labour demands of Newfoundland and Labrador.
To undertake this task, Mr. Noseworthy has been hired as a consultant to
examine programs, services, and delivery methods of the Department of Advanced
Education and Skills to identify ways to achieve greater efficiency and
effectiveness to best meet the future needs of this Province.
Mr. Noseworthy has a distinguished track record in the public service and has
the right skills and knowledge to successfully carry out this work. His
experience and expertise in reviewing program effectiveness, advising Cabinet
ministers, and managing projects, as well as his in-depth knowledge of
government process and accountability requirements, makes Mr. Noseworthy the
ideal candidate for this position.
It is now my pleasure to provide the House an outline of the business
transformation project. The Department of Advanced Education and Skills was
created in the fall of 2011 as the result of the merger of the former Department
of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and the Advanced Studies Branch of the
Department of Education. The new department was created in response to rapid
growth and expansion in the provincial economy and the need to focus on
supplying highly educated graduates and skilled workers for our fast-growing
economy.
This new department will house the yet to be developed Workforce Development
Secretariat.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS BURKE: As a new department, the minister and the Executive are charged
with the responsibility to develop a clear vision and direction for the
department, to utilize the substantial resources available to it to ensure the
Province's workforce is developed in order to capitalize on the economic
opportunities that are known and predicted for the next five to ten years, and
to further position the Province to pursue and achieve long-term economic
success beyond 2020.
The Province's Labour Market: Outlook 2020, which was released in July 2011,
laid out a snapshot of the anticipated labour market demands for the next ten
years based on known confirmed projects and labour force projections at the
time. That Outlook projected that the Newfoundland and Labrador labour force
will experience unprecedented pressures over the next ten years as a consequence
of economic growth and expansion, coupled with a substantial decline in labour
force participants as a result of attrition retirements.
It has been projected that the Province will need 53,000 workers to enter the
labour force by 2015. Approximately 23,000 of these workers will be required to
address growth and expansion associated with major project developments that
were known and scheduled at the time. In addition, a further 30,000 workers will
be required to replace workers who are projected to retire during the same
period. From 2016-2020, the Outlook projects a contraction in the labour force
of approximately 16,000 associated with the completion of the major projects,
but an anticipated additional growth in attrition of 33,000 workers. On a
ten-year basis, the Outlook predicted the need to bring 70,000 workers into the
Newfoundland and Labrador labour force. The predictions of the Labour Market
Outlook 2020 were based on known projects. Since the release of Outlook 2020,
other projects have been announced or are in development, which will expand the
labour market needs, leading to 2015 and will mitigate against the forecasted
contraction in the post-2015 period.
In order to meet the labour needs of the future, the Province will be working
to maximize the number of graduates exiting our post-secondary institutions,
with a view to ensuring they are trained in the occupational growth areas of the
future. Opportunities will be pursued to actively repatriate former
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who may have left in search of meaningful
employment. We will be seeking to attract and retain those workers who currently
commute outside the Province for employment. We will also work with business and
labour to ensure there is a maximum mobility of workers within the Province to
gain access to the available jobs. Likewise, efforts will be required to
increase labour force participation, particularly amongst underrepresented
groups, including Aboriginals, persons with disabilities, and women. Immigration
will be another key
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
This being Wednesday, it is now 3 o'clock; there is a private member's
resolution on the floor. I now call on the Member for Mount Pearl North to
introduce his private member's motion, as on the Order Paper.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is a pleasure to rise in the House today to speak to the private member's
motion on foster care that I read into the record yesterday, Mr. Speaker and
for that reason, I will not read the full motion again today, but I will read
the final clause. It reads:
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House praise foster parents of
Newfoundland and Labrador, and commend the initiative the provincial government
is taking to provide greater supports for foster parents in this Province, in
recognition of the vital role they play in caring for the children and youth
most at risk.
Mr. Speaker, my objective today in presenting this motion is not to simply
recognize the progress that this government has made in improving foster care.
In fact, the people that I really want to acknowledge today are the foster
families throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. I want my colleagues here in this
House on both sides of this House to join with me in raising awareness of the
need that exists for more foster homes here in our Province.
Beyond speaking to this issue as someone who has been an advocate for
children and youth for many years, I chose to introduce this motion because it
pertains to an issue that has touched me personally. In fact, I actually have a
very deep personal connection to the foster care system. I actually spent the
first four months of my life in foster care in this Province. After being born
on the West Coast in Stephenville in the old Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital,
several days later I was placed in a foster home in Pasadena, which at the time
was one of only a couple of foster homes on the West Coast of the Island.
My adoption journey and experiences with the adoption system are probably
best kept for a story for another day, but suffice it to say, I got a good start
in the early months of my life thanks to a generous family on the West Coast
that cared for many foster children. I can say, Mr. Speaker, that I am very
grateful for that. It is because of my life experiences that I continue to work
with children and youth. It is also why I chose community service and public
service as a career.
Mr. Speaker, for many years I have been aware of the need for more foster
homes in Newfoundland and Labrador. For many years I have believed that if the
people of Newfoundland and Labrador truly understood the need, then there would
not be such a shortage of foster homes. We are a caring, generous, compassionate
people; surely, if the people of this Province truly understood the fact that
there are hundreds of children right here, right now, who are in need of good
homes, then surely the people of Newfoundland and Labrador would respond.
That is my goal today, Mr. Speaker. This issue, if we choose, can transcend
party lines. Today in this House we can send a strong message of support for
foster families and we can challenge the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to
answer the call and to become foster families themselves. There is a huge need
and we as elected officials and as people in this Province have a huge
responsibility to reach out to the children and youth that are in need.
