March 21,

2011 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLVI No.

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Before we begin routine proceedings, I would like to observe an old

parliamentary tradition. I have the pleasant task of formally welcoming two new

members who have been duly elected in by-elections since the House last met in

December 2010.

The new members are: Mr. David Brazil, representing the District of

Conception Bay East & Bell Island; and Mr.Vaughn Granter, representing the

District of Humber West.

I have been advised by the Clerk of the House that the members have taken the

Oath or Affirmation of Office, and the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance to the

Crown as required by the Constitution, and have signed the Members' Roll.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to you Mr.

David Brazil, the Member for Conception Bay East & Bell Island, who claims the

right to take his seat.

MR. SPEAKER: Show the hon. member to his seat.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Madam Premier.

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to you Mr.

Vaughn Granter, the Member for Humber West, who claims the right to take his

seat.

MR. SPEAKER: Show the hon. member to his seat.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Mr. Speaker, the Justices of the court have arrived.

MR. SPEAKER: Admit the Justices of the court.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Mr. Speaker, His Honour the Lieutenant Governor has

arrived.

MR. SPEAKER: Admit His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: All rise.

[Mr. Speaker leaves the Chair]

[His Honour the Lieutenant Governor takes the Chair]

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: It is the wish of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor

that all present be seated.

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR (John Crosbie, PC, OC, ONL, QC):

The Power to Grow

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

On the third of December, I had the privilege of swearing in the Honourable

Member for Virginia Waters as the tenth Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

and, of course, the first woman to become Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In her inaugural speech that day, she said, "Never before in our history have

we as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians been stronger, or better positioned, or

better prepared than we are right now to achieve the full measure of our

potential. Never have we been more determined to succeed. And never have we been

more confident that we can."

The very first woman to serve as Newfoundland and Labrador's First Minister

brings to the role her unique experience, a fresh perspective, unshakable

confidence in our power to grow, and unwavering determination to ensure

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians reap the benefits of the wealth we are

continuing to build today, tomorrow and well into the future.

Of all the resources we possess in bountiful supply, none are of greater

value to us than the deep reservoirs of strength, self-assurance and pride that

drive us forward to make the most of every opportunity to prosper.

Newfoundland and Labrador took a giant leap forward in harnessing our power

to grow with the announcement on the 18th of November to develop the

hydroelectric potential of Muskrat Falls Phase One of the Lower Churchill

River Project, one of the most attractive clean energy projects in North

America.

Muskrat Falls is a shining example of My Government's tenacity and commitment

to securing the path of prosperity for all people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

It has the potential to transform Newfoundland and Labrador from a jurisdiction

dependent for much of its electricity on nonrenewable oil to a jurisdiction

whose electricity system is 98 per cent carbon free. This project is the

lowest-cost, long-term option to meet our growing electricity demand. What's

more, Muskrat Falls will mean consumers' electricity bills will be stable for

years to come, and lower than if the province had chosen the alternative: a

future dependent on more thermal generation and exposure to volatile oil prices.

Every year, we generate a good portion of our electricity on our island from

the oil-fired plant in Holyrood. This power is costly. In its Energy Plan, My

Government committed to the communities and residents who live around the

Holyrood Generating Plant that it would install scrubbers and precipitators if

it did not proceed with the Lower Churchill Project. This would cost in the

order of 600 to 800 million dollars and, ultimately, would not eliminate all the

emissions from this facility. The plant is aging and would require outright

replacement within a couple of decades; and growing demand would require

additional capacity from our limited supply of small hydro, and some wind.

However, our main source of generation to meet long-term growth in the province

would ultimately be more thermal generation. All told, the capital costs for

these alternatives could surpass 3.2 billion dollars. With oil prices rising and

forecast to go higher, the costs of generating power at Holyrood would raise

consumer electricity prices significantly, hurting families in their pocketbooks

and employers on their balance sheets.

If we are to avoid these nasty consequences and keep our province on the path

to sustainable growth, we need to shift from costly, nonrenewable oil-generated

electricity to renewable clean energy, and we need to do it soon. My Government,

with its comprehensive Energy Plan, charted a course for energy security. The

objective was clear: long-term stability for the electricity ratepayers. The way

to achieve that objective was equally clear: identify a secure and

environmentally-friendly source of power. Phase One of the Lower Churchill

Project, Muskrat Falls, is the means of achieving energy security.

At 824 megawatts and a total cost of 6.2 billion dollars for the Muskrat

Falls generation project, the transmission link from Labrador to the Island and

the Maritime link to Nova Scotia, this is a mega-project, but it is just one

step in My Government's green energy development plan. The Gull Island Project

has a capacity to generate an additional 2,250 megawatts of hydroelectricity,

and together, these two pieces of the Lower Churchill Project will generate

bountiful energy to fuel industrial growth in Labrador.

Indeed, the development of both Gull Island and Muskrat Falls will be a great

enabler for future opportunities in Labrador and will greatly improve Labrador's

ability to attract industrial development in the region.

The combined Upper Churchill recall, Muskrat Falls and future Gull Island

power will provide the storehouse of renewable energy to fuel industrial growth

in Labrador. Such projects could include IOC expansion, new iron ore projects,

Voisey's Bay developments and other projects that may emerge. And by 2041, just

three decades or thirty years from now, Newfoundland and Labrador will be

released from the draconian provisions of the infamous Upper Churchill Contract

and able to turn that energy to our own advantage.

What's more, the agreement with Emera provides Newfoundland and Labrador, for

the first time in our history, with a link to consumers in Nova Scotia, New

Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and New England, firmly establishing

Newfoundland and Labrador as a clean-energy superpower in northeastern North

America. This project is unequivocally in the best interests of the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Muskrat Falls Project will generate 8,600 direct person-years of

employment in our Province with 5,400 of these in Labrador. In its Energy Plan,

My Government committed that Labrador residents would be the primary

beneficiaries of the Lower Churchill Project, with jobs and business activity

from the construction and operation of the projects as the first and most

tangible benefits. Approximately 450 million dollars in labour earnings and

business income will be generated for Labradorians and Labrador-based

enterprises. Members of Labrador's Innu Nation will have first consideration for

employment, then other qualified residents of Labrador, and then residents of

the province generally. My Government is excited as it looks forward to the dawn

of a new era of opportunity, prosperity and self-reliance for the Innu people of

Labrador.

Muskrat Falls is also a tremendous project for Canada, generating 540 million

dollars a year in labour and business income during the construction phase,

totalling 3.5 billion dollars by the time this project has been completed, plus

some 525 million dollars in federal tax revenues. Newfoundland and Labrador has

wrestled in recent years to be heard, understood and respected by Federal

leaders in meaningful ways on issues that matter most to our people, but today

is a new day. Our Premier has presented to the Prime Minister Newfoundland and

Labrador's compelling case for Federal support for this national green-energy

project.

interest costs for the project, all of which will go to further reduce rates for

consumers, putting more money directly into the pockets of residents here in

Newfoundland and Labrador and in Nova Scotia. Regardless, this project stands on

its own merits. It makes sense economically. It makes sense environmentally. It

makes sense for the consumers of Newfoundland and Labrador. Developing Muskrat

Falls gives us the power to grow.

An Invitation to Build

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

The power to grow resides in each of us. It is the Government's duty to

create conditions conducive to growth: a strong commitment to fiscal

responsibility, a solid foundation of reliable infrastructure, competitive

taxation, minimal red tape and progressive public services, including a range of

instruments and initiatives to help businesses grow and individuals prepare for

opportunities. To make growth happen, individuals, businesses and communities

must rise to the challenge and seize the opportunities before them. Through a

partnership of collective effort and individual responsibility, we as

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can achieve goals others think impossible. Each

of us has the power to master our own destiny, and each of us has the

responsibility to use it.

The conditions for growth were not always as favourable as they are today.

For too many years, for want of proper infrastructure, our province languished

while other regions of the country prospered. My Government has taken action

against this problem by implementing a multi-year infrastructure strategy

currently valued in excess of five billion dollars to address the massive

infrastructure deficit it inherited in 2003. Our roads and highways, wharves and

bridges, ports and terminals, schools and hospitals: all needed attention, and

since 2003, all have received it. Without those investments, developers would

have stayed away in droves, but with the results of those investments clearly

evident in regions throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, our province has never

been more attractive to those seeking opportunities to grow.

Nowhere are the impacts of these investments more profoundly felt than in

Labrador, where the historic interlinking of Phrases I, II and III of the

Trans-Labrador Highway has been greeted with long-overdue celebration. In

Labrador and elsewhere throughout our province, people realize infrastructure is

not an end in itself but a beginning. It is a foundation an invitation to

build. Every dollar My Government has invested in building and fortifying

Newfoundland and Labrador's foundation of infrastructure is a dollar invested in

opportunities for our communities to grow.

It is because My Government has put in place a solid foundation of public

investments that private sector developers are finding the conditions and the

confidence to build. Region by region, resource by resource, industry by

industry, and enterprise by enterprise, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are

moving forward with boldness in the marketplace to generate the kind of economic

activity that is going to sustain our communities for generations to come. More

and more, new growth in regions throughout this province is going to be grounded

in the enormous wealth of resources and opportunities all around us. With the

vision, the ingenuity, the passion and the right public policies, My Government

is ensuring those resources work to our advantage.

From Labrador West to Baie Verte, from Pine Cove to St. Lawrence, from Duck

Pond to Beaver Brook, from Voisey's Bay to Long Harbour, the very rocks beneath

our feet are fueling opportunities to grow. Valuable rare earth elements have

been found from central Newfoundland to northern Labrador. Our iron ore industry

is expanding to meet the growing global demand for iron and steel. The Iron Ore

Company of Canada is continuing its half-billion-dollar expansion program to

increase production to 23 million tonnes per year, and two new mines in

northwest Labrador will tap the first new deposits of iron this area has

developed since 1982. My Government is also close to completing its evaluation

of a Crown-owned Julienne iron ore deposit in Labrador West as a possible

further contribution to the economic growth of this region. Our future depends

on the development of resources like these.

To ensure it is doing everything it can and everything it must to fuel growth

in our mining sector, My Government will continue public consultations on the

development of a Provincial Minerals Strategy for release and implementation

later in the year. My Government believes this strategy will benefit the mining

sector the way its first comprehensive Energy Plan has benefited our energy

sector. The opportunities are real, they are rural, and they are happening right

now.

When mineral deposits are identified, My Government will work with the

developers to maximize opportunities associated with their development. Our

Premier played a pivotal role in negotiating improvements to the province's

agreement with Vale Inco to process nickel at Long Harbour. Work on the project

is about to shift into high gear, and the economic benefits and employment gains

for the province generally and for the Long Harbour region in particular will be

tremendous.

