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June 1, 2022

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. L No. 60

The

House met at 10 a.m.

SPEAKER (Bennett):

Order, please!

Admit

strangers.

Before

we begin, I would like to welcome Jack Hogan to the House of Assembly this

morning.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Government

Business

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

Yes,

welcome Jack to the floor of the House of Assembly. I think the MHA for Windsor

Lake is the first dad to take advantage of the rules that were changed a few

years ago, and I know Alexander spent a lot of time in the House of Assembly,

but this is Jack's first appearance of many, I hope.

Speaker,

I call from the Order Paper, Motion 1.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you, Speaker.

I move,

seconded by the Minister of Health and Community Services:

THAT

notwithstanding Standing Order 63, this House shall not proceed with Private

Members' Day, today, June 1, 2022, but shall instead meet at 2 p.m. today for

Routine Proceedings and to conduct government business;

AND

THAT, if not adjourned earlier, the Speaker shall then adjourn the House at

midnight.

SPEAKER:

Is it the pleasure of the

House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Motion

carried.

The hon.

the Government House Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I call

from the Order Paper, third reading of Bill 62,

An Act To Amend The Child And

Youth Advocate Act.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you, Speaker.

I move,

seconded by the Minister of Health and Community Services, that Bill 62,

An Act

To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act, be now read a third time.

SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that

this bill be now read a third time.

Seeing

no speakers, is it the pleasure of the House to adopt this motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Motion

carried.

CLERK (Barnes):

A bill,

An Act To Amend The

Child And Youth Advocate Act. (Bill 62)

SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a

third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and that its title be as on

the Order Paper.

motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act,” read a third

time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 62)

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

I call

from the Order Paper, third reading of Bill 64,

An Act To Amend The Revenue

Administration Act No. 6.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move,

seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that Bill

64,

An Act To Amend The Revenue Administration Act No. 6, be now read a third

time.

SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that

this bill be now read a third time.

Seeing

no speakers, is it the pleasure of the House to adopt this motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Motion

carried.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Division

SPEAKER:

Division has been called.

Call in

the Members.

Division

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

ask the Members to take their seats.

All

those in favour of the motion, please rise.

CLERK:

Andrew Furey, Steve Crocker, Lisa Dempster, John

Haggie, Tom Osborne, Siobhan Coady, Sarah Stoodley, John Hogan, Bernard Davis,

Derrick Bragg, Brian Warr, Elvis Loveless, Krista Lynn Howell, Scott Reid,

Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Lucy Stoyles, David Brazil, Barry Petten, Tony Wakeham,

Craig Pardy, Chris Tibbs, Loyola O'Driscoll, Lloyd Parrott, Joedy Wall, Pleaman

Forsey, Jack Dwyer, James Dinn, Jordan Brown, Lela Evans, Paul Lane, Perry

Trimper.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

CLERK:

The ayes: 31; there are no nays.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

unanimous vote, I declare the motion carried.

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Amend The Revenue Administration Act

No. 6. (Bill 64)

SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a third time and it is

ordered that the bill do pass and that its title be as on the Order

Paper.

motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Revenue Administration Act No. 6,” read a

third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 64)

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Conception Bay South, that this

House do now recess until 2 p.m.

SPEAKER:

Before we do recess, I just

want to remind the Members of the Management Commission that we have a short

meeting in the Speaker's boardroom now, if you can all attend. It should only

take 10 minutes or so.

CLERK:

We don't have quorum.

SPEAKER:

Oh, sorry. We'll postpone it.

This

House do stand recessed until 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Recess

The

House resumed at 2 p.m.

SPEAKER (Bennett):

Order, please!

Before

we begin, I would like to welcome in the Speaker's gallery today, Carlos

Palavicini and Ekaterina Jáuregui, parents of our Page, Gala Palavicini. They

are here visiting us today from Mexico.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

In the public galleries, I

would like to welcome Katie Parsons. Katie is the subject of a Member's

statement this afternoon. She is accompanied by her parents, Charles and

Michelle, and her nan, Theresa.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Also in the public gallery,

I'd like to welcome Terry and Lisa Hutchings from Happy Valley-Goose Bay,

parents of a former Page, Anna Hutchings.

Welcome

everyone.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Statements by

Members

SPEAKER:

Today, we will hear

statements by the hon. Members for the Districts of St. George's - Humber, Grand

Falls-Windsor - Buchans, Lake Melville, Stephenville - Port au Port and Cape St.

Francis.

The hon.

the Member for St. George's - Humber.

S. REID:

Speaker, today I want to make

Members, and indeed all listeners, aware of a special cultural event. The Bay

St. George Powwow will be held in Flat Bay on July 8, 9 and 10. This will be the

first powwow in Bay St. George since 2019.

A powwow

is a unique event signified by social exchange, cultural sharing and ceremonial

rituals. Indeed, the powwow is a time of teaching, learning, singing, dancing,

feasting, sharing and healing.

Powwows are an expression of culture, pride and

identity. It is a unifying ritual of the young and the old, a collection of the

past and a celebration of the future.

The

Flat Bay powwow is the showpiece of the cultural revival which is happening

among Mi'kmaq people in this province and is an event for Indigenous people who

want to reconnect with their heritage and for everyone in the province who wants

to more fully understand the multicultural nature of our province.

Speaker, I invite all Members of the House and the general public to attend the

Bay St. George Powwow held in Flat Bay on July 8, 9 and 10 of this year.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans.

C. TIBBS:

Thank you, Speaker.

the salmon season opens, I rise today to honour the mighty Exploits River in

Central Newfoundland and Labrador. For over a century, anglers have been drawn

to one of the most beautiful waterways in North America for an experience to

remember. Along with some world-class fishing, the Exploits offers attractions

and accommodations for families as we welcome many for Come Home Year 2022.

The

Riverfront Chalets have five chalets overlooking the Exploits River that has

been successful year after year offering Rafting NL on site, canoeing, kayaking,

snowmobile and ATV tours.

Riverfront Chalets offer four Gwitna'q Culinary Experiences this summer where

guests can paddle to a secluded island and are greeted by a chef preparing four

courses of traditional Aboriginal meals.

For

the first time, adventure enthusiasts can now enjoy ziplining across this

magnificent Exploits thanks to the opening of Exploits Extreme Ziplines. There

are six lines for both young and old alike to enjoy as they take in the

breathtaking scenery.

Tourism operators in my district have put in so much for a successful season

this year. I encourage all to enjoy a safe and happy summer on the mighty

Exploits River.

Thank you, Speaker.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

P. TRIMPER:

Thank you, Speaker.

Yesterday was the last day of work for the well-respected assistant

superintendent responsible for the Labrador Correctional Centre, James 'Bud'

Hickman.

his 36 years, from corrections officer, to union leader and finally the senior

regional position, he has been a role model in corrections. Connecting inmates

and staff to Labrador's cultural values has been an important priority. He often

found creative ways to reacquaint or even introduce these values and life

lessons.

One

source of his inspiration came from a Canadian Labour Congress Convention and

the opportunity to meet with Nelson Mandella. After spending 27 years in prison,

Mandella once said, “As I walked out of the door toward the gate that would lead

to my freedom, I knew if I

didn't leave my bitterness

and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”

Bud

understood these words and what it meant for the team around him. With

increasing responsibility and seniority, he was able to apply new perspectives

to support those who were struggling. He ensured that staff understood how they

could make a positive contribution to life in Labrador.

I would

ask this House of Assembly to extend our appreciation to Bud Hickman for a

career of service and a legacy that will continue to inspire.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville-Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Thank you, Speaker.

Maurice

Hynes of Stephenville is a retired educator and school administrator in the

Stephenville area. His commitment to community has been witnessed through the

many volunteer positions he has held over the years: St. Stephen's parish

council, the airport board, cultural destination committee, town councillor and

the list goes on.

One of

Maurice's many passions is his involvement with Branch 35 of the Royal Canadian

Legion. His dedication to the Legion stems from his early years when he joined

the Canadian reserves in 1975. Maurice was promoted through the ranks until he

was named a lieutenant colonel in 1990. Maurice was a member of the directing

staff at Canadian Army Command and Staff College in Kingston, Ontario, and

director of advance training for Land Force Atlantic Area.

Presently, Maurice devotes many hours volunteering to ensure the viability of

the Royal Canadian Legion in Stephenville. He wears many hats: fundraiser, cook,

manager, entertainer, greeter, organizer and performs any role that's needed. As

a fellow volunteer commented: Maurice is the glue that keeps this place

together. He does all this to ensure that the veterans continue to have a

presence in a town that is so heavily steeped in military history.

salute Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Hynes.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

J. WALL:

Speaker, I rise today to

recognize Katie Parsons, a Level III student of Entrepreneurship 3209 at Holy

Trinity high school in Torbay.

Last

week, Katie, along with three of her classmates, was chosen to be among the top

15 students from across our province to take

part in the Enterprise Olympics, a

provincial year-end conference to recognize the province's top student

entrepreneurs and their venture marketing plans.

Each

student presented their marketing plans before a panel of judges and business

professionals, and Katie was selected as the provincial winner. Her business

project, WINK Lash Studio, was comprised of research on demographics and related

products and services, a full business description and management plan, followed

Wining

the top prize was accompanied with $1,500 in prize money. Congratulations,

Katie. You are a wonderful ambassador for your school, for the District of Cape

St. Francis and for our province.

Speaker,

I ask all hon. Members to join me in congratulating Katie Parsons on winning the

2022 Enterprise Olympics for Entrepreneurship 3209, and wish her all the future

success with her business project WINK Lash Studio.

Congratulations, Katie.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by

Ministers

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you, Speaker.

I rise

in this hon. House to recognize May 29 to June 4 as Tourism Week in Newfoundland

and Labrador.

Tourism

Week is an opportunity to celebrate the province's tourism industry and local

businesses, operators and employees. They have put Newfoundland and Labrador on

the map as a travel destination of choice and are the very reason why tourism is

such a strong economic pillar in our province.