Mr. Speaker, several years ago my wife and I decided that we wanted to help
and we wanted to try and set an example in addressing this issue, so we became
foster parents ourselves, offering to help on a short-term or on an emergency
basis. We went through the screening process, which certainly took some time. We
took the PRIDE training course for foster families through Eastern Health at the
time, and we did everything we needed to do to become a part of this great
program, and it really is a great program.
I cannot think of any better way to help our most vulnerable residents.
Perhaps it was through the work that we do on a daily basis that I saw a need,
an immediate need to step forward and become a foster parent. Perhaps it was
because I was recently married and we were planning for our first child of our
own. Most likely, though, it was because of my personal connection to foster
care. Regardless of the reasons, Mr. Speaker, my wife and I have had the
privilege of fostering several children on a short-term basis over the past
number of years and it really has been a positive experience.
The first experience was actually when my wife was over eight months pregnant
with our first child. We were in the process of preparing our house for our new
addition and all of a sudden we were contacted by Child, Youth and Family
Services. They had a baby girl who was just a few months old at the time who
needed emergency care. We chatted about it and, really, we did not hesitate. We
were thrilled to help out. We had no idea of how long this little child would be
with us, but we opened our house and our hearts almost immediately. I got to see
first-hand what a great mother my wife Janet was going to be, although I had a
pretty good hunch about that anyway.
After a short period of time, this child was reunited with her mom and dad
and the rest of her family. We felt honoured to be part of that process and it
was great to see such a positive outcome.
After our first experience, Janet and I were convinced more than ever that we
had made the right decision by offering the service of foster parents, even on a
short-term, temporary basis. In August of that year our first son was born.
That, of course, brought about a range of overwhelming emotions. We were busy
being new parents, and before we knew it, Christmas was upon us just several
months later, our first Christmas with Ben, our new son. It was special.
The week before Christmas, we received another call from Child, Youth and
Family Services. They were asking us to provide emergency care for a newborn.
This child was only days old and needed care. We talked about it and we agreed
to help. We could not let this child spend their first Christmas anywhere else.
Off to the hospital we went to pick up another new arrival. We looked at our own
son and wanted the same thing for this child, a wonderful first Christmas. What
a Christmas it was. Janet and I, my family and friends, will never forget the
joy of having two infants in our home at Christmastime for our son's first
Christmas. It was a wonderful feeling.
I am amazed at the generosity that we witnessed that year. Gifts, of course,
are a part of the Christmas tradition. There were plenty of gifts. Not only did
my family and friends bring gifts for us and our new son, but they brought gifts
for our foster child as well. We felt blessed to have such loving people in our
lives, who are willing to support us wholeheartedly and unconditionally.
I am sure there were some raised eyebrows when we announced that we were
fostering a child over the holidays, during our son's first Christmas, but
everyone was supportive, generous, and wonderful, like Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians always are.
Mr. Speaker, in saying all of that, I do not want to glaze over the fact that
being a foster parent has its challenges, but with a little effort we can get
through those challenges, and these children will be better off for it. I
strongly believe that feeling of doing something great far outweighs the
feelings of doubt. If we all work together we can make this program the best
program it possibly can be for the children it is intended to serve. Then we
have definitely done something great.
Mr. Speaker, our government has been doing some pretty great things to ensure
that we have the resources needed to enhance the foster families program, to
recruit more families to the foster care program, and to serve more children who
need our help. Our government's dedication to improving and increasing foster
care services in Newfoundland and Labrador, throughout Newfoundland and
Labrador, stems from one of our guiding principles, the best interests of the
child is paramount for this government, Mr. Speaker.
In the provision of Child, Youth and Family Services, our Premier, our
minister, and our government have taken many steps to ensure that the safety and
well-being of our children and youth is truly a top priority. This is evident in
the creation of a department that is solely dedicated to child protection which
includes foster care, youth services, youth corrections, and child care services
as well. It is also evident, Mr. Speaker, in an important piece of legislation
that was completed by the department, and that is the Children and Youth Care
and Protection Act. It was proclaimed last June, and this progressive new piece
of legislation really better safeguards the Province's most vulnerable children
and youth.
I would like to speak for a few minutes, in the few minutes that I have left,
about some of the benefits of this new act. First of all, it continues the
authority to intervene when a child or youth is the victim of harm or neglect by
a parent, but it increases our ability to intervene where a child is at risk of
such harm as defined by the act. This new piece of legislation strengthens the
best interest of the child principle as being paramount above all other
considerations. The act also serves to better protect children and youth as well
as provide greater clarity to staff, to the community, to clients and to the
courts as well. It contains significant updates and significant changes which
are more child-centered. They better reflect best practices in clinical work,
and they also promote better permanency planning which is really important when
we talk about children and youth in care.
Mr. Speaker, there have been a number of other changes and updates to
legislation and policies in Newfoundland and Labrador that really focus on
providing better planning for the children and youth who are in our care. We
have reduced the number of temporary court orders for children in the care of
the Province. We now require a detailed plan for the child to be filed with the
courts. We have established a process for monitoring all children who are in
care. We have increased the age of continuous custody in the Province. We
support youth in need of protection even longer as they transition into
adulthood. We recognize the risk of emotional harm as grounds for protective
intervention, which is new as a result of this latest legislation. We have
introduced a new statutory legislative review process, and we have imposed a
publication ban that restricts the reporting of any identifying information
about a child and the family with respect to a proceeding under this new act.
Mr. Speaker, the Children and Youth Care and Protection Act, and the
Protection and In-Care Policy Manual that has been developed by the department
provide direction and guidance to our front line staff in the new Department of
Child, Youth and Family Services to support their work with children and youth
who are really in need of protective intervention.
