Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 5 June 2014 (47th General Assembly, 3rd Session, Vol. XLVII No. 39)

2014-06-05

Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)

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June 5,

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 39

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR.

SPEAKER (Wiseman):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Before we start today, I want to welcome some special

guests to the gallery. We are joined

today by a group of seniors who I had the pleasure, lunch time, of being

entertained by them as they sang a song that they composed for their MHA, and

another one that they had composed for the Premier.

They did a wonderful job of entertaining a group over

lunch. There are forty of them.

They are from Mary's Moving for Health Group, with their instructor Mary

Smith, and their bus driver Andy Thorne.

Welcome to our galleries.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

You

all have a great voice, and I look forward to hearing a song about me the next

time back.

Statements by Members

MR.

SPEAKER:

Today we are going to have members' statements from the Member for the District

of The Straits White Bay North; the Member for the District of St. John's

Centre; the Member for the District of St. John's South; the Member for the

District of Mount Pearl South; the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis;

and the Member for the District of Bellevue.

The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Mr.

Speaker, I rise today to commend the StraitsSt. Barbe Chronic Care Corporation

for twenty-five years of providing vital housing and personal care from Eddies

Cove East to Castor River South.

On May 14, the Ivy Durley Place Personal Care Home grew

to thirty-six beds to include larger bedrooms, expanded offices, and an

elaborate multi-purpose room named in memory of the late Clyde Roberts.

Mr. Roberts was a driving force behind the

establishment of this entity. He

believed in development, understood community, and was a tireless fighter for

social causes that improved quality of life.

He would be proud of the exceptional accomplishments made possible

through continued hard work and dedication of our local people, ensuring our

loved ones get care closer to home.

I want to thank board members: William Henry Hughes,

Cyril Hughes, Joan Squires, Robert Genge, Miranda Thornhill, Reverend Harold

Harvey, Belinda Gibbons, Yvonne Dredge, Gertie Genge, Fran Gros, Dwight Macey,

and Olga Kinden. As well, Judy Way,

CEO, for exceptional leadership, ensuing residential care remains the highest

priority and the staff, volunteers, and former board members for sharing in this

organization's success.

I ask all hon. members to commend the actions taken by

local people to build more sustainable communities in the Straits.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, last night I held a Town Hall on Mental Health in St. John's Centre.

I expected fifty to sixty people, but 300 came: concerned citizens,

mental health and addictions organizations, consumers of mental health services,

and folks from our own public mental health services.

We started with presentations from actors Mary Walsh,

Andy Jones, and Mary-Lynn Bernard, and mental health activists lawyer Mark

Gruchy, Roger Baggs, and Paula Corcoran.

They were incredible.

After they spoke, everyone in the room broke into

groups to discuss not only the gaps in service, but what we really need in our

communities to address the complex issues of mental health.

They worked hard. They worked

together. They listened to each

other.

A few quotes from the people who attended: The silence

is killing us; Prisons are our new mental asylums; We need access to

services; Poverty is an overarching issue for mental health; When I need

help, I need help now; Housing, housing, housing; Stigma, stigma, stigma;

and We are not a burden.

I thank the hundreds of people who came together to

share and who dared to hope that together we can find solutions that work.

We will be meeting again, Mr. Speaker.

Bravo to these fantastic people.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This morning I had the pleasure to attend the Kids Eat

Smart Partners Recognition Breakfast at St. John Bosco School.

I was joined by my colleagues the Member for the District of Virginia

Waters, the Member for the District of Humber West, and the Minister of Health

and Community Services.

The purpose of this breakfast was to recognize the

corporate sponsors of Kids Eat Smart.

Without their support and the support of other generous sponsors, the

program would not be able to fulfill its mandate.

Kids Eat Smart Foundation partners with schools,

communities, volunteers, and sponsors to support nutritious food programs,

organized by volunteers for school-aged children throughout the Province.

The foundation's mandate is to ensure that every school-aged child in

Newfoundland and Labrador attends school well nourished, and ready to learn.

I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast and was very

impressed with the dedication of Kids Eat Smart.

I would like to congratulate Mary Ann Reid, a student from St. John

Bosco, who was chosen to prepare and present a speech during the recognition

breakfast. She did a fantastic job.

I would like to ask all members to join me in

acknowledging the tremendous contributions of Kids Eat Smart throughout 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 Mount Pearl South.

MR.

LANE:

Mr.

Speaker, yesterday I had the pleasure to attend the launch of a wonderful

project within my community. The 2nd

Annual Racing with the Reverend project in support of the Autism Society of

Newfoundland and Labrador kicked off at the Parish of the Ascension in Mount

Pearl, and was emceed by my former colleague and good friend, Mayor Randy Simms.

This project was first initiated last year by Canon

David Burrows, who raced in the Targa Newfoundland and Labrador competition,

raising much needed funds and bringing awareness to the issues around autism in

our Province. This endeavour was so

successful last year that he decided to do it again.

Canon Burrows is a true inspiration to his parish and to our community as

a whole through his many worthwhile endeavours, including this one.

It was also great to see Ms Elaine Dobbin in attendance

at this event as spokesperson for the Autism Society of Newfoundland and

Labrador. As all members would know,

Elaine has been a tremendous advocate for autism in our Province, and it was

truly inspiring to listen to the passion in her voice as she spoke to the crowd

at yesterday's event.

I would ask all members of this hon. House to join me

in congratulating Canon Burrows, the parishioners of the Parish of the

Ascension, Targa Newfoundland and Labrador, the Autism Society of Newfoundland

and Labrador, the corporate sponsors, and all of the volunteers who are

responsible for making the 2014 Racing with the Reverend campaign a reality.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize a

wonderful little girl from my district, Emma Smith, for her fundraising efforts

on behalf of the Janeway Telethon.

Emma is eight years old and a Grade 2 student at Cape St. Francis Elementary in

Pouch Cove. The Janeway has a

special place in all our hearts, and it is easy to see that when the Telethon

can raise $2.9 million with over 900 volunteers helping out.

Emma has done more than her share of help.

With the support of her family, and Noelle and Bruce at D&L Convenience

in Pouch Cove, where she sits for periods of time waiting for customers to come

to the store to donate, she also collects recyclables.

Emma last year raised $1,349.51, so this year she set her goal at $1,500.

Well, Mr. Speaker, she raised more than that

$1,648.83. It is so encouraging to

see young people working hard to help others, no matter if it is Shave for the

Brave or the Janeway Telethon, it is just so great to see people stepping

forward for the cause, and Emma has certainly done that.

I ask all hon. members to join with me in telling Emma

Smith how proud we are of her for her willingness to help others in this

Province.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Bellevue.

MR.

PEACH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize a group

from Norman's Cove and surrounding areas, who is truly making a difference in

the lives of many people.

The group known as Mary's Moving for Health was formed

seventeen years ago by the public health nurse, Daphne Smith, who has since

retired, and their instructor Mary, in consultation with Eastern Health.

Each Thursday morning, the basement of the United

Church in Norman's Cove is filled with music and laughter by this active group

of individuals. It is an atmosphere

of a family gathering with the youngest member, Kelly Way, to the most senior

member, Marion White. What is very

impressive is that their instructor, Mary Smith, is at seventy-four years of

age. Exercising, monitoring blood

pressure, and staying physically active are very important in maintaining

overall good health. Mary's Moving

for Health is certainly contributing to the well-being of residents in and

around the Norman's Cove area.

I ask all members to join me in thanking Daphne Smith

and Mary Smith for starting this group and for their continued commitment to

helping keep people healthy seventeen years later.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, every day thousands of police officers

across our Province and across our country head out on their shifts to protect

us to protect our families and our children.

They put their lives in harm's way to keep us safe.

Their loved ones look forward to welcoming them back home again at the

end of the day; but three RCMP officers in Moncton did not get to go home to

their families yesterday. They paid

a price that no police officer should have to pay.

Two other police officers, wounded in the line of duty,

were rushed to the hospital; yet today, thousands of police officers across this

country and this Province went out on their shifts once again, brave and

unrelenting, because that is what they do.

Where would we be without individuals as brave as this?

Where would we be without the police officers who keep our families safe?

Let us make this pledge: to stand by our police

officers, to respect and honour them for what they do, to honour their fallen

comrades, and to remember their families, who are heartbroken today.

We, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, are

grieving with you. We have lowered

the flags before the Confederation Building and all other provincial government

buildings as a sign of our grief and as a sign of our profound respect.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you, and with

the people of New Brunswick, who are in shock today and waiting anxiously while

the police continue to do their work.

May God keep all our police officers safe today and watch over them as

they watch over us.

I would ask, Mr. Speaker, if all members would join

together in a moment of silence.

[Moment of silence]

MR.

SPEAKER:

Thank you.

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Premier for the advance copy of his

statement today and I, too, would also like to express my sympathies and those

of the entire Official Opposition caucus to the families of the three RCMP

officers who were killed and the two officers who were wounded in the tragedy

that unfolded in Moncton last night.

Our thoughts and our prayers are also with their colleagues, their fellow

officers, and indeed all police officers across the country.

The loss of men and women in uniform is tragic, no

matter when and where it occurs.

Police officers put their lives at risk every day to protect others, as the

Premier said. They are put in harm's

way, and they look and wait for the return to the safety of their homes and to

their communities.

So, it is unsettling today for us and for the residents

to remember the residents of Moncton who feel unsafe in their own community.

Our thoughts are with the community and everyone who is dealing with this

heightened situation today in Moncton.

Moncton, New Brunswick, just imagine, a close-knit

community, not unlike many communities that we have in our own Province.