Year

after year, they create exceptional tourism experiences, showcase the uniqueness

of our beautiful province and our communities, and they share our warmth and

hospitality with visitors from all over the world. Experiences that celebrate

our arts, cultural heritage, nature and culinary – the authentic experiences

visitors want.

Industry

outlook for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 is promising. Operators are

reporting that bookings are very strong for June to September and the fall

season is also shaping up to be a busy one. Some operators are booked entirely.

Marine Atlantic bookings are exceeding 2019 levels.

As part

of Come Home Year 2022, there will be lots to do and see this year. Special

events are being planned in 170 communities around the province. Over the last

two years we have invested over $19 million directly into tourism operations. To

help build the capacity and experiences, we have also invested close to $17

million in cultural and community organizations to upgrade infrastructure and

add to or enhance their programing.

Speaker,

our government will continue to stand with our tourism operators in creating and

enhancing their experiences, and encouraging visitors to “come home.” Please

join me in thanking all those involved in the tourism industry for showcasing

the wonders of Newfoundland and Labrador, not only this year but into the

future.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Bonavista.

C. PARDY:

Speaker, I thank the minister

for an advance copy of his statement.

behalf of the Official Opposition I would like to recognize this week as Tourism

Week. In the historic District of Bonavista we have many attractions which I

hope tourists, both local and visitors, will take time to visit this season.

From the Bonavista Lighthouse to the Matthew Legacy, the Ryan Premise where Rick

Street is one of the most knowledgeable guides I know. Elliston Sealers

Memorial, Coaker premises in Port Union, Cable John gulch in Spillars Cove

where, in 1936, a 14-year-old Janey Phillips was blown over the 110-foot jagged

cliffs without a scratch.

The

legendary Skerwink Trail in Port Rexton and the historic properties of Trinity,

there is much to see on the Bonavista Peninsula. The District of Bonavista also

boasts many amenities, places to stay and everything needed to make your stay

enjoyable and comfortable.

To all

tourism operators throughout the province, I wish you much success this season.

I hope to see you at one of the provinces great attractions this summer and

fall.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

J. BROWN:

Thank you, Speaker.

I thank

the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

After

two hard years, we are wishing all tourism operators a successful, safe season,

full of joy and fun. For people living here, at home, and across the province,

we encourage you to get out and explore every corner of this beautiful province

we all call home. There is so much to do and so much to see.

We wish

everyone happy and safe travels this tourism season.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Further statements by

ministers?

The hon.

the Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, and Labrador

Affairs.

L. DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Speaker.

I am

pleased to recognize June as National Indigenous History Month.

The

history of First Peoples has not been fully told. It's a history that has been

told to us using a Western lens. This is not two-eyed seeing. We can't change

history, but we can go forward together and collaboratively with Indigenous

governments and organizations, along a path that involves listening,

understanding and mutual respect.

As our

government continues to build on a relationship of trust with Indigenous

governments and organizations, we continue working on a series of actions which

honour the culture and history of Indigenous peoples. This includes replacing

symbols of racism with symbols of reconciliation.

National

Indigenous History Month presents an opportunity for residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador to better understand the traditions, cultures and history that

shaped the lives of First Peoples. I encourage everyone to seek out events

organized by Indigenous peoples during Come Home 2022 as one opportunity to

become better educated on Indigenous culture and history.

Speaker,

we share a responsibility to learn from the experiences that have been passed

down through generations of Indigenous people and better understand the

Indigenous struggles to preserve a way of life in the face of colonialism,

conflict, racism and adversity.

Residential schools are an acute example of one such struggle. We are painfully

aware that some students did not survive, and the sorrow of these tragedies

remain today with survivors, families and communities.

In order

to walk the path of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, we must learn from

history to do better.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

I thank

the minister for the advance copy of her statement.

Speaker,

I join with the minister in recognizing June as National Indigenous History

Month. During this month we take the time to recognize the rich history,

heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples

across Canada.

Newfoundland and Labrador in particular has both a beautiful and painful history

with Indigenous peoples. As we recognize and celebrate our First Peoples, let us

all take the time to reflect on our shared history and support efforts towards

reconciliation.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS:

I thank the minister for the

advanced copy of her statement.

Indigenous history must be preserved and taught to all residents. Reminders of

harm done through colonization should not be hidden; rather, the narrative needs

to be changed to correct our history. Government needs to take action on

economic marginalization called for by the National Inquiry into Missing and

Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Come

Home Year is an opportunity for government. Make travel to and from Indigenous

communities more accessible and affordable.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Further statements by

ministers?

The hon.

the Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture.

D. BRAGG:

Thank you, Speaker.

The

Wildlife Division of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture has

just wrapped up the big game licence draw for 2022-23 season, and applicants

have been eagerly checking their results online.

This

year, the moose quota for Newfoundland and Labrador was set at just over 28,000

licences, with 575 caribou licences allocated for the Island.

an avid hunter myself, and successful this year, I know the annual release of

the big game draw results is an exciting time for thousands of hunters. We

received 75,261 big game applications this year. Within 24 hours of announcing

the results, earlier this week, we recorded more than 230,000 hits to the

Wildlife Information Management System.

This year our department made the transition to a primarily online application

system to support the increased public access to Newfoundland and Labrador's

forestry and wildlife resources, while also continuing to allow access for those

without Internet capabilities.

With more hunters in the province using online services to submit and monitor

their big game applications, our staff has streamlined the management and

operation of the application process to improve it for hunters and

administrators alike.

Speaker, I want to thank our dedicated team of wildlife professionals for

developing another comprehensive, science-based wildlife management plan and for

handling this year's draw process with professionalism and dedication.

Although the fall seems a long way off, I remind all eager hunters that most

Moose Management Areas in Newfoundland and Labrador will open for the season on

September 10. Successful applicants must submit their fees by June 30.

Speaker, we also remind all residents to help protect our natural resources by

reporting suspected illegal activity at stoppoaching.ca or by calling

1-877-820-0999.

Congratulations to all applicants and the best of luck for a safe and successful

hunting season.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Exploits.

P. FORSEY:

Thank you, Speaker.

thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. We here at the

Official Opposition would like to congratulate the thousands of Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians who will be out to get their moose this fall.

There has never been a time more important to get involved in our own food

chain. Moose have become an important part of the culture and cuisine of the

people of the province. The proper management of this resource will ensure that

future generations will know what it is to be a part of the food chain supply

and how to harvest responsibly.

Speaker, though we support the transition to more modern government, the

implementation of the online system was fraught with issues and had many

seasoned hunters wondering if they would even get the chance to apply for their

moose this year.

am pleased to hear that 28,000 moose licences were issued. Unfortunately, myself

and the Member for Corner Brook didn't get one. We are disappointed to hear that

the minister did and hope that there was no one else left out because they

didn't have access to the ability to apply.

behalf of the Official Opposition, I would like to thank the staff of the

Department of Forestry for their stewardship of this resource and wish all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians happy hunting on September 10. Please report

poaching and enjoy our forests responsibly.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker,

as a successful applicant in this year's big game draw –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

J. DINN:

– I do want to thank the

minister for an advance copy of his statement. Although, I will suggest that

many people are of the opinion that a moose licence in my hand is a sure way of

conserving the life of that moose.

encourage all hunters to be safe and report illegal pouching if they see it.

Thanks to the department in making sure that our moose populations and our

wildlife populations are protected and conserved.

We also

ask that those who have extra meat find ways, such as through the Hunters

Sharing The Harvest program, to make sure that they get those foods to people

who are in need in their communities so that the bounty of our natural

environment can be put to good use, even for those who may not be able to go out

and enjoy the country and harvest their own animal.

Again,

I'll be thinking of you in September, if I'm lucky enough to bag one.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Are there any further

statements by ministers?

Oral

Questions.

Oral Questions

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

Today we

learned the number of people in our province without a family doctor has

skyrocketed to 125,000. The Minister of Health earlier this week lashed out a

doctor in Central, where this crisis is at its worst, for expressing their

frustration with a lack of support with full emergency rooms and with no end in

sight.

Premier:

Why does this crisis continue to get worse under your administration and why are

you putting more Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at risk?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We've

all recognized the crisis in health care, Mr. Speaker. We've moved and done, I

would say, a reasonable job of trying to navigate in the short term.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

We recognize the acute issues

that this causes for families across the province, Mr. Speaker. In fact, we

recognized it before the rest of the country. That's why we launched the Health

Accord to reimagine and redefine how we provide services.

The old

model is not going to work. You can commit to the old model, but it's simply not

going work. We want to make sure that we're investing – right now we invest more

per person –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

– per year on health care

year after year, yet we have the worst results. We can't continue to do the same

thing. We need to have a new paradigm, and that's why I'm excited about the

Health Accord. That's why I'm excited about hiring a new assistant deputy

minister solely responsible for health recruitment and retention and a new DM

responsible for health transformation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

Like the

Liberal budget, your approach to health care is just not enough.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

D. BRAZIL:

One in three people outside

the Avalon do not have access to a family doctor due to the failure of your

Liberal government. Here's a quote from the former Medical Association head,

Lynette Powell – and I quote – diagnosing late stage cancers that were once

treatable is one of my greatest fears as a family doctor. Now even more people

are at risk of such a nightmare.

I ask

the Premier: Did your last ribbon cutting recruit any new family doctors?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Recruitment of family doctors is an ongoing issue. We're working with the

College of Physicians, family physicians of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr.

Speaker. We've taken meetings with them. We've taken their guidance. One of the

recommendations was to have an ADM specific to this particular issue, Mr.

Speaker. She's hired and she's good and she's going to deliver results, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

I mean I can continue with

the chirping if you'd like, but I'd like to answer the question. We're going to

continue to recruit and retain Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, as well as look

outside the box in terms of how we provide critical care to Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

I heard

the question, but I want to hear the response, too, please.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

But the

Premier has to be aware that we know of eight communities that in the last

months now no longer have a family doctor to address the issues of their

constituents.

Speaker,

our office has heard from patients whose local ER was closed forcing them to

drive hours to St. John's, only to have to sit on the floor or stand in the

hallway for hours and hours at the Health Sciences Centre. With the ERs

overflowing, hallways full and patients left scrambling to find someone, anyone

to refill their prescription.

