Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 8 April 2009 (46th General Assembly, 2nd Session, Vol. XLVI No. 9)
2009-04-08
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
April
8, 2009
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVI No. 9
The House met at 2:00 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Today the House of Assembly would like to welcome two guests joining us in
the public gallery. They are Ms Gail Hickey, the Executive Director of the
Office to Advance Women Apprentices, and Ms Simone Dyall, the office's
training development specialist.
Welcome to the House of Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: The following members' statements will be heard: the hon.
the Member for the District of St. John's West; the hon. the Member for the
District of Grand Falls-Windsor-Green Bay South; and the hon. the Member for the
District of Humber Valley.
The hon. the Member for the District of St. John's West.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS S. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you for the opportunity to recognize one of my constituents, Kyle
Howlett, who has been awarded the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Senior
Jubilee Scholarship for high academic achievement at Memorial University. This
scholarship is valued at $3,000 and is awarded to the student who attains the
highest average in the examinations held during the first two semesters of the
student's second academic year.
Kyle was also the recipient of the Junior Jubilee Scholarship of $2,500 in
2006 when he achieved the highest Department of Education scholarship score. At
that time he was a student at Booth Memorial High School.
Kyle, an active volunteer in the community, is presently in his third year of
studies in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science studying mechanical
engineering.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask all members of this hon. House to join me in
wishing Kyle congratulations on his success and best wishes in his future
endeavours.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Grand
Falls-Windsor-Green Bay South.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HUNTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure I rise in this House today to thank
and congratulate two residents of Robert's Arm, Lois and Leander Hewlett, who
have dedicated over thirty-five plus years to the Red Cross. They have taken
care of the Red Cross Health Care Equipment Loan Program which covered the Green
Bay South and beyond area for after-hospital patient care for thirty-five plus
years.
Volunteerism is the backbone of rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and couples
like the Hewletts are just one of many who silently go from day to day caring
for strangers when they are in need. It is, without a doubt, a very rewarding
feeling to help others, but to give thirty-five plus years is a wonderful
contribution to this Province.
Mr. and Mrs. Hewlett will not end their reign of volunteering there. They are
going to carry on with the Red Cross Disaster Services, which they will stay
quite active in.
I would like ask my hon. colleagues to join me in congratulating Lois and
Leander Hewlett on their hard work and dedication to the Green Bay South area as
well as the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KELLY: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to pay tribute to
Gladys Bailey, a very special lady from my district, who celebrated her
one-hundredth birthday on Friday, April 3. I had the pleasure of attending her
special birthday celebration, in which she was surrounded by her loving family
and friends.
Birthdays remind us that the gift of life is a most precious and important
one. About the only thing that comes to us without effort is age, and 100 years
is a long time and certainly deserves to be celebrated and honoured.
Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Bailey was born in 1909 at Middle Brook, Gambo. She married
Frank Bailey Senior of Bonne Bay. They became the parents of eight children:
Frank Junior, Brymer, Wallace, Guy, Augustus, Betty, Mary and Bruce. The last
time they did a family census, there were 104 grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, but there have been more
since.
For years, Gladys worked hard at Bailey's Bakery, owned and operated by the
Bailey family. She worked there until she turned sixty-five years of age.
Mr. Speaker, in her leisure time, Gladys enjoys reading and she loves to
knit, especially the double-knitted slippers. She also keeps in close contact
with her lifetime friend, Gladys Kirby from Gander, who still lives in her own
home and will be 100 on June 2 this year.
Gladys Bailey is truly and inspiration to us all. I ask all members of this
hon. House to join me in saluting and congratulating this outstanding lady, and
wishing her the warmest of greetings on her one-hundredth birthday and best
wishes for many more to come.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as all members in this hon. House are well aware, there are many
communities in the Central Region impacted by AbitibiBowater's decision to
cease its local operations.
To best respond to the needs of the communities and the region, the
provincial government mobilized a team of senior ministers and officials
representing a broad range of departments to work with community groups, unions,
communities and businesses, to provide solutions to mitigate the loss of
employment in the region.
Last month, in collaboration with other members of the Ministerial Task
Force, I announced members of a Community Development Committee who will develop
and implement strategies to advance short- and long-term sector and project
opportunities for the Central Region. We are extremely pleased, Mr. Speaker,
with the broad representation of the fifteen-person committee that encompasses a
wide-range of community and business interests.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance stood in this hon. House
and communicated to the Central Region that a collective and collaborative
approach is required to strengthen the area. He indicated, and I agree, that it
"will take time to see and feel the impact of investments but we are
standing shoulder to shoulder with you to work through these challenging
times."
In his remarks he also announced $40 million in new initiatives for the
Central Region.
Mr. Speaker, Rex Barnes, Mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor reported that it was a
positive budget for the area. In particular, he felt that the announcement for
the youth and drug addiction centre was "enormous."
When AbitibiBowater opted to cease operations it also left a void in the
budgets of local municipalities who secured grants in lieu of taxes from the
company.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador will step in and fill that void.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: This investment will enable the communities of Grand
Falls-Windsor, Bishop's Falls, Botwood and Buchans to continue to deliver
important services to their residents. The total amount of the investment in
each community will be determined upon further analysis and consultation with
the Department of Municipal Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, as I conclude, the Premier, Cabinet, MHAs, and departmental
officials are actively engaged in the Central Region. The region's success is
important to the continued economic growth of Newfoundland and Labrador and we
are committed to providing the necessary support to ensure that its importance
continues today, tomorrow, and well into the future.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I certainly thank the minister for a copy of his statement today.
We are pleased that there is going to be some grant in lieu of taxes made to
these municipalities that are affected in Central Newfoundland. We have raised
this in the House of Assembly a number of times since we have come into this
session. Mr. Speaker, at least the minister and the government are starting to
really see what the impact is out there, but it has only surfaced yet, it has
only surfaced.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order please!
MS JONES: In fact, Mr. Speaker, they have had a task force of ministers
in place for nearly eight months.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order please!
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
They have had a ministerial task force in place for eight months in this
Province and today they cannot stand in the House of Assembly and tell you even
what the amount of the grant in lieu of taxes is going to be when you have known
the impact since December 16, 2008, when you expropriated the properties in this
House of Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the minister and his government and the Premier and Nalcor
could own up to the mistakes they made in expropriating the energy assets and
fix the problems that exist with the twenty-two workers.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the hon. the Leader of the Opposition to conclude her remarks.
MS JONES: I would love to, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, when government expropriated the assets they gave no
consideration for the twenty-two workers that were impacted and today, Mr.
Speaker, five of them are out there with no job and no income, and I say it is
time to fess up for those individuals.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Signal HillQuidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, thank the
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair has recognized the hon. the Member for the District of Signal HillQuidi
Vidi.
The hon. member.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, thank the minister for the advanced copy of his statement and
naturally I am pleased that the government is going to meet with
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: - to meet with the Department of Municipal Affairs to
determine what is needed out in Grand FallsWindsor. I do not think it should
take long to figure out what is needed. I think it is going to be very quick and
if it is not I will be very disappointed.
The other thing that I will be disappointed about is if I do not soon see,
though, some reports from planning about what is going to happen. I know you
have your committee in place. I think that committee has to meet. I think we
have to have regular updates. I think the people of Grand FallsWindsor have
to have regular updates. So, minister, I hope that when we come back after
Easter there will be another message from you about what the plans are for real
work out there.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
The hon. the Minister of Education and Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House are aware, this
government has made significant investments to increase the number of women
registering for skilled trades training. This includes a $100,000 contract
signed last year with the Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers
to enhance the placement of female apprentices in the workplace. I am pleased
that an additional $200,000 is allocated in Budget 2009 to continue this work.
Under the contract, Mr. Speaker, the Office to Advance Women Apprentices has
been established, and a registry of female apprentices is being developed to
help females obtain employment opportunities. Coaching and mentoring for both
apprentices and employers will promote a meaningful employment experience and
training will help identify and eliminate barriers to employment.
The office has only been open for just over a month and already there are
over 100 female tradespersons included in the registry from such fields as heavy
equipment operator, powerline technician, welding and carpentry.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: The purpose of this registry is to have a current list of
apprentices who have completed their trades training, who the office can then
contact regarding potential employment opportunities.
I am also pleased to report, Mr. Speaker, that five of these tradespersons
are in the process of being hired, two of whom will shortly begin work with the
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. I am sure my hon. colleagues will
agree that the office is achieving positive results in a very short period of
time.
Mr. Speaker, government identified the need to take concrete steps to build
our Province's skilled labour market early in our mandate. We established the
Skills Task Force which made many recommendations for business, industry, labour
and government to ensure apprentices reach journeyperson certification.