Our Premier also played a pivotal role in securing unprecedented

super-royalty and equity agreements for the White Rose Growth Project in 2007,

the Hebron Project in 2008, and the Hibernia Southern Extension Project in 2009.

At Bull Arm, work is about to ramp up in preparation for the Hebron Project, and

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are poised to reap significant benefits in

jobs, economic spinoffs and revenues.

Global oil price increases will ensure Newfoundlanders and Labradorians reap

even greater benefits from our province's equity participation in projects

offshore. My Government's foresight is certainly paying off. Thanks to its

extraordinary leadership, Newfoundland and Labrador is becoming the principal

beneficiary of our offshore oil riches.

With massive hydropower resources across Labrador and huge oil and gas

reserves both delineated and under active exploration, Newfoundland and Labrador

is right to call itself an energy warehouse. But when it comes to energy, My

Government is also thinking of ways to increase the benefits from the

development of these resources. It is moving forward to develop an Energy

Innovation Roadmap, consolidating research to date and charting a course to

bring on stream new energy technologies offering new promise to communities and

businesses looking to prosper. We are already beginning to see what communities

can accomplish when they tackle old energy challenges in new ways. In an

isolated community on the south coast of the Island, the people of Ramea have

demonstrated the capacity of an innovative wind-hydrogen-diesel project to

transform power generation and open new doors to long-term growth, not only in

their community but in other isolated communities in our province and throughout

the world. New schools in Torbay, Placentia and Paradise, as well as the Mount

Pearl Glacier Arena are using the earth's own geothermal radiation to generate

heat.

In Western Labrador, a reliable supply of competitively-priced electricity

has been of great value to IOCC and Wabush Mines, both of which have benefited

from the TWINCO arrangement that expires in 2014. Cognizant of the growth of the

mining industry in Labrador and the demands this will mean for electrical power,

My Government will soon announce a new policy on industrial electricity rates in

Labrador to ensure that all industrial consumers, existing and new, benefit from

a supply of competitively-priced power.

Labrador's people, land, diversity and culture are fundamental to our

province's identity. To fuel further growth in Labrador's communities, My

Government will continue, through the Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador, to

open up new economic opportunities while ensuring the social and infrastructure

needs of the region receive priority attention.

My Government has been working with the Nunatsiavut Government to finalize a

Land Use Plan, subject to consultations that will be undertaken in the coming

year. It was honoured to host, on October 28, a historic joint cabinet meeting

with the Nunatsiavut Executive Council, demonstrating a shared commitment to

forge even stronger government-to-government relations in the years ahead.

In regions throughout our province, our fisheries have the potential of

sustaining many hundreds, and surely thousands, of people in rewarding careers.

There is no straight path, however, from the overcapacity and structural

inefficiencies we see now to the vibrant, profitable fishery we need for the

future. My Government is not prepared to cut communities adrift. The fisheries

Memorandum of Understanding involving the province, the fisheries union and the

fish processors' association was intended to chart a course forward to where we

ought to be not just cutting but restructuring.

Certain elements of the MOU Report hold promise for enduring and progressive

change in the province's fishery. The marketing initiatives put forth by the

industry and the proposals advanced by several fleet sectors to enhance access

to capital for licence combining warrant further discussion and will be pursued

with the fishing industry. My Government will be receptive to proposals for

structural change that hold the potential to meaningfully address the industry's

long-term income and viability challenges.

According to the report of the MOU Chairperson, in the absence of an imposed

solution, the industry will adjust itself over time. Still, My Government is not

prepared to wash its hands of the overcapacity challenges it inherited, but will

focus on the measures it can responsibly take to grow the value of the sector

and promote fishing industry renewal. My Government will continue to urge the

and restructuring, but it will not wait for them to act.

In this year's Budget, it will announce measures related to fisheries

technology and innovation. It is also working on other measures to clear the

path to efficiency. At the same time, it will continue to engage our fish

processors, fish harvesters, fish plant workers, fisheries union and fishing

communities to identify innovative means to move the industry forward with

minimal negative impact on those who rely on this sector for their livelihood.

My Government believes the fishing industry is capable of sustaining families in

communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador for generations to come, and

will move forward with this objective clearly in view.

Innovation has been a real game-changer in the fishing industry. Farming fish

has revolutionized the economies of rural communities once reliant on the wild

fisheries, and that is clearly evident on our south coast. By investing

responsibly in biosecurity and environmental protection measures, My Government

will ensure our aquaculture industry continues to grow safely and sustainably

and leads the country for years to come. It is committed to ensuring that the

fishing industry of the future is a sustainable and vibrant economic driver for

coastal Newfoundland and Labrador.

My Government has focused greater attention on the sustainability of our wild

fisheries as well by launching the province's fisheries science and stock

assessment initiative, supporting the new centre for Fisheries Ecosystems

Research and chartering the fisheries science and oceanographic research vessel

the RV Celtic Explorer to examine stocks in Newfoundland and Labrador

waters. It is learning valuable lessons to help better manage the fisheries

sector on which so many of our communities and families depend. To complement

these efforts and promote responsible and sustainable development, My Government

will this year release its Coastal and Oceans Management Strategy.

There are also other opportunities in the very same regions where our

fisheries have thrived. Take agriculture, a sector offering enormous promise

that we have really only started to explore. Through a series of consultations,

My Government has now developed a five-year Agriculture and Agrifoods Action

Plan entitled "Our Farms, Our Food, Our Future" to address challenges and build

on opportunities.

By tapping the power of research and development, we can further expand our

opportunities to develop this sector. This year, My Government will be enhancing

its Agricultural Research and Development Program to provide stronger research

capacity at the government and institution level, to enable farmers and

processors to undertake R&D work to grow their own operations and to give

agricultural researchers enhanced educational opportunities.

New opportunities are also at hand for our forestry sector. Our province's

Centre for Forest Science and Innovation is drawing together experts from

identify ways to grow this sector while ensuring the best available science is

used to manage the resource.

Since 2003, the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development has

invested more than 60 million dollars in a wide range of economic development

initiatives throughout the province, with some 71 per cent of that money

targeting rural communities. We have witnessed the emergence of regional

clusters cooperative networks linking private enterprises, post-secondary

institutions, economic development associations and communities around core

industries built on regional strengths. My Government's public investments have

drawn people to the table and, as a result, its 60 million dollars has levered

close to a quarter of a billion dollars from other partners, quadrupling the

value of its initial investment.

That is truly exciting, and precisely what it intended when it launched the

Comprehensive Regional Diversification Strategy in 2005. My Government is

working to establish new clusters across our province, drawing more and more

people together in cooperative partnerships that diversify existing enterprises,

establish new enterprises and give businesses the strength and confidence to

test markets beyond our borders where new opportunities abound.

This regional approach is already transforming two important sectors of our

economy: the tourism sector and the cultural sector, which collaborated most

recently to turn the Cupids400 celebrations into an economic success story for

the Baccalieu Trail region.

In 2009, My Government released its long-term tourism vision for Newfoundland

and Labrador, entitled "Uncommon Potential", which was developed in partnership

with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. Surging forward on the strength of

an amazing award-winning marketing campaign, our tourism industry for the first

time in our history has reached and exceeded the half-million mark for

non-resident visitors in a single season this is remarkable on the heels of

the global recession. This year, working with the Provincial Tourism Board, My

Government is focusing on broadening and enriching the range of tourism products

and experiences.

Successes in our cultural industries are reinforcing this work in tourism.

CBS's incredible "Republic of Doyle" is showcasing Newfoundland and Labrador in

homes around the world and proving a product second to none can be produced

right here at home. Congratulations to Allan Hawco and his gifted colleagues for

proving that the potential for growth in cultural industries is open-ended,

limited only by our imagination. Through initiatives in this year's Budget, My

Government will build on investments it has made under its cultural strategy to

further support opportunity in the arts and heritage sectors in this province.

As exciting and rewarding as these traditional economic sectors are proving

to be, many of our province's most amazing success stories are in sectors on the

leading edge of research and development. R&D is critical to capitalize on

innovative opportunities in resource development that achieve economic growth

for this province. My Government believes that continued support of research and

development in areas where we have a competitive advantage or can realize

development opportunities will have a long-term impact on the economy of the

province. Its Research & Development Corporation is leading the way to sustained

prosperity by managing investments in, and support for, research and

development. The RDC's work builds on My Government's Innovation Strategy, which

has given local enterprises the tools to successfully commercialize new products

and technologies - observation and monitoring technologies, marine simulation,

e-learning, medical advances. My Government is expanding its programs to enhance

support for innovative activities throughout the province that can make our

traditional industries more competitive, open doors for rural businesses, and

propel our strategic advantage in innovation-driven sectors.

Fulfilling a commitment in the Province's Energy Plan, My Government will

soon release a new Climate Change Action Plan and Energy Efficiency Strategy to

lead the way for communities, businesses and citizens to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions, adapt to a changing climate and improve energy efficiency. Its focus

on sustainability has already helped to fuel the development of innovative

eco-friendly technologies.

Excuse me; I have to refresh my motor here.

[Laughter]

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: In one sector after another, we are

building partnerships, selling all sorts of products, and showcasing

Newfoundland and Labrador as a place to invest, a place to visit, a place to

make a home. Through the delivery of targeted export education, awareness and

outreach initiatives, My Government is helping Newfoundland and Labrador firms

to recognize and seize the opportunities of globalization in high-growth

countries like Brazil, India and China. It is doing more to explore emerging

markets, to capitalize on the benefits of trade liberalization, and to help

local enterprises make lucrative connections and plug directly into the channels

of global supply chains. This business networking approach is transforming our

approach to trade missions. My Government continues to promote and support new

and growing trade relationships in longstanding priority markets such as the US

and the European Union.

It has just announced that it will take a more active role in negotiations to

develop a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the

European Union, the world's largest single market. From green technologies to

life sciences, from ocean technologies to commercial services, we are finding

new ways to capture the interest and the business of investors in foreign

markets. By seizing opportunities far beyond our shores, we are fueling growth

in our own communities in enterprises large and small.

Growth requires not only the free movement of goods but also the free

movement of people. To open even more doors to growth, My Government will follow

through in implementing its new air access strategy.

In all of these ways and others, My Government is fueling the kind of new

growth that is needed for young people to make homes in our communities, to stay

here, to sink down roots, to raise their families and to reap the benefits of

the work we are doing to raise Newfoundland and Labrador to the full measure of

its magnificent potential.

I must now advise you that I am halfway through this address. I have often

been accused of being too long-winded; I plead guilty today. Thank God I have a

glass of water here.