How much

worse is the Premier willing to let this crisis go and affect the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker,

for the question.

Access

to primary care is possibly the most pressing issue we're dealing with at the

moment. Patient Connect NL was opened for Eastern Health in metro. It has

registered just over 13,000 applicants. It has capacity to take at least half as

many again. I would encourage people in that geographical area to call that

number.

With

respect to Central and Western regions, Patient Connect NL will open within the

next two to three weeks to begin that registration process, so we can identify

those patients clearly and arrange for their appointments on the basis of

clinical need. In the interim, 811 and virtual services are available for

prescription renewal as well as your local pharmacy.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

Well, it

must be only the Minister of Health that doesn't understand that we're in the

midst of a crisis and people need interventions now.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

D. BRAZIL:

The Premier's Liberals are

simply out of touch with the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Health

Minister continues to antagonize doctors, continues to dismiss concerns voiced

by health care professionals, and the Medical Association has called his

statements about collaborative care clinics untrue.

I ask

the Premier: Why do you tolerate this behaviour from your minister?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm

proud to say that we have a good working relationship with the NLMA, Mr.

Speaker. They provided advice on primary-care clinics; they provided advice on

the Category B and Category C sites around the province. We are looking at those

recommendations –

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible.)

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

I beg to differ, Sir.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

We're working closely with them –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

this continues, Members will be named and lose their speaker privilege this

afternoon.

The

hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

We continue to work with them. There is no easy

answer to this. Despite the rhetoric of the Opposition, there is no particular

simple, easy answer. In fact, when I heard one of the Members answer a question

to this, the answer was to recruit more high school students, Mr. Speaker.

That is a long-term solution which we are working on, but we are struggling.

With the NLMA – working with the NLMA and the Registered Nurses' to address this

acute issue, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Speaker, I beg to differ with the Premier that this is

rhetoric, when 125,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians don't have access to a

family doctor.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

D. BRAZIL:

Speaker, the Premier's Liberals and their pals in the

NDP voted to make life more expensive in Labrador and throughout all of our

province. If the Finance Minister was listening to the people, government would

not have to fumble through this budget and multiple attempts to address the cost

of living, which both, I might note, the minister and the Premier acknowledged

was not enough.

ask the Premier: Why do you allow such an out of touch policy to be put forward

by your Finance Minister?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of

Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

will say to the Member opposite that we have had multiple – not only unions,

we've had banks, we've had community associations and we've had business

associations all praise the budget. It struck a balance.

are working in extraordinary times, Speaker, and we've made extraordinary

measures. As I said yesterday in our debate around the gas tax, we are able to

do that because of the hard work of the Premier with our colleagues in Ottawa.

We're going to continue to do all that we can.

Speaker, $222 million has been returned to the people of the province. That is

the most that has been done by any province in Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Mr. Speaker, well, those bankers all must live in

Liberal districts because we're not hearing it on this side of the House, I

guarantee you that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

D. BRAZIL:

Speaker, the Minister Responsible for Women and Gender

Equality let the Blue Door program die without support. The minister says the

commitment to human rights through pay equity legislation is too expensive. The

minister ignored requests for help from the Elizabeth Fry Society.

ask the Premier: Why are you satisfied with the lack of support for these

valuable programs by your minister?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister Responsible for Women and Gender

Equality.

P. PARSONS:

Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for the

question.

The

Blue Door program, which the hon. Member referenced, of course, as we know, is a

federal program that started over five years ago. I'm happy to say that we have

met with the group from Thrive to offer ways on how we can work with them and

how they can find new sources for funding.

we know, the half-million-dollar ask simply can't come from the Office of Women

and Gender Equality. That said, we

are certainly committed to

working with them as we really appreciate the valuable work that they do.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

It's

unfortunate that the federal government, their federal Liberal partners, saw the

value of a program like this and funded it for five years, but the provincial

Liberals don't see the value of continuing this program. It's shameful, Mr.

Speaker, shameful.

Speaker,

earlier this week the Minister of Fisheries took an unprecedented step of

ignoring the advice of the Fish Processing Licensing Board and is now risking

the shutdown of the crab fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. You say your

government makes decisions based on evidence, but your minister proved it is all

about politics.

I ask

the Premier: Why do you allow your minister to ignore the experts in our field?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture.

D. BRAGG:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

I really

have to stand for this because one or the other doesn't match up.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

D. BRAGG:

It is because of the volume

of crab that's in right now; we have almost 70 per cent of the crab captured in

about seven weeks. So we have a volume of crab that's in the market now that has

flooded the market. To open more fish plants would cause a bigger problem so I

don't know where the Member is coming from.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

D. BRAGG:

It was great advice that came

from the board, great advice that I took. I took a month to weigh out where this

is.

I stand

by my decisions that I made and time will tell if it is a great decision. But

right now the facts and the figures show it is a step in the right direction to

keep the people employed in this province that are employed right now.

Thank

you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

It is

evident, again, that it is a pick and choose what is beneficial politically for

the Liberals versus what is right to do and listening to the experts of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

I asked

if the Premier supports his Cabinet. Is it fine for the Health Minister to

antagonize health care professionals? Is it fine for the Finance Minister to

ignore the needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador? Does he think a

ribbon cutting is more important than real, tangible action to help the people

of Newfoundland and Labrador?

I ask

the Premier: When will you come up with a plan that shows real leadership and

addresses the needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm

happy to speak to the plan and what we've accomplished already: $5.2 billion for

Muskrat Falls –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

– West White Rose, Bay du Nord –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

– Terra Nova: All things that we've accomplished in a short period of time, Mr.

Speaker, and we're just getting started.

We've

taken the deficit from $2.1 billion down to $351 million, Mr. Speaker, and we're

just getting going. If they want theatrics, we can have theatrics. We're only

getting started.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon.

the Leader of the Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Mr. Speaker, you want to talk

about all the wonderful things over there –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

D. BRAZIL:

– let's talk about the

125,000 people who don't have a doctor.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

D. BRAZIL:

Let's talk about the most

exodus of any province in this country here of people going. Let's talk about

the fact that we have the highest unemployment rates, the highest tax rates, the

lowest access to health care and the highest chronic diseases here.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

D. BRAZIL:

That's your record right now, Mr. Speaker, and that's the record of this Liberal

administration (inaudible) and those issues right now.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon.

the Leader of the Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

I ask

the Premier again: When will you come up with a tangible plan that addresses the

immediate needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The highest cost of

living, the highest fuels in Canada and the exit of more people than in any

other province, Newfoundland – solve the problems here. Work with the people of

this province. Do the right thing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I spoke

with the other premiers in the Atlantic provinces just last night, Mr. Speaker,

and they were jaw-dropped at how much we've actually done. So the Progressive

Conservative cousins and the other premiers across the Atlantic region have done

far less for their populations.

Nova

Scotia's only done $15 million; we've done $244 million to give back to the

people of the province. Let's talk about child care. We can talk about Muskrat

Falls; we can talk about the support for the oil and gas sector. We can talk

about our support for health care workers. It keeps going and going, Mr.

Speaker, and we're just getting started.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Speaker, the Premier just

talked about jaw-dropping. Let me tell you what's jaw-dropping: 125,000 people

without a family doctor, a backlog of surgeries and blocked emergency

departments. What this government wants to do to make people healthier is

introduce a sugar tax.

So I ask

the Minister of Finance: Will you cancel the sugar tax?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Mr. Speaker, first of all,

the sugar tax is not a fiscal tax; it's an economic policy to drive behaviours.

It's a behaviour modification.

First of

all, you don't have to take my word for it, Mr. Speaker; how about the World

Health Organization, who recommends this measure?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

I can't

hear any talk. Just settle down a little bit and continue on with Question

Period.

The hon.

the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Don't take my recommendation

for it, Mr. Speaker; take the World Health Organization's recommendation. Sugar

and sweetened beverages are a primary cause – excessive use of them are a

primary cause of diabetes, heart disease and poor health outcomes. You don't

have to take my word, look at the British Medical Journal out of an epidemiology

study that was done out of Cambridge.

Tax like

this actually reduces sugar consumption by 30 grams a week, Mr. Speaker, which

will help our population with respect to chronic disease.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville - Port au Port.

T. WAKEHAM:

Speaker, the Premier is

exactly right. I will not take his word for it – I will not take his word for

it. But I will take the words of the Health Accord. Nowhere in the

recommendations of the Health Accord, which the Premier has alluded to several

times in this House, do they recommend a sugar tax. Not one recommendation of a

sugar tax.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM:

So I'd ask the Minister of

Finance, it is nothing more than putting hardship on the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador and the last thing they need is behaviour modification. They have

enough suffering right now. Eliminate the sugar tax.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

I must say it was a very

theatrical performance of asking a question. But allow me to tell you that the

Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

If you

want to waste Question Period arguing back and forth, we can let that go.

Otherwise, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

– the Canadian Paediatric

Society, the Canadian Cancer Society, I can continue, Speaker. But what I'll ask

the Member opposite is are you right, or are all those organizations that are

involved in health care in our country, and they are supportive of this

particular initiative. We've heard from the Premier on the World Health

Organization, and what's happened in medical journals around the world. I take

their word over his.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

Let's

just talk about the reasonable job the Premier is doing on health care.

Speaker,

while this government deflects and lays blame, we heard of another example this

morning of a tragedy on this government's watch. This morning we heard of the

story of Barbara Myril White of Labrador. Barbara waited 17 days in the hospital

in Goose Bay waiting for a cardiac care bed in St. John's – 17 days.

Premier,

the failures of your government are costing lives.

I ask

the Premier: What does he say to the family of Barbara?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

Obviously, these are very difficult situations and my sympathies, our sympathies

go out to the family.

The

issue of referrals from any area of the province into the cardiac program are

matters determined by clinicians. The urgency with which a patient is

transferred is a decision made by physicians. I will not, and I'm not going to

go down the road of speaking to individual personal circumstances.

