May 9,

2012 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 29

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

The Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I rise today at the earliest possible occasion to

raise a point of privilege before the House. I refer to O'Brien and Bosc, page

141, where this House attaches great importance to matters involving privilege

before the House. I am aware that there is a formal process to be followed. We

have followed that process and notified the Speaker of the same, and indeed this

is the earliest opportunity to raise this privilege. The privilege, Mr. Speaker,

is in relation to the actions of the Member for St. John's North.

Mr. Speaker, before we move forward, it is important to recognize the purpose

of a point of privilege and that is to maintain the respect and credibility due

to and required of each House in respect of those privileges, to uphold the

powers, and enforce the enjoyment of the privileges of its members. Mr. Speaker,

a question of privilege is indeed a very serious matter that is not to be taken

lightly.

We recognize that there are many new members in this House of Assembly, many

members who are learning the ropes for the first time, and we certainly do

appreciate that and we have some tolerance for it; but, last evening, as a

preamble to my motion, the hon. Member for St. John's North, who is also the

critic for Advanced Education and Skills and an educator himself, made a very

disparaging comment against a member in this House respecting the level and the

quality of their education.

I raise that, Mr. Speaker, because we find it very offensive and very

condescending, particularly when we reference the circumstances we live in today

in Newfoundland and Labrador where many people are out of work, many people look

at advanced education and furthering their education as an opportunity of hope.

To hear a leader present the kind of statement that was made in this House last

night, I believe, sets a very poor example.

Mr. Speaker, all of us are here in this House, we were elected by people of

the Province who have faith in us and they look to us for leadership. This

Legislature, as all of us recognize, is an institution where we enjoy rights and

privileges as hon. members duly elected to sit here, to take our place here, and

to represent the constituents who put their faith and their trust in us.

Mr. Speaker, we also recognize that debate can get heated. There is banter

back and forth at times. There are differing views and differing perspectives.

We always tend to do so with respect to the greatest level we possibly can, Mr.

Speaker. Incumbent upon all of us is that, when we disagree with a point that is

made in this House and we have a reason to challenge something that has been

said, we have a right and obligation to stand in this House and raise it in the

context of where the debate is occurring: in the Legislature.

Mr. Speaker, I am also very aware, as you are and every other member of this

it ever has. We recognize that members on all sides of the House have, in fact,

embraced that and are using it as an opportunity, from our perspective, to try

to promote the policies of our party, in this case the government. In other

cases, you may challenge other policies.

We have had discussions, Mr. Speaker, and you were part of those discussions

with representatives of the other parties opposite here, and thought at some

point that we had come to an agreement about the kinds of things we might engage

in using Twitter, in particular, and the kinds of things we might not engage in.

I admit today I think that agreement is done. On behalf of government, we see

there is no longer an agreement, at least not between the government and the

NDP, respecting the trend we have seen in using Twitter, Mr. Speaker.

Last evening, Mr. Speaker, we had debate here. We had good debate here. A

number of members on this side of the House stood and presented some very

personal, very real human stories to their district, to people they represent,

and to their own personal lives, Mr. Speaker. A lot of members stood. I can name

them off, but I do not need to because they are in Hansard.

Mr. Speaker, close to midnight last night, the hon. Member for St. John's

North made a post on Twitter that we see to be very serious, very offensive, and

indeed very unparliamentary to this House. He accused a government member of

lying in this Chamber. Mr. Speaker, what that does, besides the fact that it is

a serious breach, it calls into doubt the honesty and the integrity of all

members on the government side of the House. For that reason, we see this as a

very serious breach of conduct for this House. If this statement had been made,

Mr. Speaker, in a public forum by the member opposite, responding to another

comment by another member in a public forum, then I would suggest fair game.

While I think there has generally been a rule, as long as I have sat in this

House, that with the exception of a couple of slips, most of us tend to treat

each other with a degree of respect and we do not stoop to those kinds of

attacks, personal and otherwise. To be fair to the rules of this Legislature,

Mr. Speaker, I would see that as a little less serious.

This statement, however, Mr. Speaker, is very serious, because the member

took the debate that occurred in this Legislature and extended the debate. He

chose not to debate it in the House of Assembly where he has been elected to

stand on behalf of the people and present his views, but rather chose to extend

the debate in a manner that - their trend is developing, because Twitter seems

to be the mode of operation extended the debate from the House of Assembly

through Twitter and proceeded to call someone a liar in this House. What is

probably worse, Mr. Speaker, was, either by choice or by lack of integrity, he

did not identify the person he was making the accusation against. Now, Mr.

Speaker, it does not take long to count up the members on this side of the

House. With the greatest respect to members opposite in the Opposition, it did

not reference you, it referenced the government members. You can do the

counting.

A lot of people on this side of the House take great offence to that, Mr.

Speaker. Even if he had identified the member, I think we would take great

offence to it, but the fact that you cast aspersions on the way this House

operates, that you sit in this House for almost six hours or six-and-half hours

yesterday between the afternoon and the evening, with all kinds of time to stand

to your feet and raise a point of privilege, to raise a point of order, and to

do the honourable thing, Mr. Speaker. Remember, we operate on the basis that we

get elected to this House as hon. members who come in here with integrity and

the ability to do the job and represent the people who voted us in.

The honourable thing to do is to stand on your feet in this House and either

debate it in speaking time, or you raise a point of privilege or a point of

order, Mr. Speaker, and challenge the member whom you think is actually lying,

It can be a real curse for everybody, because there is nothing easier than

standing behind a keyboard when you do not have to face the cameras and the

audience and members in this House and defend your actions and take heat for

your actions if people challenge you back. It is very easy. I have a Blackberry,

Mr. Speaker, like everyone else. It is very easy to do when you do not have to

face the person that you are accusing and stand up and defend it and debate it,

but, Mr. Speaker, we see it as very serious, a very serious challenge in the

highest level, to contempt in this House.

With that said, Mr. Speaker, based on what I have shared with you, based on

information that we have found in O'Brien and Bosc, as well as the House of

Commons procedures, Mr. Speaker, I call upon you, as Speaker of the House, to

rule that this member, in fact, is out of order and that your ruling would ask

for an immediate apology, not only to members of this hon. House, but indeed to

the people of Newfoundland and Labrador who ought to be, and are, insulted by

that level of decorum by a member elected to hold higher standards in this

House.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Comments to the point of privilege.

The Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I withdraw those comments without reservation.

MR. SPEAKER: The Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. KING: I would ask the Speaker to consider a request that an apology

be forthcoming. It was very insulting and very offensive to this side of the

House, and to stand up and say I withdraw the comments is not enough. The member

ought to do the right thing and apologize or let the Speaker make the ruling.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I apologize for those comments without reservation.

MR. SPEAKER: The Acting Opposition House Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, again, I just stand to speak to this and say

I leave it to your direction as to how we proceed.

MR. SPEAKER: As the Deputy Government House Leader indicated, he had

communicated with me this morning and shared his intent to introduce this issue

this afternoon in the House. I have had an opportunity to reflect on what we

just heard and the request before the House. I do accept, on behalf of the

House, the member's apology, but given the issue raised and the significance of

it, and embedded in the statement there is another issue with respect to social

media that is important I think. I would like to share some comments that I

believe should guide the House and its members in their conduct. Let me share

with you what I would like for you to take under consideration, because it will

guide what I do from the Chair in issues such as this when it arises, and should

it arise anytime in the future.

In an hon. House with hon. members, it is not possible to make a stronger

accusation than that a member is lying. In the cut and thrust of debate,

language is often heated and perhaps does not always maintain the degree of

civility that we would all hope. Nevertheless, heated debate is one thing,

accusations of lying is quite another, not merely a difference of degree but a

difference of kind.

As all members know, an accusation of lying made in the House would be

quickly followed by a demand from the Chair that the remark be withdrawn and

such an accusation is, in our quaint jargon, unparliamentary and would not be

tolerated by the House. In this instance though, the events, the Member for St.

John's North accused the member, or a member, of lying in the House, through the

demand for retraction which would have resulted from an accusation if it were

made in the House.

If two members are debating an issue outside the House on an Open Line show

or a panel discussion of some kind, and one were to accuse another of lying,

that would be regrettable and as such touches all members generally. However, to

in the House, does not live up to the standard of conduct which we expect from

elected members.

The members of the House of Assembly, no matter how strong the policy and

political differences, share a common bond which cannot be set aside. No member

is an island unto themselves; what touches one member touches all of us. When a

member acts with compassion and generosity, that reflects well on all of us.

When a member acts less than honourable, that too reflects on all of us.

When members speak in this House we accept them on their word as hon.

members. No member may accuse another member of lying. The assumption in this

Chamber is that honest and sincere men and women are striving for the betterment

of their Province, and they are candid and honourable in their debate.

Members have an obligation to this institution, in addition to what they feel

their obligation may be to their party, or to their district, or to others. It

is easy to forget this in the heat of a political debate. I encourage all

members to keep this thought foremost to set an example for those who will

follow us in this Chamber.

As a Speaker, I feel a responsibility to members of this House of Assembly

which is perhaps greater than my authority. At times, I might even wish that my

authority over how members conduct themselves would extend outside this Chamber;

however, outside of this Chamber members must govern their own conduct in light

of their own conscience.

In the case at hand though, it appears that the offensive tweet by the Member

for St. John's North was sent at 11:39 p.m. on May 8. Here is a point I would

ask you to keep in mind, or one of the points I think it is significant to be

guided by: had this accusation of lying been sent while the House was sitting so

as to escape being sanctioned for unparliamentary language while still making

the accusation, I believe it would be a prima facie case of privilege. I remind

all members of the privilege they enjoy as members of this House and with that

privilege comes a responsibility that all of us have to maintain the integrity

of this House.

This was a very serious issue raised in the House today and I would ask all

members to be guided by my comments as we conduct ourselves in the future.

The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: A point of privilege, Mr. Speaker, if I may.

MR. SPEAKER: Please.

MS MICHAEL: Of course, I had no idea this was coming to the floor today

and I have listened very carefully to what you have said. I appreciate the

points that you have made and I think they will give guidance to all of us in

the future.

There is something I would ask the Speaker to consider, because I do not know

the answer to this question, Mr. Speaker, and you may be able to give it now or

you may want to think about it and respond at a later time.