[Laughter]

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: A Clear Path to Opportunity

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

My Government has no doubt that people are eager to rise to the challenge and

seize the opportunities. As Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we have long been

celebrated for our skills, our ingenuity and our industrious work ethic. But

some have faced barriers in their paths to employment and opportunity. My

Government believes lowering barriers will clear paths to opportunity and enable

more to succeed.

My Government understands that a family's path to opportunity may require

access to child care. Parents in our province who would like to balance

parenting with careers are not always able to do so because they cannot find

child care spaces. Many have little choice but to put their careers on hold. My

Government believes insufficient access to child care is not only a barrier to

employment but also an obstacle to economic growth. My Government is determined

to create the conditions that will enable families to grow and children to

develop, conditions that will support people in fully participating in the

workforce and contributing to the economic growth of our province. My Government

is moving forward to develop a comprehensive child care strategy for

Newfoundland and Labrador so more families will have opportunities to make

balanced choices. In this year's Budget, My Government will announce a

significant initiative in child care, with a focus on infant care, with the

potential to increase child care spaces. The beauty of this initiative is that

it will benefit families not only in larger centres but also in rural regions

where child care spaces are especially scarce.

Children will also benefit from age-appropriate programs and services before

entering the K-12 school system. In this year's Budget, My Government will

introduce measures to advance the implementation of its early childhood learning

strategy, entitled "Learning from the Start", to give children a firm footing in

their emotional, social and cognitive development.

My Government understands how important it is for our children to receive a

solid education and the targeted support they need in our K-12 system. In this

year's Budget, it will build on its enormous investments in K-12 infrastructure

and programming, and continue to ensure teaching is tailored to students'

diverse needs. It will invest additional dollars in technological resources to

support 21 st century learning.

My Government understands that a person's path to opportunity may require

assistance to access a post-secondary education. Building on the advances of the

past seven years, it will extend its investments in infrastructure at College of

the North Atlantic and Memorial University, and continue to ensure Newfoundland

and Labrador leads the country in post-secondary affordability and

Atlantic Campus in Labrador West and the new College extension at the Grand

Falls-Windsor campus, and unveil the renovations at the College's Prince Philip

Drive campus, following on the completion of improvements at the Seal Cove

campus. My Government has been listening to students at the regular Ministerial

Roundtables on Post-secondary Education, and is working together with students

to realize the benefits that successive improvements in our education system are

making to the quality of education they receive.

My Government understands that a person's path to opportunity may require

access to apprenticeships. Through its White Paper on Public Post-secondary

Education in 2005 and its Skills Task Force in 2007, My Government has opened

wide the doors to rewarding careers in industrial projects large and small. It

continues to collaborate with industry partners and is providing incentives so

more graduates can work as apprentices and gain the hands-on experience they

need to qualify for careers that can change their lives and our province's

future.

My Government believes a person's path to opportunity should not be barred

because she is a woman. Our Premier played a key role in securing gender equity

agreements on major energy projects to help ensure women benefit fully while

these projects are in high gear. My Government will enforce employment equity

requirements for Hibernia South and Hebron, and will enforce similar equity

requirements for new major mining projects and the Lower Churchill Project. It

is going to do more to enable women to advance in all sorts of non-traditional

occupations, from engineering to skilled trades, from law enforcement to

corrections, and in positions of leadership. As women share fully in these

opportunities, Newfoundland and Labrador will benefit more fully from the unique

skills and perspectives our province's women bring to the table.

My Government believes a person's path to opportunity should not be barred

because of a disability. By finding creative ways to remove these barriers, we

can help ensure persons with disabilities have access to equitable participation

in the economic and social life of our province. Having engaged people in a

well-attended series of public consultations, My Government will soon unveil its

Strategy for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and put it into action.

My Government believes a person's path to opportunity should not be barred by

poverty. In 2006, it set in motion a strategy to reduce poverty in Newfoundland

and Labrador by targeting some of its causes. Each year since then, it has

adjusted the strategy's initiatives in a concerted effort to make as great a

difference as possible with the resources committed, winning the attention and

the praise of national antipoverty leaders in the process. Some of those

initiatives are improving the standard of living of those who remain reliant on

the social support network; others are lifting people out of poverty altogether;

and others are preventing people from falling into poverty. My Government has

just completed a series of consultations and will soon release its next Poverty

Reduction Strategy action plan, along with a series of new initiatives to help

people slip the bonds of poverty and experience the freedom that self-reliance

brings.

My Government believes a person's path to opportunity should not be barred by

a lack of affordable housing. Few things are more fundamental than having a

place to live. In consultation with many stakeholders, My Government unveiled a

Provincial social housing plan, entitled "Secure Foundations", to help

low-income families, individuals, seniors and others to access housing they can

afford. As a follow-up to many major advances recommended by our community

partners in the past few years, in this year's Budget it will announce further

investments to make affordable housing even more accessible to many. Among those

to benefit will be single-parent households led by women, persons with complex

needs and low-income seniors, including those living in their own homes.

Measures we take right here right now can swing wide the doors to opportunity

for many. Access to child care and early childhood learning; improvements in

K-12 and post-secondary education; access to apprenticeships; greater career

access for women; measures to support the inclusion of persons with

disabilities; actions to fight poverty; and access to affordable housing all

of these initiatives place self-reliance within reach of many Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians who might not achieve it otherwise. My Government's priority

this year is to enable individuals and families to seize opportunities that will

have very real and lasting benefits.

Security for the Vulnerable

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

An individual cannot focus on seizing opportunities to grow when under threat

of harm. In any society, if citizens are to be truly free, measures must be

taken to protect the vulnerable from those who would do them harm. Preventing

violence against women and other vulnerable populations in every region of

Newfoundland and Labrador remain among My Government's highest priorities. It

will move forward this year to evaluate its six-year Violence Prevention

Initiative and develop priorities for a new action plan in 2012, building on the

strengths of the current plan.

No population is more vulnerable to violence than children and youth. In

2009, My Government established the new Department of Child, Youth and Family

Services a department focused principally on the safety and well-being of

children and youth. During the past year, the new department has begun to lay a

strong foundation to address the systemic issues in child protection services.

As child protection social workers move from the four regional health

authorities to the new department in the coming year, their work will be

transformed by the application of a new organizational model that will work

towards establishing manageable caseloads and greater supports for frontline

staff in fulfilling their responsibilities. The department will employ a new

unit at the Stephenville campus of College of the North Atlantic to provide

mandatory child protection training for social workers and supervisors and a

consistent targeted approach to skills development across all program areas. My

Government is determined to create the best-possible child protection system and

is therefore moving forward with a clear focus and constant vigilance to ensure

we get it right.

Violence often has its genesis in childhood, and intervening early may

prevent a lifetime of suffering. My Government will focus on improving its Safe

and Caring Schools policy and procedures to promote respect and cultivate

self-esteem among our students.

In this year's Budget, it will also build on initiatives taken to date to

combat child exploitation. The Department of Justice is making changes to the

legislation governing our province's corrections system to make it contemporary

and comprehensive. The new Correctional Services Act will replace the Prisons

Act and the Adult Corrections Act. These legislative changes will be taken in

the best interest of our corrections staff and inmates and are intended to

improve the delivery of correctional services in our province.

Other measures related to law enforcement and corrections will be announced

in conjunction with the tabling of this year's Budget and will build on the

measures we have taken in the past seven years. Among those is support for

Transition Houses, where women and children in fear of their safety can find

refuge. When it is functioning optimally, our justice system takes those who

pose a danger away from those they mean to harm, and sends an unmistakable

signal that people who harm or threaten others will be punished.

Intolerance of violence is important for us all, young and old, to embrace

and communicate in our homes, workplaces, schools and communities. Living free

from the fear of violence is vital to the achievement of true self-reliance.

Shared Responsibility for Health

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

The first principle in promoting health is personal responsibility. One of

the most effective things a person can do to promote greater self-reliance is to

take individual responsibility for choosing a healthier lifestyle - to exercise

more, to eat healthier, to quit smoking, and to make other sound choices.

Prevention has the added benefit of reducing the cost of health care delivery,

but its primary benefit is the improved quality of life an individual enjoys.

Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are linked to the relatively high rate of

diabetes and the prevalence of certain chronic disease factors such as obesity

in Newfoundland and Labrador communities.

This year, in collaboration with community partners across our province, My

Government will build on the measures already taken under the recreation and

sport strategy to better integrate physical activity into the daily lives of

people of all ages. A vital, vigorous and engaged population is the wellspring

of productivity.

As My Government follows through in implementing its provincial wellness plan

and its healthy aging strategy, it is also turning its attention to chronic

diseases. Arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, heart disease, kidney

disease, lung disease - unlike many acute illnesses that can be treated and

cured - are chronic conditions which can remain with people for the rest of

their lives. My Government will move forward this year to release a new Chronic

Disease Management Strategy which will include a comprehensive and collaborative

approach to chronic disease prevention and management throughout the province.

My Government recently launched a new Cancer Control Policy Framework that

aims to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer and to improve the quality of

life of those living with cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador. This strategy

calls for measures to diagnose and treat cancer sooner. To that end, My

Government will work with stakeholders throughout the province to identify

opportunities to enhance screening programs.

When concerns about cancer diagnostic testing errors extending back to 1997

were brought to light in 2007, My Government moved swiftly to appoint the

Cameron Commission of Inquiry to determine what went wrong and what needed

changing. My Government also moved swiftly to implement Justice Cameron's

recommendations when they were received in 2009. Complementing her report were

the recommendations of the Task Force on Adverse Health Events. In light of the

lessons of the Cameron Report, My Government this year will roll out a new

adverse events reporting system to ensure all such events are properly reported

and properly managed within our health care system.

Early diagnosis and treatment require timely access to health care

professionals and the various services they provide, from CT scans and MRIs to

surgery. Delivering health care to a population as dispersed as ours presents

challenges, but My Government has proven these challenges can be overcome. For

example, since 2003, the number of sites where individuals can access dialysis

services has gone from seven to 14 a doubling of sites. In the year ahead, My

Government will continue to ensure all residents of our province have access to

quality health services as close to home as possible through investments to

purchase new equipment and maintain existing health care infrastructure that

means so much to the people who need it.

My Government has also invested in health care professionals, successfully

negotiating agreements which have not only resulted in fair compensation for

those whose expertise we rely on, but also improved the prospects of recruitment

and retention efforts. It is by continuing to focus on recruiting and retaining

the health care professionals we need that we will continue to reduce wait

times.

Essential to building a stronger health care system is the strengthening of

relationships among health care professionals across all regions and

disciplines. Our health care system functions best when it functions effectively

as a partnership an integrated network, with each element supporting and being

supported by the others. My Government will ensure the Regional Health

Authorities as well as its own officials identify and seize every opportunity to

build partnerships. Many of the most effective measures to shorten wait times

are essentially partnership-driven. Such measures can reduce not only wasted

time but also wasted resources, and support better health outcomes.