Myself

and my predecessors from all sides of the House have studiously avoided that out

of respect for the families. All I can simply say is that we will investigate

the issue and Labrador-Grenfell and Eastern Health are working to try and

identify remedies for the future.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Speaker, thank you.

As the

minister said, these are difficult situations, but they're becoming too common –

too common. We're talking about people's lives here.

Barbara's daughter said – and I quote – we, the family, know for certain if she

was taken seriously and sent to St. John's she'd be with us here today.

I ask

the Premier: How many cases like Barbara's are going to happen before this

government takes action?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Once again, Speaker, I am not

going to deviate and talk about the specifics of any individual case. There are

mechanisms to look back. But the issue of a patient and their urgency for

transfer is a clinical one. It is made by doctors; it is made by physicians in

consultation with physicians, or nurse practitioners in consultation with

specialists. Those are the factors that determine the speed and the urgency of

transfer.

Again,

my condolences, our condolences to the family.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

Again,

as I said, this is becoming too common. So maybe it's time to start looking at

these individual cases time to look at the lived experiences of these families

to come up with a solution. Speaker, Barbara's daughter also said her mother

deserved to be helped –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

P. DINN:

Now, this is a serious issue.

For the crowd across there, the talking while I'm talking to a serious issue –

the death of an individual deserves a lot more respect. And they're still going

on over there.

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible.)

P. DINN:

You stand up then and tell me

you're not talking over there.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

AN HON. MEMBER:

Lowest (inaudible).

P. DINN:

Damn right it's the lowest –

damn right it's the lowest.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

A. PARSONS:

I didn't say a word. I have

listened to everything you said. Didn't say a word.

SPEAKER:

I ask the Member to take his

seat.

A. PARSONS:

I didn't say a word until you

started talking about all of us. We are listening.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

A. PARSONS:

Don't you say I'm talking,

I'm listening –

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

I ask

the Member to move on with his question.

The hon.

Member for Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN:

It's very difficult to say

you're listening when your mouth is moving. That's the problem.

SPEAKER:

Move on with your question,

please.

P. DINN:

That's the problem.

SPEAKER:

The Member's time has

expired.

The hon.

the Member for Bonavista.

C. PARDY:

Thank you, Speaker.

The

Premier stated in an earlier question that the government is aware of the health

crisis –

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible.)

P. DINN:

Damn right (inaudible).

Someone died.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

P. DINN:

Someone died and you're over

there talking.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Shocking.

P. DINN:

Damn right it's shocking.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

I ask

the Member for Topsail - Paradise –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon.

the Member for Bonavista.

C. PARDY:

Thank you, Speaker.

The

Premier stated in an earlier response to a question that the government is aware

of the health crisis where real people in the province are losing access to

health care every single day. I am not sure if it's an acute issue, as he stated

such, but in December 2019, the Bonavista hospital was down to only two

physicians from the usual five.

December 14, 2019, the minister assured me, in this House, that by January 2020,

there will be four physicians and that service will be maintained. Now, 2½ years

later, the Bonavista hospital is in crisis with one physician.

Speaker,

I ask the minister: What part of his plan failed?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

Primary

care access in rural Newfoundland and Labrador is and always has been, since I

came here 30 years ago, something of a challenge.

Certainly, at the time the answers in 2019 were given, they were accurate. The

understanding we had was that the physicians concerned would stay. They have

decided otherwise, and we are aware that there is a reduction in physician

numbers.

Eastern

Health are in the position to assure me the service is stabilized for the short

term, and are working on more medium-term solutions. As the Premier addressed

earlier on, the long-term solution lies around recruitment and retention, and we

have active strategies in that direction.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Bonavista.

C. PARDY:

Speaker, the Bonavista

Peninsula Health Care is one of the busiest emergency rooms per capita in the

province, and Dr. Parfrey's Quality of Care NL would give you the statistics to

indicate that Bonavista is one of the busiest ones; however, like many

facilities in the province, it is suffering from a lack of physicians, as the

minister stated.

I ask

the minister: What is the new plan or the new strategies in addition to hiring

an ADM for recruitment to fix this issue?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

Back in

October of last year, we announced a $30-million package to attract graduates of

the residency program from Memorial University and indeed any university who

wish to set up practice in rural Newfoundland, in return for an interest-free

loan of $100,000, as well as a minimum income guarantee.

addition to that, we have increased the enrolment in the residency program this

year for family medicine. I'm pleased to say it is fully subscribed with all 35

positions filled after the second iteration of the CAHM's match.

We're

aware of the problem and Eastern Health are working on operational details.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Terra

Nova.

L. PARROTT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, Bay du Nord must have maximum economic and employment benefits for this

province. Given that the hull of the FPSO will likely be constructed outside of

the country, will the minister push Equinor to bring the hull into the province

and complete all other work, including topsides and subsea modules?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Industry, Energy, and Technology.

A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and

happy to answer a question in this House and talk about important issues.

What I

would say to the Member opposite is that certainly there was a framework

agreement that was negotiated back in 2018. We're going to continue to stick by

that. I appreciate the concern that the Member brings up. We want to see as much

work here as possible, and we're going to continue to uphold that framework

agreement.

Certain

things may be possible, certain things maybe not. But I agree with the premise

of the question, which is we'll always continue to press operators and producers

to ensure we get as much work here as possible. That stance hasn't changed and

will not change.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

J. BROWN:

Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker,

yesterday the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology in my question spoke

about the dialogue between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and the PUB, but

didn't answer the question.

I ask

the minister: Why hasn't recommendation one from the Muskrat Falls inquiry been

implemented, and what other recommendations are outstanding?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Industry, Energy and Technology.

A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think

I did actually answer the question that the Member asked in terms of there's an

ongoing dialogue between the PUB and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro as it

relates to projects in Southern Labrador. There is a disagreement between the

PUB and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, but that disagreement does not mean

that the Muskrat Falls inquiry recommendations have been contravened in any way.

continue to work on those recommendations; there are a number in place. I don't

have the exact number right here, right now, but I can say that we certainly

have taken advice from that project, we've taken this inquiry very serious.

What I

would say is that, I go back to the main point which is we want to ensure the

best possible energy development in Southern Labrador and we'll continue to work

towards that goal.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

J. BROWN:

Thank you, Speaker.

The Bank

of Canada increased the benchmark rate today to 1.5 per cent.

I ask

the Minister of Finance: How will this affect our borrowing and our deficit, and

what effects will this have on the programs and projects announced in their

budget?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

S. COADY:

Thank you.

It's a

very important question. We are seeing rising interest rates, no doubt. We've

seen this now, I think it's the third time this year. So we are obviously

monitoring the markets. We do a series of different borrowings: 30, 60, 90 days,

five years, 10 years and 30 year different offerings in the bond market. Right

now, we have sufficient liquidity on hand. We also have to do a tremendous

amount of borrowing. There is $2.7 billion this year.

we are concerned about the rising rates but we are going to do everything we can

to keep those as low as we possibly can because it won't have much impact on

this year's budget but it will, again, increase the cost of borrowing which is

of concern.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

During the 2021 Estimates Committee meeting on Education, the minister stated,

in relation to the integration of the NLESD into the Department of Education,

that officials were looking at short-term, medium-term and long-term achievable

goals. We are the end of this school year; another one will soon start.

ask the minister: What are the achievable goals for the 2022-2023 school year?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

T. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

is an important question. I thank the Member for it.

For

this year, Mr. Speaker, we are anticipating some efficiencies. We are looking at

in the range of about $2 million in savings, which is a short-term achievable

goal. We have had a number of meetings this week, Mr. Speaker, with both the

chair of the board and the CEO of the NLESD and things are on track.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

P. TRIMPER:

Speaker, here on the floor today and yesterday in

debate, I spoke about the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Myril

White: wife, mother and grandmother. On Sunday, I met with the family, a very

devastated family, who had prayed for the hope and the support that never came

in time, unfortunately. While this family grieves and seeks answers, Labrador

and indeed this entire province needs a new way to deliver health care in our

province.

would ask government if they could please provide us an update – and I'm trying

to remain positive – on the long-awaited Health Accord blueprint that was to be

presented last month?

Thank you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

very relevant question given the nature of the questions in Question Period

today.

am happy to inform the Member opposite that our discussions with the Secretariat

around the Health Accord suggest that this is in the final stages of preparing

for a publication in terms of accessible changes and making the document

in about, you know, visually impaired and such.

imminent, I think, is the best word I can offer at the moment, but I don't have

an exact date. Imminent.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

P. TRIMPER:

Thank you, Speaker.

thank the minister. I think the entire province needs to be positive and

hopeful.

Another problem, however, we have with the Medical Transportation Assistance

Program occurs when people who are medically discharged

after being medevacked to St. John's are then left to determine, for

themselves, how to get back to Labrador. Even if they were to go through the

MTAP for prepay airfare, it can be anywhere between five to 10 business days to

process the application.

Why does

someone have to wait on yet another form if they need financial support to get

home after they have already experienced a traumatic medical episode?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

J. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

The

Member opposite raises an interesting issue. Transitions of care in health care

systems are always areas of concern. I, personally, see no reason why paperwork,

such as for MTAP, can't be done as part of a discharge planning. This is

something that could be integrated into the in-patient service.

It's an

excellent suggestion. I'm happy to take it, not just to Eastern Health but,

hopefully, to our new unitary RHA as well so it is consistent across the

province. The Member opposite raises a very good point.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake

Melville.

P. TRIMPER:

Thank you, Speaker.

One

final question for this session. As the cost of living continues to escalate,

particularly in Labrador, it is time to recognize that the threshold for the

NLHC housing needs to be adjusted. While the level is set at $65,000 for

Labrador West and for Torngat Mountains; the level in Lake Melville is $32,500,

as it is in the rest of the province. Most people, just above this level,

struggle to find affordable housing.

Will the

minister commit to examining this issue and, hopefully, increase the level to

reflect reality in Labrador and maybe the rest of the province?

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Children, Seniors and Social Development.

J. ABBOTT:

Speaker, thank you for the

opportunity to answer the last question of this sitting. At least I think it

will be.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

(Inaudible.)