Since 2006, this government has invested more than $50 million in the areas
of apprenticeship, science and technology, programming, training and
infrastructure.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: As a result of this investment, Mr. Speaker, we now have a new
high school skilled trades program, we have doubled the number of seats in
skilled trades programs at the College of the North Atlantic, and have supported
a shop modernization program so students are using top-of-the-line equipment.
Apprentices can now receive credit for on-the-job training they do in
Alberta, and the journeyperson/apprenticeship ratio has been increased.
Mr. Speaker, the Office to Advance Women Apprentices is another important
initiative that will help ensure our Province has the women and men ready to
meet the needs of industry and labour, and take full advantage of the
opportunities on our horizon.
I encourage all female tradespersons to contact the office at 757-5435, and
have their name added to the database.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to thank the minister for an advanced copy of her statement, and to
say that we are very pleased to see this initiative continuing.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I am sure I am not the only one who can stand
here today and say that I have known females who went into the skilled trades
several months ago, and they are doing a wonderful job at that, I have to say.
I know, Mr. Speaker, with regard to the high school skilled trades, the young
people in our schools today are very encouraged with what is happening there,
and now to know that this is another initiative that can look out for their
interest after they finish school, but I cannot help but make a comment with
regard to where the minister mentioned that apprentices can now receive credit
for on-the-job training they do in Alberta.
I hope our economy turns around and they can all come home, because if we
look at the news today there are not going to be too many of them going to
Alberta getting work after what we are hearing now.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I have worked in the skilled trades. When I was
there it was male dominated, and it is very encouraging to see females becoming
part of the skilled trades here in our Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Before responding to the minister, I feel I have to make a comment. I feel
like I am in school, because the kids are getting holidays tomorrow and they are
so excited this afternoon because of it. Anyway, I couldn't resist. Since it
is the Minister of Education, it seemed appropriate as well.
I do thank the minister the advance copy of the statement. As the first
Executive Director of Women in Resource Development, going back ten years ago, I
am obviously excited about this; because one of the biggest issues when we first
began the orientation of the trades and technology program, in getting women in
a big way into trades and technology in this Province, was the barriers that
they faced, especially getting into apprenticeships. Over the years, before I
came into the position that I am in, I met with the minister and spoke about
those issues. They are important issues. It is getting the jobs, getting the
positions, so that they can be apprentices is extremely important, and I am
really glad to see that there are jobs for two of these apprentices in
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing. I would encourage the government to begin a
bigger program of trying to get more women hired in trades in government
departments and government projects. I think this really has to happen.
The other thing that I would press seriously to the government is that one of
the biggest barriers that women apprentices face is lack of good child care. If
we really want to help more women get into trades and technology, we need
increased spaces and better child care in our Province. So, let's start
working on those barriers as well.
Thank you very much.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DENINE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to acknowledge April 19-25 as National Volunteer Week. Volunteer
Week is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the great work of volunteers
across our Province and across the country. Their impact on the Province is
invaluable, and the volunteers in non-profit organizations in our community
contribute to a vibrant and thriving Newfoundland and Labrador. There are
approximately 187,000 volunteers who contribute 35 million hours a year of
valuable, unpaid time to their communities and community organizations.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, currently in Newfoundland and Labrador there are
over 23,000 people employed by volunteer and non-profit organizations in a
concerted effort to make our Province stronger.
Mr. Speaker, this year's theme, Volunteers Light Up Communities! represents
the impact volunteers have on the people of our Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador. The compassion of volunteers can make a community shine. Their
dedication lights up the lives of those they touch. There is no better feeling,
Mr. Speaker, than the joy a person gets from volunteering.
I encourage all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to take time, especially
during Volunteer Week, to think about how much we depend on volunteers and
non-profit organizations every day in our communities.
Volunteers make up municipal governments, recreation leagues, church groups,
health support organizations, Lions Clubs, Kinsmen Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl
Guides, and volunteer firefighters just a few of the organizations that
provide essential services to people across this Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador, from Nain to Trepassey.
I am delighted to be celebrating Volunteer Week in communities across the
Province. I will be attending recognition ceremonies in Mount Pearl, Gander,
Corner Brook, Port Union, Stephenville, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and here in St.
John's.
I encourage all communities to take time during Volunteer Week to thank
volunteers in your communities for their time and dedication to our quality of
life.
Mr. Speaker, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are known for their compassion
and their strong desire to assist others whenever and wherever they can. It is
because of these traits, Mr. Speaker, that so many residents are involved in the
volunteer, non-profit sector.
As Volunteer Week approaches, I ask all hon. members to encourage your
constituents to take some time, with you, to join in your community celebrations
and honour the valuable work that the volunteer and non-profit sector
contributes to our great Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, volunteers do make a difference, so get involved and light up
your communities!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister again for an
advance copy of his statement and to say that we, too, want to acknowledge April
19-25 as National Volunteer Week.
I guess each and every one of us knows full well how important volunteerism
is to not only our communities but to our Province. I know, personally, and I am
sure everyone else in this hon. House works very closely with volunteers, from
one end of your election year to the next, whether the Lions Club, search and
rescue, your local church groups, the fire department, or those involved with
recreation.
There is one group, Mr. Speaker, and this has been ongoing for years, our
municipal leaders. When we look at our local service district people, they are
totally volunteers. They do not get any grants. They do not get anything from
any level of government. Not just singling them out, Mr. Speaker, but to each
and every volunteer in our Province we want to extend to them all the best.
The only thing I am disappointed about, I did not see my area where the
minister was going to come and visit. Hopefully, maybe he can find a way in his
schedule that he will drop by.
On behalf of all volunteers, not only in my district but throughout this
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, we wish them all the best during
Volunteer Week.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister
for the advance copy of his statement.
I was quite pleased early in March to be at the launch down at the Battery
Hotel with the minister and with many of the volunteers, not just from St. John's
but from a wide area. They encompassed almost all of the volunteers just
mentioned by my colleague. I had a really interesting time, actually, at the
table with volunteer firefighters at that time.
It is good to celebrate volunteers, because our society does not work without
volunteers. It is an essential part of our society, and it always has been.
The one thing I want to say to the minister, though, that I am looking
forward to: I don't think you have a Web site up yet, and we have been waiting
for it. There was an
article in the Toronto Star , actually, written by
Carol Gore, and it is a great place to go to get the information about the
department. I would like to see it up on a Web site very soon, Mr. Minister.
Thank you very much.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MS JONES: It is nice to know I am getting to the government, Mr. Speaker.
Someone conveys their true feelings.
Mr. Speaker, on March 30 we asked the Minister of Health about surgery
cancellations at Eastern Health due to the lack of anesthesiologists. At the
time he assured the public that things were under control, and that Eastern
Health was successfully recruiting two other individuals, or two other
positions.
We have since learned that the senior person is going on leave, the academic
chair has resigned, and another is leaving the Province in June. Surgeons are
concerned about what the impact will be on cancellations of surgeries.
I ask the minister if he is aware of this situation that is developing at
Eastern Health and if he can tell us what the impact will be on those surgeries
that are already scheduled?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, just to correct the member opposite, once again
she takes words and stretches them. I will not say betrays the truth but
stretches the commentary.
I did not indicate everything was under control, Mr. Speaker. What I had
indicated and advised this House and updated this House was that there was
progress being made. There was some optimism that they were going to be
successful in recruiting other anaesthetists. That is my comment, Mr. Speaker,
that I had made earlier.
With respect to the issue at hand and the question she has now posed, are we
working on a solution to try to deal with potential cancelled surgeries for the
month of April? The answer is yes, Mr. Speaker. Officials in my department have
been working with and talking to Eastern Health about what it is they are doing,
how they are going to approach this. They are trying to work through how they
are going to reschedule some surgeries in the month of April, but I say, Mr.
Speaker, as well, to repeat what I had said earlier, they are optimistic that
they will have some success in recruiting other anaesthetists to replace those
that are leaving. So that is an ongoing process
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the hon. minister to conclude his response.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
So the recruitment process for physicians is an ongoing exercise and again,
Eastern Health has expressed some optimism they will be successful.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We already know that the shortage of nurses has contributed to cancelled
surgeries. We know that the shortage of anaesthesiologists has also contributed
to the problem. We also know that there are vacancies.
Again, I ask the minister: Can you tell me when these positions will be
filled, what success Eastern Health has had in their recruitment efforts and
when can we see these people in place?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: I am going to try to repeat what I have said earlier this
week in Question Period and as I have just commented on a second ago. Eastern
Health has indicated that they have had some success with at least two
anaesthetists in particular, who they are optimistic they will be able to
conclude a successful discussion with them and when that happens, and they are
anticipating that might happen in the near future, they will be able to identify
an effective date, the date that those individuals will be arriving in those
positions. At that time, I will be only too glad to advise the House of those
dates.