In this year's Budget, My Government will also build on initiatives announced

last year to strengthen mental health and addictions services in the province,

which included work on a new residential treatment centre in St. John's for

children and youth with complex mental health needs; a new residential treatment

centre in Grand Falls-Windsor for children and youth with addictions; an adult

residential addictions treatment centre in Harbour Grace; enhanced child

psychiatry services at the Janeway Hospital; and new community-based projects

focusing on mental health and addictions issues.

As people age, needs change. Seniors generally require a greater level of

care. Still, like most other Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, they would like

to maintain as much independence as their health and circumstances will allow.

By emphasizing a progressive continuum of care, we can enable many seniors to

enjoy a greater degree of autonomy well into their golden years. Last summer, My

Government undertook extensive consultations throughout the province to engage

the public and other stakeholders in a discussion on the future of our long-term

care and community support services system. During August and September, twenty

public consultations were held in nineteen communities throughout the province

to allow input and dialogue. This process has enabled My Government to establish

priorities and identify strategic investments that it will continue to make this

year to make the system more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the

people the system is designed to serve.

Closely related to health care are the approaches we take to occupational

safety and emergency response. The tragedy of Cougar Flight 491 two years ago

remains fresh in our minds and continues to weigh heavily on our hearts. Justice

Wells issued recommendations last year to improve the safety of workers

travelling offshore, and My Government has accepted all of them, including

Recommendation 29, which calls on the Province and Ottawa to agree to establish

a new Independent Safety Agency for our offshore. In the coming year, My

Government, in concert with the Federal Government, will also bring forward

amendments to the Atlantic Accord Act to implement a new Occupational

Health and Safety regime for the offshore.

Public safety also arises as an issue whenever natural disasters strike. When

Hurricane Igor struck in September, My Government's officials, municipal

governments, volunteer fire departments, nongovernmental organizations such as

the Salvation Army and Canadian Red Cross, area businesses and construction

companies, local residents and many young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and

their colleagues in the Canadian Forces worked side-by-side in many regions of

our province to rescue people from danger and to bring help and supplies to

people in need. Tragically, one man lost his life, but how much worse the

suffering would have been without the concerted efforts of all who stepped

forward to make a difference. The worst of circumstances brought out the best in

people, as so often in this province it does, and we have learned valuable

lessons that we can apply in years to come. We celebrate the efforts of our

elected municipal leaders, their officials and community volunteers who helped

to mitigate the damage to municipal infrastructure caused by this unprecedented

storm. Their leadership is ensuring that appropriate rebuilding is continuing to

take place. We also acknowledge the many acts of kindness of people who reached

out to their neighbours to ease their pain.

New Ways to Work Together

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

Is there any clearer demonstration of the power of working together?

As our Premier stated in her first address in this House as Premier on the 6 th

of December: "We as a team are blessed to have surrounding and supporting us

many thousands of people in communities throughout the province who share our

commitment to a brighter future for Newfoundland and Labrador, and are willing

to work with us cooperatively to advance us toward our goals, region by region,

initiative by initiative."

On the 22 nd of February, the people living in the communities of

Fogo, Joe Batt's Arm-Barr'd Islands-Shoal Bay, Tilting, Seldom-Little Seldom,

Stag Harbour, Island Harbour and Deep Bay and the centre of the island

participated in the very first election in our history for the new Town of Fogo

Island. Some thought the divisions were too great for that day to ever come, but

the goodwill and practicality of the people of Fogo Island prevailed, and they

have set a shining example for all of us.

On the Southern Shore, the communities of St. Shott's, Trepassey, Biscay Bay,

Portugal Cove South, Renews-Cappahayden, Fermeuse, Port Kirwan, Aquaforte,

Ferryland, Calvert, Cape Broyle, Admiral's Cove, Brigus South, Burnt Cove-St.

Michaels-Bauline East, Tors Cove, Mobile, Witless Bay and Bay Bulls have

combined forces on a contract to collect and transport solid waste to Robin Hood

Bay, allowing them to decommission their local dumpsites.

On the Bonavista Peninsula, the communities of Lethbridge, Morley's Siding,

Brooklyn, Charleston, Jamestown, Portland, Winter Brook and Sweet Bay have

formed a local service district to deliver fire services to their residents.

On the shores of Conception Bay, Clarke's Beach, Cupids, Makinsons, North

River and South River have created the Bay de Grave Regional Fire Service to

serve all the residents of these communities as one.

Trinity Bay North and Little Catalina have entered willingly into an

annexation agreement to create a single municipal council to deliver municipal

services.

Each of these initiatives is unique in its own way, but all of them are

improving services for residents and showing the difference cooperation can

make. These are win-win situations in which nothing of value is sacrificed and

much of value is gained. Regional cooperation will enable us to make great gains

in addressing waste management challenges, providing safe fire fighting

services, securing safe drinking water systems and attracting the kind of

investment that will keep our regions thriving in the decades ahead. Regional

cooperation is at the heart of self-reliance.

"Neighbours helping neighbours' is the approach that enabled Newfoundland and

Labrador's communities to survive for centuries against the greatest of odds in

the toughest of circumstances. We have moved far beyond the toughest of

circumstances, but the legacy of sharing and volunteering is a birthright that

endures, and we wear it with pride. My Government's Volunteer and Non-Profit

Secretariat held a Community Priorities Summit a year ago to identify new ways

to foster resiliency in our communities and to seize the opportunities ahead.

Emerging from that Summit is a Roadmap charting a course forward to new

opportunities for sharing and celebrating who we are. A second summit will be

held in a year to measure progress and refine priorities. To bolster the spirit

of civic involvement in the coming year, My Government will continue to build on

the very successful "Who Cares?" awareness campaign and the URock Awards and,

with the Department of Education, will also honour a deserving student in each

of our province's secondary schools with the High School Medal to celebrate the

difference a student can make by volunteering.

Cooperation is also at the heart of the Strategic Partnership that has linked

labour, business and government in our province to advance the economic and

social interests of Newfoundland and Labrador. Calling this process unparalleled

anywhere else in North America, the Conference Board of Canada has lauded this

partnership for developing cohesive policies and practices and building strong

relationships.

Our Premier is wholly committed to building teams of people around her,

embracing all regions, all sectors and all points of view that need to be

considered as we map out the challenges we need to address. Cooperation is at

the heart of our Premier's approach.

Cooperation should never be mistaken for capitulation. My Government's first

priority is the best interests of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The

self-confidence and pride My Government has inspired among Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians since 2003 is fueled by our collective determination to master our

own destiny. On that, our Premier and My Government shall never compromise. At

the same time, we also believe we can achieve more by pulling together than by

pushing apart.

As My Government cooperates in building partnerships to achieve greater gains

within the province, so too it is determined to collaborate more effectively

regionally and nationally within Confederation. This approach is best

demonstrated in Atlantic Canada by the power of joint action to promote green

to demonstrate its commitment to national leadership in green energy generation

and integration by supporting the Lower Churchill development. To the Prime

Minister, we extend this invitation to build and encourage him to invest in our

power to grow.

As our new Premier stated in her inaugural speech, "[Changes of consequence]

happen when good people resolve to make things better." My Government has

provided the conditions on which good people can build. It has reduced the

public debt by a third, demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fiscal

responsibility and earned the confidence of the bond markets in the process. It

has made unprecedented investments in public infrastructure and fostered

industrial growth. It has improved public services, cut red tape by a quarter

and reduced personal income taxes to among the lowest levels in the region. It

has provided a wide range of instruments and initiatives to help employers grow

and employees get hired. It has cleared paths to opportunity, safeguarded the

vulnerable and strengthened our health care system. This secure foundation is an

invitation to individuals, businesses and communities throughout our province to

join My Government in building a future of prosperity and self-reliance

unprecedented in our history- a future truly befitting our incredible potential

as people o f Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:

I am just about at the end. I know you thought it would never come.

[Laughter]

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Estimates of expenditure will be laid

before you in due course and you will be asked to grant supply to Her Majesty.

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

May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations.

That concludes the Speech, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for being very patient and

listening. It has been a bit of a challenge to do it, but I do not want the

government to try to outdo itself next year.

[Laughter]

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen,

Madam Premier, and Leader of the Opposition.

[His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, Mrs. Crosbie, and the Justices of the

court leave the Chamber]

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act

Respecting The Protection Of Adults, Bill 1.

MR. SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House that the hon. the Government

House Leader shall have leave to introduce Bill 1,

An Act Respecting The

Protection Of Adults?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

The motion is carried.

Motion, the hon. the Government House Leader to introduce a bill, "An Act

Respecting The Protection Of Adults", carried. (Bill 1)

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Health

and Community Services, that Bill 1,

An Act Respecting The Protection Of Adults,

be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 1,

An Act Respecting The

Protection Of Adults, be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 1 be now read a

first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

The motion is carried.

CLERK: A bill,

An Act Respecting The Protection Of Adults. (Bill 1)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 1 has now been a first time.

When shall the said bill be read a second time?

MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

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

MR. SPEAKER: His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has been pleased to make

a Speech to the Members of the House of Assembly, and we shall now take a few

moments to deliver His Honour's Speech to the hon. members of the House.

[The Pages distribute the Speech to all members]

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank His Honour the Lieutenant Governor for delivering the

Throne Speech to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador today. As the newest

member of this Province's House of Assembly, let me say what a tremendous

privilege it is to stand here amongst my fine colleagues and speak to the Speech

from the Throne on behalf of the people of Humber West.

I must take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to my

constituents for supporting and entrusting me with the responsibility to

represent them in the House of Assembly. I am truly honoured to be the MHA for

such a wonderful district and to serve as part of this formidable team of

elected members. The Humber West former MHA left me with pretty big shoes to

fill but I am dedicated to working hard and to representing the best interests

of our residents. It is especially exciting to serve under the new leadership of

our Province's first female Premier. Guided by her vision and her deep passion

for this Province, we will continue on our journey to building a bright future,

one that is filled with prosperity, self-reliance and great pride.

Newfoundland and Labrador, what a glorious land, and we are so privileged to

call it home. It has certainly undergone a drastic transformation over the past

seven and a half years, a very positive transformation. The accomplishments that

we have made together will no doubt have a long-lasting impact on this

Province's future. Through a host of strategic investments, coupled with prudent

fiscal management, our government positions Newfoundland and Labrador well; not

only were we able to survive the global economic downturn, but we continue to

grow and prosper while many other places nationally and internationally

struggled. In my District of Humber West, one quick look around will show

tangible examples of such investments and growth. The Corner Brook area is

thriving as the economic hub of the Province's West Coast.