J. ABBOTT:

I'll do that.

Interestingly enough, one of my colleagues here on the front bench asked me the

same question just the other day. So one of the things that Newfoundland and

Labrador Housing Corporation is doing is looking at all its financial and

economic thresholds in terms of eligibility.

But for

those who had a chance to look at the report from the minimum wage review, it

also recommended that government look at these social policies and how they

interact with our low-income supports and our minimum wage. So we will be doing

that as part of a comprehensive review and hope to report back later this year.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The time for Question Period

has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling

of Documents.

Tabling of

Documents

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Bonavista.

C. PARDY:

Thank you, Speaker.

I would

like to take the opportunity to table the Fish Processing Licensing Board

meetings of April 12-14 with the board recommendations.

During

Question Period on Monday, I was informed that I was a little misleading in my

responses. The two things that I was misleading on were that the board had taken

over one year to do their study. I would say that is here, found in the

document. The second thing is that they said that the health of the crab stock

status was two to four years and beyond in good shape.

So I

just wanted to table that, Mr. Speaker, hopefully for someone to read and to

verify that I was not misleading.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

In order for a private Member

to put forward a tabling of document, he needs consent from the House. Does he

have consent?

AN HON. MEMBER:

Yes.

SPEAKER:

Consent given.

Any

further tabling of documents?

The hon.

the Member for Humber - Bay of Islands.

E. JOYCE:

With leave, Mr. Speaker, in a

question yesterday, I asked the Minister of Health about the laundry services

and he put in a thing where I was on the opposite side. I'm tabling a letter

that the decision was made on July 2018. I was not in Cabinet or caucus. Also,

he mentioned the two ministers in Corner Brook; there was only one.

I'm

tabling the second letter where he clarified later that it was his officials

during the consultations, not the Member for Humber - Bay of Islands. Because

when the Liberal government made the commitment, we made a commitment that the

laundry services would be in. That was made during the election also of 2021.

So I'd

just to table these documents, again, and ask the minister to withdraw this

statement because I had no involvement, no knowledge, absolutely none, and

obviously the Premier never either or the Member for Corner Brook. Because

during the election of 2021, they were still stating publicly and in documents

that the laundry services were still included in the new Acute Care Hospital.

So I ask

the minister if he would do the honourable thing and withdraw that statement.

Here's the document.

SPEAKER:

As I did with the previous

Member, I ask for consent to table the document.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Yes.

SPEAKER:

Consent is given.

Any

further tabling of documents?

Notices

of Motion.

Answers

to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake

Melville.

P. TRIMPER:

Thank you very much, Speaker.

The

background to this petition is as follows:

response to concerns arising from the construction of the Muskrat Falls

hydroelectric project, changing climatic conditions and the disastrous flood of

2017, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador undertook a comprehensive

flood risk mapping and flood forecasting of the Churchill River – originally

known as Mishta-shipu, by the way – KGS Group 2020. This million-dollar study

was described by government as state of the art in the province and across the

country.

KGS

Group 2020 concluded that under the projected climate change and one in 20 year

open water flood zone conditions, several homes adjacent to Mishta-shipu will be

subjected to a disaster similar or worse than what was experienced in 2017.

WHEREAS

elevation, adjacency and other topographic features in the KGS Group 2020 depict

certain homes to be particularly at risk; and

WHEREAS

there is a mental and physical stress taking a severe toll on the residents of

these homes, particularly as each flood season arrives; and

WHEREAS

we are concerned for the owners of these homes;

THEREFORE we, the undersigned, call upon this House of Assembly to urge the

government to develop a plan to address the conclusions of your own work,

protect the citizens of this province and provide support to relocate those in

danger, out of harm's way.

Speaker,

I'm pleased to present this, my final petition of the session. I've spoken many

times about this very important issue. I'm also very pleased to say that I'm

pleased to see the co-operation that is coming from various ministers on the

government side. I recently met with the chair of the Improvement Committee for

Mud Lake. We talked about some of the scenarios, and I'm very pleased to say,

Speaker, that we're making good progress.

That's

mostly what I wanted to do today. I'd like to thank the government for stepping

forward, and I look forward to working with the various ministers, because we're

going to need help from more than one department to get this done. But I'm very

pleased to say that there is some hope for folks who have been living in risk

and fear for the last five years. And I thank government for that.

Thank

you.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Environment and Climate Change for a response.

B. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I just

wanted to take a second just to say there have been great strides made, as the

hon. Member knows. Of course we're willing to sit down with the residents there;

I just wanted to take a minute to make sure that that was understood, that we

will do that.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker,

I'm presenting a petition to request to provide affordable access to insulin to

all who require it. The reason for the petition:

Diabetes

is a widespread and potentially debilitating condition. Neglecting to address

the growing issue will reflect a much more costly, deadly outcome on the behalf

of taxpayers. Insulin was intended to be supplied to all people as a life-saving

Canadian invention, as it was intended to be provided at little to no cost. This

is not the reality for many who struggle with diabetes.

WHEREAS

34 per cent of the people in Newfoundland and Labrador are diabetic or

prediabetic, with a projected increase to 38 per cent by 2030; and

WHEREAS

diabetes is the reason for an alarming percentage of heart disease, stroke,

dialysis due to kidney failure, blindness and amputation; and

WHEREAS

diabetic medications are far too expensive for many diabetics to afford. Many

don't qualify for insurance, don't receive health benefits at work, or lost

insulin coverage from their benefits for various reasons; and

WHEREAS

Banting, Best, and Collip, the trio who isolated insulin, sold their patent to

the University of Toronto for $1 each because they wanted everyone who needed

access to insulin to have it;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, call upon the House of Assembly to

urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure easy, reliable and

affordable access to insulin for all residents suffering from diabetes, as

insulin is a life therapy and life-saving medication.

We know,

Speaker, that insulin in its various forms have been used to treat diabetes

since the Canadian researchers isolated it in 1921. At that time, it was a fatal

decision; the treatment was to put patients on starvation diets. The inevitable

end was death. However, we have heard many stories this year where the diabetics

who are paying the high cost of insulin will have to make cuts in their other

areas to be able to pay. In some cases, trying to get outdated insulin or to

skimp on their nutrition, their heat and other non-diabetic related needs.

In one

case, the person who authored this petition, Speaker, she is struggling to pay

for dental appointments and antibiotics for a cracked tooth, which has become

infected. So this affects people at a very personal, very real level.

Newfoundland is the youngest province and should supply its residents a

life-saving Canadian invention, as it was intended to be provided, at little or

no fee cost and we can be a leading example for Canada to follow.

We all

know, we hear it here very clearly with our health outcomes; this is a simple

way of making sure that those who suffer from this disease have affordable

treatment.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

SPEAKER:

Actually, this House now

stands recessed. It will only be about five minutes or so.

Recess

SPEAKER:

Members take your seats,

please.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Mr. Speaker, Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has arrived .

SPEAKER: All rise.

Admit Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.

(Her

Honour the Lieutenant-Governor takes the Chair.)

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

It is the wish of Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor that all present be seated

SPEAKER:

May it please Your Honour,

the General Assembly of the province has at its present session passed certain

bills, to which, in the name and on behalf of the General Assembly, I

respectfully request Your Honour's assent.

CLERK (Barnes):

A bill, “An Act To

Amend Various Acts Of The Province Respecting The Publication Of A

Summary Of A

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

A bill,

“An Act Respecting A Province-Wide 911 Service For The Reporting Of

Emergencies.” (Bill 41)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Loan And Guarantee Act, 1957.” (Bill 46)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Financial Administration Act.” (Bill 48)

A bill,

“An Act Respecting Access To Health And Educational Services.” (Bill 51)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Petroleum Products Act.” (Bill 52)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000.” (Bill 54)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Life Insurance Act.” (Bill 55)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Condominium Act, 2009.” (Bill 56)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Income Tax Savings Plans Act And Pension Plans Designation

Of Beneficiaries Act.” (Bill 57)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Urban And Rural Planning Act, 2000.” (Bill 58)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Access To Information And Protection Of Privacy Act, 2015.”

(Bill 59)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Revenue Administration Act.” (Bill 60)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Forestry Act.” (Bill 61)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act.” (Bill 62)

A bill,

“An Act To Amend The Revenue Administration Act No. 6.” (Bill 64)

HER HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR (Judy May Foote, PC, ONL):

In Her Majesty's name, I assent to

these bills.

I signed one, meaning I've

signed them all, because I know you don't want to stay here any longer than you

have to. You can feel it in the air. School's out!

I applaud all of you for the

amount of work that you have accomplished in this past session; you've obviously

worked very hard, which is what we all expect of you. Now you get to go home,

you get to go back to your constituencies and be with the people who elected you

and who made it possible for you to be here.

It's always good to have that

time to spend with your constituents; I speak from experience, as you all know.

But being able to be back in your constituencies and be able to work with those

who depend on you is really important. It's also important being here in the

House of Assembly, as you develop policy that impacts every Newfoundlander and

Labradorian.

I was really excited to hear

the news about more jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador and I'm sure for all of us

that's really important. Because we all know that if you have a job, it is so

much better for, not just your physical health but your mental health. So

hearing about jobs is music to my ears and I know that all of you worked on

making that possible.

I noticed there was a lot of

healthy debate in the House of Assembly; debate is really important. I think

that when we think about democracy, we think about debate and the exchange of

ideas and coming up with really good policy by working together. So thank you

for that. Thank you for all of the changes you helped to bring about through

your work and for putting in the time required to have healthy debate and to

make sure that we get the best possible policy for our province.

This is Her Majesty's

Platinum Jubilee so don't forget when you go back to your constituencies to find

a way to celebrate. A lot of communities are having what they are calling high

teas. I was at one recently in Blaketown. It was absolutely a wonderful

opportunity. I will be doing more back in your constituencies throughout the

summer.

