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June 23,

2015 HOUSE

OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 35

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR.

SPEAKER (Verge):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

I am pleased to welcome to our public gallery today Mr.

Earle Howell, President of the Vera Perlin Society, as well as Marilyn Wall,

Manager of the Employment Division.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR.

SPEAKER:

Today we will hear members' statements from the members representing the

Districts of Trinity Bay de Verde, Bonavista North, Port au Port, St. George's

Stephenville East, Signal Hill Quidi Vidi, and Bellevue.

The hon. the Member for Trinity Bay de Verde.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

congratulate Ryan Barrett of Old Perlican for winning the title of Top Student

at the Military History Challenge sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion,

Carbonear.

On Wednesday, May 13, Ryan Barrett and his teammates

from Baccalieu Collegiate: Blake Potter, Zachary LeShane, and Michelle

Gillingham, participated in the Royal Canadian Legion-Carbonear sponsored

Military History Challenge. This

competition was based on the knowledge of Newfoundland and Labrador, along with

Canadian military history. Four

schools participated in the competition: Carbonear Collegiate, Ascension

Collegiate, Crescent Collegiate, and Baccalieu Collegiate.

The Baccalieu Collegiate team capture the goal, and

Ryan Barrett was awarded top student.

His award entitles him to accompany the Royal Canadian Legion on their

annual trip to Beaumont Hamel, scheduled to leave on June 28.

This trip includes visits to several World War I and World War II

Memorials, as well as Beaumont Hamel on July 1.

His history teacher, Mr. Garland Button, describes Ryan

as being an exceptional student with a vast wealth of knowledge in history.

The competition was videotaped and will air on Eastlink on July 1.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating

Ryan, all participants, and Royal Canadian Legion Carbonear on this

competition.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Bonavista North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

CROSS:

gives me great pleasure to rise today, Mr. Speaker, to salute nearly 200

residents of Lumsden who answered the call to give freely of their labour to

construct, assemble, and repair playground equipment on Saturday, June 20.

It was also known as Lumsden Community Spirit Day.

The Lumsden Recreation Committee had purchased several

pieces of new play equipment and desired to repair existing property situated

near the Lumsden Festival Site on the Northside beach.

Residents of all shapes and ages showed up sharp at 9:00 a.m. eager to

assist.

The town supplied BBQs, sandwiches and beverages, and

town equipment with staff to operate it.

Local ladies supplied their culinary skills, and by 4:00 p.m. everyone

had a belly filled with tasty treats, but more importantly our hearts were

filled intrinsically with community spirit.

As the castles and slides were completed, they were filled with children

whose voices gleefully competed with the seagulls as they played in a backdrop

of beach and icebergs. Their smile

was the only payment necessary.

A contest to name the facility was earlier won by

Carter, Caiden, and Cohen Gray as they scripted the name Seaside Playground.

I ask all hon. members to collegially assist me in

complimenting the Lumsden residents who gave freely to make Seaside Playground a

reality.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Port au Port.

MR.

CORNECT:

Mr.

Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Randy Alexander, Ian MacDonald, and Kara

Alexander of Stephenville High School for their recognition by School Sports

Newfoundland and Labrador.

At the recently held SSNL Annual Awards Banquet, Randy,

Ian, and Kara were among others to receive the well-deserved accolades for their

accomplishments.

Randy is a physical education teacher at Stephenville

High School. He was acknowledged

with the Coaching Service Award for the numerous hours he has devoted to guiding

student athletes. He also received

the Honour Award for his dedication to the sports program at the high school.

Ian, a Level III student, is the winner of the

2014-2015 Brother G. Moore Male Student Athlete of the Year Award.

His athletic prowess has contributed to winning many provincial banners

for his school.

I would like to commend Kara for placing second in the

Female Student Athlete of the Year category.

She too, is a very dynamic athlete.

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

congratulating Randy, Ian, and Kara for their honours and, Mr. Speaker, best

wishes to all our student athletes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. George's Stephenville East.

MR.

REID:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This year the Stephenville Theatre Festival will

celebrate its thirty-seventh season of entertaining people.

The Festival kicks off on July 17 with the hilarious Monty Python's

Spamalot , Norman Foster's

Looking opens on July 18,

Tales of Ti-Jean debuts on July 19,

Back in 59 opens on July 23, and

Mama's Country Record Collection

debuts on July 24.

Other highlights of the season include the A night

with series and Reading for the Future series, both of which take place on

Wednesday nights during the Festival.

The Festival wraps up on August 16 with the always popular Gala

performance.

Since its beginning, the Stephenville Theatre Festival

has enriched the economy and the cultural sector of the Town of Stephenville and

has become a major draw for tourism in the Bay St. George area.

The Festival has provided training and hands on experience for numerous

artists, many of who are now counted among Canada's top professionals.

Show tickets are on sale now at the Stephenville Arts

and Culture Box Office or at their website.

I ask all members of the House to join with me in

wishing the cast and crew of the Stephenville Theatre Festival a good season.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is with the greatest pleasure that I rise today to

recognize a woman who has spent the last twenty-eight years devoted to the work

of the Vera Perlin Society.

From 1987, when she began her work as coordinator of a

sewing program, to the present, as Manager of the Society's Employment Division,

Marilyn Wall has been a mover and shaker in this organization.

It was her drive and commitment that brought the

employment division to where it is today, supporting approximately 140

individuals on a daily basis with their work positions throughout the city.

The Vera Perlin Society is a charity and as a charity

relies on fundraising. Marilyn has

also been a driving force with the organization's golf tournament and chocolate

bar drive generating approximately $43,000 annually.

Marilyn Wall has not just been a successful and

efficient manager; she has also been a woman of compassion going above and

beyond for the individuals served by the Vera Perlin Society, making sure

individuals have food, clothing, and support with life events.

I ask all members of the House to join me in wishing

Marilyn Wall well as she begins, in August, a much-deserved retirement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

We are all saddened by the tragedy that took place off

our waters just a week or so ago, in which three fisher people lost their life.

The Member for Bellevue, who represents that district,

wanted to make a member's statement that exceeds the normal time we allot for

members' statements. He is asking

for leave to be able to do this.

HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Leave.

The hon. the Member for Bellevue.

MR.

PEACH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is with a heavy heart that I stand in this hon.

House today to remember and pay tribute to three fishermen who tragically lost

their lives on June 16, 2015.

Friends and family watched from the wharf that day as

these three fishermen ventured out into Placentia Bay in a twenty-three foot

boat to go to Bar Haven on the other side of the bay to haul crab pots.

Just another normal day for a fisher

person who makes his or her living from the sea.

As the three fishermen went out of sight, the people of Davis Cove

carried on with their usual day and it was not until late that evening the

message went out to man a search.

The Coast Guard, the Search and Rescue, and the

volunteers are to be commended for braving up to forty-two knots of wind to

search for the missing men. In the

afternoon, the wind had changed and instead of what you would call a reasonable

day, Placentia Bay became a roaring lion, ready to pounce upon its pray.

In these unforeseen circumstances, these three men lost their lives.

Captain Kenneth Hickey of Southern Harbour, age

forty-eight; Kenneth was a family man with a wife and three children.

David Wareham of Arnold's Cove, age forty-two; David

was a single man who lived with his parents.

Larry Loveman from Leading Tickles, age fifty-eight,

with a wife, daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

On the eve of Captain Hickey's funeral, the waters of

Placentia Bay were calm, quiet, not a whisper, as if the lion had successfully

completed its hunt and lay down for a rest.

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

expressing our condolences to the families of these three fishermen.

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I ask if we could have a moment of

silence in the memory of Kenneth Hickey, David Wareham, and Larry Loveman.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

House will stand for a minute of silence.

[Moment of silence.]

MR.

SPEAKER:

Thank you.

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in the House to

congratulate Jeremy Charles and Jeremy Bonia, owners of Raymonds, as well as

Todd Perrin, owner of Mallard Cottage, on being named the number one and seven

restaurants in Canada respectively by Vacay.ca.

Mr. Speaker, this is the second year in a row that

Raymonds, located in downtown St. John's, has been named the best in Canada.

The reputation of the experience offered by the staff at Raymonds has

become so well known that Adrian Brijbassi, founder of Top Restaurants in Canada

has said that Jeremy Charles and Jeremy Bonia have made Raymonds the nation's

greatest destination restaurant in one of its finest places to visit.

This designation is not a casual one, Mr. Speaker.

This sought-after recognition comes from a collection of Canadian and US

fine-dining connoisseurs, leading food and travel journalists, and industry

experts, which is published each year by Vacay.ca.

Mallard Cottage, in historic Quidi Vidi, ranks number

seven with its contemporary twist on authentic Newfoundland cuisine.

The Mallard Cottage, an eighteenth century Irish-Newfoundland style

cottage, is recognized as a National Historic Site because it is one of the

oldest wooden buildings in North America.

It is also now known as one of the country's best restaurants.

Mr. Speaker, culinary experiences play a tremendous

role in the tourism industry.

Spending reached $1 billion for the first time in 2011, while the Province

welcomed more than 1.5 million non-resident visitors from 2012-2014 and

non-resident tourism spending increased by 36 per cent.

Offering a high quality, unique and truly Newfoundland and Labrador

dining experience only adds to the top-notch travel product we offer.

Mr. Speaker, the majority of restaurants throughout our

Province are small businesses. I am

keenly aware that encouraging and supporting local business owners, especially

our Province's tourism and food sectors, is critical to building new businesses,

which ultimately leads to a stronger economy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of the House today to

join me in congratulating the owners and chefs of Raymonds and Mallard Cottage

on being named amongst Canada's top ten restaurants.

Their dedication to their culinary craft and creating incredible dining

experiences is something everyone in the Province should be very proud of it.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Humber East.

MR.

FLYNN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for an advance copy of his

statement. It is truly outstanding

that two of our local restaurants and their owners should be recognized in this

way. Industry has certainly raised

the bar and shown its professionalism.

We have come a long way in the past twenty years.