Over the past seven and a half years, this government has demonstrated a

strong commitment to advancing the health and well-being of the area's residents

time and time again. In Budget 2010 alone, government made a record investment

of $2.7 billion in the health care system throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Since 2003, approximately $45.5 million has been invested in capital equipment,

repairs and renovations in the Western Memorial Regional Hospital; this includes

nearly $33.6 million for the purchase of equipment, such as a new MRI machine

and CT scanner, a digital mammography unit and diagnostic urology and laboratory

equipment. Also included in the approximately $11.9 million for repairs and

renovations, such as a new fire alarm system and panel, departmental upgrades,

roof repairs and asbestos abatement, new medical gas monitoring alarms, a

reverse osmosis water filtration system and the installation of eight new

wheelchair accessible washrooms. Other significant health investments have

included the Humberwood Mental Health and Addiction Centre, a new 236 bed

long-term care home and protective community residences, at a total investment

of $68.5 million, and work continues on the construction of a new hospital in

Corner Brook.

Mr. Speaker, this government continues to work toward ensuring all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are equipped to benefit from the growing

prosperity and opportunities that exist right here at home. On the West Coast,

residents are benefiting from a new Career Work Centre network located in Corner

Brook. Only two years ago, Corner Brook Regional High celebrated the completion

of an $18 million redevelopment and extension. As a former educator, I can tell

you that Newfoundland and Labrador has a quality education system which is

helping to develop the young minds of this Province. In fact, since 2003, our

government has increased its investment in education by 55 per cent, from $851

million to $1.3 billion. We recognize the importance of ensuring that we

cultivate a well-educated population so that we, as a society, can not only

compete but excel and prosper into the future.

Having just experienced a very successful by-election campaign, and speaking

with people of all ages, backgrounds, throughout my district, I can assure you

that there is a great sense of optimism among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

today, particularly among our youth. With so many exciting projects happening

right here in our own backyards, more and more of our young people are deciding

to stay at home, to build their lives and raise families here. This trend has

resulted in the second consecutive year of population gains after sixteen years

of decline.

Today, people of this Province are enjoying a new era of prosperity,

self-reliance and great pride. We are holding our heads high as serious

contributors to the nation's economy. In fact, just last week a report on

provincial spending was released by the Canadian Federation of Independent

Business. The report, entitled, Restoring Canada's Physical Fitness, described

Newfoundland and Labrador as being in a good financial position.

Over the past seven and a half years, we have reduced our public debt by

approximately one-third or close to $4 billion. Employment increased by 3.3 per

cent in 2010. This was the highest growth rate among the provinces, and it was

also more than double the national rate. Capital investment is estimated to have

grown last year by 23 per cent to $6.2 billion, and our capital investment

growth ranked fourth among all provinces.

Of course, infrastructure investments have always been a priority for this

government. That was especially true during the height of the global recession.

Budget 2010 allocated $1 billion for provincial infrastructure investments, for

a total infrastructure strategy valued at more than $5 billion over the next

several years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER: This substantial investment has made and continues to result

in tangible improvements throughout the Province, and the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador appreciate and are benefiting from that daily.

Mr. Speaker, as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we are also appreciative

and protective of our rich natural resources: our fishery and aquaculture

industries, our mining and exploration activity, our forestry sector, and, of

course, our oil and gas industry, to name a few.

As a Newfoundlander and Labradorian, I am also excited about the development

of Muskrat Falls which will deliver some of the cleanest, most economical, and

safest power to this Province. I believe that as a Province we have never been

better positioned to take advantage of the host of opportunities that lay before

us.

Smart governance is the key to building an even brighter tomorrow for

Newfoundland and Labrador. Together, this government and the people of this

phenomenal Province have shown the Nation and the world what we are made of. We

are invigorated, confident, and proud of who we are and our many achievements. I

look forward to the many great projects ahead as we continue to build on these

successes in the coming years.

On behalf of my constituents in Humber West, I proudly move that a Select

Committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the

Throne.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Conception Bay East

& Bell Island.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BRAZIL: It is a privilege to rise in this House, representing the

people of the District of Conception Bay East & Bell Island, to second the

motion that a Select Committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the

Speech from the Throne.

First, I want to thank His Honour the Lieutenant Governor for speaking so

well to the plan that will guide our government's actions over the coming year.

On December 2, the people of Conception Bay East & Bell Island elected me to

represent them in the people's House of Assembly. I want to thank my

constituents for entrusting me with the responsibility of standing up for their

concerns and rights. I promise to work hard on your behalf, to listen to you,

and represent you well in this hon. House.

I have to tell you it is an exciting time to be part of this government,

under the guidance of our Premier Dunderdale. The future is bright and promising

for this Province, and our Premier recently stated: There is a lot to be excited

about right now in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The government has developed a comprehensive plan to continue on the path of

success and our Province has never been in a stronger position. The promise of

success is no longer something in the near or distant future, it is a

realization that we can now feel today. The confidence we have as a Province

today is highly contagious and makes us a leading force in this country.

During my campaign, I experienced a great sense of optimism from the people

in my district who were buoyed by the good news that has become a reality. I was

particularly struck by the message from the young people in my district who said

the options for them to study and work in Newfoundland and Labrador were full of

promise and offered them so many possibilities.

It is truly amazing when we look back at the achievements of our government

over the past eight years. The blueprint this government developed in 2003, when

we entered government, has been realized in many areas, bringing prosperity

across this Province. We no longer have to dream about the positive future for

this Province, because the truth is that we are living it right now.

We have continuously heard great news stories in such areas as tourism. For

example, this past year alone over 500,000 non-resident visitors came to

Newfoundland and Labrador spending in excess of $400 million. We saw housing

starts increase by 18 per cent and our population continuing to increase for the

second consecutive year. This really is the Province to be in and these are sure

signs that our work and investments are succeeding.

When the people of our Province first voted our government into power, there

was a sense of hope that the momentum would begin to change, that Newfoundland

and Labrador would rise to its potential and become the leader we always knew it

could be. Well, due in part to good planning, a strong vision, hard work, and

fiscally sound decisions we met and surpassed those expectations.

We can now proudly say that we, Newfoundland and Labrador, are a have

Province. We can now proudly say we, Newfoundland and Labrador, are the leader

in growth across this country. We can now proudly say that the economists and

the banks all over this country point to our Province as the example to watch.

The fact is we always knew we could do it; we just needed the right

government to take the reins and guide us in a responsible manner. Sometimes we

had to fight for what was ours, defying doubters who said it could not be done;

but when you set your sights high, there will be those who will try to bring you

down. Thankfully, they did not succeed, and our Province is leading this country

in economic growth, social program development, and infrastructure spending.

Under Premier Dunderdale, we can look to the future, to further plan and

guide this Province on a course of responsible growth and development. The

commitment of responsible governance, fiscal responsibility, and vigilance in

ensuring we receive maximum benefits from the development of our resources, will

thrive under the guidance of Premier Dunderdale and this government.

The Budget is a prime example of fiscally sound decisions that our government

is guided by. We know that striking the right balance is fundamental to our

success, by investing in infrastructure and developing social programs, while at

the same time reducing public debt, we place this Province in the best of

situations for current and future generations of Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. Our investment in infrastructure, education, health care, natural

resource development, innovation, and economic growth have given this Province a

new energy, setting the example for the rest of the country on how it can be

done.

The total infrastructure investment for the past year alone was over $1

billion. That is a significant investment that serves multiple purposes, in that

it creates jobs, stimulates the economy, and provides new and improved

infrastructure that benefits the people of the Province.

In my District of Conception Bay East & Bell Island, the government has

invested a total of $7 million in road infrastructure since it came to power.

The positive impact it has made on local jobs and improved services for the

people in my district has been considerable.

As a government, we know that our Province will fare best when the

government's social and economic policies are designed to function in ways that

complement one another. That is why we have invested in schools and programs

that prepare people to take full advantage of the new opportunities that are

arising from our new-found wealth.

For the first time in many generations, we have young people choosing to stay

in this Province because the possibilities are better here than anywhere else.

Our government has made huge advances to our education system, giving our young

people the tools and environments necessary for them to learn and grow.

Since 2004, we have built six new schools in the Province, while eight others

are under construction or in the planning phase. In addition, there have been

1,400 infrastructure projects approved province-wide. With each infrastructure

project, we are ensuring that our students will have the needed training so they

can succeed now and well into the future.

For young people who wish to continue their post-secondary studies, this

Province remains the top choice because of decisions made that positively affect

our post-secondary education system. Freezing tuition at Memorial University and

the College of the North Atlantic and helping students reduce their debt have

helped our young people achieve their goals and receive national recognition.

Our Premier has consistently stated that supporting students in their

learning will allow them to adapt, think outside the box, rise to meet

challenges, and exceed expectations. We are giving them the tools so that they

can achieve anything they want to, and become the leaders of the future.

Employment opportunities are steadily improving in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In fact, the overall rate of employment growth in this Province last year was

more than double the national rate, while the annual labour force increased 2.2

per cent to 259,900 and our participation rate rose by almost 1 per cent to

stand at 60.2 per cent - the highest annual participation rate on record for

this Province.

These numbers point to the fact that the plans we have laid out and the

actions we are taking are working. Newfoundland and Labrador has been cited in

the past as "the economic bright spot for 2010" and "as the economic model for

the rest of this country".

When we entered into government the fiscal picture was not quite as bright as

it is today. We knew that there would be big challenges to face and some of the

decisions we had to make would not be popular. Yet, the people of this Province

were patient. They supported us and we delivered.

We established agreements in the oil and gas industry that were unheard of

before, but today are the standards in this Province; agreements that benefit

fully and fairly both industry and the Province. We have built a reputation on

providing a fair return to investors while maximizing the benefits for the

Province. This is a good way to conduct business and will continue into future

negotiations.

Looking ahead, we are developing green energy projects such as Muskrat Falls,

building a sustainable economy around renewable, clean energy. The employment

benefits alone from this project will be felt not only in Newfoundland and

Labrador, but throughout Eastern and Central Canada. Our government has laid the

foundation on which sustainable growth can be built for years to come. Investing

in roads and highways, wharves and bridges, ferries, schools and hospitals, our

government allocated a record $1 billion for provincial infrastructure

investments last year for a total infrastructure strategy valued at more than $5

billion over the next several years.

Our ferry replacement strategy is working to replace old ferries and improve

transportation services throughout the Province. We have seen great improvements

on wharf systems in Bell Island that helped commuters and transportation move

more freely. These investments have been successful because they generate

economic activity and create investment optimism throughout the entire Province.

