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March 18,

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 3

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER:

Today we will have members' statements from the

Member for the District of Baie Verte Springdale; the Member for the District

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

Member for the District of Carbonear Harbour Grace; the Member for the

District of Lewisporte, and the Member for the District of Humber Valley.

The hon. the Member for the

District of Baie Verte Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

From March 5 to March 9, the

Baie Verte Peninsula was the place to be.

The second annual Shiver Soiree provided lots of winter fun as the

residents took advantage of a jam packed fun-filled agenda enabling many

communities to get together and enjoy the powdery snow and the natural beautiful

landscape that the region offers.

A wide variety of activities

ranging from snowshoeing, skating, skiing to Ski-Doo races were all enjoyed by

avid winter enthusiasts hailing from all over the peninsula and beyond.

The 2014 Peninsula Shiver

Soiree Committee is to be applauded for their stellar work in organizing such a

successful event. Members include:

Jennifer Whelan, Sandra Shiner, Maud Noble, Molly Mitchell, Jamie Burton, Celia

Dicks, Lloyd Hayden, Denis Dupont and Nancy Brown.

In addition, local businesses and a strong dedicated group of community

minded volunteers are to be commended for their support and leadership.

Founded in 2013 as an

initiative of the Dorset Trail Tourism Association, the aim of the festival was

to promote tourism and to bring communities together.

Mission accomplished.

Honourable colleagues,

please join me in sending congratulations to all involved for such an exciting

event.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am happy to stand in this

House to recognize 1 Billion Rising for Justice 2014, an event that took place

in my District of St. John's Centre on Thursday, February 12, and what an

incredible event it was.

Twenty-two community groups,

including women's groups, anti-violence groups and labour groups, along with my

office, formed a committee to organize the activities that celebrated and

acknowledged the work done to help stop violence against women and to highlight

the work that still needs to be done.

We held a community fair

with representatives from several NGOs, and we had live entertainment,

multicultural food, information booths, dancing and more.

It was free and open to the public.

Several hundred people participated.

It was exhilarating.

One Billion Rising is an

international initiative calling for 1 billion people worldwide to rise up, to

raise awareness around violence against women, and to push for change.

This year's theme, Rise for Justice, invited people everywhere to

demonstrate at police stations, courthouses, government buildings, anywhere

where women should be able to expect justice.

Rise we did, Mr. Speaker. We

rose at Confederation Building with speakers and dancers, asking our Premier to

reinstate the Family Violence Intervention Court.

Bravo, One Billion Rising

St. John's!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House

today to congratulate a young lady in my district, ten-year-old Emily Hynes, a

Grade 5 student at Holy Trinity Elementary in Torbay.

Emily won The Telegram Spelling Bee 2014, a competition held at Holy

Heart of Mary on February 22.

Emily is one of the youngest

ever to win the competition; students from Grade 5 to Grade 8 competed, so Emily

still has a few more years yet to compete.

The judges said it was one of the most intense spelling bees

The Telegram has ever taken

part in.

Emily practiced up to five

pages of words a day preparing for this competition.

She won $2,000, a trophy, and some other prizes for her impressive

spelling abilities. Now, Emily

qualifies for the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held near Washington, D.C.

I ask all hon. members in

this House to join with me in congratulating Emily and wishing her the best of

luck in her future competitions.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this

hon. House today to congratulate three young men from my District of Carbonear

Harbour Grace. They are Anthony

Griffin, eleven, Josh Griffin, thirteen, and Andrew Green, fourteen.

Anthony, Josh, and Andrew

were chosen as recipients for the WE DAY program, sponsored by Telus, the first

teens from this Province to be recognized under the program.

WE DAY recognizes youth from thirteen to seventeen years of age who have

made a difference to their communities.

Those three young men were

rewarded for their efforts through

an act of kindness that saw them restore a

go-cart belonging to Ben Clarke that had been vandalized.

They gathered all the parts and returned the reassembled cart without any

desire for reward or recognition.

In September of 2013, the

three boys were nominated for an event in Nova Scotia and travelled to Halifax

on November 27 to represent Newfoundland and Labrador as part of the WE DAY

program.

Mr. Speaker, Anthony, Josh,

and Andrew have shown that young people can make a difference in their

communities just by doing good deeds.

I ask all hon. members to

join me in congratulating Anthony, Josh, and Andrew on being recognized as a

part of the WE DAY program.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of

Lewisporte.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a young

thirteen-year-old student from Lewisporte.

Blake Russell is not your typical teenager.

Blake has a great love and passion for the traditions, culture, and the

music of Newfoundland and Labrador.

You can find Blake playing

his button accordion to the joy of residents in seniors' homes, or providing

entertainment at local fundraisers and concerts.

He loves the traditional music of our Province.

Fergus O'Byrne and Mark Hiscock have become musical idols to Blake.

In August of last year, Blake released his first CD of button accordion

music at Citadel House in Lewisporte.

It was a great success.

When Blake is not playing

his accordion, he is usually on the salmon rivers using his own flies and

providing tips on casting to other anglers.

In winter, Blake is usually in the woods snaring rabbits or trapping fox,

mink, and otter. His furs are sent

to the North American Fur Trade Auction and some end up in the European markets.

Honourable members, please

join with me in recognizing Blake Russell, a young man who is doing more than

his part to keep our culture alive and well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Humber Valley.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House

today to congratulate the Pasadena Academy Falcons Senior Boys' Basketball team

on winning the thirty-seventh Annual Elwood Invitational Basketball Tournament

held at Elwood Regional High School in Deer Lake in December of 2013.

The Falcons went undefeated,

completing the tournament with a final 93-63 win over Prince of Wales

Collegiate. Mitch Snow led the

Falcons in the championship game with twenty-six points.

Three players from the

Falcons were honoured with individual awards for their play in the tournament.

Nick Pilgrim was named Tournament MVP, Corey Manuel was named Team MVP,

and Mitch Snow was named to the All-Star Team for the third consecutive year.

Since this win in December, the Falcons have won the Templeton Academy

Invitational in Meadows and the regional qualifying tournament for their

provincial 3A basketball tournament.

Mr. Speaker, eight members

of the Falcons will finish up their studies at Pasadena Academy this year.

It is through athletic events, such as these, that lifelong memories are

created for these students. I ask

all members to join me in extending congratulations to the Pasadena Falcons

Boys' Basketball team on their inspiring play and wish them success in their

upcoming provincial 3A Boys' Basketball Tournament this weekend at Templeton

Academy in Meadows.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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.

It is with sadness today

that I rise in this hon. House to express my sincere condolences to the family

and friends of the late Ambrose Peddle, who recently passed away at the age of

eighty-six. As the Member for Humber

East, I am honoured to stand and pay tribute to another son of Corner Brook and

Grand Falls.

Ambrose Peddle dedicated his

life to public service. He was a

municipal leader, he was a Member of this House of Assembly, and he was also a

Member of the Parliament of Canada.

All of us who were given the opportunity to sit here in this House recognize

that to serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in public office is a true

privilege and it is a great responsibility.

Ambrose Peddle accepted this duty with compassion and with integrity, and

he indeed set an example for all of us to follow.

His life of public service

continued in 1975, when Mr. Peddle had the distinct honour of being appointed

Newfoundland and Labrador's first ombudsmen by then Premier Frank Moores.

In his capacity as ombudsman, he acted as an impartial, unbiased advocate

for the people of our Province. For

fifteen years, he listened to the concerns of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

and he worked diligently on their behalf to ensure they were treated fairly by

their government.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all

members of this House join me in honouring the life and the spirit of Ambrose

Peddle. On behalf of all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I want to thank Mr. Peddle for his important

and remarkable contribution to our Province and its people.

To his family, I hope that at this difficult time they may find solace in

his lasting legacy.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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.

As a former municipal leader, MHA, and an MP as the Premier said and

eventually the ombudsman for the Province, Mr. Peddle devoted much of his life

to public service. As a judge of the

Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador we know his only surviving son,

David, continues in his father's footsteps.

In the obituary it was said

about Mr. Peddle that he was a private man who was very well known.

This gives us some insight into his life and we thank him for the

sacrifices that he made. I am sure

all members in this House can attest to the sacrifices that are made by members

and the sacrifices that are made with their families as they make their

commitment to public service when it is your calling.

It is only fitting today

that I stand here and pay tribute to Mr. Peddle in this House of Assembly where

he advocated for the people of the Province and his district.

We do extend our condolences

to his wife, Bessie, and his surviving son, David, and the extended family; but,

more than that, we celebrate his eighty-six years of public service and the life

of a remarkable man, Mr. Ambrose Peddle.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the Premier

for an advance copy of his statement.

It is a privilege to join with him and the Leader of the Official

Opposition in offering my condolences to the family of the late Ambrose Peddle.

I did not know Mr. Peddle myself but certainly his life is known to

everybody. Of his many

accomplishments, I think he may be best remembered as the Province's first

ombudsman.

He was a pioneer in this

Province of helping people fight unfair bureaucratic decisions and advocate on

behalf of those who perhaps could not for themselves.

He gave of himself for others.

I encourage the government

very sincerely actually, Mr. Speaker, as I say this to bring in the

whistle-blower legislation in his honour, in his memory.

I think it is legislation that he would certainly support, and let us do

that in the memory of Mr. Ambrose Peddle.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community

Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today in this hon.

House to highlight March as national Nutrition Month.

The month's theme, Simply Cook and Enjoy! aims to inspire individuals to

get back to cooking basics and to involve children and youth in food

preparation.

Healthy eating is

fundamental to overall health and well-being, and with today's busy lifestyles

there is a growing concern that food preparation skills are not being passed

down to our children and grandchildren.

Evidence shows that children who are involved in meal preparation with

their families enjoy healthier food, which promotes healthy weights.