It speaks volumes about the kind of tourism product we

are able to produce using local products to develop award-winning cuisine which

is outstanding. We join the minister

in offering our congratulations to the owners of Raymonds and Mallard Cottage.

They are on the leading edge of what tourism could and should look like

in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, there are things that are really lacking

when it comes to our government's work to support the industry from the signage

program that has been delayed again and again since 2009 to the point where it

is completely stalled. We are

hitting our outfitters who supply our adventure tourism product with a 50 per

cent increase in the licensing fees that they were not consulted with.

We even allow unlicensed operators to continue to operate in this

Province.

I thank the minister for an advance copy, and we have a

lot of work to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MR.

MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his

statement today. Congratulations to

both Raymonds and Mallard Cottage.

While I have not had the time yet to go down and visit these restaurants, I am

pretty sure that I will in the future.

Mr. Speaker, we have to keep in mind, of all things,

the importance of small business in this Province and we know that we have two

fine examples here. We know that

small business in this Province supports about 40 per cent employment in this

Province. It is a very important

revenue generator for government.

These people, because they took that chance and started those small businesses,

it is a great example for Newfoundland and Labrador citizens as well as they

consider entering into the small business trades.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

GRANTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to highlight the ongoing work of the Agriculture

in the Classroom and Little Green Thumbs Programs in providing hands-on

agricultural learning experiences to students throughout Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Since 2010, the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of

Agriculture, through the Agriculture in the Classroom Program, has been helping

to increase interest in agriculture among children throughout the Province by

bringing schools to farms and farming activities into the classroom.

The aim of the program is to provide teachers and

students with educational resources and programs that promote agriculture as an

important contributor to the economy and our everyday life.

Through the federal-provincial Growing Forward 2 Program, $280,000 has

been provided to help support this program in Newfoundland and Labrador for

2015-2016.

One of the programs managed by Agriculture in the

Classroom is Little Green Thumbs, a national program which aims to instill in

young people, the value of their own health, as well as that of their community

and the environment, through active participation in a classroom garden.

These indoor gardens complement learning concepts such as where food

comes from, how to grow healthy plants, sustainable food systems, community

interdependence and nutrition in fun, interesting, and relevant ways.

It also serves to familiarize school-aged children with

the agriculture industry in this Province and helps to develop lifelong values

of environmental stewardship and awareness of how people can positively interact

with their surroundings.

I was honoured to attend the launch of the Little Green

Thumbs song last Thursday, at Lester's Farm Chalet on Pearltown Road in St.

John's, with Grade 3 students and teachers from St. Mary's and Hazelwood

Elementary Schools. The enthusiasm

and pride in the room was clearly evident as these young students celebrated

their achievements and launched the new song for the program, which was

performed by Shelley Bean and The Duckety Muds.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to say that since the

Little Green Thumbs program came in the Province in 2010, the number of

classrooms participating has grown to seventy-two, providing hands-on learning

experiences for approximately 1,800 students.

This is indeed a worthwhile program and our government is proud to

support it.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating the

Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, students and teachers,

employees of the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency's Agrifoods Development Branch

and everyone involved in making the Agriculture in the Classroom and Little

Green Thumbs programs such successes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

say to the minister, even with a hoarse voice you are still loud.

The hon. the Member for St. George's Stephenville

East.

MR.

REID:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his

statement. The Little Green Thumbs

program is a great program. It

connects young people with the agriculture industry in meaningful ways.

That is all very positive, Mr. Speaker.

The money spent in this program is funds well spent,

but I guess the problem is that there is not enough money in the program.

There are about twenty-five schools, I understand, that are still on the

waiting list for this program. I

would encourage the minister and the government to find those funds so that more

schools can be involved in this program.

As well, the success of the Little Green Thumbs

program, I think, demonstrates an interest among parents and students in having

healthy, locally grown food in their schools.

I think that is something that the government has to do to expand on the

success of this program, is look at ways they can work with farmers, school

board officials, and others in the community to bring healthy locally grown

foods into the cafeterias of schools, and maybe even other public buildings in

this Province, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is a very good program and a very good song

as well. I am a little bit hoarse

today or I would sing a little bit of it.

It is a good program, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I too thank the minister for an advance copy of his

statement. Congratulations to

everyone involved in the wonderful Little Green Thumbs project.

I have heard so much about it.

Everyone knows the best way to learn is by doing, and the best way to

learn where food comes from is to grow some.

I remind government, besides educating our young people

and youth, they also need to start building a stronger and more diverse industry

aimed at food security for this Province.

All people at all times need physical and economic access to adequate

amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Government has repeatedly indicated they are delaying

the release of reports and initiatives until this House closes.

The minister admitted that this was specifically the case for the

long-promised Population Growth Strategy.

We are also waiting on the Workforce Development Action

Plan, a new Energy Plan, a diabetes registry, generic royalty regime, and any

details on a $30 million Vale Fund.

So I ask the Premier: Since you claim to be so open,

claim to be transparent, why are you delaying these initiatives until this House

is closed?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is an interesting question from the member opposite

today. I thank him for highlighting

some of the very hard work that is being conducted on this side of the House by

the members of our government, and also people in the public service, Mr.

Speaker.

As I laid out here to the member opposite when I spoke

in the Budget recently, I used several examples of very successful strategies

that have been developed by our government, Mr. Speaker.

Very successful strategies that are being executed by our government, and

all of them are in the best interests of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. All of them are benefiting

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and we will continue to roll out those

strategies. We continue to do the

work.

We have a responsibility to govern, we have a

responsibility to lead, we have a responsibility to set plans, develop plans,

and to execute those plans, and we are continuing to do that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, the Premier has forgotten that his responsibility

is just not to write plans, his responsibility is to execute them.

He claims to be open, claims to be transparent, yet we have so many plans

that this Premier has yet to release.

Now, there can only be two reasons for any government to delay these

initiatives. One, they do not want

to be questioned in this House of Assembly; or two, they want to release them

closer to an election as part of their platform, using public service money as

part of their PC election strategy.

So I ask the Premier: Which is it; are you avoiding the

questions here, or using public service money for your election platform?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Not

at all.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

As I said, we continue to do work that we are required

to do and is our obligation to do, and we are proud to do as a government, I can

say to you. If the member opposite

wants to talk about openness and transparency, I would be quite, quite pleased

to have that debate with him

HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible).

PREMIER DAVIS:

would, yes, absolutely, because that is the very member over there who hid who

supported him in his leadership campaign, Mr. Speaker, gave money back so he

would not have to provide it.

Mr. Speaker, they said they had twenty-five people at a

dinner

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

they had twenty-five people at a dinner, Mr. Speaker.

They released twenty-two of them, but not twenty-five, but only after

significant pressure put on him by members of this House and by the general

public who demanded to know where they are getting their funding from.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Yes, I have had fundraisers, I tell the Opposition House Leader, I had

fundraisers, and we have laid them all out publicly for everyone to see.

They are out publicly right now, I tell you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, the Premier must be too busy creating a plan for

the coming weeks with Statoil or he has either cancelled his subscription to

The Telegram because that has all been

publicly released, I say to the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

BALL:

Well in advance of when you released your leadership numbers, I say to the

Premier.

On November 19, I introduced a private member's motion

for the mandatory and immediate reporting by all government departments and

agencies of the deaths of critical incidents involving children and youth.

The Premier's mandate letter instructed the minister to introduce this

legislation, but we have yet to see that as well.

I ask the Premier: Will this critical legislation be

introduced in this House this session?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As the member opposite knows, we put great value in the

work of the Child Advocate and other officers in the House as well.

Mr. Speaker, they do very important work on behalf of the House of

Assembly and on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

We have had a considerable amount of work done in the

area of critical incidents and reporting of those critical incidents to the

Child and Youth Advocate, Mr. Speaker.

I can tell you that even the Child and Youth Advocate, when I first met

with her on this very matter when she came in and talked to Cabinet, the Child

and Youth Advocate could not tell us what a critical incident would be or how it

would look.

I am glad to say that a number of departments have gone

through an interactive process with the Child and Youth Advocate and her office.

We are working towards an agreement and an understanding of what we would

see as a critical incident, Mr. Speaker.

That work continues, and I can tell you it is work that is important to

us. We are continuing to have those

discussions and conversations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR.

BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, the mandate letter clearly says that the most

fundamental responsibility of society is to ensure the safety and well-being of

our most vulnerable children and youth, but this government has ignored the

Advocate's call for mandatory reporting, still waiting for the definition.

I ask the Premier: This legislation could have saved

lives, why has it really been delayed for so long?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, the member opposite is right, it is very important.

It is a very important piece of legislation.

It is also important that we get it right.

We continue to work I know the minister and I discuss it on a regular

basis, on the progress of this.

It was important.

It was important enough that it was included in the minister's mandate

letter. I know the minister is

working diligently. Staff and

officials in his department are working diligently on this piece of work.

We are continuing to make progress, I can assure you.

As a matter of fact, he and I had a discussion on it today; just today is

the most recent discussion we had on it.

We are going to continue to do that work, Mr. Speaker.

We are still within our mandate.

The execution and delivery of what has been listed in those mandate

letters continues to be worked on, Mr. Speaker. It

is part of the work that we do on a daily basis.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR.

JOYCE:

Mr.

Speaker, the Premier was Minister of Transportation and Works for a full year

during the time of the AG review. He

also was Minister of Health which was one of the departments involved.

He was also a Premier for part of the time during which the AG conducted

the review. Almost 70 per cent of

the contracts looked at during the AG review received payments without approval.

I ask the Premier: While you were minister you allowed

payments to be made by two consultants without Treasury Board approval, why?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What the hon. member is noting here is a process that

has been ongoing for a number of decades.

It is a process that is well covered, well researched, and due diligence

being done on what we call a consultant's registry.

What that entails, Mr. Speaker

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

BRAZIL:

is our staff assessing exactly those consultants that we have in our registry

to show their ability to handle any project that we give to them.

We go through a process that is in place.

There are some policies in place that we are reviewing.

We take the work of the Auditor General very seriously.

I am further reviewing exactly what policies best serve the people of

this Province so that we can continue to move our economy forward and continue

to get the professionals to do the job we need done.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR.