In fact, there are many Newfoundlanders and Labradors who live there.

The RCMP Assistant Commissioner Roger Brown of the RCMP detachment in

Codiac is from our Province.

Even in our Province, we can relate to the tragedy of

violent incidents. Last October, two

young people were tragically killed in a shooting incident in Conception Bay

South, and the sense of fear that accompanies such violence is devastating and

can have long-lasting impacts.

So, we must be grateful and be thankful for the safety

of our Province. Today we stand as

members of the Official Opposition as we remember and honour all members of the

police force in uniform, people across our country who protect us on a daily

basis. We give them thanks.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Premier for giving leadership in the

Province today as we stand together to show our sorrow to the people of Moncton

and New Brunswick.

On behalf of the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP caucus,

we, along with our colleagues in the House of Assembly, send our deepest

sympathies to the families, the friends, and the coworkers of the three RCMP

officers who were killed on the job yesterday in Moncton and, of course, our

thoughts are also with the families of those who were injured.

We are so deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of

these RCMP officers killed while doing their job, protecting the public.

I was shocked as I watched the news and saw the breaking news come across

the screen last night on news world and this is what came up.

We want to send our sincere condolences to their

families and colleagues who are suffering so much today and to the residents of

Moncton, as the manhunt continues, we send our thoughts and prayers that there

are no more deaths or injuries, that they are safe.

This unbelievable situation is a heartbreaking reminder to us all that

police officers put their lives on the line to protect us every day.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to rise today in this hon. House to

recognize a well-known individual who has spent more than thirty years in

municipal government in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, born in St. John's, Ms Shannie Duff

received an RN from the Royal Victoria Hospital School of Nursing in Montreal,

Quebec in 1957 and received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Memorial

University in 1975. Invigorated with

a passion for volunteering and social activism, there was no doubt that she

would go on to enter politics.

First elected in 1977, Ms Duff successfully won eight

municipal elections, including that of mayor in 1990 and deputy mayor in 2009.

Ms Duff was also elected as the Member of the House of Assembly for the

District of St. John's East in 1989.

Mr. Speaker, over the years, Ms Duff served on the

boards of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Municipalities

Newfoundland and Labrador.

Among her many awards and accolades, Ms Duff received

the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal, honorary life membership in the Newfoundland

Historic Trust, the Heritage Canada Foundation National Award of Honour, and the

Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. She

was also appointed to the Order of Canada in 2003 for outstanding community

service.

Mr. Speaker, just this past month, Ms Duff was also

awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree for her remarkable record of public

service and leadership from Memorial University.

In addition, last weekend at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Conference, Ms Duff was presented with the Ann MacLean Award for Outstanding

Service by a Woman in Municipal Politics.

This award recognizes retired female municipal politicians who have shown

exemplary service to their community and constituents, and who have taken an

active role to mentor women who want to run for elected office.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in

thanking Shannie Duff, not only for her contribution to the City of St. John's,

but for her considerable contributions to the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of the

minister's statement. We on this

side of the House as well would like to congratulate Shannie Duff on receiving

the Ann MacLean Award for Outstanding Service by a Woman in Municipal Politics.

She has had over thirty years in municipal politics.

We all strive as politicians to, when you leave politics, be as respected

as you were when you entered politics.

I can honestly say that Shannie is probably even more respected now than

she was when she first was elected.

She is always prepared to tackle controversial issues.

She was prepared to tackle controversial mayors from time to time as

well. She will always be remembered

for her passion in the protection of our cultural heritage, our built heritage

in the City of St. John's. She was

very, very strong in advocating for that.

She was well known and respected as a politician by

provincial politicians, federal politicians, as well as municipal politicians

throughout the Province. The

accolades she has received are well deserved.

Congratulations, Shannie.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I am sure the minister will not mind me saying, I

cannot thank you because I did not get it, but that is not your fault.

I am pretty sure that was a glitch somewhere along the line.

I am happy, delighted to see her being recognized by the minister.

Shannie Duff has contributed so much to the Province and to the City of

St. John's.

I was delighted yesterday as MHA for Signal Hill

Quidi Vidi to recognize her as a member of Signal Hill Quidi Vidi, of my

district. I am delighted to see the

minister today in his role recognizing her role in municipal government, and

especially the reception of the Ann MacLean Award for Outstanding Service by a

Woman in Municipal Politics.

Yesterday I recognized her receiving the doctorate.

She deserves everything that we can say about her.

I really do admire this woman and I am delighted to see her getting so

much recognition in this House this week.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

MR.

HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to note

that this coming Sunday, June 8, is World Oceans Day.

This day provides an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the

ocean to our environment, our culture, and to our economy.

To recognize this occasion, a special event will be

held at the Marine Institute's Ridge Road campus on Saturday, June 7, from 10:00

a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This no cost,

family-oriented event will feature touch tanks that allow visitors to view a

variety of marine species up close, information booths, face painting, and many

other engaging experiences. It will

also feature a reading of Invasion of the

Green Crab , the third in a series of children's books produced by the

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture aimed at teaching youth about marine

environments and the creatures that live within them.

In addition to supporting the event, the provincial

government holds World Oceans Day art and essay contests that engage youth from

Kindergarten to Grade 9. This year's

winners for each grade will be announced tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, this government has a strong appreciation

of our Province's connection with the ocean and the importance of marine

stewardship. We are the only

provincial government in Canada that is solely funding its own offshore

fisheries research. Since 2010, the

provincial government has committed more than $15 million to increase knowledge

about the status of groundfish stocks and other species in a changing ecosystem

and protect the sustainability of the industry.

This includes the work undertaken by the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems

Research aboard the RV Celtic Explorer ,

a state-of-the-art research vessel that conducts offshore fisheries surveys and

other oceanographic research.

In addition, in 2011 this government launched the

Coastal and Oceans Management Strategy and Policy Framework, which provides

long-term strategic direction on the sustainable use of the Province's marine

resources and promotes public education in communities throughout the Province.

In addition to supporting Wold Oceans Day festivities each year, the

provincial government also assists beach clean ups and promotes other

initiatives that increase young people's appreciation of our Province's coast

and marine areas.

I want to thank the Marine Institute and all other

partner organizations who came together to make this year's World Oceans Day

celebrations possible. I encourage

all hon. members to promote this occasion in their respective districts and help

build appreciation for marine stewardship.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour Grace.

MR.

SLADE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his

statement.

There is perhaps no better way to celebrate

Newfoundland and Labrador than World Oceans Day.

The Atlantic Ocean has brought explorers and settlers to our shores,

nurtured the great cod which has sustained us for centuries, and give an immense

culture and enjoyment over time. As

a fisherman, I spent a fair amount of time on the ocean.

I appreciate the need to keep it healthy in order to sustain the precious

resource that is adjacent to our waters.

I join with the Province, and indeed the world, in

celebration of this special day to bring awareness to the importance of our

oceans; but, we need to do more than celebrate, Mr. Speaker.

We have to be ever vigilant and steadfast to ensure that any activity

that takes place in or upon our waters is monitored and regulated.

We must do more to produce strategies, like the Coastal and Ocean

Management Strategy and Policy Framework.

We must be committed on the day-by-day basis to acting on them.

I encourage all to commit to becoming caretakers of our

oceans and to protect them for future generations.

I cannot think of any better reason to care about our oceans than our

iconic cod, a resource we almost lost; but hopefully it is truly on the rebound,

and for that we are grateful.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his

statement. There is no doubt that

World Oceans Day is extremely important, especially as a reminder to us all of

the significance of the ocean to our environment, our culture, and our economy.

Actions, I remind the minister, speak louder than

words. Since 2003, people on the

South Coast of the Province worked with Parks Canada to create a national marine

conservation area around the cliffs and fjords of the Central South Coast of the

Island.

Parks Canada had approached the provincial government

several years ago with an offer to do a feasibility study on the area and this

government said no. I say to the

minister, all these events are excellent and I am really glad they are taking

place and I wish them all the best, the people who are involved, but they need a

message from this government.

I ask the government: When are you going to do

something concrete, like sanction national marine conservation areas, especially

the one that they are looking for on the South Coast, to protect the unique

The

hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

CRUMMELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Certainly, Mr. Speaker, we recognize it is important to

have a fair and balanced labour relations regime here in this Province.

It is important to support the growth and prosperity we have seen since

this government has taken office a little over ten years ago.

Mr. Speaker, we met with the Federation of Labour

earlier this week, we listened to them, and we heard their concerns.

The Premier met with the Leader of the Third Party as well in the last

couple of days. Again, we listened

to what she had to say. Certainly,

one of the concerns was around the vote-on-offer provision that has not been

proclaimed, like the Leader of the Opposition just mentioned.

Hear, hear!

MR.

DALLEY:

Mr.

Speaker, yesterday at the annual general meeting the CEO for Nalcor, the senior

executive, Chair of the board, and board members made themselves available to

the public for questioning. This

question came up.

It was clearly explained that through the process, the

upfront engineering and the continuous progression of the project, when we got

to the point of awarding a contract we are still going through some of the

phases of the loan guarantee and finalizing the financing.

Instead of the company expected to take the upfront risk with that, it

was fair that Nalcor would pay upfront.

It is not additional money; it is just work all a part

of the contract. It was explained

The

hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DALLEY:

Mr.

Speaker, the upfront answer is certainly none that I am aware of.

I would point out the process to the public.

Nalcor's responsibility for this project in terms of contracts,

discussions and awarding of contracts they have been recognized by the

independent engineer around their protocols and processes.

I do know they have been recognized as well by major financial

institutions across North America for their process, their diligence, and their

commitment to professionalism.