Mr. Speaker, our government

partners with several organizations to provide programs and services which focus

on healthy eating and wellness.

These include the Kids Eat Smart Foundation, which sponsors nutritious breakfast

and snack programs for school-aged children; the Food Security Network of

Newfoundland and Labrador, which promotes community-based solutions to increase

access to adequate healthy food for residents; and, the Eat Great and

Participate program, which aims to increase access to healthy food and beverage

options for children and youth participating in events at recreation, sport, and

community facilities.

Nutrition Month is an

initiative of Dietitians of Canada, the association that represents registered

dietitians across the country, with more than 100 members in this Province.

By visiting the organization's Web site at

www.dietitians.ca people can

access healthy eating tips and fact sheets to help them plan, shop, and cook.

To supplement the promotion of Nutrition Month, our government is

tweeting messages on nutrition and simple cooking ideas.

Mr. Speaker, Nutrition Month

is an important opportunity to promote the benefits of healthy eating and to

create awareness of the importance of passing these skills on to our children

and youth. We encourage and remind

residents to take an active role in their overall health and well-being through

healthy eating and physical activity.

Our government is working to provide supportive environments to help

families make the healthiest choices possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the

advance copy of her statement. We

here in the Opposition certainly think it is great to see government

acknowledging the value of healthy eating and we also commend the Dietitians of

Canada for this great initiative. We

are pleased to see government programs that partner to deliver healthy eating

and wellness.

Many children are going to

school hungry and, obviously, this has to affect their learning ability.

The Canadian Institute of Health Information released their 2013 report

on health outcomes, and we here in Newfoundland and Labrador have the lowest

rate of fruit and vegetable consumption in Canada; 44 per cent of Canadians are

consuming five plus servings a day and only 30 per cent of us here in

Newfoundland and Labrador are consuming the same.

We also have the highest

rate of obesity in all of the country; 63.4 per cent of our population is obese

compared to the national average of 51 per cent.

Obviously we know we have huge barriers to overcome in this Province when

it comes to food security, cost and transportation; but, working together, we

can get past these barriers.

Government needs to be

proactive in trying to ensure we have healthy populations and a failure to do

this will lead to more health issues in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister

for an advance copy of her statement.

It is certainly important to support Nutrition Month.

Young people do need better nutrition to offset the trends in obesity and

diabetes. Certainly educating them

about how to prepare foods is important and educational materials are useful,

but many low-income families, those on minimum wage or receiving Income Support,

increasingly cannot afford to feed their children nutritionally.

Increases in Income Support and the minimum wage are needed to allow this

to happen.

I would like to see more

government investment to provide nutritional meals in all schools across the

Province and provide hands-on food preparation training in all our schools.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

The minister did not stand;

so, is it okay to go back to ministerial statements?

MR. BALL:

Yes.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

MR. KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks to you and the Leader

of the Opposition for your co-operation.

I, too, was anticipating Question Period.

I was so excited, especially when I see all those smiling faces across

the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this

House today to update hon. members on the work of the Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador, we have been undertaking work to help support the community sector

in our Province. Last month, through

the Office of Public Engagement, the provincial government held its third

Community Summit, which I am proud to say, was our most successful summit to

date.

Mr. Speaker, this year's

summit was unique in that it connected community leaders Province-wide in four

locations through a Web-based engagement process called Interactive Rooms.

Sector representatives in St. John's, Grand Falls Windsor, Corner

Brook, and Happy Valley Goose Bay worked together in real time through a

combination of Webcast and other Internet applications, including audience

response remote-polling software. In

addition, there was a virtual Web-based discussion table option for those who

could not attend any of the physical sites.

Using this innovative

approach to facilitate constructive relationships within the community sector,

we engaged over 200 people all across regions of the Province an all-time high

for the Community Summit. I

participated from the St. John's location and was pleased to be joined by my

hon. colleagues in their respective regions.

Mr. Speaker, later this

spring, we will be releasing a What We Heard document, based on the feedback

of summit participants. The

information gathered will help us advance government's commitment to

communities, which includes providing innovative training tools, research

opportunities, and promoting social enterprise.

I can tell you that the feedback received was very positive and very

constructive, and it highlighted the importance of continuing networking

opportunities between government and the community sector.

As our Premier stated in his

first address in this House last week, We need to engage people in building a

better province for all, which means reaching out to where they live in their

communitiesit means engaging them, not just for show but for real.

Mr. Speaker, in the coming

days, the provincial government will bring forward even more public engagement

activities and create new dialogue opportunities through our Open Government

Initiative. By building partnerships

with community and stakeholders groups, and by connecting and engaging with

residents in innovative ways just like we did with the Community Summit the

people of the Province will have a greater say in the decisions that make a

difference in their lives, no matter where they live.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for an advance

copy of his statement.

The Office of Public

Engagement was created by the former Premier seventeen months ago to convince

people that they were doing a good job.

The budget last year was a little over $7 million.

The current Premier, when he

was former Minister of Justice, created the family violence court.

That ran successfully and it cost $500,000.

We could have fourteen family violence courts we do not even have

fourteen judicial districts in the Province.

We could have fourteen family violence courts for the cost of the Office

of Public Engagement.

I would ask if the current

Premier would instruct the current Minister of Public Engagement to shave his

budget by $500,000. He could still

keep his little plaything to keep people informed about how well they are doing

and we could have our family violence court back.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I too thank the minister for

an advance copy of his statement.

Although the new Web-based engagement process of remote polling process

government is using for public consultation is truly interesting, I question

whether it allows community advocates for full, real, meaningful comprehensive

dialogue that really challenges existing structures and comes up with solutions.

These community agencies are

doing vital work. Work that

government depends on and that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador depend

on. Working with seniors and youth,

on violence against women, mental health, recreation and sport, community

economic development, many of these groups had their funding cut back in last

year's Budget and they could ill afford to absorb these cuts.

If they suffer through any more cuts this year it will make a serious

challenge even worse. I suggest that

government really listen with the intent to hear their expertise and their

concerns.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Nalcor has twice issued

energy conservation requests so far in 2014, and government has said that energy

conservation is key to preventing more rolling blackouts.

However, this government on this issue is all talk and no action because

there is no provincial energy conservation program that targets all ratepayers

in our Province.

I ask the Premier: Why are

you limiting energy efficiency programs instead of including all ratepayers in

our Province?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that any time

and when we look at future development and opportunities in this Province and

the role that Nalcor is playing in developing our electrical power system into

the future, an important key part of that as it has always been and a key

message that comes from our utilities, both Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and

Newfoundland Power is around the issue of conservation.

I think everybody in the

Province would be aware of the importance of conservation and conservation

methods upfront in terms of turning off the switch, turning off the heaters,

watching your hot water heaters and so on.

These kinds of things are standard and we continue to promote these.

As well, during the recent

issues around utilities and power supply, it was obvious that the general

public, both in the residential as well as industrial customers, complied with

that, Mr. Speaker, and we had success.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, my point was there is

no inclusive energy efficiency program for all ratepayers.

We know that these are standard things, and in other provinces we have

had a lot of success.

Government says that energy

conservation is important, but has placed the energy conservation program in the

hands of the people who are supplying the energy.

So there is no independent energy efficiency program in our Province, and

no clear targets.

So I ask the Premier: Why

have you allowed a private energy company that makes its money by selling

electricity, let them take control of the program, and how does that make sense?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this government

has offered a program through Newfoundland and Labrador Housing for low-income

home owners to be able to do some refits for their house to make them more

energy efficient. Under that

program, some 4,500 households have been made more energy efficient.

So we do provide funding in that area.

Further to that, under the

Green Fund, there has been a number of different buildings and organizations in

Newfoundland and Labrador that have benefited from energy efficient refits.

That would include the Glacier in Mount Pearl, the Corner Brook Pepsi

Centre, Stella Burry, and Ronald McDonald House.

We also have some of our new schools in Paradise and Torbay that have

also benefited from funding to become more energy efficient.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, we know that this

government has had some problems in communication, and just to address the

comments from the minister, what we were talking about is a program that affects

all ratepayers. When I speak to

communications I say that government has admitted, by the minister himself, that

the energy conservation is a low priority, and even cut the only program in half

last year. The minister said that

other priorities rank higher than energy efficiency.

So I ask the Premier: How

can your government say that energy conservation is a low priority when we still

risk rolling blackouts?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency, along with energy

conservation, remain priorities. At

times these priorities become competing demands on a fiscal budget that we have

to announce. In saying that, we also

have our Climate Change Office, we have the Take Back the Tide public awareness

campaign, so that all people in Newfoundland and Labrador can understand that

they have a part to play as well.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, many

non-profit organizations have benefited from the Green Fund to become more

energy efficient in their operations, and 4,500 households in this Province have

also benefited from funding to help them become more energy efficient as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Just weeks after saying that

no additional oversight was needed on the Muskrat Falls Project, government is

now setting up a committee of bureaucrats for the Muskrat Falls to provide this

oversight. The Premier would like

this committee to report to Cabinet, which means the information would become a

Cabinet document and blocked by Bill 29.

Mr. Speaker, the findings

should be public, so I ask the Premier: Why are you setting up an oversight

committee to report and the report would be kept in secret?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the Leader of the Opposition, I

believe that our

interpretation of the legislation differs.

He is referring to the fact where there is a third-party request for

information. There is nothing in the

ATIPP legislation that prevents government, with the exception of some privacy

information, from voluntarily releasing information that comes we release

reports all the time. The midwifery

report, I think, and the busing report, those reports were released and we will

continue to do so.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Well, just three weeks ago the Minister of

Natural Resources said that government did not need oversight in the Muskrat

Falls Project because Nalcor had the expertise to do that.