JOYCE:

can see the Premier's words, but being open and accountable are only just words,

Mr. Speaker. They are not actions I

can assure you of that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JOYCE:

Mr.

Speaker, the AG has found that the request for Expressions of Interest and the

direct appointment process does not provide a competitive, open, fair, or

transparent procurement process.

I ask the Premier, and directly to the Premier: Have

you during your time as Transportation Minister directly appointed consultants?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

BRAZIL:

Mr.

Speaker, Request for Proposals and requests of interest are all one of the tools

we use. One of the other ones is the

appointments that we do.

These are professionals who have an expertise and a

specialty in a particular field. We

want to ensure projects that are out there, be it around road safety, be it

around life safety, be it around building of schools, water treatment, these

type of things that are important to the people of this Province, get done on an

expedited time frame and get done within the time frames and the budgets that we

have allotted, Mr. Speaker. The

Auditor General has noted that.

They were done in our time frames, done within our

budget lines. What we have done in

some cases is do change orders because we get a better economy of scale as we

move forward on one part of the project and move to the other.

It works better for the people and works better for the project.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR.

JOYCE:

Mr.

Speaker, here we have a Premier who was the minister who did not follow Treasury

Board guidelines and will not stand up and be answerable to those decisions.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier said he accepted the findings

of the AG. If you accept the

findings, you accept that the process used did not provide fair competition and

was not transparent.

I ask the Premier: Why did you directly appoint

consultants while you were minister?

Why did you allow it to happen while you were Premier also?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I outlined at the beginning of this dialogue here,

the process was in place, Mr. Speaker.

It is this Administration that went back and reviewed how we better

improve on that process. This

Administration, and I and my officials have said we respect the Auditor General.

We have had dialogue with the Auditor General.

We have gone back, and he made two recommendations about how we improve

and how we continue to do things in a manner that best fits the people of this

Province. We are taking that under

advisement.

I have gone back to look at the existing policy to see

how we better implement what works for the people of this Province.

We are about openness and transparency, Mr. Speaker, and all of those we

contract work have the ability and the expertise to deliver to the people of

this Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR.

EDMUNDS:

Mr.

Speaker, the state of emergency relating to the loss of drinking water continues

in the Inuit community of Hopedale.

When I asked about this situation in this hon. House in March, the Minister of

Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs said that government was fully committed to an

assessment of the long-term needs of the community.

I ask the minister: Has the assessment been completed,

and when can the residents of Hopedale expect a long-term solution to their

drinking water shortage?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently with the

people of Hopedale, the mayor, the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

This morning I spoke to the mayor.

We (inaudible) the Municipal Capital Works projects to the issue they

have over the winter. We have

approved a Municipal Capital Works project of $640,000 to address that immediate

issue in terms of the reservoir.

Incidentally, now they are having trouble with

particular leakage in terms of pipes and those types of things.

We are working with Hopedale.

They have a contractor coming soon to look at that and how we deal with the

immediate concerns of leakage in their pipes.

Then again, the $640,000 project, we hope to get started soon and

certainly work with the community, as we do with all communities in Newfoundland

and Labrador, to deal with issues that they have at any particular time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR.

EDMUNDS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is about the long-term plan.

Mr. Speaker, the window to get some meaningful work

done on the situation in Hopedale is already closing.

It would be disastrous for the residents if a solution is not found this

construction season.

I ask the minister: In the absence of a long-term

solution, what contingency plan do you have in place for the residents of

Hopedale?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

HUTCHINGS:

Mr.

Speaker, any solution to any community is driven by that community.

It is driven, oftentimes, by three levels of governments: municipality,

provincial government, the federal government, and in this case certainly the

Nunatsiavut Government as well. We

are working collectively.

The community would make their priorities.

Over the past number of years they have made priorities in regard to

capital infrastructure. That is

their choice to make.

What we have done this particular year in regard to

issues that have arisen, we have stepped up and put over $600,000 of taxpayers'

money in this Province. We think it

is a very important project. It

should be done. We are going to

partner to do it.

There are immediate concerns right now.

We are working with them to address it.

As we move forward with the community we will address long-term issues in

that community and all communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, we understand government recently counterclaimed against a class-action

lawsuit of approximately $15 million undertaken by employees and former

employees of the College of the North Atlantic's Qatar campus.

Government's claim has now been dismissed by the Supreme Court.

I ask the minister: Why did you counterclaim against

these individuals, given that in 2010 you and the college president both stated

that the government had no legal or moral right to go after them?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is our understanding that there has been an ongoing

dispute between the College of the North Atlantic and employees at Qatar dating

back to, I think, when I was probably Minister of Education five or six years

ago. I will say to the member

opposite, I am not fully aware of the details of the case.

Obviously it is not involving government directly, it would be the

college, which is an arm's-length entity of government.

We will certainly endeavour to get some details and report back to the

member.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Yes, Mr. Speaker, and speaking of details, I am still waiting on how much this

government has spent in outside counsel fees which leads to my next question.

Can you advise how much government has spent on outside

legal fees to file and lose this counterclaim?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KING:

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I do not have those details in front of me, but I can

certainly get the details and report back to the House.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

HILLIER:

Mr.

Speaker, in his review of select government run long-term care facilities, the

Auditor General discovered some residents were accidentally being underfed while

others were being given the wrong supplements.

I asked the minister last week whether the families of these residents

were notified, but he avoided the question.

I will ask again: Were the families of these residents

notified?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, in the recent report by the Auditor General numerous important issues

were raised. I can assure you that

the regional health authorities working closely with my department are following

up on all those issues, especially those relating to our personal care homes in

this Province and our long-term care facilities as well.

I can also assure the member opposite that our staff,

who are well trained, they are professional people in our long-term care

facilities, are in regular contact with families of residents of patients in

those facilities. That is a normal

course of practice when it comes to maintaining those important family

connections for those in long-term care.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

HILLIER:

Mr.

Speaker, when we asked last week about a resident being fed half portions for

seven full weeks, when that resident should have been receiving full portions,

the minister questioned the mere suggestion that residents in any facilities are

being neglected.

I ask the Minister of Health: Do you not consider it

neglect to underfeed a resident from almost two months?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, any safety concerns that are raised in relation to the delivery of

health care services of any kind in this Province are important and require full

investigation. The Auditor General

has raised a number of important issues.

We are working very closely with the regional health authorities, with

the management and staff of our long-term care homes to address any concerns

that exist.

When it comes to meeting dietary needs, there are all

kinds of individual circumstances that are taken into consideration.

We work closely with dietitians.

We work closely with doctors and nurses in our long-term care facilities

to ensure that the individual needs of residents are indeed met.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

DEMPSTER:

Mr.

Speaker, government spends close to $90 million per year on skills development

funding for people eligible for EI.

The Auditor General reported that 40 per cent of the files he reviewed did not

include training updates to confirm attendance.

He said government may be missing out on tuition refunds.

I ask the minister: How do you justify this gross

mismanagement of the EI fund?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JACKMAN:

Mr.

Speaker, we certainly take the recommendations of the AG very seriously.

In the climate of openness and investigation, the thing is to ensure a

program that meets the needs of the people; but, more importantly, I think, is

that things are being done correctly, people are availing of the programs that

they need, and that process is in place within the department.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

DEMPSTER:

Mr.

Speaker, we are talking about a fund paid for by hard-working Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians. We are talking

about hundreds of millions of dollars spent but not tracked.

The results of this mismanagement are clear.

We have the highest unemployment rate and nineteen consecutive months of

year-over-year job losses.

I ask the minister: How can you expect to meet the

needs of the labour market and tackle high unemployment rates when you continue

spending without a plan?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JACKMAN:

Mr.

Speaker, the member has gotten up in this House on several occasions now and

raised the issue of where employment figures are.

This Province recorded the highest rate of employment in 2013-2014.

We recognize that there are dips because projects are winding down.

The thing about it is that we continue to offer

programs that support workers, we have put out information about the labour

market, job opportunities, and we will continue to do that to ensure that this

Province has a strong economy, which it does, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. George's Stephenville East.

MR.

REID:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Several weeks ago I asked the Minister of Environment

about oil leaks into the Port au Port bay from abandoned oil wells.

He said he was on top of the situation and committed to having the matter

investigated.

I ask the minister, or his alternate: Does he have a

report completed yet, and when will it be released to the public?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

GRANTER:

Mr.

Speaker, I do not have the answer in front of me whether a report has been

tabled, but I do know that officials have visited the site on a number of

occasions I believe that they have visited there four times.

I will get the answer with regard to if a report has been developed and

present it to the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. George's Stephenville East.

MR.

REID:

Mr.

Speaker, government has already delayed action on this for years, and people

living in the area are concerned about the environmental impacts.

I ask the minister: What representation has been made

to the federal government on this issue, and when will these sites be cleaned up

so this issue is finally addressed, Mr. Speaker?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

GRANTER:

Mr.

Speaker, the safety and well-being of all Newfoundlanders and Labradors is first

and foremost for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in all departments,

and I am sure in the minister's department with regard to environment.

Clean-up prevention for further discharge in the area

that the hon. member speaks about, further environmental site assessment will

take place and will be a topic of further work and discussion between our

department and Environment and Conservation, as well as with the federal

government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Humber East.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

FLYNN:

Mr.

Speaker, in April, government announced again a plan to build the long-term care

facility in Corner Brook, but this time it was going to be a private

partnership.

I ask the minister: Is government committed to building

a long-term care facility in Corner Brook through a private partnership in 2015?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, we are not only committed to building the long-term care facility as

part of the new West Coast hospital campus, but we are also committed to

building an acute care hospital on the site as well.

I have made it clear in this House on numerous occasions that we will

award a contract for the construction of the long-term care facility later this

year.

This fall we anticipate that contract being awarded.

There will be other site work ongoing this year as well.

The water treatment facility needs to be completed.

There is various other infrastructure work that is required as we prepare

to move towards full-blown construction.

Progress continues and there will be a contract awarded later this year.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Humber East.

MR.