We believe that through the contracts and awarding of

contracts, they have done due diligence and they have followed process, Mr.

Speaker. I can assure the member

opposite that as a minister or a government, we are not involved in that in any

way.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Of course, the minister will be involved with the

monitoring and the project update as we are aware of.

Mr. Speaker, during this session of the House of

Assembly, the Premier has committed to table many documents using, in some

cases, the appropriate time. An

example of these would be: the power purchase agreement for Muskrat Falls that

has been signed since last November, we have not seen it publicly yet; the

request from Humber Valley Paving to cancel their contract, that was a request

that we have asked for in the House of Assembly; government's analysis of the 60

per cent work that was completed; and, Humber Valley Paving's company to request

for the extension last fall.

I ask the Premier: Since this could be the last day in

the House of Assembly, will you now table these documents?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr.

Speaker, I believe Ed Martin, the CEO of Nalcor, has indicated the power

purchase contract and the final estimate of the cost of the Muskrat Falls

Project would be released, we expect, by the end of this month.

With respect to Humber Valley Paving, the Auditor

General is doing his work, and as we indicated, that when that is done the

documents are with the Auditor General we will certainly table, where it is

appropriate to do so, all documentation so the members of this House and the

people of the Province can fully know all the facts and all the particulars of

that. I know the Minister of

Transportation and Works is anxious that information be provided as well.

With respect to the analysis of the 60 per cent, it is

my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that the government has an independent engineer

Stantec and they are the ones who do the evaluation, and they provide their

advice to the government, and the government would pay the value of the contract

based on that advice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR.

KIRBY:

Mr.

Speaker, on May 22, the Minister of Finance told CBC News that school principals

are looking for more autonomy and discretion in calling in substitute teachers;

however, the NLTA School Administrators' Council, which represents all of the

principals in the Province, has revealed that they were never consulted by the

minister regarding the substitute teacher issue.

So I ask the minister: Did you actually consult with

principals, as you informed CBC, or are you simply continuing this government's

established practice of making it up as you go along?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

O'BRIEN:

Mr.

Speaker, we take all collective bargaining very serious with our government

since 2003. As a matter of fact, the

proof is really in the pudding in regard to the number of contracts we have

signed over the last number of months.

We hold our teachers very valuable to us as a group that provides great

education to our students and the future of our Province, Mr. Speaker.

We will continue to work with our teachers in seeking

an arrangement and a closure to that piece of work that has to happen in regard

to the negotiations. We always

bargain in good faith, Mr. Speaker, and we will go through that process, as the

minister has outlined.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR.

KIRBY:

Mr.

Speaker, the School Administrators' Council issued a statement yesterday

contradicting the claims of consultation made by the Minister of Finance to the

CBC. In fact, the council has stated

that it is actually satisfied with the existing practice for calling in

substitute teachers in schools. So,

in other words, they are not seeking any changes.

So I ask the minister again: Why is there a disconnect

between her statements to the CBC and the stated position of school principals?

Are you just making it up as you are going along?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

O'BRIEN:

Mr.

Speaker, that is all a part of the collective bargaining process.

The minister and her staff are willing to go back to the table

twenty-four seven. Whenever they

want to come back to the table and chat, well absolutely we will.

We will chat in good faith and negotiate in good faith, and intend to do

so.

That is all a part of the process in regard to

collective bargaining. We will

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No doubt, heart and stroke is significant and very

important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

I just met with representatives this week.

We had a good discussion and I look forward to meeting with them again.

We have designated centres throughout the Province that

are designated as stoke centres. Of

course, as I have said in this House before, one of the important things and

actions that we must take as a government and as a service provider is to be

open to new ways of doing business, better ways to make improvements, deliver a

more effective and better service, and provide for better outcomes.

We do that on an ongoing basis, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, it is certain that we have to make improvements given that we are last

in Canada.

Elaine Dobbin was instrumental in developing the only

provincial facility dedicated to programming and education for individuals and

their families affected by autism.

Yesterday, she publicly stated that government has not come very far in recent

years in supporting those with autism.

approach to autism when our own advocates are publicly stating that government's

approach is, and I quote, shameful?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DAVIS:

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker.

Autism, as well as any matter that is related to the

health and welfare of the people of the Province, is held very important to us.

I can tell you that in autism this year we have made some significant

investments to improve the capacity for assessments for treatment and also to

reduce wait times.

This year we have invested $2 million and are creating

twenty-two new positions in health services in delivery of health.

Next year that will be annualized to $3.9 million, Mr. Speaker.

Those are significant investments we are making specifically to autism.

Those recruitments are underway.

Those positions are being developed, and we look forward to the outcomes

that are going to be provided by these additional services and the investments

that we are making.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

DEMPSTER:

Mr.

Speaker, after privatizing Adult Basic Education last year the former Premier

said in a year-end review she felt vindicated by the actual results.

When we asked the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills what these

results were, he said the program was cheaper.

I ask the minister: Is cheaper better?

How can your government feel vindicated without actually evaluating the

results of privatization?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

O'BRIEN:

Mr.

Speaker, I get a great kick out of this House of Assembly in regard to some of

our members just gearing into one part of the equation.

That is not exactly what I said.

Absolutely we are getting it cheaper, and that is fine.

We have that responsibility as a government to fiscally manage this

Province and its revenues and affairs.

Also, Mr. Speaker, we are getting good quality basic

education from our private operators right across this Province.

I am flabbergasted that this hon. member is questioning the validity and

importance of our private operators in this Province, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

DEMPSTER:

Mr.

Speaker, I have a letter here from the minister, February 25, if he wants to

review what he did say to me at that time.

Mr. Speaker, the minister also stated that success was

measured by the fact that all students who want to take ABE now are able to do

so.

I ask the minister: If students still have the same

access, why was there 60 per cent fewer students enrolled in ABE in January,

2014, compared to before you privatized it?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

O'BRIEN:

Mr.

Speaker, first off, I will say that the letter is in response to a specific

question by the hon. member, not a generalized question like she would like to

put out on the floor of this House of Assembly.

As well, Mr. Speaker, in regard to the numbers, people

are finishing their programs. Less

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians may very well want to avail of the program

because we have created an economy where there is work there is absolute work.

We encourage these people to go back and do their ABE's, we encourage

those people to attach to the labour market, we encourage these people to come

into our offices and certainly take advantage of the many programs that we have

to train up and become skilled labourers, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

DEMPSTER:

Mr.

Speaker, when asked why there was less uptake in the ABE post-privatization, the

minister attributed it to the robust economy that he just referenced.

Meanwhile, our unemployment rate remains virtually unchanged from last

year and we are below the Canadian average in literacy and numeracy.

I ask the minister again: What is the real reason why

there is such a decline in ABE enrolment?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

O'BRIEN:

Mr.

Speaker, she is trying to attach the uptake in regard to the ABE program to

certain areas of our Province that have high unemployment at this particular

time, or any particular time during the year.

You must remember we are a Province of seasonal workers as well, so you

have ups and downs in regard to the unemployment rate in this Province.

That does not mean to say they absolutely need ABE.

As a matter of fact, it does not say anything to be quite honest with

you.

You have to look at the trends in regard to employment

in this Province and then you have to look at other things.

There are a multitude of reasons why these people might not want to avail

of ABE in this Province at this particular time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR.

LANE:

Mr.

Speaker, moose sensors installed on the Trans-Canada Highway as a pilot project

has not been in operation for a long time now.

Many will argue that they never did operate properly.

I ask the minister: Have you completed the evaluation

of the pilot projects, and when will the results be made public?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the evaluation is complete.

Senior officials are going through that now to do the final report.

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I agree with the member from

across the way that it was a pilot project, as he stated.

Pilot projects are projects that you do to see whether they will work and

what value they have. We finished

this pilot project. We finished the

evaluation, and now we will do a report on that.

I would also like to take an opportunity right now, Mr.

Speaker, to advise the general public who are in the galleries today, as well as

those listening, that we are in a season right now where the cows are actually

pushing away last year's calves.

What they do is they are getting into the new season.

The yearlings are now and they are inexperienced moose, it is as simple

as that. They are not familiar with

what to do. As the cows push away

the yearlings, you get more people (inaudible).

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, two days ago I asked the Minister of Justice if he had been briefed on

a class action involving residential schools, he had no answers.

Yesterday, the Attorney General told the House that the Province is not

being sued in this case. This will

come as news to the Province's director of civil litigation, a very capable

lawyer in his own right, whose signature appears on the statement of defence and

counterclaims that I am holding in my hands.

I ask the Premier: Since ministers entrusted with

managing the legal affairs of our Province do not even know when we are being

sued, will he now take a personal interest in this case and any others that may

exist to protect the interests of the people of the Province?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

F. COLLINS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday, the two parties

to this action are the Inuit plaintiffs from Labrador and the Parliament of

Canada, the Attorney General of Canada.

The Attorney General of Canada attempted to add the

Attorney General of Newfoundland as a defendant and it was rejected by the

courts. They then tried to name the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador as a third party, along with the Moravian

Mission and the Grenfell Association as third parties.

The plaintiffs again asked that we be severed from that action.

Mr. Speaker, the court agreed.

Plaintiffs are proceeding only on a breach of judiciary

duty, which is a federal jurisdiction, and the trial will go ahead in October

without the Province there, Mr. Speaker, as simple as that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, it is easy to see why our Province makes such expensive blunders as

mistakenly expropriating paper mills and releasing contractors from bonds and

major capital projects if ministers responsible have such a poor grasp of

matters involving the Department of Justice.