But 70 years of service on

the Crown is nothing to sneeze at. It is service, it is loyal service and

through the ups and the downs this amazing woman has been there for that length

of time. So let's celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

I don't know if you all have

your lapel pins, but I hope, if you don't, that you'll reach out to us and get

them and wear them with pride this summer. We all know that, of course, it's a

celebratory time. So celebrate, enjoy what Her Majesty has done, I think, for

the Commonwealth, but as well the fact that we're able to come together

throughout our province and celebrate her 70 years of service.

So thank

you for all that you've done. It's always good to come back and have a chance to

wish you well, once you've given so much hard work to getting your jobs done.

Now it's time to go and spend time, not just with your constituents, but with

your families. Sometimes we lose sight of how important it is to spend that

precious time with your families because we do get caught up in our jobs.

Congratulations to all of you. Enjoy your summer. Stay safe and come back

healthy and all ready for another session.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

(Her

Honour the Lieutenant-Governor leaves the Chamber. The Speaker returns to the

Chair.)

SPEAKER:

Please be seated.

Order,

please!

As per

tradition, now we'll give the leaders of the individual parties an opportunity

to address.

The hon.

the Leader of the Official Opposition.

D. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Speaker.

It's an

honour again to stand in the House of Assembly as we acknowledge the end of the

spring sitting of the House of Assembly and the debate for the last number of

months outlining the issues that we've heard from Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians.

I first

want to start by talking to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. We feel and

we understand your frustration. We understand the challenges you're facing. We,

in the Official Opposition, have done everything that we felt we could to ensure

your voice was heard and your concerns were brought to the House of Assembly;

that we could help instill change that would benefit the people of this

province.

We know

there are a multitude of challenges out there. We know that there are still

challenges ahead. We know there are factors here that can't be controlled by an

individual citizen, but we do know collectively your voice has to be heard in

this House. It's your House. It's the House that people have sacrificed so much

for to ensure that our democracy gives you that opportunity. To ensure the

government and the people who sit in this House reflect policies and programs,

but particularly, financial abilities for the citizens of this province to feel

that they are safe, that they can live with dignity, but they can particularly

live healthy and be prosperous in our great community.

While

this has been a challenging time, perhaps one of the most challenging sittings

I've had in my 12 years sitting in this House for a number of reasons: one, the

economics; and two, getting an understanding of exactly how we address the

issues that are facing the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and realizing

we've got to be flexible for the people here. Understanding that things change

in a moment's notice to reflect the particular priorities in this province. If

we ignore what we hear every day, if we ignore the cries of people who are

suffering – it is most often the ones who suffer the most are the ones we hear

the least from. They are the people we have a responsibility to support and

represent and ensure that if they can't speak out, that we speak out for them in

this House of Assembly.

So I'm

very proud of the Official Opposition for what we have done in the House of

Assembly, bringing their concerns forward and lobbying government to make

changes that represent the particular needs of the individuals in Newfoundland

and Labrador. I realize we can't do everything for everybody, but we have to

make sure we do the right things for people when they're in their hour of need.

That is what we fought for in the last number of months here, it's what we have

been fighting here for the last number of years and it's what we'll continue to

fight for on this side of the House. I would hope that the government Members

also hear the same cries and the same concerns, and try to echo putting in play

programs and services that understand and address the particular needs people in

Newfoundland and Labrador face.

While

these are challenging times, we've talked about the resilience of the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador. We've talked about the potential we have here. We can

never dismiss that because the minute we dismiss that, we dismiss the hope that

this province has already had for 500 years and will continue to have. What we

must ensure, and we continue to push for – and every Newfoundlander and

Labradorian, those that live in this province and those who've left, must be

cognizant that the people of this province should be the beneficiaries of the

resources we have here.

We have

talked about being open for business and we encourage that. We encourage it

domestically, internationally, but to the point where we, and I say we, the

citizens of this province, are the ones who are going to ensure that their

livelihood is better than the previous generation, and that the generation

that's here doesn't leave because there's no hope or no options here.

We know

we have challenges in our health care system. We know we have major challenges

now in the cost of living. We know we have challenges in ensuring that our

infrastructure is up to par. We know we have challenges in making sure the rest

of this Confederation accepts us as an equal partner. There have been many

strides taken over the last number of decades, but there are many more that need

to done.

We need

to stand united for what's right for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

While we'll argue and we'll debate – and we may disagree – we all collectively

need to find the most equitable way to address the needs of the people of this

province in this House, and ensure that every Newfoundlander and Labradorian

feel that they're represented by their elected officials.

I want

to also note to the people of this province, we hear what you're saying. The

thousands of emails we've gotten. The thousands of calls we've gotten. The

tried to reflect those needs and those concerns to the House of Assembly.

I'm

happy to say we've been successful in a number of things. We've been successful

in encouraging government to change some of its policies to reflect the

particular needs. Is there much more to be done? Of course, there is. Is there

much more listening to the people of this province that needs to be done? Of

course, there is. Are there more creative, innovative ways that we need to

address things? Of course, there is.

The way

we're going to do that is collectively. As 40 Members of the House of Assembly,

no matter what party stripe you have or you're sitting as an independent, we all

legitimately put as the priority the people of this province. We'll debate how

we do that, we'll debate what the priorities are, but I think it's simple to

come to a consensus. What the people say, particularly the majority of the

people, should be the priorities that we act upon. We need to be more

collectively agreeable to move in that manner.

I do

think there are better ways that we can operate the House of Assembly: more

all-party Committees to look at things, more strategic planning and more

inclusive processes. We'll continue to fight for those. We'll continue to lobby

government to move things forward, but we'll also continue to let the industries

in our province know that Newfoundland and Labrador is open for business. We

have the most skilled set of workers in the world. We're so creative that we're

a jump ahead of other industries globally, with the innovation of our young

people and our education system here. So we want to build on that. We want to

continue to do that. We want to ensure that the people of this province are the

ones who have a brighter future.

Mr.

Speaker, to the people of this province: While you're struggling, and we

understand that, we'll continue to fight for what's right. We'll continue to try

to find solutions that best address the needs of the people of this province.

But we want to ensure that you don't lose hope.

Don't

lose hope in this great province of ours; don't lose hope that we're an equal

partner of this great Confederation of ours; don't lose hope in the resilience

of the people of this province for the last 500 years. Because we'll be here for

another 500 and well beyond that, as we work together.

Speaker,

before I conclude, I do want to thank so many people who made this a very

interesting, a very open discussion for the last two months, and for those who

very diligently sat through late hours and who supported what we did here. So I

first want to start by our Table Officers here, and acknowledging the work that

has to be done so that the House of Assembly can run efficiently, and that the

legislation that we have and the budget process that we debate is done in a

professional manner.

I want

to acknowledge all the people related to that: Hansard, the Broadcast Centre,

all of the people related to that process itself, the information distribution.

I want to acknowledge you, Mr. Speaker, and your Pages, for the valued work here

in ensuring that the House of Assembly is run under the democratic process that

we have here. Our Sergeant-at-Arms, I want to welcome him back; we did that

officially earlier the year, but having him here now is an added sense of

security and decorum for the House of Assembly.

To all

the civil servants of Newfoundland and Labrador who help in making the House of

Assembly work for the people of this province, I want to acknowledge them, but I

also want to acknowledge the key people that we have in our own staff, how

important they are to us in ensuring that we are prepared, our research is done,

and that we're here to make sure that the issues that the people bring to us are

brought to this House of Assembly.

To our

staff in the Opposition Office, a particular thank you to them. To my colleagues

here, I particularly want to acknowledge them also for working as a team and

always ensuring that the issues of the people of this province are at the

forefront. We try to put politics aside to ensure that the issues are put there

and that we're here to represent them, regardless if they're constituents of

your district or not.

I also

wanted to particularly acknowledge our families. People forget that. There are

sacrifices made by everybody in this House, no matter if you're away from the

House for a period of time, if need to attend certain things in your family, we

understand that. You know, I do think it's even harder for those who have

smaller children.

fortunate enough to come in when my kids were teenagers, so the adjustment was a

little bit easier. And I'm fortunate enough be in an urban district. But I do

acknowledge those who travel from Nain, Labrador, to the Baie Verte Peninsula,

and the Burin Peninsula, and everywhere else around the Northern Peninsula and

the challenge the have when they have to move back after leaving the House of

Assembly on a Thursday evening. So I acknowledge all of those.

But I

want to particularly also conclude by thanking the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador for acknowledging that we're in a great province, but also

acknowledging that we try to do

what is best for the people of the province. And

we have heard that from them. I know that we have done everything that we

possibly could. We have fought and argued and made suggestions and gave

alternatives. We were successful on a number of them and, hopefully, that is a

small piece of improving people's lives.

Will we give up on that? Not on your life. There is too much left still to do to

improve the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and ensure that people out

there – the senior citizen who heats their home with wood who is not getting a

break now, needs a break this fall to also offset the cost, because wood has

increased as much as oil has. Things like that. And there are hundreds of

stories out there. Thousand of people who are going to be affected by the

economy. Do we all hope that the global issues change? Of course we do. Do we

all hope that our own economy changes? We all do.

But

I will tell you, as things transpire and as the global issues change and the

domestic issues change, we on this side will be there to make sure we represent

the people of this province.

So,

Mr. Speaker, on that note, I do wish all of my colleagues in the House of

Assembly a safe summer. I know we will be going back to our districts and we

will be listening to what the people say and we will be ready to come back to

this House and ensure that the fall sitting outlines policies and programs that

are necessary to address the issues facing Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

will make this last offer to the Premier and to his government. We are here to

be collaborative. We are here. If there is a change in approach that needs to be

done and it makes sense to help the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, I will

guarantee you, the PC caucus will be co-operative, will be collaborative and we

will help to ensure that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are the people

who are going to benefit from any policies, any legislation or any decisions

made in this House.

do wish everybody a safe summer. I know everybody is going to go back and work

hard, because I know our caucus have already talked about the multitude of

events they are going to attend, the meetings that they are going to attend and

the issues they are going to talk to with constituents.

do wish everybody here a healthy and safe summer session. Let's make sure that

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are the people who are safe no matter where you

are, no matter your demographic, no matter your age, that we do whatever is

possible to help them.