With respect to their ongoing efforts, as I said a second ago as well, Mr.
Speaker, recruitment is an ongoing process. In as much as they have identified a
couple of people who have expressed some keen interest and they are working
through a process with, they are continuing with other efforts to identify other
anaesthetists who would be interested in coming to work with Eastern Health.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister said this week, or indicated that he would be giving direction
to Eastern Health on a go-forward basis.
I ask the minister: Will he commit today to an external review of the
clinical Department of Anaesthesiology to correct the problems that exist with
this recruitment effort that they are having?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: If it is necessary to bring external resources to bear, then
as a government our past practice has been, and our future practice will be to
bring the resources to bear. If it is external resources to assist with the
recruitment process, we are prepared to do that. We have done it in the past; we
will do it in the future.
Our objective, Mr. Speaker, is to ensure that each of our health authorities
have an ample supply of very capable, confident individuals to ensure that we
are able to provide quality, safe care to the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we are approaching our peak diving season for this
year in the Province, and we live on an Island where we are all too familiar
with the accidents that are involved in our fishing, oil industry and with
recreational activities around the water. In an event of an accident many times
an injured party is placed into a hyperbaric chamber to prevent permanent injury
or death.
I ask the minister if he can give us an update on the status of our only
hyperbaric chamber in the Province, and if it is ready to meet our needs in the
event of an emergency?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: It is not a normal practice, as a minister, that I get an
update on the status of various pieces of equipment in the system. If the member
opposite has a curiosity or an interest about the functioning of that equipment,
I will only be too glad to have my officials get an update for her and provide
some information to her and the House about how that equipment may be working,
the level of service it has provided, and how it actually functions on a
day-to-day basis.
Clearly, that is information that I would have to get from the authorities.
That is not something necessarily my office, personally, would have on any given
day.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we have been informed that it is technically ready
at the moment, but we also know that the only reason it is not operational is
because of staffing issues.
I ask the minister today - this is the only hyperbaric unit in the Province,
it is very important in the case of an emergency. I ask him if he will undertake
to ensure that the staffing complements are met and that this chamber can be
available and operational if required?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I thought I had answered that question the
first time out. I indicated that I would get some information with respect to
the equipment that we have and whether it is operational. I made that commitment
in my earlier response but if she wants to waste another question, by all means,
ask it again.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, it is just another example where the Minister of
Health has no idea of what is going on.
They have been over six months trying to recruit a couple of physicians in
order to ensure that this unit is operational. We have just come from one of the
hugest disasters in our history in this Province and to not even know if the one
chamber that could have been available, that may have been needed to save people's
lives in this Province, and you do not know if they have been able to recruit
the staff to operate it in the last six months.
I ask you, minister, to give us an update as soon as possible in the public
as to what the status is.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Are there any further questions?
The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I hope I am ready, because I had a whole series of questions for the Premier
with regard to offshore safety and since coming into the House I have found out
that there has been an answer to some of my questions from C-NLOPB. So I am
going to ask the questions based on what I have just learned.
First of all, we have a release from C-NLOPB saying that they are going to be
putting in place a mandatory inquiry into the crash of the Cougar helicopter
that went down on March 12.
I ask the Premier: Was the government aware of the C-NLOPB's intentions to
announce the inquiry, and has the government had any dealings with C-NLOPB with
regard to the inquiry?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in response to the question from the Leader of the NDP, the
Department of Natural Resources was contacted by the C-NLOPB regarding the
inquiry being launched. We were made aware of that yesterday.
In terms of any detailed discussions around it, at this point there have not
been any. The C-NLOPB is still in the process of determining its mandate,
determining the kinds of things it will be looking at, the length of the inquiry
and those kinds of things. So, it is just an announcement that there will be an
inquiry. That is something that under the Atlantic Accord legislation must
happen and once they got past the stage of the initial impacts regarding the
Cougar helicopter crash, they now are looking at the legislative kinds of things
that must be done.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to get further information, then, with regard to the role of
government as the work of CNLOPB continues, because I understand they will be
working on a definition of the mandate, the Terms of Reference, the selection of
a commissioner for the inquiry, and timeline for inquiry completion.
Will government be directly involved in having input into all of that?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Mr. Speaker, I can advise that, as I indicated earlier, the
Atlantic Accord legislation requires that if there are any serious accidents
that there be an inquiry into those accidents to make sure that safety in the
offshore is not compromised, as other activities occur in the offshore.
There have been discussions with federal officials who are supportive of the
work that will be undertaken by the CNLOPB. We certainly, as a government, will
provide whatever support we can to it.
I have to be honest and say, in terms of legislatively, I am not sure exactly
how much involvement government will have on a direct basis. It is my
understanding today that it will be the CNLOPB that will lead the inquiry and we
will certainly provide whatever support we can, as a government, to that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Because of the recent news reports concerning the questionable safety of
Sikorsky Helicopters - and these news reports are increasing every day - there
is mounting concern in the public and the industry around providing safe
transportation for our offshore workers. It would seem to me that, because of
the information that is coming out, more discussion has to go on around
alternative means; not means of getting out there, but other helicopters being
looked at.
Is government, at this moment, having those kinds of discussions themselves?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Transportation Safety Board under federal regulation is
conducting an inquiry into the accident that we had happen with Cougar Flight
491. They are certainly well aware of the situation that the hon. member has
mentioned, and the news reports relating to that.
The TSB inquiry and investigation will cover that mandate. It is my
understanding that the mandate of the CNLOPB inquiry will not overlap with that,
in that there will be a different set of circumstances and different Terms of
Reference that will be looked at. The intention is not to overlap but to allow
the TSB to do its investigation. There are other aspects of that accident that
occurred that need to be investigated and will be done by the CNLOPB.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is obvious that the Minister of Health does not know the answers to the
questions I posed in the House, so I will move on to another topic.
Mr. Speaker, government recently announced their infrastructure stimulus
package to create economic opportunities in the Province. While local companies
are expecting to benefit from these packages, they recently learned that a
company from Quebec, Pomerleau, was the lowest bidder again on another contract,
the school in L'Anse-au-Loup; the same company that this government gave a $57
million contract to, for the long-term care facility in Corner Brook.
I ask the Premier today: Will these contracts that were designed to stimulate
our local economy in Newfoundland and Labrador be awarded to Quebec-based
companies?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, we have over $800 million out there to
stimulate the economy. The economy is robust. It is doing very, very well. There
are lots of contracts out there, there is lots of work out there, but we are not
going to throw money away. If a contract comes in and someone is the low bidder
and they bid $10 million, and someone else comes in and bids $30 million, then
we are going to the low bidder because that saves $20 million for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Now, if that happens to be a Quebec company, it is a Quebec company, but they
employ Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It is Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
who get the work. It is a competitive process. There are internal trade
provisions. There is free trade among provinces right across this country. Our
contractors can work in Alberta, our contractors can work in Quebec, our
contractors can work in Ontario and the Maritime Provinces, and other
contractors and construction companies can work in Newfoundland and Labrador.
We are not going to fritter money away just to give it away to the highest
bidder, just because you do not want someone from Quebec doing the work.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Premier might want to check and see how many Newfoundland companies are
bidding and getting jobs in Quebec. Because, I can tell you, there are a lot of
cross-border provinces in this country that do not get contracts in Quebec,
unlike what we are giving to Quebec companies.
Mr. Speaker, I understand from the Premier today that these companies are
sole-sourcing their work in Newfoundland and Labrador. I ask: Can he tell me if
this company has subcontracted work to Quebec-based companies while they have
been doing the long-term care facility in Corner Brook?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the exact details on who was contracted to do what from a
subcontracting perspective on the long-term care facility, I cannot provide all
the details on that. I will undertake to get the information and report back to
the House in a timely fashion, and maybe immediately after Question Period is
over.
Mr. Speaker, as the Premier said, there is a free and open competitive
process for contracting here in Newfoundland and Labrador, as it is across the
country, and if there is a problem, Mr. Speaker, there is a process under the
Committee of Internal Trade, the Agreement on Internal Trade, where, if a
company in Newfoundland and Labrador, or any part of this country, think that
they are being ill done by, by government procurement, they can file a complaint
and it can be dealt with by the Committee on Internal Trade.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, the four other companies that bid this contract,
you know they do not have the option to go and seek $14 million contracts in
Quebec, like Quebec companies can do in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, this government excluded the construction of two new ferries
from the Agreement on Internal Trade when you tendered for those ferries, saying
they had to be done in Newfoundland and Labrador. Why can't you use that
standard at a time of an economic crisis to do the same for the other
construction trades industry in our Province?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Agreement on Internal Trade and the Atlantic Procurement
Agreement allow for governments, for regional economic development purposes -
that is very clear, regional economic development purposes - to file an
exemption under the Public Tender Act and inform, through the Agreement on
Internal Trade, the rest of the country of our intentions. That is why we did it
with the ferries on the South Coast, in Marystown, or here in Newfoundland and
Labrador, because it would stimulate our shipyards.