You were quite correct that sometimes in this House we all, in a moment of

heated debate, say things that we may regret after we say them; sometimes they

are points that should not have been said, et cetera. Sometimes people quote

other people; sometimes members of the House quote another member of the House

during a debate. Sometimes those quotes are

interpretations. I may have done it

myself sometimes. I do not know, I very well may have. Sometimes they are

interpretations; sometimes they are put out on the floor as actual things that

somebody has said.

If those words that are being quoted or being interpreted are words that

happened here in the House at some time, they can then be verified; we can go to

Hansard. If somebody quotes me, for example, and I say I really did not say

that, and I go Hansard ,and I see what I actually said and it was not what was

said here in the House, at the moment I come to that realization, the House is

probably closed, because I have waited, I have checked Hansard, et cetera. I now

know that I was quoted incorrectly; I am presuming that I could call a point of

privilege the next day.

That is what I am asking for your ruling on. Can I call a point of privilege,

then, over the fact that somebody in the House during a debate quoted me but the

actual quote could be verified in Hansard, and in actual fact what was in

Hansard was the opposite, maybe, of what I was quoted as saying? I think that is

something that we need to consider, because I think sometimes that has happened

here in the House. I think we need a ruling on that as well, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The Deputy Government House Leader, to the point raised by

the Leader of the Third Party.

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I wanted actually to respond to the previous point

of privilege, but I would ask for clarification. The rules of the House are very

clear that you raise a point of privilege at the earliest possible convenience.

The point of privilege I raised today occurred at 11:30 or 11:40 last night.

This is the earliest possible convenience.

I would ask the member before the House considers a point of privilege if she

would state the time she is referring to. If, in fact, it happened in the

afternoon, it ought to have been presented at some time last night before 10:00

o'clock.

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I was not referring to the timing of the House Leader's point of

privilege today. I was putting out a what-if. If things went the way I talked

about, then can I get up the next day with regard to something

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: that I have verified for myself was incorrectly stated the

day before in a session, or am I going to be told that what I said, even though

it is Hansard, does not count? I was doing a what-if. I was not referring to the

timing of the House Leader's point of privilege today.

MR. SPEAKER: The Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I would ask you on a point of order to consider

that you cannot raise a point of privilege on what-if. The member opposite is

challenging an

interpretation of either O'Brien and Bosc, the rules that govern

that House, or the Standing Orders, Mr. Speaker. There is no point of privilege

in that, that ought to be referred through the House to the Speaker's Office or

to the Standing Committee that deals with such. I see no point of privilege

here.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi has raised a

question. I will take your point as a question of clarification, because it is

inappropriate to raise it as a point of privilege because appropriate notice has

not been given and you have not laid out the rationale for that point of

privilege. It is not a point of order, but I do respect the question you have

posed.

Let me give you an answer: It is extremely difficult to give a hypothetical

answer to a hypothetical question. Points of order and points of privilege are

raised in this House periodically, and when they are, the member raising them

lays out the rationale for the point being raised at the time. Frequently, you

have to consider the issue being raised in the context. The Speaker is left with

the information shared by the member raising it and guided by references like

O'Brien and Bosc, our own Standing Orders, and comments that others may provide

to the point of order or point of privilege being raised.

It would be difficult for the Chair to give you an answer to a hypothetical

question. Should you feel at some time, or any member of this House feel, that

there has been a brief of their privilege as a parliamentarian, then I suggest

you be guided by our Standing Orders and guided by references such as O'Brien

and Bosc to help frame your issue that you may want to raise, and introduce it

on the floor of the House. In the case of a point of privilege, as was done

earlier today, to provide appropriate notice to the Speaker and that way we are

able to address the issue when it comes to the floor of the House.

The Government House Leader.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Acting Opposition House Leader has raised the issue of Question Period

today. This being Wednesday, Private Members' Day, normally at 3:00 o'clock I

think the Standing Orders require that we move to the private member's motion.

Mr. Speaker, we would certainly be willing to do whatever adjustments or

guidance is needed to ensure that Question Period takes place.

MR. SPEAKER: This being Private Members' Day, the hon. the member raised

an issue of Question Period and the timing of debate. What would happen at 2:30

p.m., we will proceed to Question Period. Between now and 2:30 p.m., we will

start with the Orders of the Day which starts with members' statements. We will

have a time for maybe three or four members' statements, but at 2:30 p.m. we

will proceed to Question Period.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Today we will have members' statements for the Member for

the District of St. John's South; the District of St. Barbe; the District of

Fortune Bay Cape La Hune; the District of Mount Pearl North; and the District

of Bellevue.

The Member for the District of St. John's South.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Today I pay tribute to Mildred Kelly, a businesswoman and a strong supporter

of church and community, who passed away recently at the age of eighty-seven.

As she took her final journey to her resting place, her driver stopped in

front of Kelly's nursing home, which she owned and operated for decades, as a

tribute to her and her mark on the personal care home that she took so much

pride in.

Mildred, who grew up on Carter's Hill, was known as a hard worker who would

be up early enough to prepare breakfast for the residents, start lunch, clean

the bathrooms, make beds, and fix anything that needed repairs from toilets to

toasters. She was known as a cook, baker, electrician, and plumber. While it is

said that she was a hard worker and a tough woman, she was also known as having

a heart of gold.

I ask all hon. members to recognize and pay tribute to Mildred Kelly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to acknowledge the hard work of the Red Ochre

Regional Development Board.

The Red Ochre Board is one of the two Regional Economic Development Boards

that serve the Great Northern Peninsula and their mandate almost precisely

envelops St. Barbe district. Serving three dozen communities stretching from St.

Barbe in the north to Trout River in the south, the Red Ochre Regional Board is

the singular economic development entity that covers the entire district.

Under the long-term oversight of its Executive Director, Sean St. George,

this board has provided economic development ideas and communication, and has

delivered services to the communities of St. Barbe District for many years, and

their contribution cannot be easily overstated.

The Red Ochre Board is governed by a board of volunteers drawn from various

communities in the district. Some of the unique challenges found in St. Barbe

include Gros Morne National Park in the southern half of the district, while the

northern half depends on the fishery.

Matching these two economically diverse but seasonal industries is a

continual challenge and the Red Ochre Board, located in Parsons Pond, continues

to meet that challenge. That challenge has not gone unnoticed and it is in

recognition of their effort that I recognize them today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate participants of the

Central Newfoundland Kiwanis Music Festival from the great District of Fortune

Bay Cape La Hune.

Caisie Watkins won Vocal Concert Group and a Kelly Family award in the Rose

Bowl competition. Whitney Willcott-Benoit received four awards for best vocal

solo, sacred music, folk music, and the Ron Ennis Award for best traditional

folk performance. Kendra Willcott-Benoit won the Adjudicator's Award for

outstanding solo voice and best performance in vocal quick study. Michaela

Benoit received Best Performance for Sacred Music. Sarah Collier, Taylor

Collier, and Kendra Willcott-Benoit won best performance by a vocal trio. Sarah

also won for Best Performance in Newfoundland Music. The Bay d' Espoir Academy

Dolce Singers received the Adjudicator's Award for Choir. St. Ignatius Youth

Choir won the Howell Memorial Award and the Cecilian Training Chorus won best

performance by a choir.

I also extend congratulations to the Cox, George, Burke, Collier, and

Willcott-Benoit families, and accolades for Destiny Benoit, the Bay d' Espoir

Academy Choral Speech Group, the St. Ignatius Youth Choir, Sarah and Taylor

Collier, Kendra and Whitney Willcott-Benoit, and Garrison George, who performed

at the Stars of the Festival.

Thanks as well to Brenda Jeddore and Valerie Coombs. You dedication to

fostering exceptional music talent in our region is very much appreciated.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Elizabeth Park Elementary on

the celebration of its first birthday. The school, faculty, and students

celebrated the one-year anniversary of the new school earlier this year.

After being relocated at the School for the Deaf temporarily, the students,

staff, and families of Paradise Elementary and now Elizabeth Park Elementary did

the best they could with the situation at hand. The Department of Education, in

co-operation with Eastern School District, worked tirelessly to build two new

schools for the students of Paradise; while that happened, the teachers and

students commuted to another school outside of their community for a period of

time. Their temporary home was still a strong, vibrant school community.

It is hard to believe that more than a year has passed since Elizabeth Park

Elementary has opened its doors to welcome students back home. Not only are the

students and faculty enjoying their new school closer to home, but they are

enjoying a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly

school.

I am sure that everyone would agree that this new school, located on

Ellesmere Avenue in Paradise, is a great addition to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating

Elizabeth Park Elementary, the staff, faculty, and students, on the celebration

of their first birthday.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Bellevue.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. PEACH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to recognize a young man of New Harbour, Mr. Matthew Williams.

In the 2012 March edition of the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine,

Matthew's story, "Chasing His Dream," was featured. Matthew is a highly

respected and active member of his community through his involvement with the

church and the Community 5 Lion's Club.

Matthew is a person living with Down Syndrome and just a few short years ago,

he was granted the opportunity to complete the Hunter's Safety Course which, I

might add, he passed with flying colours, thus completing a portion of his

dream.

The following year, Matthew applied for a moose licence, but was unsuccessful

in the moose draw. This did not discourage young Matthew. Determination set in,

he applied of the caribou licence, and his application was met with success.

In the fall of 2011, Matthew, his father, uncle, David and cousin, Nelson,

set out on the hunt, Mr. Speaker. Matthew triumphed; on November 11, he shot his

first caribou. His dad said it was a tear-filling moment for him, but for

Matthew, it was a dream come true.

I ask all hon. members of this House to join me in congratulating Matthew on

his very first successful caribou hunt.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The time for Question Period is now, 2:30, but I understand

there is a time-sensitive document that needs to be tabled.

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to stand today to table the annual report of the Board of

Commissioners of Public Utilities on operations carried out under the

Automobile Insurance Act for the period of April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Justice if he would confirm

that the RCMP reported directly to him. The answer came back that they do. We

all know that during the search for Burton Winters, the first call was made by

the RCMP in Makkovik to the RCMP Support Services.