I ask the minister: Are you

now setting up this oversight committee because you have lost faith in the

experts at Nalcor?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

No, Mr. Speaker, I have not lost faith in the

experts at Nalcor. What I will

acknowledge is that it was certainly not one of my better interviews.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. DALLEY:

We need to understand that this is one of the

largest projects ever built in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that this project is being built by

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. I

can assure the people watching today that this project will benefit generations

of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, through this whole process

pre-sanction, sanction, loan guarantee, there is a need for oversight and we are

absolutely committed to the oversight that is needed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister

by saying that it was not one of his best interviews.

The second part was not much better either, Mr. Speaker.

Government is crafting this

committee to report in secret, when information on Muskrat Falls should be made

public. This is the largest

expenditure in the history of the Province and it is time for the Auditor

General to take a look at Nalcor's books.

I ask the Premier: Under

section 16 of the AG Act, will you now request the AG to inquire into and report

publicly into what is going on at Nalcor?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

I want to thank the leader for that question.

It is a good question. The

Auditor General is an independent officer of this House of Assembly.

He does not work for the government.

The Auditor General, under that legislation, could go into Nalcor or

anywhere else in government any time he wishes to do so.

We invite him to do so any time he considers it appropriate.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Under

section 16 of that

act, the Lieutenant Governor in Council can actually make that request.

I ask the Premier: Will you

make that request to the AG?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, the Muskrat Falls Project is a project that is owned by the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador, therefore it is imperative that the proper

oversight be provided. Proper

oversight, as the minister indicated, has been provided from the time of

sanction, to the financing, and now as we go into construction.

The government has announced

additional oversight because the people of the Province have indicated they have

a concern, and the Auditor General is a key part of that, but we do not order

the Auditor General. We do have the

legislative authority to do so, but the Auditor General will conduct whatever

reports he considers necessary to do when he considers it appropriate, not when

we order him to.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Nalcor has confirmed that

dirty fuel was purchased and used at Holyrood last year, resulting in over $1

million in damage.

I ask the Minister of

Natural Resources: You claimed that Nalcor has all the experts, so how did these

so-called experts sign a contract for dirty fuel that cost taxpayers over $1

million?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, yesterday a former Liberal MHA, a

Liberal candidate in the leadership, and a likely, I believe, Liberal candidate

in the upcoming election called a news conference and made a conclusion that

there was dirty fuel used and also concluded that the fuel caused the power

outages in January.

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor has come

out very clearly. The engineers of

Nalcor who are running the system very clearly say the fuel that is used in no

way had any effect or impact on the outage.

That is clear. As well, they

made a number of comments to explain the issue of fuel usage at the Holyrood

facility.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe the minister will

listen to the question that I have asked, because I did not talk about

blackouts. His officials at Nalcor

have confirmed that dirty fuel was purchased and dirty fuel was used.

You claim that they are the experts.

How did those experts sign that contract to purchase dirty fuel that cost

the taxpayers of this Province over $1 million?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, the explanation is clear.

They tendered a new fuel supplier in 2012.

They received new shipments of fuel.

It is tested at the load port.

It is also tested when it is received.

It met the specs that are required.

Mr. Speaker, through this

whole process it was recognized there was an increased level of aluminum and

silicon which had a negative impact on the actual functioning of some of the

system. That was rectified.

They addressed this issue with the supplier.

They have also made the Public Utilities Board aware of it.

There is no cover-up here or

anything, Mr. Speaker. It has all

been rectified and it has been addressed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Mr. Speaker, even after Nalcor discovered that

the fuel was dirty, they willingly ordered more of it.

What additional toxins were

pumped into the air as a result of the continued use of this dirty fuel?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member

opposite to check his facts.

Obviously, yesterday in the hastily-called news conference it presented some

information. It was ill-informed and

poor quality work, what we are seeing again today to jump to this conclusion.

The fuel was ordered, Mr.

Speaker. It was recognized to be a

problem. They consulted with the

supplier. Future supplies address

the concern that the people of Nalcor had in the operations of the system.

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely wrong to make that conclusion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Mr. Speaker, the 600 foot

John I was adrift for thirty hours

before the Canadian Coast Guard arrived on the scene with the icebreaker

Earl Grey .

It subsequently ran aground near Rose Blanche.

When the Earl Grey did arrive she was helpless in providing any meaningful

assistance, while more capable Coast Guard vessels like the

Sir Wilfred Grenfell that remains tied

up in St. John's, could have been available.

I ask the minister: What

measures have you taken with the federal government to ensure that they have

more adequate response resources patrolling our waters to ensure marine safety?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, the Coast Guard and the Joint Rescue

Coordination Centre in Halifax responded in a timely fashion to the vessel that

was run aground off our shores.

We have nineteen Coast Guard

vessels dedicated to Newfoundland and Labrador.

We, at every opportunity, raise this issue with the federal government.

We need more resources dedicated to the Coast Guard.

We need more resources dedicated to search and rescue to protect those at

sea in our Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Mr. Speaker, that is a contradiction; they

responded in a timely fashion but we need more resources.

Mr. Speaker, both the

Eastern Canada Response Corporation and the Coast Guard, can each respond to oil

spills in this Province but have very limited capacity.

There are more and more bulk carriers navigating our waters, carrying oil

far in capacity of what the ECRC and Coast Guard can jointly respond to.

I ask the minister: What

additional response measures are in place to deal with a potentially

catastrophic oil spill in a timely manner and prevent an environmental disaster

in the waters off our shores?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to those who are

working at sea, safety is paramount.

It is a top priority for this government.

At every single opportunity we have raised questions related to improved

safety standards. We have raised

questions regarding having an increased search and rescue presence in

Newfoundland and Labrador to protect those at sea.

Safety is a top priority for

this government. We will continue to

press the federal government for more resources to help those who are working at

sea in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

If the minister would read something other than

his briefing notes, I asked about oil spill response, not safety.

My first question was on safety.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. OSBORNE:

What additional resources, Mr. Speaker, are in

place to ensure the environmental integrity of our coastal waters, protecting

fishermen, protecting our tourism, protecting the people of this Province from a

catastrophic oil spill?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, protecting our oceans and protecting

the people who work on those oceans is a top priority for this government.

It is an issue we have raised at every single opportunity.

We want to see more resources in place.

We have raised questions

related to environmental protection.

We have raised questions related to safety standards.

We have raised questions continuously about search and rescue response

time and resources that are dedicated to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Protecting those at sea is a high priority for this Administration.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Mr. Speaker, last fall the Minister of Service

Newfoundland and Labrador was asked why so many parking lots still do not

conform to blue zone regulations implemented two years ago.

The minister claimed the regulations are being enforced; however, parking

I ask the Minister of

Service Newfoundland and Labrador: Obviously, enforcement is lacking, what is

your plan to ensure commercial properties are in compliance with blue zone

regulations?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, society today

demands that we have accessible buildings, that we have everything in our

society today accessible for people who need to be included in our day-to-day

work, in our day-to-day lives. We

take that responsibility very seriously as a government.

Mr. Speaker, since the new

legislation came in, in 2012, we have had almost 1,000 regular inspections since

April, 2012. So to say we are not

doing our job, Mr. Speaker, is not true.

We are working with municipalities.

We are working with organizations out there that are looking at where the

issues are and lie. We realize there

are some compliance issues but we are ready to do our work and we will continue

to do our work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Mr. Speaker, I suggest the minister take a drive

down through any commercial corridor in the St. John's area and he will find

non-compliance all over the place.

Mr. Speaker, some of

government's own buildings are failing to comply with provincial blue zone

regulations. Even our hospitals are

lacking appropriate vertical signage.

I ask the Minister of

Service Newfoundland and Labrador: How can you expect businesses to comply with

blue zone regulations when government is failing to lead by example?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL:

Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the compliance

issues at the Health Sciences Centre, in the new parking lot they have.

We have directed them and issued orders to get fully up to speed in terms

of what the regulations dictate, what needs to be done in that parking lot at

the Health Sciences Centre. We have

given them a little bit of time while the snow clears to do the compliance and

get up to speed.

Mr. Speaker, we are working

with Eastern Health and the Health Sciences, as well as other organizations, to

make sure we address these types of complaints.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Local apprentices are

telling us that Corner Brook Pulp and Paper mill are not hiring apprentices and

have not employed apprentices for decades.

The mill just received a government loan of up to $110 million, not to

mention another $100 million of taxpayers' money invested in the mill since

I ask the minister: Given

the log-jam of apprentices in the Province unable to secure work, did you

include a provision in this loan guarantee that the mill hires apprentices?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this government

is aware of the need for people to receive their journeyperson status to support

us as a Province, to be able to take

part in the mega projects that are

happening in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, under the

Department of Advanced Education and Skills there is an Apprenticeship Wage

Subsidy that any employer would be able to avail of.

They would be able to apply through our regional offices throughout the

Province. Basically, that program is

a wage subsidy where, depending on the year the apprentice is in training, we

could pay a significant portion of their salary.

Mr. Speaker, whether it is

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper or any other employer in this Province, this

government is more than willing to work with them to ensure that our apprentices

get the opportunity they deserve right here in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Mr. Speaker, John Noseworthy pointed out this

government's many failures in getting apprentices through their plans of

training and addressing the skilled trade shortage now upon us.

Noseworthy criticized government for entering into major capital works

projects with external contractors without a contract provision for the hiring

of apprentices on these projects.

I ask the minister: How

could you miss these opportunities to get apprentices the work experience they

need when thousands thousands of them are unable to secure work?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, to be clear let

me say that this government has done more for the apprentices in Newfoundland

and Labrador than any previous government in the history of this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Mr. Speaker, an employer, whether it is an

employer who is doing work for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador or in

private industry, or a major contractor doing a megaproject in Newfoundland and

Labrador, can avail of the services that we provide for apprentices in this

Province. We have many training

opportunities for apprentices in this Province as well as our wage subsidy

program.