This government has a clear vision for the future and sees this Province

build on a foundation established in the past eight years. It is clear that we

will continue on the course of sustainable growth and responsible development.

The future is incredibly promising in Newfoundland and Labrador. I am proud to

be part of this government and look forward to working with my colleagues and

the Premier to continue with the success we have achieved as a government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I especially wanted to thank His Honour the Lieutenant Governor today. It is

always nice to see him here in the House of Assembly. It is certainly a place

where he had a tremendous impact as a former MHA and Cabinet Minister. I am sure

it is still talked about and remembered in many places around the Province.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the Member for Humber West and the Member

for Conception Bay East & Bell Island for moving and seconding today's Speech

from the Throne, and to also congratulate them both on their election to the

House of Assembly. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome all of our

distinguished guests who are here today, thank them for their time and thank

them for their interest in the affairs of our Province and of our government.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by congratulating the hon. Member for Virginia

Waters on her promotion, on accepting the position of Premier, and becoming the

first woman to hold that position in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, her elevation to the leadership of her party and

the fact that we have women leading the two Opposition parties myself and the

Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi have made history not only in her own

Province but in this country. It has left a strong message to girls and women

everywhere that all things are possible. As women leaders, the Province will see

a different dynamic in the fall election: all three of us bring a spectrum of

experience and values that will give the voters of Newfoundland and Labrador

distinctive choices in the coming months.

I am looking forward to this session of the House of Assembly, having been

away through the last session. Let us just say I was a little more than eager to

get back. Mr. Speaker, before I get into the main part of my remarks that I want

to make today, I would also like to say a few words of personal thanks.

I want to first of all thank my colleagues in the Official Opposition: the

Member for Burgeo & La Poile, the Member for Port de Grave, and the Member for

The Straits & White Bay North. Mr. Speaker, their support and encouragement over

these past few months have been invaluable to me. They have shouldered extra

work and extra responsibilities, and they did so without hesitation. They have

been a great source of support and encouragement as I went through my treatment

for breast cancer. I have come to value and rely upon their wisdom and their

dedication.

Mr. Speaker, the same can be said for the staff in the Opposition Office. I

could not have gotten through these past months professionally without their

support and without them stepping in to do what was needed. I want to extend to

them my thanks.

Also, I extend my sincere thanks to my colleagues here in the House of

Assembly and to people all across the Province for their well wishes, their

prayers, and their encouragement. It really does make a difference.

I want to especially thank the people of my district, the great and wise

District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, for their patience, their support, and

their understanding during the time that I was away. I made my first official

visit back to my district this past weekend after a number of months being away.

I can say, it was really good to be back home.

Last, but by no means least, I want to thank those who provided me with such

exceptional care and knowledgeable advice. I want to thank my doctors and all of

those at the Cancer Centre for the wonderful care I received.

Our Province came through the Cameron Inquiry into faulty hormone testing,

centering around breast cancer patients. While that will always remain a black

mark in our history, as we remember the many women who were tragically affected,

it opened our eyes as governments, leaders, and health care providers to

understand the important steps that were necessary to restore confidence in our

system; a system that with the right controls and the right leadership continues

to improve.

In light of faulty hormone testing I was given the option to leave

Newfoundland and Labrador to seek medical treatment. I chose not to because I

believe in our system of health care. I believe that we have a better system

today than we had six or eight years ago. I have that confidence. Does it mean

that everything is perfect? No, it does not and you will hear lots from me, I am

sure, on heath care issues in the days to come. The Cameron Inquiry may have

been a painful disclosure of information from government and from Eastern

Health, but I think it was an exercise in openness and transparency that served

to strengthen health care in this Province and not weaken it. It is openness,

transparency, and accountability that strengthen all aspects of our society

because when people have information, they have full understanding, and they are

better able to contribute to public debate and decision making.

As a government you have been anything but transparent. You have been the

most secretive, controlling administration in the history of our Province. This

is evident by the legislation that you passed regarding Nalcor which deprives

the public of ever knowing what that government agency does with the millions

and millions of taxpayers' dollars that are funnelled into it. This is also

evident in how you continue to keep information on major projects such as Hebron

and Muskrat Falls secret. It is time for a complete overhaul of these

suppressive pieces of legislation and the Access to Information Act. Use of the

words open and transparent is empty when your actions deprive people of

information. Keep the facts hidden and you deny individuals and the public the

right to be informed. You are never accountable for your actions, as you claim

to be, when people are denied the truth.

With regard to the political culture of the Province, there is room for

change as well. The selection and appointment process must be based upon more

than patronage but rather on merit and experience. People will no longer stand

for multimillion dollar legal contracts, engineering contracts, and government

work being passed to political friends without public tender. It is time to make

a change, not only in the political culture but a change that will strengthen

our rural culture as well.

Eight years ago, your government committed to an action plan for rural

development to ensure that our small towns and rural regions are viable, healthy

and growing; yet, out-migration in rural areas continues and the challenges they

face continue to grow. Communities around the Province are concerned about

sustainability. Due to the lack of resources and capacity, municipal leaders in

our Province today find themselves at a crossroads when trying to make the best

decisions for the future of their municipalities. Strategies from government,

such as waste management, put financial burdens on towns and residents. Smaller

communities are struggling to find the necessary resources to provide the

services expected of them from their residents without putting the burden on the

residential taxpayer. Municipalities have lobbied government to introduce a new

fiscal framework, and for two successive budgets now government has failed to

move on this. This is critical to the survival of small communities.

Fifty years ago the government of the day recognized the severe impediments

to economic development that face this Province. One of those impediments was a

lack of affordable and reliable electrical power. In response, government

marshalled funds from the provincial and federal governments, and the private

sector, and created the Rural Electrification Program. From 1954 until the

1970s, this program and successor programs coordinated power generation to

ensure there was ample power available for both the people of the Province and

for economic development. Affordable and plentiful power over the years improved

the quality of life for people in the Province and provided the opportunity for

economic development.

Today, we face a similar challenge. Today, the challenge is accessible and

affordable transmission of electronic information in the form of cellphone and

broadband Internet access. While still in Opposition, your government had some

good concepts to ensure that every community would have the opportunity to

connect to broadband, but once you became government, minister after minister

bungled the job and failed to provide results.

The former Premier kicked $15 million of taxpayers' money to friends and

former colleagues for the fibre optic cable which remains unused today. The

government put out a request for a proposal to lay cable across the Province and

then cancelled the project more than a year later. The result, Mr. Speaker, is

that we still do not have access for cellphones and broadband in many areas of

this Province and this is unacceptable in an information age. It is the

equivalent, in this era, of not having electricity or roads. The Internet is as

basic to the world economy now as money itself.

Mr. Speaker, just like the rural electrification program of fifty years ago,

we need a rural broadband program to ensure rural areas have the same

opportunity for quality of life and economic development as the urban areas of

this Province. Neither the struggles nor the successes of rural communities can

be separated from the fishing industry. From a government that said, and I

quote, "We have acknowledged collectively that the status quo" in the fishery

"in Newfoundland and Labrador is not an option." Yet, Mr. Speaker, they have

taken no action to change it. In the past eight years we have seen promises, yet

we have not seen spending and investments, and we have not seen results or a

clear path forward for the fishing industry. Government's publicity exercise in

2006, called the fisheries summit, derived nothing only a photo opportunity for

government members.

Under the MOU on the fishery, you led people in this Province to believe that

it would be the saviour for the industry. You used it to give people hope and at

the same time you failed yourself to give this process clear direction.

Strengthening the fishery requires more than planning and publicity; it needs

leadership, and that leadership should start at the top with you, Premier, and

with your minister. The MOU may have cut too deep and it may have offered up an

unrealistic view of rationalization; however, it is nave to think that some

rationalization is not necessary.

Mr. Speaker, the majority of workers in fish plants in this Province still

make less than $10,000 a year in wages. Every year it is getting harder for

people who work in these plants to get enough weeks to even qualify for

Employment Insurance benefits. Harvesters are having problems, enterprise

holders are finding it harder every year to outfit their vessels for the water

and processors are under mounting pressure; yet, after more than eighty meetings

over eighteen months, the minister and his department rejected the final report

out of hand, with no Plan B, with nothing else to offer, absent of ideas, and

noncommittal to any new direction in the fishing industry.

The minister wonders why his rejection of the final MOU report was greeted

with disappointment and frustration. Well, I will tell the minister why, because

the MOU process represented hope for a solution for harvesters, plant workers

and all who depended on the fishery for their livelihood. The minister

complained that people were left out of the process. He asked: Who speaks for

the deckhands and the plant workers? I tell you, minister, today, that it was

your job to speak for the plant workers and for the deckhands. It was your job

to ensure that no person or sector or community was left behind. The MOU was

your initiative and you lacked the leadership to see it through properly. Now

the fishing industry has been abandoned by government to allow the free market

to close down plants and to take people out of the sector in a haphazard and

disorganized way with no compensation or adjustment funding that will come

forward. Government has failed the people of this industry.

We need a fishery recovery and renewal action plan, Mr. Speaker, as soon as

possible. We need to take the input from communities, harvesters and processors

that we have, and others, that we can nurture the fishing industry in the

future. We need to develop a fisheries workforce plan to ensure that there are

opportunities for young people to choose the fishery as a career and sustain the

industry in the future. We need to consider the fishery as a bright part of our

future and not neglect it as a part of a dark past.

Mr. Speaker, the dream of every government, of every government since Frank

Moores, was to develop the Lower Churchill. Gull Island and Muskrat Falls were

supposed to be our economic salvation, a dream that would see energy sales into

the US markets that would fill the coffers of this Province and help right the

wrongs of the Upper Churchill Contract. It was supposed to be about making money

and bringing prosperity to people.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. members on the government side want to develop Muskrat

Falls, the smaller of two potential hydroelectric sites remaining on the

Churchill River. They want to do it on the principle of legacy, not on the

principle of making a profitable future for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. In

short-sighted terms, Mr. Speaker, we can look at this and we can speak of the

short-term jobs, of the short-term contracts but we need to look at the

long-term, something that this government has failed to do in their idea of

developing the Upper Churchill.

Mr. Speaker, the Muskrat Falls deal, as it is, will double electricity prices

for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and add a minimum of $4.4 billion

additionally to our debt.

Why will electricity prices double, Mr. Speaker? Why will we have to take on

so much debt? It is pretty simple: someone has to pay for this legacy project

and there are no markets for the power outside of Newfoundland and Labrador. Not

one buyer has signed on to purchase Muskrat Falls power not one buyer, Mr.