Most residential school claims are successfully proven

in court with governments often being ordered to pay large damage awards, plus

legal costs, in an adversarial court process that also re-victimizes many

survivors.

I therefore ask the Premier: Will he now take a

personal interest in this case and request an updated legal opinion on whether

our Province should pursue good faith settlement negotiations to attempt to

settle this case out of court?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

F. COLLINS:

Mr.

Speaker, if the hon. member wanted to talk settlement negotiations he should

talk to the federal Attorney General, not the provincial Attorney General

because we are not at the table, as simple as that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

After years of lobbying by stakeholders, this

government finally committed to introducing a full-day Kindergarten program in

2016, yet only budgeted $1.5 million in this fiscal year.

With seventy-five schools needing major renovations,

modifications and capital investments, and only two years to complete the work,

I would ask the minister: Has a master facility and property plan been created

to address the school capacity implications of the rollout, including costs and

Specific to your question, absolutely, we have considered every possible

scenario that needs to be considered to bring full-day Kindergarten into every

school, to every classroom, and to every student in this Province over the next

three years.

The budget has been appropriated so that over that

period of time we will make the necessary adjustments to facilities.

Where need be, we will build on.

We will add on portable classrooms if need be, and we have also budgeted

money for extra teaching resources and physical resources to assist teachers in

teaching the students.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, I will certainly take credit for the commitment that the government

made by adding voice to the volume around supporting a quick rollout of

Kindergarten. Rolling out full-day

Kindergarten is a complex rollout.

It requires increases in capacity, issues around class space, class cap size,

human resources, team teaching options, and curriculum ramifications.

With a mere $1.5 million allocated in Budget 2014 to

ready the Province, I would ask the minister: How does he intend to make all

these substantive changes in time for September 2016?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To add to the list of challenges, we also have to

design bus routes and to add extra buses to accommodate extra students who come

in the system. We also have to

realign teaching duties, Mr. Speaker, because Kindergarten teachers who are half

time now in Kindergarten, and half time in other areas, will be full time.

So, there is a myriad of challenges that anyone who has been in the

system acknowledge, and we are planning for that.

That is why we have introduced this program.

I thank you for your voice.

It is too bad you voted against it when you voted in the Budget last week

to shutdown full-day Kindergarten, but we will be prepared.

We have identified all the logistical issues.

The budget monies have been appropriated to allow for us to achieve the

plan that we want and to have the facilities ready, and have our teachers

prepared and have the resources in school.

That is a commitment we made, it is a commitment we will deliver upon.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, the

Canadian Union of Public Employees, and Unifor have all publicly condemned

government's decision to remove card-based certification of new bargaining

units. This decision negates four

years of tripartite consultations which led to the reinstatement of such

certification in 2012.

I ask the Premier: What message is he sending to the

labour movement by reverting to a paternalistic, repressive, Water Street

merchant model that favours anti-union employers and the certification process?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr.

Speaker, as I said in this House yesterday, the model that we believe in when

people pick their MPs, when they pick their MHAs, when they pick their school

trustees, when they pick their municipal leaders, or when they pick the people

who are going to represent them in anything that is important in matters we feel

that should take place with an election, a democratic vote, a secret ballot

where people can go in and vote in accordance with their conscience, without

coercion and without reprisals after.

That is why we made that decision.

Mr. Speaker, I know the Federation of Labour and labour

groups strongly support certification by cards, card-based certification.

Mr. Speaker, people of goodwill can have differences of opinion.

They can have profound differences of opinion, and this government

supports the principle that people should be allowed to have a secret vote.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There has been no indication that any rationale exists

for the abrupt reversal in the certification rules.

Only a third of applications in the last eighteen months were

automatically granted via the card check process and there is no evidence of

irregularities or deficiencies in the process obtained since automatic

certification became the law in this Province.

I want the Premier to tell us: What is the real

motivation behind government's actions?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr.

Speaker, as I said earlier, I believe in picking the people who are going to

negotiate a collective agreement for you.

It should be done with a vote.

I do not know how anyone can be opposed to a secret ballot with an

election. That is how we do things

in this Province.

I cannot accept the fact that somebody is going to say

to me, if I was running in an election against the hon. member, if you were to

say to me you have a piece of paper signed by four people who have promised to

vote for you, I still want the election.

I want people to go into a ballot box.

I want a secret ballot and let them vote in accordance with their

conscience. That is democracy.

We have had people who have died for that right, and I think that is how

we should run affairs in this country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the Premier that signing a card and voting in

a ballot box are both democratic processes and he is not recognizing that fact.

The Minister Responsible for Labour Relations has said

that he has consulted with employer and workers in coming to the decision to get

rid of card-based certification. I

thought that happened during the tripartite process as well.

I ask this minister in the spirit of openness and

transparency: Would he please tell this House who were the employers and workers

with whom he consulted, and when did these consultations take place?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

CRUMMELL:

Mr.

Speaker, after the amendments came in, in 2012, we did hear concerns from

employers. We did hear concerns from

workers. There was not a consolation

process that was in place; but I would just like to point out to the leader of

the Third Party, since 1994, secret ballot voting was in place in this Province.

Since 1994, unionization rates in Newfoundland and Labrador are the

highest in Canada at 40 per cent, higher than any other province in Canada, Mr.

Speaker.

I would like to point out to the Leader of the Third

Party as well that when it comes to secret ballot voting, it happens in a

decertification process. Mr.

Speaker, fundamentally, what is different between the certification process and

the decertification process? Secret

ballot voting works, workers want it, and research supports it, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I ask the Premier: Why does he support a move that will

result in fewer workers in this Province having well-paying jobs and benefits,

such as health insurance and pensions?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr.

Speaker, there is obviously no correlation there.

Mr. Speaker, what is important, we would not do

anything to stand in the way of the right of organized labour to go in and

organize their workplace, so they have the right to represent the workers.

That is the only way you can have a level playing field.

We support that, but it could be done with a secret ballot.

It is very simple. I cannot

see how anyone in this Province would have a problem with the secret ballot.

As the minister just said, we have the highest rates of

union membership in this Province, especially in the public sector, and that is

a good thing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, last night I held a Town Hall on Mental Health.

Over 300 people attended.

They talked about the huge gaps in mental health services in their communities.

They know the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act is supposed to be

reviewed every five years. They know

the 2011 review did not include them.

Last night's meeting proved government is not listening.

I ask the minister: Will he commit to a comprehensive,

true consultation process with public hearings across the Province on mental

health services, with the intent to come up with a real action plan to address

the needs?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DAVIS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to just point out to the House, and also

the people of the Province, that the Department of Health and Community Services

had representatives who attended the meeting last night.

I have a short report, briefing, from those in attendance and some of the

discussions that have taken place.

I would like to applaud those who attended and opened

up very personal matters, personal to them, and opened up in a room full of

people to share their views and their own experiences.

It is very important to people, Mr. Speaker I cannot overstate how

important mental health and addictions is to the people of the Province.

I have seen some of the information and feedback.

I have asked for further explanation and further review.

I look forward to receiving that.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's Centre, for a quick question, please.

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, I ask the Premier: Will he strike an all-party committee to address the

crisis in mental health services in the Province?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would just like to point out that through the four

regional health authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador, there are 900 women

and men who deliver and work in mental health and addictions and related

services. We spend approximately

$100 million annually.

Also, very important to this discussion, is that we

partner with ten community organizations throughout the Province.

Actually, we provide about $1 million to ten organizations throughout the

Province that assist us and support what we are doing.

We work with them, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice under Standing Order 11, that I shall

move that the House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 9, 2014.

I give notice under Standing Order 11, that I shall

further move that the House not adjourn at 10:00 p.m. on Monday, June 9, 2014.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

I can never do that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JOYCE:

Mr.

Speaker, this hospital, as the Premier said, has to be done right.

I know the action committee thanks the Premier from right back to 2007 to

today for all the work you did on behalf of the hospital and on behalf of all

the other things associated with the hospital, the university with their studies

and everything else.

Mr. Speaker, this petition will be presented on behalf

of the people, but I am sure the people who signed it are going to also want me

to thank you for your commitment to them, the commitment to the health care, a

commitment to Corner Brook. Like I

said, the Premier is a good friend of a brother of mine; they go way back.

Like I said before, I can never question your commitment.

I just want to thank you also for the work that I know you have done for

Corner Brook, you have done for Western Newfoundland and also, Mr. Speaker, the

friendships that you made by helping people along the way.

I wish you nothing but all the best.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS strikes and lockouts are rare and, on average,

97 per cent of collective agreements are negotiated without work disruption; and

WHEREAS anti-temporary replacement workers' laws have

existed in Quebec since 1978 and British Columbia since 1993, and successive

governments in those provinces have never repealed those laws; and

WHEREAS anti-temporary replacement workers' legislation

has reduced the length and divisiveness of labour disputes; and

WHEREAS the use of temporary replacement workers during

a strike or a lockout is damaging to the social fabric of a community, the local

economy, and the well-being of its residents, as evident by the use of temporary

replacement workers currently by Labatt and in past years by both Ocean Choice

International and Vale and Voisey's Bay;

WHEREUPON we, the undersigned, petition the House of

Assembly to urge government to enact legislation banning the use of temporary

replacement workers during a strike or lockout.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, we have been receiving, both in the past

and in the present, ongoing petitions with regard to the use of temporary

workers. We are aware of the long

strikes that have occurred in this Province because employers such as Vale and

Labatt have been able to use, what we call, scab labour, Mr. Speaker workers

from other workplaces, sometimes workers who have been actually trained, forced

to be trained by the workers who are out on a picket line.