I ask the Premier: Have you asked the RCMP why they did not contact Fire and

Emergency Services until 8:00 o'clock on Monday morning?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yes we have. Mr. Speaker, when I stood in this House yesterday

and said that we had reviewed all the circumstances with regard to the search

and rescue efforts with regard to Burton Winters and that we were satisfied the

best judgment was used that could be used, that the expertise that was available

on the ground guided the actions of the people who were involved in search and

rescue. They had a strategy discussion on that Sunday night, and given all of

the things that they considered when they learned that this young man was

missing, they decided to wait until the morning, reassess the situation then,

before they called in air support.

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services stated yesterday

that the rescue protocol is what they call a living document or an evolving

process, so I do not know what happened between Sunday evening and the next

morning of course.

What steps do we now take to ensure that police officials who work in remote

areas of the Province understand this protocol, and what protocol is in place

when they make a call for search and rescue?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are a very large geographical area with many, many

communities spread out along our coastline and a very small population. In our

many communities, in our many organizations, in our airports and so on, Mr.

Speaker, we have emergency plans for search and rescue, for some catastrophic

accident in a community. These communities, these organizations, all have

emergency plans in which volunteers play a critical role, the policing

jurisdiction plays a lead role, and municipalities play a lead role, Mr.

Speaker. These protocols are well established, laid down in emergency plans, Mr.

Speaker, and are followed on a regular basis all throughout this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you.

I have seen some of those emergency plans and they are not living documents,

they are not evolving. They are usually very set type plans, which are

important.

Mr. Speaker, on November 27, 2011, a fire claimed the life of a fifty year

old man, and a sixteen year old was charged with manslaughter and arson. The

Child and Youth Advocate is committed to investigating the matter and determine

if the services provided by the government departments and agencies met the

needs of the youth.

I ask the minister: What is the status of this investigation, and when do you

expect to see it completed?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As the member would know, we cannot speak to individual cases, particularly

with youth. I can tell you that the investigation is ongoing. However, it is

with the Child and Youth Advocate, so that is individual of our department.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

According to documents that we received from the department back in 2011, we

have about eighty children and youth who are living in independent or

alternative-type living arrangements. At the same time, we have just over 600

living in foster care. While foster care living arrangements are actually

monitored or the facilities are inspected, we understand there is no formal

review for those ALA type living arrangements.

I ask the minister: Why don't we have such a system in place so that we can

ensure the quality of homes for our children, the same standard that they would

have in the other arrangements?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a very difficult situation when you have to remove a child, but we only

do it when it is absolutely necessary to do so. Children come into our care if

they are at risk of maltreatment or have been maltreated.

Mr. Speaker, ALAs are not the most ideal situation for our children. There

are thirty-nine children in ALAs as of today. Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago in the

Budget we announced our new Continuum of Care strategy, $4.1 million this year

and $14.3 million next year. The goal of that is to eliminate ALAs. In the

interim, there are standards for ALAs, most certainly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Maybe in the follow-up question we will get an answer if indeed

they are actually being inspected.

We have been made aware of a sixteen-year-old who has signed a voluntary

youth agreement with Child, Youth and Family Services and is now referred to as

an emancipated youth. The supportive housing that he is living in is really a

safety hazard. We know that the room, when he went in there, there was no key to

it. We know that the window was not operating.

I would ask the minister: How is it that our youth in need of care and

protection are ending up in substandard housing rooms that are really not fit to

live in?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is confusing the two. Children in

our care would be in foster homes, group homes, and so on. When you turn

sixteen, you are under a youth service agreement, Mr. Speaker. We provide all

kinds of supports to those youth in terms of funding for residential placement,

job finding, and all kinds of life skills, Mr. Speaker, but it is up to the

youth to find the living accommodations. We will certainly work with them, but

it is their role to find their place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: This is a sixteen-year-old and it is certainly substandard

living accommodations, I can assure you that.

Mr. Speaker, recently government has stated that Muskrat Falls is a $2

billion equity investment. When you look at the commitments that are being made

right now to infrastructure plans, and you look at the Muskrat Falls and the $2

billion that will require, I ask the Premier: At what point will government see

a return on this investment of $2 billion?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we have said on a number of occasions I think the Minister of Finance

has also said this does not go to net debt, Mr. Speaker. What we are doing is

we are building a revenue generating asset that will pay for itself. What we

will gain, Mr. Speaker, is not only more stable and eventually cheaper

electricity, but we also gain an asset that will continue to produce revenue for

100 years. In terms of when it will produce revenue, what we know, Mr. Speaker,

there is an internal rate of return or an equity return built in for the

Province. Mr. Speaker, we know that it will pay for itself.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Any time you borrow, you are going to accumulate debt. All I

was asking is when are we expected to see the rate of return. The financial rate

of returns that would be done with any pro forma when you look at an equity

investment.

Can you tell us exactly when you expect to see the rate of return? We already

know that you can actually predict fifty-year oil prices so when can you predict

the rate of return?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have used the figure that, for example, the average ratepayer in the

Province who burns 1,517 kilowatt hours of energy per month will in 2017, based

on Decision Gate 2 numbers, pay $232. That $232, Mr. Speaker, includes the cost

of building the project, the maintenance and ongoing operation. It also includes

monies for the payment of debt services and the rate of return. It is all built

in to the $232. What happens, Mr. Speaker, the internal rate of return, unless

for whatever reason government chose to waive it, would be paid back from the

time the project commences.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Let us not forget that Nalcor has at least $3 billion in debt

associated with this too. All I am asking is if you are doing the pro forma on

it, when do you expect to see money come back to the government so they can use

for those services?

Yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources again stated that the Province

will experience brownouts in 2015. He stated that the solution to the 2015

problem was Muskrat Falls. This will not be completed until 2017.

If Muskrat Falls is the solution, what is the plan for the two years of

brownouts, or are just the energy demand numbers wrong?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What happens is if there is not enough energy, Mr. Speaker, we can experience

temporary shutdowns, for example, as happened one time in 2011. The plan to get

us from 2015 to 2017 is the building of a fifty-megawatt combustion turbine,

which will be installed at or near Holyrood, Mr. Speaker, and then will be

called upon to meet peak demand, if needed.

What we are always looking at, Mr. Speaker, is peak demand, to have enough

energy to satisfy the needs of the Province in that coldest day in the winter.

It does not mean that every day in the year we will burn that much energy, but

we have to be ready, Mr. Speaker. So, we have looked at that possibility and we

feel confident that this one turbine would solve the issue.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: I am absolutely glad to hear that today because I expected that

was your answer yesterday.

On March 29, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources about a study on

natural gas that was commissioned by Nalcor to EnerSea Transport in 2007. This

was never made public, as we know, and at the time the minister was going to get

some answers on this. It has been six weeks now.

I ask the minister: Can you provide us the details of this study and would

you table the findings?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am not aware of any study that was commissioned on natural gas in 2007 by

the Department of Natural Resources. The only study that has been commissioned

is one that is currently been undertaken, a report being undertaken by Ziff

Energy out of Calgary. It comes as a result of the issue of natural gas having

been raised. Mr. Speaker, what we have done is we have asked Ziff Energy to look

at not only the importation of natural gas and the construction of an LNG

terminal, but we have also asked them to look at the building of a pipeline from

the Grand Banks and whether or not that would be economically feasible and gas

would be available. Mr. Speaker, again I am not aware of the report referred to

by the member opposite.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, Budget 2012 announced $3.7 million for

programs and services at Memorial University's Faculty of Engineering and the

Marine Institute. What was not announced is that government has instructed

Memorial to find $3.85 million in administrative savings. This nets a negative

$150,000 investment in new operational funding for Memorial.

I would ask the minister: Can you please explain the discrepancy and why the

whole story was not announced?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Through deliberations and meetings with the President of Memorial University

and members of the executive, there was a request for government to provide

additional funding for the engineering program and as well money for the Marine

Institute. Mr. Speaker, we delivered on those requests.

In saying that, Mr. Speaker, there was also an announcement by this

government that I would assume was shared with everyone in the Province,

including the Opposition, that we were going to have a 3 per cent reduction in

our departments across the board, but we did not want it to affect our programs.

Like any institution, we have asked the university to find 3 per cent, and with

the budget that the university has and the administration they have, we feel

that is a reasonable request.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, Budget 2012 has allocated $2 million less

than it had committed to as part of a three-year deferred maintenance program at

Memorial.

I ask the Premier: The university relies on commitments from government to

plan for capital development and to engage other capital donors; how reliable

are your commitments when this desperately needed funding is being pulled out

from under the university?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We had a deferred maintenance plan for Memorial University. We anticipated it

would be $12 million this year, but it is $10 million. In addition to that, Mr.

Speaker, Memorial University this year will receive $40 million for their new

residences, 500 beds in St. John's, and at least 200 in Corner Brook; there will

also be more than $11 million to renovate the existing residences at Memorial

University. Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, there will be $4.7 million for lab

improvements at Memorial University.

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to that university and our money is there to

help.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, Canada is currently negotiating a trade

agreement with the European Union called CETA that is expected to be concluded

later this year. There have been concerns raised about what this Province will

be asked to give up, especially on the fishery.

I ask the minister: Has our Province formulated our position on the fishery

and if so, have we coordinated with other fishing provinces in this country?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-EU agreement is on the road to an agreement in terms

of negotiations that are ongoing. I believe they have just completed their tenth

session. Obviously, as a Province, we see great possibilities in terms of this

agreement.

The hon. member mentioned fishery. Certainly, we look at the tariffs into

Europe; the reduction or elimination of those tariffs is certainly priority for

us. We were pleased last week to see the federal government indicating an

ambitious trade agreement would see that as part of it. We certainly support

that for our communities, our regions, and what it would mean for the fishery of

Newfoundland and Labrador. We continue to monitor the file, engaged in the

process. Our officials are fully engaged. We are looking forward to being part

of a successful trade agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: What is she doing to

guarantee the Harper government will not sell out Atlantic Canada, the Atlantic

Canadian fishery, like he did back in 2009 when he signed a new treaty with the

EU that had been voted down by the House of Commons?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, any agreement that we are supportive of is in

the best interests of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, making sure that all our

industries, it is a benefit to them. This is an agreement between twenty-seven

states of the EU. It is a population of 500 million people; they have GDP in

excess of $17 trillion.