If there is any particular

employer who would like information, Mr. Speaker, we would certainly encourage

them to contact the Department of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. KIRBY:

Mr. Speaker, last year when the Minister of

Education was asked about the $12 million he claimed would be saved by merging

school boards, he said he had nothing to hide.

A year later, we still have no details to back that up.

I ask the minister: If there

is nothing to hide, why haven't you released the basic information on the

savings earned?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying I want to

commend the people who have been involved in the restructuring of this board

from the trustees to those working at the board office.

They have done a commendable job.

Mr. Speaker, I think the

people of the Province recognize, whether they recognize it or not, with a

decrease in population of some 14,000, a 17 per-cent reduction, it was time we

took a review of the school board, the first review since 2004.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. JACKMAN:

As the year unfolds, Mr. Speaker we have not

gone through a year in this process yet.

This new board took effect on September 1 and as that unfolds we will see

what final dollars are realized then.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear

MR. SPEAKER:

I ask the Member for St. John's North for a very

quick question without

preamble.

MR. KIRBY:

Mr. Speaker, will the minister finally admit that

cutting three school boards resulted in no cost savings at all?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, the man is not a mathematician; I

can assure you that. My answer is

that there will be savings.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The government plans to

appoint a committee of bureaucrats to oversee the Muskrat Falls Project.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the

Premier: Why doesn't he just ask our Public Utilities Board to give oversight as

their counterpart in Nova Scotia is doing for the Maritime Link Project?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, the Public Utilities Board, of course, will have a role.

It is a regulator, it will deal with all general rate applications, and

it will deal with all the capital applications and so on.

We have a responsibility to

the people of the Province who are asking us to provide oversight for this

project. It is owned by the people

of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is

a large project. It is imperative

that proper oversight be provided.

There is oversight being

provided now. There was oversight

provided when the decision was made to sanction the project.

There was oversight provided when the decision was made to come up with

the financing, and the financing has been obtained and the cost is certain and

the amount is certain; and now that we have moved into construction there is

further oversight, a different type of oversight, now going to be required to

oversee that aspect of the project.

Later on, when the project is commissioned, then there will be oversight over

the operations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

All of which the PUB could

have done.

I ask the Premier: Was he

aware when he announced his oversight committee that its reports would have to

be kept secret under Bill 29?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is incorrect in that statement.

Reports that we have, if government wants to voluntarily release the

reports, we have done it in the past and we will be doing it again very soon.

The midwifery report came out, the busing report we are always

releasing reports and we are going to continue to do so.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I ask the Premier: Is he now

committing to release all the reports of the oversight committee as they receive

them?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned the other day the oversight that is in effect

right now in terms of the internal auditors of the company, the audit committee

of the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors themselves, the independent

auditor, their external auditor, their lawyers, and their financial people.

Also, now the independent engineers report is going to be available as

well. We are going to continue to

add some more from the government's perspective so that the people of the

Province can have assurances that the government is doing what the people want

and ensure that the appropriate oversight is in place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I did not hear a commitment

to release the reports of the oversight committee.

Mr. Speaker, the quickest

route to allowing openness and transparency on the Muskrat Falls Project would

be to introduce legislation changing the wording in the Access to Information

and Protection of Privacy Act,

section 18.(2), from shall to may, allowing

his oversight committee reports to be made public.

So I ask the Premier: Will

he move quickly to pass this amendment?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, we have access to information and protection of privacy

legislation in this Province, and people have raised concerns, and then we

announced today the appointment of a committee with stellar credentials, chaired

by a former Chief Justice of Newfoundland and Labrador, made up of a Privacy

Commissioner of Canada, and well-respected journalist from this Province.

We have asked them to conduct a review.

We have asked them to look at the whole legislation not just Bill 29

and then we asked them after they complete a line-by-line review to give us the

benefit of their advice and their knowledge.

We are not going to

pre-judge the report, we are going to wait and see what they say, we are going

to take their recommendations very, very seriously, and I am sure, if it is not

this government, the next government will respond accordingly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

While government has

announced a moratorium on fracking in the Province, back in November now,

nothing has been heard from the government since.

It stated that it would do its own internal review of regulations across

the country.

Can the minister please

update the House and the people of the Province what it has been finding so far?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the fracking issue,

and particularly with respect to fracking on the West Coast of Newfoundland and

Labrador, this government recognizes the importance to protect the health and

safety of our people and the environment.

We called for a hold on accepting any applications for fracking, Mr.

Speaker, until we did some work on behalf of the people of the Province.

My department continues to

do that work. It is not completed,

but in the interim I have also travelled to the West Coast and met with

representatives of some of the anti-fracking groups who wanted to share

information with me, and certainly I wanted to get information from them.

I have also met with a proponent, Mr. Speaker, on the industry side,

again, committing, as I have, to a balanced approach to this whole situation,

and we will continue to do our work and report to the House

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is okay for government to

be doing an internal review of regulations across the country, but what the

people of the Province need is a full independent external and scientific review

that includes public consultation.

Government promised that

they would be doing some public consultation, Mr. Speaker.

When will those consultations begin?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue with

respect to a safe and healthy environment.

It is also a very important issue with respect to economic opportunity

and development, and creating jobs, so finding that balance is extremely

important.

I have committed in this

House that we would do a balanced review both internally within my department.

I have had some discussions as well outside, as I have just indicated,

Mr. Speaker. I have also committed

and promised to the people of the Province that when we have that work, and we

have had a chance to analyze that work, we will absolutely go to the public for

consultations. They will have an

opportunity to have input as promised.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St. John's East for a

quick question without

preamble.

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Speaker, I ask the government: Will the

government be following the recommendations of Health Canada when it comes to a

human health risk assessment?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community

Services for a quick response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we always

follow the recommendations, particularly when it comes to human health and

safety. We will do so this time as

well.

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 Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

MR. KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice that I will

ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Amend The City Of Corner Brook

Act, The City Of Mount Pearl Act, The City Of St. John's Act And The

Municipalities Act, 1999, Bill 6.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

MS SULLIVAN:

I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce

a bill entitled,

An Act To Amend The Mental Health Care And Treatment Act, Bill

MR. SPEAKER:

Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Minister of

Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. CRUMMELL:

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave

to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Amend The Vital Statistics Act, 2009,

Bill 3.

I have another one, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Proceed.

MR. CRUMMELL:

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave

to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Repeal The Printing Services Act, Bill

MR. SPEAKER:

Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice

that I will introduce a resolution calling for a national inquiry into missing

and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada:

WHEREAS Aboriginal women

experience a rate of violence 3.5 times higher than non-Aboriginal women; and

WHEREAS Canadian Aboriginal

women between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four are five times more likely

than all other Canadian women in the same age group to die as a result of

violence; and

WHEREAS the Native Women's

Association of Canada estimates that there are approximately 800 cases of

missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada; and

WHEREAS the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador is on record as supporting the Native Women's

Association of Canada in calling for a national inquiry on missing and murdered

Aboriginal women and girls in July, 2013;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED

part to address the very serious issue of violence against Aboriginal girls and

women by launching a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women

in Canada.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A notice of our private

member's resolution:

WHEREAS government has

recently indicated that energy conservation was necessary to prevent rolling

blackouts; and

WHEREAS Nalcor has issued

two energy conservation requests to the general public in 2014;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED

that this House urge government to consider developing and introducing energy

conservation programs for all ratepayers in our Province.

This is seconded by the

Member for Humber Valley.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Standing Order 63.(3) entered by the Member for St. John's South is the

motion to be debated tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

Thank you.

Answers to Questions for

which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, I petition 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; and

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, one of the

interesting things about this particular petition is that in addition to being

signed by a number of residents of Trout River, it is also signed by somebody

from Orangeville, Ontario, Brampton, Ontario, and Pasadena.

Mr. Speaker, people are

coming through the park regularly and they are at a loss not to have cellphone

coverage. They leave generally urban

areas; the majority of Canadians live in urban areas.

They come here for vacations.

They see some of the wonderful advertising our government has done, and

continues to do, and the place looks like a great place to come.

They come here and they find no cellphone service.

Cellphone service has

penetrated most of the Canadian culture.

Most people with the means to travel this far from other provinces have

the means to have a cellphone, and they carry cellphones.

For them not to have cellphone service is a blight on this Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS 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 offenders going through the court was 10 per cent compared to 40 per cent of

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, I have had the

privilege to present this petition on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador several times in the House.

Each time I try to speak about a different aspect of the court.

I suspect by the time we get the court back everyone here in this House

will be fully, fully familiar with the court and how it works.

The issue I would like to

speak to today, Mr. Speaker, about the Family Violence Intervention Court is

what would it take to reinstate this court?

Even the Minister of Justice himself talked about how important the court

was and that the court was doing what it was mandated to do and it was doing it

well.

The court again, the budget

was $500,000, Mr. Speaker. We know

that for instance the budget for Muskrat Falls is $7.7 billion, so that is

0.00649 per cent of the budget for Muskrat Falls.

The new third line that has been introduced is going to cost $300

million. That money was found very,

very quickly. What we are talking

about for the Family Violence Intervention Court is $500,000.

So, $300 million was found very quickly.

Muskrat Falls currently is spending a minimum of $1 million a day.

We are talking about $500,000 for a court that could serve the people for

a whole year.

