Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 23 March 2010 (46th General Assembly, 3rd Session, Vol. XLVI No. 2)
2010-03-23
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
March
23, 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol.
XLVI No. 2
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Before we start regular proceedings, the Chair would like to introduce a new
Page who has joined us and will be working with the House of Assembly over the
next little while, Ms Avril Dymond.
Welcome to the House of Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: The following members' statements will be heard: the hon.
the Member for the District of Port de Grave; the hon. the Member for the
District of Exploits; the hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse
au Clair; the hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North; and the
hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.
The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recently, Ms Beverly Swackhamer of Bareneed was named as Newfoundland's
"gutsiest" citizen by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada. Beverly, who
lives with Crohn's disease, was recognized for her courage in facing
inflammatory bowel disease and her outstanding work to make a difference in her
community and in the lives of others.
Beverly is an exceptional leader, organizes many fundraising events and is a
top pledge earner at the Annual Heel "n" Wheel-A-Thon. She was instrumental in
the creation of the Trinity-Conception
Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis
Foundation of Canada. She has served as president, works as a volunteer as a
Brownie Leader, as well as a Sunday school teacher.
The award honours Beverly for her enthusiasm in raising awareness in
Newfoundland and Labrador and for her outstanding work in raising funds for a
cure.
Mr. Melvin Nash, National Vice-President for Newfoundland and Labrador said,
and I quote, "It takes tremendous courage for people affected by inflammatory
bowel disease to speak out and make a difference."
Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Ms Beverly
Swackhamer on receiving this outstanding award, and wish her every success as
she continues to work on behalf of the 3,200 who live in Newfoundland
and Labrador with inflammatory bowel disease.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Exploits.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FORSEY: Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to stand in
this House to recognize the contributions to sports in Newfoundland
and Labrador by Mr. Ron Healey.
Mr. Speaker, Ron was known Province-wide as a NAHA referee and well respected
by the players on and off the ice; however, Ron was not a person to back down
from a controversy. As a matter of fact, Ron could initiate a good debate off
the ice and could create the opportunity for a good fight on the ice.
Mr. Speaker, as a former councillor and member of the Bishop's Falls
recreation department, I had the privilege of working with Ron in his capacity
as recreation director for the town. It was during that time I realized the love
Ron had for all sports, especially for hockey, and always ensuring that the kids
had the opportunity to participate in many minor sports programs.
Mr. Speaker, Ron lived in Bishop's Falls with his wife Jeannette Sheppard and
their four children, but sadly Ron passed away January 1, 2010 at the age of
seventy-two. He was a long-time member of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador and an
inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in recognizing Ron's
accomplishments and his contribution to sport in Newfoundland
and Labrador.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au
Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in the House today to congratulate the athletes from the community of
Cartwright who recently won the overall championship at the 2010 Labrador Winter
Games.
This year's Winter Games were the tenth annual running of the Olympics of the
North, which takes place every three years in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. There were
up to 400 athletes and community co-ordinators from thirty communities in
Labrador to celebrate the sporting and cultural heritage of Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, the competition is tight among many communities, but this year
the team from Cartwright came out on top with an outstanding performance. I
commend each of these athletes for their spirited effort and I would also like
to congratulate the team from Happy Valley-Goose Bay for their second place
finish and the Town of Mary's Harbour for their third place finish.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to pay tribute to two athletes from the
Cartwright team who had multiple medal wins and were named most outstanding
female and male athletes for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair. They
were: Andrea Pardy, who won gold medals in the snowshoe race and the snowshoe
biathlon, a silver medal in the snowshoe relay race, and a bronze medal in ball
hockey; and Preston Morris who won a gold medal in the snowshoe biathlon, silver
medals in the snowshoe race and the snowshoe relay race, and a bronze medal in
the northern triathlon and ball hockey.
Mr. Speaker, Cartwright was also named the Most Fit Community of the Winter
Games.
I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the team from
Cartwright, who are the 2010 Labrador Winter Games champions for this season.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the Frosty Festival
organizing committee and the City of Mount Pearl on celebrating the
twenty-eighth annual Frosty Festival this past February. I had an opportunity
yesterday to attend an event to recognize sponsors of this year's Festival.
It was a huge success, with most events this year selling out. Special thanks
are in order for the Frosty Festival Board of Directors, the sponsors,
volunteers, as well as the City of Mount Pearl, for contributing to the
Festival's success. This event has truly become a tradition in Mount Pearl.
Every year I personally look forward to attending as many of the Frosty Festival
events as I can. It is truly one of the best winter carnivals in Canada. It is a
great event for our community, our region, and our Province.
My hat goes off to Kelly-Ann Evans and her production company for producing
one of the best opening extravaganzas in Frosty Festival history. I am always
amazed at how the organizers manage to outdo themselves each and every year.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the
Frosty Festival committee and the City of Mount Pearl on hosting another
tremendous winter carnival.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay-Cape la
Hune.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to pay tribute to Mr. Simeon Savory, who
sadly passed away last Tuesday, March 16. Along with his partner Bud Davidge,
Sim made history in the Newfoundland and Labrador music industry with their band
Simani. The songs they created for us include: Music and Friends, the Loss of
the Marion, Saltwater Cowboys, Heaven by Sea, Outport People, and the renowned
Mummers Song, along with numerous others that we all know and love to sing.
In 2008 the musical duo was honoured with a Lifetime Tribute Award for Music
NL, and in 2002 received the ECMA's Stompin' Tom award. Sim was a significant
contributor to our traditional music scene and helped pave the way for many
Newfoundland musicians who follow in his path.
An avid musician from youth, Sim played in a number of bands, the most recent
of which was Sim and Friends. During his time with Simani, thirteen albums, two
books and several television specials were accomplished, and he will forever be
a part of our cultural legacy in Newfoundland and Labrador. In the early 1980s
he established a recording studio in Belleoram and he was known to be very
generous with his musical gifts, often not charging a fee for his services. His
music has touched us all, brought back memories of special times, and has helped
to ensure that knowledge about our traditional rural culture will live on
eternally in his songs.
A loving husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend, he will be deeply
missed by us all, especially those of us on the South Coast. My deepest
condolences to his wife, Evelyn, sons: Andrew, David and Philip, grandchildren,
family, friends and colleagues. Sim will never be forgotten because, in his
music, he has left a lasting source of joy for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
throughout the Province and, indeed, across the country.
I am sure that all members of this hon. House want to join me in assuring
Sim's family and friends that we are with them in our thoughts and prayers.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to note the success of Newfoundland and
Labrador's efforts to be a major presence at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games, and to bring the excitement of the games home to the
people of this Province.
The Olympics provided the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador with an
unprecedented opportunity to promote our Province's business and trade
opportunities, tourism, culture and cuisine on the national and international
stage, primarily through our partnership with Atlantic Canada House and, Mr.
Speaker, we grabbed that opportunity.
As you know, February 26 was Newfoundland and Labrador Day at the Olympics.
The attention we received at Atlantic Canada House and other venues that day -
and indeed throughout the entire two weeks - was certainly incredible. No doubt
the lineups outside Atlantic Canada House, rain or shine, had something to do
with Vancouver Magazine naming it one of the three "must see" pavilions at the
Olympics.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: We were also delighted that we could share the Olympic
experience with our residents through regional celebrations right here at home.
You may recall the success of the Olympic Torch Relay, which visited our
Province in November, and the enthusiasm it generated. Well, Mr. Speaker, that
enthusiasm hit fever pitch in Vancouver where more than ninety of this
Province's most talented artists and performers had the opportunity to showcase
their talent, and our culture, to new audiences.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, the entire Olympic experience was an opportunity to
show the rest of the country, and indeed the world, that Newfoundland and
Labrador has arrived - a strong, vital part of this country.
Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt our work in Vancouver, and during the Paralympic
Games in Whistler last week, will benefit this Province for many years to come.
I want to thank the Vancouver Organizing Committee, also known as VANOC, for
their help and support, and invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating
all those involved with ensuring the success of Newfoundland and Labrador's
participation in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. As they say: A
good time was had by all, I guess. The only downer was we heard that the
minister might have made off with Sidney's stick, but anyway they found it later
on the way to Russia.
Mr. Speaker, in all seriousness, congratulations to all of the athletes and
organizers who took
part in both the Olympics and the Paralympic Games, and our
Province was indeed highlighted on the world stage at those most prestigious
events. I am sure, given the level of excitement that was generated here even,
watching it on TV and on the newscast, it must have really been something to
witness in person on the streets of Vancouver and at the games themselves,
because there was certainly a high level of excitement in this Province.
We, of course, are second to none when it comes to talent and we had some of
the best talent in the world - not only this Province and this country, but in
this world - present there. The likes of Great Big Sea and so on, some of the
biggest high liners ever to come out of this Province were there - Ron Hynes and
people of that stature. It is great to see that we were indeed showcased there.
Not only the musical talents, of course, the storytellers and musicians, but we
had our culinary students there as well from CONA who provided some delightful
treats, I understand, to the good people who went by Atlantic House.
Congratulations to all of those who took part. In fact, we had a member of
our staff, Mr. Matt Pike who works in the Opposition office; he, in fact, led
the opening ceremonies. When the Aboriginal youth group entered the stadium that
night, he was the person who actually led them in. You probably did not
recognize him - he was in his costume at the time, his Aboriginal costume - but
he, in fact, led in the youth group.
Congratulations to all, and I thank the minister for his statement again.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I too thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. It truly was
something for us to celebrate as Newfoundland and Labrador. I call on the
minister now, though, in the spirit that he carried when he was in the Olympics,
and I know he believes in this, that I would like to see the department now
create continuing initiatives, in the spirit of the Olympics, tying together the
promotion of sports with personal well-being and health.
Young and old were very excited watching the events of this year's winter
Olympics and we need to build on that. While gold medals are exciting, the
promotion of physical activity, especially in winter, can only benefit everyone
in the Province.