Mr. Speaker, we just tendered four schools. Three of them were won by Marco
Construction. Marco Construction does work in Nova Scotia I don't know
about P.E.I. - in Alberta, and they do work across this.
When this came up before, on the long-term care facility, there were people
in the construction association who said that they wanted restrictions, and
there were people in the construction association who said: I want a competitive
process. I want the ability to compete across this country and here in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As you know, the mining industry continues to struggle under the global
economic recession and there is some word coming out of Labrador West this week
that their shutdown
schedule for this summer could be much longer at IOC mines
than originally predicted.
I ask the minister: Have they been notified by IOC of these potential plans,
and what the exact time frames for this shutdown could mean for the people in
that area?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In response to the Leader of the Opposition's question, government has been
notified by the company. There is a requirement under the Labour Standards that
they notify us if they are going to have an extended shutdown. They have
indicated that to us. It is, as I understand it, preliminary in nature. They are
still feeling out the markets for their product, and whether or not they will
have markets available to be able to have the production levels that they
anticipated; but, as is required by Labour Standards, they did file notice with
government indicating that they may extend the shutdown that was announced
earlier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, for well over a year now this government have been
telling the people in Labrador West that they are going to stimulate the economy
there, they are going to do work on the highway, they are going to do work on
the hospital.
I ask you today, Minister: In light of what is happening in that area, the
fact that we are coming up on the construction season, when are the tenders
going to be called for the highway work and also for the hospital?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, somewhere around April 18 the tender will be
called for the roadwork. On April 18 the tender will be called for the trade
school; and, subject to discussions next week, Mr. Speaker, we will be in a
better position, once we know the scope of programming and what have you at the
hospital, we will be able to determine whether or not we can proceed with the
tender call for cement and services for the hospital later this year.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.
Minister, I inquired yesterday about the broadband contract, and the fact
that it was delayed since the time that the RFPs were called, by some twelve
months or so. The minister did respond to that question. I am wondering, in
follow-up to that, Minister, are you in a position to tell us at least how many
companies were involved in the bid process and if the delay, which has been well
over a year now, if that in fact has increased the cost that was originally
anticipated?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we had three responses to the Requests for Proposals that came
in. They did involve some consortia of companies. The exact number I would not
want to guess at, but I can certainly provide that information if the hon.
member wishes it. There were three responses that came in.
In terms of indications that there was a delay, there is not actually a
delay, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in a previous response to one of the
questions from the Opposition, this is a fairly extensive piece of work. It is a
very detailed piece of work, a very technical piece of work, and a lot of time
and effort had to go into looking at, investigating and making sure we
understood the response to the Requests for Proposals. So it is not so much a
delay as just making sure that we do the appropriate analysis.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When this process originally started some four years ago, the government's
position was that we are not going to go with any public tendering process at
that time because we need to get it done in a timely fashion because it is so
important to have this broadband. Now the government committed at that time that
there was going to be over 200 communities connected, virtually every public
facility, including our health care facilities and so on, because we needed it
and we needed it urgently at that time, and we still do not have it. We could
certainly use it now during this economic downturn.
Is the minister prepared, rather than saying we are just going to wait? What
are the deadlines? When are we going to see this happen, or is this going to go
on for another year?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Mr. Speaker, in terms of responding to the questions
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. SKINNER: I will indicate to the hon. member, Mr. Speaker, that we
did, during the request for proposals that we put out, indicate to all of the
companies when we put out the request for proposals, that this would take a
significant amount of time. I actually think we told them it would take about a
year to evaluate the proposals. So that information was out there.
We are in contact with the industry people, the companies that are bidding,
the industry associations. They are quite understanding of the fact that it
takes government this amount of time to do this. The complexity of the work that
we are doing is not going to be compromised by trying to get it done. It is
going to be done when we have all of the appropriate information, when we have
all of the appropriate decisions made that we need to make. The industry is
understanding of this, the industry is supportive of this, and we are making
progress, Mr. Speaker, but it will be done when we are ready to do it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I say to the minister, by the time he gets around to getting it done the
technology will be obsolete and we will talking about something else other than
broadband.
Mr. Speaker, my next question is for the Minister of Justice. Minister, last
year the former minister, in fact, had some meetings with the federal Minister
of Public Safety with regards to the potential construction of a penitentiary
here. We all know, of course, the deplorable condition that Her Majesty's
Penitentiary is currently in. Of course, the ABC campaign derailed that.
Given the breakdown in the relationship between this Province and our federal
counterparts, is the Province giving any consideration to possibly doing a
penitentiary ourselves as a go-it-alone project?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
At the present time the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is continuing
meetings as recently as last week, and we are continuing to explore the idea of
a joint-costed facility between the federal government and the provincial
government, and we think that is in the best interests of both the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador and the people of Canada.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, the former minister had a review done of
the operations of adult corrections throughout the whole Province last fall and
that report, subsequently, was delivered and made public, or most of it was all
made public, containing some seventy recommendations.
I ask the minister, we know that there are recommendations in that report
that cannot possibly be physically done and implemented at Her Majesty's
Penitentiary, due to the age and the layout of the facility: How does the
minister and government intend to address this problem?
We have a report that says these things need to be done, but we cannot
physically do it.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We do have the report of the consultants, Decades of Darkness: Moving Towards
the Light. There were seventy-seven recommendations, and this government has
responded. This is the first year since we had the report. So our opening move
is there is an investment of $6 million in this year's Budget, plus an
additional $1 million was spent during the last fiscal year, from the time we
got the report to the end of the year.
This will continue. We will treat it the same way we did with the police when
we had the benefits of the recommendations of the Lamer Report. We will continue
to address the issue each year, and at the end of the day we will have a system
of corrections in this Province, hopefully that will be second to none across
the country.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, later today we will be debating a motion dealing
with the Province's seal hunt and the proposed EU ban. This ban on imported
seal products brings a serious threat to 6,000 sealers and their families who
depend on this industry. Last week, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture
travelled to Ottawa to meet with EU officials.
I ask the minister: Did you achieve any results from these meetings and
garner any additional support in an attempt to stay the proposed EU ban?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In response to the question from the member opposite, certainly, any time
that you speak with European politicians, in this case, ambassadors, you do
garner intelligence.
What I did find out was that ban appears to be going full-fledged ahead in
the Parliament. However, in meeting with some of these ambassadors, we do have
allies, we do have opportunities, and of course, our Premier certainly put a
letter out to all ambassadors clearly stating our position and indicating that
we are not satisfied just with the ban or the exemptions. We want to have our
seal harvest continue without any restrictions, because it is humane, it is
viable, it is sustainable, and we as a jurisdiction are going to pull out all
the stops to make sure that they fully understand the consequences of what they
do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, an issue of such importance requires a solid
plan to deal with any potential EU decision, and requires cooperation and
dialogue between the federal and provincial governments.
I ask the minister: During your visit to Ottawa, did you meet with the
Minister of Fisheries to discuss any strategy in dealing with this important
issue?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: On the point of meeting with the minister, I certainly
made the minister aware that I was in Ottawa. I did make a request, but
obviously she did not see fit to meet with me at that particular time.
As the regards to the federal government and cooperation with the federal
government, we have been two years, I say, Mr. Speaker, asking this federal
government to take trade action so that we have something that we can stand
behind.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: I tell you: finally they have listened to us and are
moving forward.
We, as a jurisdiction, as I pointed out, will do anything we can to ensure
that this hunt is not only continued but continued in a way that can give us the
commercial return that we need.
Thank you, very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, seeing as the Minister of Fisheries would not
meet, I am going to ask him another question.
Mr. Speaker, CBC Radio reported on Friday that if a ban on seal products is
action.
I ask the minister: Have you been in contact with the International Trade
Minister, Stockwell Day, to lend our support to any international challenges to
reverse this potential ban?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out to the hon. member on the
other side, we have left no stone unturned in trying to make sure that the
federal government and our European politicians understand the position that we
hold. My predecessors and ministers have been in contact with not only the DFO
minister but also Stockwell Day. We have continually asked him to move forward
in the position, to take the, I guess, WTO action. It was only last Friday that
they indicated that they will.