FLYNN:

Mr.

Speaker, when the plan was announced, the Minister of Health said that in the

coming weeks government would engage in a competitive selection process to find

private long-term care providers to build the facility.

I ask the minister: When will government issue a

Request for Proposals for the Corner Brook facility; this year, or will it be

again next year?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am glad the member opposite raised a very important

matter. It is one that we have taken

on head-on, Mr. Speaker, and looked for a way different than we have been

accustomed to

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

here in this Province in creating projects.

I also want to just to remind the member opposite as well the significant

investments we have made in the West Coast part of our Province, Mr. Speaker,

and the work that we have done for the Corner Brook region as well.

As you know the new city hall, which the City of Corner

Brook is very proud of, is a brand new state-of-the-art facility for people on

the West Coast, Mr. Speaker. We have

done great partnerships

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

have done great partnerships with Kruger, Mr. Speaker, to ensure the continued

operation, providing jobs and employment for the people of the West Coast.

We have made investments in fire and emergency services and fire services

out there, a new courthouse, and new roads like nowhere else in the Province.

We will continue to make investments for the people on the West Coast.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Several weeks ago in this House the minister stated

that he has been unable to fill staff positions at a public long-term care

facility in St. John's while the wait-list continues to grow.

He stated that the private sector is better at recruitment and retention

of staff than this government.

Maybe that is the real reason you are privatizing

long-term care services, because you cannot manage recruitment and retention

and people wait; the unit opening is further delayed until this September.

I ask the Premier: People of the Province are fed up

with your lack of planning, creating a crisis for them seven years you have

had to plan the staff and get them in place when will these critical beds be

open so the people who need services will get them?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

will, I say to members opposite, I will.

Because I know just a moment ago I talked about some of the great work we

are doing on the West Coast and members opposite did not want to hear it.

I had a job to hear myself think over here, Mr. Speaker, loud heckling me

over across the way over there. I

know it is important to them

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

and I know that progress is important to them.

When we came in here a decade ago the member opposite referenced years

ago, and I will reference years ago.

Because when we came in here there was a critical deficit of infrastructure in

Newfoundland and Labrador. Our

programs were deficient of the important needs of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. We made billions of

dollars in investments in infrastructure in this Province billions, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

have improved programs and services, Mr. Speaker.

We have made greater improvements in so many more and such better

improvements than any other Province in Canada.

The successes are countless.

The investments have been enormous, and the benefits to the people of the

Province have been second to none.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This government has a terrible record for getting

buildings like schools built on schedule.

There is something grossly wrong when it comes to getting tenders out in

a timely fashion. The building of

the replacement school for Virginia Park Elementary has been stalled for weeks.

I ask the Minister of Education: Why hasn't the tender

for the next construction phase of the new school gone out as yet?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

am glad the member opposite has asked the question, Mr. Speaker, because it

really falls much in line with the last question asked by the Liberal member

because we have made significant investments in schools in this Province, there

are no two ways about it. We have

almost sixty new schools or significant expansions, extensions, renovations to

schools in this Province in the last decade, Mr. Speaker, more than have ever

been completed before.

A decade ago, Mr. Speaker, when we came into power, a

daily conversation was about the mould in the schools and classrooms that were

not fit to put children in. Today,

we talk about the challenges in capacity, keeping up with the growth of our

Province, keeping up with the growth of the Northeast Avalon, areas where things

are happening. The economy is

driving and jobs are available to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

That is growth of families.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Well, does the Premier have an answer as to why there

was not planning done in a timely manner so that the bulk of the construction on

the new school in Virginia Park, on the exterior of the school, could have been

done over the summer so that students will have a safer environment to return to

in September? What about the safety

of students, Premier?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, the safety of students is a paramount consideration in these projects,

I can assure you. When you make

infrastructure investments, Mr. Speaker, they are for the benefit of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

When you make investments in schools, they are for the benefit of students, I

say to the member opposite. They

benefit students in classrooms. As I

just said, we have such a tremendous amount of growth we have experienced in

recent years, especially in certain areas of the Province.

The Northeast Avalon is a great example.

The area where the member is referring to, she is quite

well aware of the significant growth that has happened in that area.

It is a challenge we have to keep up with that growth that is a

challenge, but it is not the challenge we had a decade ago when we had schools

that were not fit to put students in.

We do not hear those problems from people today.

We continue to make economic

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MR.

MURPHY:

Mr.

Speaker, occupational accidents have almost doubled over the past year,

according to the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour.

Accidents abound, particularly for young workers.

I ask the minister, I ask this government: It is

obvious there are rules for workplace safety and some inspections are occurring,

we will admit that, but when do we see criminal negligence charges being laid

against some of these violators?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, investigations

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Investigations regarding safe work practices occur in this Province on a daily

basis, Mr. Speaker. There are

thousands and thousands of inspections and directives that are issued on an

annual basis. What is fortunate

and where the member erred slightly is that the number of accidents in

workplaces has gone down. It is

lower today than it has been before, and that is because of partnerships that

have created. We are a big fan over

on this side of the House of partnerships and working with groups and

organizations.

You look at some of the safety associations, like the

Construction Safety Association who have led the charge to create safer work

environments in the construction industry.

They have done work beyond anyone's belief or comprehension.

No one could have predicted the great success they have had.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

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

quick question.

MR.

MURPHY:

Mr.

Speaker, why doesn't government publish any company's workplace safety reports

or stop work orders? It sounds like

a great idea. Three other provinces

in this country do it.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier has time for a quick reply.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, it is important that a number of actions be taken to ensure that we

reduce the risk to workers. Workers'

safety is of paramount consideration for many groups.

It is important that we do work together.

We look at valuable ideas and give careful consideration to them.

One loss of life is too many.

One injury in a workplace is too many.

We will work together, and we accept all suggestions and recommendations

to find ways to move forward to create safer work environments.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR.

WISEMAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Pursuant to

section 26(5)(

a) of the Financial

Administration Act, I am tabling an Order-in-Council relating to the funding

pre-commitments for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further tabling of documents?

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR.

WISEMAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a

bill,

An Act To Amend The Auditor General's Act, Bill 17.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family

Services.

MR.

S. COLLINS:

Mr.

Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An

Act To Amend The Child, Youth Advocate Act, Bill 16.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further notices?

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Trinity Bay de Verde.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS many communities in the District of Trinity

Bay de Verde do not have cellphone coverage; and

WHEREAS residents of the district require cellphone

coverage to ensure their safety and communications abilities; and

WHEREAS cellphone coverage on many portions of the

highway in the district is poor or non-existent;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

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

and Labrador to work with the appropriate agencies to provide cellphone coverage

throughout the entire District of Trinity Bay de Verde

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity this

afternoon to enter this petition on behalf of the residents of the District of

Trinity Bay de Verde. This is a

petition that I have entered many times here in this House in my short period of

time here. It is an ongoing issue.

Every time I speak to people in the district, it is always a concern of

theirs.

I guess I will do a little bit of a recap.

You go back to the 911 system that the government implemented back in the

later winter, early spring and the seventy-five cents that each of us now get to

pay on our cellphone bills each and every month.

Government still shows no willingness to act on the issue or lack of

cellphone coverage in many parts of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, I hear it day in and day out from my

colleagues: my colleague for St. Barbe, my colleague for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair, and my colleague for Burgeo La Poile.

There was an incident this winter in Burgeo La Poile where we had

people stuck on a highway.

Mr. Speaker, I look at Route 74, Route 80, and Route

70; and Route 70, being the Heart's Content Barrens.

There are very treacherous conditions on the Heart's Content Barrens.

It is the main transportation link between the district, or much of the

district and the hub, which would be Carbonear where we go for medical services

among other things, Mr. Speaker.

We also have four community-based ambulance services in

the district. We have a

community-based ambulance service in Heart's Delight Islington, we have one in

Winterton, one in Old Perlican, and another on the North Shore.

These community-based ambulance services have all expressed to me a

concern with the lack of cellphone coverage in the district.

Mr. Speaker, we look at economic development.

We have the largest processing and harvesting fishing industries in this

Province on the tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula, when you look at the fish

plants in Old Perlican and Bay de Verde, and the fish plant in Winterton, all

producing shellfish.

Mr. Speaker, we look at the thousands of people

employed, and still when people come in there is no way to use cellphones.

All of the harvesters coming into Old Perlican and Bay de Verde, and

other ports on much of the Bay de Verde Peninsula, little or no cellphone

coverage.

Mr. Speaker, again, I call upon the government, I call

upon the minister, to act on the cellphone coverage issue in our Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Route 510 from L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay is in

deplorable condition and requires immediate upgrading; and

WHEREAS the condition of the highway is causing undue

damage to vehicles using the highway and is a safety hazard for the travelling

public; and

WHEREAS both residential and commercial traffic has

increased dramatically with the opening of the Trans-Labrador Highway and

increased development in Labrador; and

WHEREAS cold patching is no longer adequate as a means

of repair;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

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

and Labrador to immediately allocate resources to Route 510 from L'Anse au Clair

to Red Bay that allows for permanent resurfacing of the highway.

As in duty bound your petitioners will every pray.

Mr. Speaker, I have stood numerous, numerous times and

especially over the ten weeks of this spring sitting, entering this petition on

behalf of the residents who drive Route 510, specifically the residents of

L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay.

The petition I am entering today, Mr. Speaker, is

signed by residents of the community of Forteau.

That will definitely be one of the towns that have the worse pavement

going through. Forteau would be one

of the communities where you are swerving off the road and into private

property. It is very, very dangerous

for buses and for ambulances.

I have said it before, Mr. Speaker, and I will say it

again, it is an absolute miracle that someone has not been killed.

Traffic has greatly increased there.

We see very, very heavy traffic going back and forth to Muskrat Falls.

We are entering into the tourist season, and I just hope that nobody

loses a life on this stretch of the road.

I have called on the minister again and again, and I will call on him

again today to tell the residents who drive Route 510: what is your plan, what

is your list of priorities, where does that road sit on your list of priorities?