Speaker, has signed on to purchase Muskrat Falls power. I have

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: - heard government members, Mr. Speaker

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: - say what about Emera Energy? Well let me tell you about Emera

Energy of Nova Scotia, Mr. Speaker. I will paraphrase the words of Chris

Huskilson, the CEO of Emera who gave a speech to Nova Scotia offshore industry

association last week. Mr. Speaker, he said and I think he let the cat slip

out of the bag when he said this. He said that originally Nalcor wanted to sell

Muskrat power to Emera but the price was too high. Instead, Nalcor decided to

provide them with free power for thirty-five years if Emera would build a power

line from this Province to Nova Scotia. Power with no associated costs is how he

explained it

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: - to the investors of the day. I know they do not want to hear

it, Mr. Speaker, but I sat down already for two hours today and listened to what

they had to say. I ask them for the same respect and grace in the Legislature,

Mr. Speaker.

Power with no associated costs is how he described it and how he explained it

to the investors on the day the term sheet to develop Muskrat Falls was signed.

They build a line and in exchange they can help themselves to our power for

thirty-five years. What kind of deal is that, Mr. Speaker? Free power for Emera,

but certainly not for the residents of Newfoundland, and definitely not for the

residents of Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about Labrador for a minute. If there is one

region of our Province that has been underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure,

it has been Labrador. The irony, Mr. Speaker, in all of this is that Labrador

continues to be, outside of oil and gas, the greatest potential for future

wealth of this Province. Over the next two decades it will be projects in

Labrador that will drive the GDP and the economic growth of this Province. Yet,

Mr. Speaker, today the people of Labrador are being told that electricity lines

will pass over the heads of their communities. They are being told this while

they are paying the highest commercial rates of electricity anywhere in this

Province.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Labrador, not unlike the people of the Island,

always expected great things from the Lower Churchill deal. They expected it to

be the great contributor to wealth for them and for their communities. But, Mr.

Speaker, the people of Labrador who have continuously asked that they see some

kind of a legacy fund for Labradorians, that they would see some kind of

benefits and even the Member for Lake Melville, Mr. Speaker, in his famous

speech in 2003, on MacDonald Drive at Queen of Peace hall, stood and outlined

that these things were the very minimum that Labradorians would accept, but yet

today, he sits as part of the government that is willing to give away the

development with nothing in return for the communities. Mr. Speaker, the people

of Labrador have always only asked for fairness from their government in the

development of this resource. Unfortunately, there was no

chapter for them.

Mr. Speaker, Muskrat Falls may be a Progressive Conservative legacy project

but it is a millstone for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador; a millstone

that will sink the economy of this Province. As the deal is today, Muskrat Falls

power will see the Province go from having the lowest cost of electricity in

Eastern Canada to the most expensive. Mr. Speaker, simply put, this deal is not

good enough. It is not good enough for the Premier to just say that energy

prices are going up anyway, or that Holyrood is dirty power, we need to go

green.

Mr. Speaker, 91 per cent of the energy generated in this Province is green

energy. If this government was really committed to going green then they would

lift their moratorium on small hydro and wind energy projects.

Mr. Speaker, instead of the dream of the Lower Churchill selling vast amounts

of energy to fill government coffers, the people of this Province are left

footing the bills. We are not only doing it now but we are leaving it to the

next five generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to pay down the debt

on this project.

That is not good enough, Mr. Speaker, and it comes at a time when the Auditor

General has already warned, year after year, that the spending of this

government is unsustainable. Since the party on the other side of the House came

to power eight years ago the money spent on running the government has doubled.

Government spending and lack of future planning has jeopardized future growth.

The population has not doubled, Mr. Speaker, the number of students in our

classrooms has not doubled, the number of people needing medical care has not

doubled, but the amount of money the Premier and her ministers spend has

doubled. In fact, Mr. Speaker, that has been the hallmark of their government.

This is a government that likes to talk big and spend big; the results are

something else altogether.

Mr. Speaker, oil resources are being depleted. However, the Administration

continues to blindly rely upon oil revenues to increase government spending to

reckless levels. As the Auditor General has pointed out, the large surpluses of

the past few years are behind us. Yet, the level of expenditure is incredible.

We still have the second highest per capita debt in the country and our net debt

increased in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, there is a time tested logic that says; save when times are good

so that you are prepared when challenges arise. Oil revenues are inherently

volatile by nature and affected by factors completely outside of government's

control. It is also a finite resource. Government is doing our children a

disservice in two ways: first by failing to effectively pay down the debt and

second by growing government at an alarming rate which cannot be sustained once

oil revenues begin to decrease. By spending the vast bulk of what it receives in

oil revenues and planning huge multimillion dollar projects that do not derive

dividends. In the meantime this government is failing to live up to the

long-term planning needs of the people of this Province.

So let us talk about some priorities, Mr. Speaker. I am sure a great many

people were surprised to learn from the Atlantic Business Magazine that

the Premier is considering giving millions of dollars of royalties back to the

oil companies in exchange for exploring for more oil. As the Premier counts on

oil prices going up to $200 a barrel she wants to give the oil companies a break

on what they pay to the people of this Province; this from the government of no

more giveaways. Mr. Speaker, it just adds to a growing list of giveaways; like

the $23 million they gave to oil companies on the West Coast of Newfoundland for

oil exploration; like Muskrat Falls power that they are giving to Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, oil production is forecasted to decrease continuously over the

next fifteen years. Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose have all reached peak

production, and peak production levels will continue to go down from here. We

will not get another bump in production until Hebron comes on stream, and that

bump will be only temporary.

Mr. Speaker, oil companies are profit-driven enterprises that have recognized

the value in our Province's offshore. They do not need the taxpayer to prop them

up, I say to the Premier. Statoil has successfully applied for a significant

discovery licence related to exploratory drilling in 2009 at the Flemish Pass.

Chevron recently drilled in the Orphan Basin, which is the deepest well in

Canadian history. Three recent calls for bids from the C-NLOPB resulted in over

$110 million in work commitments for the Flemish Pass and the Jeanne d'Arc

Basin. Mr. Speaker, there continues to be great interest in our offshore. This

government should not be giving away money to promote exploration by businesses

already earning vast sums from our industry. This is not the direction our

Province or our energy policy should be moving in; not at all, especially at

times when there are so many other social priorities that need our attention.

It is a well-known fact that children live in poverty because families

continue to live in poverty. While there have been significant investments made

over the past four years, a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy with

dedicated financial resources is still needed. As well, specific areas of

government strategy, including the importance of food security, the need for

regulated child care, the widening economic income gap, and the focus on persons

living with a disability, and low-income seniors continue to need the priorities

of their government.

In 2003, the Progressive Conservative Party plan committed to transform

Newfoundland and Labrador over a ten-year period from the Province with the most

poverty to a Province with the least poverty, comparing after tax income. It is

a well-known fact, Mr. Speaker, that food bank use is a true indicator of the

economic struggles experienced by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Here we are,

eight years after your government made that commitment and our finances have

doubled. Let me tell you where we are; food bank use is higher in our Province

now than it was ten years ago. Food banks across the Province serve 6 per cent

of the population, the highest ratio of any Province in Canada. For the third

year in a row, we have seen an increase in the demand for food bank services

throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Last year, the government's St. John's poverty forum was told that, despite

the boom in offshore oil revenues, the gap between the rich and the poor is

getting wider. Last year's report on child and family poverty in Canada showed

that Newfoundland and Labrador had the third highest rate of child and family

poverty at almost 15 per cent. While this government continues to invest in big

oil companies, spending millions and millions of our money, children and

families are not growing and they are taking cold comfort in government's words.

There is a need to bridge the gap. It is not only the right thing to do, but we

have a responsibility to do it as a Province. Government talks about how it has

made its mark in addressing fundamental social issues like poverty, but the

indicators speak differently. Again, they have failed to give leadership to the

critical issue at hand.

Closely related to poverty is housing. Housing is in a near-crisis state in

this Province. While economic prosperity has improved the lot of those who have

housing, it has hurt those who need housing. In the St. John's region, Western

Labrador, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Corner Brook, and in other pockets across the

Province, the vacancy rate is such that there is no affordable and accessible

housing for families who need it. We need to look hard at our land use policies

and the municipal regulations which make our housing situation worse than it

needs to be. Rather than depend upon government-owned social housing, we need

also to adopt policies to make housing affordable for everyone out there. The

availability of affordable, nutritious food and the opportunity for a home of

our own has to be considered a fundamental human right in this Province.

Health care spending in the Province reached an all-time high of $2.4 billion

last year. That is the highest amount ever spent in our Province's history. We

are spending $270,000 per hour, and our spending is just one statistic. We also

have the highest rate of heart attack, by-pass surgery, blood pressure,

diabetes, and arthritis. We have the highest per capita spending on health care

with the lowest outcomes for our patients.

The consumer health index report says this is "perhaps the most glaring case

of throwing good money after bad in Canadian healthcare." Yet, there was no

action from government on the heels of such a statement. I ask the government:

Why have you not taken the lead? Why have you not chosen to do a full review of

our health care system to find out why it is we are spending the most money per

person and have the poorest outcomes of any Province in Canada when it comes to

health care? I think it is a responsible thing and it shows tremendous

leadership by governments when they look to find out what the real problems are

so they can deliver real solutions.

Day after day I hear stories from people who are disadvantaged by health care

decisions of this government. Just this week people in Twillingate lost five of

their acute care beds, but government hid that under the guise of another pilot

project. A child at the Janeway needs life-saving medication, but our health

care system will not allow for this drug to be covered. Many communities still

lack family doctors, many regional hospitals still lack specialists, and many

people wait far too long to see those specialists. Yet, I reiterate, we spend

the most money per person on health care but have the poorest outcomes in the

country. It shows there is a lack of leadership.

We have the fastest aging population in Canada. By 2025, one in four people

will be over the age of sixty-five. The Auditor General's most recent report

states that officials at the health authorities have failed to develop a chronic

disease management strategy and the lack of provincial leadership in the area of

chronic disease, prevention and management, and diabetes care in particular. Our

wait lists are long and the health care system will not be transformed unless it

is matched with equal success in the prevention and management of chronic

disease.

The problem in health care is not about money. Despite the massive investment

in health care, we still have the worst outcomes, as I have stated, in all of

the country. Health care costs are the fastest growing part of our budget.

Unless we get a grip on what the problems are that are facing us as a people,

the costs are going to continue to rise much higher and the problems are going

to continue to get worse.

This government is too busy spending money on photo opportunities instead of

addressing the real problems in our health care system. We need a health care

system with true accountability. We need to ask the physicians and health

professionals for input and ideas about how to reduce wait times. We need to

seek a more co-operative working relationship with these professionals and we

need to implement new programs so that we set ourselves on the course for the

best health outcomes in the country. I believe this is possible, and it is

government's responsibility to set the course and provide the leadership. What

we need is leadership that spends less time on PR and more time on fixing the

O.R., the kind that does not treat every comment or criticism as a crisis but

rather fixes the crisis in our emergency rooms. That is the kind of leadership

the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are looking for and deserve in health

care today.