Our businesses, our companies, and our people are ready to compete; they are

competing on the world market. If this agreement is what Newfoundland and

Labrador can support, we will be there to support it and support our businesses

and all those who are exporting today and can export in the future to continue

to build our economy, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Will he disclose to the

people of the Province what the European trade negotiators are seeking from our

fishery? I think that they should know what rights this Province may have to

give up to the advantage of Central Canada.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I

note that this is a negotiation between Canada and the EU. You go to a

negotiation; I am not sure if he is familiar with the process, but you do not

lay everything out on the table for everybody to see what the negotiation is all

about.

As I said, we are fully engaged as a Province; our officials are fully

engaged. At the end of the day, the benefits for this are tremendous for

Newfoundland and Labrador. We will make sure that any agreement that we support

is in the best interest of Newfoundland and Labrador, the fishery, and all

industries in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

I ask him to make his question very quick.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the minister may have been

misled by the comments from his side. He did not actually answer the question.

I asked what are the Europeans asking, not what are we asking. What are the

Europeans asking for us?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development a quick answer, please.

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I did understand the question. Once again, we are not opening

the table up to what everybody wants in a free trade agreement. We are fully

engaged with the chief negotiators from Canada. As I said, my officials are in

touch; we are monitoring where it is going to and from in terms of across the

table and what the issues are.

Once again, the fundamental issue at the end of the day is we will support

any agreement which is in the best interest of Newfoundland and Labrador,

continues to grow our economy, and continues to drive our industries, as we have

done as a government since 2003. If that is there, and if that is on the table,

Newfoundland and Labrador will support it, 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.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Premier said the MOU on the fisheries did not

address structural problems in the fishery, which is one of the reasons her

government rejected it. Mr. Speaker, government was a signatory to the process

and was part of the process

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: from beginning to end under the direction of the Minister

of Fisheries of the day

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: If government thought the process was going

astray, why didn't they say anything during the twenty-month, $800,000 process?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, we are very familiar with the MOU and we are very

familiar with why we arrived at having to have a process to develop an MOU. If

members opposite had paid attention last night to the Member for Bellevue they

would have gotten a real good lesson in what has happened in the fishery in the

last twenty years, let alone casting aspersions and doubt on the validity of

what the man said, who stood in the fishery and worked on it all his life. He

shared very clearly the challenges with the fishery.

Mr. Speaker, the MOU challenges, we recognize the challenges, and government

was fully engaged. The partners in the MOU process were told upfront that if

they were coming for a recommendation of a cash bailout of hundreds of millions

of dollars of taxpayers' money and going to leave plant workers behind, we were

not going to support it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I said, the Premier said the government rejected the MOU because it did

not address structural problems in the industry. Mr. Speaker, government was an

active part, as has been acknowledged, of the development of that document right

from the beginning and was part of all discussions, of which there were many.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Will she table all correspondence, including

the minister's, between the signatories during the MOU process which related to

worker adjustment?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I will gladly provide and offer today, to provide

the member opposite with a Coles Notes abbreviated version of the MOU, because

there is obviously something missing. Either it has not been read by the member

opposite, or certainly not the MOU that we are working from.

Mr. Speaker, let's be very clear. There were four or five key ingredients in

the MOU: the Lobster Sustainability Program, done; the fish plant worker

adjustment program, done; the investment in technology and fisheries adjustment

strategies, done; the investment in marketing in this Province, in process; and

the Fisheries Loan Guarantee Program, stay tuned.

Mr. Speaker, the only thing that was not done was what we said upfront that

we were not going to do, was put hundreds of millions of dollars into the

pockets of harvesters and not look at the plant workers.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, I suggest that after all the times I have been

told that I have not read the MOU

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: I would like to point out to everybody watching this House

I have read the MOU more than once. This minister has to realize that doing that

is not getting them anywhere. Mr. Speaker, I asked for certain documentation, it

has not been offered to me.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: So we will go the route to get that documentation, Mr.

Speaker, because worker adjustment was one of the big issues. The correspondence

on worker adjustment is important, Mr. Speaker, and I will get that information.

Mr. Speaker, right now I want to know why this government is not holding a

high-level meeting with all stakeholders to talk about how we are going to move

forward with regard to the structure of our fishery, not cherry-picking, but the

structure?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no reason for the Leader of

the Third Party to get upset with me and shout at me, I can hear very clearly

what she is saying. I am merely pointing out to her the inaccuracies of the

statements that she is making relative to the MOU process.

Now, people in this House, I think, are getting a very clear picture of the

fishing policy of the Third Party, Mr. Speaker. We have already heard about the

fishing gravy policy, which no one understands who grew up in rural Newfoundland

and Labrador. We are hearing now that the member has no idea of the initiatives

that the MOU and the partners to that support, because she is the only one who

is not accepting that we are doing the things that the industry asked us to do.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what else to say to the member, except once

again, I will provide you with a brief to help you clearly understand what it is

all about.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, if the minister answered my questions I might not have to ask

him again.

Mr. Speaker, something has to happen, the Premier is letting rural

Newfoundland crumble. Unfortunately, government's mismanagement is not limited

to the beleaguered fishing industry. Yesterday, the Premier issued an ultimatum

to Kiewit, giving them a week to make a deal to build a third ferry in

Marystown. Mr. Speaker, this is an ultimatum levelled at workers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: What plan does she have for the workers of

Marystown if Kiewit calls her bluff?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am going to say to the Leader of the Third Party, an excursion around the

bay once a year will not tell you about the reality of lives in rural

Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Now, Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House the

majority of MHAs come from rural districts, and if she wants to know what we do

about communities that are in trouble, Mr. Speaker, I refer her to Stephenville,

Grand Falls-Windsor, Hermitage, Harbour Breton, Belleoram, Mr. Speaker, we can

AN HON. MEMBER: Arnold's Cove.

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Arnold's Cove - when this government did not have a

copper, Mr. Speaker, when we were facing bankruptcy we found $3.5 million to buy

quota to save the plant in Arnold's Cove, Mr. Speaker, when we did not get one

phone call from the people across the way.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: Our office gets regular calls from desperate parents whose

children have autism spectrum disorder. They tell us that students are

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

These parents tell us that students with autism are not getting the support

they need in school; as a result, they are falling behind in key achievement

areas such as reading and mathematics.

Will the Minister of Education tell us what this government is going to do to

support students with autism in our schools? What is the plan to help these

students, Mr. Speaker?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I could speak to the $15 million we have put

into special education services, but I will speak specifically to autism. Since

2009, we have put $1 million into working with autistic students in our schools.

Just about a month ago we had a renowned world expert who spoke to

seventy-four teachers within our school system. Mr. Speaker, that is all about

providing supports and better educational opportunities for the autistic

students in our Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Parents and teachers are at their wits' end trying to support students with

autism. They are counting on this government to deliver on their promise of

inclusive education. So far we have seen very little very little in the way of

new supports for students with autism.

Mr. Speaker, when is this government going to admit its dismal failure to

provide services to students with autism, and when is it going to get serious

about helping these students get the supports they need?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, it is too bad, it is really too bad the member

opposite has not taken the time to go to some of the schools.

The Member for St. John's Centre and I went to Bishops College just a little

over a week ago where they won an Inclusion Award, Mr. Speaker, for their

initiatives within the school system. That is one school that is an example of

many across this Province who provide quality, inclusive education for the

students of our Province. He should take the time to look at some of the

practices that are being carried out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, every season 30,000 people come from all over the world to visit

L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Government widely promotes the

opportunity to discover the mysteries of this magical place; unfortunately,

visitors also discover that they are cut off from their worlds as there is no

cellular or broadband coverage.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation: What is

his plan to fix this unacceptable situation?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs, and

the Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. McGRATH: Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of the amount of people that

visit L'Anse aux Meadows and many other areas in our Province. We are working

very closely with the feds; through our work with them we realize that the

broadband is not there. We will continue to work with them and improve on it. We

already made announcements just a little while ago, an announcement of $24

million for broadband within the Province, so we are working on that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and

Recreation says his department is developing a tourism-related mobile app in

recognition that 80 per cent of visitors now use a mobile device. Certainly this

is timely and innovative. There is no cellphone coverage or broadband coverage

at L'Anse aux Meadows, this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Why would the government develop the

software but not provide the basic supporting infrastructure?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, I reiterated here before in the House our

commitment to telecommunications, in particular high-speed Internet, over the

past number of years, and the commitment we have made since coming to power an

increase of 312 per cent. We will continue to do that.

Mr. Speaker, last fall I had an opportunity to make an announcement that saw

upgrades on the Northern Peninsula, certainly in Labrador, on the South Coast,

and in Central Newfoundland and Labrador. In October we made the commitment to

the people of Newfoundland and Labrador; obviously they accepted what we put out

to them. We are sitting here as the government and we said to them that we would

continue to move in the next four years in continuing to increase high-speed

Internet around the Province.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, we worked with service providers for cellphone

coverage to see what we could do in terms of building that capacity.

The issue here, Mr. Speaker, is this is a federally regulated industry. There

are private service providers; they need to come to us and partner with us. When

they do and when it is in the best interest of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

and we can make a case to do it, we will be there, but it is the private sector

and the federal regulators need to (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for St. John's East, for a very quick question.

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday in the House the minister referred to an investment in

defibrillators as part of a strategic investment towards heart health in the

Province. The minister refers to these as being an excellent investment

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time for Question Period has now expired.