I will continue as long as the House is open, to enter

this petition on behalf of the residents who drive Route 510, which is the main

artery, I might add. We are not

talking about side roads, community roads.

It is the main artery that goes right through Labrador.

It is in deplorable need. It

is almost forty years old. It is

long past its expiration date, and it is definitely in need of repair.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MR.

MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS in 2011 the provincial government announced

that it would lift the 8 per cent provincial portion of the HST on residential

heat and light by introducing the Residential Energy Rebate; and

WHEREAS heat is a necessity of life and a health

concern, particularly for seniors; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has projected oil

prices to increase in the next five years;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to stop taxing home

energy and to reverse its decision to abolish the Residential Energy Rebate.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the people of the

Bonavista area, the Town of Bonavista, particularly, who certainly appeared to

have gone out and gotten a few names on this particular petition to express

their discontent with government's policy of taxing home energy.

I think it was a gross disappointment on the people's part when they saw

this come down in the Budget that the tax was coming back.

As much as we did not want the tax to come back, the

people are highly upset again about the simple fact that government reversed

their decision on not taxing home energy and decided to do it again.

It may have been a need on the part of government to generate revenue,

but they should not have gone back to the people of the Province and told them

they were going to be taxing a necessity of life.

Mr. Speaker, we know how much money this puts back into

the economy, number one. The simple

fact of keeping the money where the money mattered, in the consumers' hands.

We know as well the costs of home energy are projected to rise in the

future. We certainly know that the

price of electricity is going to be going up.

We certainly know that the price of heating oil, as an example, is going

to be going up. We certainly know,

by looking at the numbers out there, that there has not been any kind of a

strategic retreat in the price of home heating oil this year.

We are still looking at, for example, in this area in St. John's roughly

about eighty-four or eighty-five cents a litre.

Mr. Speaker, tax on top of that, on top of a 900-litre

tank fill up is probably going to be well it is obvious, I guess, in this

particular case at $1 a litre it is going to be $90.

That is quite a lot of money.

When you are talking about constituents, when you are talking about seniors out

there

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

MURPHY:

or people on a lower income, I think that we have an issue here as regards to

people's well-being. I would like

government to address this, to withdraw from their policy of taxing home energy,

and give the money back to the people.

Let's keep it back and keep it rotating in the economy.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. George's Stephenville East.

MR.

REID:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a petition today related to road conditions in

the Bay St. George South area and especially the bridge across the Crabbes River

that connects Jeffrey's and St. David's, Mr. Speaker.

The petition reads:

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the roads in the Bay St. George area are in

much need of repair in many places; and

WHEREAS the bridge at the mouth of Crabbes River has

continued to deteriorate and is creating an unsafe situation; and

WHEREAS there is significant danger specifically

related to children on a school bus which have to cross this bridge;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

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

and Labrador to repair roads in the Bay St. George South area and the bridge on

Crabbes River.

Mr. Speaker, this petition came together very quickly.

In a matter of four or five days, parents in the area put together a

petition and circulated it. This

petition, I estimate, has about 400 or so signatures on it.

People are very concerned about the state of this bridge and the entrance

and exit from the bridge. There is a

big dip there and it is causing a lot of problems.

The road seems to be sinking away from the bridge and there is a big dip

there.

I could talk about the many roads in the area that need

repair. I could talk about Fortune's

Road in Jeffrey's. I could talk

about the Highlands Road or the Station Road in Robinsons as well.

These are all in need of much repair.

The bridge between Jeffrey's and St. David's was built

in the 1980s while Ron Dawe was Minister of Transportation.

The bridge has deteriorated a bit since then.

At this point, parents of school-aged children are really concerned about

their children having to cross this bridge.

They are worried that it is going to get worse.

It is at the point where it needs to be repaired now before the school

opens. They are concerned that this

bridge will become worse and that children will not be able to use this route to

get to school and be safe.

It is a very serious situation with this bridge. It is

recognized in the area as being a problem.

With tourists coming to the area at this time, I think it poses a real

serious safety problem as well. It

is an issue that needs to be addressed, Mr. Speaker, and I call upon the

Minister of Transportation to have people in his department look at this matter.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

HILLIER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Route 2 on the Conception Bay South Bypass Road

is the second busiest highway in the Province; and

WHEREAS we must ensure the safety of the residents who

use the access road, especially when driving at night; and

WHEREAS brush clearing can reduce the risk to drivers

from the local moose population;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to

urge the government to allocate funding to include brush clearing for the

Manuels Access Road.

Mr. Speaker, this is six or eight times I have brought

this petition forward. Basically we

are asking for moose control from what we refer to as Weir's Pit to Fowler's

Road. There is an area there with a

lake and a lot of wooded area around it, and it is an area where moose come out

on the highway.

Mr. Speaker, as I said I have brought this forward

several times, and I have taken different themes as I have brought it forward.

I brought it forward from a point of view of the Premier's district.

I have brought it forward on behalf of people from the Premier's

district, because they cannot seem to get him to act on it.

I have brought it forward from the point of view that

the Minister of Transportation and Works at one point in time said perhaps we

will get you into the next tender.

Well, when the next tender came out, Mr. Speaker, there were nine contracts in

the tender; all nine going to government districts.

Nothing to Opposition districts, nothing to Third Party districts, all

going to government districts.

Mr. Speaker, I have brought this forward from the point

of view of the last contract that was completed goes down Pitts Memorial Drive

from the Trans-Canada Highway down to Kilbride and for the most part, it is

going through an urban area not to suggest that moose do not come out in an

urban area; but, in many cases, this particular contract goes by fences so the

moose are not jumping over the fence onto the highway, Mr. Speaker.

There are a whole bunch of different ways of looking at

this. To date, I have not been

successful in getting any help from the Minister of Transportation, but we still

know that there are 20,000 cars on that road on a given day.

We know there are moose in that area as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

HILLIER:

Mr.

Speaker, I ask on behalf of the people in the District of Conception Bay South

that this area be put in the next tender document.

Thank you very much.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am happy to enter this petition.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the applied behavioural analysis, ABA program,

for children with autism is funded by the Department of Health and Community

Services; and

WHEREAS the program was introduced in 1999 and is in

serious need of revision; and

WHEREAS with the advances made in early diagnosis of

autism, the number of high-functioning children being diagnosed has drastically

increased; and

WHEREAS the current ABA program does not take into

account that children on the autism spectrum are involved in many educational,

recreational, and social activities outside of the home; and

WHEREAS the current ABA program requires that the

therapist be accompanied at all times by another adult, which is not only

inconvenient but can be quite costly when a parent is unable to be that second

adult due to work or other obligations; and

WHEREAS the current ABA program ends at Grade 3 but

autism is a lifelong social disorder;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House to urge the government to implement a review of the

ABA program with considerations given to alternate programming options, and to

extend autism programming beyond Grade 3.

Mr. Speaker, this is very likely the last petition I

will have an opportunity to enter into this House since I first started entering

them four years ago. I am happy if

this is my last one, I am entering it on a cause that is significant to people

all over this Province and one that I have been questioning this government on

and fighting this government on for four years, and that is the issue of autism

in this Province.

The fact is this petition was based on talking to

parents all over this Province who are saying the same thing: We need to revisit

what we are doing here. We need to

look at it again. Government, as we

know, on many occasions they will talk about the investment they have made; but,

like an investment, they are not talking about the outcomes.

Any investment, you want to see what the end result is, and we are not

seeing it here.

We have addressed it in this House our leader did

on a number of occasions including today, that there are a number of strategies

and plans that I am sure this government will unveil in the coming weeks and

months as we get ready for an election.

I hope this is one of the ones that they do.

We all know why they are doing it.

They have delayed doing what should be done.

They have delayed putting it out there because they want to hide from the

questioning they will get in the House.

If this is one of the ones they will look at between now and the

election, I would be happy to see it because people have been calling for it for

years. It is time that this

government started listening. If

they do not, the next government will.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador has the greatest

percentage of the workforce earning the provincial minimum wage in Canada, with

women, youth, and those from rural areas making up a disproportionate number of

these workers; and

WHEREAS the minimum wage is inadequate and does not

provide enough money for the necessities of life because a person earning

minimum wage working forty hours a week makes $20,800 a year, which is barely

above the low income cut off of $19,496, and a working couple with two children

are also close to low income; and

WHEREAS in 2012 the Minimum Wage Review Committee

recommended an increase in the minimum wage in 2013 to reflect the loss of

purchasing power since 2010, and an annual adjustment beginning in 2014 to

reflect the Consumer Price Index; and

WHEREAS the provincial government, instead, legislated

two twenty-five cent increases, one in October 2014 and one in October 2015 with

no indexing; and

WHEREAS other provinces and territories are continuing

to raise the minimum wage, and six now have a higher minimum wage than

Newfoundland and Labrador;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to legislate an

increase in the minimum wage in 2014 to reflect the loss of purchasing power

since 2010 and make an annual adjustment to the minimum wage beginning in 2015

to reflect the Consumer Price Index.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

I am very pleased to stand today and to present this

petition from residents in Mount Pearl, people who are hard-working people, many

of whom are working for minimum wage, especially in the retail sector.

This is one of the concerns that I have this government this year in

its Budget says that they are concerned about poverty and their looking at a

strategy, a continued strategy around poverty reduction, but the only way to

reduce poverty is to put more money in people's hands.

This fall, even though the minimum wage will go up by

twenty-five cents, a whopping twenty-five cents, this government at the same

time is adding extra burden to people's backs; number one, by putting back the

provincial tax on home heating; by raising the general GST, the provincial side

of the GST, putting that up as well.

At the same time that they are putting extra burden on

people, they are only giving them twenty-five cents more an hour for those who

are working minimum wage. There is

no consistency, Mr. Speaker, in this government's policies.

They cannot say that they are concerned about people being poor while at

the same time

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MICHAEL:

keeping them in poverty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First of all, Mr. Speaker, I move pursuant to Standing

Order 11 that the House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The motion is that this House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m.

today.

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, 'nay.'

The motion is carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

number 2, third reading of a bill.