In the past, we have had medal winners in both Olympic and Paralympic games
who have been role models to the people of this Province of the benefits of
physical activity. I hope the example of the athletes of this year, but also our
own Olympic and Paralympic gold medal winners in the past will inspire both
future athletes and everyday citizens to pursue physical fitness.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HICKEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to inform hon. members of Labrador's premier sporting
event, the Olympic of the North, the Labrador Winter Games, which took place
earlier in March. These games brought together athletes, team leaders, and
excited fans from all over Labrador. They showcased Labradorians' love of the
outdoor lifestyle and celebration of culture and traditions while presenting
some of the most spirited competition this Province has to offer.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is proud to be the primary
sponsor of these games, investing $500,000 towards their successful planning and
execution. The Board of Governors, the Labrador Winter Games staff, and some 500
volunteers are to be commended for their triumph over the uncharacteristic warm
weather.
Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to see my colleagues, the Minister of Aboriginal
Affairs, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, attend the opening
ceremonies; an electrifying event where, for the first time in four years, teams
from twenty-five different communities came together to open the games. It was a
special moment in time when Labrador's own poet, artist, songwriter and
performer, Gerald Mitchell, took to the middle of the stadium and, under the
light of hundreds of flashlights, sang the classic Sons of Labrador .
Mr. Speaker, one of the most highly anticipated and entertaining spectacles
was the Labrathon, a high-paced event that detailed a traditional outdoor
lifestyle. A competitor raced around a 500-meter track to separate locations,
where they had to start a fire, boil water, complete a target-shoot, cut through
a log using non-powered hand tools, set a trap and create a fishing hole using
an ice chisel, all while wearing snowshoes and towing a toboggan with gear
weighing some thirty pounds. This event was won by Bradley Rumbolt from Mary's
Harbour.
There were many feats of athleticism showcased over the course of the games.
Some of those recognized included: Tanya Daley and Rick Kennedy, most
outstanding female and male athletes for Lake Melville district; Holly Andersen
and Trent Pottle, most outstanding female and male athletes for the District of
Torngat Mountains; Danielle McLaughlin and Mike Brookes, most outstanding female
and male athletes for Labrador West; and Andrea Pardy and Preston Morris, most
outstanding female and male athletes for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair district.
Mr. Speaker, I extend congratulations to the community of Cartwright for
winning the overall event and taking home the Labrador Cup, and congratulations
to all of the athletes, volunteers and staff who made these games a great
success.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am certainly pleased to rise and speak to the motion that has been tabled
by the minister, and I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.
Mr. Speaker, the Labrador Winter Games has become one of the premier
showcases for Labradorians. It is not just a celebration of our athletic ability
but also the celebration of our culture, of our heritage and of who we are as
people. It is one of the few events that bring Labradorians together from one
end and one region to the other, and this year was no exception.
I had the opportunity to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies and
attend a number of the events that went on throughout the week including the
Labrathon, as the minister just mentioned, which was quite a spectacular event.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, the gold medal winner of that event, Bradley Rumbolt, is
in fact my brother, and he is almost as nifty as what his sister is, I say to
the minister. He not only broke the record from the previous games, Mr. Speaker,
but he set a new outstanding record to be met by other competitors at these
games over the next few years.
Mr. Speaker, I want to mention that both the bronze, silver and gold medal
winners of the Labrathon all set new records at this Labrador Winter Games and
it was Leon Jacque of Postville, Barry Dyson of Cartwright, and, as I said,
Bradley Rumbolt of Mary's Harbour.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to mention a couple of other communities that I
think are noteworthy. One was Mud Lake, who won the most improved team award for
this Winter Games, one of the smallest communities in Labrador but yet chose to
participate and have a team. I want to mention the community of Pinsent's Arm, a
community of fifty-five people with no gymnasium, no recreation centre but had a
team and had one of their athletes bring home a silver medal to that community.
I think that is remarkable. This is the kind of competitors that we have, the
kind of dedication and commitment that they show to these games. There are so
many other examples, Mr. Speaker, but I know time does not permit me to go on,
but over the next few days I will have an opportunity to talk about these issues
in the House of Assembly so we can celebrate the wonderful fine athletes that we
have in Labrador.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I am obviously not from Labrador - and I thank the minister for the advance
copy - but we all have to celebrate and congratulate our colleagues in the House
from Labrador, and the people of Labrador, with regard to the wonderful
achievement that the Labrador Games are. We all should celebrate what is
happening there, because we have a real celebration of Labrador's culture and
history. I did not make it, and some day I think I have to go up there and be
there for the Winter Games in Labrador. I did make it to the opening of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games on Saturday in Grand Falls-Windsor, and I
could see the spirit that the athletes were bringing from Labrador to the
Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games.
It is wonderful that our government does support these sporting events. It is
very important that that happens because this investment, both in the Labrador
Games and the Newfoundland and Labrador Games, is an investment in our people,
is an investment in our communities, and it is an investment in health -
something I have mentioned already in the former statement that I responded to.
We have facilities that continue to need to be funded and supported, and I
encourage the government to continue doing that. Again, I refer to last Saturday
when I was in Grand Falls-Windsor and saw the Windsor Stadium and the way in
which it has been upgraded and renewed. That is the kind of thing we need to
keep doing, because these events, both in Labrador itself and here on the
Island, are so important for our future.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Over the past couple of weeks, both the Premier and the Minister of Health
have launched attacks on the Province's doctors. The minister even brought
forward conspiracy theories that the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical
Association was supplying the Opposition with information and subsequently
cancelled negotiations. I say shameful behaviour when we are trying to improve
the health care system in this Province.
I ask the Premier today: In light of your government's damaged relationship
with the Province's doctors, are you willing to send these negotiations to
binding arbitration and if not, why not?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me answer the question
very directly. Under no circumstances are we prepared to send this matter to
binding arbitration. You will see from the Budget next week and the Minister
of Finance will indicate that we are going to run a deficit. We consider the
people's dollars to be very, very important dollars and regard every one very,
very carefully. We want to make sure that they are spent properly.
The paramount concern for all of us is patients, and patient care and health
care for patients. On that basis we were certainly prepared to enter into
reasonable negotiations with the doctors, and have been prepared to do so, and
have had discussions with them. Negotiations last week the meeting that was
cancelled last week was because of the volatile circumstances that were going
on, that were precipitated by the NLMA when they tried to throw a smokescreen at
the entire negotiations by indicating that the minister had made a statement
which they felt was untoward. So, on that basis we felt it was not appropriate
at that time to continue on with that particular meeting. We have since phoned.
I understand, I believe, our negotiators phoned this morning to continue those
negotiations and, as I understand it, that offer was flatly rejected by the
NLMA.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is my understanding that the Newfoundland and
Labrador Medical Association had submitted a proposal
to government. They are awaiting a response from that proposal not necessarily
a phone call, but a written response into what government's position is.
I ask the minister today: Why has that response not been forthcoming from you
and your Administration?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We have been having discussions with the NLMA over a period of time. The
matter has moved along, obviously not as quickly as I think either side would
like, but we did ask the NLMA to put their proposal in writing. We received
their proposal on March 3, and we have taken that proposal and we had it costed
and we have had it reviewed, and the costing is somewhere in excess of $126
million to $140 million.
In the meantime, the NLMA, the doctors want to have another meeting to
provide us with additional information concerning coverage for ICU. That meeting
was set up for last Friday. A representative from collective bargaining and a
representative from health were to attend and meet with the doctors'
representative. The meeting was cancelled, and today I called to try to get the
meeting rescheduled but the doctors indicated to me that they did not want to
have the meeting rescheduled. Instead, they have asked us to respond to the
letter of March 3, and in due course we will do so.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
On what is a very serious issue that has unfolded in the Province, the
department received a proposal from these doctors on March 3, today is March 23
and there has been no response given to them in writing.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier today - because we now have a copy of the
proposal that was submitted to government and it was released this morning by
the NLMA. I ask the Premier - because in your comments last week you said that
the proposal they had submitted was through the roof, it was too high, it cannot
be dealt with, it cannot be satisfied and it cannot be answered. Well, the
proposal that we certainly looked at today does not fit that description.
I ask you: Which of these particular aspects of the proposal do you feel
characterizes your comments?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I forgot to say over the moon, Mr. Speaker, because
that would have been one I would have used, too, if I had to think of it at the
time.
These proposals, as the minister has just indicated, have been costed at, at
least $125 million on an annual basis, probably as much, if we add all the
incremental items, as $140 million to $150 million; a significant amount of
money. If you remember correctly, the last arbitration that the medical
association went to, I think they were awarded $54 million. You can take that by
comparison; it will give you an indication of the order of magnitude of what
they are asking for now.
I will tell you one item that they are asking for; they are asking for some
of their physicians to be reimbursed partially for overhead that occurred during
the last agreement. I think that is pretty unreasonable.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, the other thing that these physicians are asking
for is Atlantic parity with their colleagues in the three Maritime Provinces.
I ask the Premier: Is this a concept that government is prepared to accept
and negotiate on?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, as I say, negotiations have been going on. We
have their written proposal. We have had it costed. We have reviewed I think
there were ten or eleven asks in the proposal outlined in the letter. We were
asked to hold off until such time as this meeting with respect to ICU took
place. The meeting has not taken place. I called today to try to get the meeting
rescheduled. They have asked us to respond now to the letter without having that
meeting, so we will respond in due course.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, there are two very distinct sections within the
NLMA proposal that relate to doctor recruitment and retention which goes with
improving our health care services and also ensuring a doctor is available at
all times to address patient concerns. These are very fundamental proposals that
are necessary to improve our health care system.
I ask the minister: Why have you dismissed such a serious proposal without a
comprehensive negotiation, going twenty days and not responding to this when you
realize that these are the critical components of the proposal that is on the
table?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I just said to the hon. member that
discussions have been taking place and we were asked not to respond to the
letter until such time as that further meeting had taken place. So we are not
delaying. Discussions will take place, they will continue, and we will negotiate
a deal that is fair to all concerned but on behalf of the taxpayers of the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we are losing doctors in various regions of this
Province in almost every speciality, and unless government is able to change its
negotiating tactics this will continue. Yesterday, we learned that the hospital
in Clarenville will be without an internal medicine specialist for the next ten
days.
I ask the minister: What concerns do you have about the increasing gaps in
this service? It is not the first time it has incurred; it has been a problem
for the last two years. I ask: What is being done to ensure that doctors are
recruited and these positions are filled?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In fact we have, in 2010, Mr. Speaker, nineteen family practice residents
finished their medical training, with two delaying their entry. Of the seventeen
family physicians, Mr. Speaker, who will commence practice, fourteen are
practicing in this Province, all with bursaries and return-in-service
agreements. Twenty-seven specialists, Mr. Speaker, finished their medical
training, with two residents delaying their entry due to maternity, sick leave.