Orders of the Day

Private Members' Day

MR. SPEAKER: This being Private Members' Day and according to Standing

Order 63(7), I now call upon the Member for Mount Pearl South to introduce the

private member's motion that stands on the Order Paper in his name.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move the following private member's motion, seconded by the Member for Port

au Port:

WHEREAS over the course of the next ten years, Newfoundland and Labrador is

projected to see some 70,000 job openings; and

WHEREAS our government since 2003 has laid the foundation for this growth by

commissioning and delivering on both the White Paper on Public Post-Secondary

Education and the Skills Task Force to prepare our people; and

WHEREAS our government, since the release of the Skills Task Force Report in

2007, has invested approximately $95 million in the areas of apprenticeship,

science and technology, training and infrastructure; and

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. LANE:

WHEREAS Budget 2012 invests $4.1 million in new funding to

support the following initiatives to advance apprenticeship opportunities and

support women and other under-represented groups in skilled trades in

Newfoundland and Labrador, including, 1) a Journeyperson Mentorship Program to

help increase the number of certified journeypersons available to provide

required workplace training for apprentices; 2) expansion of the Apprenticeship

Wage Subsidy Program that helps provide work experience to apprentices, with a

focus on first and second-year apprentices including those from

under-represented groups such as women and persons with disabilities; and 3)

registration of pre-apprentices in an Apprentice Tracking System to assist

students completing entry-level skilled trades programs to secure employment and

progress to journeyperson status; and

WHEREAS Budget 2012 also invests $200,000 to establish the Workforce

Development Secretariat, which will focus on ensuring that labour market

policies and programs are strategically aligned to develop and deploy a highly

trained and skilled workforce that can meet evolving labour market demands; and

WHEREAS a further $10.8 million in federal funding administered by our

government through the Labour Market Development Agreement and Labour Market

Agreement will support training and programs such as the Apprenticeship Wage

Subsidy and the Office to Advance Women Apprentices; and

WHEREAS our government has extended the public post-secondary tuition fee

freeze in 2012-2013, expanded the Student Financial Assistance Program to

increase the study period exemption from $50 per week to $100 per week, and

continued the up-front, needs-based grants and the interest-free student loans

as part of its progressive commitment to provide students in this Province with

the best student aid program in the country; and

WHEREAS our government is also investing to expand programs such as Memorial

University's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the oceans sector of

the Marine Institute, while also investing in new and improved

infrastructure at our public post-secondary institutions;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House supports the initiatives the

provincial government is taking to prepare Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for

career opportunities in the skilled trades in our Province.

Mr. Speaker, it certainly is my pleasure to stand in this hon. House to speak

to this motion. As has been outlined by my colleagues over the last number of

days in the Budget discussions, and certainly as I outlined when I had my first

opportunity to speak on the Budget, we all know that once this government came

into power in 2003, Mr. Speaker, we were practically on the verge of bankruptcy.

Thanks to strategic planning and thanks to making investments in our future,

this government has turned the corner and Newfoundland and Labrador has

certainly turned the corner for sure.

We have seen tremendous growth, Mr. Speaker, in our economy. As I said, it is

in large part due to strategic investments that we have made in creating a

climate in which business can thrive in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also

due to a number of great deals that this Province has signed to bring this

wealth to our Province. It just does not happen overnight. There was a lot of

work, there was a lot of strategy involved, and there was a lot of planning on

our part. We were able to sit down and negotiate deals, which were in the best

interest of Newfoundland and Labrador. We have seen that in oil and gas, we have

seen that in mineral exploration, and so on, Mr. Speaker.

Throughout that process, we have certainly engaged all of the stakeholders

and we have ensured that all of these investments we have made and all of these

deals which we have struck have been done so that we can maximize the value to

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We have seen that, Mr. Speaker, in terms of

the royalties we have received as a result of these great deals, royalties that

we could take and invest in our Province, in our infrastructure ,

in our schools, in our hospitals, and so on. We have also seen us step up as a

Province and as a people and take an equity stake in our natural resources. That

is bringing even more additional revenues to this Province.

One of the other areas, Mr. Speaker, where we have benefited from these deals

ensured the maximum employment opportunities for the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. We certainly see the benefits in terms of the activity that is

occurring and the jobs that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are currently

enjoying. We have seen this, Mr. Speaker, whether it be in the oil and gas

industry, we are seeing it at Voisey's Bay, we are seeing it at Long Harbour, we

are seeing it at Come By Chance, we are seeing in Labrador West, and the list

goes on. These are very high-paying professional jobs, Mr. Speaker, and it is

great to see.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to that we have seen an awful lot of spin off come

our way as a result of these deals which we have signed. You look no further

than here on the Avalon, but it is not just the Avalon. If you look around the

Avalon, look in the St. John's area, the Mount Pearl area in my district, and

you look at all the development that is occurring. If you look in the downtown

in terms of retail shops opening up and the construction associated with that.

If you look at new hotels going up, Mr. Speaker, you look at all the residential

growth that we are seeing. All the people who are being employed as a result of

that, Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely phenomenal, and we are seeing it all

throughout the Province.

We are also seeing a lot of public investment which is also creating jobs,

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the highways, water and sewer jobs all across the

Province and in all of the municipalities. There is no doubt, Mr. Speaker, that

we are seeing a boom in employment in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, as great a boom as this is, we have only just begun. This is

just the beginning, and we are anticipating that we are going to see a lot more

growth into the future, Mr. Speaker. That is why this government had a vision

when it came into power in 2003. That is why we saw the Skills Task Force put

into place in 2006, where we actually went across the Province, we engaged with

the general public, we engaged with communities, we engaged with industry, we

engaged with labour, Mr. Speaker, to find out what we could do to prepare

ourselves for the boom that we knew was going to occur here in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

As a result of that, Mr. Speaker, in 2007 there was a report issued by the

Skills Task Force. There were a number of recommendations, Mr. Speaker. As a

result of that, we as a government since 2007, have continued to invest into

areas such as the skilled trades which is really what this private member's

motion is all about into the skilled trades so that we could prepare our

people, Mr. Speaker, to take advantage of all of the prosperity, all of the

employment opportunities which were going to occur here in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

As a government, Mr. Speaker, we are actually projecting 70,000 new jobs over

the next ten years that is 70,000 new jobs. That is in addition to all the

prosperity we currently see. All the jobs that are currently here in

Newfoundland and Labrador, we are expecting 70,000 new jobs, and these are all

going to be very good paying jobs, Mr. Speaker.

So, Mr. Speaker, as a result of that, it is important that investments be

made. Mr. Speaker, we have seen, as a government, the importance of investing in

education to help prepare us for that, and also the importance of, in

particular, investing into the skilled trades. That is why, Mr. Speaker, since

the release of the report in 2007, this government has invested $95 million, I

am going to say it again, in apprenticeship, science and technology, training,

and infrastructure; and in particular, post-secondary infrastructure.

That is why, Mr. Speaker, in Budget 2012 we are investing an additional $4.1

million in new funding. Those are going to support three key programs, as was

outlined in the motion. The first one, Mr. Speaker, is the Journeyperson

Mentorship Program. This program aims at increasing the number of journeypersons

which are going to be available to provide workplace training for apprentices.

When people decide they want to get into the skilled trades, obviously there is

an educational piece that they have to enter into first, initially. Then they

need to get their on the job training, and that is done over a number of years.

I believe there are four phases that an apprentice would go through to become a

journeyperson. Mr. Speaker, as we go through that, we need to have

journeypersons available in the workplace who are going to mentor these people,

going to take them under their wing in the workforce to provide them with the

mentorship and the training they need so that they can move on through their

program and eventually become journeypersons themselves. So, that is one key

investment we are making.

Another investment that is being made is the expansion of the apprenticeship

wage subsidy program. That is basically an incentive program, Mr. Speaker, which

would provide an incentive to employers for taking on apprentices. That is very

important, as well, Mr. Speaker, that we provide those incentives so that the

employers out there will take on these new apprentices so that they can achieve

their journeyperson status.

The third initiative, Mr. Speaker, relates to the registration of

pre-apprentices in an Apprentice Tracking System. This is a tracking system that

is going to be put in place so we can, first of all, assist students in

completing their entry-level skilled trades programs. It is also going to assist

them in getting job placements, Mr. Speaker, and getting them connected with

journeypersons that are going to give them that on-the-job experience. It is

also going to progress them right through their various stages of apprenticeship

so again, at the end of the day, we will have more skilled journeypersons in

place to be able to take a number of the these jobs which are going to be coming

available.

Mr. Speaker, Budget 2012 also invests an additional $200,000 in the

establishment of the Workforce Development Secretariat. This secretariat is

going to be put in place to oversee labour market policies and programs and to

ensure that we have the appropriate number of qualified people available for all

of the various skilled trades positions which are going to come open not just

the skilled trades required today, but the skilled trades that are required into

the future. This secretariat is going to be able to monitor this to make sure

that we can match up the requirements in industry with the journeypersons that

are going to be required to fill those positions.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to this, as is mentioned in the motion as well, we

are also administering $10.8 million in federal funding. This federal funding is

going to be supporting the training and it is going to be supporting the Wage

Subsidy Program; in addition, Mr. Speaker, it is going to be aimed at advancing

women in the skilled trades, which is very important for this government.

As a government, since we came into power, we have certainly emphasized the

importance of providing opportunities for women to enter the workforce. We have

recognized that women have certainly come into their own in many sectors, but

one of the areas where women are still underrepresented is in the skilled

trades, Mr. Speaker. Part of the targeting of this initiative is going to be

putting programs into place to provide more opportunity for women to actually

enter the skilled trades. I think that is absolutely fantastic, Mr. Speaker. I

applaud that move, for sure. Being a father of two daughters myself, I am so

appreciative that these programs are going to be in place to help assist them if

they should choose to enter the skilled trades.

MR. SPEAKER: May I remind the hon. member that his time has

expired.

MR. LANE: By leave, Mr. Speaker, just to clue up?

MR. SPEAKER: Just for a few moments to clue up, I understand.

I remind the member he will have fifteen minutes to clue up at the end of

this debate as well.

MR. LANE: Okay, Mr. Speaker. I am going to clue up for now, but just to

say that it is a tremendous program; these are investments we are making for our

people, for our Province, and so proud to be able to stand up and speak to it

today.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank you for the opportunity to stand and have a few words here on this. I

just find it strange that it is coming through under the Minister of Advanced

Education and Skills for an apprenticeship program to keep our brightest youth

and people in Newfoundland and Labrador. When we had a chance to keep Eddy

Campbell here, she did not want Eddy Campbell here. He is off in New Brunswick

somewhere. If we are going to be consistent, we have to be consistent all

throughout.

Mr. Speaker, we see the workforce and the apprentices program. We have been

saying this since 2003. When Voisey's Bay first started, we all said that we

were going to need these skilled people, we were going to need the training.

From 2003 up to 2012, we have been hearing: we are doing it, we are filling it,

the positions are going to be filled, we are doing the training. Now we see, we

went out and hired the former AG, John Noseworthy, to develop the program in the

minister's department for it. It is the kind of stuff that we see here in this

motion that you just question.