So moved by me, seconded by the Minister of Finance and

President of Treasury Board, that

An Act To Amend The Teachers' Pensions Act,

Bill 15, be now read a third time.

MR.

SPEAKER:

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

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion

that Bill 15,

An Act To Amend The Teachers' Pensions Act, be now read a third

time?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, 'nay.'

The motion is carried.

CLERK:

bill,

An Act To Amend The Teachers' Pensions Act.

(Bill 15)

MR.

SPEAKER:

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

and its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill,

An Act To Amend The Teachers'

Pensions Act, read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the

Order Paper. (Bill 15)

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this time I would like to move, seconded by the

Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the House resolve

itself into a Committee of the Whole to Consider Certain Resolutions Respecting

the Imposition of Taxes on Income, Bill 6.

MR.

SPEAKER:

is moved and seconded that the House now resolve itself into a Committee of the

Whole to consider Bill 6.

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, Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Littlejohn):

Order, please!

We are now debating the related resolution and Bill 6.

Resolution

That

it is expedient to bring in a measure respecting the imposition of taxes on

income.

CHAIR:

Shall the resolution carry?

The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of

Treasury Board.

MR.

WISEMAN:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Throughout this whole Budget debate, what we are seeing

today in the House there are two resolutions we are going to be debating in

the House today. For those who are

listening, the Budget itself has been passed by this Legislature.

In any Budget, there are a number of initiatives that need to be actioned

after the Budget is passed in the House.

Two of the things we are going to be doing today are

dealing with resolutions that give effect.

They are enabling legislation really.

These pieces of legislation give effect to the announcements that were

made in the Budget and the fact that the general fiscal policies of government

have been approved by this House.

Embedded in those fiscal policies are the actions we are taking through these

two bills that we are dealing with today.

The first one deals with Bill 6.

Bill 6 is

an Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, 2000.

I just want to provide some commentary, Mr. Chair, of what the bill

actually does. One of the things we

have said repeatedly and going back to 2003 in fact when this Administration

formed government we wanted to make sure Newfoundland and Labrador had a

competitive tax regime.

We knew we were not going to be the best in the entire

country. We knew we were not going

to have necessarily the lowest taxes in the entire country, but we wanted to

make sure our income tax was competitive.

The other thing we wanted to do through this process here, and in Bill 6,

that is what it actually does. We

wanted to make sure our income tax was progressive, and that we had a

distribution of taxation across various income levels.

So one of the things we have tried to do here is to

maintain true to that intent that we have been saying since 2003, we need to be

competitive. We are bringing in some

changes to the income tax structure in Newfoundland and Labrador, while at the

same time our personal income tax remains the lowest in Atlantic Canada.

We have the third-lowest top marginal tax rate in Canada, behind only

Alberta and Saskatchewan. Those two

things are really important, Mr. Chair.

If you look at Atlantic Canada provinces, we are still the lowest in

Atlantic Canada when it comes to personal income tax.

When it comes to being competitive, trying to attract

the talent we need to help advance our economy the kind of talent our

employers need to be able to attract, people who are well-paid individuals, and

we are competing for that talent worldwide.

When people start looking at recruiting or able to attract highly paid

individuals to come to the Province, one of the big things they consider is your

marginal tax rate.

So we want to make sure we are still competitive.

This change makes us slightly different.

We were the second and now we are the third.

Really, we are in good company.

It is only if they go to Saskatchewan or Alberta will they enjoy high

income individuals a better tax rate than they will here.

What we are trying to do here is to make the tax, maintain it as being

the best in Atlantic Canada, but maintain ourselves to be competitive.

What we are doing, Mr. Chair, is we are introducing two

new tax brackets for tax payables by individuals, and that does a couple of

things. It makes sure that we remain

competitive, as I have said, but also makes our tax system much more

progressive.

I want to just, if I could with the indulgence of the

House. There has been much

discussion in recent past around: Who comments on our tax system?

What are some of the credible references we use?

Who are some of the experts who pass judgement and express an opinion

about how well we are doing, how well we are performing, how well the economy of

the Province is doing. One of those

individuals is Dr. Wade Locke from the university.

There is a research team he led, Mr. Chair, that did a

review. The report he released is

entitled, Promoting Tax Fairness in Newfoundland and Labrador Through The

Personal Income Tax System. If I

could just read one particular exert from that report which I think speaks to

the success of the changes we have made in making sure that our tax system

remains progressive.

Let me quote, both the tax and transfer system has made

our system progressive. It is

interesting to note, however, that, In terms of reducing income inequality

associated with market incomes, government, transfers seemed to play a greater

role than taxes. It does appear

that there may be room for changing the income tax rates to improve the

progressivity of the income tax system and improve the perceived equity

associated with publicly funding goods and services within Newfoundland and

Labrador.

That is the end of the quote, Mr. Chair.

What it speaks to, it is suggesting that if we were to add a couple of

new brackets as we have done, we would add to the agenda that we have to ensure

our tax is a progressive system. So

what we have done to assist with that, we are making an amendment to

section 7

of the Income Tax Act 2000 and we will be amending that to include a fourth

bracket. That fourth bracket will

have a rate of 14.3 per cent for taxable income between $125,000 and $175,000.

Then we will be introducing a fifth tax bracket where the rate will be

15.3 per cent for taxable income greater than $175,000.

Mr. Chair, these changes will come into effect as of

January 2015. Therefore when you

file your return sometime in early 2016 for your 2015 tax year, those new rates

will apply. Mr. Chair, one of the

things, as I have said, this still positions us, though, to have the lowest

income tax structure in Atlantic Canada and competitively with the rest of the

country on a marginal tax basis.

The second amendment to be included in this bill, Mr.

Chair, speaks to the financial capital tax.

Right now there is a rate of 4 per cent that is applied on taxable paid

up capital allocated to Newfoundland and Labrador by banks and loan and trust

companies. For companies that have

total capital less than $10 million, the first $5 million is exempt. As a part

of our government's approach to ensure that we have a fair tax system, we are

now making a change. In Budget 2015,

we are proposing to increase that financial corporation capital tax from the

current 4 per cent to 5 per cent effective April 1, 2015.

Now, Mr. Chair, this will only affect banks and loans

and trust companies that operate within Newfoundland and Labrador.

Under

Part II of the Income Tax Act, paragraph 66.2(1), the act presently

sets a rate of 4 per cent. We will

be making that amendment to be effective in this tax year.

This tax goes back a number of years. It goes back to

the early 1980s when it was first introduced, but there has not been any change

to this tax since the mid-1990s. So

we believe that in today's environment with the earnings of our major financial

corporations and their ability to make a fair contribution to the tax revenue

stream of the Province, we believe that this is a fair and equitable tax for

their operations in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We do not anticipate that this will have any impact at all on their

ability to operate in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Chair, when you consider when we talked about

taxation, if you think about some of the other measures that we have done, we

have taken measures that we have talked about in this House, through this Budget

process, then we provide relief

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

CHAIR:

Order, please!

MR.

WISEMAN:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the members' attention, obviously, but

their excitement about our Budget has got them a little bit anxious today and

they want to prematurely contribute to the debate, but I am sure there will be

lots of opportunity for them to stand up and congratulate us on a wonderful

Budget.

Mr. Chair, as we talk about the tax structure and some

of the changes that we have made and I just talked about how we have

introduced a fourth and a fifth bracket for those people who earn on the higher

end of the income spectrum; but, on the other side, we have taken some

significant measures to make sure that people who are on lower income levels

have a significant tax relief in this Province.

That is why in taxation year 2015, as a result of

changes that occur automatically as a result of indexing, we now find ourselves

in a spot in this Province where any individual, on an individual basis, whose

income is at $18,955 per year, they will not pay any provincial income tax to

the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Families who have an income of $32,052, they too will not pay any

personal income tax in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I say, Mr. Chair, as we have made some adjustments for

the taxpayers on the higher end income levels, we have also continued to

maintain and enhance benefits for individuals on the lower income.

When you consider what we have done with the Seniors' Benefits, right now

that is a program is also indexed; and seniors who find themselves in income

levels similar to that, this year's contribution to that fund is some $42

million.

Seniors, for example, who find themselves at that same

income level, or similar income levels, will be entitled to $1,059 as a one-time

payment in the fall of the year.

Because if you combine the Seniors' Benefit of $1,059, combine the low-income

threshold for the non-payment of personal income tax in Newfoundland and

Labrador and just think about the adjustment we have just made for the HST

rebate, taking the income threshold from $15,000 to $30,000, these are the kinds

of measures that we have done, embedded in our tax structure, embedded in our

benefit program to ensure individuals who are on the low-income levels receive

maximum tax relief from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and

acknowledge their fiscal reality.

While, at the same time, taking those individuals who make the 125's, 150's,

170's and beyond, take those individuals, who are in a position as much as we

have to have a competitive tax system, they are in a much better position to

make a greater contribution to the provincial revenues than other individuals on

the low income.

So these amendments that we are introducing in Bill 6,

I think, Mr. Chair, is consistent with the philosophy and consistent with the

approach that we have taken since 2003; and that is to maintain a competitive

tax system, to make sure that we are the lowest personal income tax brackets in

Atlantic Canada, to make sure that we are competitive with the rest of the

country on a marginal tax basis, and to make sure that our tax system is

progressing, so that individuals who are in the position to make a greater

contribution do just that.

The addition of two new tax brackets for higher income

earners is something new in this Budget.

It is something that our government acknowledges that makes our tax

system much more progressive than it was.

It also acknowledges those individuals at the higher income levels need

to make a greater contribution to the revenue stream to the Province.

We have also recognized that banks, trust companies,

and loan companies that have the fiscal capacity need to pay a greater share of

their revenue that they earn on the assets in this Province.

They need to contribute a greater share of their revenue to the

provincial coffers, and therefore contributing to improving social programs and

the infrastructure that exists in this Province.

I say, Mr. Chair, with those quick introductions to

Bill 6 and an introduction to what we are trying to do here, I will take my seat

and invite members of the Opposition and others to make a contribution to this

debate this afternoon.