Mr. Speaker, I will be happy

to once again stand and talk about the other aspects of the court that we will

need in order to get it up and running again because all of the pieces are in

place.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have 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 hundreds of

residents of the South Coast of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador,

including residents of the communities of La Poile, Ramea, Grey River, Franois,

Rencontre East, Pool's Cove, South East Bight, Petite Forte, Gaultois, McCallum,

and Hermitage use the provincial ferry system on a regular basis for work,

medical, educational, and social reasons; and

WHEREAS the provincial ferry

system is the main source of transportation for these communities; and

WHEREAS most of these

ferries are old, have ongoing mechanical problems, and are constantly being

taken out of service and replaced with even older vessels; and

WHEREAS government, as part

of its provincial ferry strategy, agreed to replace the ferries servicing these

communities and awarded a design contract to Fleetway on January 11, 2011 for

five new ferries for same; and

WHEREAS the residents and

users of these communities are still waiting for these new vessels;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to finalize the design and begin

construction of the new vessels for residents of the South Coast of Newfoundland

and Labrador.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I have these

petitions circulating all over the South Coast of this Province, and it is

certainly outside districts that are not my own because everybody should be

treated to a properly working ferry system.

I get calls, not even people in your own district.

They call you. It is not

hard. Every one of us here has heard

the calls that come into radio shows talking about the ferry service, about how

one is being juggled here and one is being juggled there, and we are going to

take this one and put it there.

The funny thing is there was

a strategy. Again, I mention

strategy because I heard that word numerous times during the Throne Speech.

Everybody was so optimistic and positive, but this was a strategy, too.

This was a few years ago now and we have not seen much on that.

I am looking to see what is

going to come out of this. The

optimism is starting to wane and people are still waiting to see the ferries.

They are getting subservice in many ways and many times.

I take La Poile, for

instance. The number of calls I got

over Christmas when people could not get back and forth was absolutely amazing.

I am getting calls from all over.

I know the minister was

supposed to make an announcement sometime in the new year.

I was told this in a meeting just before Christmas.

We are into March now and I have not heard anything yet, so I guess like

many things the government does, I will use the term hopefully we will hear it

very soon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. KIRBY:

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 current government

regulations deny busing services to students who live closer than 1.6 kilometres

to school; and

WHEREAS parents have

expressed concern that children living within 1.6 kilometres of school face

dangers in walking to school, such as congested streets and busy intersections,

especially during winter weather conditions; and

WHEREAS the $75,000 review

of the school transportation system completed by Deloitte recommended that the

Department of Education consider reducing the 1.6 kilometre eligibility zone for

kindergarten and elementary students; and

WHEREAS the $75,000 Deloitte

report also noted that only 10 per cent of those surveyed for the school

transportation system review agree with the current 1.6 kilometre policy is

reasonable for students and families; and

WHEREAS parents are

continuing to demand more flexible policies to meet current needs of school

children;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge

government to change the outdated 1.6 kilometre busing eligibility policy in

order to ensure safe transportation for primary and elementary school children

in the Province.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, parents are

asking why the minister is continuing to sit on the school transportation review

that he paid $75,000 to complete.

I was doing some research on

this and found this letter to the editor that was written about school

transportation polices and busing in the Province.

It talks about how the previous Minister of Education, the Government

House Leader, had said it was no problem, he was going to look into this, and

how the current Minister of Education at a convention also said no problem, he

was going to look at it. The writer

of the letter said it is unfortunate if Ministers of the Crown are too busy or

too important to have time to listen to the legitimate concerns of those who are

striving to make things better.

I ask the minister and I ask

members to think about it. Are you

too busy to act on the $75,000 Deloitte review?

We asked for a review, the minister was co-operative, and carried out the

review. Now he is sitting on the

review. Is he too busy to actually

do something about it? Because, as

the minister knows, he gets e-mails from my constituents, he gets e-mails from

other members' constituents, and he probably gets telephone calls about this as

well. It is something that needs to

be acted on. He cannot just spend

$75,000 on a report such as this, lay it up on the shelf in the office and just

let it collect dust forevermore. We

need action on this, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair.

MS 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 most communities in

the District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair do not have adequate broadband

service; and

WHEREAS residents,

businesses, students, nurses, and teachers rely heavily on the Internet to

conduct their work and cannot afford to wait until 2016 to access a potential

plan in partnership with the Muskrat Falls development; and

WHEREAS there are a number

of world-class tourism sites in the region, including a UNESCO site at Red Bay,

Battle Harbour historic site, and the Mealy Mountains National Park;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to work with the appropriate agencies to

provide adequate broadband service to communities along the Labrador Coast.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, in the Speech

from the Throne that came down talking about investing in infrastructure and

growing communities by attracting opportunities, it listed that in 2014 the

Province will reach 95 per cent broadband coverage.

My question immediately was: 95 per cent but is the coverage adequate?

Every single day

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MS DEMPSTER:

I have a number of communities in my district

that are not covered, that are paying for their own Internet.

They all have a dish on their house.

The communities of Williams Harbour, Normans Bay, Black Tickle, these

towns are paying for their own.

In the communities, Mr.

Speaker, it was very sad, just every single day I receive e-mails.

Yesterday I had an e-mail from a lady who is working on her masters and

could not sign on to do the final course that she needed.

I think we have to put increased emphasis on retaining these

professionals in rural parts who want to stay here.

We certainly cannot wait for two or three years because our communities

are dying.

We have teachers who we are

trying to entice to the area, yet they cannot get Internet.

Just in my district alone we have ten communities that are maxed out

ten communities in the District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair that are maxed

out with broadband, and the broadband that we have is very inadequate.

I am going to continue to stand and raise the cases as the people bring

the issues forward to me.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

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 in the past the town

of Conception Bay South has provided space for the Conception Bay South Public

Library, but will not be providing space for the library in its new town hall

building; and

WHEREAS losing the

provincial library means that one of the fastest growing communities in the

Province with a population of 25,000 will no longer have library service; and

WHEREAS a library is more

than just books; it is an open community space for Internet access, online

lending, children's reading programs and community events and services, which

provide literacy levels, provide access to information, stimulate creativity and

innovation, and foster the development of strong communities; and

WHEREAS the Town of

Conception Bay South has expressed an interest in cost-sharing a new site with

the Conception Bay South Public Library;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge

government to provide the necessary resources to retain the public library in

Conception Bay South.

Mr. Speaker, I am quite

pleased to present this petition again today, as I did in the last session of

the House. In particular, what I was

really pleased to see with this petition was the representation from other

communities that are out supporting Conception Bay South in this effort,

particularly as this petition comes from Central Newfoundland, from the Town of

Gander.

I am quite pleased to see

one community supporting another.

Particularly when it comes to an initiative like this, because whenever you see

people signing a petition from other areas of the Province there is a direct

area of concern here on the part, for example, of the Town of Gander, whether

they are going to be the next ones to be losing their public library.

I think the people of Gander, Mr. Speaker, know the importance of a

public library, of what it represents.

Among some of the things I

have also listed here; we know government, for example, wants to get out there

and start an outreach program where it is going to be reaching out to the

various publics here in the Province to find out the opinions of government.

What better way for somebody to be able to do that than by going to the

library, for example, and not only doing research for a small business or

whatever it is they are going to be doing at the library, but as a way for

government to be using libraries at the same time, for government to be working

with this outreach.

Mr. Speaker, I am very

pleased. Again, like I said, the

representation from other communities on this issue is very strong.

I will continue to stand in the House when it comes to talking about the

issues around public libraries, and I will be looking forward to standing in the

days ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Orders of the Day, I call

Motion 1. On behalf of the Striking

Committee of the House of Assembly, and in accordance with Standing Order

65.(1), I move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that the Member

for Conception Bay East be replaced by the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La

Hune; and that the Member for The Straits White Bay North be replaced by the

Member for St. John's East.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those in favour of the motion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All against.

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I call now

Motion 2 from the Order Paper. I

move, seconded by the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services, the

following resolution:

Be it resolved by the House

of Assembly as follows:

Whereas

Section 7 of the House of Assembly

Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act provides that the

Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Assembly is to be appointed by the

Lieutenant-Governor in Council on a nomination of the House of Assembly;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED

that Mr. Wayne L. Harnum be nominated for appointment as the Sergeant-at-Arms of

the House of Assembly.

MR. SPEAKER:

Is it the desire of the House to approve the

motion?

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is certainly a pleasure

to be able to stand in the House today for a few moments and speak to this

particular resolution.

I want to start, first of

all, by recognizing our outgoing Sergeant-at-Arms who happens to be with us here

in the gallery today, Mr. Bill Brown, who served with us for two years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KING:

Bill was a tireless worker in this House, who

worked very diligently and gave the House itself and all of us on all sides of

the House, a great level of commitment.

I think I can, on a rare occasion, speak for all members when I say he is

very highly regarded by all of us here in this House for his commitment and

dedication.

I am certainly going to miss

you Bill. I am not supposed to speak

to you, but I will say that to you.

We are going to miss you. I

understand he is going to stay around, Mr. Speaker, as Director of Security with

the Department of Transportation. On

behalf of government, I want to wish you well.

As I said, thank you so very much for your service here for the past two

years. We appreciate the commitment

and dedication and the level of service that you provided here.

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am very

pleased now to take a few moments to welcome another very qualified and very

experienced individual to the position of Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr. Wayne Harnum,

who is coincidently a former Royal Newfoundland Constabulary as well, similar to

his predecessor. Mr. Harnum recently

retired as a Staff Sargent with more than thirty years.

Being the Justice Minister, I take pride in saying that anyone who is

coming out of thirty years with the RNC, and such a quality organization as

that, brings a tremendous level of skill and a lot of strong attributes that are

required to function effectively in this House.

I want to recognize that upfront.

Mr. Harnum is known, Mr.

Speaker, for being a very dedicated and loyal employee in whatever position he

has taken up. He has been highly

recognized in the RNC, in particular, for his work in forensic identification.

I hope all of us would recognize and share the view that the experiences

and extensive knowledge that he brings to this position will be very invaluable

to the position here in providing a great high level of service to the position

and ensuring a safe and secure House of Assembly.

I am sure his experience of

course with the RNC, and particularly when you are engaged in forensic

investigations, you would be required to pay attention to detail.

That is probably a significant responsibility of the position that he is

going to be taking here with us today.