We know that where we have the anti-worker replacement laws in BC and

Quebec, they have been successful, Mr. Speaker.

They are not afraid to say in British Columbia that

during a lockout or strike, authorized by their labour code, an employer must

not use the services of a person, whether paid or not, who is hired or engaged

during the period during which you have people on strike.

They are not afraid to say that an employer may not hire people who work

ordinarily somewhere else for that employer, in a place where that employer has

workers who are on strike. If they

are not afraid to do that in British Columbia, Mr. Speaker, why is this

government afraid to do it here?

What is it that stops this government with regard to anti-worker replacement

legislation? Once again, it is the

same thing that is stopping them with regard to what we are dealing with in Bill

They are not listening to the workers.

They are not listening to the needs of the people who are doing the work

in the workplaces; they are listening to the employers.

We know that the anti-scab issue never, ever got on the table of the

tripartite discussions that used to take place which no longer take place.

We know and it has been confirmed by the Premier to me in the meeting I

had with him that employers are no longer at that table because they choose

not to be there. That is not true

for labour.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS government has the responsibility to ensure

that Internet access is broadly available so people have a right to be able to

access the Internet in order to exercise and enjoy their rights to freedom of

expression and opinion, and other fundamental human rights; and

WHEREAS Pines Cove still remains without broadband

service, despite both adjacent communities of Shoal Cove East and Green Island

Cove have service; and

WHEREAS residents rely on Internet services for

education, business, communication, and social activity; and

WHEREAS wireless and wired technologies exist to

provide broadband service to rural communities to replace slower dial-up

service;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to

urge government to assist providers to ensure Pines Cove is in receipt of

broadband Internet service in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, it would cost a very small amount,

approximately about $20,000 to provide broadband Internet to Pines Cove.

A simple switch of the exchange codes to a 475 and provide through that

exchange with the excess capacity, they would be able to develop and get

high-speed Internet if that proposal was put forward.

Working with the providers and working with government,

I think that is something that is possible, given a major project of drilling

and the cable crossing that has happened.

You have hundreds of millions of dollars being spent in the Strait of

Belle Isle that is going to be happening there in relation to the Muskrat Falls

Project. It is right in this

community's backyard. It certainly

makes sense.

I think that when we look at broadband Internet and the

wireless technologies, the capacity that exists and I know that the minister

believes that we need to move forward in the knowledge-based economy.

Federally, there is money through the Broadband Canada initiative that

was announced in the Budget.

Partnering money and leveraging money from the feds and

the Province, and working with the providers, we can make sure that we have a

stronger knowledge-based economy where we can give them the tools so that

business can set up in rural areas, so that residents who are living in rural

areas have very strong opportunities when it comes to education, when it comes

to social activity.

I have nine communities in my district that still do

not have access to broadband Internet, and many more communities that have the

absolute slowest possible speeds available and that some households are at

capacity. This is not good enough in

2014, but I do think that if we work together, we can solve these issues, Mr.

Speaker.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR.

LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there are extreme overcrowding issues in St.

Peter's Elementary and Mount Pearl Senior High, a direct result of poor planning

by the Department of Education; and

Board to deal with this now crisis situation will have a devastating impact on

many students, families, and teachers at Mount Pearl Senior High, Mount Pearl

Intermediate, St. Peter's Elementary, and Newtown Elementary; and

WHEREAS there are other less disruptive solutions which

can be introduced to alleviate this overcrowding, including capital investment

as preferred option, as well as catchment area realignment; and

the financial flexibility by the Minister of Education to explore other more

suitable options; and

WHEREAS the government has intervened in board

decisions in the past such as in 2005 in Bishop's Falls during a by-election,

reversing the closure of Leo Burke Academy;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador to intervene in this matter, commit appropriate resources to the

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I have presented this petition now

numerous times, and unfortunately this will be the last opportunity I will have

at this sitting of the House of Assembly, assuming that this is our final day

and I believe it will be.

So, Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, this was

not the right decision. It was a

decision that really the board was forced to make because they were not provided

with any resources from the Department of Education, and it is a shame that we

have gone down this road.

I have raised this numerous times.

I have spoken to the minister.

I am told there will be no change.

On behalf of the residents who I represent, on behalf of that Grade 4

student in my district who took the time to go door to door in his neighbourhood

and collect numerous signatures, I committed to him that I would continue to

present this petition, and that is certainly what I am doing.

I will certainly be working with the parents, the

students, and the teachers next year with the new configuration, but I would say

that it is a shame that we are going down this road.

It did not need to happen, should not have happened, and I certainly do

not support it, and neither do the parents and families I represent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the Family Violence Intervention Court provided

a comprehensive approach to domestic violence in a court setting that fully

understood and dealt with the complex issues of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS domestic violence continues to be one of the

most serious issues facing our Province today, and the cost of the impact of

domestic violence is great both economically and in human suffering; and

WHEREAS the Family Violence Intervention Court was

welcomed and endorsed by all aspects of the justice system including the police,

the courts, prosecutors, defence counsel, Child, Youth and Family Services, as

well as victims, offenders, community agencies and women's groups; and

WHEREAS the recidivism rate for the offenders going

through the court was 10 per cent compared to 40 per cent for those who did not;

and

WHEREAS the budget for the court was only 0.2 per cent

of the entire budget of the Department of Justice;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to reinstate the

Family Violence Intervention Court.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, again, I have presented this petition on

behalf of thousands of people from Newfoundland and Labrador who see the merit

and the effectiveness and the benefit of the Family Violence Intervention Court.

Again, from your average citizen to police officers, to lawyers, we know

that the judiciary supported it. We

know that the support was there with those who know better.

I have been presenting this for over a year now and as

we draw a close to this session of the House, I find it absolutely

heartbreaking, when you think of the number of families who could have been

served by this court over the period of this year.

I know that the hon. members on the other side of the House know that to

be true as well. We all know that to

be true. What we do not know to be

true is why in God's name was this court cancelled when we knew it was so

effective?

Not only, Mr. Speaker, does the court need to be

reinstated, it needs to be expanded.

It can easily be expanded because the infrastructure is there.

I know the every member across the House knows how serious this is.

I know that every member across the House wants the best and the most

effective tools to deal with the root causes of domestic violence.

I know that to be true. I

know that to be true on this side of the House as well.

I know that to be true in the people across the Province because everyone

is touched my domestic violence.

Everyone knows that this was a good program.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am very happy to stand here today in the House to

present this petition.

The petition of the undersigned residents humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS private and community ambulance operators

provide ambulatory and paramedic services to the residents of Newfoundland and

Labrador and are compensated for these services by the government; and

WHEREAS the contract for ambulance operators expired in

March of 2012; and

WHEREAS the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

completed a review of ambulatory services in the Province, which review was

completed August, 2013 and publicly released October, 2013; and

WHEREAS ambulance operators agreed to hold off from

negotiations with government until the ambulance review was complete, and showed

good faith; and

WHEREAS government's current position in negotiations

has been heavy-handed and will see cuts in ambulance services across the

Province;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House to urge the government to negotiate a fair deal

with ambulance operators that ensures the safety of our ambulance professionals

as well as the patients in our Province.

Mr. Speaker, I have presented this on a number of

occasions and it is interesting to note that we have gone through two sessions

of the House of Assembly since this report was actually received and reviewed,

and still there is not a deal. It is

absolutely amazing.

I have paramedics calling me, e-mailing me every day,

not just from my district but from all over this Province who are wondering

about the status of their job. The

way it is looking right now it does not look like there is going to be either

deal reached as we move into the summer.

That is quite unfortunate, given that every single one of us in this

Province can probably rest in comfort knowing that ambulance operators and

paramedics are out there waiting for that call in case it comes.

We hope we never have to make that call, but we know they are there.

What scares me is to know that government's funding

model may change this so that if I call, that call might not be delivered or

answered in time because of the emergency services.

That is unfortunate, and that is what I am hearing from operators.

Mr. Speaker, I am calling on government, go to table,

get back to the table and get this done, get a deal done that does not reduce

emergency service in this Province.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I believe it is your incredible fondness for me that

has allowed me to be recognized to present the petition.

Mr. Speaker, to the hon. House of Assembly of the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled:

WHEREAS Saint Luke's cottages has been using the

continuum of care model since it opened.

It entails priority access to long-term care beds, as clearly stated in

the Saint Luke's handbook which is given to all tenants.

Further commitment was confirmed in 1995 under the single entry system

established by Eastern Health. This

allowed cottage tenants to join Saint Luke's if they were no longer able to

function independently regardless of their level of care; and

WHEREAS Eastern Health has arbitrarily changed its

practice in recent months, level 2 cottage tenants are being forced to leave and

live in personal care homes when placement is needed.

This breaks the commitment to the continuum of care model; and

WHEREAS we became aware of this change in practice when

a ninety-three-year-old tenant, who lived in Saint Luke's cottages for thirteen

years, was forced to find other living arrangements after returning from

hospital. This incident has caused

other tenants to worry about their future.

Saint Luke's Homes is committed to the continuum of care model, however

it is being abolished by the decisions made by placement services.

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the government to request that

Eastern Health and the provincial government direct the staff at placement

services to continue to honour the existing agreement and past practice to have

the tenants of Saint Luke's cottages move over to Saint Luke's Homes when they

are no longer able to manage or live in their cottages.

Mr. Speaker, about a week or so ago I made the Minister

of Health aware of the fact that I had these and I know that he is looking at

this. I know that Saint Luke's is

looking at building another building on Old Topsail Road which will be started

this year, which hopefully will allow them to better care for those who are

ready to be considered level 2 clients as opposed to having to go to a personal

care home.