In my closing remarks, I hope to talk some more about the new act and some of
the positive changes it has led to in the foster care system here in our
Province. It is also important to note, Mr. Speaker, that most of the time the
Department of Child, Youth and Family Services is working with families so
children and youth can remain in their homes. This is a really important
principle that we are deeply committed to. The department is actually working
with about 4,400 families, and there are approximately 7,500 children in need of
protective intervention in Newfoundland and Labrador, 7,500 children today.
Approximately 90 per cent of these children are provided supports in their own
homes with their own families, but approximately 10 per cent of these children
have been removed by court order from parents' care to ensure the child's
safety. The ultimate goal is always working towards the child being returned
home to their parents' care, if it is indeed in the best interest of the child.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to acknowledge that our government has a great
relationship with the Foster Families Association in this Province. I get a
great sense of pride from this organization. They are very proud of the work
that they do, and they are confident that this government is doing the right
things when it comes to child care and foster care in this Province. There are
many positive steps that we have taken to advance the care of children in the
Province and to advance the cause of foster families in our Province. The Foster
Families Association would certainly acknowledge that the new department was,
and is, an essential step in getting the needs of foster children and foster
families greater attention that they do deserve.
Our strategy is on target. We have increased compensation to foster families,
which has been extremely well-received by caregivers in Newfoundland and
Labrador. The Foster Families Association would also tell you that any news
stories, whether good or bad, following such stories they see an increase in
calls, they see an increase in offers to be foster families. So that exposure is
certainly good, but we definitely need to reach more people in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, though, as I mentioned earlier, there are still challenges that
need to be addressed. The biggest issue from where I sit is a shortage of foster
homes still to this day in Newfoundland and Labrador. More kids are coming into
the system, and it seems, Mr. Speaker, that fewer families in this Province are
coming forward to help. Despite improved advertising efforts and awareness
campaigns, we do not seem to be reaching the majority of the population. The
general public does not truly know there is a real issue here, a real shortage
of foster homes. Most people do not realize that kids are being cared for in
alternative living arrangements.
So we need to focus on recruitment. We need to do more advertising and we
need to do what we can as a government to raise awareness, working with
organizations like the Foster Families Association. We need to improve
compensation for foster families, as we have done and we need to continue to do.
We really need to do whatever we can to get the community engaged in finding
solutions. We also have to focus on the reasons for an increase of children
coming into care and the apparent decrease of willing foster families, and do
what we can to help address those challenges as well.
Demographics are changing, Mr. Speaker. Parents who have two kids and are
both working, for instance, do not necessarily feel they have time to take in
more kids. Years ago, the mother perhaps would stay at home with a number of
kids and still take in additional foster children; it was commonplace. The
economy is changing, society is changing, and that certainly creates additional
demands that we need to consider.
We also need to consider the complex role that foster parents are called upon
to play. Many people who do not have kids and want them are very nervous and
very fearful of taking foster children because of that looming fear that they
are going to eventually return to their homes or be taken back. The goal of our
system is reunification with birth parents, and although it does not always
happen, many people are reluctant to be engaged in foster care under those
circumstances.
There are challenges, Mr. Speaker, and we have worked to overcome many of
these challenges. While there is still work to be done, I really do believe that
we are on a good path. The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that we need more foster
homes in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Foster Families Association and the
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador are indeed working quite hard to address
that. As elected officials here in this House, Mr. Speaker, we need to do our
part to get that message out. That is what I hope we will be able to do together
here today.
I will conclude there, Mr. Speaker. I hope other members of this House will
share their experiences. Today is an opportunity for us to stand together,
applaud the efforts of our foster families, and to emphasize the need for more
foster families. If we continue to get the message out there, I am really and
truly hopeful that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador will answer the call
and we will see more people come forward to serve as foster families here in
this great Province.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to the rest of the debate this
afternoon.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, truly, as the Member for Mount Pearl North
said, foster parents are wonderful people. Foster parents fill a very difficult
void because in fact society and Child, Youth and Family Services are not
saying: Will you adopt this child? Will this child be a member of your family
forever? Child, Youth and Family Services is saying: This is a child in need,
this is a child who needs a home, and we would like for you to foster this child
for a certain period of time. How long? We do not really know how long. It might
be a relatively shorter time, and it may be a very long time. It may be until,
ideally, the biological or maybe even adoptive parents of this child are able to
receive the child back home. We are asking you to accept the child, to provide a
home for a child, to foster a child and then, at some point, we propose to come
and take this child back. You may very well become attached to this child over a
period of time, but you are providing a home, you are providing a service, you
are providing a benefit to society. We cannot tell you for how long it will
last, but we can tell you that it will likely be a challenge, and we are asking
you to open your home and provide this benefit and this service.
Clearly, it is a very valuable and necessary benefit. I will have no
difficulty to support the private member's resolution, although there are
certain areas where I think that it could probably go further. That should come
as no surprise that members of the Opposition are here not necessarily just to
oppose, but to applaud and recommend that the government go further.
Mr. Speaker, the more recent numbers, the statistics that we look at indicate
a very troubling trend in foster care, which is an exceptionally difficult job
and Child, Youth and Family Services is a difficult job. The government
introduced a new model of care and the intention being that the ratio of social
workers to caseloads would be 1 to 20, and supervisor to social workers would 1
to 6. Yet, we are still in a situation where some social workers have had
documented caseloads recently of up to seventy. There may not be an easy
solution for that but, clearly, we need to work forward.
Mr. Speaker, 278 of the 850 children at the end of last year were Aboriginal
children. That means that one-third of the children are Aboriginal children.