It is a great attribute in assisting him in doing his job and maintaining

order and decorum in the House.

As a side note, I understand

as well he is an accomplished photographer.

Maybe we will get a chance to have a look at some of his work one of

these days.

Mr. Speaker, just a couple

of quick further comments for the record.

This is an opportunity for us to pay tribute and welcome Mr. Harnum.

I understand he is a very strong family person, who is married.

He has a son and a daughter.

I understand your son is carrying on the family tradition in the RNC.

I wish him well in that.

We feel as a government, Mr.

Speaker, that we are very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Harnum's

qualifications and credentials join us here in the House of Assembly and help us

maintain and perhaps surpass the high level of service we have been used to for

the last number of years. On behalf

of the Premier and members of the government caucus here, I want to congratulate

him on obtaining the position and officially welcome him here to the House of

Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know under the rules that

we operate here under this House it is not usual that we look to the gallery and

speak to someone in the gallery. I

will look at you, Mr. Speaker, knowing that the voice over in the corner will

hear me.

I too want to congratulate

Mr. Bill Brown on his years of service here in the House of Assembly, a couple

of years now since I have been here.

We have had many chats in the corridor about things we like to do in the few

hours that we get away from this House, in relaxation and those sorts of things.

I could tell he was a family man, someone who enjoyed living in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

As one point and a memory

for me going back to June of 2012 during the filibuster time, it was quite

demanding on our staff here in the House of Assembly.

Bill Brown, in this particular case, worked his way through that as being

just relatively new to the work here.

I really admired the level of service, what he did, and the commitment to

us as MHAs here and to the Speaker as well during that time.

As the Leader of the Official Opposition, I want to extend my gratitude

and thank you too for the contribution that Mr. Brown has made to all of us

here.

Really the reason why we are

standing and responding here today is to welcome Mr. Wayne Harnum to the

position of Sergeant-at-Arms. What I

did is I looked at what is the role here.

As people watching the broadcast, the Webcasts and all the things that go

on, not too often does the camera actually be on the Sergeant-at-Arms.

For the information of the

people who are watching and saying, who is this guy?

What does he do anyway, the guy with the white gloves on and carrying

this mace in? He is the officer who

is responsible for security here in the Chamber, protecting the MHAs, and takes

custody of our Mace but also is the enforcer for the Speaker here in the House

of Assembly. So for those of you who

are watching, this is the person we are talking about.

What would make someone like

Mr. Harnum qualified to protect us?

Well, his thirty-two years of experience with the RNC, Royal Newfoundland

Constabulary, certainly does that, but it is much more than that.

If you look at the c.v. of Mr. Harnum, you will see that he is renowned

as the senior forensic identification officer within the RNC and he has been a

very valuable contributor to the RNC in general.

It also goes to say about

his calmness under pressure, and I can almost see that as I look at his demeanor

as he sits in the chair today. He

has been called as an expert witness and has been part of many active

investigations in his term at the RNC.

So these are the attributes, these are the things that make Mr. Harnum, I

believe and we support him being the new Sergeant-at-Arms.

These are the attributes that would make him certainly qualified to do

this job.

Not only that; when I looked

a little bit back into his history, I also realized that back in his early

years, back some time ago, he had an interest in automotive technology and

surveying technology, back in some of his education, because now he comes with

obviously a lot of his own personal experiences and he will bring that to the

floor of the House of Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, it also goes on

to say that the RNC call on him to design and teach several courses within the

Constabulary. That is very important

because that is the leadership role that he would take and he would be part of

the education for the younger officers.

This all prepares him for his new job here; but, even more than that, he

has been recognized by multiple awards.

Two that I could actually mention would be the Michael J. Cassidy Award

in 1998 and the Tiller Award in 1996 for his excellence as a police officer.

So, Mr. Speaker, you can see

that my job today to respond to this and welcome Mr. Harnum as the

Sergeant-at-Arms is relatively easy when you look at the experience and you look

at the credentials that this man brings to the House of Assembly.

On behalf of the Official

Opposition, and as Leader of the Official Opposition, I want to welcome Mr.

Harnum to his role as Sergeant-at-Arms.

I look forward to many years of public service as you take on this new

role in working here at the House of Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Being the third speaker,

there is not a lot left for me to say.

So if I repeat some things, I hope everybody will understand.

First of all, I, too, want to recognize Mr. Brown for the role he played

with us here in the House of Assembly.

I am hoping that we did not frighten him away with two filibusters,

because in his short history with us, less than two years, that was a lot to

take on. I do wish him well in his

new position as director of transportation.

We do not interact a lot

with the Sergeant-at-Arms, but we did get the times when we can have little

chats and you get a sense of people's personality during that time.

It has been a pleasure having Mr. Brown here in the House with us.

As I said, I do wish him well on behalf of our caucus.

I am very pleased to join

with the other leaders in the House to welcome Mr. Harnum in his role as

Sergeant-at-Arms. I cannot help but

note, Mr. Speaker, that you must really want help in keeping us toeing the line

with our second Sergeant-at-Arms from the RNC background.

If you are trying to put the fear of God in us, perhaps you are going to

succeed in doing that.

I say to Mr. Harnum, we are

not as bad as all that though, I do not think.

I wish him well in helping us do what we should be doing here in the

House of Assembly.

On another light note, I do

read with interest the awards he has received and the fact that he is a forensic

footwear examiner. I, myself, am a

real fan of CSI and I am going to try

to find time to ask him: Is anything that I see on television what he actually

does? I am also going to watch what

I wear on my feet and where I walk in this House of Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the

motion?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Before we move to further

business of Orders of the Day, I just want to take a moment, with the House's

indulgence, to offer my thanks as well to the outgoing Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr.

Brown, for his wise counsel, advice, and support to me in my role as the

Speaker. As the Leader of the

Official Opposition pointed out, one of the roles of the Sergeant-at-Arms is

protection of the Speaker. I always

felt pretty secure, not because of anything you would do, but obviously having

someone of Bill's calibre to be able to provide some advice and support to my

role as Speaker. Thank you very

much.

I want to welcome as well,

and thank all of you for endorsing the decision to recruit Mr. Harnum into his

new role as Sergeant-at-Arms.

Welcome, Sir, to your new role.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, with leave from

my colleagues of the other two parties, I would like to call from the Order

Paper the notice of the resolution that I gave earlier today respecting a

national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and children.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR. SPEAKER:

Government has leave.

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by reading into the record the all-party

resolution that we are bringing forward today.

I want to express my appreciation to the Leader of the Third Party who

came to me with the idea that we unite in doing this.

It says:

WHEREAS Aboriginal women

experience a rate of violence that is 3.5 times higher than non-Aboriginal

women; and

WHEREAS Canadian Aboriginal

women between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four are five times more likely

than all other Canadian women in the same age group to die as a result of

violence; and

WHEREAS the Native Women's

Association of Canada estimates that there are approximately 800 cases of

missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada; and

WHEREAS the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador is on record as supporting the Native Women's

Association of Canada in calling for a national inquiry on missing and murdered

Aboriginal women and girls in July of 2013;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED

part to address the very serious issue of violence against Aboriginal girls and

women by launching a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women

in Canada.

That is seconded by the

Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Speaker, healthy debate

is at the heart of our democracy.

Much can be accomplished by exploring all sides of an issue, but there are also

times when it is proper to put aside our differences and to stand united to

achieve a goal about which we all agree.

This is one of those moments.

Loretta Saunders was a young

Aboriginal woman from Newfoundland and Labrador who was deeply troubled by the

issues of violence against Aboriginal women in our country violence that so

often leads to death or disappearance.

She understood the grief; she understood the unbearable vacuum that so

many families endure when they do not know where their loved ones are, or what

has happened to them. She understood

it, because as a young Inuk woman she felt it.

She took ownership of it, and she set out to change it.

She enrolled at St. Mary's

University in Nova Scotia and commenced work on a thesis about missing and

murdered Aboriginal women. Her

thesis advisor has written poignantly about the insight she brought to this

issue, and her determination to shine a spotlight on those tragedies and change

things. She was just twenty-six

years old, just starting out, expecting to have a whole lifetime in which to

bring about change, but then she herself disappeared.

In a database of statistics

somewhere in Ottawa the number of Aboriginal women murdered in Canada increased

by one, Loretta had become a statistic.

Loretta's family, her community, and all of us are absolutely determined

that just another statistic is not what Loretta Saunders will be.

This time it will be different.

This time we act.

Loretta's sister, Delilah

Terriak, announced on Facebook that she intended to help organize a national

vigil on March 27. She wrote, While

we found my sister, she and I know of too many stories of women who will not be

laid to rest. This needs to change

now. I plan on holding a country

wide vigil and would love to have any help organizing actual gatherings in your

community. This is for all women,

not just you, me or Loretta.

In a couple of minutes I am

going to ask that we all rise and pay tribute to Loretta with a moment of

silence. Then I am going to ask that

all of us put our silence aside and raise our voices unitedly to make change.

Indigenous rights groups, the United Nations, the Premiers of all

thirteen provinces and territories, and both opposition parties in Ottawa have

called upon the federal government to launch a national inquiry on missing and

murdered Aboriginal women as reported in

The Independent on March 1, 2014.

Mr. Speaker, such an inquiry

will be one of the most painful in Canadian history.

It will reveal deep and bleeding wounds in our society.

All sorts of things will be said that will be very painful to hear.

There will be anger and outrage, harsh accusations, and scathing

indictments. The process will

unleash a tempest of fury like none that we have seen in our history.

Many political advisors and public relations professionals would probably

advise that this is absolutely, unequivocally not the thing to do, but it is the

right thing to do.

Just as South Africa needed

Nelson Mandela's Truth and Reconciliation Commission to expose the deep wounds

in that society in order for the necessary reforms and the healing to begin, so

too we need such a process to expose the wounds in our society, to change things

and to start the process of healing.