I am hoping that government will look at this and allow

Saint Luke's to continue with the process they have had in place for several

years and allow those tenants at Saint Luke's cottages to move on to Saint

Luke's Homes as opposed to going to a personal care home, for at least the next

year, I would say, until the new building on the Saint Luke's property is built

allowing for them to go there instead of a personal care home.

Mr. Speaker, the residents at the cottages all know

each other. They are familiar with

each other and they are comfortable with the other tenants around.

I know you are giving me the indication that my time is

up. I look forward to presenting

another petition.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the Strait of Belle Isle is a very important

transportation link between Labrador and the Island of Newfoundland; and

WHEREAS both commercial and residential traffic is

continuously increasing because of the opening of the Trans-Labrador Highway and

increased development in Labrador; and

WHEREAS the existing ferry service can no longer

effectively handle the traffic; and

WHEREAS there have been many interruptions in the ferry

service, especially during the 2014 winter season.

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador to complete a comprehensive feasibility study for a fixed link

across the Strait of Belle Isle that would include a geological assessment and a

full cost analysis.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, ever since the House sat for this sitting

in March month, I have been on my feet petitioning and calling upon the

government to conduct a full feasibility study to see the merits to determine

the viability of a fixed link that would connect us in the Big Land to the rest

of the Province, and the rest of the country.

Until that happens, we will not be equal.

It amazes me, every single day this topic is still

Every day I have people messaging me saying, are you still calling on that.

We know there was a pre-feasibility study that was carried out eight

years ago, but, Mr. Speaker, it is time now.

It is something the Combined Councils every year puts forward.

It is something community leaders in that region have been calling on.

It is something that will benefit the people.

Other colleagues here in the House have been calling for the same thing.

The Northern Peninsula, The Straits White Bay North, St. Barbe, and

indeed the whole Province will benefit from this.

The federal government passed a resolution to support

the construction of 138. Once that

happens, we know we are going to be scrambling to catch up.

This has been a very, very difficult year.

We know there is an RFP out right now calling on a new ferry.

I know we need a new ferry for the interim and I have voiced some

concerns in the House earlier this week on that.

The minister assured me yesterday that by not

indicating the ice class it means, according to Transport Canada requirements,

it will have a class A1 or will exceed that.

I certainly hope he is right because also with that ferry we do not see

any added horsepower there. It is

the exact same as what we see currently in the

Bond and the

Apollo .

We heard many times this year from the Coast Guard that they did not have

anything to work with in the ice.

There was no power to push.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to petition for a fixed

link.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The member's time has expired.

DEMPSTER:

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour Grace.

MR.

SLADE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the community of Bristol's Hope is expressing

ongoing concerns regarding the need to make repairs to Beach Road which has been

severely damaged by storm waves, and this has caused major concern to the

community of Bristol's Hope as it pertains to fire protection and safety; and

WHEREAS the lack of repairs by government constitutes a

fire and safety hazard to the community since the residents will be trapped in

if a fire ever took place; and

WHEREAS this damaged roadway is also creating an

environmental concern as the Atlantic Ocean has washed over the road and out

into a freshwater pond where the fish in the pond are threatened;

WHEREAS this area serves a capelin run each year, which

attracts many great local residents and tourists to the site;

WHEREAS the federal government refuses to assist with

this repair as they deem there is no associated fishing activity to justify

investment;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to respond to pleas

from the community residents to have this roadway repaired to prevent further

damage, and to further urge government to maintain regular maintenance on the

road thereafter.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, again, I brought this up here several

times during different debates. The

people in that area are not asking for a lot here from government to repair this

road. This road has been

traditionally taken care of by the Department of Transportation.

Over the last couple of years, it has just sort of been neglected.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am here speaking on behalf of the

residents in the district and certainly Bristol's Hope is a part of my

district. I would just like to see

government manning up here now and do the right thing here by the people in that

area. I am more concerned it is a

heavily wooded area, Bristol's Hope is, and the concern of a fire taking place

there and for the people in the community to be cut off from north side to the

south side of that community is what gives me the greatest concern.

On that note, Mr. Speaker, I will take my place now in

this House.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, a petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there is no cellphone service in the Town of

Trout River, which is an enclave community in Gros Morne National Park;

WHEREAS visitors to Gros Morne National Park, more than

100,000 annually, expect to communicate by cellphone when they visit the park;

and

WHEREAS cellphone service has become a very important

aspect of everyday living for residents; and

WHEREAS cellphone service is an essential safety tool

for visitors and residents; and

WHEREAS cellphone service is essential for business

development;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador to partner with the private sector to extend cellphone coverage

throughout Gros Morne National Park and the enclave community of Trout River.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, it would seem unseemly to let what may

well be the last day we are here go by and not present a petition on behalf of

the people of Trout River for cellphone coverage.

Trout River is a fabulous community.

It had a lot of attention in the last little while, but it still really

needs cellphone coverage. I expect

to be there on July 1, Canada Day, but also what we recognize in this Province

is the day of the July Drive. It is

a very patriotic community of 650-700 people.

They would appreciate and expect to have the same services as the rest of

Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

per Standing Order 32, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Advanced

WHEREAS

section 42.1 of the Access to Information and

Protection of Privacy Act provides that the Information and Privacy Commissioner

is to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on a resolution of the

House of Assembly; and

WHEREAS

section 42.2 of the act states that a

commissioner may be reappointed; and

WHEREAS the appointment of the current commissioner,

Mr. Ed Ring, expires on June 24, 2014; and

WHEREAS it is proposed that Mr. Ring be reappointed as

the commissioner for a term of two years;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that Mr. Ed Ring be

reappointed as the Information and Privacy Commissioner for a term of two years.

MR.

SPEAKER:

You

heard the motion.

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

MR.

KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased today to speak in support of this motion.

As stated in the motion the Access to Information and Protection of

Privacy Act provides for the appointment of the Information and Privacy

Commissioner and a reappointment term of two years.

Mr. Speaker, Ed Ring was appointed Information and

Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador in an acting capacity on

December 18, 2007, and was confirmed in the House of Assembly four months later

on April 10, 2008. The ATIPP Act

provides for the appointment of a commissioner for a term of two years.

Mr. Ring was reappointed as Information and Privacy Commission in 2010

and again in 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide a brief

summary of

Mr. Ring's notable career. Mr. Ring

spent thirty-four in the Canadian Armed Forces Army, serving with both the

Regular and the Reserve components.

He began his service in 1969 and was commissioned in 1973 under the Regular

Officer Training Plan. Mr. Ring

graduated from Memorial University in 1973 and was posted to his first unit in

Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.

He went on to serve in a number of provinces in Canada as well as

England, South Wales, and West Germany.

During his career, he progressed through the rank

structure being assigned to progressively more responsible and demanding

positions, culminating in his appointment as Deputy Commander, Land Forces

Atlantic area in 2001, on being promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

Mr. Ring retired from the military in December of 2003.

He is currently the honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 5th

Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. He was

appointed to that position in December 2011 for a three-year term.

The Randers and Junior Canadian Rangers in Newfoundland and Labrador have

a total of forty-four patrols and a total complement of 1,400 persons.

In 1992, Mr. Ring transferred to the Reserve Component

of the military at the same time he began his employment with the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Ring

served as the Director of Policing Services with the Department of Justice for

four years. In 1997, he moved to the

Public Service Commission and initially worked as a staffing officer from 2002

to 2007 as Director of Appeal and Investigation Division.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Ring's impressive career and knowledge

about access to information and protection of privacy legislation is something

that is acknowledged by both government, as well as both Opposition parties.

They, too, have praised Mr. Ring and have voiced their strong support of

his previous reappointments.

When Mr. Ring was reappointed in 2010 and again in

2012, both Oppositions spoke loudly in their praise and support of Mr. Ring's

appointment. Mr. Speaker, I hope

members opposite will do the same today in support of this motion.

His exemplary record as Information and Privacy

Commissioner speaks for itself. We

are thankful for his oversight and steadfast commitment to the right of access

to information and protection of privacy in this Province.

Throughout Mr. Ring's tenure as commissioner, he has

provided a critical role in overseeing the access to information and protection

of privacy regime in this Province.

He has offered his support in providing access to information, such as the Open

Government Initiative, as well as his observations in areas where government

knew it could improve, such as timelines for responding to access requests.

Because of Mr. Ring's evaluation, we have been able to significantly

improve our response timelines and the overall administration and application of

the ATIPP Act.

We take the comments from Mr. Ring, as our

commissioner, very seriously. We are

thankful for his oversight, and we looked forward to continue to work

collaboratively with Mr. Ring as the Province's Information and Privacy

Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to support

the motion to reappoint Mr. Ed Ring for another two years as our Information and

Privacy Commissioner.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, I am happy to stand here today and speak to this motion.

It is a pleasure for us in the Official Opposition to

support the reappoint of Mr. Ed Ring.

Obviously, he has served in this capacity now for some time and brings a

wealth of experience, as laid out by the minister.

Obviously, as the commissioner he plays a significant role in ensuring

that privacy laws are followed within the Province and completes investigations

when there are complaints. He has

taken a balanced approach in the protection of information as well as defending

the public's right to know.

It is nice to see, when he sees there is a need that he

takes the matters to court, and that is a part of this as well.

These things do go that route and Mr. Ring does that job very, very ably.

He is independent, he is unbiased, and this is obviously good to see.

There is only one thing I would say, is it is

unfortunate, we feel the appointment should have been longer than two years and

that comes back to Mr. Cummings' review that was completed in 2011.

One of the recommendations he made is that the appointment should be a

five-year term. That was something I

think is done in other jurisdictions.