Of the twenty-five specialty residents to commence practice, seventeen are
practicing in the Province, nine of whom have bursaries and return-in-service
commitments.
So, Mr. Speaker, fourteen out of seventeen, I do not know the exact number
but it has to be between 80 per cent and 90 per cent, and then seventeen of
twenty-five - again, I will have to ask my colleague, the Minister of Finance to
do the calculation, but they are very high numbers. Obviously, Mr. Speaker, the
market adjustment policies, the bonuses, the bursaries, everything is working
and we are keeping doctors in this Province, contrary to what the Liberal
Opposition says.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister might want to tell that to the people in Burin today who are
supposed to have three internal medicine specialists but they only have one; the
people in Clarenville who are now going to be without one; the people in
Carbonear who recently lost an internal medicine specialist. Mr. Speaker, we
know that there is a shortage of nearly 125 general practitioners in this
Province today.
So I ask you, Minister: What plan do you have to ensure that these gaps are
lessened and that we have good negotiations with our doctors so that we can
recruit people to this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We currently have - as of September, 2009 1,042 physicians in active
practice, our most ever. In the last eighteen months, Mr. Speaker, we have a net
increase of fifty-three physicians. We currently offer bursaries, Mr. Speaker,
of $25,000 a year. We have forty-one family medicine residents, seven psychiatry
residents, and twenty-eight residents in other training programs, with a
one-year return-in-service agreement. We have retention bonuses, Mr. Speaker,
weighted toward rural and isolated areas, up to three years incremental, Mr.
Speaker, $36,000 for three years added on to their salary in a lump-sum
non-pensionable payment. Mr. Speaker, we have an $18 million expansion of the
medical school, and we will increase our undergraduate class size from
sixty-four to eighty. We have a provincial physician recruitment office. We are
currently, Mr. Speaker, in negotiations with the physicians.
Again, we have difficulty recruiting individual positions and physicians but
overall, Mr. Speaker, we are doing quite well. The doctors, contrary to what the
Opposition says, are quite happy with (inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Well, that is of little comfort for the people in Burin, I say
to you, Minister. It does not change the fact that these vacancies exist in our
system and gaps are still there.
Mr. Speaker, I stand here with great sadness to question the minister on why
air ambulance services in our Province have failed the people of Labrador again.
A man who was severely injured from an industrial accident in Labrador West died
while waiting for an air ambulance to arrive.
Why, after all the previous incidents, are the people of Labrador still
waiting unacceptable times for air ambulance medevacs?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
On October 9, I became Minister of Health and Community Services. On November
27, I flew to Labrador, met with the councils in Lab West, met with the council
in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, met with two families who were severely affected by
air ambulance issues. I indicated in this hon. House in early December that we
would conduct a review of the air ambulance.
I appreciate the petition provided by the Leader of the Opposition with the
3,000 residents of Labrador asking to have services in Labrador. We have a
consultant, Mr. Speaker, who has conducted a review. That review is completed;
we will be releasing that review in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, I heard the host of Open Line today say there should be air
ambulance in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Deer Lake and St. John's, and I also heard
the Member for The Straits & White Bay, or
PREMIER WILLIAMS: White Bay North.
MR. KENNEDY: White Bay North - phone in and say it should be in St.
Anthony. We are looking at it, and again I ask we have two planes - to the
Leader of the Opposition, where should they be?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I think the minister needs to put his head around the fact that it is not
about changing out services in air ambulance; it is about adding services to
meet the need and meet the capacity in the Province.
Mr. Speaker, the CEO of Labrador-Grenfell Health stated that the original air
ambulance was out of service - I have no idea why; maybe the minister can tell
us that - however, the chartered aircraft used as a replacement had to recharge
the on-board oxygen service and the medical team had to return to the Health
Sciences Centre to retrieve medical equipment.
I ask the minister: Why wasn't an air ambulance ready to go in this Province
at a moment's notice with a medical team on standby, with oxygen on board, ready
to respond to an emergency?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I have indicated in the past that the air
ambulance is a very serious issue. I have met with the families who were
affected, and the emotional impact of meeting with those people was quite
significant on me. Again, Mr. Speaker, my sympathies to the family in Labrador
West.
The air ambulance did not work as it should, Mr. Speaker. It is the reason
that we are conducting the review and looking at where we should have our planes
located. I am advised, Mr. Speaker - and so far some of the comments by the
Liberal leader are accurate - the plane in St. John's was down. It is a 1990
King Air as opposed to the 2008 King Air that is in St. Anthony right now. A
King Air airplane, Mr. Speaker, costs approximately $8 million and there has to
be the crew to go with it. So we certainly have to improve.
I have made a commitment to the people of Labrador that we will look at
improvements. I can assure the people of Labrador, Mr. Speaker, that we take
this very seriously and that, in due course, we will be making a decision and
addressing their needs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We are happy to know that the minister is going to investigate this incident.
We were somewhat taken back that the decision to do this did not come until
yesterday, which was four or five days after this incident in Labrador West;
however, Mr. Speaker, I think answers need to be provided as to why this air
ambulance was not available and not ready to go at a moment's notice.
I ask the minister: In cases where our provincial air ambulances are tied up
and in use in other parts of the Province, why is it that there is not a Plan B
that is readily available to respond to these emergencies?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is a Plan B, but unfortunately it
did not work as it should in this case. The air ambulance in St. John's was
down. I am still waiting for an explanation as to why the air ambulance in St.
Anthony was not utilized. It is my understanding it was in the air. So then, Mr.
Speaker, there is a charter company that we have on call. That charter company,
Mr. Speaker, was advised around 8:00 o'clock that their services would be
required. The gentleman in question went into the hospital in Labrador, by my
notes, at 2:45 p.m., Mr. Speaker, and it was around 6:10 that a request for an
air ambulance came in.
There was an hour lost, as the Leader of the Opposition has indicated, Mr.
Speaker. There was an hour lost as a result of having to return to obtain
equipment from the Health Sciences Centre. The unfortunate reality, Mr. Speaker,
is that the charter aircraft which was utilized took an hour longer to fly to
Labrador West than the King Air normally would.
Again, these are issues that are of concern. We have conducted a review as to
where air ambulance should be situated in this Province, Mr. Speaker, and we
look at all alternatives to make sure that not only the residents of Labrador
but all of the residents of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, including
the residents of Western Newfoundland, are well served by air ambulance.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I ask the minister today: In light of the fact that the review is ongoing
into provincial air ambulance services, and the need has been identified that a
third air ambulance service should be based in Central or Western Labrador, are
you prepared to enter into a standing offer contract to have an aircraft based
in Labrador immediately to respond to any air medevac services that would be
required until this particular issue has been ironed out?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, the review of the consultant has been
completed. We will be reviewing the same and making our decision over the next
short period of time as to the location of air ambulance services in this
Province. There has been no decision made, Mr. Speaker, that a third air
ambulance is required in this Province. If the hon. member opposite remembers
our discussion on this in December, I had indicated that the flight statistics
showed that there were more flights coming out of Deer Lake than there were out
of St. Anthony, and that there were more flights coming out of Labrador than
were coming out of St. Anthony.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that this decision
will be made shortly, but anything that we have to do right now to ensure that
proper services are provided to all residents of this Province, steps will be
taken and addressed immediately.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard the Minister of Labrador Affairs talk about
meetings he has had with international stakeholders around 5 Wing Goose Bay. In
fact, in The Labradorian newspaper yesterday he said he was on top of
this file and expecting to hear good news. However, Mr. Speaker, the NATO
exercise that the minister was so excited to see come to Goose Bay has gone to
the United States.
Will the minister inform the House as to why 5 Wing Goose Bay is not going to
receive this NATO exercise, and instead it has gone south of the border,
obviously without his knowledge?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HICKEY: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, again the Leader of the Opposition only gets half of the facts
straight half of the time. Let me explain to the hon. members in the House
regarding 5 Wing Goose Bay. There was a NATO exercise planned for Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, for 5 Wing Goose Bay this summer. It was put together quickly
by the NATO General, General Brady. Goose Bay was looked at for close air combat
support. We travelled to Ottawa last week, myself and the hon. Minister of
Intergovernmental Affairs; we spoke with the Minister of National Defence, along
with the British High Commissioner, as well as the Embassies of Germany and the
United States.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the hon. minister to conclude his answer and to do it now.
MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, what is happening in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and
at 5 Wing Goose Bay this summer is that work will be continuing on the
expenditure of some $1.9 million to improve hangars seven and eight and there
has been a commitment on behalf of NATO that this exercise will take place next
year and future years until 2016.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The only thing, obviously, that Happy Valley-Goose Bay got out of this is
that the minister got a trip to Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue. In fact, back in December, I had one of
the researchers in my office e-mail the minister and respectfully ask for an
update on 5 Wing Goose Bay. This is the response the minister sent back to my
researcher - an intelligent, intellectual response, Mr. Speaker. I quote. He
says: 5 Wing is alive and well. You need to grow up, and don't e-mail me any
more.
This was the response, Mr. Speaker, from the minister of one of the most
important
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
If the hon. Leader of the Opposition has a question, I suggest she pose it
immediately.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I have a very important question, but first of all I was going to say, this
was the
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the hon. member to pose her question or sit down.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I ask the minister: On the heels of that intellectual response, what does
this mean for 5 Wing Goose Bay and NATO training going in to 2011, which we all
know (inaudible)
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, let me say this to the hon. member: This
government, under this Premier, has supported 5 Wing Goose Bay more than any
provincial government in the history of this Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HICKEY: Let me say this to the hon. member across: Your answer should
be going to the Liberal Member of Parliament, Todd Russell, who is up in Ottawa;
that is where your questions on 5 Wing Goose Bay should be going, I say to the
hon. member.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HICKEY: Let me say, just to answer your question, Mr. Speaker, all is
alive and well, I can tell you, at 5 Wing Goose Bay. We still have 350 people
working at the base, and I can tell you with the improvements that are going to
be made this year, on hanger seven and eight and the PTA, I can tell you we have
a bright future. Our glass, as the Premier said yesterday, is half full not half
empty.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, the fishery represents the heart and soul of rural
Newfoundland and Labrador and unfortunately it is a very troubled industry on
the brink of collapse. Everyone concerned about the fishery is looking at the
MOU as a way forward for this industry. In fact, many of the constituents in my
district have been asking about the progress of this framework agreement.