We are a long way from healing because the violence continues to be done.

The wounds continue to be inflicted.

Aboriginal women continue to

suffer from violence. They continue

to disappear. They continue to be

murdered. They continue to live in

fear that it will happen to them or their daughters or their neighbours.

All of us are culpable if we continue to ignore it.

I implore the federal

government to take a leap of faith, as truly this will require.

I implore them to ignore those who are saying no and to make this inquiry

happen. Find a way, do it now.

Let this be Loretta's legacy, the legacy of the thesis that she never got

to finish.

I am sure she would say that

far more important than the thesis she hoped to write, was the change she hoped

to inspire. Although her voice has

fallen silent, we can breathe life into her words and aspirations by taking up

the torch and bringing about the change that she hoped to inspire.

Let us rise to honour her

now with a moment of silence and then let us resolve to be silent no more.

MR. SPEAKER (Verge):

All rise.

[A moment of silence is

observed.]

MR. SPEAKER:

Members, please be seated.

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Many times when we respond

to something like this from the Premier, we start by saying we are happy to

respond, or we take the opportunity to respond, but today as I stand here in

response to this all-party resolution I cannot say it is something I am

absolutely happy to do because the story in itself is a difficult story.

It is a narrative we have heard about, we discussed and talked about for

many years now, but I do consider it a privilege that we join with the

government caucus and the Premier's resolution, and I want to thank the Leader

of the Third Party for extending this invitation.

I believe an all-party resolution is certainly very appropriate on an

issue like this.

As Leader of the Official

Opposition, we do support the call for an independent national public inquiry.

It is indeed important for us to set aside our differences on issues like

this so that we can all be united, not only as members of the House of Assembly

here in Newfoundland and Labrador but on behalf of all the residents of our

Province.

We did, a few weeks ago,

issue some press releases as critic for the Status of Women and Aboriginal

Affairs. I see the need to do this.

So it is appropriate that we do take this opportunity today to stand here

in this House and support this resolution.

Going back to July, 2013, it

was not only us here in this House today, it was many other people at the

Council Federation meeting where the Native Women's Association of Canada

recognized the need for a national inquiry.

As the Premier said, at that meeting we had thirteen premiers across our

country that supported this.

The Aboriginal women and

young girls, as the resolution says, are three-and-a-half times more likely to

be victims of violent attacks than non-Aboriginal women.

When you think of this, when you look at how disproportionate that is in

terms of numbers, realizing of all the missing women and girls in our country

today, based on the database that the Premier mentioned, it is there as a

statistic, we realize if you look at the 824 in that database, it speaks to the

Aboriginal women and young girls, that is about 25 per cent.

That is the disproportionate number we are talking about.

That is the statistic, but behind every one of those statistics is a

family. Realizing that of 25 per

cent of those, they were indeed a mother.

It is not a story that we

only hear about in the news today as we listen to this, it is a story that

affects families, that affects young children, and children who would have to

live without the experience of growing up with their mother.

It is important for us that we do stand here today united and in

solidarity as the House of Assembly to support the need for this and supporting

this all-party resolution, and the call for the national, public, independent

inquiry.

People would say: Well, here

we go again; we have another group of politicians who are asking for an inquiry.

The question would be: What is the purpose of this inquiry?

The purpose is we want to make a change, and as the Premier said this

would be difficult. The conversation

around all of this will indeed be difficult, but it is time that, as a society,

we now identify what the systemic problems are facing Aboriginal women.

What are the root causes that, indeed, we have those disproportionate

numbers? That is what this inquiry

would do. It is my privilege to be

able to stand and support this all-party resolution.

When you look at the life of

Loretta Saunders, a promising young graduate who in herself had recognized the

need to do whatever she could, really as an individual, to make a difference,

for her to go out, write a thesis, and try to identify what those root causes

are. To think now the legacy of her

death will be that she has a family member, and the Premier mentioned her

sister, but indeed her cousin as well and they put together almost 60,000

signatures on a petition that is calling for this national inquiry, all of this

to support the research that has already been done.

The answer to get to the systemic problem, as I said, will be a national

inquiry into the murders and missing young Aboriginal women.

So it is a difficult time.

I will read in the resolved part again that I do support, and as a Leader

of the Official Opposition, we do support that all parties of this hon. House

serious issue of violence against Aboriginal girls and women by launching the

national inquiry.

It is important we do this.

I believe it is also important that the Premier take the opportunity to

write the Minister of Justice, the appropriate ministers around Status of Women

federally, and indeed the Prime Minister himself.

This is not about politics; this is about identifying the root causes and

the systemic problems we have because we do need to change this so that

Aboriginal women are not living with the fear of being another victim, another

statistic, be added to the missing persons list, and indeed a murdered victim.

It is my privilege to be

here to support this all-party resolution on behalf of the Official Opposition.

Thank you for the time, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister Responsible for Labrador

and Aboriginal Affairs.

MR. MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, to stand in the

House today as the Minister Responsible for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs it

is not a day that you want to stand to this resolution, but I feel it is

necessary to have a few words. As

difficult as it is, on February 13 we lost an individual to a very unfair

circumstance, an individual who was making a difference to Aboriginal people.

This is my second time as

the Aboriginal Minister. As an

Aboriginal Minister you sit on the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group, which is a

committee that is formed by all of the Aboriginal ministers across the country.

At every meeting that I have been to, they normally meet face to face

twice a year throughout the country.

At every meeting that I have been to with the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group,

violence against Aboriginal women and children has always been one of the top

priorities to try to find a resolution for it.

I think that through the

loss of Loretta Saunders it certainly brought it to a forefront again, not just

in our Province of Newfoundland and Labrador but throughout the whole country.

I have spoken with some of my colleagues across the country and the

devastation that this senseless murder and senseless act of crime against

another Aboriginal youth almost, because Loretta was very young, has had a

terrible effect throughout the whole country.

I am proud, I guess, to be

part of a government that is standing today as three parties in a House that are

unified in getting a message sent clearly to our colleagues in Ottawa that this

does need a national inquiry. As you

heard the Premier and you heard the Leader of the Opposition allude to that,

with a national inquiry it is not always the good things you are going to hear;

but, hopefully, through a national inquiry, you do have good results.

We know that if there is a national inquiry, there will be changes made.

We know there will be very difficult and sensitive issues that will be

raised. There will be a lot of hurt

for people who still have members of their family missing and no resolutions to

those missing people still out there.

There will be anger and pain

also in a national inquiry, but I think most important with a national inquiry

what we get is that we find some closure, we find an opportunity, and we find an

opportunity for some healing. I

think that is very important.

Next week I will be meeting,

personally, with Loretta's thesis advisor, and I am hoping that her sister and

her cousin will also be at the meeting and they want to sit down and talk to me

about the work that they are going to be doing in the near future.

As we all know, there was a

petition in Ottawa last week actually, it was this week, and 300 people were

at that. It started out with about

twenty people walking up to the steps, and by the time they had unrolled the

banners and the drum dancers had played, there was over 300 people listening to

a clear message. I think the clear

message is that we need to be together on this, have that national inquiry and,

hopefully, find some answers so that we can once and for all put an end to the

violence that our young Aboriginal women and children are being subjected to

and, hopefully, find some resolutions to that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, I, again, also speak in support of

this resolution.

Maryanne Pearce, an

Ottawa-based researcher, has developed a database with 3,329 women who have gone

missing or have been murdered, and, of these, 824 were Aboriginal women.

That means 25 per cent of the 3,000 women database has been Aboriginal

women, yet they make up only 2 per cent of the population of Canada.

The odds on being murdered if you are a woman are higher than if you are

a man, generally, and if you are an Aboriginal women, they are in the extreme.

Mr. Speaker, hopefully this

inquiry will not focus exclusively on the offenders one of whom it is reported

today, his victims are going to receive a compensation reward for a serial

murderer in British Columbia. Mr.

Speaker, I am not saying his name because I believe that too often we focus on

the name of the perpetrator and that only tends to, in their warped way, glorify

some of the acts they have done; it publicizes them and makes them prominent.

There are many of these serial murderers and mass murderers who, after

they are dealt with through the criminal justice system, in my opinion, they

ought not to be in the public domain as a name any more, simply as a person who

perpetrated certain offences.

The victims, we need to know

and not from the time a young girl is picked up hitchhiking, not from the time

that a young woman is picked up prostituting herself in some of our streets

because she is drug addicted and made vulnerable - we need to go back to the

beginning. We need to go all the way

back to the communities where these women came from.

We have some of these communities in our Province.

The Premier said yes, this

inquiry will unleash a lot of strong emotions.

In my view, it is likely that nobody will be left untouched by this.

We have issues with how we have dealt with native people, Aboriginal

people, even in our Province that tends to make them more vulnerable.

The root causes of why 25 per cent of the women who have gone missing or

have been murdered in this country in the last few decades and most of them

are only in the last two decades have been Aboriginal women.

For sure we need this

national inquiry. The national

inquiry needs to be a public inquiry; it needs to touch on all provinces.

In addition to looking at today why a person such as Loretta Saunders

finds herself a victim of crime, why is it that so many people over the entire

nation have found themselves, so many Aboriginal women and girls who have found

themselves in vulnerable situations.

The results speak for themselves.

These are horrific outcomes.

We need to know: What were

the beginning stages? How did this

begin in the first place, and what can we do to alleviate these numbers?

Not just by apprehension and enforcement, which clearly is important, but

by getting at the root causes of why these Aboriginal women were in a situation

where they could be so easily victimized by the monsters among us.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

MR. RUSSELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is an honour and a

privilege to rise today in support of this all-party resolution and to have a

few words on behalf of the people of Lake Melville, and the people indeed of

Labrador. As a young Inuk myself, as

an Aboriginal person, it becomes very clear to you in life where the matriarch

of our families stand in terms of the perspective we give to our elders.