I will say up front there are a lot of good things in the Budget for

apprenticeship programs and for people who want advanced skills and trades.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: I will say up front, there are a lot of good things here.

There are a lot of good things. I will have some things to say that I will be

voting for the motion; there may be one small amendment to it, but I will be

voting for it, because I think any advancement that we have for our youth to

move ahead and to keep them home, I am all for it. I will be voting for the

private member's motion from the member opposite, because there are a lot of

good things in it, I say to the government opposite.

Mr. Speaker, I will just go through a few things here. There is going to be

70,000 job openings; 57 per cent of these openings will be through attrition, so

we need to have these positions filled. We need them. As we all know, our

workforce is getting a bit older and with that number we need this done as

quickly as possible so that we can fill the positions and also give a lot of our

youth an opportunity to stay home, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when we talked about the shortage and I am glad to see that

the government now is putting a bit more of a concerted effort into this

apprenticeship program and into the program across Newfoundland and Labrador,

because as I mentioned earlier, back in 2003 when we knew Voisey's Bay was going

to go and we knew we had oil development, we knew that there was going to be a

skills shortage and we knew we had to make plans. It is never too late.

Sometimes you wish things had been done earlier, but I am just glad now that the

government is moving ahead with it and making some positive initiatives.

I will just go through the member's motion here, "$95 million in the areas

of apprenticeships, science and technology, training and infrastructure". I

guess the minister and I am sure she will speak on this can explain how much

of this $95 million is actually going for the apprenticeship program; some may

go for infrastructure, for other buildings within the department. How much is

actually going for the apprenticeship programs for the people, for training, for

travel, for accommodations, for developing the new programs that we are going to

need in the future, look down the road five or ten years? How much of that $95

million are we going to actually be used toward it?

One of the greatest concerns of some of the people who I speak to who are

trying to get in the program, is some of them are and then I heard the

Minister of Fisheries yesterday talk about how someone last year went and got

his Adult Basic Education, and this year he graduated. I mean, congratulations,

but in a lot of these cases and I say to the minister, because he is well

aware of it, and I say to the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills some

of these older people, they have families, they have commitments, some have

mortgages, some have car payments, some have children who may be going to school

or going through education. So we need to try to find some way we can increase

some kind of subsidy for those people, because as we all know, the demographics

are changing in Newfoundland and Labrador. A lot of people now who go back to

school, if it is because they cannot find employment, or because in some cases

either the fishery is failing, or other areas are failing, if they go back, they

have a financial burden. I am not sure how much of this $95 million is

associated with it. I am sure that there is a certain amount. If there some way

that we can look at and tweak some of this for special circumstances, I say to

the member to look at that so that we can ensure that some people with special

circumstances, instead of just having a guideline for one, you have to fit in

this box, that we could make sure that other people who have special

circumstances can be helped out, because everybody needs a helping hand.

I go to the member's motion here, " a Journeyperson Mentorship Program to

help increase the number of certified journeypersons available to provide

required workplace training for apprentices" From my understanding, there is

going to be about 140 who can go through this program. I would put forward that

we would probably need a few more a lot more, actually if we are going to

develop the program where we are going to need enough to carry on throughout the

year. It is a great program. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the program.

If we could increase it somehow, expand it, and accelerate it in some way to

ensure that we can bring in more people involved.

We have here: expansion of the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program. I know

one of the members was out speaking at a chamber a few days ago. I know this is

a concern for all of government. This is not unique to this government. This is

not unique to the previous government. This is not just unique to Newfoundland

and Labrador. It is to try to encourage businesses to use people coming out of

school. That is a concern. It is always a concern. Even sometimes the Wage

Subsidy Program is not good enough. For some reason, it is not being used

enough. This is not a criticism on the government because it has been ongoing

well before this government took over and it has been ongoing outside of this

Province. If we could find some unique way that we can attract businesses to

come in and help out people coming out of school, to give them that time they

need through the apprenticeship program so they can get their hours and become

journeymen.

In many occasions, we see a lot of our youth, Mr. Speaker, who have to go

away to fulfill their obligations to finish their education. I am not sure what

can be done. I just encourage that we all sit down and come up with some unique

ways. I know there are wage subsidies put out there. I know there are a lot of

initiatives put out there to try to entice businesses to hire apprentices. If

there is any other way we can help, because there are a lot of youth who just

have to leave and go away because of it, I encourage the government to go ahead

and try to encourage business.

The other one here, and again I go back, is the "registration of

pre-apprentices in an Apprentice Tracking System to assist students completing

entry-level skilled trades programs to secure employment and progress to

journeyperson status". We all thought that was done. Anytime there were

questions, and I go way back to 2003, 2004, 2005. We thought there was a program

in place. We were always told that there was a tracking system. I can even go

back well before, and this is not a criticism on government. I always assumed

that in the department there was always a tracking system, and obviously I was

wrong. All my comments here now are not criticizing the government, it is just

something that if this is what we need here to ensure that we know what our

job pool is and what we can do to help out, and as other programs and jobs come

up that we can be in contact and ensure that they are following up on their

apprenticeship, I say it is a great move. I think it is a great move. I will

just continue on and say to the government, to continue on with it.

I see here, "WHEREAS Budget 2012 also invests $200,000 to establish the

Workforce Development Secretariat, which will focus on ensuring that labour

market policies and programs are strategically aligned to develop and deploy a

highly trained and skilled workforce that can meet evolving labour market

demands". My understanding it is going to be one person doing this? It is not? I

am just wondering, is $200,000 enough to carry on with this program beyond?

This is just a question. Is this enough money to ensure that this program

will be carrying on further down a number of years to ensure that it is going to

be around and just not done for one year and then dropped? That is why I ask

that, I say to the member and to the minister.

AN HON. MEMBER: The minister will address that.

MR. JOYCE: The minister will address that. That is good, yes. That is my

concern with it.

The next one,

WHEREAS the $10.8 million in federal funding. I have a little

beef with that federal funding, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister of Fisheries

was involved with that, I think he was the Minister of Education at the time.

When there were over 300 people who were involved, who actually started school,

some of them, and assumed they were going to be approved in the schools in the

trades that they put in. I heard everybody saying: oh, there was lack of

funding, lack of funding.

Mr. Speaker, I went back a year prior and there was more money announced from

this agreement. What tweaked me is when a person from the department sent out a

memo saying you could not move money around in the department. I remember at the

time there were over 330 students affected by this. I know the minister at the

time stood up and was out in public, because I was on Open Line at the time,

saying there was no funding for the program. If you go back a year or a

year-and-a-half prior, how much money was announced for different districts

around from this same agreement. When a statement came out, and I still have it

in my office, whereby we can move money around in the department, it begs me to

differ.

Was money moved from this department or was it just not managed properly, so

that when students - some of them, Mr. Speaker, actually started school, were in

school sitting down for three and four days, then getting a letter saying that

that has to stop somehow. We cannot put that many people through that, Mr.

Speaker, because at the time it was very distressful on a lot of people. When

you hear about the $10.8 million in federal funding, I have to question, because

of this here, how it was spent. Because I know some personal circumstances of

that, and I sat down with some people. I was not in government at the time, Mr.

Speaker. I was a candidate at the time when this happened but I met with some

people out in Corner Brook, individuals, and they were under the assumption they

were going to be approved for school but they were not, Mr. Speaker. I ask the

minister to ensure, well before school, if there is federal funding there for

people, that they be approved. Then they will know well before the school year

if they get the funding or not, so to take away the stress. I think it is a

great fund. I think it has helped a lot of students. I think it will help a lot

of students in the future, but that is one thing I noticed that I had to bring

up.

Then I also noticed they extended the post-secondary tuition freeze in

2012-2013, a great move. I cannot do anything but compliment the government on

that and I hope we continue it on for the future. That is a good move. The $50

per week to $100 per week; again, as I mentioned earlier, it is a subsidy for

people. Mr. Speaker, study period exemption; that is good. It is a good program

to help students out. Again, I am just glad the government is in a financial

position to help out because we need to help all of our students who can go and

provide the training that they need.

Mr. Speaker, I have to bring this up, and it was brought to my attention.

This is a prime example of some of the issues that we are facing. We have

carpenters working in government - and I will use Western Memorial, for example

- carpenters at Western Memorial who are trying to get a pay scale from the

government, what their pay scale is, but out in the private sector they are

getting paid over $10 an hour less in the public institutions than they are in

the private institutions. What is happening, Mr. Speaker, and you see it more

and more, is that a lot of these people who are in these skills in the public

sector are leaving their positions and either going out west or trying so a

lot of the public institutions just are not getting the skilled people that we

need, and the highly trained ones, because there is a gap about a $10 or $11

MR. SPEAKER: I remind the member that his time has expired.

MR. JOYCE: By leave, just to clue up?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: By leave.

MR. JOYCE: There is about a $10 or $11 gap, Mr. Speaker, in that. So, I

do not know what the minister can do for that, because it is a government

program. I know that these people out there working, these journeymen working,

the carpenters working in Corner Brook, are actually trying to get a copy of

their pay scale and they cannot even get it. There was a new pay scale that was

developed by government and they cannot even get a copy. I know they are $10

less than the public $10 or $11.

The last thing I will bring up and I do not know if this is possible

because of the skills shortage the private institutions that are in

Newfoundland and Labrador, if we can attach them somehow until we get caught up,

instead of the public institutions, to get caught up, because there are lot of

private institutions out there that can help out to help us with the crunch that

we are in now for the skilled trades. The minister would have that information,

but that is just an option if there is any way that we can tap into that to

bring us along until we get to the level were we can graduate enough students.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak. I will be voting

for this here, because there are some good things in this private member's

motion that will help a lot of apprentices, and a lot of people in Newfoundland

and Labrador. I will be voting for it. I just say to the government: Just ensure

that when students come through that we can do everything we can to bring them

along and not set up roadblocks. Let's help them all through.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely happy to stand and speak to this particular

motion. I am happy to see that the Member for Bay of Islands is supporting our

motion here today, Mr. Speaker, and it only makes good sense because this is a

great motion. When we are talking about supporting the young people of

Newfoundland and Labrador, it makes great sense that we work together in this

House of Assembly, and that all parties support the young people of Newfoundland

and Labrador, Mr. Speaker. The initiatives that the provincial government has

proposed, is proposing, and has already implemented in Newfoundland and Labrador

for career opportunities in the skilled trades of this Province, I think are

commendable, and I am really happy to be able to stand and speak to them.