So, I ask the minister: Will he update the people involved in the industry
when they can expect to see some significant results in this process?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I advise the Opposition to probably follow the media a little bit closer,
because if they would have they would have seen a sequence of steps that have
moved this process along quite expeditiously. This process started last July;
Ministers Dunderdale and Hedderson met with fisherpeople and instituted it. In
the fall, Request for Proposals was called. On December 17, a letter was
written; on December 30, a meeting with both sides and government. On January
22, reports were received back; February 15, presented to Minister Shea - and,
Mr. Speaker, I see you are going to rise, so I will answer the question.
Mr. Speaker, all of these dates have been released to the media. Right now,
Mr. Speaker, the working groups are meeting and I would expect that within the
next month or two we will have some further information.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, the federal government is a major stakeholder in
this industry and they have not been meaningfully involved in the process; yet
they will be deemed as essential to its success.
I ask the minister why the federal government is not at the table, and what
is this government's plan to get the federal counterpart there?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about it, the federal
government has to be a partner in this, but I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker,
to the Opposition and the people of the Province, that before we can expect that
the federal government would get involved, we have to have the parties in the
Province who can come to some sense of agreement and some sense of direction.
I am hoping, Mr. Speaker, that through this MOU process, that is what will
happen. Once we come out of this process with a strong package, then we have
something that we can take to Ottawa and we can say we fully expect you to be a
partner in this restructuring or what comes out at the end of that process.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, since May 2007 the people of this Province have had their
confidence shaken in our health care system. Since this government has been
elected they have created an enormous health authority which provides the major
portion of tertiary care in the Province, and they have had six Ministers of
Health. Mr. Speaker, we now have the current minister saying that Eastern Health
Authority is too big.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: When will he admit that government made a
mistake in forming these large, unmanageable regional health authorities?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question, but I do
not remember saying that Eastern Health was too big. We have four health boards
who administer the day-to-day operations of the health authorities. As the
minister, as pointed out by the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, the minister
has an oversight role. We are, Mr. Speaker, dealing with a $2.6 billion budget.
Approximately $1 billion or $1.2 billion of it goes to Eastern Health, but
Eastern Health is also responsible for the tertiary care unit, Mr. Speaker, and
also approximately 300,000 residents of this Province. Then we have Central
Health, which covers a vast geographical area and is responsible for
approximately 70,000 people, Mr. Speaker. We get to Western Health, again, a big
geographical area and approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people. Then we get
Labrador-Grenfell, which is dealing with 30,000 people.
So it would seem to me, Mr. Speaker, that the - Eastern Health is big by its
very nature, but I think that four boards certainly serve the purpose. We are
ironing out the kinks, Mr. Speaker, and we move along. H1N1 was an example of
how we work. Government worked with all the health authorities to do what had to
be done.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I advise the minister to go over the footage of when he stands before the
media, because I think you will find at one scrum he said at least three times
that perhaps it is that Eastern Health is too large. So I suggest that he go and
look over his own footage and see what he says in front of the media.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps throwing numbers at us and impresses upon
us everything that they are doing with regard to our health care, the money that
is going into machines and buildings, which has to be done because of the fact
that the infrastructure has to be kept. The issues in our health care system are
much greater than creating the adequate infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, without
constructive leadership this Province will be unable to attract or even retain
the medical staff needed to engender the confidence that I am asking for.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: When will his government do what they were
elected to do and work responsibly with the health care professionals to create
an efficient health care system the public has confidence in?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
One of the things that I have done as minister in my short tenure is to
identify priorities. In mental health and addictions, Mr. Speaker, we have sent
out approximately $430,000 to various groups working with people to affect and
help change their daily lives.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I was over at the Health Sciences where we dealt with the
December. January we met with the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities. Myself
and the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment got to work on the
matter, and today, Mr. Speaker, it was heartwarming to listen to the President
of the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities outline what this government has
done right, how we have dealt with all issues that have been requested, Mr.
Speaker.
When we talk about health professionals, I have already gone through the
numbers of how we have recruited and retained individuals, but we are now in the
middle of negotiations and we know that during negotiations things are going to
be said and done. Mr. Speaker, I can assure this hon. House and the people of
this Province that our concern is for the patients of this Province and the
efficiency and effectiveness of our health care system, and that is what we will
continue to work for.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allotted for Questions and Answers has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Notices of Motion.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As per
section 63.(3), I table the following private member's motion to be
debated tomorrow:
WHEREAS the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical
Transportation Assistance Program assists residents financially in accessing
medical services; and
WHEREAS the Medical Transportation Assistance Program current criteria did
not sufficiently provide the financial support for its residents who must travel
to avail of medical services in our Province; and
WHEREAS residents of Newfoundland and Labrador have to incur substantial cost
in order to access medical facilities in major centres; and
WHEREAS changes are required to the Medical Transportation Assistance Program
in order to lessen the financial burden at a time that is often difficult and
stressful for patients and their families when accessing health care services
both inside the Province and outside the Province; and
WHEREAS a petition with over 7,300 signatures was presented to government on
December 4, 2008, asking for changes to the Medical Transportation Assistance
Program;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Assembly call upon government to
make changes to the Medical Transportation Assistance Program, namely to
reimburse gas and mileage for the use of personal vehicles; to add meal per
diems for those staying with family and friends; to increase overall rates to
reflect the true financial burden; to include coverage for those taking
part in
clinical trials; to waiver the $400 deductible faced by those who live on the
Island portion of the Province, and increase the reimbursement of eligible
costs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?
The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, just to speak on the motion that was put forward
under
section 63 of the Standing Orders,
section 63.(3) indicates that the
motion put forward for Private Members' Day - it reads, "On the Monday before
the Wednesday of the week in which a Private Member's motion is to be debated".
Just because it was done on Tuesday as opposed to Monday, I am not sure if I
heard when the Leader of the Opposition stood to speak to this motion, but we
acknowledge that it was not on Monday, and whether or not leave was asked for,
we certainly would have no problem with it. I just want to clarify that we are
accepting the motion, by leave.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the opportunity in this
section of the House to again present a
petition on behalf of the residents of Southwestern Newfoundland with respect to
dialysis services in that area. As anyone in this House is familiar with, I
think I have gone through something like six different Ministers of Health in
the last number of years here. The only
section of this Province right now that
does not have a satellite dialysis services is the southwest corner of this
Province. Whether you are in Burgeo, Port aux Basques, Burnt Island, Isle aux
Morts, anywhere, it is the only
section of the Province that does not get
provided with some kind of dialysis service. We have been at this - this is my
sixty-seventh petition in this House asking for some help for the people of
Southwestern Newfoundland, who travel a minimum of over 200 kilometres to try to
get this help.
As I say, I have asked previous ministers. The most recent step, just so that
the people who watch this are aware of the processes taken place since we were
last here before Christmas, I have been advised that the report was compiled in
Western Health between Dr. Charles L. LeGrow health people personnel. They gave
it to Western, and Western has forwarded it to the minister. I have written to
the minister, as of a couple of weeks ago, to ask him if it is possible at all.
There is not a lot involved from a budgetary perspective to do this. They
basically needed the physical place to do it. They have confirmed that the
physical facility is available at the Dr. Charles L. LeGrow Health Centre to do
it.
They also had concerns about the staff that were required to do it. The staff
at Charles LeGrow in Port aux Basques have agreed to undergo whatever training
is necessary in order to provide that service. It is not like you are going to
train someone and they leave. I think something like 95 per cent of the nursing
staff in that area were born there, live there, still live there, work there and
intend to finish out their careers there. You have the facilities to do it in;
you have the nursing staff who are prepared to do it. The people of the area are
prepared to fundraise, if necessary, to buy the equipment. We have raised
millions of dollars in the past in Southwestern Newfoundland and provided it to
Western to use for other necessary medical equipment. We are certainly prepared
and committed to raise the funds to do it ourselves.
We submit there is no reason why one particular area of the Province should
be treated in this fashion. It has gone on for years and years. I have a
gentleman named Mr. Keeping - anybody who has listened to the Open Lines has
heard him on there religiously, morning, noon and night - talking about how he
travels from Burnt Islands. He is not a wealthy man. In fact, he cannot work
because he needs dialysis so regularly. He does not know what it is to take a
vacation, for example, because he needs dialysis regularly. The cost it takes
him to go from Burnt Islands three times a week into Corner Brook - and you can
imagine the stress it is not only causing him but his family, and that is just
one gentleman.
I pledge to the people of my district, I will keep this matter on the front
burner. There is no question, by the way; this is the primary, the number one
priority for the people of that area, no question. Yes, you need roads; yes, you
need educational systems, but first and foremost is your health. Number one is
your health care, and in this particular case, as we see, there are several
people we have, for example, lost residents in that particular area because
they just could not sustain the stress any more of living at home where they
wanted to be with their families. They have had to take apartments hundreds of
miles away just to get the use of this service.
Mr. Speaker, again I bring it back here. I have written to the minister, and
hopefully we will see something positive in this Budget which is due to be
delivered next Monday. I do not think, in the massive Budget that we have, $8
billion, to ask this for the people of one particular region is not a big ask,
as we say, to get this done. We have the facilities to do it. We have the
personnel to do it. It is a matter of putting your mind to it and saying we are
going to get this done.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, from the motion paper, Motion 2. I move, seconded by the hon.
Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, for leave to introduce a
bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000. (Bill 3)
Mr. Speaker, I say that the bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of
Finance shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The
Income Tax Act, 2000, Bill 3, and that this bill be now read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to
introduce Bill 3 and that this bill be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to
introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000", carried. (Bill 3).
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000. (Bill 3)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 3 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 3 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 3 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Justice
and the Attorney General, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Provincial Court Act, 1991. (Bill 4)
I further move that the said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister
of Justice and the Attorney General shall have leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Provincial Court Act, 1991, and that this bill be
now read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to
introduce Bill 4 and that this bill be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General to introduce a
bill, "An Act To Amend The Provincial Court Act, 1991", carried. (Bill 4).