We have asked them constantly for their strategy and have not been given the
courtesy of them telling us what their direction is. As a result of it, I say,
Mr. Speaker, we have to, as a jurisdiction, step up to the plate. We have
stepped up to the plate and we will continue to be at the plate until we finally
hit that homerun. Mr. Speaker, we will again leave nothing unturned to make sure
that we get that result.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allotted for Oral Questions has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Tabling of Documents
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and
Employment.
SME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker I am pleased to stand today in accordance with
Section 30 of the Workplace
Health, Safety and Compensation Act to table the Workplace Health, Safety
and Compensation Review Division's 2008 Annual Report, which covers the
activities of the Review Division from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008.
MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents.
Notices of motions.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a
bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Student Financial Assistance Act, Bill 9.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion.
The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.
MR. T. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to
introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Judicature Act, Bill 18.
Mr. Speaker, I further give notice I will ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Legal Aid Act, Bill 15.
Mr. Speaker, I give further notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Children's Law Act, Bill 13.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motions.
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Tobacco Control Act, Bill 17.
Mr. Speaker, I also give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Pharmacy Act, Bill 12.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motions.
The hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. O'BRIEN: I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act Respecting Credit Unions, Bill 11.
I further give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An
Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act, Bill 10.
I further give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An
Act To Amend The Income Tax Savings Plans Act, Bill 19.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motions.
The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
MS WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce
a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The City Of St. John's Act, Bill 14.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motions.
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. KENNEDY: I give notice that I will move that the House resolve itself
into a Committee of the Whole to consider a resolution relating to the advancing
or guaranteeing of certain loans made under the Loan and Guarantee Act, 1957,
Bill 16.
MR. SPEAKER: Further Notices of Motion.
Answers to questions for which notice has been given.
Petitions.
Orders of the day.
Orders of the Day
Private Members' Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, it being Private Members' Day, we call, from the
Order Paper, Motion 5 put forward by the Member for the District of The Isles of
Notre Dame.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Isles of Notre Dame.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is certainly a privilege to stand here today on behalf of all of my
colleagues, to introduce a motion with respect to the seal fishery in
Newfoundland and Labrador. The motion was entered on Monday. It is fairly
lengthy, so I won't read it again today for the benefit of my colleagues.
I do want you to know that the spirit of this motion is to call for further
support for the seal fishery of Newfoundland and Labrador, and specifically to
address the concern of an EU vote that is coming up in May that will potentially
ban seal products, as well as to address the US ban on seal products that
occurred in 1972.
Mr. Speaker, my district, The Isles of Notre Dame, is made up of some
thirty-seven communities. From my perspective, we were born out of the fishery
and we will die out of the fishery. Historically, we have had great attachment
to the seal hunt from one generation to the next. We are very strategically
located, in the front, where some 70 per cent of the seal quota is taken from
one year to the next.
This year, Mr. Speaker, the seal hunt is, indeed, in some crisis. Right now,
for example, the quotas have been set, but there is a concern with prices. Some
two years ago harvesters were receiving close to $105 for a Grade A beater. This
year we have reports that prices are going to be around $14 for a Grade A
beater. This is a significant economic concern for our harvesters and for the
industry, but as well from a provincial perspective. The sealing industry has
provided anywhere from $30 million to $60 million to our provincial economy, so
this certainly points out a serious economic concern for our Province.
Mr. Speaker, we must temper what is going on today in the sealing industry
with the global economic recession that is having an impact on industries around
the world. The sealing industry, the challenges that it is facing right now, are
not new. They have faced market uncertainty before. They have faced difficult
marketing conditions. There have been high inventories, low prices, high fuel
costs, all challenges that the sealing industry has to endure over the years.
Mr. Speaker, what we are facing today, the challenges we are facing today, go
far beyond this year's hunt. It goes toward many years to come. It goes
towards establishing a long-term and viable, sustainable seal hunt.
Processors and the sealing industry itself rely heavily on European markets,
Asian markets and Russian markets for their seal products. The European
Parliament will vote in late April or early May, in all likelihood, to ban the
importation of seal products. This will effectively close many of our markets
and take away any access to other markets, as our products right now are routed
through the European countries.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious threat to thousands of sealers and their
families in this Province, and this vote has the potential to destroy the
sealing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, these challenges are not new. The sealing industry has faced
many challenges before. In 1972 the U.S. banned seal products from entering into
the U.S. The European Union banned seal products in 1983. In 1987 we saw a ban
of killing the white coats, which essentially destroyed the historical seal hunt
in this Province, but we found new markets, new products to meet market demands.
In 2007 Belgium and the Netherlands, as well, instituted a ban on seal products.
Mr. Speaker, undaunted by these challenges, the industry stakeholders and the
efforts of government, we were resilient in our efforts to overcome and to
persevere. From the pressures of animal rights activists to declining markets,
our seal hunt has survived. It has survived to the point where some sealers have
indicated that 35 per cent of their income comes from sealing. As I mentioned
earlier, from a provincial perspective, some $30 million to $60 million goes
into the provincial economy as a result of the seal industry.
One of our big challenges is the animal rights groups. They have waged a long
and expensive international propaganda campaign that sensationalizes the seal
hunt. They spend millions. I had a call a couple of nights ago and a gentleman
referenced that just two years ago one of these animal rights groups operated on
a $188 million budget.
Mr. Speaker, these groups prey on the emotional side of the seal fishery.
They capitalize on the ill-informed, but in my opinion demonstrating a blatant
ignorance and disrespect for the sealers of Newfoundland and Labrador and the
sealers of the eastern provinces of Canada.
Killing is not pretty. It is not pretty on the ice flows. You can go to any
abattoir cows, pigs, it does not matter - it is not pretty. These animal
groups are focused on that, and they exploit the killing aspect of this
industry.
We need to recognize that these animal groups, animal rights activists,
continue to ignore extensive regulations that have been established to support
the hunting of seals, and they continue to dramatically contend that our seal
hunt is inhumane.
Mr. Speaker, our sealing industry has been scrutinized and studied, and many
recommendations have been brought forward to support the industry. Not only to
support the industry, but also to address some of the concerns of the animal
rights groups. The industry has evolved. We have seen the banning of killing of
white coats. Boats over sixty-five feet were prohibited in a seal hunt since
1987. Right now we have training for sealers, educational workshops. We have a
three-step process to the hunt. Proper gauge ammunition is required. This year
we will institute daily quotas to ensure safety, and also to ensure the
three-step process is being followed. Rifles are the weapons of choice.
Commercial sealers are required to work with an experienced sealer for two years
before becoming a professional harvester.
Mr. Speaker, more and more, the stakeholders of the industry have realized
that measures have to be taken to save our industry. I think they recognize that
some of the traditions will have to disappear as well. As an industry, as a
government, we cannot succumb to the concerns and the false claims of the animal
rights groups. Our message is clear: We have a hunt that is humane and
sustainable, and we have evidence to prove it.
Since 1970, the seal herd has increased three times. We now have almost 5.5
million seals,
whereas back in the 1970s there were estimated to be around 2
million seals. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, through science and
conservation and enforcement, have very firm regulatory plans in place that
ensure a very healthy seal population. They ensure that the hunt is carried out
in a sustainable and humane manner.
Mr. Speaker, in 2005 an independent veterinarians group, consisting of
veterinarians from five other countries, studied the Canadian harp seal hunt and
later stated, "The Canadian harp seal hunt is professional and highly
regulated. It has the potential to serve as a model to improve humane
practice."
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is there. In 2006 the Government of Greenland
lifted their ban on seal products, stating that is satisfied that the
controversial East Coast hunt is humane and well regulated.
Mr. Speaker, we have to meet the challenges of today in our sealing industry.
We have to meet them with sound economic principles. We have to meet the
challenges based on science and conservation. We need to meet them based on
humane hunting practices. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, we need to face the
challenges of today through collaboration with the industry, the stakeholders of
the sealing industry, our provincial government, and the federal government.
Right now, today, we are faced with a very critical problem. The EU will vote
in the near future to ban the seal hunt. The EU released draft legislation for a
ban on the import and transhipment of seal products into and/or through the
European Union. This follows a 2006 European Union resolution to ban the trade
of seal products.
As well, Mr. Speaker, from the Russian market side, the Czech Republic has
indicated that they, too, want to institute their own ban on seal products, and
they are currently holding the presidency of the EU, they want this done by the
end of June. It is likely the vote will take place, and at this stage it is
likely they will vote to ban the seal products.