That brings with it definite additional issues to deal with. Mr. Speaker, the
statistics provided through Child, Youth and Family Services indicate that in
metro area, with 239 children in care, at that point we have only 128 foster
homes. More recently, the minister, in Estimates, indicated that number was down
to 114 foster homes. That means we have fewer foster homes as the time goes on
in Metro where, in fact, we have a growing need. That is a very troubling
statistic. Maybe it is brought on by increases in prosperity, different
lifestyle, a different type of society, people who are maybe busy with
themselves and have less to offer.
A more difficult statistic is the number of children in ILA and ALA living
arrangements was sixty-seven at the end of last year, which is 28 per cent of
the children in Metro in these living arrangements. That must be an extreme
challenge and clearly needs to be addressed and needs to be addressed in a
manner that means that the most vulnerable children are not left to fend for
themselves.
Mr. Speaker, some of the areas are encouraging; in central east, western, and
Labrador-Grenfell, the number of foster homes that are available compared to the
number of children in care is almost matched. It is clear the minister needs to
try to determine why we have such a disparity between Metro, which is the
wealthiest part of the Province, and the other three areas that are, I would
say, fairly well off, but certainly not as well off as Metro.
Then when we go to the Innu zone and see 144 children in care and only 108
foster homes. Apparently we do not have available the use of ILA and ALA living
arrangements; consequently thirty-two of the children from the Innu zone, or 22
per cent, are sent out of the Province to be fostered, to be cared for. Clearly
that must be an absolutely frightening statistic
AN HON. MEMBER: Out of Labrador, you mean?
MR. BENNETT: I am sorry?
AN HON. MEMBER: Out of Labrador.
MR. BENNETT: Out of Labrador. I am sorry. The heading says number of
children in out-of-Province placements.
With that number, thirty-two of fifty-two in total means that over 60 per
cent of the children who are Native children are not being fostered close to
home. Maybe that means that we need to have a larger facility, maybe in the
nature of a group home in the Labrador area, a facility so that if we simply
cannot come up with enough foster homes, then these children certainly should be
cared for much closer to their cultural roots, a place where extended family
members could visit; maybe it is Goose Bay, maybe it is one or more of the
communities on the coast of Labrador. Clearly this figure is very troubling when
22 per cent of all the children in foster care in the Innu zone are
out-of-Province placements. That represents more than 60 per cent of all the
children in care in the Province.
I have no answer as to what the solution is, but simply it should not be
permitted to continue. Given what we know about different cultural aspects of
growing up with a person's culture and the experience that we had historically
not only in this Province, but even more so in this country with residential
schools, this should be a very troubling statistic.
We can see from the numbers that are provided that in Western Labrador, for
example: 124 children in care, 119 foster homes, and only one child
out-of-Province. Even in the Labrador-Grenfell region, only three children have
had to leave for care. Mr. Speaker, clearly we need to have some focus on the
living arrangements for St. John's foster children. It says Metro, presumably it
is the Greater St. John's area and Metro; obviously 128 foster homes cannot
possibly look after 239 children. The independent living arrangements and the
alternative living arrangements are just not sufficient.
Mr. Speaker, the other information that I have been provided indicates the
type of accommodation that is available for some of the children in the ILA and
ALA arrangements is simply not up to grade. It is almost as if the most
vulnerable members of our society are the ones who have to cope with the
greatest difficulties. Many of these children, the ones who are sixteen and
seventeen in ILA and ALA arrangements, they themselves have substance abuse
problems; they themselves have had difficulties with the law.
They themselves at sixteen years of age cannot buy alcohol legally, cannot
buy tobacco legally, cannot vote, and cannot drive a car. The only thing that
they can do at sixteen years of age, Mr. Speaker, is they can consent to engage
in sex. That in itself would be a scary prospect for sixteen- and
seventeen-year-olds who have to find their own accommodations because they are
deemed to be emancipated.
I would call on any members, Mr. Speaker, to think back on themselves when
they were sixteen years of age. I am sure that when you are sixteen years of
age, you assume that you might have all the answers, but likely within a handful
of years you realize you did not even have all of the questions.
Mr. Speaker, seconded by the Member for Burgeo La Poile, I am going to
propose an amendment and to amend the resolution by adding a new THEREFORE
clause to the end, stating:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this hon. House encourage government to take the
necessary steps and allocate resources for youth at risk who may be difficult
placements where no foster homes are available, or for young people who are
emancipated are provided with more care and closer supervision so that recent
tragedies do not reoccur.
This is seconded by the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. SPEAKER (Verge): Order, please!
We have an amendment proposed by the Member for St. Barbe and the House will
now take a brief recess to consider whether the amendment is in order.
Recess
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I should have turned off the chimes before I had the last speech.
We have considered the amendment as put forward by the Member for St. Barbe,
and the amendment is in order. We will now proceed with debate.
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am going to tell you, there are times when we speak in this House and it is
an honour and a privilege to get up and speak to it. This is one of these days
for me, Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you. I think most of the people probably on
this side of the House might know that we were a foster family. I had five
children of my own and then into our world came some other children. I will tell
you that from this government's perspective, anytime that I have sat around a
caucus table or a Cabinet table to speak to issues around children, our Premier
I will not go as far as to say she is more committed on this issue than any
other, but I am telling you, Mr. Speaker, her heart is into the children of this
Province. There is no
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Absolutely, I have no doubt about it; I have no questions
about it. Then I go to the minister, and the minister is the mother of a two
year old.
MS JOHNSON: Three now.