Mr. Speaker, this is a government that is all about controlling the message

rather than admitting there is a problem and facing it head-on. We saw an

example of that recently here with the school system in St. John's. The Eastern

School District and the Department of Education are closing some schools and

rebuilding others, all based on decisions that were made within the department

before Christmas.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, they went through the sham of district-led public

consultations and an independent consultant's report, but this government forgot

one important thing: listening to parents.

Mr. Speaker, I sat in the audience when the trustees at Eastern School

District voted. They voted in secret to close these schools and one thing was

clear: They were not listening to anyone except the officials within the

Department of Education and to government themselves. The complete lack of

transparency and accountability was shocking and made it perfectly evident that

there was little regard for the effects on children. The result is that school

trustees are voting on a plan they have been handed by the minister, not one

they have developed with the parents. So, we will see children throughout the

City of St. John's playing musical chairs in the next few years. Some of them,

Mr. Speaker, will be changing schools nearly as often as the Minister of Natural

Resources changed his statements last week on Elizabeth Matthews' appointment to

the C-NLOPB.

Mr. Speaker, the whole idea of school councils and school boards is to give

parents a say about how and where their children will be educated. School boards

and health boards are supposed to be run by elected members who represent the

people of their communities, or they should be run by elected members who

represent the issues of their communities. It is the people in those communities

who understand what the needs are, and they understand them far better than any

minister in government trying to shave a few dollars here or there within

Confederation Building.

How do I know that, Mr. Speaker? I know that because of the facts. The facts

tell us that despite all the bragging and boasting from the government, this

Province still has the lowest rate of literacy in Canada. We have some of the

poorest rates of numeracy and some of the lowest graduation rates in terms of

high school, university, and college.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador deserve better outcomes.

They want a government that makes education for our children the highest

priority, and they lead those priorities to success. I want to say, Mr. Speaker,

that there is no higher priority item on the agenda of our party than the future

of our children in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, what we heard today was not a Throne Speech but a last grasp

from the government that has run out of ideas - run out of ideas, Mr. Speaker.

It is a government that is grasping for anything that it can to try to spin

itself into success for the October election, Mr. Speaker. Despite all the PR

and all the spin, the successes of this government have been few and far

between.

While I sit here today, Mr. Speaker, with baited breath, waiting for the

creative new ideas and new directions of the government, there was nothing in

the Throne Speech, absolutely nothing only glorious words and lots of praise but

no ideas, no direction, no creativity, nothing that will sustain the appetites

of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It was a PR spin to take them into the fall

election.

So, Mr. Speaker, whether it is a fishery that has been ignored and betrayed

or an education system that fails to meet our children and give them the best

education in the country, as I said, this is a government that talks a big game

but does not deliver the goods.

From the crowd that cried no more giveaways, we get a deal that is the

biggest giveaway since the Upper Churchill. We are supposedly a have Province,

yet the Minister of Finance is out telling chartered accountants that the loss

of federal transfers could mean cuts to health and education. That should not

be, Mr. Speaker.

Our people continue to rise to every occasion, to make us proud as

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Hurricane Igor, again, gave witness to our

generosity, our coming together as a people, our caring nature and the strength

that we show in times of adversity; but people always need leadership from their

government, Mr. Speaker, as well. So, how do we make this a better place for

ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren? We need openness and creative

ideas with leadership, Mr. Speaker. We need to see a balance of power between

government and the power of the people. We need to realize that there are no

political saviours who are going to lead us hand in hand down the road to

prosperity. We do not need a government that keeps everything secret, looks

after its friends, and claims to know what is best for the rest of us. What the

people of this Province need is a government of substance, not mirage. A

government that understands what its people need and want for us to be a full,

self-reliant people. A government that shares its power with the people across

health care, education, and economic development, not a government that hoards

its power inside of Confederation Building. We need a government, Mr. Speaker,

that offers opportunity and is not obsessed with control. We need a government

that has confidence in the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to provide for

themselves and to create a prosperous future, a future where opportunity is

available to all.

Mr. Speaker, we live in a place that is blessed with natural resources. We

are a people blessed with the intelligence, desire, and drive to succeed and to

share our success. It is good leadership and compassion that will ensure that

all of us get ahead as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

No standing ovation?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I am very pleased this afternoon to have the opportunity to respond to what I

heard in the Speech from the Throne this afternoon. First of all, I want to

thank the Lieutenant Governor for taking the time to be with us and to deliver

his Speech to us. As usual, he is a Lieutenant Governor who manages to get a

laugh whenever he is here with us, and I thank him for that. So, I say back to

him this afternoon: I hope that it was not too much effort for him to have to

come to the House twice today. So, his humour back to him.

Having said that, I want to wish the Lieutenant Governor, even though their

Honours are no longer with us, a happy eightieth birthday, because I have not

had the opportunity to do that in the House of Assembly, and I am sure we all

join in wishing him many more years of good health.

I want to also welcome the two newest members in the House of Assembly, the

Member for Conception Bay East & Bell Island, and for Humber West, and to thank

them for using today as the day for their maiden speeches and to stand here and

give their response on behalf of the government to the Speech from the Throne.

I would also like to join with the Leader of the Opposition in recognizing

our new Premier, the first woman Premier in the House of Assembly, and to

recognize the fact that the three party leaders in the House of Assembly right

now are women. One thing I have noticed since December is that every public

event I have been at and not just at public events people are talking about

the fact that we have made history here in this House of Assembly. I have not

spoken to my two sister leaders but I suspect they are probably feeling the way

I am. I feel a great sense of responsibility. People are expecting something

from us and, Mr. Speaker, I do not know what people are expecting, but they are

expecting something from us.

I noticed in the Speech from the Throne that it speaks about new ways to work

together. Maybe that is what we have to look at here in the House; new ways to

work together. We do have proposed changes coming to the committee looking at

the Standing Orders of the House. Maybe that would be an opportunity for us to

see how we look at our rules and regulations from the perspective of how better

we can work together here in the House.

I use this opportunity today to throw out a challenge to all of us to look at

one way, for example, that we could work together in the House is to really

have House committees; full party committees where we really take legislation in

committees and work on the legislation together so that when we do come to vote

on legislation in the House, we have worked on it together. I use the example of

the House of Commons, though many of the provincial Legislatures have fully

operative Standing Committees. In the fall when the Parliamentary Committee came

to Newfoundland and Labrador to hold their hearings on the issues around the

Cougar helicopter crash, and came to listen to what we had to say here in this

Province with regard to that crash you had representation from the government

the Minister for Natural Resources made presentations you had a presentation

from the Third Party, and you had a wide variety of voices sitting before that

Parliamentary Committee listening to us.

One thing that came out that day to me very, very clearly was that the

majority of the representatives from all three parties really listened together

to what was being said to them. You had a chair of that committee who

represented the government usually the chair is a member of the government

but, a person who was totally open to really hear the voices of those who sat in

front of them. Even though a member of his party actually said things that I

think he found embarrassing, you had this committee together making a real

commitment to those of us here in Newfoundland and Labrador that they really

wanted to make, I think, some radical recommendations back to government with

regard to safety in our offshore, especially with regard to the use of

helicopters.

The use of Standing Committees is one way in which we can work together

better in this House. I think it would be really good for us as members in the

House. I think it would be really good for members of the government who are

caucus members but not members of Cabinet. It would be good for all of us to

have that opportunity not just to come into the House in this setting and very

briefly and in very strange settings try to deal with legislation, but actually

sit together, talk about it and use the wisdom of all of us in the House. Maybe

that is a challenge to us with a different leadership in this House. Maybe we

can find a way to work better together.

Having said all of that, as a leader of one of the opposition parties the

Leader of the Third Party in the House we do have a responsibility to monitor

government; we do have a responsibility to bring the voice of people who we hear

into the House of Assembly. One of the jobs I have today is to respond from that

experience to what I have heard.

One of the things that became clear to me today is government once again is

showing that it is very heavily focused on business and big development. The

Lieutenant Governor began the speech with a strong focus on the Muskrat Falls,

Lower Churchill development. The government has been making a very big deal

they did it here in the speech and I have heard it outside of the House of

connecting the Muskrat Falls development with Holyrood and the decommissioning

of Holyrood. While I certainly want to see Holyrood decommissioned, I do not

like this thing of connecting the two together because it makes it sound like

the only way to decommission Holyrood is to do Muskrat Falls.

There are other ways, Mr. Speaker, to decommission Holyrood and these ways

have not been explored in any kind of public way. This is something that I

really am concerned about, that neither the government nor Nalcor seem to

understand that we need an open discussion about how to diversify with regard to

energy in this Province. They say that they are interested in it but there is no

major commitment.

In the Speech from the Throne we have a reference to what has happened in

Ramea the hydrogen convertor and how that is looking promising but no

commitment to this as something that we really are going to plan around. It is

something that could be good for us, could be good internationally, but no plan

for saying this is really working, let's make it work, and where else can it

work besides in Ramea and on the South Coast.

So they are putting all their eggs in this one basket right now, Mr. Speaker,

the basket of Muskrat Falls. We do not even have an environmental assessment

process finished yet. So, is this government really listening to people? Are

they going to be listening to the presentations that are being made right now?

As we sit here, hearings are going on in Labrador with regard to the

environmental impact of that proposed project. For this government, it is not a

proposed project at all, it has happened; they have their plans made. Are they

going to listen to what people are saying up there? Are they going to listen to

the needs of people? Are they going to listen to what the Mayor of Happy

Valley-Goose Bay said? A mayor who said he does not even know how they can

possibly cope with the impact during the construction phase. What has the

response from this government been? I have not heard anything public, Mr.

Speaker. What is the response to the people going to be? Or are they just so

committed themselves that for them it is a done deal? Well that is not how I

understand environmental assessment processes.

I was very, very concerned when I heard and it was not the government who

said this but I was very concerned when I heard people saying publicly last

week actually calling the environmental assessment process something that has

no teeth; it really was not important; this was only a part of a process; they

are not decision makers. Well, a lot of money I would imagine millions is

going into this environmental assessment process, and you have a panel made up

of experts who know what they are talking about, who will be making

recommendations. Are those recommendations going to be paid attention to, Mr.

Speaker? That is not the way I hear it from what is being presented by this

government. They have their plan made, they are moving ahead, and come hell or

high water it is going to happen.

Mr. Speaker, the benefits that the government talks about, in terms of

employment benefits with