CLERK: A bill ,
An Act To Amend The Provincial Court Act, 1991. (Bill 4)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 4 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 4 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 4 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, for
leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Provide Liability Protection On
Portions Of Pedestrian Trails. (Bill 5)
I further move that the said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister
of Tourism, Culture and Recreation shall have leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Provide Liability Protection On Portions Of Pedestrian
Trails, Bill 5, and that this bill be now read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that Bill 5 be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation to introduce
a bill, "An Act To Provide Liability Protection On Portions Of Pedestrian
Trails", carried. (Bill 5)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Provide Liability Protection On Portions Of
Pedestrian Trails. (Bill 5)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 5 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 5 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 5 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I would like to call from the Order Paper, Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the House that I have
received a Message from His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
All rise.
The letter states:
As Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, I
transmit a request to appropriate sums required for the Public Service of the
Province for the year ending 31 March 2011, by way of Interim Supply, and in
accordance with the provisions of
section 54 and 90 of the Constitution Act,
1867, I recommend this request to the House of Assembly.
Sgd.:__________________________
John C. Crosbie, PC, OC, ONL, QC
Lieutenant Governor
Please by seated.
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Health,
that the Message, together with a bill, be referred to the Committee of Supply.
MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that the Message, together with a bill, be
referred to a Committee of Supply and that I do now leave the Chair.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt this motion?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on
Supply, Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Committee of the Whole
CHAIR (T. Osborne): Order, please!
We are considering the related resolution and Bill 2,
An Act For Granting To
Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public
Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2011 And For Other Purposes
Relating To The Public Service.
Resolution
"That is expedient to introduce a measure to provide for the granting to Her
Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the Public Service for the financial
year ending March 31, 2011 the sum of $2,398,481,900".
CHAIR: Shall the resolution carry?
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It is my pleasure and my duty as the Minister of Finance and the President of
Treasury Board to lead this debate on Interim Supply and, as we all know, I
guess this is the third time I have had an opportunity to speak in this
particular debate. As we all know, before this House of Assembly can raise
revenue or spend revenue on any purpose, it all has to be voted upon and
approved by the elected representatives of the people in this House of Assembly.
So what we do is that the permission to spend money, the main Supply bill,
the Budget bill, will allocate the funding and the appropriations for the entire
year, but that debate takes a period of time. The Budget will be brought down
next Monday, on March 29, and it will be debated for about seventy-five hours
and we will all have a chance to take
part in that debate.
In the interim, on April 1, a new year starts. The fiscal year of 2009-2010
will end on March 31, at which time the government runs out of money for that
year, and since there has been no Budget passed, there is no new money for the
new year that starts on April 1. So, the first thing we do after the Speech from
the Throne, normally in a new session, and this is pretty standard practice, the
Minister of Finance will present to the House Interim Supply in order that we
can have some money to pay our bills for a three-month period from April 1, the
start of the new year, to June 30 - pay the bills, send out the cheques until
such time as the Budget is passed.
Mr. Chair, when I was preparing for this last night I noticed the message.
You notice when I first stood up I said I had a message from the Lieutenant
Governor. I have done that and I have never looked into the reasons for it. It
is set out in the Constitution, it is set out in
section 54 and in
section 90
the Constitution Act of Canada that says we cannot bring in a bill for the
passage of money unless it is first authorized by the Lieutenant Governor. That
message was presented and the Speaker just wrote the message.
We are looking at both a resolution as well as a bill. The resolution:
Be it
resolved that it is expedient to introduce a measure to provide for the granting
of Her Majesty - in other words the government - for defraying certain expenses
of the Public Service for the financial year that is going to end March 31, 2011
the sum of - and just listen to this - it is $2,398,481,900. It is quite a lot
of money for a three-year period. In the bill, which I will call the Interim
Supply bill, it is called the Interim Supply Act, 2010. It is from out of the
Consolidated Revenue Fund, there will be issued by the Minister of Finance and
President of Treasury Board that sum of money, that $2.4 billion of money, and
the sum so issued shall be paid and applied by the several heads of expenditure
in respect of the financial year for the period from April 1, 2010 to March 31,
2011 towards defraying the charges and expenses of the Public Service of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
At the back of the bill is a
schedule and the
schedule sets out the various
heads of expenditure. As I said, they total $2.4 billion - and I will not read
them all and other Cabinet ministers are here today and they will be able to
answer questions and take
part in the debate on the spending in their respective
departments. I noticed the biggest one is Health and Community Services; the
amount is $835,886,500. The next biggest is Transportation and Works and that is
for the amount of $521,598,300. The third largest one is education, which is
$435,305,700.
As I said, it takes time to debate this. The amount of the $2.4 billion, it
represents about 34.3 per cent of what was spent last year, in the year
2009-2010. That was the Budget for that year, the budgeted Current and Capital
Account, the Gross Expenditures, and it is going to provide the departments with
sufficient cash flow dollars to manage Current and Capital Expenditures, as I
said, for the three month period, April 1 to June 30 of 2010. In some of the
accounts, as is normal, more than one-quarter of the Budget is required to
provide for those items that will be need to be expensed early in the year, as
well as to provide for the calling and the awarding of tenders and the
encumbering of funds.
There is a 7 per cent increase being requested in Interim Supply this year
over the amount that was asked for last year. Last year the amount was $2.2
billion. So the amount is up by 7 per cent. This increase is therefore
approximately $163 million. It includes provision for increased infrastructure
spending, annualization of 2009-2010 Budget decisions. Now the annualization
means, of course, that sometimes when a program is brought in for the first
time, it might be brought in, in July, it may not be brought in until October;
therefore the amount of money needed last year was only for six months, or three
months, and of course this year that same program will operate and the funding
will be needed for the twelve-month period, and that is what we mean by
annualization. Also, there are salary increases and there is other growth in
program. It will also include funding for six pay periods, and ongoing project
and funding requirements that are applicable to the upcoming fiscal year of
2010-2011.
Mr. Chair, this bill needs to be passed on or before March 25 so that
government can process the cheques, including income support cheques, which have
to be mailed across the Province, and to get to our rural parts of the Province
and to meet the government's payroll obligations for April 1, 2010. As I said
earlier, Mr. Chairman, on March 29 I will table the Estimates of Expenditure of
the main Supply Bill, the Budget Bill, and I look forward to the debate at that
time.
Mr. Chair, prior to this time we had pre-Budget consultations. We do that
every year. The Minister of Finance goes around the Province and conducts
pre-Budget consultations. I was pleased to have the opportunity to do that again
this year. I visited a number of communities. We began in Corner Brook on
January 15 and we concluded with two sessions here in St. John's on February 17.
One of the things I wanted to do as Minister of Finance was not stick with
all of the same places each time. I like to vary it a bit. Obviously, there are
certain centres that expect the Minister of Finance to show up. This year we had
sessions, in addition to Corner Brook and St. John's, we had them in
Stephenville, we had them in St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Lab City,
Marystown, a new location this year was Bonavista. Another new location this
year was Springdale. We had them in Clarenville, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor,
Carbonear and St. John's. There are some places that I never got to that I was
hoping to get to, and I can say that if I am in this position in the future I
would like to get to the South and North Coast of Labrador and I would like to
get to Port aux Basques. I have never had an invitation to come down to
Channel-Port aux Basques. I listened to the Opposition House Leader talk about,
in his petitions, things that he needs and the number one priority for the
people of Port aux Basques, and I have listened to what he has had to say.
The people of this Province, Mr. Chair, in my view, value very much having an
opportunity to tell the government directly what their priorities are but every
year we see people in the media say: oh, it is a waste of time, that the Budget
is already done and that we are wasting time or we are wasting the people's
time. It is not correct, Mr. Chair. I can assure you that it is not correct. We
always learn new things when we do these Budget consultations and they are very
helpful.
This year the consultation I found in Bonavista and Springdale, which were
new communities for me to attend, were very, very helpful. I found the session
in Springdale most helpful. I have a totally different well, the messages I
heard in Springdale I think were different from what I heard in any other
community and it was very, very interesting and I am glad I was there. I heard
many good discussions and government can continue to - as we emerge from the
recession and plan for a brighter tomorrow, there were also discussions on the
investments in Budget 2009.
I was pleased to see that the people of this Province were very proud of the
vision of the Williams government and were very supportive of the investments we
have made to date. You only have to look at the recent public surveys just to
see how pleased people are with the exceptional work that is being done, led by
the Premier of this Province.
Mr. Chair, our government in particular was commended for its unprecedented
investment of $800 million in the infrastructure projects. The business
community commended government for its continued fiscal management and business
investments and practices. In Labrador, residents and organizations requested a
continued investment in transportation and infrastructure and health care. Our
investments in health care and education were applauded, $2.6 billion in health
care, $1.3 billion in education. Our commitment to rural Newfoundland was
acknowledged and appreciated. What is very important is that 80 per cent of the
infrastructure strategy - 80 per cent of the money in the infrastructure
strategy was spent in rural Newfoundland.
Mr. Chair, for this year, like last year, we have made the decision, from a
public policy point of view, that we will run a deficit this year. That is a
deliberate and conscious decision taken by the government. We are doing that for
good reasons, because it is uncertain at this point whether the recession is
over and whether economic recovery will get some traction. The federal finance
minister, Minister Flaherty, has indicated that yes, there is economic growth
but that it is very, very fragile. It is very tepid. Other economic commentators
are saying that economic growth will be flat.
Many of the banks economists, some of whom I met with in Toronto, while
acknowledging that the recovery was starting, that the economy had stopped
contracting and that the economy was starting to grow, mentioned one thing above
all, that the outlook is uncertain; that the outlook was uncertain and the
degree of certainty was still high. I was very pleased to see the Leader of the
Opposition yesterday say the same thing. She said that the economy was
uncertain, economic growth was uncertain, and because of that we now have to
make a conscious decision. Will there be growth or will it be fragile? Will it
be flat? If we do not know I think we have to err on the side of caution, and we
have to continue to stimulate the economy to ensure that there are jobs and
opportunities provided for the people of this Province.