MR. JACKMAN: Three year old, and from the mother's perspective in a
child, no one wants anything better than what she wants for her own child. That
transcends across the department and into all the initiatives that she is
taking. In terms of the types of initiatives that are coming forth in this,
speaking from a former foster parent's position, they are fabulous.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I am going to start off by telling you a couple of stories
because I think stories tell the point sometimes better than we can if we are
reading it from text. I am going to tell you how I got started in fostering. I
was principal of a school, and on a Friday afternoon we had cause to remove a
child from our school. The social worker this is about 5:00 o'clock in the
afternoon could not track down anyone, so she had to have someone to accompany
her with this child to a foster home. I went with her and on the way back we
started talking about it, and I had indicated to her in our conversation that as
a family, my wife and I had spoken about fostering. That was on a Friday. Two
weeks later we were into it and we had received the first child had come into
our home. He was three-and-a-half years old. I am going to tell you that when
that child arrived at our door and the car drove away, I can still see him, he
was stood at the left-hand corner of the window looking out and he was crying.
What you had to do is you had to console that child. We did, and he stayed with
us for three-and-a-half years.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to tell you another story, and put any of you and
your child in this context. We had a fourteen-and-a-half-year-old child, and I
say child because this young man had gone through many challenges in his life.
He arrived at our doorstep on December 26. Think about it, everyone knows what
Christmas means, on December 26. I will tell you this much, on December 26, 27,
28 and December 29, I spent my time driving up the road because every
opportunity that he had he bolted. On December 29, I picked him up. I took him
in the car and I said to him, just give us one month. If it does not work out
for you in one month, we will go back to the social worker and we will ask for
something different. He stayed for a year and a half. These are the challenges
that these children face.
I am going to tell you one that is really funny, because with all of this
comes the challenge and sometimes the humorous stories. I worked with the school
board. I happened to be over in Corner Brook at the time, and this was in
February. This cannot be solely my responsibility in our home because it is my
other children, and in particular it is my wife. The two of us had to take the
team - and I will tell you that my wife is the emotional one. She will attach
herself emotionally and you need somebody while doing that to be the realist in
it and I think I was the realist. Anyway, I was in Corner Brook and my wife
called and she said we have a problem. Now my house have bigger windows upstairs
and there is a ledge, one of the foster kids that we had wanted to go out after
8:30 in the evening and my wife would not let him. Here is the conversation:
Hello, Clyde, so-and-so is out on the ledge. He had gotten out of the window and
he had stood out on the ledge and he was not coming back in because my wife
would not let him go out. The conversation is: Give him the phone. He is on the
phone out on the ledge and I am saying to him: You had better be in this house
before I get back from Corner Brook.
The funny thing about it is, I wasn't going to be back for a day-and-a-half;
I didn't expect him to be out there that long. You had better get in off that
ledge before I get back. I will be back the day after tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, my point in saying that is that the challenges that come with
it, and I think the individuals who enter into foster care do it for a specific
reason, because they care. They truly do care. I do not need any speaking notes
today to speak to this, because it comes from the heart. It comes from the
heart, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: I keep saying to people and I will backtrack I have been
in on the meetings where the foster parents have met, and I keep saying to
people, if you are going to enter this, and you are going to do this, do not
expect the Pollyanna stories. Do not expect the Pollyanna stories. There will be
the rewards, but remember, these children come with challenges, and if you are
going to take them into your home, you better be prepared for the challenges.
I remember an eleven-year-old, and he went to the room, and he was clocking
the wall. He was going to hurt himself or he was going to hurt one of us, so I
took him and I held him, and I said: now, you be good and I am going to let you
go. Well, mistake, I let him go too early; he socked me right in the eye, so for
three or four days I am going around with a bit of bruise. If you are going to
enter this, these are the types of challenges you face. You accept that when you
go in, and when you come out, there are the rewards, because some of these
people the young fellow on the ledge, ran into him a few months ago. Some of
them will call you and contact you, and now with Facebook, these people still
come back and touch base with you.
I recall a very young mother and an eight- or nine-month-old baby; I am
telling you right now, if we could have, we would have kept the young baby. They
needed a chance. This young girl had been through more in her life than many of
us will ever go through. And you work with the school, because if she had been
where her grades had put her, she would have been in with the Grade 8 class. I
knew she was extremely bright. We worked with the school and we got her in with
her age-mates. She did Academic Math. She was a very, very intelligent young
woman. Given the chance, you can make the difference.
I have to speak to one other thing. Anybody who ever attempts to understand
the bond between child and parent, never underestimate it. One young boy whose
father was in very difficult situations, all he ever wanted was his father to
get better. He wanted to go back with his father and all he ever wanted was for
his father to get better.
I can proudly stand here and say that one of the young fellows I mentioned
previously who with us for three-and-a-half years we followed him and
monitored him, because you always have an interest in these children there is
a thing that brought him back into our life. When he was in Grade 10, actually,
is when it started. It was unfortunate for me; I had a heart attack, but I
showed up on the TV screen, and just shortly after that he contacted us. He came
back to stay with us for a week in Easter, he continued stay with us, finished
his high school education. He works out of the Province but he is doing quite
well.
There are the success stories and I am sure there are the challenges that
will come with it. I heard my colleague from Mount Pearl North speak earlier. He
speaks personally from the experience from a different perspective than I do,
but both of us will tell you we recognize the challenge, but we also recognize
the reward. There is an inherent reward.
I will tell you that my five children, I am convinced, are better for it. The
young lads that they are, I came home one evening and one of my sons because I
have two sons, my youngest are just a year apart one of them comes running:
dad, you had better come out; such and such is going to kill such and such. I
scramble out and they were into a little bit of a wrestling match. That is the
reality. That is the reality of bringing up a family and then having someone
come in. You learn these types of behaviour are inappropriate; both sides, both
the foster child and your own children, learn a different perspective.
I have to say that as much as the challenge was there, I would not have ever
traded the experience, never would. It is something that leaves a mark on you. I
am convinced that the one foster child who borrowed $100 off me will bring it
back one day. He will bring it back one day. I say that in all seriousness
because I know that somewhere along the way, he and I will come face-to-face and
he will remember that. He will remember that I hope; no, I am only joking. The
rewards that come with it, Mr. Speaker, are second to none.