Again, that has nothing to do with Mr. Ring.

We are supporting Mr. Ring.

This is just our position or belief on the actual appointment.

We support the resolution.

We congratulate Mr. Ring on the reappointment, and we look forward to

working with him during his next term.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I too am pleased to stand and speak to this resolution

with regard to the reappointment of Mr. Ring as the Information and Privacy

Commissioner.

He certainly has shown us that he is a man who is

forthright and a principled person since being in this role since 2007.

He has indicated to all of us I think how importantly he takes this role

and how seriously he has dealt with it.

He has also shown himself to be able to act in a politically neutral

role, and he showed that in particular when he did not back down from having to

do what he thought was right in taking the government to court.

He is definitely committed to the defence of citizens' rights to freedom

of information.

I, too, want to mention that in the review that was

done by John Cummings and released in January, 2011, with regard to the Access

to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, we do have a strong recommendation

from the commissioner saying that we should have

section 42.2 of the act amended

to provide for a five-year term of the commissioner.

That was a recommendation from the commissioner

himself. The reason he made that

recommendation, the reasoning that he gave in his presentation to Mr. Cummings

was that the term of the commissioner should be seen as politically neutral and

if the term were to span more than one government, then one would get the sense

of neutrality of the officer. Mr.

Cummings really agreed with that reasoning.

It is too bad the government has not seen the light on

this one and made an amendment to the act to make the term a five-year term.

In the meantime, since that has not been changed, it is a two-year term,

and I am delighted to see Mr. Ring back in this position.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

You

have all heard the motion.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, nay'.

The motion has been carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to move at this time, seconded by

the Minister Responsible for Labour, that notwithstanding the Standing Orders or

usual practices of the House, that Bill 24, which has been circulated today, An

Act To Amend

An Act To Amend The Labour Relations Act, And

An Act To Amend The

Public Service Collective Bargaining Act No. 2, when called today shall be

deemed to have had notice given and to have been put and adopted for first and

second reading.

When Bill 22 is called for debate in the Committee of

the Whole today, Thursday, June 5, 2014, that debate on Bill 22 will be

considered at the same time as Bill 24, and a vote in Committee of the Whole on

both bills shall then be conducted in succession.

Following approval of both bills in Committee of the

Whole, Bill 22 and Bill 24 shall be called in succession for third reading and

each shall be voted on without further debate.

Mr. Speaker, I move that motion with your consent and

with leave of the House.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Does the minister have leave to introduce the motion and all parties are agreed

to this?

MICHAEL:

point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party on a point of order with respect to the issue

before the House now?

MICHAEL:

Yes, I need clarification from you, Mr. Speaker, on what it means to say without

debate in the motion that has just been put forward by the Government House

Leader.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Does the hon. the Government House Leader want to speak to the point of order?

MR.

KING:

Yes, Mr. Speaker, if I may just offer clarification.

What that means is, as we do with any other bill, once

we approve, we get into third reading and members speak and we vote on third

reading. There is no further debate

on normal bills. What I am saying is

this bill will follow the same normal practice.

Once everyone speaks in third reading, the bill is voted upon in third

reading; then we treat it as we do all other bills.

Sure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe I will park my notes and just speak to it.

The leave here we are asking for is that first reading and second reading

is deemed to have been done today.

We will start the process as though those are done.

We are going to go into Committee and we will debate

Bill 22 and 24. We will come out of

Committee. We will go into third

reading, the same as we do with all other bills, and we will debate them in

third reading should someone wish to speak.

Once we vote upon third reading, my statement is intended to suggest that

it is the same as other bills that no further debate will occur.

MR.

SPEAKER:

want to make sure I understand. The

House is giving consent for there will be an acknowledgement that there will

be potential for debate in third reading.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Essentially, we are starting the process at the

Committee level. The leave we are

asking for is that first reading and second reading is done.

There are no other changes being asked here.

We start in Committee and we treat it as we do all other bills and we

treat it the same way in third reading.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Okay. The reason I am seeking

direction from the House is because this is a departure from normal procedure

and it can only be done with unanimous consent.

Yet, the wording I have before me would suggest that there be no debate

in third reading. I want to make

certain that the request before the House that consent has been given is not the

same as what I just heard and what I have before me.

Just to repeat for clarity, there will be debate.

Everybody is agreeing that there will be a debate on Bills 22 and 24 in

third reading, but Bill 24 will not be debated in second reading.

There is unanimous consent.

With that, I now call upon the Government House Leader to call the bill.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this time I would like to call from the Order Paper,

Order 1, Bill 15,

An Act To Amend The Mineral Act.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Environment and

Conservation, that the said bill be now read a third time.

MR.

SPEAKER:

is moved and seconded that the bill be now read a third time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the said bill,

Bill 15, now be read a third time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

CLERK:

bill,

An Act To Amend The Mineral Act.

(Bill 15)

MR.

SPEAKER:

This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and

that its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill,

An Act To Amend The Mineral Act,

read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper.

(Bill 15)

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this time I move, seconded by the Minister of Child,

Youth and Family Services, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the

Whole to consider Bills 22 and 24.

MR.

SPEAKER:

has been moved and seconded that this House do now resolve itself into Committee

of the Whole and that I do now leave the Chair.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

On motion, that the House resolve itself into a

Committee of the Whole, Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Verge):

Order, please!

If members of the Committee are ready, we will begin

the business of debate. We will

begin with debate on Bill 22,

An Act To Amend The Labour Relations Act.

A bill,

An Act To Amend The Labour Relations Act.

(Bill 22)

CLERK:

Clause 1.

CHAIR:

Shall clause 1 carry?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

CHAIR:

All

those against, nay'.

Carried.

On motion, clause 1 carried.

CLERK:

Clause 2 through 14 inclusive.

CHAIR:

Shall clauses 2 through 14 inclusive carry?

All those in favour, aye'.

The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

ROGERS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I am very happy to rise and to speak to clause 3 in

Bill 22,

an act respecting labour relations in the Province.

We know that for our caucus here, we have some particular problems with

this particular clause in the act.

We have some concerns about what this means for the workers in our Province,

particularly how this was undertaken with the lack of consultation with labour

in the Province.

So I would like to, at this time, move that clause 3 of

the bill is amended at the proposed subsection 47.1(3) by deleting all the words

and commas after taken where it secondly appears and substituting the words

and commas in a neutral location agreed upon by union, employer and the board,

or by mail, at the time the board determines.

I so move this.

CHAIR:

have an amendment by the Member for St. John's Centre.

Do you have a written copy of the amendment?

ROGERS:

Yes.

CHAIR:

will take a brief recess to consider the amendment.

Recess

CHAIR:

Order, please!

I have considered the amendment, and the amendment is

not in order.

The Member for St. John's Centre I think had about

seven minutes left.

ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for that ruling.

I am happy once again to stand and to speak to this issue.

Mr. Chair, what we are talking about in this bill is workers' rights to

organize. One of my concerns here

aside from the fact that government violated its own process where there was a

tripartite committee is that it took a long time to establish that tripartite

committee and to come to an agreement.

After four years of deliberations it came to an agreement on something

that really worked.

The mystery to me, Mr. Chair, is why is government

attacking its own good labour legislation?

CHAIR:

Order, please!

I would ask the member to point out which

section of

the bill she is now speaking to.

ROGERS:

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am speaking to

section 3 about the card-based

certification issue. Mr. Chair, at

this point we know what government is proposing by having a secret ballot vote,

it is that those who do not turn up for the vote, those who do not vote in fact

are counted as a no vote.

Now imagine, Mr. Chair, if that happened here in our

Legislature. Imagine if that

happened in our elections. How many

of us would be here sitting in this House today?

If the fact that the electorate, the population who votes, if they did

not show up to vote, what would happen, if the fact that they did not show to

vote was counted as a no vote?

The way we conduct our elections at this point is that

the only votes that are counted are the votes that are cast.

It is a first-past-the-post system.

That is not what we are dealing with here.

We are dealing with something that is quite different.

For the government to talk about this is open

democracy, transparent democracy with a secret ballot is not true.

As a matter of fact, it is a very, very weird kind of democracy.

Imagine though if people who did not show up to vote were counted as a no

vote against an incumbent. A lot of

us would not be here today, and it certainly would not be a true representation

of the will of the people by the fact that people did not show up to vote.

This is about our workers' rights to organize.

This is about their right to be in a union.

So, how does that come about?

The card-based certification system, which has been in place in North America

for years, since the 1930s and 1940s, is one that has worked well.

We know it is one that has worked well in Newfoundland and Labrador

because we do have a high percentage of union workers.

With the system we have it allows unions to stabilize

work places. The process that is in

place imagine now people in a workplace.

The lawyers do not have a right to say whether or not a person I mean

the employers do not have a right.

It is not their purview to have the right to decide whether or not their workers

should be unionized. That is the

right of workers to decide.

The process of unionization is a very careful process.

I think what we are dealing with here is the mythology of the ugly union,

the demonization of unions -

CHAIR:

Order, please!

The member is speaking to clause 3, which deals with

the certification process. I would

ask the member to speak to the certification process.

ROGERS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

The process of card-based certification in fact is so

that unions and union organizers can speak individually to people.

It is not about intimidation, it is not about fear, and it is not about

threatening because a union holds nothing over the worker.

It is in fact the employer who can decide whether or not a person will be

fired or not.

It is about their livelihood.

We know the prosperity that we experience today in our glorious Province

is because of the hard work. It is

on the backs

CHAIR:

Order, please!

Again I would ask the member to be relevant.

The certification process, you can speak to the process.

ROGERS:

Mr.