Mr. Speaker, much has been done. Letters have been written. Our predecessors,
no doubt, had taken up the challenge of the seal hunt, but I think it is time to
face reality. Whatever we have been doing is not enough. We need to do more. In
the face of this vote, Mr. Speaker, we are in overtime. If we are going to save
the sealing industry, we are certainly calling on the federal government to work
with our Province, to work with the industry stakeholders and utilize all
avenues available to support the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and to
support our sealing industry.
The United States implemented a ban in 1972 under the Marine Mammal
Protection Act. This act was passed to conserve marine mammal populations,
including seals. Mr. Speaker, we have evidence and we have proof that our
conservation practices are very effective. The time has come to negotiate with
the U.S. to amend this Marine Mammal Protection Act so we can move forward and
open up new markets.
Premier Williams wrote the Prime Minister reminding him of the G-20
declaration that was reached in Washington in November of 2008, and I quote,
"We underscore the critical importance of rejecting protectionism and not
turning inward in times of financial uncertainty. In this regard, within the
next 12 months, we will refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to
trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions, or implementing
World Trade Organization inconsistent measures to stimulate exports."
Mr. Speaker, leaders in countries like France and Germany and Italy and the
United Kingdom, they need to get the message, they need to get the message from
our Prime Minister that this is in violation of that declaration and this ban
would indeed establish trade barriers to Canada.
There is a Canada EU Summit coming up in May and that is the time where we
want our Prime Minister, our leaders to ensure as they enter into free trade
negotiations with the EU that our sealing industry is on the agenda and we also
want to know what their intentions are when they enter those meetings.
Mr. Speaker, we encourage the federal government, encourage Minister
Stockwell Day to go ahead and file the complaints with the World Trade
Organization, if the European Union bans the trade of seal products. The World
Trade Organization deals with the rules of trade between nations at a global
level. Over 120 countries rely on the World Trade Organization to help negotiate
trade agreements and to settle trade disputes. The fundamental principle of the
World Trade Organization is to ensure that trade flows as freely as possible. We
need the federal government to continue to push for the World Trade Organization
to recognize that this ban will indeed create trade barriers.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has heard our message. The Premier and
the minister have represented this issue extensively, letter writing campaigns,
meetings. As I said before, I think they have heard our message and we believe
the federal government are in a position to step up, to continue to work with us
in the industry to help resolve this current crisis. So, we encourage Minister
Stockwell Day to carry through with his announcement.
Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear. The proposed ban in the EU will not achieve
the objectives of the animal rights groups, nor will it encourage a sustainable
and humane seal hunt. The predator-prey relationship between the seal and fish
stocks has been established through science. If our hunt does not continue we
will see an escalation in the seal herd. If our hunt continues and we do not get
the prices we will see that the quotas will not be taken again this year.
Eventually, Mr. Speaker, what we are going to see is conservation measures
have to be put in place to protect our fish stocks against the seal herds. We
already have reports that the European Union has culls in place to deal with
their seal herds. I understand that the cod is king in Europe. Well, the cod was
once king in Newfoundland and Labrador as well. Mr. Speaker, much effort has
been made to try and build our stocks. This will certainly be seen as a step
backwards and I surely shudder to think that if that is what is waiting for us
around the corner is a cull, what a waste of economic opportunity for the people
of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, on that note, I look forward to hearing from my colleagues as we
debate this motion today, but I am very confident that we will have a unanimous
to support our sealing industry. We will call on the federal government to
negotiate with the U.S. to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act so that we can
utilize the markets of the U.S.
Most certainly, Mr. Speaker, as a government in this House, we will certainly
be calling on the federal government to increase their efforts and to ensure
that the message for the European parliamentarians is clear, that they must, for
the interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and the interest of the
people of Eastern Canada, they must vote down this ban that will take place over
the next few weeks.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Osborne): The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to speak to my
hon. colleague's private member's motion here today.
I cannot speak for everyone on this side of the House but I can assure you,
sir, you have my support. The rest of the individuals will speak for themselves
and I am sure that we agree with what you have said here.
I hope that you get better results, not from within this House but from on
the outside than I got back in March, 2002 when I brought forward a private
member's motion on custodial management. I am going to tie the two together
today with regards to the cod stocks as well as the sealing industry because the
hon. member mentioned it himself and what we can see coming down the road.
This ban will not only affect the lives of the 6,000 people that we are
referring to here with regards to the trading of seal products throughout this
world of ours, it will come back because the seals, at the present time, are
also playing a major part on the recovery of our fish stocks. Whether we like it
or not, it is a key issue.
Mr. Speaker, back in 2008 - I know the hon. member mentioned that seal pelts
sold in the vicinity of $100, back not too long ago, but in 2008 they were sold
for $30. According to an
article in the paper only recently, this year they may
be half that price. I hope that is not correct, but a sealer, Mr. Jack Troake, I
think he is from the hon. member's district if I am not mistaken, or pretty
close to it, he made the comment just this week. He said, we cannot break even
let alone make money. Here we are hearing sealers, who have been in the industry
for years, saying that if that is what it is it will not be worth our while to
go fish.
As I mentioned in Question Period, Minister Stockwell Day said that Canada
would take action. What action? What action are they going to take? They have
known this for years and done nothing, Mr. Speaker. It is time for our
provincial government and our federal government to deal with the issue on a
more strenuous basis.
We know the Premier, in all due respect, went to Europe with regards to this
issue, met with the officials over there. When he came back, out of all the good
deeds that he did, nothing changed with those people. We also know that on
another visit we even agreed to take away the hak-a-pik, and more or less they
were going to come onside if they felt that was going to happen. You know, Mr.
Speaker, what happened there. Still nothing! Still nothing to come onside with
us people.
Then again, Mr. Speaker, those countries just do not listen. We have seen
that happen from time to time because if they listened and want to do what is
proper and right to fish stocks, whether it be seals, mammals, fish of any kind,
they would listen and we would not have to have our destroyers on the Grand
Banks chasing them around from one end to the other.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's International Trade is more important to them with
some other products that we ship out of our country than protecting the fish
stocks that we have here in this Province. All we have to do is think back to
2002, when the federal government allocated $20 million to present Canada's
case on the softwood lumber issue. What do we hear about protecting our seal
stocks or our cod stocks from them?
October or November, 2004, the federal government provided $600 million to
the Quebec textile industry to help counter the Chinese competition. What do we
hear from them with regards to helping our fishers here in this Province to
protect the stocks that we have?
We heard the minister say today that he tried to get meetings, contacts were
made, but to no avail. Yet, our federal government let those individuals come
into our country. I suppose you cannot bar anybody, but we let them come into
our country, they go to the ice floes with their cameras and they roll around on
the ice, and we are letting them do it, and what is happening? They go back and
show those pictures around the world, and an industry that we have had for
hundreds of years is being destroyed.
Not only that, Mr. Speaker, the seal is also an important component of our
ecosystem. It is destroying a world supply of food, let alone if there is a ban
on by losing the products that we have around this world.
Just a few years ago, the seal population was approximately in the vicinity
of 2.2 million until the animal activists and Mr. Paul Watson and others came on
stream. I call them the seal cuddlers, wannabe millionaires. They came on
stream, and little by little, bit by bit, they are destroying the sealing
industry here in this Province. The population today stands in the vicinity
between 5 million and 6 million seals. That is what has been estimated by those
who do the surveys. If this ban takes place we will see a further continuation
of a seal population growing because our men will not take
part in the hunt, and
therefore there will be a larger population of seals destroying and helping the
recovery of the cod to fall by the wayside. Mr. Speaker, jobs will be lost
through this.
What we have to look at also - and I remember just a few years ago, I think
there were studies done at the university where seal meat was taken and put into
a food supplement. They thought that it could be used to help hungry people,
thousands of people who are starving around this world, and we hear talk of it
each and every day. I think the end result was that they found that this
supplement was too rich for the type of diet that they were used to. I have to
say, with all the technology we have today, all the science we have today, you
would think they would be able to do something with that, and millions of people
in this world would have a food supplement that would be able to carry them
through.
My hon. colleague also mentioned about a cull. That is true, there are
countries in the world where they do have a seal cull, and if the seal hunt does
not take place here, if it is totally banned and does not proceed at all, we
know what is going to happen.
Just travelling out the Trans-Canada two or three weeks ago, a driver told me
they saw a seal in the pond up by the Trans-Canada, out near Salmonier Line.
That is amazing, to see them that far away from Conception Bay waters. That is
what is happening, and we have to make sure that we support the fishermen here
in this Province the seal industry - because it is an industry that has been
here for many, many years.
All I am doing is asking the provincial government I know they have
tried, but we have to continue - to contact the officials in Ottawa, to get
together. We have heard during negotiations recently that we cannot settle
agreements, or we cannot come to an agreement, if we are not sitting at the
table.