Minister, these supports that you have put in place in this department, I am
telling you, will help foster parents immensely and, I would say, will limit the
red tape type of stuff. That is what this is about. What it will allow is us to
encourage more foster parents to come in and actually have foster parents doing
the role they want to do.
I would say to all members of this House: If there is anyone out there you
can think of who would be interested in fostering, get in touch with some
officials and talk to them about it. Recognize the challenges you are going to
face when you enter it, but also speak to others who have fostered and see the
rewards they have taken away from it. It is a privilege to do and it is about
giving. What this allows is for a more effective and efficient delivery of that
service.
I conclude, Mr. Speaker, by saying as I started out that we have a Premier, a
minister, and a government who are very much committed to this. This goes beyond
political realms. This is about doing what is best for the children of this
Province.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Member for St. John's Centre.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am happy to be able to speak to this private member's resolution. I would
like to congratulate all foster parents, past and present, and congratulate
their families as well for taking
part in what is one of the foundation services
of supports for kids in care. I would like to thank them for their generosity,
for their wisdom, and for their commitment. Child protection services and family
services can be among the most complex services we provide through government
and in our communities. The workers in these fields have, at times, among the
most difficult and complex work to do.
When I first immersed myself in the details of this department as a critic
for Child, Youth and Family Services, I was somewhat surprised by the first
mandate of the department and how it is stated. The mandate is stated as, "The
Department of Child, Youth and Family Services is responsible for protecting
children and youth from maltreatment by parents". The mandate seems more about
child rescue than family support, and I found that somewhat troubling.
The work of this department, in fact, should be more about families in need
of assistance rather than children in need of protection. It should be more
about prevention rather than apprehensions and removals. Perhaps it is, but the
first mandate is as was stated. Its main mandate for Child, Youth and Family
Services should not be a forensic one, but its mandate reflects that. They seem
to do prevention only after the maltreatment has occurred. Mr. Speaker, this is
not prevention; this is rather reactive. Best practices in fact should be a
department that is concerned about the day-to-day realities of the lives of
parents and children. What they experience in the way of poverty, violence,
discrimination, poor housing or unaffordable housing, isolation, mental health
or addictions, and what the state or the department can do to help alleviate
these problems to ensure that families who are need of help can get the help
they need in order to work on a prevention level. This means that we need more
resource workers. Parents who need help need more services than what are
available.
Two years ago in 2010, the Auditor General criticized the Protective
Intervention Program in this Province where children are removed from the family
home and placed in family care, or in foster care, or a staffed residence. For
several years, the small number of foster homes could not cope with an increased
number of children removed from their homes. In 2007, the government created
Alternate Living Arrangements, ALAs, temporary residential arrangements,
sometimes in motels, or hotels or apartments, for children up to sixteen,
including infants, who were watched over by social workers and other caregivers
after their regular shifts were over. The Auditor General was critical of the
number of children in ALAs and the fact that children were staying too long in
them, months and sometimes a year, and that they were cared for by staff that
were overworked already and not necessarily trained in child development. It was
hard on the children, it was hard on the social workers, and it was hard on the
families.
We know that social workers and social work assistants at times are still
expected to fill in to help staff ALAs when there are tight spots on nights or
on weekends. We know that there has been a reduction in the number of children
who are in ALAs and that the government finally has a continuum of care strategy
and they will try to keep more children either in a relatives home or a foster
home by offering more money and resources and training, and the hope is to
recruit more foster parents. This is a good move. This is a necessary move.
Foster care in the Province has been in a state of flux and we all know that
it has been very hard to recruit and to retain foster parents because there has
not been enough support. There has not been enough supervision. There has not
been enough training. There has not been enough respite care. There has not been
enough funding. This move to increase that is a good thing.
With the increase in the number of foster care homes, it is more likely then
to have a better match for children who will go into foster care, a better match
for kids to have their actual needs met. It is not just about a bed and a bowl.
Resources must be put towards more professional fostering where the whole family
is involved, not just housing the kids and feeding the kids but involving the
biological family or the family of origin. Foster parenting, when it is done
well, can be full-time work. That they would work with a family of origin and
with a child or children to strengthen and support the family to eventually,
when possible, work towards reunification.
There are not enough community supports for our families in need. We need to
see the development of more resources to help families with complex needs.
Resource teams, there were supportive resource teams available for foster
families. They are no longer in place but foster families are expected, should
they have problems, to deal with the child protection worker of the particular
children in their care. We know that these child protection workers are already
overworked and hard to reach. This is not the ideal situation. We need to see
the re-establishment of resource teams who will help specifically foster
families do the work that they have so generously committed to doing.
Taking children into care should be a last resort. The state is not a good
parent, and keeping the family together must be the focus. Although we know that
some parents, because of their particular complex needs, may never be able to
have their own kids live with them. To invest in foster care, however, and not
put major investments in family supports is backwards. We know there is a
shortage of treatment for people with several mental health and addictions
complex needs, which makes it very difficult at times for families to keep their
children in their homes.
Besides encouraging more foster homes, government said that they will
implement a framework for staffed residential facilities for children and youth
who need this level of support. What will these residences look like? We were
not given any information about them during the Estimates meeting. If they are
private residences, how will they be better monitored in the future? How will
the department ensure they are staffed by professionals trained in child
development? How do we ensure that the staff are well-paid, well trained
professionals, acting professionally, either in a private or a for-profit
system?