So,

Mr. Speaker, on that note I thank you, I thank the House of Assembly and we look

forward to our fall sitting again.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN:

Thank you, Speaker.

is indeed an auspicious day when our last day is also the first day of the

salmon angling season. It is hard to believe, though, that I have been in this

position, I guess, for a little over three years as an MHA. That's two elections

– one of them a pandemic election. We are in the third year of the pandemic. We

have had to negotiate how we operate the House in that time. We have had to find

ways, both federally and provincially, how to help businesses and workers

navigate and survive this. We

have to roll out vaccines and how we distribute them.

faced, internationally, withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine,

and accepting refugees from those countries. We witnessed the trucker convoy in

Ottawa. We're dealing with the soaring costs of living, housing issues and

poverty issues and, of course, piled on top of that, Snowmageddon, atmospheric

rivers, climate crisis.

It's

almost as if someone has invoked the curse, may you live in interesting times,

because we have been living in interesting times. We have weathered much

together, but I'm reminded of one other quotation that I've used before is by G.

K. Chesterton: “We men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We

owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty.”

I do

believe that applies to us in this House and it applies, as we decide so many

issues for the people of this province, and it applies to the people of this

province.

As MHAs,

we depend on each other within our party; there are no two ways about it, but we

also still depend on each other within this House of Assembly to bring the

different perspectives that may or may not be popular, to make a decision that

may or may not be popular, but in our own collective wisdom we've deemed it that

it is the best interest of the province. We depend very much on the people out

there to keep us grounded in reality.

So yes,

petitions that we present in this House so that the voice is heard. We bring

different perspectives. I know, from us, what we tend to focus on are the

systemic issues and how do we resolve this issue so we're not constantly pulling

people out of the river, drowning people out of the river. How do we stop them

from falling into it?

I always

think of a couple of questions: Why did I get into this? Why do we get into

this? I do remember years ago when people would be looking to run, at the NLTA,

why do you want to run for this position? Because that's the key question: Why?

I have to believe that we're all in here at some point; take away the theatrics,

and everything else that goes with it, that we're in here seeking the best for

the people of our province.

Whether

it's addressing the cost of living, protection of the environment, making sure

that we have a healthy life, a healthy province, a healthy education system and

health system, I do believe that. In many ways, when we look at Question Period,

that is the theatrical part of it but it is not all we do.

So I do

want to start off and recognizing that we still have a lot of work ahead come

September. We're starting a summer this time that is not going into June. We're

coming out of the pandemic and, hopefully, this is going to be an opportunity

for people to get back out and enjoy each other's company, too.

I do

want to thank my colleagues, to Lela and Jordan, especially – well, they're the

only colleagues I have, really – for the work that they have done in supporting

me. Different perspectives in this party; different geographical areas;

different age rangers; you name it, but that is what makes the party strong: our

small but mighty caucus.

To the

independent Members, to the government Members, to my colleagues in the

Opposition who decide to promote me to the federal leadership and Jim Singh, I

think I was called yesterday.

AN HON. MEMBER:

No, we asked Jim to sing.

J. DINN:

So to the Members who

represent their far-flung districts and spend an awful lot of their time away

from home and family. I'm fortunate, at the end of each day, no matter whether

the House is sitting or not, I go home to my family, which is about an hour walk

or a 10-minute car ride or a 20-minute bus ride, whatever way you choose. But I

get to be with them, I get to be with my grandchildren as much as I want.

For

those of you who travel from distances and who have to spend months here,

sometimes, to deal with the issues, and even on constituency week you may not

get back, I applaud that. I recognize there is a cost, there is a sacrifice and

there is a commitment there. No doubt about it.

I do

want to say here to the families who support you because you cannot do it

without them. If you want to know that family is important to us, all you had to

do was look at the people who were gathered around the Minister of Justice and

Public Safety's child this morning and looking at the smile on the minister's

face this morning, you know what is important to each and every one of us. I

think each and every one of us holds that image in our mind when we are here

making decisions.

So I do

want to thank the ministers and the Premier as well. It's not easy. I don't care

what any of the positions are here; you're making decisions that are definitely

going to run into opposition here and are not going to be perceived in the way

you want them. I still think we have the right ideas, but, nevertheless, the

fact is, it's not easy being in those leadership positions.

To the

Members of the Official Opposition here, because it's easy to be tarred or

identified as the naysayers, always being critical, but that's the job we do: of

always pointing out here's where we could be better, here's where the flaws are.

To the

many deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers and departmental staff who

come here for Estimates meetings; when I look at the binders over there, you're

not coming in here on your own speaking off the cuff, and that goes for both

parties here on this side. We've got people behind us who are basically making

sure we're as prepared as we can be. There's no two ways about it, they're the

ones who are doing the work. We're sort of the eye candy or the front people or

whatever you want to call us. And maybe not the best of eye candy.

To each

of us and our office staff, the MHAs, the people who do our research, the people

who help use with communication, to the people who offer us advice and make sure

that we, again, are informed. To our constituency assistants, I know that each

and every one of us here has a long-suffering, hard-working constituency

assistant who is taking care of those phone calls of our constituents while

we're in the House of Assembly. I can't praise them enough.

Hansard and the Broadcast Centre, we could do something about the lights, maybe,

but nevertheless thank you for making sure that the message, the debate gets out

to the public. To OCIO and Corporate and Member' Services who I've used many

times, thank you for the help and thank you for the help that you provide in

making sure our systems are secure and that our expense claims are filled out.

To the

Commissionaires who makes sure that we're secure and certainly to the security

personnel and to the Sergeant-at-Arms, too; I went to school with this

gentleman. He's doing a remarkably good job of keeping the Mace and the stand

polished, so I'll give him credit on that, but you can't argue with a good

Celtic and Crusader, so that's a bonus.

To the

Clerk's Office, to the Speaker, which at times has got to be a challenging –

reminds me of being a teacher at times, that's all I'm going to say and to the

Table Officers there who we are able to access for guidance.

As we

navigate out of this pandemic and chart a course back to normality, we need to

again acknowledge the work that the front-line workers, our public service have

done over the last two – well, going into three years now. The front-line

workers, our nurses, our doctors, our hospital staff, teachers, the workers in

the businesses who kept the economy chugging along during this pandemic. I'm

speaking as if it's over and I realize it's not, but we're actually moving in

another direction and hopefully a better direction.

To the

cleaners in our building, who basically keep our offices clean and our washrooms

clean.

Again, I

will say thank you to our families, especially those who, like I said, whose

spouses who have to travel from home. Personally, to my wife Michelle, I

wouldn't be as coordinated as I am, and more importantly she is the one who

keeps me grounded and will argue with me when I'm probably not saying things

that make sense.

To my

mother, to our mother, who I will say I'm still probably the favourite son.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

J. DINN:

However, she won't be

surprised by any of it.

I will

end with this, a shameless plug for my District of St. John's Centre. Now, we

may not have the grandeur of the West Coast, the vast landscape of Labrador, the

world charm of many of the districts, but we do have Mundy Pond, which is the

home of the Mundy Pond Regatta. It will be taking place on July 9. It will not

have the racing shells, but it will have punts.

you're in St. John's Centre, Mundy Pond, on July 9, I invite you to come along,

try a few of the games of chance. It's for a good cause. It will be on the north

side of the pond. It's a sign that we are getting back to some sense of normal.

There's that hope and there's that optimism.

Let's

hope that over the next six months to a year that the economy is going to

improve and we'll get back on our feet as a province and we'll start doing the

things we need to do for the people of this province.

Thank

you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Certainly another busy session is coming to an end here in the House of Assembly

and it was certainly a world-wind session. I want to thank, again, all the

Members for their continued passion and representation that they bring to the

House of Assembly from the diverse people of our province and from their

districts.

course, we many not always agree, but I commend the leaders of the Opposition

and the Third Party, along with their colleagues and the independent Members,

for their dedication to their constituents, for enhancing debate and ensuring

that constituent voices are well heard.

also want to acknowledge and agree with many of the sentiments that were

proposed here in the House this last session: That this province is full of hope

and opportunity in a direction towards a sustainable future for Newfoundland and

Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Service to the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador is indeed a noble endeavour. Regardless of the rigour and the

contention of debate, I believe that everybody in this House, for them, the

pursuit is genuine and the destination is truly righteous. I personally am

always humbled and honoured to represent the great people of Humber - Gros Morne

and thank them for their continued support.

would like to give a very big thank you to the Deputy Premier and the Minister

of Finance, as she delivered and passed her third budget in 20 months –

unprecedented in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

To everyone who worked on

Budget 2022 and every single one of the public servants in our

province, we know you work hard. You have heard it from all three of us here

today. We understand the pressures of your family and the pressures that you

face in delivering services to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and you

do so, heroically, every single day.

Budget 2022 , Mr. Speaker, is about balance. Balancing the

challenges that we face as a province but also realizing the stress and strain

of the cost of living and the concerns that creates for families. Making

responsible decisions that best serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador

and recognizing that the situation is dynamic and ever changing: 50 per cent off

registration fees for passenger vehicles; eliminating the 15 per cent retail tax

on home insurance; $5,000 to help home transition from oil to electric heat. In

total, our government has retuned nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to the

people of this province to further address pressures caused by the rising cost

of living, not just here, not just across the country, but around the world.

are not the only leaders, and I say that collectively about everybody in the

House of Assembly who are struggling with this challenge. The president of the

United States is struggling with this challenge. The prime minister of the UK is

struggling with this challenge. The prime minister of Canada is struggling with

this challenge. So although we feel down sometimes about the struggles, they are

not ours. They are being faced collectively by the people of the world.

have also provided 10 per cent increase in the Income Supplement; 10 per cent

increase in Seniors' Benefit; eight cents per litre off gas and diesel at the

pumps; and a $500 rebate for furnace oil in the fall. On top of the $46 million

to bring regulated child care down to $10 a day, leading the country; nearly $2

million to support electric vehicles; $5 million to help small businesses adjust

to the recommended increase

in the minimum wage; more free bus passes; and $500 million to keep power rates

affordable.

Mr.