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

C. BENNETT:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It certainly is a pleasure to stand in the House today,

as it is every day, on behalf of the constituents of the District of Virginia

Waters, soon to be renamed the District of Windsor Lake.

I look forward continuing to serve the people of my district.

For those watching at home, as the minister indicated,

the bill we are debating today is what is referenced as a money bill.

For those of us in the House, we get the privilege, when a money bill is

being debated, to speak to a variety of topics.

As the Opposition member responsible for the area of

finance, I have certainly spoken at length about the minister's Budget and this

government's Budget. As we all

anticipate that government will today close the House and debate will stop, it

will be important for those of us who do have the opportunity to stand up and

speak one last time before the House closes to make sure that we talk about the

really important things.

One of the things that continues to come up from

constituents in my district and from constituents from many of the districts

that we represent is a grave concern the economy.

We have repeatedly asked questions in this House of Assembly around the

nineteen consecutive months of job losses, year over year job losses that people

of the Province are facing. I know

in my own district I spoke to people over the last six months who have been

impacted not only by job losses here on the Northeast Avalon and positions they

were working on in the oil industry but also those who were working in Western

Canada, those who were working in non-oil related positions who have seen the

impact of the economy, the recession that the minister has identified we are in

the middle of. There is no doubt

that many people of the Province have a very clear expectation of how they feel

government should be involved in supporting the economy.

There are lots of questions about this government's

continued focus on the oil sector which is an important revenue contributor to

the provincial coffers but it is not a contributor to jobs en masse.

It only represents about 4 per cent of the jobs that Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians work in in our Province.

That is why so many people in the Province, so many people from community

leaders, to individuals, to business leaders are talking about the importance of

diversifying the economy.

Mr. Chair, small- and medium-businesses are truly the

ones that employ a significant portion of our population.

As was mentioned in this House already, about 40 per cent.

Many of those small- and medium-businesses are talking about the benefits

agreements that have been under the guidance of this particular government over

the last decade. They have a lot of

questions about whether or not those benefits agreements are actually impacting

them in a positive way.

There are also concerns about how our shrinking

population and our aging population is going to impact the transfer of

businesses from one generation to the other, and whether or not businesses will

be forced to close as opposed to finding young entrepreneurs who are eager to

take on the risk of a new enterprise.

Mr. Chair, we also hear regularly that individuals and

business leaders who are interested in growing and diversifying the economy are

frustrated with how government reacts to them, how government interfaces with

them, and how there is a lack of an appreciation of how much effort goes into

diversifying the economy. This

government has been happy to sit back and rest on its laurels, perceived

laurels, about growing a sector that really was about putting money into the

provincial coffers as opposed to creating opportunities for young people and for

families throughout our Province.

I found in Question Period today as the Leader of the

Opposition asked a lot of questions around the plans that this government has

continued to talk about are coming, that they are going to do, one of the ones

that was mentioned was the workforce development.

This is a new plan that this government has started to talk about in the

last number of weeks. This workforce

development plan certainly I do not think a lot of people in the Province have

a lot of confidence that this government can actually develop a workforce

development plan.

When we see situations like what has been reported to

be the largest industrial development period in Labrador and this government

cannot find one occupational health and safety officer to go up and make sure

those employees and those workers are safe, and that there is an on the ground

presence around safety. The

questions I asked about in the House earlier today.

We have a long-term care facility the Premier takes great pride in

talking about buildings. Well, I

would remind him it is not buildings that take care of people; it is people who

take care of people.

Quite frankly, the fact that this government continues

to talk about investments in infrastructure without addressing the real issues

of services that are not being provided.

Like the long-term care facility that has a unit that is currently empty,

while we have waiting lists and people backed up, and bed blockages happening at

the Health Sciences Centre I think offends people.

It certainly comes up on the doorsteps and in community town hall

discussions when I am working in my district, as it does with many of my

colleagues on this side of the House.

When we talk about the economy, the most important

thing in an economy, quite frankly, is whether people have jobs.

This government is not going to fix the population challenges unless they

address that. The recession we are

in is going to make it a whole lot tougher for people to choose to live here and

to stay in this Province because it is going to make it tougher for them to find

the resources to support their family.

I, along with many of my colleagues on this side of the

House, and I would argue many people in the community, believe the battle for

the future of our Province and the sustainability of our Province is on now.

In the coming months and weeks people of the Province will be asked very

clearly to decide which party in this Province they believe are going to be the

best to lead them through this difficult transition.

Mr. Chair, I know my time is rapidly cluing up.

I want to make sure that I make the point to listen to the debate in this

House of Assembly and listen to the members opposite and the government talk

about major oil deals, in the absence of talking about a continuous improvement

and an evolution of our benefits plan is quite worrisome to many people in this

Province.

Extractors who want to come here and make money from

our resources, we cannot be satisfied to only talk about benefits agreements.

Quite frankly, we must insist that benefits be derived not just for the

provincial coffers, but more importantly for the people of the Province.

Mr. Chair, we need to guard against those resourceful global companies

that are, quite frankly, motivated by shareholder value that will endeavour to

prey on the weaknesses such as perceived productivity issues, a shrinking

economy, and a declining population.

Mr. Chair, we must tackle the misconception that our

businesses and our workforce are unproductive.

Perceptions of, it cannot be done in Newfoundland, for example.

We must celebrate the incredible resilience of a people who know one way

of doing things and that is with hard work.

We must advance our economy and not be satisfied with a narrow view of

what drives economic activity. Every

region of this Province deserves the attention of a government that is focused

on all of the population and not just simply on the revenue that the Province

brings in.

Mr. Chair, we must address the population.

This Budget certainly is not one that is resonating with people of the

Province when it comes to addressing the population.

Quite frankly, we must entrust this work to happen with people who do not

make excuses. Most people I talk to

are fed up with this government's continuing habit of making excuses for their

inability to get things done. The

time for excuses is over and the time for action is now.

The time for leadership and compassion, and more importantly, the time

for results, is now.

Mr. Chair, I look forward to joining the Leader of the

Official Opposition, our caucus, and do you know what, many, many people around

this Province who know that better is possible and who know that better is

achievable, and more importantly, better is a must.

Not because we want to win a political battle, but rather because we want

to ensure the survival of our beautiful Province for the 25,000 kids I just

want you to think about that for a second between the ages of zero and four

who are currently in our Province, and for the over 60,000 school-age kids.

Quite frankly, it is those two groups, those 85,000 kids who are the real

future of our Province.

Mr. Chair, as long as this government will allow this

House to remain open, I will continue to speak about this Budget and the issues

that people in my district are presenting to me, just like every member on this

side of the House will continue to do that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Member for Bonavista North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

CROSS:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It is certainly great to stand up and speak today as

maybe a final chance to speak in this term to represent the good people of the

District of Bonavista North. As the

opposite member just spoke, her district is transitioning and the one I hope to

represent is transitioning as well.

As we move into the coming months, I look forward and am eager to reacquaint

with some of the people from the parts of the district that will be included.

The matter at hand today, Mr. Chair, is to stand here

and offer a few comments about Bill 6, which will amend the Income Tax Act in

order to implement a couple of tax measures that we feel in the plan of this

government is necessary with this year's Budget.

As our minister so aptly said when he stood up, the balance of looking at

the broad spectrum of incomes in our Province and all of the other aspects that

we might have to raise revenues, these acts now, after the Budget has been

passed, is necessary in order to fulfill the promise or the balance of that

Budget.

If I may for a couple of moments, I just want to speak

to the both of these. The income tax

rate increase is one of these things that the minister alluded to.

Basically, he referred to our tax regime as being very competitive and

progressive. If this income tax rate

that we are talking about applying today if your income is less than $125,000

per year, there is no impact on you.

There is absolutely no impact on you.

The addition of a fourth and a fifth rate to our income tax regime would

mean that if you are earning between $125,000 and $175,000, then you are in a

14.3 per cent income tax rate.

Just after the Budget came out, I was talking to a few

individuals who may have been in that rate.

They were very scared about what was happening in the Budget and did not

realize that when you get down to, as grandfather would say, the brass tacks and

analyze it all, what happened is this increase for someone who is earning

between $125,000 and $150,000 a year, the tax payable on that extra $25,000 is

going to be a difference of $250 in their pockets or taken out of their pocket

for this. Again, when they realize,

in that amount, for someone who is in that bracket, that is a very modest hit.

The fifth rate at 15.3 per cent, which would be

implemented for taxable income over $175,000, if you are between $175,000 and

$200,000, the hit on your pocketbook is going to be able $1,000 per year.

The hit for someone in that category, Mr. Chair, is not going to be felt

as great as the protection we have offered to the lower income whereby the

raising of it and the benefits that we have created over the years, such that

now as the minister alluded to if your income is in the $32,000 plateau, you

pay no taxes at all, Mr. Chair. That

has risen drastically in the years that we have been in office.

These changes maintain Newfoundland and Labrador

competitiveness. We are still the

lowest in Atlantic Canada and still in the third progressive rate of personal

income tax in all of the country.

The second particular part of this is related to the

financial capital tax as it is applied.

Most provinces and federal governments have capital taxes on financial

institutions. It also has capital

tax on banks and loans and trust companies with permanent establishments in our

Province; however, the rate that is being applied now is for people who have

taxable paid up capital in Newfoundland and Labrador, all capital stock and

other things. Really it is applied

after $5 million because the first $5 million you have is exempt from taxes, Mr.

Chair. What makes a need for this

change is that this particular tax has not changed for the last nineteen years;

1996 was the last time this tax had actually changed.

So in review for this year, it was something that was probably necessary.

Just to rebut a comment that my hon. member just made

in the sense of trying to be critical about this government and the fact that we

have not diversified the economy. It

would make you think and this comment was told to me just this last weekend

when I was home and talking to people.

If you would listen to the Opposition parties, you would think the oil is

going to be gone tomorrow. This

gentleman told me that. He said: You

would think the oil is going to be gone tomorrow and what have we done.

Well, in looking at the potential for oil and where it

goes, it is still going to be around for years to come and we have to take

whatever chance we have to diversify.