Mr. Chair, the dollar continues to be very, very high. The economy in the
United States - there is high unemployment in the United States. On a
proportional basis, they are losing jobs. They have lost three times the jobs
that we have lost in Canada, and they are our main customers. If Americans are
not working, they do not have the revenues and they do not have the cash to buy
our products. We have seen that in this Province. We have had lots of great
success in the oil sector; great success with the nickel and the new facility
being built in Long Harbour, but what about in rural Newfoundland? What about
our forestry? Our forestry has been hammered. The newsprint industry has been
hammered. The fishing industry has been hammered. They are hammered by the
recession in the U.S., the recession in Europe, and the high dollar.
So if we are going to protect rural Newfoundland, which is what we want to
do, the investment, the only demand that is taking place in that area is
government spending. We spent a major infrastructure strategy, $800 million
budgeted in this year's Budget, and 80 per cent of that money is spent in rural
Newfoundland. If we slammed on the brakes now, if we listened to those who say
that we should not run a deficit right now that means they want us to raise
taxes. Well, let those who say we should not have a deficit, let them tell us
what taxes they are going to raise. That will slam the brakes on economic
growth.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Those who do not want us to run a deficit, the only other
option is to cut spending, but if we are going to cut spending then we cannot
come up with money for new satellite dialysis units. If they want us to cut
spending, if they want us to go back to a balanced budget then tell us what they
want us to cut spending on because that is the choice? Raise taxes or cut
spending, both of those policies, right now with a fragile economy, are wrong.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
CHAIR: Order, please!
Order, please!
MR. MARSHALL: This is a time not to slam on the brakes; this is the time
to keep the momentum going. This is the time to stay the course, to stay on
course and to stimulate the economy, as I said, to provide jobs and
opportunities to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and to provide jobs and
opportunities in particular to the people of rural Newfoundland.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: That is what we are going to do, and I am going to bring
down a Budget on Monday that is going to provide jobs and opportunities to the
people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
We cannot, until we know for sure that the economy has gotten traction
right now it is fragile. Right now the growth is uncertain. Right now the dollar
is high. Right now the American market is low, the European market is up. Even
in China - a potential new customer I just read yesterday that an economist at
Harvard and a couple of hedge funds were predicting that the economy of China
was in a bubble and was about to collapse. The signs of uncertainty are there,
so we cannot take the chance -
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.
MR. MARSHALL: By leave, just to clue up?
CHAIR: Does the hon. member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board,
by leave.
MR. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I thank colleagues for allowing me leave to end my remarks, to clue up.
In looking at it, what do we do? If the economy is uncertain, if we are not
sure, if we are not sure there is going to be economic growth, if we are not
sure the economy is going to have traction, then we have to err on the side of
caution and we have to keep the momentum going. We have to move forward, we have
to invest, we have to invest in rural Newfoundland ,
and if that means running a deficit, then so be it.
Over the medium term, we will get back to balance as the economy grows. When
there is economic growth there is return and there is traction in the economy,
we will get back to growth, but we cannot just slam on the brakes. We cannot
just put that pressure on the economy now. That could drive the economy back
into recession and we certainly do not want that.
So, Mr. Chair, I look forward to hearing my colleagues taking
part in this
debate and I urge the passage in due course of the Interim Supply Bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
CHAIR: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I am certainly happy to rise and speak to the bill on Supplementary Supply
today. A very important bill, Mr. Chair, as it is the funds that pay the people,
the public servants of this Province, it pays for the services that every
Newfoundlander and Labradorian enjoy each and every day, and, of course, it is
appropriate that those particular allotment of funds are always done and made
appropriately.
Mr. Chairman, I listened intently to what the Minister of Finance had to say
in his remarks. I certainly want to recognize the fact that he has taken the
time - an initiative that was started by his predecessors - to travel around the
Province and to hold consultations around the Budget.
What was notable this year, Mr. Chair, is he did not bring the clock. The
clock that he usually used to take - formerly when he was the Minister of
Finance that he would put up on the wall and he would tell you how many
minutes the deficit was racking up in the Province -
MR. MARSHALL: No, the interest on the debt.
MS JONES: The interest on the debt, Mr. Chair, was racking up in the
Province. Of course, that became a bit of an issue for those who like to blog
and the columnists in the Province as they made the comparison of those
individuals sitting in the room watching the money of the provincial Treasury
tick away, at the same time, Mr. Chair, they were trying to ask the minister for
some new services, new infrastructure and new pay raises. So it was somewhat of
an intimidating experience, I say to the minister, and I guess after seeking
higher counsel from those in the field that he must have decided to drop the
clock and leave it at home. Mr. Chair, we have seen a little bit of a different
consultation this year, no doubt about that.
Mr. Chair, I think those particular sessions are very worthwhile. In fact, I
attended a number of them myself over the years and certainly had my staff
attend many of them around the Province because it does give people an
opportunity to bring their messages directly to government in terms of what they
want to see in the Budget. It gives them the opportunity to shape how government
investment and spending is made and also an opportunity to make suggestions on
where cuts can be made. So, Mr. Chair, it is a good exercise from that
perspective. The results of that exercise is only ever seen when the Budget
itself is tabled in the House of Assembly, to see if government actually
listened to what these people had to say and really give careful consideration
to the initiatives and the proposals that they were putting forward.
So, we will see on Monday, Mr. Chair, March 29, as the minister stands in his
place and brings down again one of the largest revenue budgets in the Province,
and to tell us how big the deficit is going to be this year.
I say that because I think that is one of the most discouraging pieces that I
see in all of this. We went, in this Province in a six-year period, from running
the Province on revenue of $4 billion a year in 2003 up to nearly $8 billion
this year, Mr. Chair, in revenues in the Province. Last year we were a little
shy of it, this year we may be down a little bit more only because we have seen
some downturn in the mining industry and the oil and gas industry, so our
revenues probably did not get to the forecasted levels or the actual levels that
they were a year ago.
Having said that, Mr. Chair, we have seen our budgets, our revenue double in
this Province, but over that six-year period, we had a government that could not
manage the expenditure of the Province within that budgetary process. They are
running deficits, Mr. Chair. Running deficits for the second year in a row. The
same Administration who, at one point, said that they would like to bring in a
law. The same government who said they would like to bring in a law that they
would have balanced budgets in this Province, but yet, Mr. Chair, they are
unable to balance the Budget at the time when we have the largest revenues ever
in our history in the last few years.
Now, Mr. Chair, that is a very important point - a very important point -
because we are looking at a six-year term that this government has been managing
the finances. They have seen the finances doubled. They have spent those
finances as they went to the point that they are running a deficit again this
year.
Mr. Chair, I think there needs to be an explanation for that; I honestly do.
I think at a time in this Province when we are able to achieve some of the
strongest returns on revenue that we have ever seen in our history that is a
time when we really need to ensure that we can live within our means. What
happens because the minister knows as I do how volatile this environment is
that we live in. We have already seen in the fishing industry alone in the last
year - the minister will confirm this. We have seen, I think, a 22 per cent drop
in the value, Mr. Chair, in our industry this year alone. That tells you how
volatile things can be.
Look at previous years, when we were forecasting barrels of oil to be much
higher. Then all of a sudden we saw it drop, drop, drop and continuously drop to
the fact that we knew the revenues were going to be impacted. Look at what is
happening now in our mining industry. We do not know, on any given year, what is
going to be the circumstances around the economy on a worldwide basis and how
that is going to impact us. So therefore, Mr. Chair, we have to be more cautious
and careful in terms of how we manage our annual expenditures.
We know and we realize that this government did increase their program
spending annually by 8 to 10 per cent over the last number of years. We are not
saying that was not necessary, and we are not saying that should not happen,
because in fact, Mr. Chair, if you go back through Hansard what you will find
out is I probably stood in this House and asked for most of it. Mr. Chair, what
I did not ask for is I did not ask for the people's money to the tune of $200
million and $300 million to be invested in equity shares in the oil industry.
Mr. Chair, we are investing today in equity shares in the oil industry and we
are running a deficit in this Province to do it. That is the legacy. We are
running a deficit in this Province today in order to invest in the equity in
that industry.
So, Mr. Chair, the minister wants to talk about where we should have saved
money that is one of the places we could have saved money and balanced the books
this year. That is just one suggestion.
Mr. Chair, what this government has not done is they have not faced up to
some of the real challenges that have existed within the Province, especially
within our health care system. We, today, Mr. Chair, spend more per capita on
health care per patient of any other province in the country. We spend more
money per person, realizing that some of that has to do with our geographics and
the fact that we are spread out. When you look at somewhere like Hamilton,
Ontario, Mr. Chair, they might have one operating room. We have to have
hospitals all over this Province.
So I realize that there are some differentials that come into play. Having
said that, Mr. Chair, we still spend the most money and we get the worst
results. We get the worst results. In fact, last year we were dead last in terms
of our health care targets and how our money was benefiting the people of this
Province when it came to health care. Guess what? This year, we improved a bit.
We are number three in the country now. We are third from the bottom in terms of
how our investment in health care is actually servicing the people of the
Province.
Mr. Chair, government needs to face that reality. They need to face that
reality. Their approach so far has been, when there is a problem in health care,
we will run in, we will rush in, we will try to fix it, we will throw money at
it and we will run back out. Guess what? It is not fixing anything. It is not
fixing anything. The failure to listen to the people who work in the system, the
failure to make the investments in the proper and appropriate places is not
building a stronger health care system for the people of the Province.
Mr. Chair, there are a number of ways - and the minister knows this - that
you can save money today in health care in Newfoundland
and Labrador . First of all, Mr.
Chair, one of the groups out there that is offering suggestions to do just that
is personal care home operators. A group, Mr. Chair, that the Premier agreed in
2002 in a letter that if he became the Premier of the Province and formed the
government that he would indeed meet with them, that he would indeed champion
their issues, because he understood their issues. Well, guess what, Mr. Chair?
This is 2010 and they cannot even get a meeting with him over that period of
time. This is a group of people today who have invested their own money in this
Province to care for our seniors. They deserve to be listened to. They have
ideas as well. They have ideas on how they can care for our seniors at a lot
lower cost than is occurring right now in some cases. Many cases where we have
our elderly people who are in hospital beds who have nowhere to go. We cannot
take them out of those beds because there is no level three facility to put them
in or long-term care facility. So they are costing us hundreds and hundreds of
dollars every day in a hospital and tying up beds that other acute care patients
could use. Is that not reason enough to listen to the ideas of others out there
in the Province who believe that they might have a solution, believe they might
have a solution to help alleviate some of that demand, Mr. Chair, that is
occurring, some of that congestion that is happening in our hospitals today?