Supports for children and families; the new continuum of care for children at
risk should include reasonable caseloads so that social workers can spend the
time they need to assist children and their families. This is important for
prevention. The department needs to put more resources into prevention programs,
and invest more in families to prevent children from being at risk and to
prevent children from being taken from their families. We need more parental
counselling and education. We need faster and more comprehensive access to
mental health and addictions counselling. We know there is an increase in the
incidents of mental health problems and addictions problems in our societies, in
our communities, that result in family problems. There needs to be more training
and employment opportunities for families at risk. There needs to be more
referral to Family Resource Centre programs, which are underutilized at this
moment.
Families, particularly families living below the poverty line, need more
money in order to be able to survive, in order to be able to relieve the
stresses that they feel in day-to-day living. Investing in prevention should be
the first line of defence for our children. Investing in prevention actually
should be the first line of protection for our children. Protection is about
prevention, not apprehension. How can we expect parents to parent properly if
they do not have the resources available to them if they are having problems?
Where can families go before abuse takes place? For families who self report,
who are reaching out for help, how can they trust the child protection program
when in fact what they need is other kinds of resources to help them cope so
that they can parent better, so that they can keep children, and we can keep
families together?
What about families who are too poor to provide the necessities for their
children? We must recognize the role of poverty as one of the root problems of
child neglect. Not that poverty causes neglect, but families who do not have the
economic resources to fully take care of their children are under great stress.
Present income supports for families are not liveable rates and need to be
raised. I would like to have seen more resources put into families, into
prevention, more resources for families, for children in order to prevent abuse
and to prevent neglect.
Again, in finishing, I would like to congratulate the foster families who
have been so committed and who have been so generous. I would also like to
applaud this movement on behalf of the government to increase resources and
supports for foster families, for increasing the amount of money available to
foster families so that they can more properly take care of the children who are
brought into this care.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I had so much I wanted to say today about the specifics of what
we are doing on the continuum of care, but, Mr. Speaker, after the last fifteen
minutes of having to listen to what was basically a lot of nonsense, dare I say,
I am going to have to address some of that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Before I do, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the two speakers,
the Members for Mount Pearl North and Burin - Placentia West, not only to thank
them for speaking but to thank them for being the great foster parents that they
have been and continue to be.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: It is very difficult to match up to the words from both
members because, absolutely, they are speaking from the heart, but I have to
tell you honestly and in all sincerity, I am speaking from the heart, too, when
I say that I thank the Premier often, very often, for putting me in the
Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. It has been the best experience
of my life, this past year and a half, Mr. Speaker.
There are a lot of issues. There have been a lot of issues over the years.
The Premier has been very, very supportive of creating this new department and
putting financial supports into the department. We are doing wonderful things
there. The Child Care Strategy was something very near and dear to me, but
particularly this continuum of care strategy, Mr. Speaker.
As was mentioned, I do have a child. When you look at all of the issues that
families have to face, the first thing comes to your mind is: How does this
happen to children? Some of the files that I read, you are just left awestruck
that this could actually happen to a child, Mr. Speaker. When it does happen, we
need to act and we need to be responsible. That is why we need to depend on
associations like the Foster Families Association. Diane Molloy and Amy Kendall
are here today, and I cannot thank them enough for all the work they do on
behalf of the foster families in the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: They are a tremendous support to the foster families who are
out there, everyday working with the foster families, helping them with training
and supports. Every time I have had a conversation with them, Mr. Speaker, their
heart is in the right place and their head is in the right place, and we are so
very pleased to have such a great partnership with them. I thank you very much
for that.
I also want to thank the foster families in the Province
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JOHNSON: As was mentioned very eloquently by the Member for Burin -
Placentia West, and also Mount Pearl North, it is not an easy task to take a
child into your home that has been taken away from their parents.
The first thing I want to address from the Member for St. John's Centre, I
read her press release that came out just after Question Period, Mr. Speaker. I
have to say, I think it is very irresponsible for a member when they ask a
question in this House and they put incorrect information on the floor that has
then been corrected by the minister. I am referring to her statement that there
have been hundreds of children in hotels. I clearly answered in Question Period
that is not the case. We have not had a child in a hotel for the last
year-and-a-half, and then immediately after Question Period a press release goes
out stating that there are hundreds of children apprehended and placed in hotels
totally irresponsible. Then the press release goes on to say that removing
children is a radical process is the word, and I do agree that it should be the
last resort and it is the last resort, Mr. Speaker.
I can tell you categorically from the files that I have read of which there
are many these children are far better off in our care and in a loving foster
family, like we heard from today and all of the foster families that we have,
than in the situation that we took them from, Mr. Speaker. It is a very
difficult situation when you have to remove a child from the home. The one thing
that we want most for our children is to stay in their homes with the parents,
but when a child is at risk of maltreatment or parents are unable to care for
their child, it is incumbent upon us to be responsible and care for that child.
While they may term it as radical, Mr. Speaker, I would say it is difficult yes,
but it is absolutely necessary.
She also went on in her comments talking about staff residential facilities
and she asked in Question Period today: What are they? What are they going to
look like? They are out there now; they have been in place for many, many years.
They are group homes. What they are is they are living arrangements that are
staffed by paid staff. The definition is very simple. It is what it says it is
and that is what is currently in place: our group homes, our organizations that
we do contract work with, like Waypoints. They have fabulous facilities in
place; I visited them. The one thing that amazes me all of the time is how
resilient these children are, but we are there to provide the supports. That is
what they are; there is nothing different about them. All we are saying is that
we are going to look at the staff residential arrangements. If she did any
research at all, she would see that this was raised by the Auditor General in
terms of that there is no tender in place. That is something that we are looking
at how we can most effectively and efficiently provide these staff residential
arrangements.