My challenge is to the provincial government to get to the table with the
federal government, minister to minister, Premier to Prime Minister, and the
people in the industry who know what is going on, and settle this. Because, I am
going to tell you, with those European countries the time for diplomacy is over.
Stronger action has to happen.
We all know what happened back a few years ago with the little country of
Iceland, and they find themselves in a very difficult position today. When their
fish stocks were being destroyed by the same countries that we are referring to
here today, what they did - they were a little country unto themselves, with
very little manpower when it comes to a navy, but they had a couple of old
destroyers - what they did, Mr. Speaker, they designed a pair of what they
called scissors, and they went out and cut the nets from those boats, and
finally those foreign countries left their waters and their fish stocks
recovered to the point where they were really self-sufficient, with many jobs
created throughout their country.
Mr. Speaker, I do not know if that is what has to be done here, but we do
have to encourage the federal government to get onside; because, as important as
those 6,000 jobs are, as important as those jobs are for the people who are
involved in the sealing industry today, it goes beyond that. How many thousands
of other jobs and spinoffs will be lost if the sealing industry should fall by
the wayside and the herd continues to increase in population, stopping the
recovery of our cod stocks? We have to look at both of it hand in hand, Mr.
Speaker.
I am not going to take my full time, because I am sure there are many others
and we are only here for a short time this afternoon, until 5:00 o'clock. I
want to end with a quote that I read. This was back a few years ago, and it was
by Mr. Ray Andrews. I am sure we all know Mr. Andrews. I think he lives in St.
John's or Mount Pearl. He is very involved. I think he is the same individual
who originally came from the Port de Grave area, but a well-known individual
with the fishery and he held it very dear to his heart. I want to quote what he
said. "Many Newfoundlanders went overseas to fight for justice; many gave
their lives. We have to ask, for what? As a veteran it confuses me as to what
freedom of rights mean."
I think that says it all, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, with all due
respect to those countries, they have no regard, no respect, for what is going
on when it comes to conserving either the industry, with the sealing industry,
or the conserving of our cod stocks off our coast. The two of them, as I said
earlier, are hand in hand, Mr. Speaker.
I want to say to my hon. colleague that I fully support his motion here
going to get by urging them, because the minister stated very clearly how far he
has gotten with them. We cannot get our foot in the door today, but hopefully
that will change. Something has to change, and the officials in Ottawa have to
realize that this is a way of life here. I don't care if they used the hakipik,
or whatever means they use, it has been ongoing here for hundreds of years, and
for someone to come here with a camera and some movie star cuddle up to a little
white coat - and that has not happened for years - to know what they are doing
to a way of life for people.
I think we have stood by long enough. Whether we can do it alone - I know the
Premier has said he is going to take on the issues on an international basis.
Maybe that is what has to be done. Maybe we have to do it alone. Whatever it is,
Mr. Speaker, I fully support this motion and I call upon other hon. members to
stand and give their views, and at the end of the day maybe maybe -
something can be done to support our sealing industry, our sealers and their
families, so that a total ban will not take place.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Bellevue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. PEACH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It gives me great pleasure and privilege to rise in this hon. House today and
second this very important motion that will affect the future of the sealing
industry.
Mr. Speaker, the total ban on seal exports into the European Union is
devastating to the seal hunters and their families, not only in my district but
also throughout the whole Province.
For thousands of years, families in small coastal communities have relied on
responsible seal hunting for their survival. Voting to ban the sale or
transportation of seal products would significantly harm the way of life in
these communities, carrying with it severe consequences. Facts about seal
hunting have been misrepresented to the general public, Mr. Speaker. The
Canadian seal hunt is heavily regulated, monitored and enforced, to ensure there
is no cruelty. The seal pups, known as white coats, have been banned and have
not been hunted since 1987, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, back in early March of this year, myself and the Minister of
Fisheries and Aquaculture and Senator Payette, a senator from Quebec, a very
reliable person to us, a person who speaks her views and makes her views known,
met with us in New Harbour, Trinity Bay, and we had the opportunity of attending
a training and information session. This session was made available by the
experts of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Department of
Fisheries and Aquaculture, scientists, veterinarians and others. There were seal
hunters from the Trinity Bay area of my district, as well as hunters from the
District of Port de Grave and also from the Old Perlican area respectively.
Mr. Speaker, our sealers were trained on how to hunt seals, including the
viewing of a video instructing the hunters on how to ensure the seals are dead
before the skinning process is begun. There were three steps that a sealer has
to follow to ensure that a seal does not suffer unnecessarily.
Step one is striking the seal, and striking the seal is done by firearms,
which is a high-powered rifle. I think the least size of the rifle can be .233,
but anything over a .233 rifle can be used as long as a shotgun with a slug. Mr.
Speaker, after step one is done there is step two, which is checking the seal.
The sealer must check to make sure that the skull has been crushed by the impact
of the shot or the bullet. I am sorry, by the impact of the slug or the bullet.
Step three is bleeding. The sealer must ensure that they have severed the two
arteries located beneath the front flippers of the seals.
Mr. Speaker, there are six species of seals: the harp seal, the hood seal,
the grey seal, the ring seal, the bearded seal and the harbour seal. They are
found off the Atlantic Coast. The population of seals is estimated to be
approximately 5.5 million. The harp seal Total Allowable Catch for 2008 was
275,000, which is down from previous years. The hood seal Total Allowable Catch
was 8,200, which is the same as in 2007 but down from 2006. The grey seal Total
Allowable Catch for 2008 was 12,000, which is the same as in 2007. In 2008
approximately 217,857 harp seals were taken compared to 224,745 harp seals in
2007. Hood seals were taken at fewer than 400 in 2008. Grey seals, Mr. Speaker -
and note - 1,472 were taken in 2008 compared to 887 taken in 2007. They were up
just a few, and I think the reason for that is because the grey seals are hunted
by the people who occupy a licence. There is a hunter's licence, a
professional seal licence, but there is also another licence that is used for
food. I think those seals are taken around our coastline for food.
What does this say, Mr. Speaker? It says that fewer seal hunters are hunting
seals. It tells us that if this continues we are going to have a serious problem
on our hands.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but remind our audience the effect this would have on
our fishery. An unsuccessful seal hunt would endanger our current fishing
industry. Comprehensive estimates indicate that in 1996 the harp seal consumed
some 3 million tonnes of food in the Canadian Atlantic. Also, grey seals
consumed 314,000 tonnes. Mr. Speaker, last year there were only 1,200 and
some-odd seals in the grey seals taken. Imagine the impact this has on our
fishery.
The four major species of fish consumed by the harp seal are: capelin, at
893,000 tonnes; sand lance at 350,000 tonnes; Arctic cod at 186,000 tonnes; and
North Atlantic cod at 37,000 tonnes. Mr. Speaker, all of these amounts are eaten
annually by seals.
Just last Saturday I was in Chapel Arm and I was talking to some of my
constituents while they were trouting in a pond in Chapel Arm, where the salt
water runs into a pond and there are sea trout there. Up at the end of the pond
there were two seals, and the two seals were swimming around and you could see
the sea trout flittering around on top of the water and about two minutes after
that we witnessed a seal eating a sea trout. He came up and he was eating a sea
trout and I would not have believed it if I never saw it with my own eyes, but
these are an indication of other types of fish that the seals are eating.
Mr. Speaker, we have to control the seal hunt. We have to fight to keep our
seal hunt. We have to encourage our experts and use our technology to turn the
seal hunt into a scientific hunt, much the same as the seal hunt up in Norway.
We have to also find more ways to be able to utilize the seal carcasses.
While many are starving in other countries, it would be great if the average
protestor of this world would come together with the experts of this industry
and find a better solution for the utilization of the seal meat. Our seal hunt
is sustainable and respectable. Voting in favour of a trade ban is setting a
dangerous precedence for all wild game hunts and in itself creating a lifetime
of unfavourable consequences for thousands of coastal Inuit and Aboriginal
families.
Mr. Speaker, to implement a ban on seal products would mean that 6,000 people
who hunt seals would lose about one third of their income. The seal hunt
contributes about $55 million to the provincial economy and about $30 million in
landed value. A vote in favour of the motion put forward by my hon. colleague
will show the families the compassion you would want for your family.
Our Government of Newfoundland and Labrador supports the seal harvest and is
committed to its further developments around the three following privileges.