Speaker, this government continues to listen to the people of the province, and

we know they are stressed and strained. We know they are struggling. We all must

figure out creative solutions to navigate these tough waters together. The

pandemic, shutdowns and reopening have increased global demand, along with

Russia's invasion of the Ukraine. These factors are far beyond our control, and

are wrecking havoc on the supply chain pushing prices on fuel, and just about

everything else around the world.

But here

in Newfoundland and Labrador, your government is doing more than virtually any

other government across the country, with fuel tax now the lowest in the country

after Alberta, and we are doing it still while being fiscally responsible,

recognizing the debt burden that is on our population.

In all

of this, the people of Ukraine have been seeing so much horror and destruction

in their home country. I think one of the proudest moments of this year, for all

of us, should be and will when we're beyond our seats in this House of Assembly,

to look back and realize that we did something different across the country. We

took a leadership role. We set up a desk in Warsaw, Poland and welcomed the

first flight of Ukrainian refugees to Canada, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

I want to thank the

incredible team led by Minister Byrne and those on the ground, away from their

families, civil servants, put their hands up to volunteer to go to Warsaw,

Poland for months at a time to ensure that we were matching the needs of the

Ukrainian refugees with what we had here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have never shied away from stepping up to help

those in need. I thank you all. Thank you for the Opposition and everybody here

for supporting that effort. We all welcome Ukrainians to our shores.

addition to the Ukrainian crisis, Minister Byrne has for the first time, since

the early 1970s, since before I was born, seen real strides in the demographic

challenge, as we now know there will be an increase in the K-to-12 population

across our province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

Mr. Speaker, we also had a

wonderful opportunity to welcome the Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales and

the Duchess of Cornwall to our province, on their official tour of Canada

celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

During

their visit, we highlighted the significant Indigenous histories in this

province and the importance of walking that tough and winding path of

reconciliation together. I want to thank the Indigenous groups and leaders for

their part, not just in that tour, but for their weekly participation in our

calls, so that we can have a more fulsome and better understanding of where we

need to go as a province to right the wrongs of the past, while reflecting on

them and not running away from them.

I would

be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I did not bring up the fantastic news in our oil and

gas industry; Bay du Nord, West White Rose and Terra Nova, all with good news

this year, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER A. FUREY:

West White Rose alone will

bring thousands of jobs to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and significant

revenue to this province, Mr. Speaker. As you've heard me say many times, we

have the product the world needs right now, and Newfoundland and Labrador is

perfectly positioned in this time of transition. We can and will hold two

thoughts in our head at once: investing and realizing the benefits and value of

the oil and gas industry, while preparing for the future by doing things like

lifting the moratorium on wind in our province, Mr. Speaker.

This is

a list of important work we have accomplished this sitting – and I can continue

going, but I know everyone's tired and itching to get to maybe McNiven's, I'm

not sure – investment in health care, working to fill staffing shortages,

connecting thousands of people in primary care and reducing wait times for

cardiac and joint replacement surgeries. Investment in child care and early

learning education, technology industries and so much more have occurred over

this session, and I thank everyone involved for making that a reality.

friends, when we collaborate and work together, we deliver great results for the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador. I was excited and interested to hear the

Member opposite, the Leader of the Official Opposition, to recognize that we

need to be more collaborative in this approach. There are 500,000 of us. This is

the size of a small municipality in the United States. Surely, we can get this

right, if we work together, realizing the challenges that Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians face.

To the

staff who work at the House of Assembly, and the Clerk and staff in the Clerk's

office, Table Officers, Sergeant-at-Arms, Legislative Library, Hansard, and the

Broadcast team, and of course our Pages who are constantly running. And to you,

Mr. Speaker, this has been a challenging session, so congratulations and thank

you to you and your office for supporting all of us here in the House.

I know

that we keep many of you, collectively those people that I just mentioned here,

late into the night, away from your families, away from your loved ones and away

from your recreational activities. But you need to keep the lights on, and you

do so without ever complaining, always facilitating a fulsome, wholesome debate

and never, ever getting in the way. More importantly, making sure that we can do

our jobs regardless of the time, regardless of the position, and for that I want

to thank each and every one of you.

To the

security guards and the Commissionaires, thank you for being here every day.

Many of you welcome me here 6:30 in the morning, after my run, and I have to say

there's 24-7 service here. It's always great to be greeted when you come to

work. For the work that you do on holidays and Easter and Christmas to be here

to protect this hollowed House, deserves much gratitude.

To all

our political staff in our districts, regardless of our party, thank you for all

the hard work you do in ensuring that the constituents' voices are not only

heard locally, but are delivered to your MHA so that they can make sure that

they're heard and their voices are heard on the floor of this House of Assembly.

Most of

those people are answering the phones and dealing with the constituency issues

that are tough, they're personal, they're real for families across this

province, and the burden that those people, that those assistants actually bear

deserves a significant thank you from all of us.

I know

that our province – we all know – faces many challenges, Mr. Speaker, but I'm

confident that there's a collective will here to recognize those challenges as

opportunities hidden in disguise as we move forward with a path for a

sustainable, bright, hopeful opportunity and future for Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Thank

you to everyone in this House for the work that you do. I, myself, am looking

forward to taking in many events throughout the province this summer, as I'm

excited to participate in Come Home Year 2022. From all accounts, tourist

operations are full and they're booking into 2023. I welcome anyone to come to

Gros Morne, if – if –you can get a reservation.

Mr.

Speaker, the fact that Come Home Year has been fully committed to, fully

embraced, and is now fully subscribed, is a testament to the fact that there is

no better home than Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

First of all, I'd just like

to thank all the Leaders for their comments. As we finish off the spring

session, and we did definitely end it off with a bang today, but I do understand

everyone's passion and everyone's commitment to their districts and to the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

I'd just

like to take a few minutes to recognize all those that help in the smooth

operations of this Legislature. Many of whom have been identified here today,

but I just want to make sure we haven't missed anyone.

I'd like

to recognize those that do so much work behind the scenes that we don't see

within these walls and throughout the building but they're also working very

diligently to make sure that our session runs very smoothly.

First of

all, Corporate and Members' Services; the Legislative Library and our

Information Management team; our Hansard and our Broadcast team. Thank you very

much for all the work you do.

Another

group that I'd like to thank is Transportation and Infrastructure who have

continued to support this Legislature, again behind the scenes, making sure that

everything runs smoothly as it relates to our communications; they set up our

desks and everything else. They worked very hard and very co-operatively,

especially during COVID-19 to make sure that we had a safe environment to work

in.

I'd like

to say a special thank you to Yvonne Power in our Clerk's office for assisting

us in our day-to-day operations, making sure the papers and everything you see

on the desks are out and ready for us to start our days. I will add that Yvonne

is retiring at the end of this month, after 34 years of dedicated service to the

public service.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

I just want to wish Yvonne

all the best in retirement.

I do

have a bit of a complex with all these people retiring around me; I've only been

Speaker for a little over a year and we lost our Sergeant-at-Arms, he retired;

our other Clerk retired recently; and there are also talks of other members

retiring within our office. I don't know if it's me being hard to get along with

or not, but I certainly hope not, because I do try my best to work with them. I

do have an awesome team around me.

In our

Chamber today, I'd like to do a special thank you to our Sergeant-at-Arms,

Robert, for doing such a great job.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

Also to our Pages, like I

said, I've only been here a year, but they are a wonderful group of young

people.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

I'm quite sure with their

leadership they have proven we have a great future ahead of us.

To our

Commissionaires that always are there to help and assist where possible and to

make sure that all of our visitors get into the House of Assembly safely, thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

A big thank you to our Table

Officers. I've got to say, I've got an amazing team around me: Sandra, our

Clerk; Kim Hawley George, our Law Clerk; as well as Bobbi Russell, Kim Hammond,

Mark Jerrett and Evan Beazley, who have also been assisting around the Table.

I've got to say, you guys have been doing a fantastic job, doing a great job

keeping myself –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

– in order and making sure

we're following proper procedure. I'm sure the Government House Leader can echo

my words there.

I'd be

remiss if I didn't acknowledge my executive assistant Kala Noel, who I may add

is celebrating her 29th birthday for the ninth time today. I think we all agree

Kala has been fantastic to work with, besides an awesome baker – she's always

bringing baked items for us. I've got to say, it's been a true delight to work

with her.

Even

though, like I say, debates gets heated and challenging at times, I think

everybody is here for the right reason, we're here to represent the people in

our districts and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. I do thank you for

your co-operation.

Lastly,

I would like to thank the people of the beautiful, scenic and historic District

of Lewisporte - Twillingate, who have had the faith in me over the last three

elections to represent them here in the House of Assembly. I'm quite sure every

Member here can attest to how great an honour it is to represent the people of

your district and to have the opportunity to sit in this Legislature.

So to

the people in my district, thank you very much. I look forward to being in my

district over the summer. I welcome everyone to the District of Lewisporte -

Twillingate to take

part in many of the celebrations that will be happening as a

part of the Come Home Year 2022.

I'd also

like to wish everyone a very wonderful and safe summer. I look forward to seeing

everyone as we head back to the fall session.

Before I

call for adjournment, and keeping with the tradition that I started when I

became Speaker, I will ask all Members to rise and I will ask the hon. Minister

of Municipal and Provincial Affairs to lead is in the “Ode to Newfoundland.”

K. HOWELL:

When sun rays crown thy pine

clad hills,

And

summer spreads her hand,

When

silvern voices tune thy rills,

We love

thee, smiling land.

We love

thee, we love thee,

We love

thee, smiling land.

As loved

our fathers, so we love,

Where

once they stood, we stand;

Their

prayers we raise to Heaven above,

God

guard thee, Newfoundland

God

guard thee, God guard thee,

God

guard thee, Newfoundland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

S. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I won't

sing, Mr. Speaker, but I move, seconded by the Premier, that this House do now

adjourn to the call of the Chair.

SPEAKER:

Is it the pleasure of the

House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

AN HON. MEMBER:

Nay.

SPEAKER:

Motion carried.

This

House do stand adjourned until the call of the Chair.

motion, the House adjourned to the call of the Chair.