Mr. Speaker, it was very troubling to listen to her talk about how we are too
focused on a child. I am just amazed and baffled that she would say such a
thing. It is unfortunate that I have to raise it and God rest his soul, but the
Zackary Turner story and the services that Shirley Turner had, she had more
services than imaginable all types of services. The problem was there was not
a focus on the child. She came in through the family services door; there was
never a focus on the child, Mr. Speaker. If she had done the proper research and
when we brought the new act into the House and proclaimed it last year and the
whole focus of that act was focusing on the child it was based on what the
experts had told us. The experts had said that there needs to be more focus on
the child. I refer her to the Clinical Services Review of 2008, Susan Abell, a
known expert throughout Canada and beyond. Mr. Speaker, the one thing she said
that we need to do is focus on the child.
In terms of what I just had to listen to, it is very troublesome. I propose
to the Third Party that they certainly get more research, or get another critic
for that matter when it comes to this. She clearly, clearly does not get the
intentions of the department and where the need is when it comes to the child.
Mr. Speaker, having to take eight minutes to clear up some of that
misinformation is unfortunate because I did want to get into the continuum of
care strategy that we announced in the Budget this year. It is $4.1 million this
year, and $14.3 million in the next year. The sole focus of the continuum of
care strategy is to eliminate ALAs. We have heard time and time again about
ALAs; there have been questions raised by the Opposition. I remember the Member
for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair asking these questions last year and the year
before in the House. Absolutely, we want to eliminate ALAs; however, we did
receive a question from the Opposition Leader this year talking about the
standards in ALAs. Again, I want to correct misinformation because I do not want
the impression left out there that there are not standards for ALAs. These
children come into our care, there are requirements. The people who work in
these ALAs have to have a police background check. They have to have a CYFS
background check. They have to have two years of schooling, and they all have to
have training both before they go to work and ongoing training. On top of that,
Mr. Speaker, our social workers are in there monitoring the homes.
The issue with ALAs is not that there are not standards and not that the
children are not being cared for, the issue is it is not the best form of care
for the child. The best place for a child, first and foremost, is with their
parents obviously. When there is an issue that arises and we have to take the
child in our care, then having a child in a foster family, preferably in a
kinship home with a family member or significant other, that is the primary
place that we would want that child. The issue of the ALAs that has been raised
in the past, it is not really about standards. While they raise standards,
standards are in place. The issue is the attachment is not there and the family
surrounding is not there. Just in terms of the development of the child, the
child would do far better in a foster family, particularly a kinship home. Aside
from that, not a primary focus at all, but it is far more expensive to have a
child in an ALA than in a foster home. So, our sole focus of this is to reduce
the ALAs.
Another focus, Mr. Speaker, and I have talked to many foster parents, had
many discussions with the association, and again, the comments that I heard
after Budget is that finally government has listened to us and they have
addressed our concerns. What was really troublesome for me, in terms of trying
to attract foster families, is when they would pick up the phone and call the
department and of course, your heart has to be in the right place. You have to
be a special kind of person to be a foster parent, but no doubt, people are not
going to do this for free. There are added costs when you have an extra mouth to
feed in your home and clothes and so on. They asked what the compensation was,
and the answer was never clear. It was always: Well, it really depends on the
child for some of the expenses. Some were clear cut, but it really had to depend
on the child and the type of needs and so on. So, for me, and for staff looking
at this - and staff have worked so hard on this continuum strategy, I really
thank them for it.
Having to label a child to get funding was something that was very difficult
and not necessarily right in my mind. Now we have moved with this new continuum
strategy with block funding. I heard from parents many times, you have to, first
of all, check with the social worker to see if it is allowed. Then, if it is
allowed, you have to pay for it. Then you have to fill out a claim, wait for
reimbursement. It could be three or four months. We are moving away from that.
We trust our foster families to care for the child. We want them to do what it
is we ask them to do. What we have done now is we have brought in block funding
for things like recreational activities, transportation and so on, to go let the
foster parent do what it is we need them to do. When they are a substitute
parent, we are a substitute parent, when they do that on our behalf we want them
to go do what is necessary for the child.
We have also proposed in the new continuum that we would be increasing the
rates for kinship homes. They are currently less than the current foster homes
that we have, and we have said that we are going to increase that. We have
designed a new level system, where there will be four levels; level four being
the staffed residential facilities that are currently in place but will be
enhanced under the new program. We have announced that the majority of families
will receive more in financial assistance. Nobody will receive less, but the
majority will receive more, Mr. Speaker.
I do not want to give out all the details here because this year the Foster
Families Association is hosting the National Foster Families Conference. It is
happening June 1 and 2, and that is where I will release all of the specific
details in terms of the increases for financial support and so on. People are
coming from all over Canada for this. I will be speaking at the dinner as well
on Saturday night. I am doing it because they are such great partners with us
and I want to go out there and show the foster families of this Province, the
Foster Families Association, and I want to show all of the country how much this
Premier and this government supports what it is that they do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, last year we provided funds, I think it was to
the tune of $30,000, to the Foster Families Association to do a survey. I
believe that everything we do in the department, and particularly in government,
we need to talk to the people on the front line, the people who are providing
the services. That is what we did in this case. We went out, they surveyed
every, single foster family in the Province. What we heard back helped us when
it came to this continuum of care strategy, Mr. Speaker. So I really want to
thank them for that. We will be releasing the results of that survey on June 2
as well, Mr. Speaker.
As I said, over the past three years this department has received $41.8
million in funding. A lot of it goes to front line services, getting the
caseload down. I heard the Member for St. Barbe talk about the caseloads. We did
say it will be three to five years to get there. We are at a caseload of one to
twenty-two. Just to clarify when he talks about one to seventy, the one to
twenty is on a Province-wide basis. You can have seventy cases and that would be
equivalent to