Mr. Speaker, our Province, as all would know, is a Province of great

opportunity. It is a Province that has a great and prosperous outlook for the

future for our children and our grandchildren. I am reminded every time I speak

and every time I have conversation with my own colleagues that we come to this

House and our primary focus, Mr. Speaker, is on ensuring that the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador are well looked after, but particularly in ensuring

that our children and grandchildren are going to have a future in this Province.

That is one of the things we are able to do when we provide for them good

education and good opportunities. The skilled trades are one of those

exceptional opportunities. In this Province, we are very happy to be able to

acknowledge the fact that there is a lot of growth, there is a lot of

advancement, and there is much opportunity for our children and grandchildren.

This is a Province, Mr. Speaker, that is being watched nationally and

internationally, and sets a mark on the stage that is unprecedented in our

history in terms of leadership, in terms of sound decision making around fiscal

policy, and around supporting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. What we are

debating here today, Mr. Speaker, is another example of that leadership.

We heard much debate yesterday, for those of you who were able to tune in

yesterday, and talk about the good things that are happening here in

Newfoundland and Labrador. We heard much debate about all that is good and all

of the opportunities that exist. That is why preparation that we are doing

around skilled trades is so important, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to

highlight for a couple of seconds if I could, because I do not want to lose too

much time from talking about skilled trades and those opportunities, the reason

why the opportunities exist, some markers, and some of the things that show us

that in Newfoundland and Labrador we need to ensure we are looking after our

skilled trades and that we are looking after apprenticeship opportunities as

well.

It comes from our economic indicators in this Province, and they are vast.

Our Real GDP growth, Mr. Speaker, is 4.3 per cent. It is the one of the highest

among all provinces in this country. Investments increased by 21.9 per cent to

$7.4 billion. Mr. Speaker, that is due in large part to the developments of our

major infrastructure projects here in Newfoundland and

Labrador. Those are areas, Mr. Speaker, where we need our young people. Those

are areas where we need our apprentices, where we need our journeypersons, and

where we need our skilled trades.

Our construction industry, Mr. Speaker, has posted record levels of

employment, but also of reinvestment, again, a testimony to the fact that our

skilled trades people are in demand. Exports grew by 2 per cent. Employment

grew, Mr. Speaker, by 2.7 per cent to reach 225,000 participating in the labour

market this year. That is pretty impressive as well.

We can look at other things such as the average weekly earnings and

disposable incomes and so on, but I would like to talk as well about the mineral

industry in this Province. Mineral shipments - I think Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians will be encouraged to hear this increased by 22 per cent to $4.6

billion. That is the highest shipment value, Mr. Speaker, on record. Mr.

Speaker, all of this points to, and I can go on, I have pages of information

that I could bring to your attention, but all of this points to the fact that

there is a demand and a need for us to ensure that we have skilled trades

persons, that we have apprentices, that we have journeypersons out there who are

going to be able to step up to the task and are going to be ready to help us as

this Province continues to grow here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, it was referenced earlier that 70,000 positions are going to be

required within the next ten years. It bears repeating, 70,000 is an

astronomical number of positions that we are going to be looking for. Again, it

came about as a result of good, responsible management here in the Province,

certainly of our natural resources, and certainly came about as a result of our

investments in many of the megaprojects here, but, Mr. Speaker, it is also

indicative of our retirement. We have a large number of retirees, of older

workers. About 12,000 I think of our opportunities will come from there.

When we take a look at what the needs are, if we look at JOBSinNL, which is a

wonderful Web site. If there are members here who have not used that, JOBSinNL

is a wonderful, wonderful Web site that allows our people to go in there and

post their resumes, it allows the employers to advertise there and it allows the

instant link between the two. That will show us the demand is out there. If we

look at any of the evening papers, we can see that demand is out there and so

on.

Mr. Speaker, from time to time there are barriers that have been presented to

our young apprentices and our journeypersons, particularly to our apprentices,

and I think we have to address those. We have to talk about those as well

because good planning ensures that we take a look across the whole spectrum and

ensure that we have filled all gaps, if you will. So it is important to address

the barriers, too.

One of the greatest barriers that we faced here was the global recession of

2008. I think we can all recall that time, but it was certainly a time when

significant investment was made into our infrastructure projects and that helped

generate many trade opportunities here for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Mr.

Speaker, quite often what was happening because of the recession is that our

younger and inexperienced apprentices were competing with older, experienced

apprentices who are now out of work as a result of that global recession. That

certainly was one of the barriers that was faced and is something that we came

to terms with and came to understand. I recall from my own time, which was

around about 2009, being in the former Department of HRLE, those were some of

the conversations that were held. How do I compete out there with these older

and more experienced apprentices?

Another barrier that existed for us had to do with journeypersons on staff

already and the necessity of them supervising and mentoring. Well, Mr. Speaker,

we know, we understand that when there are projects on the go, when there are

time sensitive projects on the go, it is very difficult sometimes to supervise

and to mentor and so on; therefore, journeypersons were sometimes reluctant to

take on apprentices. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that. We put programs in place to

help that, Mr. Speaker, and I think we have seen some results from that which

would indicate to us now that apprentices are being taken in, in these

situations and we are able to move forward. Sometimes there was an unwillingness

as well, when we look back to those early years when we were trying to make sure

that we were able to move forward and analyzing the kinds of initiatives that we

needed to put in place. Sometimes we realized as well that there was a little

lack of enthusiasm, if we can say it that way, or an unwillingness to hire the

inexperienced worker. Again, we stepped up to the plate and we put in place

projects and programs and services that could help in those sorts of initiatives

as well.

Major construction, Mr. Speaker, brings with it a whole wealth of

opportunities, but generally speaking the major construction projects that have

existed out there have been with time constraints as well. We are anxious to get

major projects done and done well, so sometimes people who bid and win those

contracts do not have the time to invest in apprentices learning as they go. Mr.

Speaker, once again, this government stepped up. We provided opportunities, and

I think we have seen some of the results of that now.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about, not just the barriers. My colleagues who

will speak after me are going to talk about some of the actions to date that

have increased those apprentice employments and they will talk to the

initiatives that were implemented in some detail, so I do not want to do that. I

want to move forward and talk about a couple of the other points that I think

are really important in terms of how we have dealt with and how we have

positioned every Newfoundlander and Labradorian to make a difference and to be

able to be part of the labour market here in Newfoundland and Labrador in terms

of apprentices and in terms of skilled trades.

In terms of education, Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we had at

one time very few seats in our colleges in Newfoundland and Labrador that were

dedicated to apprentices, but in 2006 we created 939 new seats in the skilled

trades at the College of the North Atlantic. In 2010, we created another 1,369

seats at the College of the North Atlantic. Mr. Speaker, my college in Grand

Falls Windsor, or at least the college in Grand Falls Windsor - I get pretty

attached to it was one of those areas. I am really happy to report that in

answer to some of the difficulties that were being experienced out there in

terms of skilled trades, but also in recognition of the fact that Grand

Falls-Windsor had at that time a large surplus of people who had been laid off

from Abitibi Consolidated, one of the initiatives that was put in place in Grand

Falls-Windsor was to construct and develop programs and to open up a new

convertible skilled trades

section for the College of the North Atlantic.

Mr. Speaker, that new skilled and convertible trades area is open; there are

two programs running in it right now. From every bit of feedback I get, it is

being met with a lot of positive success, Mr. Speaker. Fifty-six per cent of our

seats in terms of the training of skilled trades are now offered in our private

colleges. Right throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, opportunities are

existing.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak as well about opportunities for women in the

skilled trades, because it is a very important part of who we are in this

government. We are about providing opportunity for everyone, Mr. Speaker, for

all people in Newfoundland and Labrador. I will speak to two things. I want to

speak about opportunities for women in skilled trades; I also want to speak

about opportunities for Aboriginals within our skilled trades area and other

persons who are vulnerable and quite often have difficulty attaching to the

labour market.

Let me start with women in the skilled trades. Partnerships we have created

in terms of organizations such as the Women in Resource Development Committee

and programs such as Techsploration have really paid dividends for us, Mr.

Speaker.

I want to speak a little about the Techsploration program. It is a program

that I have had opportunity to witness and see in action in a couple of sites. I

have seen it in a tour that I did in Stephenville. I have actually had

opportunity to go and visit with the young participants. These are young

children, aged I do not want to nail down an age, but they would be elementary

to junior high students who are learning a little bit about the skilled trades

by doing some hands-on work; a tremendous program, Mr. Speaker, that is, I am

sure, making a difference to us and opening up the trades to women.

Female participation in the Futures in Skilled Trades and Technology Program

in K to 12 in our schools, Mr. Speaker and I know that first hand; I get

opportunity to be in and out of our schools. As a former teacher, I am very

aware of the programming and the curriculum within our high schools and within

our junior high schools. This particular piece of curriculum is valued.

Contracts awarded are valued at $700,000 to the Office to Advance Women

Apprentices. The IBEW over the last three years anyway, Mr. Speaker have

really helped promote and enhance placements for women within the skilled trades

area as well.

I had some opportunity last year in my former portfolio in Innovation, Trade

and Rural Development at that time to go out to the college of carpenters and

millwrights in Paradise and see some of that work in action, see some of the

women who are there, and see the work that is happening. I spoke to one young

lady who was studying at that time to be a carpenter. What she was able to tell

me and the excitement that she was able to show around where she was with her

program and what we can expect of her as she moves into the workplace, Mr.

Speaker, was truly phenomenal. I think the MHA for Topsail was with us that day

as well. It was really and truly an inspiring experience to hear what that lady

had to say to us about that program.

There are a number of other programs that we could talk about in terms of

opportunities for women within the skilled trades. Mr. Speaker, I would be

remiss if I did not mention how actively our former Premier and our former

Minister of Natural Resources and now Premier have been in terms of the energy

resource-based companies in this Province. In a first for this Province, in an

offshore development, the Hebron Benefits Agreement requires the development and

implementation of a Gender Equity and Diversity Program for the Hebron Project.