Chair, the union rep or the union organizer spends time with individuals

explaining the benefits. It is not

about intimidation. It is about do

you want to be part of the union and what is that about?

It is about better working conditions and safer working conditions.

God knows we need that in our Province in some of the types of work that

we have and the types of projects. It is about do you want to be part of the

union? It is about pensions.

It is about health care. It

is about benefits for all our workers.

It is about ensuring people are treated fairly and justly.

That is the process we are talking about.

We are talking about offering the possibility to our workers to have

better working conditions and to have better benefits, which we all benefit

from, which all of our communities benefit from.

So, Mr. Chair, by circumventing that or adding another

level onto that process, makes it that much more difficult.

It was kind of interesting to hear the minister stand up and talk about

all the research that has been done.

Well, Mr. Chair, I have a pile of research here showing

that card-based certification, in fact, is the most just, is the most fair, way

of offering the opportunity for workers to join a union, because we know that

workers have a right to join a union.

It is not the determination of employers as to whether or not workers can

unionize.

So the card-based certification

CHAIR:

Order, please!

I remind the member that her time has expired.

ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

With leave or by agreement of the party leaders, I

would ask if the Premier could have a few minutes to address the House, if we

could suspend debate for a couple of moments.

CHAIR:

Does the Premier have leave?

HON. MEMBER:

leave.

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Premier, by leave.

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am grateful to the party leaders and the members

opposite. I am going to be running

to catch a plane to go to Corner Brook and I will not be here when the House

closes today or tonight.

It is something of a tradition that we have in this

House, and I believe a very nice and important tradition, before each sitting of

the House adjourns, that all of us members convey best wishes to one another for

a safe and enjoyable period away for this Chamber as we go back to our

districts, to our families, to our friends, and spend time with the people who

elected us to be here.

The tradition today is especially important to me,

given the fact that this is the last time I am going to address the House as

Premier and, I would suspect, it may be the last time I will address this House

as an MHA.

I have become very fond of this transition of extending

good will because it reminds us we all know about the differences that exist

between us, but this tradition reminds all of us and it reminds the people who

are watching us on TV and in the gallery that despite the heated debates we

have, each and every day that we are open here, all of us share something in

common that is more important than the things that divide us.

The forty-eight of us in this Chamber collectively

represent all of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

District by district, people exercise their fundamental democratic right

to choose the members who will stand for them in this place, and it is done in a

democratic ballot.

Others preceded us, and others will follow us; but, at

this moment in time, we are the ones who have the honour of being the

forty-eight to carry that enormous burden on our shoulders, striving to fulfill

the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations that the people have for this

Province, the Province that we all share and we all love.

Mr. Chair, people have spilled blood to defend this

place and the values that define us.

They gave their lives to give this place a future, and the future now rests in

our hands. How profound a gift is

that? No wonder we argue so

vociferously at times. Our

Province's destiny is shaped by each and every choice that we make right here.

When I accepted the responsibility to serve as the

Province's eleventh Premier on January 24, I knew and we all knew it was going

to be for a relatively short period of time.

I also knew that as brief as it would be, nothing stands still for

government and leadership would be required throughout this period.

The term that I would be here would span the swearing-in of a Premier,

the sitting of the House, a Throne Speech, a Budget speech, a suite of

legislative initiatives, and any number of other events that arise.

I knew that we would have the opportunity to continue fulfilling the

mandate which our government was elected for in 2011, and I also knew that my

perspective and values would shape my own actions in this role.

As I said the day I was sworn in and as I said when I

spoke in the Budget, my highest priority would be justice, but justice in a

fundamental sense; to ensure that we spread opportunities fairly, irrespective

of the different factors that divide us such as location, gender, age, ability,

illness, wealth, prestige, power or any other measures that would be used to

subdivide us.

Fundamental justice is about narrowing some of

inequalities, narrowing some of the inequities by raising up the vulnerable from

the disadvantaged position that they are in, and giving them a legitimate

opportunity to get in on the success that our society, thank God, is generating

today.

As I stated when speaking on the Budget, we worked very

hard during the process to make good choices that would deliver worthwhile

outcomes by impacting the lives of vulnerable people.

We wish we could have done more, but no government can do everything that

it would like to do because there is a limit to our fiscal capacity, and we all

know that; but I truly believe that in this process we have made sound choices

that have the potential of benefiting many our people and many vulnerable

people.

Another priority was to raise the bar of

accountability. That is very

important to me personally, and I know it is important to every member in this

House. The ATIPPA review, the ATIPP

review, the whistleblower legislation, the electricity system review, the

Muskrat Falls Project oversight, the Open Government Initiative; these are just

some of the examples of choices that I believe the people were right to call

for. I, as a private citizen, would

have expected the same thing of the government.

I kept that perspective in mind so that I would not lose focus.

Another important priority for me is that we have to

always honour our veterans, the ones who spill blood to secure our freedom.

As a son of a veteran, I developed an awareness of the magnitude of those

sacrifices at a very young age, as have so many people in our Province.

The crowds at Memorial and Remembrance Day celebrations are getting

larger. I believe that the Honour

100 Initiative will enrich our awareness of that tremendous legacy of

sacrifices, and those lessons will echo through every generation still to come.

Every retelling is the first time for some person to hear it, so let us

never tire of remembering.

Mr. Chair, how thankful we are that there continues to

be heroes who are ready to step forward to save lives.

We are seeing that in Moncton today.

The greatest love is to put your life on the line for someone else.

We must always remember the many heroes who have done just that.

There are no words in any language that are powerful enough to say how

much we appreciate what they have done for us.

When we run out of words, we honour them with our silence.

When we are silent, we can hear the sound of our own breathing.

That sound reminds us that we have life because others have sacrificed

their lives for us.

Finally, of course, let me say it is a priority to

continue to growing our economy, investing, innovating, modernizing,

diversifying, training, capitalizing, laying the foundation to lure investment

to all regions of the Province, and all industries that offer promise for our

people. That growth, in turn, makes

possible the vital social programs that our people want and need.

I want to thank the people of the Province for their

support over the last few months. I

especially want to thank the people of Humber East, the people of Corner Brook,

Massey Drive, Steady Brook, Little Rapids, and Boom Siding Road.

I want to thank them for the support and the great team of people who

help me serve them to the best of my ability.

Let me also thank my family.

Public service, as you all know, demands a great deal of family members.

I think they find it tougher than we do because we learn to develop thick

skins and we can laugh things off.

It is tougher on them. That is true

for every one of us. It is not any

exaggeration to say that they serve alongside us.

I want to thank everyone in this Chamber, the Leader of

the Opposition, the Leader of the NDP, and all your respective caucuses, the

Speaker, the Table Officers, the Pages, the House staff, and the security people

also; and, of course, I want to thank my own caucus and Cabinet.

I quite literally would not be here without you, and I thank you for your

support, which is something I will never forget.

To anyone who is watching today and who is seriously

wondering if they should seek public office, my advice is simply this: run.

Now, whether you think that means run for office or whether you think it

means run for the hills, it is up to you, but if you are ready to make a big

commitment, as you all know, and to take on a major challenge, I think you will

find public service to be deeply, deeply gratifying.

It has truly been a privilege for me to serve.

I remember years ago when I was a student at Memorial University and we

had a model Parliament, I remember taking

part in that down at the Colonial

Building and wondering if I would ever do it for real.

I am glad I had the chance to do it for real.

If I have been able to make a difference in someone's

life through my service here, then I can stand down with an immense feeling of

gratitude for all those who have put me in a position to make that difference,

and for that I offer a sincere thank you.

Thank you very much.

[Applause]

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MICHAEL:

would just like to, formally, on behalf of our caucus I am sorry that there

are just two of us here today, but I know if Mr. Murphy were able to be here he

would join me in thanking the Premier.

It is not so much while you were Premier, because that was such a short

period of time.

Of the seven years I have been here in the House, I

have been here with you. I have told

this to you personally and I am going to say it publicly.

In your different roles as minister and the different roles that you were

in, especially when you were the Minister of Finance and Justice, I found you

very fair to work with. I want to

recognize that publicly. We agreed

during those days on more than what we disagreed on, that is my memory.

I will not repeat publicly a couple of times something that I said to you

but we did agree very often more than what we disagreed on.

I am afraid today, unfortunately, we are leaving the

House with a major disagreement.

That is the way politics is, I guess, but that does not take away from me the

good times we had in terms of working on some issues together.

We saw eye to eye on VLTs, for example, and you did take some steps to

try to get those brought down. We

saw eye to eye on a number of things.

I think today we are not seeing eye to eye on something that for me is

very crucial; but, as I said, that is life.

It is unfortunate.

I am hoping between now and the first weekend of July,

perhaps you can continue listening to things that have been said.

You still have decision-making powers and I encourage you to think about

some of the issues we have brought up here in the House in the last few days,

like the Family Violence Intervention Court and even like what we are passing

here today. You still have powers

until you step down as Premier. You

still are Premier, so I encourage you to think further about some of the issues

we have raised.

I really do wish you well and I thank you for the

service that you have given to the Province.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will be brief, because I know the eleventh Premier

has a flight to catch. I know what

it is like to run through that airport on Thursday afternoon.

I do want to take a few minutes just to thank you for

the work you have done as Premier and wish you all the best in whatever you do.

I can guarantee one thing I know because I know you well enough it

will include a book and it will include a golf course, which is very close to

where you liv

Document details

Collection	Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	2014-06-05
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	2014-06-05
Language	en
Format	htm
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	3fbef83e55ec804814abc7386c591056911fd2df

Source file is stored in the law ingest library (htm).