Let's talk about the home care program. Let's talk about the people that are
prepared to care for their elderly people at home. Mr. Chair, there is a
financial difficulty for many of them because they have to give up their jobs.
They have to give up their jobs to stay home to care for a child that may be an
adult child with disabilities, may be a spouse who has some degenerative
diseases or just because they have a parent or grandparent that is elderly, and
therefore, Mr. Chair, they have to give up their jobs to stay home to provide
that care, or they have to put them in one of those long-term care facilities in
the Province at a cost of $2,500 to $3,500 a month to the taxpayers of the
Province, but they would be glad to stay home and care for those loved ones and
individuals if they were able to receive some form of income to support
themselves in doing it. Many of them now, they cannot afford to give up their
jobs, even if it is a minimum wage job, because they have to be able to support
themselves financially and independently. That is another option that government
can look at.
Our wait lists; I talked about this before, Mr. Chair. I talked about it
before, patients who are admitted in the hospitals around this Province who are
waiting to have cardiac tests done, dye tests, other kinds of heart tests at the
Health Sciences Centre. I know many cases in my own district where patients have
had to stay in hospital in St. Anthony up to four and five weeks, taking up
space in a hospital bed until they could get medevaced down to St. John's to get
a test done that was going to take about an hour or two to have done. Mr. Chair,
we paid to have that person in a hospital bed every single day for five weeks so
they could get that one day, two hours at the Health Sciences to get a test
done, only to be released the next day and sent home. In fact, I have gone and
picked up some of these patients myself and taken them to the airport after
waiting five weeks, they had one day here, had one test done and they were sent
home. Now, Mr. Chair, there is something wrong with a system that functions like
that, something significantly wrong. If you want to save money, you ensure that
these tests are being provided in a shorter possible time. You make sure that
there is enough beds to accommodate those patients because the problem is they
cannot bring them in from the hospital in Corner Brook or in Grand Falls or in
St. Anthony or in Port aux Basques or in Burin to get this test done, because
they do not normally have bed space to be able to hospitalize them if the need
is there. That has been the single, largest barrier in getting these people
through the system.
The minister wants some suggestions on how he can look at reforming some of
these things and saving some money and developing a better system for people at
the same time. Well, these are some ideas for you minister. You can start with
stop putting the equity money in the oil industry; $60 million to drill a hole
in the ground up off Parsons Pond to find out if we actually are going to find
anything there. Mr. Chair, this is the kind of gamble -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
CHAIR: Order, please!
MS JONES: This is the kind of gamble that the minister and his government
is prepared to take, but today we have doctors who are resigning, leaving this
Province and looking at other kinds of job action because a proposal that was on
your desk for twenty days where they are looking for $80 million; $80 million to
keep doctors in this Province -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
CHAIR: Order, please!
MS JONES: - and keep services in this Province. Mr. Chair, they failed to
see the importance of that, but in 2002 they did not fail to see the importance
of that because I have quotes, Mr. Chair, from the Premier in every kind of
press release and every kind of news release in 2002 when the Newfoundland and
Labrador Medical Association was out negotiating another contract, in which he
was saying that patient care is going to be at risk if this is not sorted out
and that government should get back to the table with the Newfoundland and
Labrador Medical Association. He says that government's attitude towards
physicians in the Province has contributed to the breakdown in talks. Does this
sound familiar, Mr. Chair?
CHAIR: Order, please!
MS JONES: Does any of this sound familiar?
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member that her time for speaking has expired.
MS JONES: Mr. Chair, by leave, to clue up.
CHAIR: Does the hon. member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
CHAIR: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition, by leave.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
These are the comments of the Premier in 2002 when he was standing in this
position in the House of Assembly as Leader of the Opposition, in which he
thought that the entire system was going to be at risk because of what was
happening between the doctors and the government. He felt there should be
meaningful negotiation. He felt that the breakdown in discussion and the war of
words was not helping the situation.
Well, what have we seen from the members opposite in the last few days? We
had a Minister of Health who was out inflaming the decision, infuriating doctors
in this Province into a position to take some kind of job action. Not sitting
down and negotiating, not sitting down and trying to work out a deal. In fact,
Mr. Chair, called off the negotiations because in his mind he thought there was
a conspiracy. He thought they were actually leaving information to the
Opposition.
Mr. Chair, there is lots more to come and I will certainly have many other
opportunities to stand and speak to this issue and I will certainly be taking
advantage of it.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. MARSHALL: Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I see that the Leader of the Opposition - she is going to be right
back and we will have an interesting debate. She does not want a deficit, and
let's talk about the ways we can eliminate a deficit. Number one, we can cut
spending. Of all the things we are doing out there to provide opportunities for
the people of the Province; of the things we are doing in health care; of the
things we are investing in R&D to create jobs based on the knowledge, economy
for the future; of the things we are doing in aquaculture; of the things we are
doing in forestry, she wants us to cut funding, get back to a deficit. That is
the worst economy policy that we could have right now. The worst thing we could
have right now is slam on the brakes, bring the economy to a real stop and go
back into recession again.
Mr. Chair, the other way of getting rid of a deficit, if that is what the
Leader of the Opposition wants to do, then she has to raise taxes. So tell us
what taxes she is going to raise. We have lowered taxes. We have removed people
at the low end of the income scale totally from the Newfoundland and Labrador
tax rolls. They pay no taxes at all. We have given our seniors a low income
seniors' benefit. We took them from $400 to just under $800. We did it for
couples and then we did it for widows and widowers as well. We put money in
people's pockets to help people pay their bills, to attract people who earn,
have big incomes and pay big taxes. We need skilled tradespeople here. We need
people in the medical profession here. They make large incomes. It is not the
total salary they look at; they look at what they can bring home. We have to be
competitive to attract those people here because we need them.
Now, Mr. Chair, it is very interesting to get a lecture from the Opposition,
and in particular the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador on deficits,
because they have been in power - I do not know how many years the Liberal Party
has been in power in this Province. It is probably what, thirty-five, thirty-six
years? In all of that time they have not had deficits in only two years, and my
understanding is that when they did have a balanced Budget they kept the books
in three different ways. They had three sets of books in order to manufacture
this so-called deficit.
Our government has been in office for six years. We have had balanced
Budgets. We have had surpluses in four of those years and that is the way we
want to be so that if you run a surplus you can use some of that surplus to pay
down your debt because our debt is the heaviest in the country. When the economy
is slow, when the economy is bad, when the outlook for economic growth is
uncertain, when the outlook for economic growth is fragile, when economic growth
is flat, when your major customers' economy is dropping, when another potential
customer is facing possible, major adverse economic consequences, when the
dollar is high, when your main industry is in the rural parts of your Province,
like fishing and newsprint, and forestry are dropping, then we have to be very,
very careful and we have to ensure that if the private economic investment is
not out there than government has to step in. That is what we did in the
recession.
The Leader of the Opposition yesterday, she talked about unemployment going
up. Well, unemployment does go up in recessions. That is what happens. In
recessions the economy contracts, businesses close, people lose their jobs. That
is why we have to step in. If business is not investing, if there is no
investment, if people are not creating new jobs, we have to step in. That is our
role when the economy is not working, and we are proud to do it and we have to
continue to do it.
Now, I want to use the time that is left here to speak about the doctors.
Now, Mr. Chair, it is my role as Minister Responsible for the Public Service
Secretariat to negotiate a collective agreement with the doctors' association,
and the person who occupies the position of President of the NLMA, that is the
Newfoundland and Labrador
Medical Association, it is that person's responsibility and it is Dr. Brendan
Lewis from Corner Brook, who I know. It is his responsibility to negotiate a
collective agreement on behalf of his association. So he and I have a duty to do
that.
Now doctors, apart from collective bargaining, will be dealing as well with
the Department of Health on issues of policy, health policy and operational
issues, but it is I fail to see that if there was a difference of opinion with
respect to a threat of clinical chiefs to not go on, or to resign, that we have
to separate that. That should not stop the collective bargaining process. That
process can and should continue.
As I said earlier in Question Period, we asked the doctors to put their
proposal in writing. We have had lots of discussion going on back and forth. We
have asked the doctors to narrow down their asks, to tell us in writing what
their proposal was, and we received that on March 3. There are, I think, ten or
eleven items in there. We have costed those proposals, as I said earlier, and
the doctors did in fact ask for another meeting in order to explain in more
detail to us a portion of their asks relating to coverage for intensive care. As
I said, that meeting was set for Friday. It was scheduled for last Friday. There
were some discussions with health. The meeting got cancelled. We cancelled the
meeting. One meeting not collective bargaining, that one particular meeting
was cancelled. The doctors interpreted that as being a cancellation of all
meetings, which was not the case. I understand the Minister of Health called Dr.
Lewis last Friday night or last Thursday night and said that was not the case.
Yet, the doctors wrote a letter the following morning saying that collective
negotiations could not go on and that they wanted binding arbitration, but
collective agreements can go on; negotiations can go on.
So, today, I had my officials call the NLMA to try to reschedule that meeting
that the doctors had asked for. The response that I received was that they did
not want the meeting to go ahead now and they wanted a response. They asked for
a response to the letter of March 3.
So, we have and we will review the various asks that were said on that
letter. As I said, we costed the amount of what it is going cost us, and we will
respond to those doctors. I would encourage the NLMA, let's get back to the
table, let's continue with the negotiations, because I think we are all
concerned about patient care, we are all concerned about health care in this
Province. The collective agreement negotiations are about negotiating an
agreement that is fair to the doctors and that is fair to the taxpayers to the
Province. I would encourage everyone to continue those negotiations in good
faith and to let's reach an agreement and carry on.
So with that, Mr. Chair, I will take my seat.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
CHAIR: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I appreciate an opportunity to have a few words here in Interim Supply. We
have been out of the House for a while, so it is going to take a little bit of
getting used to again, I guess, speaking, and get our vocal cords all tuned up.