We depend on it in the beginning and as we grow, much like Norway or much

like other countries that have had oil, after you get involved for fifteen or

twenty years, you become major players and you are to the point that you can

actually step up the idea.

The very first and probably biggest project that we are

doing to diversify this economy, to take us away from the oil, is Muskrat Falls.

All we get is comments and jeers and whatever from people opposing that

and not really accepting the fact that that is a big diversification project for

this Province, to take us away from the oil.

Also, Mr. Chair, in other ways with smaller projects,

either with private business I know through private enterprise in my district,

there have been numerous commercial entities that have taken or have applied for

grants or supports or loans from this Province to help diversify, be it in the

fishery or other aspects of our Province.

There are also not-for-profit groups that receive capital investment from

this government to help in the tourist industry and whatever.

We all agree that the basis of most of our economy and

our Province is on small business your megaprojects are going to have great

things to do, but it is your small business that leads for the majority of this

Province to keep our industry and our economy flowing.

Through all of this, we have had projects here.

You think about the innovation projects that have been

done in the last two or three years with the SubC group in Clarenville, you have

the other guys who are making the snowboards in Western Newfoundland, and all

these groups. As we invest in

projects like that, we help diversify our economy.

Now, Mr. Chair, just for the last minute or two, to

change. Four years ago I stood here

and I completed my maiden speech. At

that time I intentionally stood up and tried not to have a script.

I had a few notes and I did something that I felt was necessary to go

through. When you take a chance such

as that on an idea like your maiden speech or whatever I do not know what this

speech may be called. If my first

speech was the maiden speech, I do not know what term is referred to for this

one, but in my maiden speech I forgot something very important.

I stood up and I thanked family and friends and everything, but I forgot

what I consider my personal maiden, my spouse.

I thanked everybody as we went through, and I have been four years trying

to think of a way to make that up to the point that I have been in this House, I

have been living a dream, I have had to pinch myself but I thank her

immensely, I thank Jocelyn for the support.

I understand, Mr. Chair, that I have also been given

I do not know what term the green light to continue.

I guess that is a great thanks as well.

When I look at it, maybe it is not a green light, it is not a red light,

it is not a yellow or orange light, but it is a blue light to continue on;

because as long as the blue light

is in the distance and still continues to fire the dreams of Newfoundlanders

like me, I feel that we are strong on this foundation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CROSS:

So I take my seat today proud of what I have tried to do in the last

four years, and hope that the great people of Bonavista North will let me

continue for a few more in the new District of

Fogo Island Cape Freels. It is all

in a name, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for the opportunity.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to take the next ten minutes to recount

where we have come or not come over the past twelve years.

Let's look at where we were, where we have been, where we are, and how we

got there.

Mr. Chair, twelve years ago we had three paper mills.

Now we have one paper mill and an environmental disaster zone

expropriated by this government. Had

this government not been so careless to expropriate the Grand Falls mill, we

would not have an environmental disaster zone that belonged to us.

Successive owners were responsible and we are the final owner.

Nevertheless, we went out and spent a ton of money on

legal fees in order to find out that, yes, it is our environmental disaster zone

in Grand Falls. We still do not have

a price tag. We do not know if we

are going to restore it to a brown zone.

We certainly are not going to restore it to a green zone, but it is an

environmental disaster zone.

Mr. Chair, maybe we should turn to the fishery.

What has this government done in the last dozen years for the fishery?

They took over a billion-dollar fishery and they have managed to get it

down to $900 million in twelve years.

That is no increase. How do

you get a $900 million fishery under this government?

You start with a billion-dollar fishery, wait a dozen years, and all of a

sudden you have less than you started with.

Maybe they have better results in education, because in

education when our struggling Newfoundland and Labrador government was when we

struggled in 2003, we were ranked midway in Canada under the program for

international assessment scores. We

were midway, and now we are struggling to stay out of last place.

That was in math, that was in science, and that was in numeracy for

fifteen year olds. We have gone from

middle of the pack, a have-not Province, to struggling and I say struggling

instead of last place as a have Province.

Maybe we did better in health, because health is

certainly one of the most important issues in our Province.

After a dozen years we find we have the unhealthiest population in

Canada, in spite of billions of dollars spent on health care.

Mr. Chair, in short we have the most expensive, least accountable

government, which keeps on saying whenever you challenge them on an issue like

education, or on health, or on any issue at all, they say, we have spent and we

have spent and we have spent. The

Auditor General agrees, yes, you have spent, and you have spent, and you have

spent. Then he points out lack of

controls, lack of oversight, and lack of accountability.

The Auditor General concludes, oh, but money sent out

the door is not a measure of success.

All we have seen for a dozen years is money sent out the door.

HON. MEMBER:

That is a good one. Say it again,

Jim.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Money sent out the door is not a measure of success.

So how do we get there?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Chair, let's look at 2003 to know where we are because if you do not know where

you have been you will only repeat history, which is what we seem to be doing

with this government with spending.

In 2003, when this government took office we were in

rough shape, no doubt about it.

Everything they can say about 2003 was pretty much true, all the deficits, the

infrastructure issues, and this government had no plan except put the government

back on track financially. That

would be prudent, conservative, fiscal policy if they were to do it.

They had no plan except to get the government back on

track, get our Province back on track financially.

So what did they do? They cut

corners. They jacked up fees.

Everybody remembers ambulance fees going up, a whole range of scores

and perhaps even hundreds of fees going up.

They consolidated health boards.

They consolidated education boards, and they froze wages.

All of the things that they said.

Well, they did not actually say what they would do because back then in

2003 the only words I can remember hearing from the government in the pre-2003

campaign was, we do not know what we are going to do.

We are in such a mess, we have to get in and take a look at the books.

We have to get in and take a look at the books before we can tell you

what we will do.

Then shortly after this government took office

something happened. We got oil.

Well, we had the oil all along but we got the oil money.

The oil revenues started to roll in.

Based on the work and sacrifice of people before them, based on nothing

they did, the money started to roll in and roll in and roll in.

Mr. Chair, the money rolled in, almost like capelin

rolling in on the beach. This is

June, and I imagine in some places the capelin are still rolling.

They are rolling, the little silvery things.

This is how the money literally rolled in to this Province, the oil

money, but the government still did not have a plan.

The only plan they had in the first place was how to save money.

Now they did not need to save money.

They did not need to save money anymore.

The one issue of government, from 2003, they did not have that issue

anymore because they had money. They

had more money than they knew what to do with, and they spent and they spent and

they spent.

Mr. Chair, they took over a government that struggled

to survive on a $4 billion Budget in 2002 of the Grimes government.

Now we have a government that struggles on an $8 billion Budget.

Twelve years later, with twice as much money as when they took over, we

have a government that struggles on $8 billion and still is forced to borrow and

to borrow and to borrow.

Why does it borrow?

It borrows to feed a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy, all the while

neglecting our people; all the while neglecting the people of this Province.

We have double the rate of unemployment of our nation.

We are an oil dependent, single-issue government that has done little

over the past twelve years to diversity our economy.

I say they have done very little to diversify our economy.

Mr. Chair, the government that pats itself on the back

and points to stacks of cancelled cheques.

Cheques that included $20 billion or more of oil royalties and mineral

royalties, created by a previous government and spent by this government with no

new sources of wealth to replace the money spent.

Mr. Chair, the people in our Province are in despair

with this government. I know because

I travelled all over the Province in recent times and previously.

They are absolutely in despair and they are afraid.

They want change.

Mr. Chair, who are these people?

They are realtors, they are contractors, and they are business owners.

That is mostly in the Northeast Avalon and some areas of scattered

prosperity. They are also ordinary

working people, everyday ordinary working people who do not know where they are

going to turn. They are absolutely

paranoid of what is going to happen if this government stays in power.

They are also seniors. They

are also vulnerable members of our Province who must rely on Income Support.

There is fear and despair that this government will be

re-elected. The government rewards

this fear and despair. How do they

reward this fear and despair? Well,

they increased the HST. They jacked

up the taxes some more. They came

into power in 2003 with no money and they increased taxes, cut benefits, and

consolidated. Today, they increased

HST all over again.

Mr. Chair, if you can imagine, one of the least popular

people in our Province is Stephen Harper.

I think maybe Mr. Harper probably even acknowledges that himself;

however, in his time in office he has rewarded our people.

He has rewarded the people of this Province because the federal portion

of the HST has gone down twice. It

has been lowered 1 per cent, then another per cent.

The federal portion of the HST that used to be 7 per cent is now 5 per

cent.

What is this government going to do with that?

They are going to take back the money that Stephen Harper said we could

keep. Stephen Harper said: no, no,

we can get by on 5 per cent instead of 7 per cent.

The 5 per cent and 8 per cent, that is 13 per cent.

This government has just jacked up the HST to 7 per

cent plus. Actually, they have

increased it to if there is 5 per cent left, that is 10 per cent HST.

I am afraid if I screw up my math I might be recruited to be a finance

minister in the government. I would

rather stay in the Opposition for now.

In any event, this is the most expensive HST in Canada.

It is needed to be increased by this wasteful, out-of-control

unaccountable government which is taking back what Stephen Harper let us keep.

Mr. Chair, this is absolutely shameful.

It is out of touch. This

government is indifferent to the needs of people.

If a government was ever ready to spend time in Opposition, it is this

government right now.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Member for Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

It is good to get on my feet again and have some things

to say with regard to the situation in the Province dealing with Bill 6 today.

It is what we call a money bill because it is a bill that deals directly

with income for government, income that will come because of rises to the income

tax rate, and the good thing the government did which was adding two more tax

brackets to personal income.

However, they certainly did not, in doing that, in any

way put a plan in place that would increase very much the income that will come

from those changes. They created new

tax brackets and then did not use the opportunity to make sure that the

highest-earning people in the Province would be paying their fair share of what

needs to be paid. They missed a

golden opportunity.

I am not going to talk specifically about the income

tax brackets and the income raise, Mr. Chair.

What I want to talk about, which I may talk about, are some of the things

this government does or does not do with the money that they have, the decisions

that they make, and the way in w