It is something that is bred into us.

It is the way we are raised.

If you look at traditional

Inuit families going back before colonization, you see the mothers, the

grandmothers, our elders in the families.

They are the pillars behind those families and those communities, small

and isolated and rural as they may be.

What you see is the men hunting and fishing, but the social network, the

weave of the fabric of the society was maintained by the women.

That is what we are here to talk about today.

When we heard the Minister

of Environment and Conservation last week talk about how issues such as this

transcend partisan politics and the colours we fly as the banners around the

communities we represent, I was so glad to hear this is the way we were going to

stand, united. To look towards Ottawa,

and to look towards the Harper Government and demand that an inquiry be held to

get some answers, to have justice for those who have been lost along the way,

and to get some type of closure for the families involved.

Today, I would just like to

share with this House and the people who are watching at home, how it affected

our community. Loretta, as we all

know, was not the cause and the start of the call for a national inquiry, but

she is certainly that spark, the catalyst that should hopefully drive this home.

I had the pleasure to have been to two fundraisers on behalf of the

family during this whole process when we heard the bad news and all of that.

At the first fundraiser we

had hope. It was a search effort.

We all came together and played our instruments.

We took the stage. We shared

in a night of social engagement, just to throw in a few dollars and do your own

little part at a community level to make sure the family at that particular

point in time had the resources to carry on a search, to fly family members out

to Halifax, to print flyers, to put out ads in as many places as they possibly

could, to have people dedicated to organizing this on our social networks, if

you will, on Facebook, on Twitter, doing those things.

All of which we engaged in.

I will not forget it, Mr.

Speaker. You put your cellphone on

airplane mode. I was on the way back

to a fundraiser when we were sitting on the tarmac in Deer Lake and somebody I

had known from the community of Rigolet, the AngajukKak, the Mayor, Ms Charlotte

Wolfrey, a friend of mine from my previous life in the Nunatsiavut Government.

She said: Keith, did you hear?

I said, no. She told me of

the news of the update where Loretta was found.

I was floored, just like every community across Newfoundland and

Labrador, indeed, the country, because that is what Loretta has done here.

Even in the most tragic of

circumstances here she has reached out.

She has put a national spotlight back on the issue.

She was not the start for those calls for an inquiry, but she is

certainly hopefully going to be the one to bring it on home for people

everywhere.

Without belabouring the

point, I will just say in previous roles within the Nunatsiavut Government, as

Minister of Health and responsible for the Status of Women, I have seen

first-hand how these issues are still prevalent in Inuit communities today.

Even though some of the stats we have heard mentioned by other members of

the House here today talk about older numbers going back, even back into the

1970s. I believe the earliest case

from the Native Women's Association of Canada was probably in the 1940s; having

said that, we still see it today.

Due to isolation and due to

rural communities, we still have to combat these issues.

I believe it does come down to prevention.

I know this government, in our Violence Prevention Initiative, is part of

that, so making people aware this is still happening.

It is about making people aware this is unacceptable, it will not be

tolerated, and that there is hope.

I will not go on and on, but

I want to make this point, Mr. Speaker.

Prime Minister Harper has a chance now to keep hope alive in the hearts

of Aboriginal communities and for Aboriginal women across the country

everywhere. Hope that an inquiry

will be struck, it will have some meaning to it, and it will change this trend

in terms of these statistics and the fact that there is a disproportionate

amount of Aboriginal women falling victim to unfortunate circumstance.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I

will say thank you for the opportunity to speak to this.

I am fully in support of this.

I have never been more proud to be a member of this House, to see all

parties united and doing something that is genuinely right.

Now it is on Ottawa.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It is unfortunate that we

have to stand in our House today to call for the kind of inquiry that we are

calling for. What this resolution is

dealing with is the reality that we wish did not exist, and that is the reality

of violence against women, girls, and children, and particularly in this House

today, violence against Aboriginal women, girls, and children.

I am proud of us as a House

of Assembly, as a Legislature, that we have come together to stand solidly in

support of the resolution. I do

thank the Premier and the Leader of the Official Opposition for responding

positively to my request for an all-party resolution.

I knew when I wrote the letter, I had no doubt there would be agreement,

because however much we may disagree on various political points in this House,

I know we would not disagree on the issues around violence against women, girls

and children, and particularly Aboriginal women, girls and children.

I think we should be proud

of ourselves that we are here today united in this issue and are ready to do

what the Premier has called us to do, which is not to be silent.

That means that after our debate today, we still have to stay vocal.

That after our debate today, we have to continue to let the federal

government know what we expect of them.

We have to, I think, reach out to other provinces.

We responded to what

happened in Nova Scotia. That was my

inspiration, the fact that the Legislature in Nova Scotia did what we are doing

here today, and now I hope that we will become a role model for other

Legislatures in the country. I would

love to see all provinces and territories stand and say to the federal

government we absolutely need a national inquiry.

Because, no, the answers have not been found, as I have heard said by the

federal government. The answers have

not been found. We have a major

systemic problem in our country and we have to get to the bottom of that

systemic problem, and I think a national inquiry is the only way to do it.

We have to deal with the

fact that the murder and disappearance of Aboriginal women and girls has gone on

for way too long in Canada and it has gone on because nobody spoke out about it.

I lived in Vancouver in 1991 when a young woman was murdered on Powell

Street in the downtown east side, which has almost become an iconic region in

this country when it comes to the murder and disappearance of Aboriginal women,

younger and older.

It was that death in January

of 1991 that created what became the first of many annual women's memorial

marches. I remember taking

part in

some of the activities that took place on the first February 14, 1991 to mark

the memorial of the death and disappearance of Aboriginal women.

I think we all know the horrific stories that have since come out of the

downtown east side, about women who had been murdered, women who have

disappeared and the frustration of the community they were part of in trying to

get a justice system to listen to them, to pay attention to the fact that they

just did not walk off the street on their own and not come back, that some other

people had been involved, that murders had happened.

They just did not disappear accidentally.

I took

part in other

memorial services as they grew across Canada. Throughout the 1990s I lived

outside of the Province and I took

part in some of the memorials that happened

in Toronto, where I lived after Vancouver.

Then I came home in 1999 and was surprised to find out that in actual

fact we did not have a memorial here in Newfoundland and Labrador, that nowhere

in the Province did we take

part in this February 14 date which was the time for

remembering disappeared and murdered Aboriginal women.

I remember the first time

that I saw the reminder that the memorial was taking place in different parts in

Canada and feeling sad that we did not do it here in this Province, because I

knew that we did have women who were being murdered, not just Aboriginal women

but women including Aboriginal women.

I knew the mother of one of

these Aboriginal women. She has been

mentioned already here in the House but I want to mention her in a deeper way

today. I do have her permission for

doing this. It is Mayor Charlotte

Wolfrey in Rigolet. Charlotte's

daughter Deidre was murdered in 1993.

She was actually the second young woman in that community to be murdered

by her partner. That is shocking to

think of such a small community having two murders in a fairly short period of

time. I think the first one was 1985

and then in 1993.

Charlotte Wolfrey and

another wonderful leader in Labrador, Ruth Flowers I do not think her son is

in the House today, but her son sits in the House worked together with the

community to raise the issue of what was happening and the fact that women,

particularly in Rigolet, did not feel safe, they wanted justice, they wanted

protection, and they wanted police protection.

They started with the women

throughout the North Coast of Labrador, calling for protection for Aboriginal

women, calling for protection by the presence of police.

It took seven solid years. I

asked Charlotte last evening when I was talking to her: Can you remember when

that struggle was over? She said: My

memory is that in the 2000 Budget the money was there to finally have RCMP

officers in Rigolet.

It is good that they are

there, but isn't it a shame that it took seven years of the women of the North

Coast of Labrador begging and pleading and trying to prove why this was

necessary? Do we have a problem in

this country? Yes, we do.

We have to face it. We have

to face what the systemic issues are.

They will not be pleasant as has been pointed out by the Premier and by

others. It will not be easy, but if

we do not do it, the murders will continue.

We have to stop those murders from happening.

It is important that we not

just do what we are doing here today in having the debate, but we do have to put

in writing and I am sure the Premier will be taking the leadership in doing

this of letting the federal government know what we have done here today and

in telling them that we are insistent, that we have to have an inquiry.

In February of this year though it was not done on the fourteenth, I

think there were reasons for that.

On February 3, in St. John's, we did have finally a vigil in remembrance of the

murdered and missing women and girls in Newfoundland and Labrador.

It included all that they knew at the time, not just Aboriginal.

The decision was in our small community it was good to recognize all.

We have a list going back to

1815. It was chilling that night to

be at that memorial and to hear the descriptions of the murders.

It was horrific, and we have to stop it.

We have to make sure that murders stop.

We have to continue with our initiatives with regard to violence against

women. More than that, we have to

make sure that there is no silence.

We have to make sure that murders end.

We have to make sure that if murders happen that the full justice system

finds out why the murders happen and justice is done.

What we are doing here today

is absolutely essential. What we are

doing here today I think should make us proud, but it also should make us sad.

That has already been expressed.

Just as in 1991 in Vancouver the murder of a young woman on Powell Street

in Vancouver woke people up to what was going on and broke the silence.

I think that is what Loretta Saunders death has done for us in this

Province. I think some people have

not been aware of the number of murders of women that have happened, and a lot

have not been aware of the numbers of murders with regard to Aboriginal women.

So we are helping break that silence.

We are helping shed a spotlight on an issue that is a shame on any

society, and it is part of our society.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker. Once again, thanks to

everybody in the House, that all of us can stand here together today united.

I look forward to being able to vote for this resolution.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community

Services.

MS SULLIVAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as expressed by

many who have stood before me in this House today, it is so unfortunate that we

have to stand here and do what we a