First, a sustainable harvest based on solid science; secondly, an industry based
on full utilization of the animal, and thirdly, the human harvesting methods
with zero tolerance for an inhumane practice.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador, and my colleagues, our Premier and our Minister of
Fisheries for the stand we have taken on the seal hunt and the fishing industry
of our great Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. PEACH: Mr. Speaker, this year the larger vessels from the District of
Bellevue and the other districts, from the people that I have been discussing
this with, usually go to the ice at this time of the year, but this time of the
year now they are not going. The following reasons which have been given to me
are: the overhead costs for a sealer to go to the ice; the hunt itself is a very
expensive venture. Secondly, the cost of crewing and fuelling a vessel is also
expensive. Thirdly, the price offered for a seal pelt this year to hunt a seal
is not worth the monies the hunter will spend to hunt the pelt. Fourthly, the
ice conditions surrounding the Island are very heavy. This is one of the main
reasons vessels are not going to the ice. The time it would take to get out
through the ice and get to the seals will be greater this year than most years.
Time costs money when you are harvester. Fifthly, the decision of the European
Union has caused the compensation for a seal pelt to decline, rendering it not
economically viable for a harvester to go to the ice to hunt.
Mr. Speaker, there is a seal plant in my district, the District of Bellevue.
The management of this plant has told me that they will be buying seal pelts
this season. They told me their plant can handle pelts in better capacity this
year than previous years. A pelt can be stored up to four years. Pelts, unlike
any other product, can be salted and brined, which allows them to be preserved
for lengthy periods of time. The seal pelts that are harvested this year will be
ready for market in about a year's time. Seal pelts have to be shaved,
stretched, and cured. Once they go through these processing steps, they are even
coloured to meet the market needs.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.
MR. PEACH: By leave, Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: The member, by leave.
MR. PEACH: One example of the seal products, Mr. Speaker, is right here
in front of us in this great House. The green material on the chairs we sit in
is seal hide, the green desk blotter is seal hide, and yes, even the water glass
coasters are made of seal hide. As you can see, Mr. Speaker, they are very
important to this great House and to our government.
The sealing industry provides full-time and part-time jobs at the seal plant
in the District of Bellevue. When people finish up the season at the seal plant
they move into the nearby plants, pelagic species. After the seal hunt is over,
these plants offer the rest of the revenue that these people need to make the
income for their families, in the nearby plants of New Harbour and Long Cove.
The sealing industry is a part of their livelihood.
The seal harvest in the bays this year, Mr. Speaker, should be good. I am
told that from Cape Bonavista to Baccalieu Island, the ice is blocked with
seals, and these seals are at the prime age to be harvested.
Seal hunters in small boats will hunt the bay quotas, the same as all years.
Because of its tradition, this is an income the harvesters and their families
cannot do without. The sealers are ready. They always look forward to the day
when they can get aboard of their eighteen- to twenty-foot boats and hunt seals.
The set price is down this year and is estimated to be around the $15 mark, but
this will deter seal harvesters from hunting seals in the bays. They hunt
responsibly, with pride, and most are trained to hunt in a very humane way.
Mr. Speaker, the motion put forward to my hon. colleagues of this House
presented by the Member for the District of The Isles of Notre Dame today is
very important. It is important for the future of our seal hunt. Seals are an
important valued natural resource to many Newfoundland and Labradorian families.
Harp seals rank fifth of the total landed volume in our Province. Seals are part
of our culture, vital to our economy. Most of all, the seal hunt plays an
important
part in controlling the growth of our cod stocks. Let's show the
world the true meaning of humanity. I ask my colleagues of this great House to
support this motion: our sealers' futures are in our hands.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to say that a lot of people out in my district are
very anxious to get out to the seal hunt, and I know that the small boats that
are in the bays right now are getting ready. I talked to some of the sealers
just this week and they told me they really enjoyed the session that was over in
New Harbour. They learned a lot from that, some things that they did not know
before they caught up on and learned. The small boat people are ready to go
hunting and they are going to keep going hunting.
I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak on this motion.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Isles of Notre Dame, if he
speaks now he closes the debate.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We put up a couple of speakers today, but I think a couple of speakers have
surely been able to articulate the interests and the concern and the support of
this House for the sealing industry of Newfoundland and Labrador.
It is certainly a pleasure to be able to stand and close the debate. There
have been a number of points brought out today. I think it is very significant.
It is very obvious of the support for the sealing industry. It is very obvious
that we are at a critical time. We are at a point where decisions have to be
made. We have to step up our support, and we need the federal government to work
with us, to indicate to us where they sit with this and to apply all pressures
and take all avenues that we can to ensure that we protect the industry as best
we can.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to point out, one of the biggest
challenges that we have had is to deal with the animal rights groups. They have
been able to exploit the emotional side of the seal hunt. We get a sense that
the European Union are listening to their concerns.
Well, Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that we, too, have an emotional side
to the seal fishery. We all do. Our culture, our heritage, our roots, we can go
back to the Bowerings and the Jobs here in St. John's, and we can go out to
every bay and cove around this Province.
Mr. Speaker, I only look to my neighbour, Jack Troake, who, at a young age,
in 1951, went to the seal hunt for the first time with his famed father, Captain
Peter Troake. I tell you, Jack has been to the seal hunt fifty-three of the last
fifty-seven years. I can tell you, he is attached to it and there is not much
that has gone on in the seal fishery that Jack cannot speak to. He can tell you
a story or two about the time he walked from Twillingate to Lewisporte, 100
kilometres away, only to catch the train to come to St. John's and to go out
to the hunt for a month and then to go back home on the train and walk back to
Twillingate, coming down over the hill where he lives, realizing that he barely
made enough money to pay for his trip.
Mr. Speaker, I can go on and talk about the Jenkins family who lost their
father in a seal hunt many years ago, and the strong emotion that they have
towards the seal industry and no doubt towards the loss of their father - and
many other families around this Province.
Mr. Speaker, one story that stands out when we look at emotion, I consider my
very own great-grandfather, Skipper Chum Greenham. Skipper Chum lied about his
age and went to the seal hunt for the first time in 1914. I remember, as a boy,
him telling me the story of how he was a part of the search party that stumbled
out across the ice and ran upon the frozen men, stood up with their arms out and
their eyes open, froze on their feet, and he telling me that story with his eyes
glazed and staring off somewhere. Who knows what emotions were being triggered
at the time.
You see, Mr. Speaker, it is not only the animal rights groups that want to
prey on emotions. We, too, have emotions that are long and historical when it
comes to the seal fishery. Unfortunately, much of the whole seal hunt debate is
clouded with emotion, and much of the media, the animal rights groups, and
unfortunately the European Union parliamentarians, are caught up in the old
adage that is often referred to in this House: They are not letting the facts
get in the way of a good story. There are facts, Mr. Speaker.
In closing, I would like to point out to the European parliamentarians that
the animal rights groups act recklessly and irresponsibly to protect their own
welfare. For many of these groups, that is how they behave. Not all, but many.
Mr. Speaker, they propagate information and make conclusions that clearly
disregard the substantial initiatives that have taken place in our Province and
in our country to ensure a humane and sustainable seal hunt.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, we as a government expect more of our European
parliamentarians who are elected, as we are, to govern in a responsible and
accountable manner. We expect the European Union to make informed decisions
based on facts, not deception.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY: We expect the European Union to make informed decisions based
on fact, not just emotional concerns. Mr. Speaker, we expect the European Union
to look at the evidence and consider conservation and regulatory measures for
our seal hunt, not just look at some old archive pictures that depict a banned
white coat hunt that has been banned for some twenty-five years.
Mr. Speaker, we fully expect the European Union parliamentarians to listen to
those people who stand to lose from their decision, and not make a decision
supporting those who hope to gain from that decision.
This motion calls on the federal government to step up their efforts, to work
with the U.S., to work with the European Union, and to work with the Government
of Newfoundland and Labrador, in support of the sealers so that we can continue
to build, foster and promote a very strong, viable, sustainable and humane seal
hunt in this Province.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Is the House ready for the question?
MS BURKE: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: All those in favour of the motion say aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay'.
Let the record show that the motion passed unanimously.
Motion carried unanimously.
MR. SPEAKER: It being Wednesday, the House
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, prior to adjournment, I would like to ask if it
was possible if the Speaker could formally notify the EU, or the most
appropriate committees of the EU, of the resolution that was passed in the House
of Assembly here in Newfoundland and Labrador today, so they are aware of the
importance of this issue to the Province and what happened in the House of
Assembly.
We know that the resolution today certainly outlined actions that we strongly
that the Speaker write the EU, as I said, or the applicable committees of the EU,
to certainly advise them of the proceedings in the House of Assembly and our
resolution.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker's Office will have that message prepared for
the European Union.
It being Wednesday, Private Members' Day, the House stands adjourned.
This House stands adjourned to the call of the Chair.