That is a first, Mr. Speaker. That is something that is the envy of many

provinces right across this country.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk a little bit as well about support for

Aboriginals. Through the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership, approximately

$30 million was invested to provide Aboriginal people in Labrador with increased

employment opportunities, another exceptionally good program, especially as we

see some further developments happening in Labrador that are going to task upon

us the requirement to ensure we have a skilled labour force there. Mr. Speaker,

that program, the LATP, has also successfully delivered a total of 1,558

training interventions and 258 training recipients have found employment, with

approximately 75 per cent of those individuals working in the trade that they

had studied.

Mr. Speaker, I realize my time is done, if I could just have a minute to clue

up.

MR. SPEAKER (Verge): Order, please!

Does the minister have leave?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services, by

leave.

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Advanced Education and Skills will continue to

work with the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership as well to advocate for

federal resources in order to secure those educational opportunities and

training opportunities for Aboriginal people.

Mr. Speaker, again I make reference to our Gender Equity and Diversity plan

in the Hebron agreement where we saw opportunities for women. Mr. Speaker,

written in that agreement as well, we will see opportunities to provide training

and recruitment for other disadvantaged groups. Particularly we talk about those

people with disabilities within our communities, who have so much to offer and

can do so much valuable work for us. Mr. Speaker, again, if I had more time

there is so much more I could talk about.

The bottom line is that in Newfoundland and Labrador there are tremendous

opportunities. We are on the cusp of great things, greater things than we have

already achieved, Mr. Speaker. We are in the process of preparing a workforce to

ensure continuing to prepare, Mr. Speaker, this is not something that we have

just started. We are continuing to prepare a workforce to ensure that the

opportunities for our children, our grandchildren, are in good hands, and that

this Province continues to prosper. I am very happy, Mr. Speaker, to support

this motion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I recognize the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to speak on this resolution, and what a resolution it is. It is

quite the laundry list of program spending. This is a government that likes to

make lists of spending, but it is not a government that always likes to keep its

promises, Mr. Speaker. I know the resolution references student loan policy.

Just a few months ago during the election, the Premier said she would phase out

the student loan program and replace it with grants. Should she be elected, she

would phase out the grant program over four years, and that was her promise.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: Just a few weeks before the Budget, Mr. Speaker, the Premier

and the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, they went to a photo op down

at MUN and they repeated the very same promise, that they would phase out the

student loan program and replace it with grants. When the Budget was finally

delivered, there was no mention of that promise at all. It was completely

forgotten. That is not the only thing that was forgotten either. Because the

Premier and the minister, who just a few weeks before were lining up for a photo

opportunity with students well, this year they even forgot to invite the

students to the Budget lockup. I believe that is the first year in the almost

ten years that the Conservatives have been in power that students have not

gotten an invitation to the Budget lockup. I think that is a real shame that a

government promises one thing when it is convenient, and forgets about those

promises when it is convenient for them. So it is shameful, Mr. Speaker.

There is no doubt that post-secondary education

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: and training is more accessible today in this Province than

it was just a generation ago. More than one government, Mr. Speaker, has played

a

part in that, but we cannot continue

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Speaker is having trouble hearing the Member for St. John's North. I

would ask all members for their co-operation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for Burin Placentia West says that there is no Oz, but I sat

here quietly and let the others across the way have their opportunity to speak.

I would appreciate if the heckling gallery across the way would give me an

opportunity to say the few words that I have, Mr. Speaker.

As I was saying, we cannot continue to use the approaches of the past if we

are going to increase participation in the system further to move beyond where

we are now. It will not happen and that goes for apprenticeships, and that goes

really for any college or university program in this Province. Here in

Newfoundland and Labrador right now, the baby boom generation is moving quickly

towards their retirement years. At the same time, we have a population of high

school graduates that is declining every year. We have to increase participation

in education and training for important economic and labour market reasons. We

fail this task, Mr. Speaker, at our peril. We need only consider labour market

projections that project that within ten years the majority of jobs that are

going to be created, the new jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador are going to

require some level of education and training, some two-thirds of the new jobs to

be created.

We have recently experienced the impact of inaction on this front, and it has

serious implications. The skilled labour shortages that we are seeing right now

have sent a ripple effect throughout the provincial economy. They are standing

in the way of improvements in worker productivity, they are reducing our

economic competitiveness as a result, and they continue to discourage, firms,

companies from relocating in this Province. Unless something is done, skilled

labour shortages in this Province will continue to discourage firms, companies,

from investing in Newfoundland and Labrador. They will prevent employers from

hiring new workers. In the case of health care, Mr. Speaker, skilled labour

have creative planning in any new strategies or policies to increase

MS SULLIVAN: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Minister of Health and Community Services, on a point of order.

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, I would ask that he give some specific

examples, the Member for St. John's North, as to the quality issues that have

been created by skilled trades shortages as he describes them in the health care

system.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

There is no point of order.

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

MR. KIRBY: I said skilled labour shortages, Mr. Speaker. Of course when

there are not physicians in communities that impacts on the quality and

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. KIRBY: Yes, that is right, labour shortages.

If the approaches that government have used in the past worked, they would be

working now, so we need to have new approaches. With respect to apprenticeship

in particular there are many ways that we can improve and modernize the system,

but first we really need to get a better sense of how the system is actually

functioning. One of the reasons why we do not have a greater number of

journeypersons to supervise apprentices in the Province right now is that many

apprentices do not complete their certificate of qualification. They do not end

up writing the Red Seal exam.

As I understand from sitting in and asking questions of the Minister of

Advanced Education and Skills in the Estimates Committee, this government in

fact does not even have an official definition of what constitutes successful

completion of apprentices. There is no definition of the ideal period of time

that an apprentice should take to complete their training. That is the sort of

detail that we need. Obviously we are going to know the rate of completion for

apprentices; we will need to know how to count and calculate those completions.

That would be a good place to start, Mr. Speaker.

We know there are a variety of barriers to completion for apprentices. There

was a survey done here in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2003, I believe, Mr.

Speaker, that found that almost one-third of women who did not complete their

apprenticeship did not complete because of family-related responsibilities. In

the same survey, only 8 per cent of men gave that reason in comparison, so

obviously child care, home care, and elder care play a role in completion for

women. That needs to be considered in any plans for modernization and expansion.

Another problem that we have is that we export a lot of journeypersons. Many

of them are working out of the Province or leave altogether, so they are

unavailable to train apprentices here. They are training apprentices in Alberta,

in Saskatchewan, in the Territories, in other parts of the country, and other

places in the world. They are lost to our system entirely. We need to find a way

to retain them, keep them in the Province.

In some cases apprentices actually believe that they will be penalized if

they complete their certification, that they might lose their job because their

employer is reluctant to pay an increased salary. Many apprentices believe that.

Many journeypersons tell us that one route to increasing the number of skilled

tradespeople in Newfoundland and Labrador is introducing more compulsory trades;

I understand right now there is only one compulsory trade and that is the

electrician trade, I believe the minister said in Estimates. This is one route

to increasing the number of apprentices, increasing the participation of

employers, and increasing the number of apprentices who actually successfully

complete their programs.

As I suggested to the minister in Estimates, I would also encourage the

government to look at expanding the numbers of designated trades currently

available in the Province, the numbers of plans of training that exist for

designated trades. I think we should also consider increasing the number of

trades that can actually be trained for here in Newfoundland and Labrador,

because some trades are recognized here in Newfoundland and Labrador, they are

designated, but the training for those trades is not actually delivered at the

College of the North Atlantic or one of the private training institutions.

Government has introduced an Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Program in an effort

to attract more apprentices and I applaud that, but the uptake really has been

modest so far. If the target of 500 that the department has this year is really

going to be achieved, I would suggest that the department, the government, needs

to be more assertive in marketing that program to potential apprentices and

potential employers who might participate in the apprenticeship program.

Another idea that has been adopted in other provinces is the idea of

combining apprenticeship certification with a college technician or technology

diploma program, mapping the curriculum together. These dual-credential programs

provide training in the apprenticeship competencies, but they also see that

students receive the college-level instruction that they need to achieve

college-level program outcomes. It nicely combines two different programs. This

is another innovative approach, a different approach that could encourage more

youth to enter and complete skilled trades training.

If we are going to deal with the ongoing skill shortages that we have, we

will also have to do a better job of providing training opportunities for

disadvantaged and under-represented groups. We have to increase participation

levels of people in our outport communities and our more isolated communities.

People in our outport and rural communities and people in Labrador often cannot

access training opportunities. That is mostly because the distance to the

nearest institution or the nearest facility that is providing training is a

barrier and is too far to go.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: In many cases, potential students face other issues. We will

need, for example, to increase participation levels for people with low

literacy, for Aboriginal people, for people with a disability, and also for

older learners. I think we also have to consider the challenges of visible

minorities, immigrants, homeless families and individuals, and those who live in

inner-city neighbourhoods here in the City of St. John's. We should also

recognize that issues such as lack of academic preparation, poverty, inadequate

housing, racism and discrimination, substance abuse, and other barriers also

exist. In the end, this lack of access to post-secondary education and training

limits their participation in our society.

What about the situation faced by adult and older learners in particular?

Despite all the government rhetoric about lifelong learning, we know that the

adult education participation level has really remained stagnant since the end

of the TAGS program in the 1990s. We also know that a large proportion of our

adult population has literacy skills that are considered to be necessary to

participate in the knowledge-based society and economy. There is a dire need for

us to provide opportunities for older learners to improve their skills

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: and get the training they need, Mr. Speaker, to enable them

to more fully participate in the economy and to contribute to their communities

as they would like to do.

What has this government done? Back in 2007, government announced that they

would develop a strategic adult literacy plan. After five years, this government

has produced no adult literacy plan, nothing. We are not talking about ABE here.

We are talking about adult literacy, there is a difference. It continues to be

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Again, the Speaker is having trouble hearing the Member for St. John's North.

I ask all members again for their co-operation. I am reluctant to ask any

individual member for their co-operation by naming them, but if you leave me

with no other choice I will have to do that.

Let's go back to the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for the District of Grand Bank was very concerned at the beginning

of this session about decorum and respect for members of the House of Asse