I am not sure exactly how long we are going to be here, but this process is
one whereby, of course, it is called Interim Supply, meaning that we do not yet
have the Budget - the Budget is going to be delivered next Monday by the
Minister of Finance who just finished speaking. This is a bill whereby the
government needs some money to get the expenses of the Province paid for,
because even though the Budget comes down Monday, of course, it will not be paid
for Monday. It might not actually get it passed and approved by the Legislature
until some time in May.
That is a couple of months out, so the question is: How does the government
pay the bills from April 1, which is the beginning of the government year, until
the Budget gets passed? So we have this thing called Interim Supply, which we
are dealing with today, which basically, once it is passed, gives the government
enough money usually about one-third or so of the Budget to take them through
until the actual Budget gets passed, and that is what we are doing here.
It is a money bill - there is no question. Sometimes we get issues here of
what you can and cannot talk about, but when you are on a money bill, it is a
pretty wide latitude. You might not necessarily be talking only about the bill.
You might be talking about anything that concerns your district, anything that
concerns the Province, or anything that you think is of interest and the people
of the Province may in fact be interested in hearing about. You have certain
avenues, of course, to inform the people of what is happening in the Province,
particularly when it comes to being in Opposition. Oppositions do not have all
of the media access and so on, and the wheels that they can grind when it comes
to getting the message out. Governments do have access to the resources to do
that, but Oppositions use the House time as an opportunity, particularly when it
comes to money bills, to discuss some of these issues. When we are in the fall
session, it is the legislative session, we tend not to be able to be as broad in
scope and range as our comments we would like to be because you must restrict
your comments to the legislative agenda that you are dealing with usually. We
have seen examples in the past where we have tried to stretch that as far as
possible and the Speaker of the House brings us in to line and says: No, no,
restrict your comments to the legislation. The government always does - they do
not like for us to wander off course because we, as an Opposition, then might
bring up some things that they do not like to hear about.
That brings me to the comments of today. This is the first Question Period we
had today - and I think the people who watched it today and the people of the
Province, they were observing. I always use my good friends Joe and Martha who
are very observant of what has been happening in the House here, but today, I do
not know if it was a sense of apathy or a sense of arrogance that I saw from the
government. In fact, it might have been a little bit of both, it depends on who
it was coming from, and I will expand upon that a bit now as to where I am
coming from.
For example, we had some questions of the Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture today and it was about the MOU, which is out there now between the
FFAW, the seafood processors and the provincial government trying to get some
answers as to where we would go in the fishing industry as we move forward. A
very straightforward question from the Member for The Straits & White Bay North:
Why aren't the feds at the table? The minister got up and gave an answer. He
said: Well, we think we are going to figure it out ourselves first, amongst the
three of us here, and then we will ask the feds if they want to come to the
table.
Now, I say in all seriousness, where does one think one is going to get with
that type of approach? We are going to figure it out amongst ourselves and then
we are going to let the federal government know this is what we have done, are
you going to get on board with this? That seems like a backwards approach to me.
Here is the federal government that controls all of the quotas that happens in
this Province. Every quota that ever any of these processors or FFAW are going
to have anything to do with is controlled by the federal government and they are
saying: We will wait until we figure out ourselves what we are going to do and
then we will go ask these people if they want to get on board. Now I do not know
how much time the government seriously believes that our fishing industry has.
Some would have you believe that it is on life-support right now.
So let's go through the process provincially; then we will go talk to our
federal cousins. By the way, one must remember the toxic atmosphere that exists
between this Province and the federal government for starters. You are going to
take that approach which is going to be a bit time consuming because, first of
all, these three bodies have to get their heads together before we even get a
draft plan to ask the feds to dinner. Then we have that relationship that exists
between our government and the federal government and we are going to go ask
them how we are going to deal with it.
So that is one thing about the approach to it, but of course when I talk
about the arrogance it was a certain backbencher - I am not sure if it was a
backbencher or a minister. While that discussion was going on between the
questioner and the minister a backbencher said: Go ask Jerry Byrne! Go ask Jerry
Byrne! Now that is the kind of input we get from government members here. A
serious question gets asked questioning the approach of the minister, the
minister got up, gave his answer - no question about his answer, no problems
with his answer, but it comes back to attitude again. The attitude of the
government - I am not sure if it was a minister or a backbencher, I do believe
it was a backbencher who said: Go ask Jerry Byrne! Now that is the kind of input
that government members have into this most serious issue involving our fishing
industry when you ask a serious question. Now I do not know if you would call
that apathetic or if you would call that arrogance, but either one, I would say
we have a problem with some government members if that is the extent of your
contribution to such a serious issue.
We saw it again today in Question Period when the Leader of the Opposition
was asking questions of the Minister for Labrador Affairs. We already know from
commentary recently that he did not show up to the Combined Councils. She
pointed that out yesterday in her response to the Speech from the Throne. Today,
she asked him questions about 5 Wing Goose Bay. I think first when she said 5
Wing, he could have only thought she was thinking about Mary Brown's or
something because I am sure he had no idea what she was talking about. Now it
has always been said that his only responsible for two or three files, and it is
pretty obvious that he does not have much knowledge about what is going on in
the 5 Wing Goose Bay file. He sits pretty near to the Minister of
Intergovernmental Affairs, so he certainly can get all of the information that
he wants. He tells us that he was up in Ottawa as recently as last week, but
when you listen to his answer it shows just how shallow and empty his answer
was. But more telling was the comment again of a government backbencher, when
that question was being asked, who said: Go ask Todd Russell! Go ask Todd
Russell! Again, I do not know if that is an apathetic response or an arrogant
response, but either one of them, I would suggest, do not bode well when it puts
a face on this government, shows and reveals the attitude of this government -
Don't ask us! We do not have the answers. That is their way of deflecting from
trying to give a substantive answer - Go ask Todd Russell! Well, I suggest it is
not the role of Todd Russell, the MP, to answer that question. The question was
asked of the minister: What do you know about 5 Wing Goose Bay because
apparently you said one thing in The Labradorian yesterday and today we
have a different story. He gets up and gives a wishy-washy answer which reveals
just how much or how limited his knowledge is.
That is the kind of stuff we start off this session with. That is the kind of
things that the people of this Province are going to witness if they watch this
TV channel, watch these proceedings, because we will be taking every opportunity
as an Opposition to show that this government is just not about glossy press
releases and news conferences, that if you look a bit deeper, if you peel back
the layers of the onion, if you listen very closely you will see exactly what
the true attitude is of some of the government members and some of the
ministers. People will, no doubt, start to take notice. Don't ask us. We do not
know. Go ask the federal member.
Mr. Chairman, I will take my leave at this point because my time is up for
this speaking opportunity, but I certainly have more to say and I will be back
in due course with more commentary.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Business.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It is my pleasure today to stand in this House and speak for a few moments
about Bill 2. Before I get into the substance of Bill 2, I just want to make a
couple of comments. As I listened the Opposition House Leader stood up and
gave an overview of what we are dealing with here now in Supplementary Supply,
and talked about the intent, but he also talked the latitude that this House
takes. It does not need to be focused on necessarily the topic at hand, but in
Interim Supply and money bills in this House we take some liberty to talk about
issues that may affect our district, that may affect other parts of the
Province, but it is always important, Mr. Chairman - relevance is one thing, but
you need to be focused and you need to be accurate in your commentary, and I
think that is always something that we are mindful of in this House.
When I reflect for a moment on the Opposition Leader, the Leader of the
Liberal Party stood in this House a few moments ago and she asked a question.
She said that the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador need an explanation of what this government is
doing. They need an explanation of what it is they are spending their money on.
The second thing she says is we need to live within our means. I say, Mr. Chair,
how hypocritical. How hypocritical of the member opposite to stand in this House
and talk about our fiscal practices, what this budget will bring next week, the
fiscal practices of this government since 2003.
I would like to remind this House and remind the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador that when we formed
government in 2003, this government, or the party opposite who was in government
at that time, this Province was nearing billion dollar deficits when we formed
government. We inherited a situation where we had near billion dollar deficits,
crumbling infrastructure. Our social programs were in disarray, lack of funding
in education, lack of funding in health, lack of funding to deal with poverty
issues, lack of funding to deal with all of the income support issues.
Mr. Chair, we found ourselves, in 2003, in a state of disarray. So when the
member opposite stands in this House and starts her commentary about Interim
Supply and asking the question about us having to be accountable for how we
spend our money and suggesting that we have to live within our means and stand
in this House as an expert on fiscal management, how hypocritical I say, Mr.
Chair, when you reflect on their legacy, what they left to the people of this
Province in 2003 when we formed government. She then started to talk a little
bit about the last six years. When she starts talking about the last six years,
that was our watch. That happened since we formed government. So let me just
answer her question, because her question was we need an explanation. Well, Mr.
Chair, let me give her an explanation. Let me give the members of this House an
explanation. Let me give the people of Newfoundland and Labrador an explanation
of what we have done in the last six years. Just reflect for a moment. We have
taken this Province from a near billion dollar deficit to having four successful
years of surpluses. In the last two years we have been challenged, as many other
jurisdictions have, to deal with some of the financial issues that are happening
internationally and we have been able to respond to that. Some of the responses
we have had, Mr. Chair, have been to invest in infrastructure.
So, if you look at the money we have spent, we have had a 53 per cent
increase in the amount of money we spend on education in the last six years.
That is part of the expenditure, I say, Mr. Chair. Look at
what we have done in health care. She acknowledged that we are spending the
largest amount per capita than any other province in the entire country. That is
how we are spending the money, Mr. Chair. When we look at our Youth Retention
and Attraction Strategy; that is how we are spending the money, Mr. Chair. When
you look at the period between July of 2007 and July of 2008, this Province
witnessed, for the first time in sixteen years, Mr. Chair, for the first time in
sixteen years, the period between July 1 of 2007 and July of 2008, we saw the
first increase in population in this Province for sixteen years. That happened
on our watch, Mr. Chair. That is a reflection of the financial investments we
have made, strategic investments we have made to make Newfoundland and Labrador
an attractive place to live, an attractive place to invest, a place where people
want to raise a family, a place where people want to pursue a career. That is
how we have been spending our money, Mr. Chair. So if she wants us to account
for some of the expenditures we have made, these are just some of the examples
of some of the things we have done since 2006.
As the Minister of Business, one of the pri